Hello and welcome to an American Idol reaction post as we finally get to vote for our favorites! The judges narrowed it down to the top 26 contestants (with some confusion, of course). Last night for part one of a two-episode round, 13 contestants performed everything from Little Richard and En Vogue to Adele and Minnie Riperton. Who were my favorites and who had the most forgettable performances? Well, to answer that I came up with a list of categories with which I’ll be rating each singer.
Do I like the song choice? Yes/No
Does the performance move me? Yes/No
Am I entertained? Yes/No
Overall Rating: 1-10
The Good. 27 levels above everyone else was Zachariah Smith singing “Lucille” by Little Richard, Lucy Love with “What’s Love Got To Do With It?”, and Iam Tongi’s take on “Don’t Let Go” by Spawnbreezie. Each of those got high marks because in their own way, they were entertaining and captivating. In other words, they were incredible. I was also impressed with Nailyah. Love her style and her voice got crazy high. Matt Wilson serenading his wife was sweet. OK, you’re about to get an inside look at my little black book where I write down grocery lists, sermon notes, and triathlon training times. Now it’s also where I scribble Idol notes…
The Bad. As you can see in my notes, I thought Oliver Steele really missed the mark with his performance which is a shame because I really like his voice. He simply picked a song that showed off none of his soulful, smokey vocals and that might hurt him when the votes are announced. Haven’s quirky take on “The Middle” is still not sitting right with me. I get it that she can’t always sing the heart-wrenching ballads but without her songwriting, her voice doesn’t stand out. Major kudos on her wardrobe, though. She always has awesome outfits. I just don’t know if earth big enough for two Taylor Swifts? Other forgettable performances were Elise Kristine, Mariah, PJAE, and Warren Peay.
The Ugly. Using the definition of ugly as “disagreeable or unpleasant,” I have to comment on the judges. I actually wish they were MORE disagreeable and unpleasant. There’s a difference in being nice and having kindness and, while they’re definitely kind, they’re just too nice! It’s possible to dish out some critical comments while still being kind (see: Simon Cowell). With that said, I think Katy, Luke, and Lionel did their best to give some helpful advice last night. Hopefully the singers can sift through some of the more thinly-veiled praise to hear real critiques.
Feel like arguing with me about who did well and who didn’t? Comment below and let’s fight.
-Out of the Wilderness
Out of the Wilderness 