During last Thursday's results show on American Idol we saw the surprising eliminations of contestants Katelyn Epperly, Lilly Scott, Todrick Hall, and Alex Lambert. I didn't think anyone in that group deserved to go home. Katelyn and Lilly both received positive comments from the judges in past weeks; Lilly especially was considered a strong contender this year due to her indie rock vibe and style. Todrick was quite creative with his song arrangements, and although Alex fought his nerves I think he would have improved with more time on the Idol stage.
After his rock interpretation last Wednesday night of Owl City's "Fireflies," Mount Prospect native Lee DeWyze remains one of the stronger contestants on the show this year and is my favorite this season. Performing "Fireflies" on his guitar, he gave the song a rock edge. My second favorite singer is Siobhan Magnus, from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Last Tuesday Siobhan sang "House of the Rising Sun." She began singing the song a capella; her voice has a unique quality that you can't help but be drawn to.
Last night the Top 12 contestants performed songs by the Rolling Stones. Michael Lynche sang "Miss You." It wasn't one of the best performances of the night, but I think he has plenty of fans behind him because he is a lovable guy with a big personality. Katie Stevens performed "Wild Horses," which was miles better than her semifinal showings, but she still doesn't stand out to me so that I would want to pick up the phone for her. Paige Miles was fighting laryngitis and still hit the big notes on "Honky Tonk Women." Casey James performed "It's All Over Now" on the electric guitar and put a country-blues spin on the song. I think Andrew Garcia's performance of "Gimme Shelter" was very strong compared to what he's done in previous weeks. I haven't felt connected with any of Aaron Kelly's past performances and actually thought he should have gone home on Thursday, and then he performed "Angie" and won me over. I also enjoyed Didi Benami's interpretation of "Play with Fire" and Lacey Brown's "Ruby Tuesday." I know they may have stumbled a bit during the songs but I thought they both conveyed their emotions while they were on the stage. Singing "You Can't Always Get What You Want," Crystal Bowersox gave another confident and strong performance. Siobhan Magnus's "Paint it Black" was the stand-out performance for the judges. I agree with the judges--when she belts out the notes she is reminiscent of last season's runner-up Adam Lambert. Lee DeWyze sang "Beast of Burden," which the judges thought was a safe choice; Simon is still waiting for Lee to have a "moment" on the stage. While I agree he may not have the personality of other contestants, I thought the combination of Lee's gravelly voice and his interpretation of the song on guitar made "Beast of Burden" sound like it was his song. I picked up the phone to vote for Lee and I hope he makes it through to next week!
Tim Urban is the contestant I think should go home tonight. His re-imagining of "Under My Thumb" just was not pleasant to watch or listen to. He seems like a nice enough guy but I am not a fan of his music. Which contestant did you vote for? Who do you want to see go home?
