American Idol, Episode 22: "Top Eight Peform"
So, last night, American Idol trotted out another tired theme from season's past. It was Motown week, everyone!! Yeah, I know they tried to change it up and claim that it was Songs From Detroit, but come on, besides that Madonna duet, all the songs were from Hitsville, USA. There is nothing wrong with that, but let's not try to call this something that it's not. There were some amazing performances last night and the women continued to dominate. Also, I was living for Nicki and Mariah's red dresses, which I have to assume, were to support marriage equality. It's nice that you ladies can agree on one thing. OK, let's get into it, y'all.
Candice Glover started things off right, with a jazzy, slow burn take on "I Heard It Through The Grapevine." Is there anything that Candice can't do? I mean, this was such a departure from her typical performance, but it was typically amazing. I loved the growl in her voice and how it built into a pitch perfect ending. It was a change, but it still fits Candice's aesthetic. I loved it. A fantastic way to open the show, especially since the opener is normally pretty lame and forgettable. No one will forget Candice's performance.
Kree Harrison and Janelle Arthur teamed up for a country-fied rendition of Madonna's "Like A Prayer", the sole non-Motown ditty performed on the show. Nicki was right on when she asserted that Kreedom was the winner in this duet. It was sweet how Kree tried to give Janelle her props, but you could see how uncomfortable Janelle was with the whole situation. Kree dominated that song. Her voice was clear and melodic, she never over powered Janelle, Janelle just couldn't raise her game to meet Kree's.
Oh Lazaro. I feel like we have this conversation every Wednesday night. This performance was a little bit better, but it was not good. It definitely wasn't good enough to stay in the competition. Not even close. Lazaro just seems so defeated. I mean, he comes on stage and he barely moves, he looks sad. I don't think that his fans are doing him a favor by keeping him in the competition. "For Once In My Life" is a fantastic song, but Lazaro brought absolutely nothing to it.
Well, well, well. Janelle Arthur. Who knew you had it in you? After a stellar return to form last week, Janelle continued the upward trend with a killer acoustic version of "You Keep Me Hanging On." Janelle brought unseen depth to this performance. It was really intimiate and it brought Janelle back into the competition. The judges all uniformly praised it. Nicki is definitely nurturing the Kree vs Janelle narrative. I don't think it's really that necessary, but maybe Nicki is sick of being the only one on the show with a female rival. Who knows?
Devin Velez brought "The Tracks of My Tears" back to the Idol stage. This is one of my all-time favorite songs and I really enjoyed Devin's performance. Devin has the best male voice that is left in the competition. It is smooth and I was a fan of his red blazer. I wonder if Devin was joining Mariah and Nicki in support of marriage equality? Devin does have a pretty bad case of ballad-itis, but who cares? When they sound that smooth I will happily listen. I loved his runs, they were perfectly placed and there weren't too many. Big fan.
There was another group performance featuring Angie, Candice, and Amber to "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me." I mean, Candice dominated and if you didn't already love her, then you should now.
Burnell Taylor was up next singing Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie Amour." The judges and Jimmy are definitely gaga for Burnell and like I've said before, I'm a big fan of his silky, Frank Ocean-y tone, but there is nothing exciting about Burnell's performances. He makes every single song that he sings sound exactly the same. This performance was pretty indistiguishable from "Let It Be." Burnell is boring and he may not outlast Lazaro.
Angie Miller may be in trouble. Her performance of "Shop Around" was her worst in the competition so far. I talked about how Angie struggles when she is not behind her piano and this is a great example of that. This was also the first time that I got the pageant-y vibe from Angie. I don't think that tonight's performance should be grounds for Angie to go home, but I would be fine if it maybe resulted in a visit to the bottom three. Maybe that will get Angie back on track, because if she keeps turning in performances like this one, Janelle may surpass her.
Amber Holcomb has been severely underestimated in the competition so far. Hopefully that will change after her bananas rendition of "Lately." It was gorgeous. Lovely. Pitch perfect. Flawless. It was by far the best performance of the night. There is no way that Amber will be in the bottom after all that. Also, can we talk about the ridiculata that was spewing from Mimi's mouth. She apparently doesn't think that the general population know what tour de force means. There was a lot of disdain in her voice when she was saying that and it wasn't cute. Sorry, that we peons don't know that? OK. And, in Mimiville, impeccable is lowest common denominator. I guess.
The next "performance" was the trio of Devin, Lazaro, and Burnell. The sang "Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch" and it was the worst thing that I have ever heard of on a live show. There were no harmonies. It all seemed to be Lazaro's fault. When, Nicki, rightly, admonished them for the train wreck that they subjected the American public to, Lazaro responded with a shurg and a confession that he didn't know the words. What the what?! So, just so you know, Laz, if you aren't likable, even if people pity you, they won't vote for you.
Kree Harrison closed out the show with "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)." I don't think that I was as enamored with this performance as the judges were. It was good, and I love Kree so I would never trash it, but it wasn't what I have come to expect from her. I don't think that Kree is in danger of going home, but this was an average performance when I've come to expect excellence.
So, that was it. Another terrible, over used theme week. Hopefully, Lazaro goes home, but I don't think that will happen. What did you guys think? Let me know in the comments.
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