What Are American Idol Girls Are Made Of? Pop, Rock, Folk & Schmaltz
GIRL POWER

What Are American Idol Girls Are Made Of? Pop, Rock, Folk & Schmaltz

THE TOP 24 CONTESTANTS have been chosen and now the real contest begins.
Last night's show started off with a lot of laughs, and what began as possible friction between Ellen and Simon turned out to be a big joke.
Ellen sits far away from Simon and claims he can't keep his hands off her. She shows a faux video of him putting his paws on her during Hollywood week. She may not be able to hold a tune, but Ellen sure delivers the laughs.
For the next three weeks, the top 24 will sing hits from Billboard's charts. Tonight though it's all about the ladies, and Simon predicts a girl's going to take it all this year.
First up is Paige Miles who sang Free's It's Alright Now.
I thought Paige was decent but her nerves got in the way. Simon thinks she had the best voice out of all the girls but thought her song choice was too "wedding singer." Kara disagrees and says the song was a perfect choice to show off the soul in her voice. Randy says she did a great job. Ellen related to her nerves and liked her singing.
Ashley Rodriguez sang Leona Lewis' Happy. I thought Ashley sounded really choppy. None of the judges thought it was great and Simon thought she was going to be in trouble after tonight.
Janell Wheeler sang Heart's What About Love. Ashley had some dry moments but she sang with a lot of passion. The judges felt that the song was way too big for her, but they think she's safe and so do I.
Lilly Scott sang The Beatles' Fixing A Hole. Lilly brought a refreshing folk vibe to the song. Ellen said she had a distinguished voice. Simon now believes that Lilly has the best voice though he's not feeling any star power from her.
Katelyn Epperly performs another Beatles' song, Oh Darling. I thought Katelyn was a little stale. Simon thought her performance was messy but he likes her. Kara, commenting more on her look than singing, wants her to look more natural. Randy likes the look and the vibe. Ellen thinks she's pushing too hard.
Haeley Vaughn kept The Beatles' magic alive with I Want to Hold Your Hand. I think Haeley screamed more than she sang. Kara wasn't feeling the song but she think Haeley's a fun performer. Randy thinks she's bold but needs to work on her vocals. Simon was honest and said it was terrible. Ellen said it was a hot mess.
Lacey Brown slowed things down with a whiny version of Fleetwood Mac's Landslide. Randy didn't think it was a good song choice. Ellen thinks she maybe in danger. Simon said it was depressing and couldn't wait for it to be over.
Michelle Delamor performed Alicia Key's Fallen. Michelle started off weak but when she picked it up, she sounded like Alicia. Ellen thought she was great but played it a bit safe and she knows she can do better. Simon thought she was a professional singer.
Didi Benami sang Ingrid Michaelson's The Way I Am. I think she did an amazing job and was one of the best performances of the night. Simon thought she sounded too much like the original song and needed to do something to be remembered. Randy agreed and thought it was sleepy. Ellen thought it was a low key first impression. This was the first time I felt Ellen was going along with the crowd.
Siobhan Magnus sang Chris Isaak's Wicked Games. For a little girl, she has a big voice. Kara liked it even though it was a little nasally. Simon thought it was a dark song and it worked for her.
Crystal Bowersox brought a country vibe to Alanis Morissette's Hand in My Pocket. Randy said it doesn't matter what she did, he's a fan of her. Ellen said she adds something fresh to the show. Simon said it was good, but there are thousands of her outside of subway stations. Kara thinks she's safe for another week.
Katie Stevens closes the show with Michael Buble's version of Feelin' Good. I didn't think she was anything special. Ellen thought she had a powerful voice but she was too conservative. Simon thought it was annoying and pageanty. Kara thought it was pitchy.
Tomorrow, the guys take the stage and I'm secretly rooting for my three local guys John Park, Lee Deeyze, and Jermaine Sellars. Thursday will be the elimination where two girls and two guys are voted off.
Nicki R. is a Southern girl living in the big city of Chicago. She loves quiet evenings a home watching horror films with her dogs Jezebelle and Zombie. Check out her blog, Hey, Look Behind You!
Tags: Music , Television







