Well, I just finished watching another boring, blah hour watching the AI guys. I also spent the hour stuffing cotton balls in my ears in an effort to drown out the noise they were trying to pass off as singing. I would have just turned off the TV, but I couldn't find the remote.
After the Top 24 were picked, I told you who my favorites were (My favorite "American Idol 6" contestants). Since the Final 12 is about to be set, I thought I take a look at my two favorite AI guys. And what the heck, I'll talk about the rest of the pack as well.
And what do you know? My two favorite guys were up first tonight.
Blake Lewis - As you all know, I have liked Blake since he walked into his audition. Back then, his beat boxing was better than his voice. Thankfully, in my opinion, he has improved each and every week. He's still not on par with the best of the women, but if he continues to improve he may get there before the contest is over. His performance tonight started off a little off key, but he got it on track and delivered one of the two best performances tonight.
Sanjaya Malakar - My other favorite has had difficulty patting his head and rubbing his stomach at the same time the last two weeks. Tonight, for the first time since his audition, he actually looked semi-comfortable. Overall, I've been disappointed with Sanajaya because I can tell he has a lot of talent. But for some reason, he is unable to let that talent out on stage. He'll make the Final 12, but unless he steps his game up three or four levels, he won't last too long. Don't let me down, Sanjaya.
Sundance Head - If I had to sum up Sundance in one word, it would be inconsisent. He wowed us at his auditions, bit the dust during the Hollywood Rounds as well as the Top 24 night, rose to the top of the pack during the Top 20 night, and then crashed and burned tonight. This guy has had more ups and downs than a roller coaster. If Sundance is ever able to find his path and stay on it, he will give the girls a run for their money.
Chris Richardson - Week after week, this Justin Timberlake wannabe has turned in one bad performance after another. Chris survived the last two weeks because there were worst performances. This week he finally did it: he managed to claw his way down to the bottom of the barrel (I sincerely hope that wasn't his goal). If he manages to survive again, it will only be because Jared was sent home instead (and considering he was as bad as Chris, it wouldn't surprise me).
Jared Cotter - Could someone please hand Jared a key? He couldn't seem to find it tonight. In addition, his performance was so boring tonight, I had to drink an entire two-liter of Surge cola just to stay awake. Jared has failed to impress ever since the Top 24, and I don't really see him getting better as time goes on. It will be a miracle if he manages to survive this week. Or a sign that a lot of tone-deaf people are voting this season.
Brandon Rogers - Once upon a time (translation: two weeks ago), Bradon had a decent performance. Then he butchered Cyndi Lauper's "Time after Time" last Tuesday (I'm still trying to figure out why he was sent packing last week). He delivered a much better performance tonight with "Celebrate," but that's not saying it was great. The song did nothing to show his vocal range, he fizzled out by the end of the song, and even his back-up singers looked like they were ready to call it a night. Brandon will be in the Final 12, but will be eaten alive by the rest of the contestants unless he figures out what kind of singer he is.
Phil Stacey - I'm sorry, but Phil scares me every time he looks at the camera with his wide-open eyes. He also scares me every time he opens his mouth to sing. I don't think he's been in key once during this competition. Phil is another one who has tried to scrape the bottom of the barrel each week and finally managed to make all the way to the bottom tonight. If he survives this week, I'm going to demand a Congressional investigation into the AI voting system.
Chris Sligh - The best vocal of the night, though not the best performance (that honor goes to Blake). After a so-so Hollywood Round, Chris has improved each and every week. Although I still don't understand what everyone sees in him at this point, he is growing on me more and more. If he can continue to improve every week, he will be one of the last guys standing. Whether it will be enough to survive the girls is another story.I noticed something tonight. As a whole, the guys keep picking songs that are way over their head. They do not have the talent, or maturity in many cases, to handle the difficulty of the songs they pick. The guys need to be more realistic in their song choices. If they don't wake up in this area, the theme nights will eat them all alive.
So who are your favorites up to this point? Who should go home? And why? Leave a comment and tell me your thoughts.
Tags: Taylor Hicks, American Idol, Birmingham, Alabama
