Can Jessica Sanchez be an ‘Idol’ for her times?


Vocal competitions have never been purely about voices. We know that. There are things like verve and charisma and emotional connection. The last factor, of course, is linked with a host of other things: your age, your geographical location, your lifestyle, your mores or religion and, yes, let’s not forget, your race.

Several forecasts say American Idol Season 11 is for Phillip Phillips to lose. There are varied reasons given:

1) The soft-rock hunk from Georgia has never landed in the bottom of this competition, where voters can vote a gazillion number of times until their fingers and wrists tire of the effort. In contract, Fil-Mex-American Jessica Sanchez had to be saved by judges from premature exit.

2) Phillip has natural charm just on the right side of rebellious. He is equally adept at flashing killer smiles as at making goofy faces. Retiring Jessica covers her lips when she smiles, perhaps an offshoot of less than stellar dental work or just an Asian thing.

3) Both are known for their work ethics. But while Phillip was a regular guy working for pistol-packing Dad’s humble pawnshop, home-schooled Jessica has apparently been singing for a living since childhood. The first falls right smack with patriotic American lore; the latter probably gives some folk concern, given the sad turnout of so many child stars.

4) Phillip carries on the tradition of white guys with guitars being crowned Idol and then dumped a few years down the road. (Yes, the tweens easily outgrow their idols for the badder bad boys of rap and R&B. Jessica’s fave male singer is… Eminem.)

Sound choices

Poll after social media poll has given Jessica a large lead. The Toronto Sun notes:

Based on social media buzz and Twitter postings going into Tuesday’s final, Sanchez had a 17 percent lead in Yahoo! searches, the Internet search engine said.

She also generated 6o percent more mentions in social media than Phillips, according to a survey by analytics company General Sentiment.

But it is a fact that not all of those who answer these polls are American Idol voters (It’s not really clear just how people found ways of voting from outside America via Skype or the magicjack or getting social media accounts registered in the US). It seems safe to say that, where Idol is concerned, at least, those who invest time and energy in posting tweets and Facebook posts about their idols will pour in the same to vote for them.

Even on weeks when Phillip was at the bottom of those polls, he didn’t just survive – he was safe. Jessica almost fell by the wayside on a week these polls were placing her at either top or second rank. So yes, the petite singer has a lot to overcome.

It is probably strange that 350 words into the article, I have not mentioned voice. Or performance. Or, as the judges love to stress, the song choices.

When we come down to it, their choices tonight – on the second, “reprise” round — were stellar.

Jessica eschewed the more flashy but overdone “I Will Always Love You” (Whitney Houston) for “The Prayer” (Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion). A great choice; having been performed very early in the season, it had not gotten that much exposure. It also allowed Jessica to express her more lyrical side, coming off the R&B ballad, “I Who Have Nothing” (Houston).

The arrangement, with its sudden chord change, could have tripped up a lesser singer. But Sanchez sailed through with the added benefit of not sounding like anyone’s copy. It also has lyrics that could invoke uncomplicated emotions –even a 13-year old should be able to handle peace and fraternity. Best of all, it had range AND dynamics, leading to that memorable end swoop from on high to the softest of falsettos.

Phillip, who skirted close to disaster with a poor first round, broke back with “Moving Out,” the angry Billy Joel screed that highlights his working-class roots. Phillip brings the sexy back to rage, although his voice is a bit thinner than months back, his lines more rushed, vocals more strained on the higher notes.

Yet, it also seemed more infused with Phillip’s famed dark side – the part that makes JLo and the cougars squirm and speeds up the hearts of budding femmes.

If it hadn’t been stacked against “The Prayer,” Phillip’s song would have won the night. But Jessica simply had the more beautiful performance, though these two, sometimes distant singers, connected with their choices. (For the rest of the article, pls press link)

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WHAT’S MORE EVIL THAN LADY GAGA?


Aaah, Judas. Given all that angst, he’s the perfect guy for Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta  aka Lady Gaga. 

Gaga likes writing about the traps we set for ourselves. It’s natural for her to focus on love-hate relationships: say, between Judas and his Man and between a woman and her bad romance.

For this she is being damned to the hottest spot in hell, the one reserved for card-carrying spawn of Satan. (Now, there’s an album cover design for the ages!)

Public demand prompted organizers of Gaga’s concert to add an extra night. But “Christians” are protesting, citing danger to our souls and society.

The protesters say they will ask the Pasay City Mayor Antonio Calixto to cancel Gaga’s permit for Tuesday if she does anything “lewd” tonight.  Which makes me wonder: How many of our good brothers and sisters have volunteered to risk their souls by spying on the controversial artist? And, while at the business of salvation, have they tried to sniff out the oh-so-wholesome business that thrive in the bars dotting Calixto’s turf?

There’s plenty of talk about “role models”.

Members of the Bible Mode Youth said Lady Gaga’s songs are not appropriate for Filipinos. They also condemn her “almost naked” state of dress and ask Filipinos to boycott the concert. (abs-cbnnews.com)

Former Manila Congressman and founder of Biblemode International, Dr. Benny Abante Jr. moans:

“Makikita namin, natin, na hindi lang ito an affront to our belief but it is obscene and very sensual po. At itong si Lady Gaga sinasabi niya that she is a prostitute at a famed hooker. Is that the kind of role model that we would like our young people to be?”

Former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza and lawyer Romulo Macalintal also filed a petition before Calixto for the concert permit to be revoked.

Considering at least two of these saintly gentlemen thought Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was the right role model for Filipino youth, it’s pretty hard to take them seriously. Ditto Abante, who probably thinks every song is a biography. And then there are our local so-called artists, who actually think there is nothing shameful about advising Gaga to change the lyrics of the controversial song.

Being a cooperative soul, I’m presenting these good people a list of 50 things and people more evil than Gaga. Should be enough for three lifetimes of caterwauling. If you can come up with anything else, feel free to comment:

From cnn.com

1) Massacres and warlords

Would-be saviors can 1) go to Muntinlupa and pray and fast until the Ampatuans get the justice they deserve, or 2) deck out in fatigues and rifles to hunt down Jovito Palparan – That should take up at least a decade.

2) Torturers 

abs-cbnnews.com

They can 1) pray Novenas to hasten the conviction of  this infamous cop who managed post-act to get a teaching job in the police academy, or 2) volunteer as counselors in the wildest, most wooly precincts in this country

3) Pedophiles 

I’m half afraid to ask them to succor the victims. After all, most pedophiles were in change of the souls or minds of their prey. And last we checked, there’s a Benedictine priest wanted in the US being given protection by our holy ones.

4) Rapists

Of course, given that the pious ones think choice of outfit is a reason for mayhem, they might just legislate this as punishment for people who like wearing beach garb off the sands.

5) Traffic in women and children

In the realm of sin, Lady Gaga is a girl scout compared to those who abduct or mislead people and sell them to slavery. Maybe they can start scouring the fleshpots around Mayor Calixto’s city.

6) Plunderers

Then again, if some Bishops and evangelists think the source of charity isn’t important, we know what they’ll think of this…

7) Domestic abuse

Which, in many sermons, seem to rank lower than divorce or separation where sin is concerned…

8) Narco-trade

See source of charity and jueteng and government gambling schemes

9) Exploiters of workers

Catholic orders do not have a stellar record in respecting workers’ rights, do they? Lots of strikes in their schools, broadcast stations, etc…

10) Ignorance

Let’s start with people who screech like exorcists when they wouldn’t recognize the devil if he slapped them with his tail.

by Categories: culture, Essays, musicTags: , , , 26 Comments

Idol Top 3: SAVING JESSICA


SAVING JESSICA

I don’t know how many novenas were offered. I don’t know how many fans of a certain age went to sleep with aching wrists and fingers. I certainly don’t know if, at the end of the day, they asked themselves the tough question: Was she worth the vote?

I’m talking of Jessica Sanchez and this is American Idol. And if there’s anything this Idol fanatic knows, it is that merit is not what always drives the vote.

Fleeting moments

Randy Jackson can talk about “moments” until he turns purple. When I think of the word, the images are of ephemeral things. If we’re talking of five white dudes who bagged the title, the lesson is, moments don’t last forever. Hell, some couldn’t even make it past three years.

In the case of the Lee DeWyze (dropped by a record label after just barely a year), it’s not much of a surprise. Crystal Bowersox clearly drubbed DeWyze performance-wise three for three in the finale. But did America vote on the basis of merit? No, ‘twas fear that fueled that vote. Righteous America could not abandon a paint salesman with an OK voice and the personality of white bread for a gap-toothed, dreadlocked, diabetic, hippie single mom who insisted on using a mic shaped like some suspicious herb.

Kris Allen gave a few magic moments and showed boldness in upending a Kanye West song. But the triumph of the praise singer was largely due to the ferocity of the third-placer’s homophobic fans. They were willing to launch a new crusade just to ensure Adam Lambert didn’t get his due.

David Cook won by a landslide over David Archuleta, the stuttering gamine from Utah. But Cook, for all the genius flashed on that seminal Idol year, is also now shopping for a record label. (And he looks 50, not 30.) And let’s not even talk of Taylor Hicks, who’s now reduced to aping some 50’s smarmy guy in tier-four roadshows of “Grease”.  Hicks is funny, almost like George W. Bush after that second, embarrassing election – nobody wants to admit voting for him.

There’s Scotty McCreery, of course, who’s at least succeeding as a high school baseball pitcher, which is fine because you never know what next year brings.

Top 3, 2012

As we near the end of Season 11, we’ve got yet another white guy with a guitar vying for the Idol title.

Phillip Phillips comes with a limited voice range, just a tad broader than Scotty’s bass, with gravel rather than rumble.

He’s had more pitchy than perfect moments all season. He has the dance moves of an arthritic dad. But gals of all ages dig his rebellious persona and goofy charm. They hyperventilate when he forsakes rock and roll for some tender crooning.

Ranged against Phillip is Joshua Ledet, the powerful gospel singer from Louisiana. Joshua’s initial persona was as timid as his performances were bold. His luck turned once he ditched the idea of serenading the gals and focused on gender-neutral songs with social themes. He can be too loud for comfort. But the last thing you can accuse Joshua of, is not feeling his songs.

Fil-Mex-American Jessica is the lone woman in this year’s Idol apex.

Petite and waif-like and a bit mousy when she’s not using those power pipes, Sanchez is a bundle of contradictions: The sheltered, home-schooled kid prefers sultry, vavavoom songs about escapades that could give her hunky pa a heart attack. Her fashion taste is also wildly uneven. Some days she’s a young goddess; a week after, she’s the neighborhood bag lady. At her homecoming, she was very much the girl next door. Tonight, Jessica was a classy debutante, daughter of the earth and escapee from the Pied Piper, in that order. Her long locks turned unruly as the rounds progressed.

In the earlier weeks of competition, contestants chose their songs, give and take some wheedling from resident guru Jimmy Iovine and guest mentors. For the Top 3 performance night, a judge chose their first song, they chose their second song, and Iovine did the honors for the final round.

Judges’ picks

Consistency has never been a trait associated with Jackson and his fellow judges, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler.

Okay, that’s not accurate. The judges have been consistent with their over-the-top praise for Joshua, even during his most self-indulgent moments. They’ve all been consistently vocabulary-challenged. And Tyler, of course, has been consistently lecherous.

Jackson chose an Etta James song, “I’d Rather Be Blind”, for Joshua.

It’s a bit galling to see them give him a standing ovation for the very same growling affectations, shrieking and gratuitous runs that Jessica has taken hits for.

The judges’ response may be overkill but they may have a point. Jessica seems to think of herself as an old soul. She simply sings old songs. It is Joshua who’s the genuine old soul. His eyes blaze with memory of personal and collective pain, hope and redemption. There is a natural dignity to this son of a preacher man that no amount of screeching and jerking and stomping around can erode.

Yet, there is a certain ambiguity in the codespeak of these judges that indicate some problems ahead of Joshua, whose homecoming crowd wasn’t as raucous as those that greeted Jessica and Phillip. When JLo talks of “throwback” and Randy of “classic” stylists, you get a feeling they’re saying, we’re giving you all the love kiddo, because Middle America sure won’t give you that.

JLo seriously needs to see a shrink and it’s not because she likes dancing half-naked with a man young enough to be her son. That’s just fine; cougars rock.

But having scolded 16-year-old Jessica in the past for taking on too-adult songs, she chooses one about giving all to a man?

The Mariah Carey tune, “My All”, doesn’t even have the tongue-in-cheek wit or the naughtiness factor of a James ditty. Instead, it has all the foolish delusions that cause so many young girls to offer their half-formed selves to the first strutting man who comes along.

“I am thinking of you/ In my sleepless solitude tonight/ If it’s wrong to love you/ Then my heart just won’t let me be right/ ‘Cause I’ve drowned in you/ And I won’t pull through/ Without you by my side… I’d give my all to have/ Just one more night with you/ I’d risk my life to feel/ Your body next to mine/ ‘Cause I can’t go on/ Living in the memory of our song… I’d give my all for your love tonight…”

It would take Tyler to forecast victory on the basis of this song. Sheesh. All the judges seem to love it. There are no “big notes” but there’s a lot of pure singing, even with the cold. The lower tones are clear – the words aren’t.

But the greatest problem here is, Jessica doesn’t sell the emotions. And you can’t blame this home-schooled teenager who admits she hasn’t had a lot of opportunities for dates, much less for giving “all”.  In terms of emotional failure, the only song where Jessica has fared worse was Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”, where she pretended to be a young, repentant murderer. Frankly, I don’t know which is a more ridiculous notion.

See, Jessica’s a little bit like Joshua. It’s when they sing of abstractions and universal wisdom, rather than personal sagas, that they’re most effective.

Phillip ends the round on a high note. There are no spectacular notes. But it is a great arrangement and he’s lose and frisky, flashing the mega-smile and shimmying in a way that sparks a hungry gleam to JLo’s eyes. I don’t know about you, but I loved it, found myself bopping to it. Eh, a quarter of the newsroom, the ones monitoring via YouTube, were jiving as they typed.

Their songs

Irony of ironies, Jessica topped the boys here with her homage to a geezer who was in his heyday when she was three. (Okay, Tyler and toddlers just don’t make for healthy images, though daughter Liv probably was gorgeous while drooling at that age.)

Joshua tried to backpedal on “Imagine” but he was still too loud for the John Lennon classic. Besides, it’s a song more suited for gentle dreamers, not anguished souls. And really now, gospel and Lennon is as strange a combination as Tyler and diapers.

Joshua lacked vocal dynamics here. There was just too much vibrato from start to finish. He grunted when he should have been sweetly yearning, howled when it called for a soft falsetto. Not a good show from Joshua. And still the judges rhapsodized.

As for Phillip, well, if that’s what he intends to sing post-Idol, good luck. It’s going to be one very brief moment in the spotlight for him. This was just another snoozy, middle of the road song, almost like elevator music. I’ve heard better around Malate’s folk bars though, admittedly, few singers come close to P2’s beauty.

Truth is, Jessica sang the hell out of the Aerosmith anthem, “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” It’s crazy that Jackson labeled the start “slow”. You start that song like a rocket, you’re never coming back to earth. She built up fine, made the slight hoarseness of her illness give some gravitas to the verses. Plus, hey, she was smiling in spots.

Iovine’s vision

I didn’t know Iovine was so protective of Jessica. He’s almost like a dad who wants to keep a daughter perpetually in pigtails.

But “I’ll Be There” actually worked because Michael Jackson’s crazy range suits Jessica’s lyrical side. She threw off some firepower in the chorus. Maybe Randy was right in saying a few Mariah notes would have led to a “moment” but you can’t sneeze at MJ either. I prefer the original because it has a more innocent vibe – and friends cajole, they try not to bludgeon one another.

So if there wasn’t a “moment” with Jessica, what was that all about with Phillip?

I get what Iovine’s doing. He’s subverting Philip in the hope that, if you can’t beat the tweens, at least you could give the guy some staying power with the fickle ones. So he gives Phillip “We’ve Got Tonight”, a soft rock ballad about quiet midnight games. And dang if the white dude doesn’t slap us all senseless.

Just like that, he turns method actor – and I’m not talking about all the hand slithering around his delectable thigh. It’s everything about him. That slump, that far-away look; it’s so Glee, but it works. And when Philip goes into that lone high line, you grit your teeth. Because it’s not fair that Jessica has to do somersaults for a “moment” and the guy needs just one line.

But life isn’t fair and Idol isn’t just about holding those notes. It’s making the most of the cards you’re dealt with. I’m cheering for Jessica but do realize that Phillip is a sex object precisely because he taps into the fantasies of girls and boys (whether they like boys or want the girls to like them). He wouldn’t be a sex object no matter how he tried if his voice wasn’t that good.

But the round really belongs to Joshua. I suspect the ovation for Philip couldn’t be helped. The judges usually rise for the Top 3 closing song.

As when he sang “A Change is Gonna Come”, Joshua shows he has the intellect and passion to carry a narrative arc.

“… tired of this drama/ No more, no more/ I wanna be free/ I’m so tired, so tired… Broken heart again/ Another lesson learned/ Better know your friends/ Or else you will get burned… No more pain/ No more pain/ No drama/ No one’s gonna make me hurt again… Only God knows where the story ends for me/ But I know where the story begins/ It’s up to us to choose/ Whether we win or loose/ And I choose to win”

If you need to let it all out, this is the way to do it, this is the song for it. To reach deep, deep into that secret place, grab at that aching piece of you and then fling it out to the world. Music, the best music, makes voyeurs of us all, because we all really need to see a mirror that reflects our lives.

He was so exhausted after that song. There was something so sad on Joshua’s face, almost like he were preparing for a blow. And the desperate tone of the judges’ compliments, the note of apology in their voices, made me wonder if Joshua has a little bit of prescience in him.

Because Jessica wasn’t at her best tonight, but she had her people with her. Phillip has the screaming hordes. Joshua has our respect but pageants need to draw from more than that.

I still wish Jessica the best. But if Joshua leaves, it will break my heart. If Phillip does, hell, we’ll break out the champagne – and wait for him to come to these isles.

If Jessica goes? I will accept it with sorrow but with good grace. Because an Idol is as good as the night’s performance. And this was too close to call.

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Corona suffers self-inflicted wounds


Why would anyone take a battle contained on one front and spread it to another? Without knowing the enemy’s weapons?

That was the first thing that came to mind as the defense counsels of Chief Justice Renato Corona tried to stop Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales from presenting a Powerpoint report on the alleged the dollar accounts of the Chief Magistrate.

As the defense lawyers in the Corona impeachment trial have repeatedly told us, this was their turn to present witnesses. It was supposedly their day. They were going to skewer the Chief Justice’s detractors.

Corona’s counsels are not greenhorns. They’re among the country’s highest paid lawyers. A couple of them are grudgingly admired by colleagues (even on the prosecution side) for being “sharks” – which makes you wonder about their admirers.

So why did they call in the Ombudsman?

Did they bite the bait? Did the case filed by activists with the Ombudsman provoke the Batangeno’s macho pride? Or did the initial bumbling by prosecution lawyers in the impeachment trial make the defense overconfident?

Perhaps a combination of both is at the root of the defense’s current troubles. And then there’s hubris. Impunity will do that, see. Getting away once, twice, thrice… can lull one into believing it can be forever.

Blame game

The funny thing is, there is no way you can blame this on the administration. The defense’s effort to play the conspiracy game fell flat this time.

“A member of Chief Justice Renato Corona’s defense team on Monday said he was surprised that the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) had already issued a report onCorona’s dollar accounts to the Office of the Ombudsman.

‘Yun ang nakakagulat. Meron na pala yung dokumento na yan. Dapat inilabas na yung dokumento bago pinasagot si Chief Justice sapagkat parang gusto talagang igisa sa sariling mantika. Bakit hindi ordinaryo yung proseso,’ defense lawyer Rico Quicho said.

Quicho said Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales ‘went the extra mile’ in trying to ferret out the truth aboutCorona’s alleged dollar deposits.”

So addled was the defense that Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile had to read them the constitutional provision that allows the Office of the Ombudsman to seek help from any government agency in the pursuit of its functions. Carpio-Morales sought help from the AMLC and the Commission on Audit (CoA).

What the AMLC can’t do is to leak the results of its investigation. That was the reason, I guess, for the legend of the little lady and for the limited data presented to the Senate.

Waiting for CJ

BUT the defense’s move to have Carpio-Morales as a hostile witness gave the perfect excuse for a legitimate means of baring the results of the AMLC’s probe.

  • $12 million in fresh accounts that haven’t moved.
  • $10 million that flowed in and out of various shelters much like the way those circus guys shuffle shells.

And that’s for starters.  I’m not even going to comment on the Ombudsman’s speculation that the moves coincided with key elections under the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

I’m not saying everything is correct and true. I’m saying, the numbers are just too much to shrug off. I’m saying, this is something the Chief Justice will have a hard time living down even if, as I write this, he is calling the Ombdusman’s numbers bloated. Even if he says her Powerpoint is “a lantern of lies.”

Notice, he doesn’t dispute the bank accounts. Only the numbers.

There are always battles to lose. But as they say in basketball, the loudest jeers are reserved for those who dunk into the opponent’s goal.

One should still give the Chief Justice the benefit of the doubt. But he must really stop with the press conferences and hustle off to face the music. He must appear to explain all those transactions. He can either deny and show proof (and sue everyone to hell and back) or explain. IF he can.

by Categories: Events, politicsTags: , , 28 Comments

American (Update) Jessica Sanchez way ahead on social media stats, in Top 3


So it’s the most desperate moment of American Idol Season 11, with the Top 4 waiting to see who wins the privilege of coming home to marching bands and weeping, fainting neighbors — and then singing three solos next week.
Who didn’t make it? Hollie Cavanagh, perennial bottom-deweller who outlasted most other Idolettes.
Blogs and other media went on a forecasting frenzy in the hours before Thursday’s elimination results. There was no clear plotline.
Jessica Sanchez, currently a Top 4 finalist on American Idol, now tops her competitors with the most video views on YouTube – by far – with her solo performance video views from the competition now tallying more than 17 million.  And the 16-year old has the most fans on Twitter: 296,866 followers.

On YouTube, the other American Idol contestants trail far behind on video views. Take the most recent performances, for example. Fellow Top 4 contestant Phillip Phillips  attracted 3,660 YouTube views for his performance of “Volcano” on Wednesday night’s show. Hollie Cavanaghgot 3,704 views for her video of the song “Faithfully” from Wednesday night, while Joshua Ledetdrew 5,101 for “It’s a Man’s Man’s World.”

By contrast, Sanchez has already scored 19,242 views for her performance of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.” (All itals mine.)

“Jessica has won every week in our poll, including the week she was eliminated then saved, so while I’m satisfied with the expectation that she’ll be safe we have to remember Jessica’s results in these polls are skewed.”
Now, if voting on Idol is STRICTLY limited to within the borders of the US of A, maybe social media stats wouldn’t mean so much. But apparently people can vote from foreign shores. I don’t know how successful the overseas voters are getting through Idol’s phone and SMS lines, but there’s an on-line process, too. Idol’s not baring any breakdown, of course, but I’d love to see the stats for that; it could mean a sea change for the aging franchise.
Jessica’s social media clout shouldn’t surprise anyone. The Philippines ranks pretty high worldwide in terms of social media use. Nationalism’s a pretty strong motivational factor — but hardly the only basis for voting on Idol. (Many of my friends say their tween daughters think Phillip Phillips is king.)
So, let’s see what happens. I have a feeling Jessica’s more than safe — but I thought the same the week she was almost voted out of Idol. In the meantime, here’s my take on the Top 4 performances.
Cruel world
Something about American Idol that reminds me of the Hunger Games. A group of thousands of young people whittled down to forty plus, and then to ten. They then proceed to claw each other out of existence. The primping and simpering doesn’t mask the potential for hurt in a reality show where a single misstep can turn you from the anointed one to almost-been. The exception being, if you’re a white, grungy guy with a guitar and a smile ready made for toothpaste commercials.
These kids are also surrounded by mentors who seem to think it’s all about them rather than the hapless warriors. There are  Machiavellian producers who force the kids to run through fire and fog, and crawl through mawkish orchestration and overly loud choirs and godawful duets, and countless gewgaws and fake fights and love stories, all in the service of Mammon. And then there’s Ryan Seacrest. Nuff said.
War is seldom fair.
You want sponsors, you gotta do nice, the mentors tell Katniss. You want Idol votes, learn to please Middle America, the girls are told. That’s the only way if you’re not Phillip Phillips or the other guy with a natural musical heritage of blues and gospel and everything cool.
If Joshua Ledet didn’t have so much talent and a droll, dry humor that perpetually punches holes into every pretension delivered by judges and host, it would be too easy to hate him. Ditto Phillip who, bless him, manages to thumb his nose at everything everyone says. Idol is a contest where tenacity and the willingness to push back and jealously guard one’s personal crazy space is eventually what takes contenders to the top. This year, at least.
I initially heard the radio DJ say the word, “California”. And my heart swandived to somewhere below the navel.
What kind of genre is California?
Sure, Fil-Mex-American sweetheart Jessica Sanchez hails from that state, but it was hard to imagine her singing the Eagles’ monster hit or that Led Zep song. Aside from the literal word, the image that consistently came to mind was, well, The Beach Boys. You know, surfin’ USA.
Now, anybody who’s been to California and anybody who reads, knows the old stereotypes had long dissipated in this crazy melting pot. I hoped American Idol’s producers knew that, too, or Jessica was toast.
A couple of hours later, Twitter friends shared the set list for the Idol Top 4. It was head-scratching time. What the hell did these songs — ‘You Raise Me Up’?! — have to do with California?
Turns out all the songs were by artists from California. The Creedence Clearwater Revival and Journey bands originated from the San Francisco Bay Area. Josh  Groban and Etta James hail from Los Angeles. (Actually, Groban’s #1 hit is a Secret Garden original. The band’s all kinds of European and the song itself has a bar from Londonderry Air and Danny Boy, both of which aren’t exactly associated with Hollywood’s home state.)
It was easy to figure out the choices of Phillip and Hollie Cavanagh. But there was an off chance Joshua and Jessica would swap songs. Never mind that baby Jessica cut her teeth on James; her lyrical side could latch on to the Grobhan hymn. Joshua could probably cover James anytime. As the Twitter world confirmed their choices, I was wondering what tricks the preacher’s son would bring to ‘You Raise Me Up.’
Of course, Joshua brought it to church, gospel style.
Which was a good thing, because the verses didn’t really suit his voice range. There were a couple of wobbly moments at the start. But by the second chorus, he was up and away.
Anyone who grumbles about it not being Groban, forgets that there are as many ways of praise as there are people. And there is something about Joshua’s face, a rare, clear goodness, that tells you there’s a lot of backstory to all this gratitude.
There’s also a lot lurking behind Joshua’s sensational take on James Brown’s ‘It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World’. It’s such a feminist take that you forgive the over-singing. If Joshua wants to be a diva, well, we’ll cheer him on, because he brings to this song every plaint, every furious hiss, every scream of every woman who’s ever been told she’s good only for bringing her man some cheer.
The first run, I thought he was too screechy, padding the song with too many vocal somersaults and obscuring its meaning. By the second and the third sittings, one saw through the admittedly impressive bravura turn into Joshua’s heart and values and began to wonder about life in Louisiana. There are a host of great African-American male voices. But how many of these can step into the shoes of Patti Labelle or Aretha Franklin?
Personal statement
Of Jessica’s first performance, the bad news is, she ain’t Etta James. The good news is, it hardly matters.
Jessica showed that she will listen to advice — sometimes wackily contradictory advice — from the Idol judges, and Jimmy Iovine, and all of us with a stake in her success, and then stubbornly hold on to a few consistent truths.
The main one being, she’s an old soul, who’s not terribly interested in the world unless it has to do with singing.
The second one, that she means to tells us to stop being hypocrites — because 16 in this day and age means knowing two hundred and one ways of getting one’s kicks, including steaing away from tut-tutting elders, and one can do this as well in jeans and shirt as in a teeny-bitty shift with enough chains to fuel an S&M salon.
She gave a sulty take on James’ ‘Steal Away’. There was nothing of James’ kittenish wiles. Jessica had a brassy version, wickedly so. It was a little shock, like a convent girl baring her secrets. I don’t know that Jessica has any, but there was a glitter in her eyes even as she finally showed us FUN, that hinted at the fire that finally erupted in her second song.
Whatever concerns over that first song were swept away by the Dreamgirls hit, ‘And I Am Telling You’. It’s a devil of a song. Beyond range, beyond the phrasing that requires almost inhuman lung power, it is the song’s emotional weight that makes it a perennial favorite in singing pageants — and a deadly one.
Jessica has always been criticized for showing off so much form and technique and too little heart. She’s had a tough time; the  judges seem to consider her a trained monkey. They want her do all these tricks and run through a gamut of song styles — and rip out her guts at the same time. The problem is, Jessica is not a theatrical person, not the type who embellishes speech — yet she’s been taught since childhood to do all these torch songs.
Jennifer Hudson’s anthem isn’t torch, thank goodness. It has too much rage and fight for that. And this is what Jessica tapped into, the seething cauldron that exists in a person trained to serve and please others, so much so that she’s taken for granted. The Chula Vista ingenue brandished the musical equivalent of a ton of steel, which she then shaped with molten fire. No sweetheart tugs this time. This was as searing as it can get — eyes shooting sparks — an iconic performance, all the more memorable because she didn’t budge an inch from center stage.
Can’t do no wrong
Phillip doesn’t have the best voice in this competition, but it’s hard to begrudge Him the  adulation. There’s the smile for one, and that’s not all there is to him. There’s his ability to tell a story, too.
That he brings Jimmy Iovine Damien Rice’s ‘Volcano‘ is a testament to his self-knowledge.
There have been more “poignant” moments on Idol but tonight’s second song shows us that Phillip’s not just a lightweight getting by on the strength of looks and the shape of those jean-clad limbs.
‘Volcano’ was haunting in the best possible way, that of a soul speaking of what really matters, tweens and hyperventilating cougars be damned. Is it his best performance ever? I don’t know. Sexy, angry ‘Moving On’ (Billy Joel week) was also very much about the real Phillip as this song is.
Hollie actually did a good, faithful take of ‘Faithfully’, showing off her strong, high notes towards the end, though I was a bit bemused that she needed other people to translate the meaning of a pretty uncomplicated song.
Which, perhaps, explains why she missed the point of ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’, which is all about someone who doesn’t understand unrequited passion. Because god knows it’s pretty easy to love gentle, sheltered Hollie. It’s Hollie that needs a bit more belief in herself.
Hollie will get somewhere. She’s that good. But in the here and now, there’s a gulf between very good and bring-us-to-our-knees great.
That Jessica gets ripped for her “very good” performances is a back-handed display of people’s expectations, itself a statement on her exceptional talent.
I have a fantasy. It’s that Phillip Phillips becomes an iconoclastic legend by telling his army of fans to give credit where it’s due. Not hoing to happen, although he seems to genuinely admire Jessica. But who knows…. we may still get that classic Idol finale featuring two of the best singers to ever grace their stage.
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(Update) Fans reward Jessica Sanchez for display of spunk: And now they’re four


Who would have thought a BeeGees song could throw off so much gravitas?

Joshua Ledet owns the night

In the hands of Joshua Ledet, “To Love Somebody” became a true-blue R&B lament, every line throbbing with meaning.

The three American Idol judges have been too indulgent with Ledet these past weeks, often mistaking bravado for brilliance. On Top 5 performance night, however, Ledet earned every cheer, every clap in that hall — and in the homes of millions around the world. He paced the song just right, the slow simmer heating up into that wail of yearning.
Ledet’s first song was loud. He was energetic. But it kinda flatlined. Maybe because it was something Ledet could warble in his sleep. Maybe because Ledet’s the kind of guy who needs to do something crazy to stand out.
Nobody came close to him tonight, although Fil-Mex-American talent Jessica Sanchez also blazed a trail of magic with “You Are So Beautiful.”
Sanchez gave Idol fans the full drama of Joe Cocker’s hymn. Waif-like Sanchez, seated on steps, with fog all around her, making every note and word matter.
It was a big risk. Every gal or guy out there dreams of being serenaded with this song. God knows it’s been made a caricature in a million videoke joints around the globe — the growls, the unforgettable ending. Sanchez wisely eschewed Cocker’s trademark and gave us a peek into the depths that lurk behind that gamine charm.
The restraint did not deprive any line of its beauty; it highlighted Sanchez’s crystal tones and built up the story line of a shy young woman falling into the joys and fears of romance. 
Sanchez also gave a spunky “Proud Mary” with just the right touch of kitsch. Randy Jackson was wrong to demand fealty to Tina Turner. Sanchez as a hot mama is just plain ridiculous. In that slinky sheath, shimmying and prancing around like a frisky colt, Sanchez — full of fire and awkward grace, and allowing some rawness into her voice — paid truth to every young woman stepping out into a brave, new world. Steve Tyler skirted close to unforgiveable creepiness with his quip, “nothing beats experience than a 16 year old”, but you get what that aging lecher means.
AHA! TAKE THAT, RANDY. Not only did Jessica survive to make it to the Top 4 round. She was SAFE.
I’m not sure what the judges are up to in overpraising a rather mundane cover of “River Deep Mountain High” by Hollie Cavanagh. Did Jackson notice that there wasn’t a hint of Turner in there? It was more like Pia Toscano after, maybe, three glasses of wine. A little more spark, certainly better movements and a gorgeous dress… but forget Tina Turner. Kids and moms who’ve followed Glee will compare Cavanagh with Mercedes and Santana and yawn.
Cavanagh did much better with her second song, “Bleeding Love”, giving at least one verse the intimate hues demanded by guest mentor, the hilariously profane Little Steven. But she soon reverted to loud and louder, killing every nuance Leona Lewis poured into that song. It is true she is more comfortable now but I can only make sense of the outpouring of praise on two levels: Cavanagh’s baseline has been low that every improvement counts as miraculous, or the judges remember that overkill almost killed Sanchez.  
(Should I give them the benefit of the doubt? After all, Hollie did land in the bottom 2.)

The girl to beat Sanchez remains Skylar Laine. She was suitably tacky — so bad it was great — in Credence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son”, and delivered a startingly mature interpretation. So much fire in Laine, so much talent in phrasing and, bless her, so much real woman, jiggling flesh and all. 
If anything, taking on the Dustry Springfield warhorse, “Say You Love Me”, shows that Laine as the “hungriest” of the remaining five Idol contestants. It’s an even bigger risk than Cocker’s anthem; the song verges on maudlin. Laine sings it like a genuine country music heroine, like Dolly Parton — a gal  with the guts to fight for her man (or woman).

And then there was Phillip Phillips, who once more shows off his brand of reckless madness. He’s ruthless, Phillip is. He will steal a great song — always with drop dead lyrics like The Box Top’s “The Letter” — and make it sound like nothing but a song he was meant to do. But he was better in the Zombies’ “Time of the Season”, which is devilishly difficult to sing, crooning like he was in his own world, seemingly oblivious to that battalion of panting female fans. 
Pretty much a great show tonight. I’m sure Phillip remains safe. Joshua had one so-so song and one unforgettable performance. Skylar and Jessica — tough choice, apples and oranges, but Jessica’s last song gives her an edge. And if there is any justice in the world, Hollie goes home tomorrow. IF. 
And now for the sad news…. Skylar, America? Aw, you prefer a wind-up doll to a real woman with narrative skills and a voice so distinctive you’d recognize it in a crowded stadium? Hmmm, maybe this bodes well…. a lil while ago, another would-be diva, Melanie Amaro, won the $5-million top prize in Simon Cowell’s the X Factor. 
Much as I like Phillip, if he doesn’t bring back some real moxie into his performances… I’ll be praying people pay Joshua the respect he deserves and make him the last guy standing.
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NO ROCK, NO GLORY American Idol 2012: Top 6


Something’s happened to Hollie Cavanagh. It’s great news for the girl formerly known as Tinkerbell. It’s bad news for early American Idol front-runner Jessica Sanchez.

Maybe, staving off disaster last week primed Hollie for the big-time. Maybe, the realization that voters don’t always agree with Idol judges fueled her confidence. Whatever the reason, the promise glimpsed when Hollie sang Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” gushed out today as she belted our Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb”.

Clothes sense was the least of the change. Barely into the first chorus of the song, I blinked and sat up. Tinkerbell was not just initiating eye contact with the audience; she actually had a twinkle in her eye — as she sang “and I hold my head up high”. And she just grew stronger deeper into the song: legs now in open stance, the arms loose and expressive, the neck relaxed (which explains the greater percentage of notes hit). As Hollie belted the notes home, a teeny weeny smile peeped out the corners of her mouth.

Despite the standing ovation given by the judges – her first – Hollie’s better song wasn’t as good as Jessica’s cover of Luther Vandross’ “Dance With My Father Again”. This was a gleaming teardrop, a distillation of every child’s longing, of every adult’s yearning. That Jessica sang it without a single shriek only adds to the song’s power. That she sang it without letting a single actual tear fall, is sheer genius. That, for once, she let us see a glimpse of how a spirit could be broken and yet persevere, is a giant step for this shy girl.

The real danger to Jessica lies outside of the vocal sphere, in Hollie’s funny little cheerleader routine and the playful deep bow. I’m going to stop wishing for Jessica to display greater spirit, greater empathy, greater conversational engagement. Let’s admit it,  it’s beyond her at this point. That doesn’t make her a bad artist. Still, it does lead to technically flawless but ultimately disappointing performances. She’s not cold in the way Pia Toscano was. You can sense her heat and fire but through a glass, very darkly.

Jessica did one great song and skidded near disaster with the other one. With an entire repertoire of Queen to choose from, she picked “Bohemian Rhapsody”.

It’s a rare song that transcends its maudlin side. This classic worked chiefly because of Freddie Mercury, who could follow bathos with raucous without missing a beat. Truth is, only Jessica’s voice saved her. And it wasn’t even that good tonight, with a strong, brassy touch and a couple of real flats.

There was nothing believable in this song. Not the pseudo tragedy of having killed a man — Jessica’s face channeling “Sisa” post-breakdown rather than a repentant delinquent. Not the part about throwing it all away, where she pouts, a kid in a tantrum, instead of a soul in the throes of terror. Not the “three graces” attempt. Sorry, but this was embarrassing, ESPECIALLY when Jessica started that awkward stomping. What was she thinking of — “I Will Survive?” Jessica’s pop, not rock. She can’t do rock to save her life.

Hollie sang two ballads. Jessica could have chosen “Love of My Life” and ended all debate about who’s got the best voice on Idol. She could have done “Don’t Stop Me Now” if really she wanted to prance around. “Rhapsody” was the first time Jessica veered close to caricature levels. She’s lucky Hollie’s “Save Me” was just as fake and amateurish – and pitchy to boot – or she’d probably see the end of Idol tomorrow. Maybe not.

Nobody could have enjoyed the sight of Elise Testone harrying the poor guitarist  in “Bold as Love.” This was even worse than “Rhapsody”.

Testone’s performance was an outrage, transforming Jimi Hendrix into a cabaret vamp, down to fluttery ring scarf. Not a single genuine blues note in this woman, not when she can’t play with the melody, not when she demands the guitar man follow her every hand gesture.

It’s all a pose. Even a retro, tie-dyed duster and a tambourine can’t salvage any authenticity out of Testone. Don’t care if JLo jived orTyler hyperventilated. Sometimess they’re blinded by the spectacle. Nothing, nothing touched the eyes of this blond bombshell. And that spells death of a song and artist.

Phillip Phillips tried to subtle with “The Stone” by his idol Dave Matthews. He sank. The problem with Phillip is, his voice isn’t that nuanced. It’s his phrasing that is. Juggling nuance on both levels is slightly beyond P2.

“Stone’s” atonal quality of is part of the reason. It’s like “Crash Into Me”, a song of haunting depth – try closing your eyes to any clip – that just doesn’t work on a big stage.

If he had to do Mathhews, Phillip should have rocked to “Breakfast at Tiffany” and have girls young and not-so squirming in their seats. Still, his fun if self-indulgent take on “Fat-Bottomed Girls” will probably keep him safe, if ceding some ranking to Joshua Ledet.

There was nothing in “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” that merited the standing ovation for Joshua. It was slick but full of affectations, not coming close to the playfulness of the original. “I gotta be cool, relaxed” is far from Joshua’s truth this night. Not bad, just a bit fake.

In contrast, there was no false note in Joshua’s cover of “Ready for Love” by India Arie. I’ve watched it thrice as of this writing, marveling at just how good this young man is when he strips a song down to its essential. None of Joshua’s previous power ballad outings come close to the power of this performance. Try listening to it without the visuals, preferably with headphones and get swept away by the effortless ebb and flow of Joshua’s vocals AND emotions.  For this song, he deserves every single second of ovation.

For real character, however, Skylar Laine is tops at this point. I don’t know which placeTylerwants her voice to get to, because “Tatoos On This Town” has genuine peaks. It also showcases Skylar’s charisma and proves she has it in spades even without stomping around like a Holy Roller Jesus preacher.

“Tatoos” is the most record-ready of tonight’s lot. Skylar also exploits the song’s narrative arc and turns in a compelling, mature portrayal of real grit under the precious of a finicky heaven.

And who would have thought that of all the Idol contestants, it would be a lil gal fromTexas, with a voice just a lil nasal, to totally clean the floor with Queen. No tricks here, no posing in “The Show Must Go On”. Just, as JLo says, a trenchant articulation of a story. Once she started the second verse – “my soul is painted like the wings of a butterfly” – I was in awe. Diva? Check, the real thing. Rock your soul? Double check. They may have reserved the O’s for Joshua — who earned only one — and Hollie, who got one only because her baseline’s been so low. But the night belonged to Skylar. This girl now, is the one to beat.

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KATORSE


Wounded at Silverio Compound. Original photo by Tudla Productions

Naaalala nyo pa bang maging katorse?

Maliksi, matikas, puno ng pag-asa, kahit balot pa ang buhay sa hirap

Kanya-kanyang krus, kanya-kanyang tanong, kanya-kanyang pakikibaka

Naaalala nyo pa bang maging katorse?

Marangya pero lubog sa lungkot,

lunod sa abubot, uhaw sa gabay.

 

 

Kanya-kanyang krus,

kanya-kanyang tanong

Kanya-kanyang pakikibaka

 

Naaalala nyo nga bang maging katorse?

Ang diwang puno ng katanungan,

mga panaginip ng kalayaan?

 

Ano ngayon kung ako’y katorse?

Matagal nang limot ang pagkabata,

Sa gitna ng pasanin at hinagpis

 

Ano ngayon kung ako’y katorse?

Matagal nang mulat ang diwa

na maaring nakawin ang bukas

 

Kung gusto nyong ako’y magtampisaw,

sa laya’t ligaya nga kabataan,

kilalanin nyong bata ako

 

Na di kailangang makuba sa hirap

o makipag-sapalaran sa daan

para lamang magkalaman ang tiyan

 

Na di kailangan lumingon

sa nagliliyab naming kabahayan

o maghanap ng bagong pagtitirikan

 

Ano ngayon kung ako’y katorse?

Kung ako’y hirap, magpupunyagi

Kung ako’y inaapi, makikibaka

 

Kayong manhid o nandidiri

wag lumuha pag ako’y

nalagas sa gitna ng laban.

 

Huwag nyo akong aksayahan ng luha

kung di nyo kayang maunawaan

ang lungkot ng aking mga gabi

at ngitngit ng aking mga araw

 

Huwag nyo akong aksayahan ng luha

kung di nyo kayang manawagan

na maibigay ang pinangako

sa aming kabataan

 

Gusto ko din namang mag-buhay katorse

pero matagal nang ninakaw

ang aking kamusmusan.

 

Kayong nagkatingin ng matalim

sa aking mga magulang, tanungin nyo

kung naaalala nila ang maging katorse.

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Idol Top 7 reprise: No Jessica ‘moment’


First things first. Filipinos in the Philippines have no business voting in American Idol.  That’s just the kind of shortcut that leads to charges of gamemanship.

That’s “the art or practice of winning games by questionable expedients without actually violating the rules,” according to Merriam Webster, or “the use of ethically dubious methods to gain an objective”.

Somebody explain, please. Many took offense last week because they believed — right or wrong — that issues of race pushed Fil-Mex-Am Jessica Sanchez to the bottom of the pool of seven. So why do we think unscrupulous means are okay to salvage national pride? I hope it doesn’t fan a backlash against poor Jessica. Compatriots in the US getting carpal tunnel syndrome for the sake of Jessica is okay. PH-based Pinoys trying to pull a fast one on the system is just plain wrong.   (For the updates go to the bottom of this post.)

SOUL

Tonight, we have each finalist singing a Billboard Number 1 hit (from 2000 onward) and an old “Soul” tune. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has the best definition of the latter genre:

“Music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of funky, secular testifying.”

Soul can be sublime or just shrill cacophony. The temptation to indulge in trills and runs, grunts and growls, and any number of vocal tricks, could result to caricature  when a singer focuses on form and loses sight of the communion that underpins all gospel music.

NO MOMENT

So does a second try lead to a Jessica ‘moment’? Does Jessica cause an epiphany among reluctant Idol votes?

Nah. Jessica dishes out more Jessica. Which, basically, means some whistles of admiration for those clear, sweet tones and a lot of scrambling for a hold on the slippery slope of emotional connection.

It doesn’t help that for her first song, Jessica is in a drab, drab, matronly outfit and sporting horrid, morning-after-a-drunken-binge hair. It’s sweet sixteen free-falling into mid-life crisis. Did someone tell her she’d get the tween votes by pretending to be a frazzled mom?

And what’s in the Fil-Mex-Am divalette that unleashes the Jung-ian fantasies of Idol’s stage designers? First, they drizzled the stage with doors. Now, we have umbrellas floating across Jessica’s little patch of heaven.

“Falling,” by Alicia Keys has been done to death in singing tilt but it does have lyrics a grade 6 kid will understand.

I keep on fallin’ / In and out of love / With you
Sometimes I love ya / Sometimes you make me blue / Sometimes I feel good
At times I feel used/ Lovin’ you darlin’/ Makes me so confused

The passion J-Lo feels doesn’t reflect on this side of the TV screen. Maybe because I can barely see Jessica’s eyes ‘neath all that hair. There’s no wrong note, no false emphasis. There’s just nothing that tugs at the heart or the loins — or the mind.

She does better with Otis Redding’s “Try a Little Tenderness”. Actually has a gorgeous start. The second verse turned turgid, like a lounge performance at some Holiday Inn. But when she hit the chorus, Jessica cut loose and almost out-growled Elise Testone — and to better effect.

I’m no great fan of embellishment for embellishment’s sake. Here, it looks authentic. It IS her experience and hell, she’s showing genuine expression for once:

oh she may be weary / them young girls they do get wearied / wearing that same old miniskirt dress / but when she gets weary/ you try a little tenderness
oh man i know shes waiting / just anticipating / the thing that you’ll never never possess
no no no/ but while she there waiting / try just a little bit of tenderness /that’s all you got to do

now it might be a little bit sentimental no/ but she has her griefs and cares / but the soft words they are spoke so gentle / and it makes it easier to bear /oh she won’t regret it / them young girls they don’t forget it / love is their whole happiness / but its all so easy / all you got to do is try / try a little tenderness

It’s an “old”song with rather ironic lyrics. But I’ve given up on Jessica being 16; she’s just so different from her peers. For this, she gets the highest respect from lots of us. American Idol is about love, about the fever of adoration, so it’s still touch and go for her. She can take comfort, however, that respect and admiration usually outlive manic love.

Jessica doesn’t steal hearts tonight, but that last, fierce “tenderness” gives enough capital for safety. Hopefully. But I won’t bet on it.

HONOR & DIGNITY

If America still sends Joshua Ledet to the bottom 3, they might as well close down Idol.

Joshua is in perfect form, vocally, both in Fantasia’s “I Believe” and Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come”. He also comes cloaked with a dignity that no amount of humiliation by tone-deaf tweens will ever shake.

But more than that, Joshua comes with a history. He comes with Memory, with the collective soul of every one who’s ever been told that color or gender or religion or status means the end of the line. There is disappointment in those eyes, lots of pain, some fear. Above all, there is faith. That things come to pass. That tomorrow will be better. That the cruelties are not a reflection of him but of the people who do not know any better. This is Truth, hard and eternal.

This is Joshua’s night. He pays respect to the burdens of the ages, absorbs them, distills them and then shares these with us — gives honor through his restraint. The ending IS an ending, a climax, a closure.

Whatever happens tomorrow — I don’t think there’s the same kind of organized frenzy for Joshua as there is now for Jessica — will not change that fact that tonight, this young man stood way above the rest of his peers.

CONNECTION

Skylar Laine is about Jessica’s age and doesn’t have the latter’s impeccable notes. But what she has is character and a knowledge of self that is both scary and admirable. So she turns zero-fashion sense into a lovable quirk and makes a badge of courage of those nasal tones.

She is also a natural story-teller and transforms Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” into a rousing anthem for dem folks from the country music states. And she shares this in so inclusive a manner that you forget there is blue and red. There is only this girl with the belly laugh, someone with delightful secrets and perfectly willing to let us in for the ride.

Jessica will sell records. Skylar will fill arenas. And she’ll sell those records, too.

So will Phillip Phillips, who can turn a song inside out like nobody since David Cook.

He’s a classic, Phillip is, a throw back to those taciturn heroes of yore. You get a feeling every week he’s preparing for High Noon.

But he’s also got a perfectly modern groove and tonight he is frisky and playful and skims through all those half-notes in Usher’s “You’ve Got It Bad” like Don Juan would with the ladies’ hearts.

A very smart arrangement, sensuous with a touch of the blues and a hint of jazz, yes accessible enough for the kids. This is the best he’s ever sung; the voice is strong, controlled, down to the seductive whisper.

But he really sizzles in “Midnight Hour,” ditching his guitar, shimmying all over. He flashes megawatt grins and just all-around sex appeal. It’s the kind of performance that causes Dads to lock daughters in their rooms — and then turn around to discover Mom has clambered out of the window.

When he hits, “I’m gonna wait till the stars come out to see the twinkle in your eyes,” you can imagine a sea of girls rushing towards Georgia. Also, he seems positively joyful tonight. Is Heejun back in town?

The young men — and their older sisters and moms — are for Phillip. This scruffy guy who can blush, wears a Henley and gets christened Da Bomb will survive Colton’s tweens. Shares top dog status tonight with Joashua.

HANGING ON

Uh oh. Tough luck for Jessica. Hollie just staged a comeback. Kinda.

Cavanagh’s finally showing her tough side. Nothing wrong with her cover of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” — it’s the kind of song that makes her furrowed brows seem profound. She does nothing much to Adele; there’s still very little creativity in Hollie. But her fans like her because she’s a mimic with a good, strong voice and that’s what we get — plaka with half of Adele’s fire. But it could just get her through. It’s not a disaster for once.

Hollie, however, totally misses the point in “Son of a Preacher Man” and is back in the clueless state that mistakes volume for emotional depth.

Colton Dixon, on the other hand, over reaches with “September”. Whatever possessed him to transform fun into emo? And in the wrong key, too.

Still, Colton rocked Gaga’s “Bad Romance”. Yes, even in the low notes where he managed to sound like the robot brother of that girl from Glee. Colton in black , striped tails and crimson leather pants. A cross between an innocent vampire and some whorehouse impressario, right up to the splash of red on the blond locks. And an all girl band! Very clever guy, very strategic, Colton is. Just a little too slick. But what do tweens know? They’ll probably keep him safe, too, which would be truly bad lack for…. awwwww.

As for Elise Testone, one couldn’t have it worse. 1) Phillip follows your performance. 2)Your dog is dying and you ask Ryan if that’s what he wants to hear for cheap thrills? 3) You sing “No One” and even all the fans blowing translucent panels every which way can’t make up for the lack of sensuality.

I though she had great vocals on Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” but ruined it with the usual affectations and a silly, literal choreography that raised nightmare images of Steven Tyler’s casting couch.

But here’s what will really send Elise home tomorrow: 1) Her sour look in the face of criticism — while Colton was cool; 2)That disastrous confession about over-thinking the songs. Oh, and 3) the equally disastrous admission of her small-time “lounge” roots.

Update: With riffs on DialIdol numbers

Just read this blog that parses out numbers, percentages and raw data included, from DialIdol.com Simply put, the author, hughc, says factoring staying power on the basis of percentages isn’t enough. That ups the margin of error. One has to look at the raw numbers — meaning the actual numbers of votes cast, and not just the busy signals.

For this week, this is what it says:

“One thing to notice this week is that Jessica jumped from the bottom of the busy percentage to the top and is now duking it out with Hollie, Elise and Joshua for the highest busy percentage. If you look at the raw numbers, though, Hollie has far and away the most busy signals, almost 1,300 already which is much more than Phillip had last week (the one with the most busy signals). That means Hollie’s fans are power voting via telephone quite diligently this week and she is probably pretty safe.  Elise and Jessica also have almost 1,000 busy signals so far tonight, so I bet they are pretty safe too. The contestant with the lowest actual number of busy signals right now is Skylar Laine with only 249 and Colton only has 266 despite having over 6,000 votes. It will be interesting to see what the final numbers are tomorrow morning after the west coast people get to vote.”

Now, that’s interesting. Possible reasons:

1) Hollie has consistently been getting a huge bloc of votes.

2) Jimmy Iovine’s guilt-trip riff must have hit Elise’s hometown peeps.

3) On a very good night, Phillip can swamp Colton’s wall.

4) Where are Skylar’s country folk? My guess: Their aspirational side will go for Hollie. Maybe they want to hear you sing of heartache but look like a winner. And Hollie does have a voice could easily switch to country and then there’s that face and form. Country’s piss and vinegar side naturally gravitates to Phillip.

by Categories: media criticism, music, reality shows, Reviews, UncategorizedTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Will the real Jessica Sanchez stand up, please?


Practically all media critics – and the American Idol judges – got slapped today. Whatever angst and inchoate urges fuel the votes in this popular but increasingly inconsequential show, Filipino-Mexican singer Jessica Sanchez took the hits.

The youngest of the remaining seven Idol contestants barely escaped elimination. Angry Idol judges stormed the stage mid-way through her please-save-me song and lectured the show’s viewers “to vote for the best”.

Most reviews had placed Sanchez among the top three contestants in this last round, a night bereft of brilliance and excitement – ironic for a theme that actually serves up the songs of the Idol generation.

African-American Joshua Ledet got the standing ovation (again) with a cabaret take on Bruno Mars’ “Runaway Baby.” Elise Testone, who’s had her ups and downs, sang Lady Gaga’s “You and I” and got a “welcome back” cheer from Randy Jackson. The bespectacled judge gave Sanchez high praise for her rendition of the relatively obscure “Stuttering” by Jazmine Sullivan. He said Sanchez “slayed the biggest fish of the night,” a reference to the song’s degree of difficulty.

All three landed in the bottom three. Voters sent to safety twangy country gal Skylar Laine, emo-rocker Colton Dixon, the gritty, stubborn Phillip Phillips and Hollie Cavanagh, Tinkerbell’s robotic twin.

Shock is an understatement, until you realize that music is not all about voice.  For the rest of the article

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