Tag: Jessica Sanchez

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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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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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.

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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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American Idol: Some lessons for Jessica


How many times can you ask a single rhetorical question in a single night? In the case of the American Idol judges on the evening of March 28, seven times too many. Randy Jackson isn’t even funny when he acts the befuddled elder, wondering why his nine remaining wards are doing the musical equivalent of the descent of the Holy Spirit.

Punch-line crazy Filipinos were probably screaming at their television sets, “kailangan pa bang imemorize yan?!”. That’s a cultural pun that won’t survive translation, so here’s a simpler reply for our friend. Because, Dawg, they’re singing their songs. They’re performing songs that captivate them, not the anthems of people they’ve never heard of.

Oh, sure, asking “Billy Who?” is shameful. But we can’t all be walking music encyclopedias. It takes some experience – more than a teenager can be expected to have – to take one look at notes and lyrics and immediately grasp context and the things that lie between the lines.

Now, liking a song and knowing what suits you do not always go together.  Idol contestants are not ordinary kids. They know the kind of artists they want to be. The danger is on the other end.  Great want amid the absence of creativity can bring down a web of delusions. And 18-year-old fossils get ground to dust fast inHollywood.

Redemption songs

On the night they’re singing songs of their Idols, the contestants are blessed with one of the most perceptive mentors to grace that seat beside Jimmy Iovine.

Stevie Nicks, of Fleetwood Mac fame, knows what’s it like to be young and more than a little wild. She’s a wonderful, equal-opportunity flirt, drawing out the kids and treating the cantankerous Iovine like some sweet pet.

Nicks she gives the contestants a great lesson: “Never forget you’re telling a story”.

Because, really, in the end that’s what makes an idol – the ability to make people believe a tale, the capacity to understand what it is that moves men and women to cry into their beds at night or to skip and swirl on sun-flecked lanes.

Who manages to captivate the audience? Whose tale falls flat? And who break out of their shells and private hells and propel judges and audience to their feet?

Let’s take it from the bottom:

9) DeAndre Brackensick: One high line is great. Or two, or even a run with four or five lines. But an entire song in that range just brings on a humongous headache.

DeAndre hits all the right notes in “Sometimes I Cry”. He does sound different in this Idol line-up. But that’s not the same as “unique”.

And DeAndre still can’t tell a story. His eyes tell me he’s counting the notes.

8) Hollie Cavanagh drops the sequins and her grandma’s clothes for a communion dress. That’s a bit too literal for “Jesus Take the Wheel”. Or, maybe, she just wants to copy Carrie Underwood.

Which is really Hollie’s problem. She hasn’t done anything yet but copy.

While she’s good, she doesn’t have the magic of the originals. All that white just turns her face 50 shades of bland. That’s not exactly what’s needed when you’re sharing a story about a woman in desperate straits. Someone really should find Hollie songs that are her age.

 7) Skylar Laine just looks too happy for Miranda Lambert’s “Gunpowder and Lead”, a song about battered faces and shattered dreams.

There are precocious souls and some areas of the Mississippi have dark, dark secrets. And one day some 16-year old girl will go up on the Idol stage and bare the scars in her soul. But to do that, you need have lived some. Skylar has a great voice and even greater spirit, but there is no way she can sell the story of County Road 233:

I got two miles till he makes bail/ And if I’m right we’re headed straight for hell…I’m goin’ home, gonna load my shotgun/ Wait by the door and light a cigarette/ He wants a fight well now he’s got one/ He ain’t seen me crazy yet/ Slapped my face and he shook me like a rag doll/ Don’t that sound like a real man/ I’m gonna show him what a little girl’s made of

6) Colton Dixon is a sly fox who knows all the moves. He’s pitch perfect flirting with Stevie Nicks. He proclaims his deep faith and then sings “Everything”:

You are the strength that keeps me walking/ You are the hope that keeps me trusting/ You are the light to my soul/ You are my purpose, You’re everything/ How can I stand here with You and not be moved by You?/ Would You tell me, how could it be any better than this?…. You calm the storms, and You give me rest/ You hold me in Your hands,/  You won’t let me fall/ You steal my heart, and You take my breath away/ Would You take me in, take me deeper now

It’s a Worship song missing the word, “God”. Now, that’s not a sin. It also guarantees that his tweens will hold on to the illusion that, even on bended knees, he’s singing to them and not to some great heavenly light.

But all that do not hide the fact that it’s a thin voice here, overpowered by the busy arrangement. Still, Colton has beautiful eyes that he uses to great effect. They’re powerful narrative tools and will keep him in the higher ranks.

Into the Light

5) Heejun Han, resident clown, puts one up onColton in the backstory department. He comes to work chastised, in a confessional mood that is just the right blend of pop psycho babble and honest-to-goodness redemption lessons. Nobody can resist that, especially when the story-teller sports sad almond eyes.

But people aren’t that gullible. What really turns the tide for Heejun is what’s most important to the Idol audience: His voice.

There are one or two little wobbles but that voice is full bodied without being oppressive. That can throw up a dazzling light and shadow show.  And for someone who can’t pronounce those ending consonants, he shows remarkable talent for phrasing Leon Russel’s “Song for You”. It is great story-telling and of the hardest kind because it rests on one’s willingness to take us into that private world. If the performance didn’t convince you, get the iTunes audio version and get lost in the magic of Heejun’s song.

4) Joshua Ledet appears tentative in some of his performances. Sometimes I’ve felt the vocal acrobatics are but a mask for whatever it is Joshua can’t bring out. (Okay, I do have an overactive imagination.)

But maybe because “Without You” is a generic – if powerful – love song, Joshua is spared the ambivalence that has hampered his other performances.

I’m wondering if those doubts, those secrets that can’t be share are what cause all the overwrought singing, because he finds his balance here. So that when he climbs and unloads all that passion, and even tear at the end, it’s believable.

Fire and Ice

3) Phillip Phillips is wearing a blazer! See, Tommy, miracles happen when you stop acting like some tinpot dictator and give these kids freedom of choice.

“Still Rainin’” is a perfect foil for Phil’s gravelly vocals. He’s looser than usual; playful. Do not underestimate the power of a playful vibe in a song with the word “rain” in it. Which is really wacko in this song about heartbreak.

Clouds, one by one, fill the sky/ Just like these tears that fill my eyes/ I know by now she ain’t comin’ back/ I watch my world slowly fade into black… Look out my window it’s still rainin’/ Look out my window it’s still rainin’… They say that time heals everything/ I’ve known the pain, honey, that love can bring/ It don’t get no better with each passing day/ Any hope I had is slowly slipping away

There is no single line of redemption in the entire song. So why does that smile add meaning to the song, rather than bare a clueless mind (in the case of Sklar)?

The only reason is, that Phil is one of those rare Idol contestants — a fully-formed adult. And on and off stage, his backstory is holding up well — which is, that beyond an aw shucks demeanor is someone of implacable will, who will not hesitate to walk away from it all, or hit the mat, when he sees his world threatened.

That smile — it brings a similar one to Nicks’ face — is gorgeous. It is also full of shadows and layers. And the best thing about this dude is he carries all that sex appeal so lightly.

3) Jessica Sanchez slows down Beyonce’s “Sweet Dreams”and proves she’s capable of turning out a hit tomorrow.

She’s like a wraith, Jessica is,  on a stage that is someone’s too-literal vision of a psychoanalyst’s paradise. Some parts have the eerie airs of Enya and Sinead – except that we know the power is just a turn of phrase away.

But there is something Jessica must master if she’s to keep that lead safe. She cannot yet tell a story, not in the primal way of icons.

She has the moves and there is no question about that voice, which has yet to sing a note wrong. But Jessica still has to let down her guard, which is the first step to letting us in. Or, if that’s too hard for a shy girl to do, she has find the courage to wade into our vale of tears and, convince us that she understands what, besides a beautiful voice, can move people to ecstasy and despair.

1) Elise Testone for the first time shows that she knows to be happy. And what a reason she has.

Elise leaves Jessica Sanchez in a dust with a strutting, raucous, note-perfect cover of Led Zeppelin “Whole Lotta Love”. Gone is the inward-look, the hunched shoulders, the arms folded into a cave. Elise now prowls the stage like a giant feline, stretching here, springing up there, and always engaging the audience with eyes that are a masterclass in the art of making love to the collective.

The change came slowly. Great promise was shown last week. With LedZep, we get the privilege to see the final breaking of Elise’s chains. It was, perhaps, the duet with Nicks where both gals forgot Iovine and just indulged in one heck of a love fest.

Whatever the reason, Elise has unleashed the inner goddess. The only question now is whether the American Idol audience will embrace the goddess, revere her, fall down on their knees for her — or whether they can’t take in all that glory and either run away or find some stakes for a giant bonfire. And, of course, there is always regression and backsliding….

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Jessica Sanchez storms back with Billy Joel’s ode to dreams


Steven Tyler’s right. If you can’t sing Billy Joel, you can’t sing at all. But the siren call of Joel’s melodies, much like those of Simon and Garfunkle, also makes it darn hard to own his songs. How do folk young enough to be Joel’s grandkids avoid the dreaded just-another-cover trap? How do they put their mark on some of the most enduring classics of pop music?

The Idol Top 10 deliver some surprises. Some tapped into their artistic strengths. Some hammed it up. And a couple flailed in the Piano Man’s embrace. Here’s my take on their performances, according to rank.

#1 Jessica Sanchez

Just when fans feared Jessica was trapped in dreary karaoke limbo, a knight saved her.

Diddy and Jessica — that’s one strange pair. Rapper and budding ballad diva. Leather and jive, lace and languor. Thank god for Billy Joel’s songbook. It sprawls across enough genres and worldviews; everyone gets a room in that inn. And thank god a 16-year old Fil/Mex/Am — who’s never heard of the pop icon — was hungry enough to heed the  rapper/producer/entrepreneur formerly known as Puff Daddy.

Deep reserves of steel in this wisp of a woman. Jessica saw past Diddy’s scorn as he took aim at the same affectations that must have won praise for her as a precocious kid.

“You have to pull back from the showing off, the tricks. Tricks aren’t going to get you to the superstar level,” said the rapper after a raucous, bravura run. To the camera: “I think less is more.”

Jimmy Iovine, craggy face quivering with unshakeable belief in his young ward, tells Jessica to get out of her comfort zone and train those expressive eyes at the Diddy collective.

Jessica doesn’t just pay her respects.  She takes over “Everybody Has A Dream,” a hymn that sounds like a Disney movie theme in the early parts but ends with a nod to every praise-and-holler church that has succored lost souls.

“While in these days of quiet desperation / As I wander through the world in which I live / I search everywhere for some new inspiration / But it’s more than cold reality can give…” Right at the start, Jessica displays a depth that allows her to touch hearts in a way that Idol’s other big voice — Hollie Cavanagh — can only dream of. Poise, empathy, discipline and control — and that stunning gray frock emphasizing a tiny waist and limbs that taper down to the daintiest ankles in Hollywood.

It is a steady build-up that whets the appetite for the “moment” everyone knows is coming. And when it comes, Jessica silences every critic that has ever questioned whether she has enough  soul and strength and grit to plumb the major themes of life.

She invades Joshua Ledet’s turf and lays waste to pretensions with control and nuance beyond the reach of most adults. That punctuation in “this is my dream” ends any doubt about her maturity. It’s a rare moment when song, talent, mentors gel. That kind of magic humbles most witnesses (and, if Jessica’s expression is any gauge, probably her, too). Tyler, certainly; he doesn’t even bother to belabor his awe.

#2 Phillip Phillips

I always watch Idol performances first on youtube before sitting down for the night-time television treat. Sometimes, seeing these on a bigger screen, sans ear phones, causes shifts in perception. But whether on a PC monitor or on TV, Phillip is a very strong presence.

It is not just the voice. It’s the whole package — that face, the mien of an earnest, nice man crossed with a touch of rebel. (Maybe refusing to budge on outfit choice may be taking the iconoclastic bit too far; it’s not like shirts and polo are that unique.)

Like Colton Dixon, Phillip has this natural ability to bend a song this way and that, breathing into an old song and birthing a new one. This is especially true with “Moving Out”.

Now, scorching looks are normally the territory of Colton.  Suddenly, the dude from Georgia muscles in.

This is the greatest emotional investment Phillip has ever poured into a song. There is a grimness in his tone, in the way he bites off the lyrics. There is a feral quality to his smile as he growls about people in dire straits.

It’s probably his working class roots. He is a pawnshop worker. An entire town is trying to raise funds so worried parents could minister to a son still feeling the effects of kidney stones.

Anthony works in the grocery store / Savin’ his pennies for someday / Mama Leone left a note on the door, /She said, ‘Sonny, move out to the country.’ / Workin’ too hard can give you / A heart attackackackackackack /You oughta know by now … Who needs a house out in Hackensack? / Is that all you get for your money? …

He glowers at that last line. And then drips with sarcasm as he sings, “And it seems such a waste of time / If that’s what it’s all about / Mama, If that’s movin’ up then I’m movin’ out. ”

In a few minutes, we see a man spring forth on the Idol stage. Still very young. But very much a man, with a man’s burdens and pains and anger. What a song to mark a coming of age.

Suddenly, I’m wondering if America still has room for one more young white man with a guitar. Because the song, the singer and the times could conspire to make this so. While I’m rooting for Jessica, can’t say I’d begrudge Phillip a win.

(**Phillip and Heejun and bromance — “My Life” and “Moving Out”. Jeez, when are these guys going to run off? Nope, not insinuating anything more than, um, some high jinks Huck Finn style. But the two are such a diverting act that, I suspect, part of the reason Heejun’s still around is because the fans don’t want to deprive Phillip of his best friend.)

#3 Colton Dixon

“Piano Man” is perhaps one of Billy Joel’s most difficult songs. Not just because it reaches heights most singers fear; it also alternates that with low tones that could bleach strength out of the narrative.

Colton shows Randy no longer has to worry about lower-register pitch problems. He also probably has convinced an army of young women that a little bit of darkness trumps a sunshiny smile in the race to send hearts aflutter.

Funny that it is a high baritone and not the gravel-voiced Phillip who best lets out the shadows.  It’s probably the songwriter in Colton.The tweens won’t really understand this tale of heartbreak. All they — and their moms- will know is, a certainty that they and they alone can save this wounded man 🙂

It takes courage to tackle “Piano Man” and actually play those keys. The stylish Colton caresses every note of the ballad. His is a great indie rock voice. The wounded yelp is used here to great impact.

The voice, even at its softest, is rough-hewn, rebellion at its core, concerned with more than tussling over the color of one’s shirt. Yet it carries enough glamor — and he is just on the right side of pretty —  to make the leap into pop heaven.

When the money spot comes, as he climbs up ladididadididaa, your hair prickles. Colton breaks into a half smile in the middle of chord progression. The audience respond as he soars to the finish.  For sheer artistry and daring, this gets a medal.

#4Elise Testone

Will Elise kick herself tomorrow for choosing one of the few obscure Billy Joel songs? Hard to say.

I’d give her my vote anytime — she had the rhythm right tonight, sailed brilliantly through a difficult melody, showed off just the right touch of rasp. She even displayed a smidgen of a happy smile on her face. But this is American Idol. Too many factors playing on the emotions in the land of the brave and of the free.

Colton has gotten away with an unfamiliar song. But Elise had to choose one named after a foreign city, “Vienna”.

It’s also one of the few Billy Joel songs with lyrics that come close to hectoring. It’s not about a young one impatient to get through life — it’s a sermon to a young one impatient to get through life.

The tone is patronizing, the words enough to raise the hackles of the teenage hordes. I suppose if some youngster with irony and charisma  sings this, it could make for an unorthodox anthem:

Slow down, you crazy child / you’re so ambitious for a juvenile / But then if you’re so smart, tell me / Why are you still so afraid? / Where’s the fire, what’s the hurry about? / You’d better cool it off before you burn it out / You’ve got so much to do and / Only so many hours in a day … But you know that when the truth is told.. / That you can get what you want or you get old / You’re gonna kick off before you even / Get halfway through / When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?

But Elise not only looks like the mom of these teenage voters. She also has mom’s clothes on. I daresay some boy out there could probably have some fantasy of Elise singing to him, but not too many of them will. And their older sisters and moms will also be voting for someone else.

#5 Erika Van Pelt

Give Tommy Hilfiger a standing ovation, folks. A makeover takes Erika away from the world of sappy blondes and transforms her into a slightly rubenesque Monica Belluci — no, make it a cross between Belluci and k.d. Lang, if that’s not too rainbow-ish for you.

It’s amazing but how pixie haircut puts sexy back into into the big gal. Her rendition of “New York State of Mind” shows it.

It’s sassy and loose, the Lady and the Tramp deigning to visit the money bags. It has enough range to let the Erika throw out a few thunderbolts, enough lyricism to showcase her soft side in the ending. Its lyrics carry enough swag for her. And she’s got enough love for the entire Big Apple. The audience loves her back, too.

#6 Heejun Han

If you believe Steven Tyler, there can only be one way to interpret “My Life”. A bucket full of piss.

But hey, times change and different folks do different strokes. Heejun is not Billy Joel. Nobody wants Heejun to be Billy Joel. People want Heejun to be Heejun, the Korean transplant who compensates for the slurred consonants with enough ‘tude for three New York boroughs.

Heejun is the Asian-American who’s broken loose of the good-boy straight jacket, not too much that he scares the bejeezus out of us, but enough to prove that yellows and browns can thumb their noses like the rest of the country. Is that racist? Naaah, it’s called breaking down the doors and if Steven doesn’t like it, tough luck.

Diddy doesn’t know if he likes it, but he’s more game than the rock star. After all, rap and hip-hop seem to be unique forms of expression, nimble enough to be adopted by youth of all colors and languages — and religions.

“I don’t know if he’s an actor, or a con man. I don’t even know if he’s Asian,” the rapper-mentor mused. If I were Heejun, I’d take that as a compliment.

He’s not the best singer. But hey, we all know he’s not going to win American Idol 2012. People keep him on because he’s not too bad a singer and he gives them plenty of laughs. If the judges were capable of more than saccharine praise and trite phrases, maybe people would have tired of Heejun already.

Got a call from an old friend we’d used to be real close / Said he couldn’t go on the American way / Closed the shop, sold the house, bought a ticket to the west coast / Now he gives them a stand-up routine in L.A.

Steven, rebellion is not the exclusive domain of restless white men.

I don’t need you to worry for me cause I’m allright/ I don’t want you to tell me it’s time to come home / I don’t care what you say anymore this is my life / Go ahead with your own life leave me alone

Get it, Steve? It’s great social commentary from Heejun. And anybody who can strut that kind of comedy on the venerable Idol stage gets my vote. Now, THAT’s rebellion.

See you soon in a sitcom, Heejun. Meanwhile, enjoy the run.

#7 Skylar Laine

It’s strange that it took a Billy Joel song to throw back almost-crossover Skylar back into wilderness of country bathos. Guess it’s hard to maintain feistiness when you’re singing these lines:

Well I’m shameless when it comes to loving you/ I’d do anything you want me to /I’d do anything at all… And I’m standing here for all the world to see / There ain’t that much left of me / That has very far to fall

She reclaims her moxie at the last chorus, but it’s a little bit too late. It’s not bad. It’s just not memorable and it’s the first time Skylar doesn’t dazzle.

This young country mama is made for more than lamentations and she should reclaim her identity next round.

#8 Joshua Ledet

Here’s another young person who, like Skylar, shouldn’t sing an out-and-out plaintive love song.

” She’s got a way about her/ I don’t know what it is /But I know that I can’t live without her/ She’s got a way of pleasin’ / I don’t know why it is /But there doesn’t have to be a reason anywhere…She’s got a smile that heals me / I don’t know what it is / But I have to laugh when she reveals me / She’s got a way of talkin’ / I don’t know why it is /But it lifts me up when we are walkin’ anywhere…”

I do not know what it says that Joshua personifies blandness singing this love song. The vocal acrobatics towards the end are meaningless because they don’t have a context. They don’t have a context because he never really connected emotionally with the song.

I just got a thought bubble. Joshua should have sung “My Life”. Or, “Honesty”. Let’s get real here, peeps. Let your hair down. As Iovine warns, a good voice can only take you so far.

#9 DeAndre Brackensick

How do you solve a problem like Deandre? A stunning face. Hair that could launch a thousand escapades. A lithe body perfect for dance grooves. A voice that’s better than average. But he consistently chooses the wrong songs. Or is totally clueless about a song’s meaning.

This is just too funny.

In the Farm Aid concert, Billy Joel quipped about not knowing how much funds they would raise, but sure they’d raise hell with the song.

“Only the Good Die Young” is is all about a devil who sends nuns and moms and dads rushing to lock up their little angels.

Come out Virginia, don’t let me wait / You Catholic girls start much too late / Ah but sooner or later it comes down to fate / I might as well, will be the one … Well they showed you a statue and told you to pray / They built you a temple and locked you away / Ah but they never told you the price that you pay / For things that you might have done … Only the good die young / That’s what I said / Only the good die young / Only the good die young

Deandre sings it like a playground mate of my grandkid, Sophie. And I get a feeling that, at one-year and seven months, she would scare the hell out of Deandre. He turns this song of dangerous seduction into a Sesame Street ditty. On one level you can bop to it but Billy Joel, bless his wicked soul, was not inviting the young girls to play hopscotch.

But heck the girls were screaming so I guess hopscotch will have takers. Then again, he went first. I don’t even know if they’ll remember him after Colton and Phillip.

#10 Hollie Cavanagh

Presenting the debutante as The Good Wife. I didn’t realize Barbie dolls were in the habit of singing paeans to “Honesty”.  Somebody please bring Hollie back to the world of the living.

I also didn’t realize Hollie was so eager to step into Shannon’s shoes. The jerky moves. The growls and puckered brow spelling out “E M O T I O N!” And every cell of Hollie just working too hard to stay in tune and stay in competition that she crushes every speck of nuance in this huge Billy Joel hit — which she’d never heard before.

If there is any justice on earth, Hollie gets into the bottom third. I didn’t hear any boos when the judges criticized her. That’s something. Here’s hoping the audience gives credit to the deserving blonde.

Bottom line: Joshua has a voice way better than Heejun but I have a feeling the former lands in the bottom three. The voters may just reward Heejun’s cheek — or they may think some things are sacred. Hollie should and voters should try to forget that Elise is not a generous loser. Deandre should, but there’s always the hair to save him.

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Jessica Sanchez stumbles


Disagreeing with a lot of folks tonight. You tell me what you think!

Rank #4 Phillip Phillips: Super trooper

This young man from Georgia is a one-trick pony. But what a trick he’s got!

Folk-country-rock troubadour never really goes out of style. After the pageantry, we all run back to Jazon Mraz, right? I do.

Phillip has Scotty’s aw-shucks-am-just-a-country-boy charm down pat, He also seems to be the real thing. How many guys can flash that much wattage on the way to a kidney stone operation? More apropos, how many can resist the temptation to ham it up?

He comes out a bit spiffed up in a polo shirt with the right touch of brown-bronze shade; it warms up his skin. He ditches the guitar for “Hard to Handle”, which is a good move. Shows us those hips can move. The rasp will always be there but it’s natural, not an affectation, and he certainly rocks better than Scotty. He’s a happy young man who can give a helluva lot of clean fun – just the guy who can pull in both moms and their screaming tweens. (And he won’t make screaming moms feel a tad dirty because he’s serving us what we all want to remember – vibrant youth, innocent excitement.) Plus, he’s got a smile no amount of money can buy.

All around a very good performance. I gotta feeling he’s serving up “great” soon. And I gotta feeling this one goes all the way to top 4. It’s a good thing the girls are so good this year or else we could have a another white boy with a guitar winning Idol.

#Rank 5 Jessica Sanchez: One stumble can make you stronger

How in god’s name does one top a performance that’s earned 5 million hits on youtube?

Orly Cajegas,who knows all about entertainment, suggested Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy”  , which a few American bloggers also pushed.  With a lot of hits to choose from  Jessica, sigh, picks Gloria Estefan’s  “Turn the Beat Around” (an old song re-issued in 1995).

What can I say? Asians have as much grace as Latinos do. But it’s a different grace. We’re like bamboo, we sway with the wind. The Latinos have a rhythm best shown off to syncopation. We just don’t shake our booties the same way. And frankly, there’s precious little flesh to shake on Jessica’s slim frame.

The voice is strong and controlled as ever. But for magic to strike, the song must match the singer, must draw out the inner self for us to vicariously experience. Because entertainment is a buyer’s market and, let’s admit it, we’re all voyeurs. We wait for the joy, the angst and pain, the rage or the swooning romantic heart to sidle out and grab us. It is never just about one’s pipes.

The outfit is gorgeous. But even combined with Jessica’s vocals, this really skirts close to the dreaded wedding-singer category. Sorry, but Ms Swaggernaut got lost in cosmic space. Supremely competent just ain’t enough. You need to be memorable.

I’d rather have an awesome ballad than a dance tune that won’t get me on my feet. If she wanted out of birit zone, she could have done Michael Jackson’s “Childhood”  and make us all cry all over again.

She’s still safe (I think) but needs to watch out as there are a bevy of hungry gals waiting for her light to wane.  A bit worrisome that “dialidol.com places Sanchez in fifth place with a score of 4.966”l , warning that the votes seem too close to call. She could still be voted off. Here’s a chance for the social-media crazy Fil-Ams and their Hispanic compatriots to show their mettle!

Rank#10 Heejun Han: There’s a thin line between funny guy and perv

If this New Yorker sings Jessica’s breakout song, it would sound like, “and haaaaaayayay will always love you”. Idol vocal coaches should help the kid lick this bad habit, though that’s not probably going to matter to the gazillion of videoke-loving Asian-Americans (and videoke-loving Pinoy-Pinoys) who do the same.

Ballads are Heejun’s forte and his performance of Richard Marx’s “Right Here Waiting For You” is earnest but not hokey. It’s a contrast with his non-singing self, which could be a developing problem. Someone, maybe best buddy Phillip Phillips, should sit down Heejun and explain that overt mooning is funny the first time but becomes irksome as a trademark. We like flirting. We don’t like dirty old men. Besides, Heejun’s at least three decades too young to audition for that role, even in a comedy. Sure, American humor of very bad taste rakes in millions at the box office. Off-screen, however, pervs do not win the girl. Heejun’s strongest point is sardonic humor. He has the intelligence for two seasons of quips; he should stay away from slapstick and jerk territory.

Heejun’s singing IS pitchy tonight. It is excessively breathy in the lower registers, something he should correct. He wobbles slightly on some lines in the higher range (“I’ll take the chance” and “it’s going crazy”). And what’s with that unmoving hand on chest? He should make some gestures or else alternate with arm at rest. Looks like he’s singing the national anthem or suffering from heartburn, which would be a really screwy interpretation of a love song.

Light-hearted funny is sexy, Heejun. Stalker leers are not. Ditch those suits and go back to loose and cool. You’re from New York, for god’s sake. Bring back the knitted cap and give us some really good wisecracks. Swim to build up those chest tones. Focus on your greatest strength – your passion – and choose songs that can bring this out, like “New York State of Mind.”

Rank#8 Elise Testone: Almost but not quite

We’ll see if that “making babies” crack will win or lose Elise valuable points. The Idol audience invested in the-making-of syndrome and don’t usually like contestants to be too cocky. (I do, under certain conditions.)

Obviously, I’d give an arm and a leg to have a command performance of Barack crooning “Let’s Stay Together”, especially if it comes with that display of lip-biting – hey, Mr. Cool does have warm blood running in his veins, probably thanks to Michelle! I’m not too sure it helped the contestant. Does Elise plumb this song’s truth? She comes close. Powerful voice tonight and she’s thoroughly believable in the pleading parts. But she lacks the playfulness needed for a song that’s essential a lover’s flirty serenade.

I had to review the clip twice to spot the missing link. Gown, check. Really shows off those lovely gams. Moves, check, just enough sensuousness there without veering to tacky. It’s the smile that does her in. Middle or end of song, it’s too tentative, too… needy. That’s never good for romance (unless you’re co-dependents, and not for long). Woman, you’re looking for a roll, not a comforting hug. Where’d the spunky girl go?

Won’t be quite sexy for the men.  Not vulnerable enough  or foxy enough to rouse the sisterhood. Plus, she threw down the gauntlet and didn’t deliver. Ayayay. Bottom line: I’d watch her lounge act anytime. But Idol? Nah.

Rank# 11 DeAndre Brackensick: Missing his soul

Okay, no beating around the bush. “Endless Love” is a pet peeve, second only to the Titanic theme song. It is brainless. It is pure corn. It produces a reaction similar to one elicited by a  cola tin cap scraping a blackboard. It was simply criminal to give this song to a man already carrying the burden of preciousness. It tilts dangerously to caricature, those novelty acts doing male/female parts. You just do not win Idol this way.

Baby, you’re beautiful. Truly, truly. But it’s a beauty that leaves me cold. And this song can’t even start the tiniest fire. Nuff said. Ditto for JLo’s mumbo jumbo.

Rank #9 Shannon Magrane: Sacharine

What’s with these godawful song choices? (And why didn’t will Will iAm and Jimmy Iovine give Heejun the same advice on breathing?)

“One Sweet Day” could win Shannon some votes but not much. (Hollie has the soccer mom vote.) Randy can wave pompoms and do summersaults the whole night through; I don’t think many people are buying this song.

The thing is, Shannon’s pretty one-dimensional. There are no shades to her singing. Going soft on some notes doesn’t automatically give nuance to lyrics. Phrasing does that and she’s doing this by rote.

Shannon means “when I know you’re shining down on me from heaven” to be a highlight. I burst out laughing. What in god’s name does the shouting and the growl and the pounding arm have anything to do with heaven’s light?  I cannot fathom why a sweet sixteener in shorts emits the aura of a Rotary Club wife. And Shannon, never ever point a finger while singing a love song.

Rank#2 Colton Dixon: Is gonna break lots of hearts 

The last time Colton performed, Jimmy Iovine praised his emo-rock mojo but doubted if the young man had arrived at his truth. With “Broken Heart” he does. Or, at least, he gives a passable version of it.

A huge crowd of screaming daisies and cougars will want to believe Colton’s promise that “there is life after a broken heart” – preferably if they get the privilege of breaking his.

Does anyone notice more than a passing resemblance to Jim Carrey on a non-manic day? Colton vies with Phillip in the eye-candy department but emits a different, darker vibe.

Angst and Colton go together; those dark eyes can pierce through cynicism. It’s a good, effortless run all the way to “I know” and then he coasts with cool moves to rock the younger girls.

He gets a standing ovation from the audience, if not the judges who, Steven especially, probably wouldn’t recognize truth if it hit them right between the eyes.

I’m going to be catty and explain Tyler’s pique: you’re growing old, buddy mine, and scared of young turks. You can patronize Joshua but this young man here is real competition for the ladies’ loins. I can see that, even if young pups aren’t my kind of thing. (And Colton gets props for taking the criticism with grace.)

It’s not a masterclass in vocal technique but I’lll pick Colton’s brand of truth any time ahead of Joshua’s.  This is a rare example of how an unknown song could serve you better than a Top 40 hit. He’s easily safe and probably in a better position now.  He reminds me of Kris Allen’s slow run to the top.

Rank#6 Erika Van Pelt: Heaven’s Loss

Erika’s my kind of gal. She doesn’t carry Elise’s emotional garbage. She has a face the camera loves. And in the right get-up like tonight’s georgette (?) cape and pants, she really rocks.

It’s a pity she won’t win over the female voters. She’s way better than Hollie, just behind Jessica and Skylar on voice. Tonight, she delivers crisp vocals but over sings at points. But the others occupy clear niches and are seen as precocious young talents. Erika’s aplomb will scare off some women, which is sad because she’d be one heck of a great buddy.

Also, she should just have barreled through the last stanza of “Heaven”. The pause is awkward and dampens the energy needed for a big finish.  It would have worked better if instead of “when you’re lying here in my arms”, she just sang “when you’re here in my arms”. That compensates for the lost beat.

Erike might get the adult male viewers’ vote with her cool, rocker ‘tude. That slight grin and mischievous eyes are what any guy would want to accompany “keep me coming back for more.” Problem is, do male viewers actually vote or do they just groan into their beer mugs?

Bottom line: In danger and it’s a pity.

Rank# 1 Skylar Laine: Hungry like a wolf 

And tonight, that will make her zoom past Jessica.  That’s what our Pinay lacks – a clear knowledge of self and the fierce will to defend one’s identity. It’s even more impressive that Skylar does the latter without sliding into truculence. Let’s hear it for the southern gals.

She takes command of “Love Sneaking Up On You” from the get go, as she strides to “ Rainy Night, I’m All Alone/ Sittin’ Here Waitin’ For Your Voice on the Phone/ Fever Turns to Cold, Cold Sweat / Thinkin’ About the Things We Ain’t Done yet”

It’s almost too bold a song for an 18-year old: “You might as well try to Stop the Rain/ Or stand in the tracks of a Runaway Train/ You just can’t fight it when a thing’s meant to be/ So come on let’s finish what you started with me” But most eighteeners aren’t Skylar and for all the cloying, simpering displays of Lauren Alaina, the Mississippi is a place where people grow up early.

This is true grit and Skylar owns the night.

Rank#7 Joshua Ledet: Love can’t conquer all

Joshua comes back to his three-hanky home turf, takes on every fallen macho man’s anthem and, say the judges, makes believers of most of viewers.

Except me. Sorry, my musical taste runs to more roughage than Joshua will ever have. Also,  I abhor histrionics and just don’t understand why shrieks should accompany  “When a man loves a woman/ Can’t keep his mind on nothing else/ He’ll trade the world/ For the good thing he’s found/ If she’s bad he can’t see it/ She can do no wrong/ Turn his back on his best friend/ If he put her down…When a man loves a woman/ Spend his very last dime/ Tryin’ to hold on to what he needs/ He’d give up all his comfort/Sleep out in the rain/ If she said that’s the way it ought to be.”

Growls, yes. Howls of pain, maybe, but not shrieks. What’s wrong with a good ‘ol primal scream?

I don’t know what the live audience hears.  (Jimmy Iovine said he believed every second of Joshua, “felt I was in his house”.) From across the TV screen it feels more like a woman having a nervous breakdown.  Or threatening to serve up devilled men’s eggs. That run after “please, don’t treat me bad” is enough to prompt any man or woman to get the hell out of Joahua’s house.

This song is all about what Hercule Poirot calls “calamitous attraction” in one Agatha Christie novel. Or, in more graphic terms, the kind of love that causes Tom Jones to butcher Delilah: “I could see, that girl was no good for me/ But I was lost like a slave that no man could free… She stood there laughing/ I felt the knife in my hand and she laughed no more”. No Idol contestant should ever sing it, but it’s actually the better song in terms of show, don’t preach.

The main problem with Joshua and his song: There’s no showing, it’s all preaching. Human love, unfortunately, rarely makes us want to stomp on the floors of heaven.

I think viewers will surprise the judges (again) on this one.

Rank#3 Hollie Cavanagh: A song she can chomp on 

Tinker Bell goes to the prom. Okay, so much for Hollie’s fashion sense. Now, to song choice and performance.

I do not like Celine Dion. And I do not like the “Power of Love”.  Personal taste notwithstanding, I have to give the little princess big points for finally choosing a song that matches her voice and personality.

Basically, it’s a love song of little subtlety. That’s why I hate it. But that’s why it’s perfect for Hollie. It showcases her greatest asset, that powerful voice, without calling attention to her greatest weakness – the lack of emotional depth. It’s loud and louder and high and higher. And she slays it. I may not like her style but understand why a lot of people do. Hollie is like the angel atop your Christmas tree. She’s about glitter and dazzle and she should stick to that. Song difficulty is a big enough risk factor. She skates past that, she’s home free. She’s definitely bringing it home tonight.

*A word of caution to Fil-Ams. I’ve seen a lot of very ungracious comments on youtube –targets are Skylar and Hollie. Understandable; they represent the greatest threats to Jessica. But the vitriol doesn’t do Jessica any justice, just as the attacks against Miss Algeria didn’t do Shamcey any favors. Let’s not be known as a bitter, petty people. That could backfire on our gal. Give credit where it’s due. We’re proud of Jessica but she must make it on her own merits, not because of her color or place of origin. — Update (and apologies). I made a factual boo-boo. It was Miss Angola, Leila Lopes, who won the Miss Universe title the year Shamcey competed. Thank you, Bombet Cabrera for the correction. Silly me; I’d written a blog about that contest.

Forecast: Skylar, Hollie, Jessica still safe, with Colton and Phillip. A maybe for Joshua, Erika and Elise. Shannon, also a maybe but could be hurt by the fact that Hollie has the moms. Heejun and Deandre in danger. I think Heejun will stay on a bit. Deandre in real jeopardy… but Elise and Shannon, too. (Yeah, despite Randy loving them.)

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Jessica Sanchez, giant slayer: American Idol 2012 Final 13


What do I do with Jessica Sanchez? First, she just has to sing my musical pet peeve. Then she forces me to eat humble pie.

When people aren’t butchering it, “I Will Always Love You” is a song of haunting beauty. Yes, it’s the mother of all musical clichés. But clichés are born when someone plumbs a universal truth and then distills this into an expression so recognizable, so undisputable, that the rest of us simply adopt it.Most wannabes shriek when they do a Houston. Jessica is not Whitney. She’s a petite Asian sylph, not a statuesque African-American goddess. She obeys Jimmy Iovine’s advice to go easy on the vibrato, holds the notes steady – causing Mary J. Blige to yelp! – and then glides to the finish, eyes blazing with hunger and no small amount of steel.

Up until the last line, she and Skylar Laine are about even. Then Sanchez sweeps away memories of all those power runs in a magical ending with three of the longest, most dulcet notes ever heard on the idol stage. As the last one glides into some tropical Paradise dream, the camera caresses Jessica’s face, with its sideways glance and triumphant smile, the arched neck showing off that strong jaw. Contrast is part of Jessica’s allure. Part diwata, part gamine. When the audience starts cheering, she is once more a kid, hands-over-mouth giddy, all of 16 and stunning now that she’s ditched the big hair and tacky matronly outfits. Mom ought to give the stylists a big blowout – that royal blue column and that very natural make-up highlight her strengths. Here is Eve of the Orient before the fall, with a prescience that hints at the blend of joy and sorrow that are every woman’s birthright. (And just about every adult male will tell you the nose-wrinkling just adds to the charm. )

Bottom line: #1 It’s still karaoke but you tell me how to turn this warhorse upside down and I’ll filch the Idol trophy for you. If this is karaoke, I’ll take it like vitamins. Next time, I want her to turn a song inside out and then strut around in jeans and show everyone she can blast us with a teen anthem.

Rank #2 For originality, 18-year old feisty ‘lil mama Skylar Laine gets top marks, reconfiguring the hokey “Where Do Broken Hearts Go?” into a country anthem. She starts with a piquant, heavy nasal twang that works because of impeccable phrasing. Laine builds up into what’s probably the female equivalent of a war cry. It starts with a growled threat (“I’ll never let you go”) and bursts into something so irrepressible I’m tempted to stand on a chair and whoop for this pocket Venus.

There isn’t a shrill note here; it’s all power welling up from the place that birthed the chi. About time American red-state radio features someone who’s not solely about broken hearts (Willie Nelson doesn’t count; he’s an immortal.). Dolly’s growing old; there’s need for a heroine not quite bent over with angst. Laine’s almost an archetype, the sturdy pioneer woman who can dispassionately dissect assorted setbacks but capable now and then of a primal scream. When faced with trouble, you’ll want this woman by your side. And this is AMERICAN Idol. Never estimate the power of values in the US of A.

She should keep the big hair – and those hoop earrings with saucer-like dimensions. The Idol fashion gods did her a big favor with that white jacket over a black knit tank bedecked with gold trim, all atop slim, patterned jodhpurs. I can’t recommend a song for the skylark but she seems to have unerring musical sense anyway. Maybe, “Mississippi goddamn.” Imagine if this self-confessed “redneck”pulls off a Nina Simone song!

Bottom line: I’m having a hard time choosing between Sanchez and Laine. In in terms of showcasing songs, the Filipino-American has the advantage. When it comes to emotional authenticity, I think Laine has an edge. But what a lovely thought – a finals with these two women.

Rank #3 Philip Phillipsis a tantalizing mix of boy-next-door looks coupled with the scruffy charm of a young Bruce (more “dirt” than Dave Matthews). It’s too early in the game to see if he has the same depth. But he rocked out “Superstition” and showed ferocity absent in his earlier performances. What a liberating howl that is! There’s a secret crazy in this shy guy and you kinda get why he and Heejun are such good buddies.

Bottom line: I doubt there’ll ever be another David Cook on Idol but Phillips brings his own brand of excitement to a show that sometimes deteriorates into pageantry.

Rank #4 Colton Dixon doesn’t have the best male voice in Idol’s Season. He does have the young girls’ votes. (Honest now, you think the tweens would vote for Jeremy? They’ll go for this glamorous but not-quite-so-scary older guy. Hmmmm, that makes me ancient.)

Colton picks well and does justice to Stevie Wonder’s “Lately” by singing it his way. That’s emo rock for you, a tad less gritty than what David Cook dished out but with more edge than Kris Allen and Lee Dewyze.

Randy Jackson is right, there are a couple of shaky low notes – when he sings, “strangest feeling” in the first line. But there’s something of the wounded young wolf in the deep-set eyes of the surviving Dixon sibling, and that’s proven tempting to women through the ages. Even the skunk hair sort of grows on you and his lean lines just add to the slightly grungy charm. David Cook he ain’t but that sweet falsetto that surprises in the end is as effective in the age of the metrosexual as any full-blown rock howl.

Bottom line: Bilge is spot on. Colton doing Colton is the best guarantee of a good showing.

Rank #5 “I Wish” Joshua Ledet’s hands don’t flip around so much. But other than that, there’s nothing wrong with his snappy ditty. Vocally, he’s way ahead of the rest of the guys. The scatting is flawless. He has rhythm but doesn’t quite relax to the beat. There is a mincing pattern as he moves across the stage towards the band.

Ledet obviously can move but lacks the funk, which is a little bit like salsa in that you need to tighten up the limb before shaking it loose.

Bottom line: If just 5% of Reed’s wackiness seeps into Joshua it will be praise-the-lord-take-it-to-heaven with this lovable talent. I love gospel but he shouldn’t go all-out churchy on Idol.

Rank #6 The thing with Erika Van Pelt is, I feel happy when she sings. Yeah, even when she’s not giving it her all, as Jennifer oft complains. Besides, over-singing is dangerous for someone with the power and grit of Erika. You want to serenade the audience and then make them gasp; you do not bludgeon your way into an Idol crown.

She delivers “I Believe in You and Me” with depth and intelligence. No unnecessary movements and bombast. The face and the voice combine in a narrative arc with a maturity perfect for the song. There are equal amounts of wryness and serenity and that means more than cheap theatrics.

Bottom line: My only complaint really is her dress sense. I don’t think she’ll win, unless the younger women fall under the pressure of this competition, but we should have a couple more weeks to enjoy this artist.

Rank #7 Heejun Han will never be able to enunciate English properly, not in time for the Idol finals. Let’s get over that. Then again, fewer Amerasians can boast of the blend of dutiful-son-rakish-pal charm that seeps through Heejun’s every pore. And really, he does have a good voice — not as unique as the top male contenders this year, more like the slower rush of deeper waters.

He doesn’t try to showboat with “All In Love Is Fair”. What he does serve up — a wistful meditation on love’s ironies — should appeal to a lot of tender souls.

Bottom line: He won’t be American Idol, but he’ll probably the next sitcom star. And there were some camera angles here that make me think he could be one heck of an Asian romantic lead, one who make girls laugh and then gasp in a split second.

Rank #8 DeAndre Brackensick has a much better voice than Heejun, certainly a broader range. He also has sexy, feline moves, that gorgeous hair and a face as beautiful as it is male (no matter his sexual preference, of which I know nothing about).

Only an idiot would make a mess of “Master Blaster” and DeAndre isn’t that. But while he burned up the stage, it was a performance too calculated for the reggae beat and social themes of his song: “Everyone’s feeling pretty/ It’s hotter than July/ Though the world’s full of problems/ They couldn’t touch us even if they tried/ From the park I hear rhythms/ Marley’s hot on the box/ Tonight there will be a party/ On the corner at the end of the block… You would be jammin’ and jammin’ and jammin’, jam on/ They want us to join their fighting/ But our answer today/ Is to let all our worries”

I was expecting a joyous fox and got, well, Glee. That’s not bad. Just not good enough.

Bottom line: He should stop singing too pretty, DeAndre should. Not be too precious. Be a bit more of a devil.

Rank #9 Don’t holler y’all. Hollie Cavanagh may have the huge notes but, to quote Bette Davis, the young woman’s emotional depth goes from A to B. I prefer singers who showcase context and nuance.

It’s not just because Hollie’s like white bread dunked in milk. She smiles at the strangest moments in “All The Man I Need”, makes out like she’s following a sick, green videoke ball. And in the parts where passion ought to be bubbling all over, her face is blank, just blank.

That little girly doll dress is cute but what Hollie needs is gravitas. But she’s blonde and pretty, so…

Bottomline: Anybody who can sleepwalk through “Reflection” won’t be taken seriously in this corner. She’ll go through but should choose songs about sunshine and summertime (aaah, that’s a good one, she should do the Faith Hill song) and maybe some of those more wistful hymns.

And I won’t talk about the rest, except to wish Jermaine Jones the best of luck. He did better than Jeremy Rosado but the latter probably has more young fans.

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