American Idol Commentary - Eliminations and Big News

I have to say that when the results were in for the first elimination from American Idol, they really weren't that surprising. There were no big shockers, but there usually isn't this far in. It's ineresting to note, that of the four people leaving, both of the guys had been shown during the city auditions, but the ladies hadn't.

It's also interesting that one of the ladies leaving broke one of the cardinal rules that I laid out yesterday in my blog. Rule #3Don't sing a song just because you like to sing it in the car. Nicole Tranquillo, as a voice major, probably has one of the better female voices in the top 12, and could definitely do some vocal gymnastics with her instrument, but she picked a song that was a favorite of hers, Stay. She did so many things with the song, trying to show how talented she was, that we couldn't understand the lyrics and it became less interesting.

Furthermore, as Randy pointed out, this wasn't why they liked her. They liked the bluesy R&B feel she brought when she sang, but come performance night, she chose to change it all up and do something more urban. Perhaps this brings up Rule #4 Don't try to change up who you are as a performer. If it's a constraining genre for a theme, that's one thing, but there are no themes yet. There was no reason to change who she was as a performer. We didn't even know her as a bluesy R&B singer, as we hadn't heard her before. We had nothing to judge her on, other than this, and she made the mistake to do a song she enjoyed, and that she could also show off with. That's not good when they viewing audience has no idea who you are. That is why she is gone.

The other gal leaving ... Let me stop here and just say it's hard to know what to call those of the female persuasion here. Nothing seems to fit. Gal seems too old-fashioned for this competition, with 29-year-olds here, girl seems insulting, and ladies seems too formal for this age group. ... Chicks? Personally, I wouldn't be insulted by any of them. If anyone thinks I'm young enough to be called "girl," I'm excited!

The other gal leaving, Amy Krebs, simply wasn't memorable enough, just as Simon had said to her. To contradict an Idol that left a few years ago, and complained that because she was never featured before final 24, that was why she was being kicked out, it wasn't that for Amy and it wasn't that for this other gal either. Note, that I don't even know who this gal was, and that was only the original problem.

What Amy and the other gal failed to do was to make us notice them after they hadn't been featured. Yet, had they come out after not being featured early on, and completely wowed us, such as what Stephanie Edwards and Sabrina Sloan did, they would have made enough of an impression for us to want to keep them. I can tell you what Stephanie and Sabrina sang, because they did a great job, but I had to look through my notes to remember that Amy sang I Can't Make You Love Me. It had pitch problems and wasn't enough to make us take notice.

The guys that were eliminated didn't break those four rules of mine, but broke one of the judges that they harp on way too much, and that's song choice. Rudy Cardenas had the unenviable position as being the first performance of the night. He didn't want to wow us, and came out singing a song by the Edgar Winter Group. If I was going to go back thirty years and pick a classic, I don't think I'd pull from their song catalog. Aside from that it didn't necessarily seem to match his voice looking back on it.

Paul Kim was told by the judges early on he had one of the best voices. He was known for that, then made a big deal out of his bare feet. However, we don't know why that became a big deal. I suspect it wasn't a big deal to him, but that producers told him to talk about it, and they chose to feature it. In that way, though, it kind of ended up taking away from his good voice. Then to add to it, he chose a song that isn't well-respected. Why do Wham? If I was going to go back twenty years and pick a classic, I don't think I'd pull from their song catalog.

At least Ryan Seacrest wasn't pulling out dirty tricks this time, eliminating people while setting them up to take the fall. It seemed very cut and dry, you people up, you're all safe, you're not. Except for Antonella and Amy. After the guys were brought out, and the last guy, Paul, was out. When the girls were brought out the same way, Antonella was the last girl in the line. You could see her sweating it out the whole time, knowing she had been getting slammed for the last 24 hours, until Ryan got to her and called her safe. Then to call Amy up out of the blue, and say, it's you. You're gone. That was a little quick, but there wasn't that much trickery involved.

I know people will be talking about Paula, trying to guess if she was drunk or high, and while I gave her a second look in the beginning when she looked a little glassy eyed, she recovered too quickly, and and was fine the rest of the show. I don't think she could have recovered like that had she been under the influence, but I'm sure people will be accusing her of it.

I'm excited about the news we heard, though. And no, I don't mean that Fantasia will be appearing on Broadway in Color Purple. That news seems to pale next to the fact that her fellow former contestant is up for an Oscar in two days. The news that I'm excited about is all the fantastic guest judges we'll have this season. The list includes Diana Ross, Jon Bon Jovi, Tony Bennett, J-Lo, Gwen Stefani, Martina McBridge, Lulu, Peter Noone, and Barry Gibb. Hopefully they'll do more than just take up space and promote an album. Hopefully they'll be really helpful like a few of the past judges, Barry Manilow, Rod Stewart, and Kenny Rogers.

My advice for the remaining 24 singers is to watch those song choices and remember the four cardinal rules. Don't do songs the past Idols have done, unless you can pull it out like Lakisha. Don't do songs that are classics by well-known singers, again unless you can pull it out like Melinda, and don't sing a song because you like to sing it in your car. As long as it's opened up now as far as genre, pick something you know fits you. Don't change it up trying to impress us. And for the guys, two of you should consider yourself lucky that you'll make it final twelve, as with the 6/6 balance, two of you will clearly not belong there. And Chris Sligh, good PR move in apologizing and making nice with Simon. I really enjoy your wit, but I know it bothered some. It's better to be remembered for your music.

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