American Idol Commentary - R&B Singers Left Out

The British invasion was clearly good overall for the Idols, but for the R&B singers here, it wasn't all that helpful. In the first place, this year's crop is chockfull of female R&B singers, just like season three, and just like then, they have to do something to differentiate themselves from the next person. For weeks people have been talking about a possible Lakisha Jones and Melinda Doolittle finale. I'd love to see it, but I think they'll knock each other out before then. They have the same audience. And it makes it even rougher on the other R&B gals.

Stephanie Edwards. She came on like gangbusters the first few weeks of semi-finals. She was different, a different type of R&B, and we liked it. Yet, it seemed the more Lakisha and Melinda received praise, Stephanie started trying harder and harder to crash their audience. It just wasn't going to happen. While they were getting votes for singing the classic female R&B songs, she tried the same. We aren't going to vote for all three singing the same thing, and are going to vote for the one or two that are the best. I think had she kept singing what she had originally, she'd be a part of the final 10, instead of leaving the show tonight. Listening to her sing this week, she was trying too hard for the female power vocal, instead of just singing what was in her heart.

Jordin Sparks. Jordin could easily be lumped into the group with all the others, but she seems determined to carve out her own way. She normally sings younger songs that would be inappropriate for Lakisha and Melinda. Jordin didn't go for the young song this week, though, and went for the power vocal. What made it work is that she didn't try to power it, she found a niche with it, and that was intense emotion, something I thought someone that young would never be able to pull off. The funny thing? Stephanie is only two years older.

Melinda Doolittle. Melinda was honest walking into this saying she wasn't familiar with the genre at all. She picked something that she thought was different, but wasn't. It was simply just a song she'd never heard before. Because she is such a consummate professional, she studied the song, and sang with conviction, as always. It worked. No one was knocked out, but we're getting used to hearing near perfection from her.

Lakisha Jones. Similar to Melinda, this wasn't something she was comfortable with either. She found two songs she thought she could pull off with her style, and stayed with Diamonds Are Forever because it was more unique, but many, including mentor Lulu, felt she should have gone for the glory song. She can't pull off a bad performance, though, like Melinda. It may not have been anyone's favorite, but she's still sharing the votes with Melinda. Soon, America will decide to keep only one of them, but not quite yet.

Phil Stacy. He usually sings R&B or a ballad as well, and he was able to find a song that didn't sound like it originated from oversees in Tobacco Road, with a bluesy harder rock sound. It's something we hadn't seen from Phil before, and while some really enjoyed the change-up, others didn't. He showed a good range in voice, however, so he now has an additional toy to play with in choosing songs. Being he avoided bottom two this week when in bottom three last week, he might want to consider something in a blues or rock genre again. However, doing something bluesy only made people long for Sundance Head.

Chris Sligh. A great fan of music, he had heard this music before, so his choice was easier to make. He knew Peter Noone's music from his father singing it to him, and chose one of his personal favorites of the era. Giving the song even more warmth, he started singing from deep in the audience, and then got playful running up onstage with a playful jab of the mic stand at Simon. Sometimes I feel like everything with him is finely researched and planned, and always I feel like he's holding something out from us purposely.

Gina Glocksen. Of course we knew the resident rocker would perform some British rock, and she didn't disappoint, but sometimes she seems to be struggling over how much to put into it. When she was going for the power vocals, we knew that wasn't her and wanted her to be herself. Now she is herself, but seems to be pushing that rock thing a little too much. If she'd just relax and enjoy herself, which Paula keeps trying to tell her to do, she'd be more successful. She was worried enough this week, that with the results when she was asked to stand up with Sanajaya Malaker and Haley Scarnato, she seemed very worried she'd just been put into the bottom three.

Sanjaya Malakar. This is who we didn't expect to hear rock. His vocal may have still been lacking, but there was something so fresh and honest about his performance, that it was enjoyable. We've been waiting all these weeks to find out who he is as a performer, and watching him let loose, we knew who he was. Had he been able to do this in the beginning, and spend the remaining weeks honing his craft instead of trying to find it, I don't think he'd have the lynch mob out for him. Again, he's only 17. This is what we want to see from him. Fun. Just like Jordin.

Haley Scarnato. She returned to a previous vibe, sex kitten. She was determined in the beginning to be known for her power vocals, and once everyone shut her down, she seems to have realized what Stephanie never did, that it just ain't gonna happen. She's now seemingly trying to get it any way she can, and this week she played the 60s sex kitten. In hot pants, 4" heels and a shirt held up with what appeared to be double sticky tape, it was hard to take her seriously as an artist. It brought back flashbacks to her audition when Paula called her look "Hoochie Mama."

Blake Lewis. He got it right this week. Last week he was criticized from the judges from taking a classic and trying to give it too much of a makeover, trying to get it to sound as if it was released in the new millennium. This week, he succeeded. I personally thought his voice was screechy in the chorus, but no one else seems to have heard it, and Paula felt Chris could release this as a single. Many are suddenly finding him to have final two potential, but I'm not sure if the beat boxing will last that long. It will carry him far, the uniqueness of it, but there's going to be some genres that it's not going to fit with. He performed without beat boxing before, and needs to remind us every now and then he can do it.

Chris Richardson. He was perhaps one of the Idols that were least likely to leave this week, yet he somehow found himself in the bottom two. I have no idea how that happened. The judges loved his performance, and Simon referred to it as Chris' best ever. I think the audience is becoming more and more polarized with Chris. either you get him or you don't. I don't ... yet I can recognize why others do. I'm not sure why he ended up where he did, though, so it has to be either because of that, that his fans have a smaller unique niche, or everyone assumed he was safe, and voted for someone else.

Mentors. Peter Noone and Lulu seemed to give very thoughtful advice, and attacked this from a point of entertaining the crowd, not artistry. Lulu even went as far as to track down Lakisha in the hallway to let her know she'd thought about her song choices and wanted her to consider doing the other one. Onstage tonight, they showed their own entertainment value, and seemed to be more up to par than Miss Ross was last week.

Newest Little Star, Ashley. Some are wondering how realistic the crying girl in the audience was, but those people have never seen their own idols live, apparently. Especially little girls. That's what little girls do when they see their idols. They cry. Some are suggesting she was a plant to get votes for Sanjaya. I think the cameras just played it up as it worked into the whole British Invasion, Beatles thing. Regardless, I think the little girl with Marcia Brady pigtails experienced some real emotion there. I don't think any of it was fake.

This weeks' theme. It made for any enjoyable show. It was enjoyable music and no one did terribly. No one forgot their words, no one was terribly pitchy, and it can only be because of the genre. We don't know what the genre will be for next week yet, but I'm thinking it won't leave the R&B singers out in the cold again. It ended Stephanie's time at American Idol, but it was limited anyway, due to her splitting votes with Lakisha and Melinda. Some are looking for anything that will get rid of Sanjaya, and I know he won't win, and so does he, as he admitted he wasn't the best singer there, so it will be interesting to see how long he can hang in there now.

For more on American Idol, see Reality Shack and My HubPage

For more American Idol information, see SirLinksalot: American Idol