American Idol, Top 12

First, I want to say that this is the most depressing Season of American Idol. Granted, I didn't watch Season 1, however, it sure couldn't be as bad as this one.

Where is the diversity? (After Wednesday) There are no African American males, no country singers, no rockers (I don't count Gina), no crooners (! not sure if that's good or bad - John Stevens - good, Will Makar - bad), no ditzy girls. Of course we do have our obligatory male teenager, so I guess that's some diversity. Diversify we could do without this year.

I'll be honest, I haven't been prompted to vote ONCE all season. As much as my initial love for Sligh and my current awe for Melinda & Lakisha & Blake. Sorry guys, you just aren't winning my love like Bo, Taylor, Clay & Chris D.

1. Brandon Rogers

I knew Brandon was going home after watching this on DVR when I skimmed through it the first time, barely listening to him. Unlike Travis Tucker who couldn't hold his breath & sing at the same time he danced, Brandon didn't seem to have too much of a problem there. If only because he forgot the words! And unlike Haley & Chris R. (see below), his actions on stage made it very obvious. Not to mention he went first. Not a good place to be if your performance is going to be less than mediocre. Right, Rudy & Patrick (Hall)? To his credit, Brandon was very gracious leaving us on Wednesday.

2. Melinda Doolittle

J'elle adore! There's something about this lady that just grabs you and makes the hair on your arms & neck stand out. She's been consistently the best performer and singer throughout the competition. Unless she murders one of the judges, I can't see anything hurting her (even then the fans might give her a pass). The lack of a neck is distracting, but with training on how to use her body and the right fashions, she'll be fine.

3. Chris Sligh

Oh, Chris, my boy. He's falling down the ladder in my book. First, lets address the glasses. I'm sorry to say this, but he looked like a little piggy without those glasses. As a fellow glasses-wearer, IMO they add personality & distinction. Put them back on, Chris! As far as the song goes, I guess you can't please everyone. Credit should be given to Chris for trying to make the song "more modern", but it really wasn't done well at all. The music was all over the place, and his pitch was off several times, like he was straining to jump from chord to chord. Listen to the pros, Chris, when they "tell" you to do or not do something. There's a reason they're superstars.

4. Gina Glocksen

Gina's actually growing on me nicely. It surely wasn't the best vocals she's ever done, but she looks good doing more of a rock vibe. She looks happier, and less strained than when she tries to do power ballads. The outfit was something to be desired, however! Yikes! I thought heels & jeans went out in the 80s. And that jacket with it looked too small.

5. Sanjaya Malakar

Okay, I'm going to admit. I think Sanjaya's adorable. He's cute, his voice isn't bad, his smile is to die for. But he's way over his head. His voice hasn't matured enough to be performing at this level. He looks scared up on stage. Reminds me of a male Janay C. His voice does have a nice tone, but he needs training. I feel for him, though. It's not his fault that his fans keep voting him through. And really, should we encourage him to quit something? What does that at tell a young person? He's persevering the best he can at this point.

There's a reason we have not let our son try out for American Idol yet, and this is proof enough. 1) We don't want him subjected to the nastiness; and 2) His voice isn't ready.

6. Haley Scarnato

I wonder if they paired Haley & Sanjaya together on purpose? The two worst singers. Both seem to have stage/confidence issues. Haley is very pretty and the camera does love her. I really never noticed her voice, but it's very nice. Soothing, rich. And for once she showed a personality. I'm glad she didn't leave right away without giving her more of a chance to gain confidence. I'm not trying to sound racist, but she's the only white girl left (not county the bi-racial Jordin), and the redneck male contingent would be more prone to vote for her. Of course if she doesn't show more confidence by next week, then she'll be gone shortly. And if she hadn't said anything, I would've never realized she forgot her words.

7. Phil Stacey

For once Phil entertained me...a little. His vocals were better than I've heard from him. No obvious problems with the lower register, but he can't keep relying on power chords. He's still bland, though, with no obvious genre that he seems to fit it. He's just a good singer; would make a good wedding singer, actually. And I really thought he looked like Nosferatu or the vampire in the original 'Salem's Lot' (which starred David Soul, BTW. I found a way to fit him in this critique!)

8. LaKisha Jones

Ah, the lovely, blessed Kiki. Her vocals and outfit were spot on! I think she was slightly better vocally than Melinda, but Melinda has better stage presence at this point. My fear is still that she's a one-trick pony, and can only sing the bluesy or gospelly songs, ala Mandisa of last year. I wonder why she didn't take La Diva's advice of using the mike stand however. I think it would've had more of an impact.

9. Blake Lewis

Blake really grew on me during the semi's and this song did nothing to deter that. Unlike the judges, I liked it. Sure, the vocals were spot on, but he's a born entertainer. He commands the stage better than any of the guys. I never really cared for that song, anyway, so I was impressed with the fact he tried to inject some liveliness into it. And I hope the judge's critique won't deter him from 'Blake-izing' things in the future. He brings much needed uniqueness and freshness to A.I. We've never had a contestant like him before.

10. Stephanie Edwards

Aiiyyyee, my eyes! Whomever dressed Stephanie in that paisley mess should be shot - even if it's Stephanie herself! The only thing I can think of is that she wanted to stand out from Melinda and LaKisha. She did, but not in a positive way. Her vocals were spot on, but there's something boring about Stephanie. She reminds me alot of LaToya London, but with less personality. I think she's more of a robot than Sabrina.

11. Chris Richardson

I'm sorry, NOTHING will ever get me to like this guy. I like boy bands, but not only is he a 3rd rate boy band singer, but he's ugly. Sure he has personality and he grabs the audience, but his vocals are so weak and breathy. In fact, I like him less than Sanjaya. I could deal with Sanjaya over Chris, since I can turn off the music and watch pretty Sanjaya. There's nothing attractive about this guy. But I admit defeat that he'll be around for awhile.

12. Jordin Sparks

Jordin has amazing control over her voice for 17 years old. And therein lies the difference between her and Sanjaya. She knows what's good for her voice. I didn't care for her Pat Benetar rendition last week because she's so young and couldn't put the emotion behind the song. But this week she did and she was gorgeous and deserved the pimp spot. Even though I felt LaKisha & Melinda's vocals were better, they can't get the pimp spot each week. Jordin is fresh, young, she can be molded. Just what E19 likes.

I hope to keep this blog throughout the season and update it weekly. And I promise to try to fit in a David Soul (or Starsky & Hutch) reference each time. :~)

And that's what I thought about this week. What did you think?