Frankly, none of the girls really got my attention last week. I’m hoping things will change this week. I’d like to see a strong competition this year.
Carly Smithson - Started and ended rough…and a very odd break in the middle of the arrangement. Middle was surprisingly powerful. Nowhere close to Ann Wilson as a singer, but not half bad. I’m not a big fan of what I’ve seen so far, but I’m keeping an open mind. (B)
Syesha Mercado - I don’t really care for the old Billy Paul song…the best part of the original was sort of a sensual, soul groove. Her treatment was pitchy and she never really found the groove…just nothing special at all. No dice. (C)
Brooke White - I think she’s a cute, personable girl…but looks pretty awful in the intro video. Weird style. She looks much better on stage. “You’re So Vain” is really a terribly weak song. Carly Simon made it special with her delivery and the mystique surrounding its inspiration. But despite the judges’ comments, it was a terrible song choice…its cynical attitude and weak melody just don’t fit with Brooke’s bubbly approach to life…a pale imitation of the original. Terrible last note. If she’s so “Carly-like”, she should have gone with a different song. (C)
Ramiele Malubay - Hmmm…well, people really loved her last week. I didn’t really notice her then. She pulls out some Thelma Houston this week. It was an “ok” song choice, I guess. She lacks fluidity in her performance (too staccato in her phrasing), but she’s got plenty of power. She’s probably capable of much better. (B)
Kristy Lee Cook - The original by Linda Ronstadt was a pretty decent song, but this added nothing and wasn’t anything special. Pretty forgettable. Voice was OK, but not remarkable. On the plus side, she looked good…cute girl, nicely attired. (B-)
Amanda Overmyer - I found this girl fairly compelling early on. The Kansas classic “Carry On” should have been right in her wheelhouse in terms of power and overall energy. Tonight was a complete disaster. I honestly thought she must have been terribly ill or something. She will probably be going home this week. (D)
Alaina Whitaker - She has a very rich vocal quality…and I think she might be really nice to listen to more of. And…the old Olivia Newton-John song has a sweet, well-defined melody that should have worked really well. But she completely lost control on the high notes. Started strong, then crashed and burned. (C)
Alexandréa Lushington - Not one of Chicago’s stronger songs, but she brought something special to it. She’s got a very nice voice… especially for a 17-year-old. Unfortunately, she also had some major pitch problems. Really nice smile. (B)
Kady Malloy - Quirky girl…but in an interesting way. “Magic Man” is a helluva song…MUCH too big for her voice, which is rather small. She lacks any fluidity in her voice…very stiff. Her personality doesn’t come thru on stage…and without that, I think she’s gone soon. (C)
Asia’h Epperson - The girl is permanently hoarse…and you can’t do “All By Myself” without a lot of power (well, it could be argued that Eric Carmen did it without much native power…more of a whine). She just couldn’t deliver this song. (C-)
I’m so tired of the “I just KNOW this was the right song for me…” and “I was just having fun” comments from the contestants. Those are lousy justifications. Loving a song is a terrible reason to sing it on AI…and so many of these kids don’t figure that out, no matter how many times “song choice” is given as a reason for sending someone packing. The only question is: “Can you deliver the goods when you sing it?” And, way too often, the answer is “no”.