'American Idol' recap: Did the top 11 make you feel the love?
It was the top 11 all over again on Wednesday night's "American Idol," as America's top 10 picks plus the snatched-from-the-brink Casey Abrams tackled the songs of Elton John. In a metaphorical tip of the feathered hat to the flamboyant singer, whose wild outfits are nearly as famous as his countless hits, the finalists also primped and preened for an "Entertainment Weekly" photo shoot.
It was an evening as much about image as it was about song, which seemed a fitting coda to the whole Casey elimination saga, since you could make a case that his shlumpfy sartorial style (and increasingly bushy hair and beard) had cost him at least a few key votes.
So what did Casey and the other contestants have in store for "Idol" watchers on Wednesday night? Would we feel the love tonight? Or would they go breaking our hearts? And which two contestants do we predict will be saying goodbye to the yellow brick road on Thursday night?
Read on …
Scotty McCreery, "Country Comfort": Not surprisingly, Scotty tackled what he told us was Elton's "one and only country song," sending a special shout-out to his grandma, who was cheering him on in the audience and hitting one of his trademark final low notes. The perfectly capable, if not surprising, performance, prompted Steven Tyler to issue one of his special head scratchers: "Nothing I could say to you that an old-fashioned pair of high-heeled cowboy boots wouldn't fix," he said, adding, "You did it again for me, Scotty." Jennifer congratulated Scotty for sticking to his instincts about song choice and performance, instructing him, "Never doubt yourself." Randy said something Tyler-ishly confusing about "Scotty's bar and grill" and noted that Scotty was looking very seasoned up there. "You are so in the zone right now," he told Scotty. "That song sounds like it could be on your record, dude. Very nicely done."
Naima Adedapo, "I'm Still Standing": Naima chose to do a reggae version of an Elton song she saw as an anthem to herself, noting that a lot of people hadn't imagined she'd still be in the running at this point. (Musical mentor Jimmy Iovine encouraged her to maybe broaden that out and dedicate the song to all the other people in the world who were having a tough time but are "still standing" -- good advice that Naima took.) Naima (who appears to have maybe had some dental work done?) again showed that she can move well onstage, and her voice sounded stronger than it sometimes had in the past. But I found it pretty uncomfortable to listen to her suddenly sing in a put-on reggae-inflected island accent when, in fact, she doesn't speak (or normally sing) with one at all. It made the whole performance seem altogether inauthentic. Randy obviously thought so, too, calling it "kind of corny … and that's not who you are." Jennifer said it was a "better idea than it was payoff for me." And Steven, who -- now that Jennifer has taken to offering slices of genuine criticism sandwiched between thick-cut slabs of flattery -- has picked up the flag of empty encouragement and begun to wield it with almost militant fervor, said, "Boom chaka-lacka-lacka, baby. Good for you for picking a song that fit you."
Paul McDonald, "Rocket Man": I'm going to call this one of the most disappointing performances of the night -- and not just because Paul wore that same rose-emblazoned Nudie-inspired suit of his. Before he went out there, Iovine, who had advised Paul to amp up the energy and intensity in weeks past, told him to get out on that stage and rock it like it was an encore in front of 20,000 fans. He started gently, allowing us again to admire his distinctively appealing vocal rasp and then raised our hopes of a crescendo or a sudden burst by asking, "Ya'all ready?" And then took the song … down to a whisper, leaving me thinking -- for perhaps the first time -- that Paul, clearly a chill dude, just doesn't have a lick of intensity in him. The judges were measured in their responses. Randy said it was "quiet comfort," if a bit pitchy in spots, and said, "When you get into that tender zone, that quiet ... soft voice, it's very infectious" but expressed a desire to hear more vocal power. Jennifer said she felt he might have been "holding back." And Steven -- after making a crack about Paul's suit -- compared Paul to "five great artists" who sometimes didn't hit all the notes, which he said was a good thing but which doesn't sound all that good to me. Oh, and Randy and Steven quibbled a bit (about pushing and panting and some nonsense), which makes me think maybe Steven wasn't so happy that Randy tried to move in on his incomprehensible-criticism territory. But Steven, really, Randy was there first, dawg.
Pia Toscano, "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me": Flouting Randy's request that she do something other than a ballad, Pia let her vocal talent shine bright on her favorite Elton song, promising that, if America kept her around next week, she'd "get you all moving." On Pia's final note, like Jennifer, I got goosebumps. Steven said she'd done it again and then took aim at Randy. "Some people might have been wrong up here when we asked you not to sing ballads again," noting that Pia made him "cry inside" and was "just about as good as it gets." As if suddenly remembering his schtick, he added, "That was a complete and full sentence." Jennifer said Pia's notes "take us to an otherworldly place" and said she felt her trying to break through emotionally. Randy backpedaled and said Pia had "slayed" her ballads every time and noted that he was "just trying to get you to switch up gears a little bit." He added, "I heard all of Pia tonight and Pia was great once again."
Stefano Langone, "Tiny Dancer": First, the good news: He managed to keep his eyes open and (literally) make contact with the audience, reaching out to hold Jennifer Lopez's hand at the end. With Jennifer, at least, the gambit worked: "I could really feel you taking our notes … really connecting with our audience," she said. "I really felt like you moved the crowd today." Randy hailed him for hitting "the money notes right on." And Steven said Stefano had a "sweet thing to your voice," adding that, though he sometimes found it "a little Broadway," he had "nailed it." Me? I don't really agree. I feel like it was the schmaltziest performance of the evening. The way Stefano stretches out some notes is starting to grate on me. I'm kind of over him.
Lauren Alaina, "Candle in the Wind": Lauren, meanwhile, took a song that could have been schmaltzy -- a song that we have all heard kajillions of times -- and made it sound surprisingly new and interesting. Randy said it was "one of the greatest songs ever written" and "one of the greatest Lauren Alaina performances on this stage," calling it "very, very hot." Steven trotted out his old line about loving Lauren "since the first moment you laid eyes on me" and said if Lauren kept singing like that she'd "be able to afford the rest of that dress." Jennifer said that, perhaps for the first time, "Everybody in America got to hear what we heard" from Lauren during the audition that made them all such fans.
James Durbin, "Saturday Night's Alright (for Fighting)": Flaming pianos. LED lighting that should have come with a warning for people with pacemakers and epilepsy. Dangerous dance moves. A microphone stand tossed who knows where. James put on a serious show -- and he had some pretty good vocal pyrotechnics too. Steven hailed him as a fellow rocker, warning him, "Don't wear out your welcome. … Don't be up there too long. You don't want to look like me." Jennifer said that when James sang, she forgot she was on a competition show but rather felt like she was at a concert. She called it "a really full performance of a great song by a great artist. Period." Randy noted that one of the best things about James was that it's clear he's having a terrific time onstage, calling it, "a great, great, great performance." Ryan even weighed in, saying James' performance was "fearless." But apparently that wasn't quite true. What with the hairspray and leaping flames and all, James revealed that he did have one fear: that he would have a "Pepsi moment."
Thia Megia, "Daniel": Jimmy Iovine advised Thia to forget all the high school play-acting stuff she ever learned and really try to connect to the lyrics of "Daniel," a song Thia said reminded her of when her own big brother went away when she was little. She gave a less mannered performance than usual and again put her very nice vocal tone on display. But still, she managed to leave me cold. The judges, however, were appreciative: Jennifer called it "beautiful" and credited Thia with managing to internalize the lyrics. Randy liked the way the "relaxed" quality of the performance let people hear Thia's beautiful voice but added that he felt the choice was "a little safe." Steven said, "I think that when you find the right song the voice appears, right? And I think that's what happened tonight."
Casey Abrams, "Your Song": Casey had a lot to prove: not only that he could sing, but also that he actually cared about the voters' opinions. He proved it in the best way possible, by trimming up his hair and beard (though stopping short of shaving it off altogether, making his big-reveal moment a little underwhelming). When he sang, "My gift is my song and this one's for you," he really seemed to be speaking directly to "Idol" watchers. Or could it be to the judges who'd saved him? Anyhow, the performance was sweet. And after congratulating themselves repeatedly for saving Casey (Jennifer said she'd slept like a baby afterward), the judges congratulated Casey for his performance. "Very nicely done," said Randy, summing it up.
Jacob Lusk, "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word": After meeting his idol Mary J. Blige ("I've met a lot of people, but this is big," he told us), Jacob appeared onstage, standing in a cloud, and turned in one of his trademark dramatic performances, ending on a wildly impressive note. I'm thinking it might be time for Jacob to retire the gospel-choir backup singers, whom he often employs and who sometimes overpower his undeniably powerful voice. But the judges loved it -- and him. "Jacob, man, I watch how far out there or in there you get when you sing," Steven said, noting that the "first half just blew me away" and "the second half was equal … you slay me." Jennifer thought he'd made the song his own. Randy complimented Jacob's restraint and called it "brilliant."
Haley Reinhart, "Bennie and the Jets": She's been in real danger of getting voted off for weeks, but Haley proved herself worthy of the final slot. "She moves great, she has a great tone and she has a great style of singing, but she doesn't always bring all three parts to the game," Iovine noted, adding that she would do so Wednesday night. She did -- prompting Jennifer to make a squinched-up, into-the-music face that we've never seen her make before. "That was it, Haley. That was it, Haley," Jennifer said. "That's what we’ve been talking about." Randy said, "Best performance of the night right there." And Steven bestowed his highest compliment: "You sing sexy."
But at the end of the day, two singers will be headed home. Who do you think it will be? Me, I'd be OK losing Stefano and either Naima or Thia. You?
Naima Adedapo, "I'm Still Standing": Naima chose to do a reggae version of an Elton song she saw as an anthem to herself, noting that a lot of people hadn't imagined she'd still be in the running at this point. (Musical mentor Jimmy Iovine encouraged her to maybe broaden that out and dedicate the song to all the other people in the world who were having a tough time but are "still standing" -- good advice that Naima took.) Naima (who appears to have maybe had some dental work done?) again showed that she can move well onstage, and her voice sounded stronger than it sometimes had in the past. But I found it pretty uncomfortable to listen to her suddenly sing in a put-on reggae-inflected island accent when, in fact, she doesn't speak (or normally sing) with one at all. It made the whole performance seem altogether inauthentic. Randy obviously thought so, too, calling it "kind of corny … and that's not who you are." Jennifer said it was a "better idea than it was payoff for me." And Steven, who -- now that Jennifer has taken to offering slices of genuine criticism sandwiched between thick-cut slabs of flattery -- has picked up the flag of empty encouragement and begun to wield it with almost militant fervor, said, "Boom chaka-lacka-lacka, baby. Good for you for picking a song that fit you."
Paul McDonald, "Rocket Man": I'm going to call this one of the most disappointing performances of the night -- and not just because Paul wore that same rose-emblazoned Nudie-inspired suit of his. Before he went out there, Iovine, who had advised Paul to amp up the energy and intensity in weeks past, told him to get out on that stage and rock it like it was an encore in front of 20,000 fans. He started gently, allowing us again to admire his distinctively appealing vocal rasp and then raised our hopes of a crescendo or a sudden burst by asking, "Ya'all ready?" And then took the song … down to a whisper, leaving me thinking -- for perhaps the first time -- that Paul, clearly a chill dude, just doesn't have a lick of intensity in him. The judges were measured in their responses. Randy said it was "quiet comfort," if a bit pitchy in spots, and said, "When you get into that tender zone, that quiet ... soft voice, it's very infectious" but expressed a desire to hear more vocal power. Jennifer said she felt he might have been "holding back." And Steven -- after making a crack about Paul's suit -- compared Paul to "five great artists" who sometimes didn't hit all the notes, which he said was a good thing but which doesn't sound all that good to me. Oh, and Randy and Steven quibbled a bit (about pushing and panting and some nonsense), which makes me think maybe Steven wasn't so happy that Randy tried to move in on his incomprehensible-criticism territory. But Steven, really, Randy was there first, dawg.
Pia Toscano, "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me": Flouting Randy's request that she do something other than a ballad, Pia let her vocal talent shine bright on her favorite Elton song, promising that, if America kept her around next week, she'd "get you all moving." On Pia's final note, like Jennifer, I got goosebumps. Steven said she'd done it again and then took aim at Randy. "Some people might have been wrong up here when we asked you not to sing ballads again," noting that Pia made him "cry inside" and was "just about as good as it gets." As if suddenly remembering his schtick, he added, "That was a complete and full sentence." Jennifer said Pia's notes "take us to an otherworldly place" and said she felt her trying to break through emotionally. Randy backpedaled and said Pia had "slayed" her ballads every time and noted that he was "just trying to get you to switch up gears a little bit." He added, "I heard all of Pia tonight and Pia was great once again."
Stefano Langone, "Tiny Dancer": First, the good news: He managed to keep his eyes open and (literally) make contact with the audience, reaching out to hold Jennifer Lopez's hand at the end. With Jennifer, at least, the gambit worked: "I could really feel you taking our notes … really connecting with our audience," she said. "I really felt like you moved the crowd today." Randy hailed him for hitting "the money notes right on." And Steven said Stefano had a "sweet thing to your voice," adding that, though he sometimes found it "a little Broadway," he had "nailed it." Me? I don't really agree. I feel like it was the schmaltziest performance of the evening. The way Stefano stretches out some notes is starting to grate on me. I'm kind of over him.
Lauren Alaina, "Candle in the Wind": Lauren, meanwhile, took a song that could have been schmaltzy -- a song that we have all heard kajillions of times -- and made it sound surprisingly new and interesting. Randy said it was "one of the greatest songs ever written" and "one of the greatest Lauren Alaina performances on this stage," calling it "very, very hot." Steven trotted out his old line about loving Lauren "since the first moment you laid eyes on me" and said if Lauren kept singing like that she'd "be able to afford the rest of that dress." Jennifer said that, perhaps for the first time, "Everybody in America got to hear what we heard" from Lauren during the audition that made them all such fans.
James Durbin, "Saturday Night's Alright (for Fighting)": Flaming pianos. LED lighting that should have come with a warning for people with pacemakers and epilepsy. Dangerous dance moves. A microphone stand tossed who knows where. James put on a serious show -- and he had some pretty good vocal pyrotechnics too. Steven hailed him as a fellow rocker, warning him, "Don't wear out your welcome. … Don't be up there too long. You don't want to look like me." Jennifer said that when James sang, she forgot she was on a competition show but rather felt like she was at a concert. She called it "a really full performance of a great song by a great artist. Period." Randy noted that one of the best things about James was that it's clear he's having a terrific time onstage, calling it, "a great, great, great performance." Ryan even weighed in, saying James' performance was "fearless." But apparently that wasn't quite true. What with the hairspray and leaping flames and all, James revealed that he did have one fear: that he would have a "Pepsi moment."
Thia Megia, "Daniel": Jimmy Iovine advised Thia to forget all the high school play-acting stuff she ever learned and really try to connect to the lyrics of "Daniel," a song Thia said reminded her of when her own big brother went away when she was little. She gave a less mannered performance than usual and again put her very nice vocal tone on display. But still, she managed to leave me cold. The judges, however, were appreciative: Jennifer called it "beautiful" and credited Thia with managing to internalize the lyrics. Randy liked the way the "relaxed" quality of the performance let people hear Thia's beautiful voice but added that he felt the choice was "a little safe." Steven said, "I think that when you find the right song the voice appears, right? And I think that's what happened tonight."
Casey Abrams, "Your Song": Casey had a lot to prove: not only that he could sing, but also that he actually cared about the voters' opinions. He proved it in the best way possible, by trimming up his hair and beard (though stopping short of shaving it off altogether, making his big-reveal moment a little underwhelming). When he sang, "My gift is my song and this one's for you," he really seemed to be speaking directly to "Idol" watchers. Or could it be to the judges who'd saved him? Anyhow, the performance was sweet. And after congratulating themselves repeatedly for saving Casey (Jennifer said she'd slept like a baby afterward), the judges congratulated Casey for his performance. "Very nicely done," said Randy, summing it up.
Jacob Lusk, "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word": After meeting his idol Mary J. Blige ("I've met a lot of people, but this is big," he told us), Jacob appeared onstage, standing in a cloud, and turned in one of his trademark dramatic performances, ending on a wildly impressive note. I'm thinking it might be time for Jacob to retire the gospel-choir backup singers, whom he often employs and who sometimes overpower his undeniably powerful voice. But the judges loved it -- and him. "Jacob, man, I watch how far out there or in there you get when you sing," Steven said, noting that the "first half just blew me away" and "the second half was equal … you slay me." Jennifer thought he'd made the song his own. Randy complimented Jacob's restraint and called it "brilliant."
Haley Reinhart, "Bennie and the Jets": She's been in real danger of getting voted off for weeks, but Haley proved herself worthy of the final slot. "She moves great, she has a great tone and she has a great style of singing, but she doesn't always bring all three parts to the game," Iovine noted, adding that she would do so Wednesday night. She did -- prompting Jennifer to make a squinched-up, into-the-music face that we've never seen her make before. "That was it, Haley. That was it, Haley," Jennifer said. "That's what we’ve been talking about." Randy said, "Best performance of the night right there." And Steven bestowed his highest compliment: "You sing sexy."
But at the end of the day, two singers will be headed home. Who do you think it will be? Me, I'd be OK losing Stefano and either Naima or Thia. You?
Full Show Tracker coverage of "American Idol"
-- Amy Reiter
Photo: James Durbin performs on "American Idol." Credit: Michael Becker / Fox
I fully agree. Stefano is gone. I just don't see him competing with the other male talent in the competition. I also see Thia gone, or Lauren. I think Paul should stay, although agreed on the weak performance with "Rocket Man". He is much better than that!!
I thought Haley rocked Bennie and the Jets, and my favourite, Casey was great with "Your Song". I love James Durbin as well!! This is probably the best and most difficult Idol competion ever! Good for the judges in getting it right... Cowell who???
Posted by: bill | March 31, 2011 at 02:14 PM
Stefano and Thia, please. I don't understand why people seem to prefer these two boring singers to the fascinating Naima (hello? the first person to dance on the American Idol stage!) and unique-sounding Paul. I watch this show to be entertained. I will keep voting for Casey, James, Paul, Naima, Pia, and Jacob to make sure that continues to happen. Hope they make the final six!
Posted by: Erin | March 31, 2011 at 02:21 PM
I'm sorry but I don't see the fascination with Naima at all, besides her ridiculous dancing and her horrible wardrobe, her voice is just not that good.
All the criticism of Pia is much ado about nothing the girl is an awesome singer and never misses a note, shes so good that all they can say is sing uptempo songs. Celine Dion has made a career out of singing ballads. Pia is that type of singer. Unfortunately with talent being so fake and manufactured nowadays people don't seem to know what to do with someone who can just stand flat footed and sing. I have her Casey and believe it or not Scotty in the final.
Scotty has a lot of personality and yes all his songs sound the same because he sings COUNTRY all country songs sound the same. Fact is every part of the country that's not NY or L.A. loooves that whiny boring stuff and he will get the votes. He'll go farther than Jacob for that reason alone.
Stefano, although I think he has a genuinely nice voice (he would be perfect as a Latin singer) he's definitely not the most talented left in the men but he will go a lot further than he should because of his looks.
Paul has a nice unique voice but not much range and he should probably pick better songs. Right now he sounds like one long Starbucks loop.
James Durbin is awesome and a true rocker and fearless (I wish he would lose that ridiculous earring though). I don't know if he can win on rock and roll though seeing as the majority of the people who actually call in to vote are adolescent girls and old folks.
Thia is overrated to me. She reminds me of someone who practices and practices until she can sing the song exactly like the singer does, but ask her to come up with something on her own and she's got nothing. She has no charisma and no stage presence what so ever.
Lauren and Haley are both really good as well and I like both of them a lot but I think Lauren has a little more charisma. Haley may be able to overtake her though if she picks songs that play to her voice like she did last night.
All that being said, anybody who cannot appreciate the talent of Casey and Jacob cannot appreciate ANYTHING! Casey is an artist who can do anything and sing anything and I suspect his less than awesome previous two performances may have had something to do with him being rushed to the hospital on a few occasions then anything else. That kid can walk off that show today and be signed to any record label tomorrow and sell lots of records. His stage presence is incredible and I don't find him to be arrogant at all he's just GOOD.
Jacob can sing anything, and I know Jimmy Iovine is the master but I totally disagree with him on Jacob holding back. The crowd loves him and gives him a standing ovation every time. This year's pools is extremely talented and I think he has to find a way to stand out. His incredible range is it. He won't win though his voice is just not mainstream enough for American Idol viewers.
Posted by: KMJ | March 31, 2011 at 04:16 PM
Naima, Paul, Thia, Stefano, Haley, and Jacob are my bottom 6 in that order with Casey next from bottom with other 4 good enough to win with some luck.
Haley was the best all around last night, after 2 very poor weeks, with Pia best vocal and James the best show.
Posted by: Bloodyscot | March 31, 2011 at 04:34 PM
I mostly agree with your breakdown and critique of the evening. The majority of the contestants did a good job, and I was pleasantly surprised by Haley. If she keeps that up, she could stay a little longer.
Stefano, Naima, and Thia were definitely the worst of the night. I'm guessing Naima and Stefano.
Now, where I disagree with you is Paul. I wouldn't call it the most disappointing of the night, but definitely not of one of the best. I liked the chorus of "Rocket Man," but the beginning was rocky, and the last note left me unsure. Paul is a talented artist, and trust me he has intensity (check out his band the Grand Magnolias). It may be a more toned down intensity, it's not like James' intensity, but he has it. Paul can do all varities of music. I think he's waiting to really bust it all out for next week or something. That way he doesn't come out wowing all of us, then has to constantly compete with his past performance. Which is smart, smool sailing then winning America over.
Rock on, Paul.
Posted by: Olive | March 31, 2011 at 04:54 PM
Thia deserved to stay. The young generation only love rock, motown, & wrapping styles of music. I think it's the main issue of this episode. Majority of the voters are young to understand music; they only like to hear what they prefer to hear. For example rock for white, motown or wrapping are for black. Now how do they evaluate who can sings good or not? To make story short, any constestant is not belong to these two groups their chance of winning is very slim. I think it is the reality of this compitation.
Posted by: Pol Bac | April 01, 2011 at 06:07 PM