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And it's true: The word "pitchy" wasn't heard once!
Last night was Motown night, which means that the producers of American Idol are still somehow loathe to let their 20-something and younger contestants at all act their age.
Steven Tyler may not be the bestest judge, but he does sometimes come up with, if nothing else, the headscratcher of the evening, and last night it was his description of Motown as "The Rhythm of the Kiss."
Ryan was quick to point out that more than a kiss was likely involved, and "Ladies and Gentlemen, Liv Tyler!!" <rimshot!>
The key thing to know about last night is that these contestants are all talented. While I may like some more than others, most had their best night yet last night. Most acquitted themselves very well, and none had a truly bad performance. While we're still waiting for someone to be the breakout star (and remember, Kelly Clarkson didn't really shine until several weeks in) we're not agonizing over someone, wondering how they've made it this far. There's no Sanjaya, or, for that matter, no Lee DeWyze (Yes, ouch! I know.)
So, how did they do then? Let's get started.
1. Casey sang "Heard it Through the Grapevine"
Having the contestants work with professional-grade producers -- and showing it to us -- is one of the good innovations from this season. "Contain the growl" was the best advice Casey could get at this point, and it did have some positive impact on his performance. He didn't take it 100% to heart and kept trying to screech a bit too high, but in general I liked his emotional intensity, which did have the sense of being all about holding back and feeding us just enough. And he certainly brought new meaning to "I'm just about to lose my mind."
Bottom line: I think Casey is going to be safe, but I also think he needs to find something new -- something heartfelt and a little more bluesy-tender -- if he wants to stick around for the duration.
2. Thia sang "Heat Wave"
Thia really has a great voice. It's smooth as butter. It's pretty and strong without being harsh or weak. She has a slight physical awkwardness, the hallmark of which was repetitive hand gestures without meaning, and I think she actually forgot the words at one point. But all in all, it was good for her to do an uptempo, and she did it nicely.
Bottom line: This wasn't a blow-your-mind kind of performance, which is the only reason she might be at risk, after a weak performance last week.
3. Jacob sang "You're All I Need to Get By"
Well, I'm gonna say it: I actually liked this Jacob performance. First time ever. He really reined it in (as advised by his producer), and only let his freak flag fly on some really big moments. And even then, he kept it more in control. OK, the very ending was NOT super stellar, no matter what Randy said; it was, rather, a little indulgent and icky But ending aside, it was his best performance. He's so much better when he dials it back.
Bottom line: He's safe, because he was safe before when he was really really bad, so how could he not be now?
4. Lauren sang "You Keep Me Hangin' On"
Lauren definitely has a great voice. An effortless voice. Seriously, if you close your eyes and listen to these gals, Lauren and Thia and Pia, they are just so pleasant, so melodious, so right on pitch. But. And you knew there was a "but" coming, I'm sure: She didn't bring any depth to this song. She had so much spunk in her initial audition, and I feel like she's lost that spunk. This was better than the last week or two, but it still didn't bring the level of sass I would hope for. Nor did she go the other way and play up the pathos. She was just sort of middle of the road with it.
Bottom line: Nevertheless, I think she's safe.
5. Stefano sang "Hello"
I cringed when he chose this song. And I continued cringing when he started out. Now, it got better. But man, I don't know why he picked that song, especially after David Cook really made it his own a couple of seasons ago. Stefano is still an adorable boy that I want to carry around in my pocket, and he definitely has vocal chops, but JLo demonstrated why she is
