Michael Jackson Gets ‘Idol’ Off On A Good Foot!
Challenging the Top 13 to deliver Michael Jackson tunes their first week on the mainstage? Now, that’s why I love me some American Idol!
Last night reminded me that some of MJ’s jams lend themselves to robust reinterpretations quite well. You probably remember that last season David Cook found a stirring way to rock-ify “Billy Jean”, but last night, Danny Gokey smoothly deconstructed “P.Y.T.”, Kris Allen ably slid his guitar into “Remember The Time”, and Lil Rounds – well she just blasted the mess out of “The Way You Make Me Feel”, a showcase of power and beauty.
Though he wasn’t there in the flesh, MJ’s spirit managed to conjure up some energy within many of the finalists. Hey, I even found myself bopping to Anoop Desai’s poorly reviewed karaoke-ish version of “Beat It”. And, as he perched behind his piano and crooned out “Human Nature”, I think that Matt Giraud made some headway in conveying his authenticity – I’m relieved he performed sans trendy scarf and hat this time. And while I wasn’t too familiar with Alexis Grace and Allison Iraheta’s song selections – “Dirty Diana” and “Give In To Me” – they both held their own by channeling MJ’s grittier guise.
But Paula, Kara, Randy, Simon and I just don’t see eye-to-eye when assessing Adam Lambert’s histrionics! Sure, he’s got a sense of style, passion, and a confident demeanor, but he reaches a point in just about each one of his performances where he reverts to shrieking. And instead of the judges calling him out on it, they praise him for, as Kara gushed, “Hitting notes that I didn’t even know existed!”
Well, Kara, I too am unfamiliar with some of Lambert’s alien notes, but I’m not sure if they are to be encouraged! The truth is that Adam’s going to be around for a loooong time, and it’s quite possible that he’ll win me over in the next 10 weeks, but for now I’m rolling with Danny, Lil, Kris, and Anoop. Are you with me, or are you an Adam advocate?
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UGH! Thank you, Albert! I almost picked up the phone to call you when the judges were raining down praise and adoration on Adam and his over-the-top, affected rocker-style performance, but I figured it hadn’t been airing in LA yet. I’m definitely NOT a fan. I know he has vocals but I haven’t really heard it in his past two performances.
My loves for the night: Lil, Danny (I thought his dancing was just fine, lol), Allison (though I think she too is taking this rocker thing to an extreme…I could barely make out the lyrics)
My dislikes: Kris (sorry, Albert…some of his notes were c-c-crazy bad), Megan (I know she’s “different”, but does she have any vocal chops?)
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P.S. Great to see you blogging on TV/celebs again!
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Hi Albert,
I hear you about Adam……and yes the finale was quite a shock. But like you said, Adam will be around for a while (and hey, Hollywood has enough to go around-smile).
But like you, I liked all the others you mentioned, Danny, Lil, Anoop, and Kris (or is that with a “C”)?
Nice update on the website. It looks very professional (:-).
Jenine
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