Citation :Canadian Idol: The top 20 Perform Part II
Posted: July 02, 2008, 11:00 AM by Sarah Millar
Television, Canadian Idol
Happy Canada Day! I'm a little disappointed no one was decked out in white and red Tuesday night (I'm looking at you Farley). But at least Ben remembered to put on his shirt over his t-shirt, which is more than we can say for Monday's show. Also, where is Jully Black? She kind of disappeared. Is she waiting until the top 10 to reppear and mentor the contestants? Or is she done? I guess only time will tell. Anyways, on with the show...
Kicking off the show this week was Adam Castelli singing Gone Til November. I agree with the judges it wasn't his best performance, but I don't think it was his worst either. I thought he blended his singing with his guitar playing very well, and it was nice to see him dabble into another genre. I do agree with Farley that Adam should have taken more license with the song and made it a little more melodic to show off his singing abilities.
Jessica Sheppard was up next singing the Mandy Moore version of Umbrella. More and more she is reminding me of Kelly Clarkson: both in the way she looks and the way she sings. I liked that she did this version, because it's slower and able to show off her vocals. The judges didn't like it very much, saying they had seen better from her. I thought she did well, partly because it was a power ballad which seems to be what she excells in.
In memory of his Uncle Rocky who died of brain cancer, Jesse Cottam sang Iris. It was a decent performance, however I feel like he lacked the emotional intensity of the song. Especially since it was for someone who meant something to him. The judges pretty much agreed, with Jake pointing out he needs to stop looking down so much when he sings because it comes across as not being confident in what he's doing.
Wow, I just realized this was the best night of performances last week. Right now, we're three people in and they've all tanked. Ouch. Maybe Theo's performance of Collide can change it all around. And did it ever. Theo is so magnetic, so confident in what he does. Honestly, he could sit at that piano and sing me my ABC's and I would still want to watch it and be moved. He's really winning me over, I almost want to change my pick from Omar to him. The judges also loved it, with Sass saying he doesn't need any advice because he's got it all down.
Next up was Katelyn Dawn singing She Talks to Angels. It was an interesting song choice, but I don't think it paid off for her. While her voice sounded great, she just didn't convey any emotion in what she was singing about. The judges agreed, telling her she needs to learn how to choose a song that suits the way she sings.
Oh look its promotional time with Pantene ProV (wait - is that why I bought some of that recently? Is Idol's product placement actually working????)
Wow, I almost didn't recognize Mitch without his glasses. He did I'm Yours, which I had never heard before, but his performance of it was just so much fun, I actually really began to like this song. It was very entertaining. The judges also liked it, with Zack calling it very Paul Simonish which, he says, is the highest compliment he can give (really? You mean from one hetero man to another that turned me on is not your highest compliment Mr. Werner?)
Katherine St-Laurent was up next singing The First Cut is the Deepest. I thought she did a decent job, and I still cannot believe she's so young: she looks, and sounds, so much more mature. For a song that's been done so many times, I think she was able to take it and make it her own. The judges were mixed in their reviews, but most didn't think it was the best job she had ever done.
Omar was up next. He did a killer version of Ain't No Sunshine. I liked how he updated it a bit, and how he showed his range on the "I know, I know.." part.I also thought Omar made great use of the stage, starting with his back up singers and then moving downstage. For the most part, the judges liked it, though Zack suggested he start singing stuff that would appear on his album if he were to win this thing.
Then we had Earl Stevenson doing Something to Talk About. At first I was a little concerned, but Earl totally won me over. Much like Mookie, Earl is a performer; you can't help but watch him. He made the song his own, and it was fun. I still don't think he could win this thing, but at least he's having fun. His energy is contagious. The judges loved it.
Finally, there was Oliver. Oliver sang Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word and ... I actually didn't mind it. His voice still drives me nuts, but I thought it was a decent performance. I think I like Oliver better than Sebastian, only because Oliver can calm himself down and perform. I also think he can sing a little better, which from what I recall, is what the judges thought in the boys' first auditions. And the judges, predictably, loved it.
Two to go home:
I'm going to have to say Jesse and Katelyn Dawn, as much as I like them both, I just don't think they really gave it their all this week. What about you? What do you think? Who did you like? Who did you vote for? We'll see you after the results show on Wednesday at 7:30!
source:
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blog ... rt-ii.aspx