Someone told me they counted on my "live blog" to keep them up to date on American Idol. So here I am.
Elvis night. Okay, I’ll confess. I love Elvis. I owned a lot of his albums as a teen. I even enjoyed a lot of those cheesy movies where they forced the poor guy to play parts he didn’t want to play.
Taylor rocked us with Jailhouse Rock. Lost his ear piece and just kept on going. Simon hated it (really hated it; thought the moves hideous and that the singing was a poor imitation of Elvis), but I thought Taylor did great. And he looked sharp in that striped, dark red suit.
Chris sang Suspicious Minds. Okay, I really wanted Chris to go home this week because I’m weary of his rocker-shouting-in-a-microphone performances. But doggone it. He sang this time instead of shouting, and when he sings, he’s good. I’m not blown away, but it was very good. (The sunglasses were NOT a good accessory!)
Elliott sang If I Can Dream. Wow!!! Even Simon says, best performance so far. Truly, this was a wonderful vocal. When he started singing, I thought it was a little shaky, and I so wanted him to do well. I love this young man’s voice. Well, it wasn’t shaky for long. It turned into something special. Way to go, Elliott.
Katharine combined Hound Dog and All Shook Up. Hmm. I wanted to like this more than I did. This time I’m in agreement with Simon, who thought it seemed manic and desperate. I thought she sounded winded. No, this was not a winning performance.
Taylor returned with In the Ghetto. Simon said, "Absolutely perfect song for you," and he predicted Taylor had sung his way into the semi-finals. I loved it. This guy can sing.
Chris sang A Little Less Conversation. It was good, but I wasn’t blown away. It was a little boring. I could hear Elvis’s rendition of it in my mind, and this just didn’t measure up. Simon thought the performance a little flat, and I guess that says it for me, too.
Elliott returned with Trouble. Okay, I loved the sound. It was great! Perfect for his voice. I agree with all the judges that he deserves to go on to the next round. Still, I have a hard time believing Elliott when he sings "I’m evil!" He just seems too sweet to me.
Katharine sang Can’t Help Falling in Love (one of my favorite songs). Well, this didn’t do it for me. I was immensely disappointed. This young woman has a gorgeous voice, but Simon said it best: She didn’t choose good songs tonight.
Predictions? Well, based only on tonight, I would send Katharine home. Second choice to leave would be Chris, again based on tonight’s performances alone.
This was Elliott’s night, hands down.
Idol reporter, signing off to go vote.
-rlh-
