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American Idol 7: Idol Ideals for the Top 5by Tyler Sandersfeld -- 04/28/2008
View Printable version of this article I should have known better. Carly escaped the bottom three after a weak performance last week. Brooke and Jason were so clearly in danger this week. The fans of the latter two mobilized, while the fans of the former sat back and awaited the inevitable ouster of Brooke or Jason. Only it never happened. Perhaps, as David Bloomberg discussed in Why Carly Lost, if she had defined herself earlier in the season, this wouldn’t have happened. Once again, Idol honors an artist that I don’t really know much about. It’s not like I don’t respect Neil Diamond. I respect all great artists and artworks. I just don’t have to be a fan of them. Take Halo – great video game series that I just never could get into. 
Anyway, like the other featured artists on this show, Neil has a number of “signature” songs. These songs, like “Sweet Caroline” and “America,” should probably not be imitated, as that could expose a lack of originality in the contestants, much like Carly’s version of “Superstar” did for her. Then again, while familiarity breeds contempt, unfamiliarity breeds apathy. Brooke survived a less-than-stellar rendition of Mariah Carey’s mega-hit “Hero,” while Kristy’s better-received performance of the unknown “Together,” spelled her doom. This week may see a slight change in the format, as historically at this point, each contestant sings two songs instead of the usual one. Whether it will happen this season and if both will be by Neil Diamond or not, I’m not certain. What I am certain about, however, is that if they do indeed sing twice, the top five should try to sing two different-sounding songs. The best way to do this is to choose one ballad and one “fun” song. Also, if both are Neil Diamond songs, one performance could be true to Mr. Diamond’s original version, while the other could take a risk with a new arrangement. There are other ways to make it work, but singing two very similar songs similarly in one night will throw a scent of stagnation into the air. That’s not something you want voters to smell with so few contestants left. Now that only five singers remain, I have to say that, in my opinion, only two have a real shot at victory. It’s definitely not impossible for the other three to pull off a dark horse victory, like Ben Lummis or Casey Donovan (New Zealand Idol and Australian Idol 2, respectively). Still, the remaining singers are more-or-less selling themselves to the recording companies – even more than to the audience now. As important as it is to advance as far as possible, these contestants are ultimately looking for success in the music industry, and past contestants have already proven that placement and success don’t always go hand-in-hand. Let’s get to the individual assessments. As always, I’ll start with who’s on their way towards the sky, and end with who could be done too soon. David Cook: It’s probably safe to bet on a David to win, but which one? Last week’s performance could be the clincher for Mr. Cook, as he proved that he can remove himself from his rock-tinged comfort zone and still sound true to himself. The second two-song strategy mentioned above would work best for him. However, some viewers still see David as a bit “smug,” though I personally don’t get that assessment. In any case, eliminations at this stage in the competition could rely just as much on politics as talent. Just like a Presidential candidate needs to avoid saying something stupid and embittering before a crucial vote, David will need to steer clear of anything remotely resembling that comment from top 20 week. David Archuleta: After hearing from message board posters, an e-mailing reader, and my own mother, it seems that the younger David is starting to wear on a good number of viewers. At this stage in the show, David could easily fall into a Melinda Doolittle-like trap of over-consistency should he continue to stick with the message ballads. This is the perfect week to break out something different, with two songs for each Idol. David can still sing his requisite ballad, but the other song he chooses should be a more up tempo tune, like the inspiration-laden “America.” He’ll have to be careful with that, though. Tamyra Gray tried the same thing with “New Attitude,” and look what happened to her. 
Syesha Mercado: Why didn’t I see this before? With Syesha’s big voice, good looks, and acting resume, she would be perfect for Broadway. Randy’s absolutely right. It doesn’t look like Syesha will win, though like I said earlier, anything’s possible. Still, Syesha would probably do better by performing as if she was auditioning for “Rent” or “Wicked,” rather than focusing too much on taking the Idol crown. Actually, it might be better for Syesha to redefine herself as a Broadway singer, if only for just one of the songs this week. Yes, it’s a little late for style definition, but if Syesha really wants to win, then her current path of generic belting on every song won’t lead her to victory. Brooke White and Jason Castro: Okay, now is the time for one of them to leave. In order to do that, all these two have to do is do better than last week, but not be the best of the night. That way, their fans won’t feel the need to vote in droves for them, since a much worse performance kept them safe. Also, by not being the absolute best, those who actually do vote for the best of the night will give their votes to someone else. Of course, falling apart again isn’t a great idea, either, since the fans could get tired of them just as they grew tired of George Huff. I’m speaking from experience here. That said, the prospect of one of these two making the top two isn’t too farfetched. Brooke and Jason share an interesting style seldom seen on this show before (most likely due to the introduction of instruments this season), and their tendency to redo songs instead of just singing them, among other factors, has earned each a respectable fan base. If they continue to appease these fan bases with performances as good as “Love is a Battlefield” and “Hallelujah,” then a place in the finale could come. On an individual front, Brooke will need to prevent any more false starts, while Jason needs to do better research and avoid another disastrous song choice like “Memory.” Also, both Brooke and Jason should play an instrument for one song, and one song only, this week. I’ll take my leave now. I’ll be back in May. See ya then! If you haven’t already, be sure to check out these other recent articles on Foxes On Idol:
Tyler can be reached at tejayes@yahoo.com. What do you like? What do you hate? I mean, besides contestants leaving on a good performance. Be sure to sign up for the RealityNewsOnline/FoxesOnIdol e-mail update so you can stay informed about new articles on both sites! Also make sure to check out RealityNewsOnline for recaps and articles covering other reality TV shows. For even more news about reality TV, be sure to check SirLinksALot: American Idol and Reality TV Fever! View Printable version of this article
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