American Idol 7: Idol Ideals for the Top 3

I should learn to be less pessimistic. And a certain Mr. Castro should learn to appreciate where he is in this American Idol competition. Bye, Jason! Don’t let the door hit you in the dreads.

Assuming this round progresses just like in the past, one song each will be of the Idols’ own choosing. Last year, Melinda and Jordin both went with songs they already sang, and Melinda paid for it. So unless it’s a requirement to choose a song from their performance histories, they should pick all new songs.

If it is a requirement to reprise a song, however, then there are a few guidelines on what the Idols should choose. First of all, it should be one of their best and most memorable performances from the past. This is due to the property of duh. Second, it would be wisest to choose a song from as long ago as possible. A more recent choice is fresher on most viewers’ memories, and those viewers might get bored with a repeat of that song. Finally, a reprise, just like a new song choice, should be chosen with the other songs in mind. If the two other songs on the docket are ballads, make the encore up tempo, and vice versa.

As for the songs chosen by the judges and whoever else, I’ll just wish the Idols good luck with those.

Like last week, I’m not ranking the final three this week, as any one of them could go. Just ask Melinda Doolittle. Although this week’s elimination has usually been predictable (whoever went first and wasn’t really expected to make the finale anyway), Melinda’s elimination last year changed everything. So now, I’ll address the final three in alphabetical order.

David Archuleta: I’m very interested in what David A. will do this week, now that his father has been banned from rehearsals. Will this mean a noticeable change in David’s performance style and/or quality? Probably not, but I wouldn’t be surprised if something like that happens.

It would be interesting to hear David address the issue in his song choice, but the recency of the news means he most likely had his songs set well before the ban happened. Besides, it’s probably best just to let the issue slide and not harp on it too much. So he’ll probably sing something slow about homelessness or triumph over adversity or something like that. On the possibility of David singing a song he sang already, I’d like him to bring back “Shop Around.” While I didn’t really like it, almost everyone else did, making it one of the few up-tempo songs David did well. If he has a non-ballad in queue already, then I won’t fault him for trying “Imagine” again.

David Cook: What did I tell you? David C. finally enters a week where he should do well, and the overall consensus was that he has done better. Perhaps he should have retooled “Hungry Like the Wolf” and left “Baba O’Riley” alone, instead of the other way around.

This is the week to pull out all the stops, Bo Bice style. While Bo ditched the band and sang a capella, David should try something equally daring – retool one of the least rock songs in cheese pop history. Whether it is “Hold On” by Wilson Phillips, “Sugar Sugar” by The Archies (no, not the other David), or “You Light Up My Life” by Debby Boone, if David can successfully transform one of these songs into rock, then his stock will go through the roof. As for a possible required reprise, he should go with either “Hello” or “Billie Jean,” which were good, memorable performances from a while back.

Syesha Mercado: I know that Syesha wasn’t technically declared by Ryan to be the second-lowest vote-getter for the past two weeks. However, the implication is real, and for this last week, it’s also understandable. Just when I thought Syesha finally got a clue about what songs to sing, she copped out again. Do not get me started on why only crediting Tina Turner for “Proud Mary” is the greatest musical crime since Jethro Tull winning the Hard Rock/Metal Performance Grammy over Metallica. As bad as that was, Syesha’s poor imitation of Tina did not help her chances of splitting up the Davids.

If Syesha gets to pick any song on her own, the best strategy is to not choose anything that will get her compared to a famous similar artist. Again. That means no Alicia Keys, no Aretha Franklin, and especially no Whitney Houston. While I would normally suggest earlier performances for encores, I would highly recommend “One Rock & Roll Too Many,” as that truly defined her as an artist. “Tobacco Road” is a good alternate option.

That is all for this week. Will the Davids continue their dominance all the way to the finale, or can Syesha spoil the sure scenario? We’ll find out this Wednesday. See ya then!

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Tyler can be reached at tejayes@yahoocom. What do you like? What do you hate? I mean, besides my pessimism.

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