I actually like the fact that Ashley Rodriguez picked a contemporary new song. The song is less than a year old! She’s obviously a risk taker and wants to be seen as current. It couldbackfire, but it could also propel her. I don’t particularly like the song Happy but I get what she’s trying to do.

I’m not sure that singing a copycat version of a current song (which, make no mistake, is what will inevitably happen) is really all that daring.

I really wanna know what Lilly is singing, I love her voice, but I worry since she is underground indie type of singer if she will pick an obscure song. She’s smart though, we’ll see.

I’m hoping she does, actually. Admittedly, obscure numbers on Idol are a gambit, but not necessarily a bad one. But I’m just selfishly hoping for material that isn’t as blatantly obvious.

It’s Raining Men? Who would pick that song. And who can sing it without sounding karaoke.

Yeah, it’s a serious dud of a song. Bad history on Idol, too. It has an extremely tricky vocal line in it that maybe Siobhan, with her large pipes, can pull off, but considering that Kelly Clarkson (amongst others, but I recall it was being Kelly’s worst performance on the show) had issues with the song, so it seems to be an excessively bad idea.

Interesting on Didi’s choice; Ingrid seems a little obvious given her stylings, so Didi may end up looking copycat, but on the other hand it’s interesting material relative to Idol. And Katie gets points for picking something contemporary as well, even if I’m not particularly a Buble fan; it shows promise that she might be consciously avoiding the Celine Dion-type catalog we’ve heard all too often, which I had feared for her. I’m actually most interested in hearing what Crystal is going to choose; hoping she does something interesting, and even if she goes the way of copycat it’ll probably be on better material than her peers.

First week of semis tend to be a little poor in the song choice department, so I guess I can’t complain too much about any of the choices here.

I don’t understand contestants passing up the chance to sing recent songs when the opportunity presents itself in the semifinals rounds, unless they are going for a retro sort of appeal,

Because when you pick a contemporary song, it’s much much too easy to end up singing it *very* much in the same exact style in which the original performer sang it — because that performer and you are performing in the same era and most likely have certain major similarities in your style, compared to singers from another era. When that happens, you’re running a huge risk of being labeled “karaoke” *and* of producing a version that’s deemed too similar to the original and inferior to it.

If you sing an older song — or a contemporary song in a style that’s very very different from your own, like Kris and Heartless — then you have a chance to remake it in a contemporary style and you’re going to be less likely to be compared to the original performer because everybody won’t remember that person as well. Old stuff doesn’t have to have merely retro appeal. To see that you only need to compare Jamie Cullum and Diana Krall, for example, singing the jazz standards, in comparison to older or more cabaret-oriented singers doing the same songs. A contemporary singer who’s good and sure of his or her own style has a very good chance of remaking an older song in a very contemporary way, while when a contemporary singer tries to remake a contemporary song (in under a week, especially) the issue of karaoking it becomes very live and very dicey.

dcfan21:
02/22/2010 at 6:25 pm
If Tyler Grady is singing Guess Who, I would love him to sing “American Woman”. “These Eyes” could work as well.

Yes. Tyler would be sensational.

I’m not sure if that is true. In general the songs chosen fit the theme, even if a degree of latitude is given – for example if the theme is songs of the 80s, a song from the 60s would be permitted if it had been covered in the 80s, or if it is originally released one decade but charted in another, etc.

IIRC – most of the Top 24/Top 36 “themes” fit my categorization of being very free – choose a “top billboard song”, for instance. It’s not till they get to Top 12 that there are definite themes (as in, 1980′s songs, as you mention, or disco, MJ week, etc.) That’s what I mean.

ETA: That’s why you had last year’s Top 36 performances essentially being anything under the sun – from classic rock to contemporary alternative, pop songs, 80′s songs, etc.

Parabola:
02/22/2010 at 5:53 pm
I don’t understand contestants passing up the chance to sing recent songs when the opportunity presents itself in the semifinal rounds

AI has proven time and time again that choosing modern songs is NOT a smart move, unless it’s pretty different from your current style – otherwise it invariably sounds like a cheap copycat of the original. (example: about 90% of the Top 36 from last year)

And why so many songs from the Beatles???

Probably because many of the Beatles songs are classics. They often bridge generations, and they are also easy to reinvent.

I also agree singing modern, current songs are a risk. Many contestants have failed doing this. The only exception is the opposite gender rule. Otherwise, there is a major risk for comparison.

Parabola:
02/22/2010 at 5:53 pm
I don’t understand contestants passing up the chance to sing recent songs when the opportunity presents itself in the semifinal rounds

Cuz everything on the radio now either a) is loaded with “Auto-Tune” and they don’t have that option (yet) on Idol or b) is just a sample of an older song anyway, or c) Both!

I want to hope she’d change it around and play with the arrangement, but she’s a belter, so I bet she’ll sing it straight.

Simon will hate it just by title alone. I remember Ellen saying they wanted her younger, I don’t think this song is going to do it.

I hope she doesn’t leave tomorrow, because there is something about Siobhan I like.

Lots of Beatles, that can be such a double edged sword….

Love, love the choice of “Wonderful World”!

And I don’t think Didi Benami even resembles Brooke despite being blond and blue eyed.

Lee Dewyze = Kris Allen 2.0 ( But we can only have one Kris)

Casey James = Bucky Covington 2.0

Ashley Rodriguez = Older version of Jordin Sparks ( even the mouth looks similar)

Katelyn Epperly = Kristy Lee Cook 2.0 ( Canon fodder )

Janel Wheeler = Haley Scarnato 2.0

Didi Benami = Brooke White 2.0

Lilly Scott looks like Daryl Hannah in the film BLADE RUNNER

Aaron Kelly = Anthony Federov 2.0

Haeley Vaughn = Jasmine Murray 2.0