Top 7 Results – Recap
…but will you still love a man out of time
Ace Says Goodbye
When the camera pans the contestants, they all look really nervous…except for Kellie. I wonder if the kids look at the DialIdol results? Dialidol.com called the Bottom 3 and the elimination correctly this week.
After watching the clips from last night’s performances, I’d like to add: Katharine McPhee’s dad moved to tears during her performance was a sweet moment. And Elliott Yamin sure looked sharp in his suit.
Car-mercial
This week’s Ford commercial featured life-like billboards of the Idols. Taylor Hicks as a blues brother was pretty amusing.
Rod Stewart
I love Rod Stewart’s early rock stuff, particularly records he made with his band, the Faces. The disco era in the 80’s left me cold. But this classics stuff? I dunno, it’s OK, but if I were going to listen to standards, I’d go straight for Fitzgerald and Sinatra. But then, I’m pretty much a rock chick anyway, so it’s probably a moot point. Rod’s voice ain’t what it used to be. I heard he’s suffered some vocal chord damage over the years. He doesn’t appear to have much of a vocal range these days. I was pretty bored during his performance.
But as a guest star and coach on the show, I think he did a good job. He seemed to give the kids helpful advice and was pretty entertaining during his film clips. He announced during his appearance that he’s recording a “70’s classic rock album” Not sure how his voice will hold up for that, but it sounds interesting.
Next Week’s Theme
Classical pop singer, Andrea Bocelli, coaches the Top 6 as they perform “The Greatest Love Songs of All Time.” Then he’ll perform during Wednesday’s results show.
Odd Man Out
The eliminations started with 11 minutes to spare. This was going to be quick. Hooray. Except–yuck–they are separating six of the contestants into two groups and leaving the seventh to choose which group isn’t the Bottom 3.
This gimmick is getting a little stale. Last year, Bo Bice was asked to pick between two groups. He stood in the middle, refusing to choose.
The year before that, George Huff, looking confused and embarrassed, chose the group that contained what seemed to be the obvious front runners–Fantasia Barrino, LaToya London and Jennifer Hudson. Except they weren’t the front runners (OMG! The 3 Divas in the Bottom 3! Shocking!)–with Jennifer Hudson famously eliminated that night–to much consternation and hand-wringing. Not to mention Elton John charging “racism” and poor, young, John Stevens pilloried in the press for having the audacity to outlast a Diva–like it was his fault. Gah. At that point I was all, “Settle down people! It’s only a TV show!”
But I digress. This season, the two groups shake out to be Elliott Yamin, Kellie Pickler and Katharine McPhee on one side of the stage. Chris Daughtry, Paris Bennett and Ace Young on the other.
Taylor Hicks is left on the couch, declared safe, and is then told he’s got to choose which group he thinks is safe. He looks slightly bemused. The audience immediately starts booing. This crap is so played out. It’s a gimmick that’s designed to make the odd man out look like a tool, no matter which group he picks. With two Idols who are currently perceived as front runners–Chris and Kellie–split into different groups, it’s tricky deciding which group is which.
After the break, Taylor and Ryan are standing on the seal. Ryan tells Taylor to go ahead and make his pick. Taylor heads over to Chris and shakes his hand. Ryan starts, “Taylor, I’m sorry…” But Taylor is smirking and already heading over to the other group. “Wow, ” says Ryan, “I’m sorry, but you’ve chosen the correct group 
now–they are all safe.” Kellie and Katharine hug a still smirking and bemused Taylor who, I swear, throws in a little eyeroll for good measure. Because it is all pretty stupid. The safe group, including Elliott, heads back to the couches. Taylor apologizes to the group he didn’t pick.
Four minutes left to find out who goes home. Chris is in the Bottom 3 for the first time. That’s surprising. Ace is smiling. No deer in the headlights this week. Paris is sent back to the couches while the camera zooms in on a very nervous looking Mrs. Daughtry. Chris and Ace are left, and at that point, Ace, whose made several trips to the Bottom 3, must know it’s over. This has to be the most undramatic Bottom 2 of the entire season. Chris, whose been a front runner for most of the season, is unlikely to go home. Ryan calls the two, who are friends, the Ben Affleck and Matt Damon of American Idol. Ha ha. Ryan asks Simon what he thinks, and of course he declares the end of Ace. No kidding. Ryan quickly tells Ace he’s going home. Unfortunately, with just a minute left, poor Ace’s singout is cut short.
Ace Young
During the semis, I told a reporter from my hometown newspaper that I thought Ace Young and Kellie Pickler would battle it out in the Final Two, with Ace taking it all. And honestly, I believed that at the time. And I was not the only one.
During the audition and Hollywood phase, Ace was heavily promoted. I can remember Randy raving about his voice during his audition–with Simon not so convinced of his vocal abilities, but thinking that his charisma could carry the day. Looking back at Dialidol.com results starting with the Top 24, Ace scored high for the first couple of weeks, but then began losing steam. I think what did him in was a combination of nerves, poor song choices, and ultimately lacking the vocal chops to compete against a talented group of contestants.
Ace performed well when he choose songs that matched his vocal abilities. Unfortunately in this competition, he tended to pick songs that he liked, rather than songs he could sing well. He doesn’t have a powerful voice, but he does have a sweet tone and a disarming vulnerability. With the right producer, he could make a decent pop record.
I’m wondering why Chris scored so badly this week. Did performing first hurt him? With most of the Idol’s performing well, perhaps it was difficult for Chris to separate from the pack this week.
Six contestants left. Who goes next? Personally, I think it should be Kellie. A Top 5 made up of Chris, Taylor, Katharine, Paris and Elliott sounds right to me. But something tells me that isn’t going to happen.
Next week could bring a few surprises…
