American Idol duets, take two. Let’s get to it.
As I always do, I’ll rate each song on a scale of 0-5 along with a short blurb and then pick my favorite and least favorite performances of the night. For this special episode, my star ratings will reflect the contestants more than the duet as a whole.
Amelia Eisenhower & Kelly Pickler (“Suds In The Bucket” by Sara Evans) - * * * *
While Amelia’s performance last night was only so-so, her opening duet was fun and sassy. She performed well with Kelly Pickler, a big talent and big personality, and stayed on pitch throughout. Was it a tad forgettable? Sure. This isn’t the kind of performance that makes you give a standing O. But it’s an entertaining way to start the show
Kory Wheeler & Haley Reinhart (“Benny & The Jets” by Elton John) - * * * ½
Haley is a pint-sized powerhouse with a distinctively seductive-yet-gruff voice and Kory felt more than a little dwarfed by her star power. He sounded fine, he played fine but it felt like Haley and her back-up singer. A talented back-up singer, sure, but one nevertheless.
Lee Jean & Chris Daughtry (“Home” by Daughtry) - * *
I liked Lee’s Ed Sheeran cover better than the judges. He has such an easy, likable presence on stage. I disagreed with the judges again tonight as I found this an uncomfortably bad mash-up. The song was ill fitting and Lee’s vocals were so shaky and pitchy, he felt like a nervous kid at a high school talent show. He might be ready for a platform like Idol in a few years but not now.
CJ Johnson & David Cook (“The World I Know” by Collective Soul) - * * *
The audience screamed when David Cook started singing, which I don’t think is a positive if you’re CJ. Anyway, It was a “nice” song as Harry put it. They sounded “nice” together. But that’s about it.
Manny Torres & Jordan Sparks (“No Air” by Jordan Sparks & Chris Brown) - * * * ½
Jordan’s coaching actually helped Manny out – he was more connected to the lyrics and showed a good rapport with his partner. But while he sounded better than last night, I just don’t buy him as a superstar. He’s not quite charismatic enough or strong enough vocally. Perhaps he’s better live, but it just doesn’t translate for me.
Jenn Blosil & Constantine Maroulis (“My Funny Valentine” from Babes In Arms) - * * *
I was really digging Jenn’s vocals during the slinky piano-based first verse. Her voice sounds much more suited to this type of jazz than it did on a Justin Bieber track and she brought an honest vulnerability to the oft-covered standard. But things flew off the rails when it transitioned into a funky, sexy, bass-heavy jam. Not just did it not suit Jenn’s voice as well but it totally clashed with the melancholy, wistful lyrics of “Valentine.”
Tristan McIntosh & Kelly Pickler (“Best Days Of Your Life” by Kelly Pickler) - * * *
This (forgettable) Kelly Pickler song was much better suited for Tristan than the vengeful track she did last night. But it is true her inexperience showed in a shaky, strained and occasionally pitchy performance. I feel like Tristan has so, so much potential but it’s not fully coming through yet.
Olivia Rox & David Cook (“Light On” by David Cook) - * * * * ½
Olivia had the best performance so far tonight. She confidently went toe-to-toe with alumni David Cook, she looked beautiful and sang with real panache. She’s a super talented vocalist for sure and this was a great outlet for her.
Adam Lasher & Haley Reinhart (“Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Elvis Presley) - * * *
To me, Ingrid Michaelson has the definitive “Falling In Love” cover, but boy does Haley’s come close. The raw sweetness in voice just perfectly echoes the essence of that song. I’d give her five stars. But Adam’s verse was just OK. He didn’t take any liberties with it, which left the song feeling uninspired and unoriginal. He sounded better than last night but melted into the background a bit too much.
Dalton Rapattoni & Chris Daughtry (“Higher Ground” by Stevie Wonder) - * * * ½
I’m not sure Dalton will become the next Daughtry but he could be the next Constantine, swapping Idol for Broadway. There is no denying Dalton’s talent but he’s more emo rock than Stevie Wonder. He did a serviceable job but didn’t bring that much to the table either.
Trent Harmon & Jordan Sparks (“To Love Somebody” by The Bee Gees) - * * * ½
There was a nice…well, spark between Trent and Jordan (who has one of the best voices to ever graduate from Idol). But I still can’t get over Trent’s uber-affected vocals.
Shelbie Z & Constantine Maroulis (“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen) - * * * * ½
Singing any Queen song, let along “Bohemian Rhapsody,” is a near herculean task. While I sorta get where the judges are coming from, to me it was the fact that a six-minute song was edited down to 90-seconds or so. The stuff we did get from Shelbie was really strong, even though it was outside her genre. She sounded great and matched really well with Constantine.
Best of the night: Olivia
Worst of the night: Lee
Who was sent home: Amelia, Kory, CJ, Adam & Shelbie
Who should have gotten sent home: Lee, Trent, CJ, Manny & Adam