A few episodes ago, they asked the contestants which American Idol performance impacted them the most. While I’ve been watching for nearly all of its 15-year run and there are a ton to choose from, if they asked me I might have to go with something from Adam Lambert’s tenure on the show. While I’m not the biggest fan of the electro-pop Lambert has made since Idol, I’ll go out on a limb and say that he might be the most vocally talented American Idol alumn ever. Seriously, check out the chops here, here and especially here. So, it’s great to see him get a spot on the Grand Idol Reunion Tour. But tonight’s not about Adam, it’s about the dwindling finalists in this truncated season.
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.
ROUND ONE:
Trent Harmon (“Counting Stars” by OneRepublic) - **
Ah, we’ve got America’s Choice tonight, a dubious twist for a show whose success lives and dies on song choice. And boy did America choose wrong for Trent. Instead of a homespun ballad, a genre which at least he succeeds at, America chose a frothy, poppy number that’s better suited to a DJ booth than a singing competition. He had no real melody to play with and the fast-paced lyrics didn’t offer Trent any time to breath. But worse was Trent’s detached, throw-up-my-hands approach that seemed to be signaling that the song did him in long before show time.
Dalton Rapattoni (“Numb” by Linkin Park) – * * *
Another victim of poor song choice, Dalton was given a ho-hum, melodramatic early ‘00s track that never quite came together. The arrangement was bland and so was Dalton’s vocals, resulting in a forgettable performance that won’t win Dalton any points. Was it bad? Not quite. Yes, there were a few pitch problems but at least Dalton put some thought and heart into the lyrics.
La’Porsha Renae (“Ready For Love” by India.Arie) - * * * * ½
The last few week’s I’ve given La’Porsha straight five stars, which is pretty unheard of in terms of my Idol reviews. There’s just not anything to critique with her. I’m glad La’Porsha brought it down this week to a more tender ballad and, as always, her vocals were utterly impeccable. She is, without a doubt, the best vocalist this year and perhaps one of the best vocalists to ever stand on that Idol stage. Personally, I couldn’t help but find the India.Arie ballad a touch sleepy and it seemed to stop just when La’Porsha was really digging in her heals and getting going. But those are minor, minor quibbles.
MacKenzie Bourg (“Wild World” by Cat Stevens) - * *
On paper, “Wild World” is a great song choice for MacKenzie. If he had sat on a stool and sang it playing the acoustic guitar we could have had a real moment. But instead he rearranged that song into a forgettable, beachy Jason Mraz-lite track that did him no favors. It took the soul out of the Cat Stevens classic and forced MacKenzie to make questionable changes to the melody.
Tristan McIntosh (“Independence Day” by Martina McBride) - * * * ½
The good news is that this was probably Tristan’s best vocal performance to date. Despite the song being pitched a tad low, her crystal clear belt really shone on the chorus. It was also really nice to see her play piano and sing a straightforward melody. But the plasticy quality I wrote about last week is still here. I’m not saying young people can’t sing dramatic songs, but I’m just not buying her second offering about spousal abuse, sung with just a bit more emotionality than shampoo jingle.
Sonika Vaid (“Let It Go” from Frozen/Demi Lovato version) - * * * *
“Let It Go” is a behemoth of a song. It’s given Idina Menzel (a tremendously gifted singer) a run for her money at the Oscars and completely stumped Idol contestant Majesty Rose back in Season 13. But while Sonika didn’t fully muster the power and charisma Menzel brings to the song (or Demi Lovato for that matter), it wasn’t nearly as disappointing as Majesty’s (that falsetto-ed “storm rage on” still makes me sad). In fact, it was most definitely a success, with some very strong vocal moments. Sonika needs to work a bit on pitch and connecting with these bigger songs, but she’s getting better each and every week.
ROUND TWO:
Dalton Rapattoni (“The Sound of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel) – * * * * ½
I spoke earlier about Adam Lambert and this was certain a very Lambert-ian arrangement, the exact kind of song he would have killed back on his year. The arrangement was great, Dalton interpreted the lyrics superbly and his performance was pretty spellbinding. I would have loved to give him five stars, but a number of off-key moments (especially at the end of phrases) made me unable to. If he can fix that, Dalton has unlimited possibilities.
MacKenzie Bourg (“Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson) - * * * * ½
This is exactly where MacKenzie should be, flipping an often-covered MJ track into an irresistible acoustic ditty. Like him or not, this is most definitely MacKenzie’s sweet spot. Is he the most vocally talented person on the Idol stage? No. Here’s not even in the top three. When he gets in his Ed Sheeran lane, there’s no one who can touch him.
Trent Harmon (“Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd) - * * * * ½
Another great song choice for Trent, who moved Lynyrd Skynyrd’s signature arpeggioed guitar part into the acoustic realm. The backwoods ballad fit Trent like a glove and he delivered his best vocal to date. Heartfelt and assured, this basically assures Trent a shot at the title.
Sonika Vaid (“Clarity” by Zedd) - * * *
I don’t know (and don’t particularly care) if electronic dance pop is the kind of music Sonika eventually wants to make, but it’s a bad move for Idol. The Zedd track has no real emotionality behind it for Sonika to dive into and a lackluster, repeated melody that never goes anywhere. To compensate, I think, Sonika ran all over the stage to engage the audience, resulting in a breathy and somewhat behind-the-beat performance. I’m glad she led with “Let It Go.”
La’Porsha Renae (“No More Drama” by Mary J. Blijge) - * * * * ½
OK, I know emotions were high in the room but somehow they didn’t fully translate into my living room. Not that it wasn’t good – it was pretty amazing – but it didn’t quite grab me the way it did the judges and the studio audience (or the way Kelly Clarkson's did a few weeks ago). Perhaps it felt like La’Porsha’s brimming tears made her hold back vocally, maybe it was that (for the first time) her vocals felt a bit underbaked and not fully in the pocket. But, then again, La’Porsha continues to be the MVP of Season 15 whether she wins or not.
Best of the night: Dalton’s “Sound of Silence”
Worst of the night: MacKenzie’s “Wild World”
Who Went Home: Tristan
Who Should Have Home: Tristan