Final 11: Grand Ole Opry

Country night, or in Season 8’s case “Grand Ole Opry” night…always a tough night for contestants on American Idol, and tonight had its ups and downs. For me, there seemed to be a role reversal with the front runners faltering a bit and the underdogs stepping up. This is an interesting season. Also, what was with Paula last night and fumbling and stuttering over every comment she made. Settle down little Lady! Anyway, let the discussion begin…

Michael Sarver – We kick it off with the 1 contestant I have been saying I feel is made for country music. Perhaps, I should take that back now though. No, actually it was more about a terrible song choice. I mean, come on, why even do that to yourself? This is THE week to do your absolute best so that you can secure a spot on tour and continue your exposure after the show ends. Picking this Garth song was vocal suicide. He fumbled some words, no real surprise, and just came off cheesy to me. It’s a shame because he has a nice voice. Also, Michael should bite his tongue a little when being critiqued. Too much talking back is never good. I’m so tired of the “I had a lot of fun” comment that we keep hearing from contestants when the judges give them a bad review. Yes, fun is nice, but great singing is what wins the show people.

Allison Iraheta – This girl just does NOT look or sound 16 or 17 to me, which we keep seeing commented about on the show as well. I swear we are going to find out down the road that this girl is actually like 24 years old or something and lied about her age. Either way, she did an ok job and kept true to her style. She is more of a shouter than a singer I think. Her voice reminds me of Miley Cyrus which is helping her because she is current. She doesn’t have much of a range though, so she has to keep it in the pocket when choosing songs. Allison continues the talking back to the judge’s routine like Michael. Hey guess what, she had fun! Ugh.

Kris Allen – I am still amazed every week that this guy, who had no screen time prior to the Semi Finals, made it through to this point. I mean, he has a nice voice, but so did Ricky Braddy (a better singer in my opinion). Just wonder who his fan base is. Ladies, are his looks THAT great? Anywho, tonight was a good night. He kept it simple, the arrangement was great and his voice was right on (minus the one cracked note). Nothing super fantastic, but solid performance.

Lil Rounds – I have been on the fence about Little Lil (LOL…funny Simon moment) and this week makes me lean more towards the fact that she is overrated. She wanted to make it less R&B and “pay tribute to the artist and the genre”…she should NEVER do that again. Her voice was flat and had no life in it. Her power notes were just under the pitch too. In all, it fell short for me. I just am not sure what kind of an artist she would be in the music world. I would not rush out to buy her CD if she made one. I wonder how many people would? Are the producers telling the contestants to talk back tonight?? Why is this happening so much? I hate it. Be quiet Lil. You NEVER interrupt or talk over Simon Cowell!! GEEZ!

Adam Lambert – Could his reel with Randy Travis be anymore awkward? Randy Travis obviously says whatever he thinks with no filter. Anyway, Adam does a country song HIS way. I am glad that he held back vocally and was not over the top. I am always impressed by his vocal abilities. He goes into his upper register (which is phenomenally high) with ease and little effort. Wow. I think he did a good job and owned it. I am sure Johnny Cash is turning over in his grave though. LOL

Scott McIntrye – Seriously, Martina McBride? I am sorry, I know I am a broken record, but I just do not feel Scott is a strong enough vocalist to be on this show. I understand he is endearing to people with his story, but his vocals are subpar. It’s funny, as soon as I saw him at the piano I thought, “is this all we are going to get from him every week”? Then Paula is bold enough to actually say it! I’m sorry but I just don’t like listening to him and I can’t bear watching him with his crazy facial expressions. Anyway, I know he will continue to be around for a while and I just have to suck it up and deal.

Alexis Grace – Oh little Alexis with the big voice, tonight was kind of boring. Not sure why she picked this song when there are so many more bluesy country songs she could have done. Honestly, in the words of Simon, this was a forgettable performance for me. Not much to say about it. Ok, Alexis is in talk-back mode too. Is anyone else tired of the “dirty” references?

Danny Gokey – Ok, we all know my devotion to Danny as he is my pick to win it all. However…tonight Danny sacrificed the beginning of the song in order to do his trademark power vocals in the chorus. The start of the song was weak and, although I knew he would kick into high gear in the last half, it made me not enjoy the WHOLE performance. He needs to be careful with this. Yes, his power vocals are his trademark, but he needs to be sure he chooses songs/keys in which he can be strong through the whole song. This might mean not choosing female songs, which he seems to enjoy doing. Anyway, one he hit his stride

Anoop Desai – Anoop Dog did a much better job this week; he wins “Most Improved”. He showed he does have a voice and did a great rendition of the song. The one contestant that I figured as a throw away for this week may have just turned the tide. On top of a good performance, he was center stage with Jorge last week, so if he has a good enough fan base, they will be voting hard for him as well to make sure he is safe. This could provide a deadly combination for someone who might have been expected to last longer.

Megan Joy – My favorite female this season. She is unique AND the girl knows how to pick songs that fit her voice and style. Is she the strongest vocalist, obviously not, but she stands out and brings something different to the competition. Her voice is reminiscent of something you might hear back in the 1940’s. A solid performance from Megan AND on top of having a very serious flu virus! The girl is a champ!

Matt Giraud – Ok, it is on now! Matt is not messing around! Here is an example of a guy taking a female song and changing it so that he can have strong vocals from start to finish. Seriously, this was my overall favorite of the night! It was emotional and moving and fantastic! Kara says there is “nothing small” about Matt…easy Kara you are moving into Paula territory. THANK GOD Simon acknowledged the fact that Matt has been lost in the shadows and deserves much more credit then he has received so far. Matt is slowly but surely making his way to an upset.

So, with the weaker being stronger this week and the stronger not as strong, who will be in the bottom 3 and who will go home? I think this week we will see Michael, Alexis and Megan (only because I’m not sure how strong Megan’s fan base is) in the bottom 3. With the poorest performance and also the deadly 1st spot of the night this week, I think Michael will go home. However, I would not be surprised by an upset of Alexis being sent home. If that happens, will the judges use their “save”? I doubt they would. I know they are saving that for a potential Danny or Lil or Adam surprise appearance in the bottom 3. Last week I was 100% right with my predictions; let’s see how this week goes.