American Idol top 8 Night

Today marks the week of the song from the contestants’ birth year on AI.
Danny Gokey is the first to start, who gave a pretty strong performance for the others to chase on. Can’t exactly put my hand on it, it’s not fantastic, but it ain’t bad. Danny did his originality twist on the song, it’s romantic to start with, just that the arrangement is a bit strange.
Kris Allen is up next. I thought he’d blow out and really get the show heat up. But Kris burn this week, he start “All She want to do is dance” off beat and off key a bit. It seems that the off stage area to perform is a death spot for most contestants that’s brave enough to take on it.
The arrangement is a bit still 80’s. doesn’t sound at all cool and modern like Kris did before. Sure he shows his chops on the guitar again. even the judges didn’t agree with the performance. But with his popularity I think he’s going to be safe. Definitely a big No, No to not wear a ear plugged sound monitor on that stage. Too many distraction and too far from the sound monitor.
Lil Round follow up to Kris ain’t fantatic either. She is going more and more closer to impersonator than a original singer. She take on Tina Turnerm What’s Love Gotta Do With It. She look a bit like Brandy on that stage really. There’s no doubt she can sings but can she turn a song into an original and her own is the question now.
Anoop Desai, this week, he got it just right. He show the judges his “True Color”. Sounding even more like an American than any Caucasian, his rendition on the 80’s classic in modern and totally original. I wish he did a country twist on it. But I guess that’s too much to ask. You won’t see and Cindi Lauper in it but there are times when he got close to the girls range and makes it a bit strange. He is in control though.
Scott is up next and this time he take on guitar. Different, but by now it’s not enough for me. Old habits die hard. That awkwardness that he tweak off on country week is continuously coming back and if he cannot orchestrate to arrange the vocal to suits his singing then sooner or later it will be the cause of his failure in the show. I do applaud him to be able to go on stage every week and perform. But regardless of other factor, the singing is the main talent and Scott just ain’t there yet.
Allison takes on “I Can’t Make You Love Me”, He sound even sexier than the original and totally own the Bonnie Rhatt Classic. And when she belted out that perfect high notes. I say, finally, finally, she’s there.
Perfect score all the way
Matt Giraud is up next, it’s Stevie turn 21sst Century R&B Jazz. Matt is back to his sexy, JT-esque zone. A few notes is off when she try to dance, but he sound ridiculously hot on stage and there’s no doubt he’d rise to the occasion and above the murky water of last week’s dead pond.
The last person to close the show of course is Adam Lambert. It started really theatrical, and his sound is going more and more gothic with the song. This time the arrangement is a bit strange. The timing of the pitch and peaks is a bit off beat. Simon gave a standing ovation for the performance though. I give it to him that he is different.
If purely judging from performance. Originality, on stage presence and singing ability
The ranking should be
1.Allison
2. Matt Giraud
3.Danny Gokey
4. Anoop Desai
5.Adam Lambert
6.Kris Allen
7. Lil Rounds
8. Scott
But if we take in the popularity the range is a shake up
1. Adam Lambert
2. Danny Gokey
3. Kris Allen
4. Matt Giraud
5. Allison
6. Anoop Desai
7. Scott
8. Lil Rounds
So we’ll see which prevail.