Idol Chatter
The way I see it, the world is made up of two types of people; those who love American Idol and those who love to hate American Idol. I of course, hang out with the first group.
While I respect the opinions of all of those (maybe even yourself) who fall in to the second group, I wonder how many of those people have actually seen the show. Are there aspects of American Idol that are cheesy, overdramatic and overrated? Most definitely. But, when done right, American Idol features a bunch of kickass, unsigned performers who can also sing LIVE which is a lot more than I can say for 75% of the signed artists that are being played on the radio today. Britney (cough) Spears.
Since I have watched the show since it's inception, I can honestly compare and contrast the talent from each season and tell you this- each year the talent gets better. For example, this year's worst singer could probably still sing circles around the likes of Justin Guarini or Ruben Studdard. Would Fantasia Barrino even have won had she been up against say, Bo Bice? One will never know, unless of course one day they do an American Idol's All Stars. A girl can dream, can't she?
This year's top 12 is further testament to the great, undiscovered talent that is out there in America. It's truly an embarrassment of riches... as opposed to the top 24 which was riddled with plain ol' embarrassment.
So without further adieu, I will now break down AI's top 12 of 2006. Read on to hear my thoughts, speculations and predictions. And if you're curious about my scorecard? Just check out my resume (aka last year's AI prediction post).
The Girls
1. Melissa McGhee- Melisa is a little rough around the edges, but there's something about her I like. She won't win it all, most likely won't even make the top eight, but I do think the girl can sing. She will most likely be overshadowed by the other "Mc" in the competition, but more on that later.
2. Lisa Tucker- Lisa is one of the youngest, yet most experienced performers in the competition. She's beautiful, she's poised and she's another great role model. But Lisa, who is only 16, has a problem choosing songs better suited for some who is 46. Sure, they show off her vocal range, but they make her seem much older than she really is. I always get this sinking feeling when I'm watching Lisa sing that Ed McMahon is off in the wings somewhere, waiting to give her the 3 and a half stars she deserves, only to be welcomed in to the semi-finals. Definitely deserving of top 12, but the whole shebang? I'm not so sure.
3. Kellie Pickler- Poor Kellie. She's a whole lot of cute, and a barrel full of country. She's also Carrie Underwood, 2.0. No matter how adorable it is to see the "wide-eyed innocent" country bumpkin Kellie do the whole Green Acres thing in Hollywood, I have a sinking suspicion that she can't win it all because AI has been there, done that.
4. Mandisa- Mandisa has a lot of "est's" going for her. She's the oldest girl (29), the biggest girl (we won't go there) and in my opinion, she's also the smartest girl. Why? Because Mandisa's comfort zone is obviously in the realm of big lady R&B. So what does homegirl do week one? She sings a HEART song. Oh yeah. And week two? She follows it up with a Faith Hill ditty, proving she's no dummy. Heart and Hill is where the white people's vote is at and she's proving she can do the white man's overbite better than the whiteman. She sang the hell out of those songs before showing up for week three in her own skin, singing "I'm Every Woman", a fine song that I'm also fine with never hearing again, ever. Don't believe for a second that the order of those song was not strategic. Mandisa has a plan and she will go far if she sticks to it. The proof? It worked on white girl me. You go, girlfriend! Just check the it ain't over till the fat lady sings baggage at the door OK?!
5. Katharine McPhee- Depending on when you ask me, I'd say Katharine is potentially the best, most diverse, female singer in the competition. But I don't know if America is there with me just since she hasn't had a true WOW moment in the competition...yet. I've got McFever though and the only prescription is more Katharine.
6. Paris Bennett- If you looked up the word 'adorable' in the dictionary, we'd always have Paris. At 17, she inevitably will be compared to Lisa and I'll tell ya, I haven't been this excited about an R&B comparison since Brandy and Monica duked it out on the 1997 hit, "The Boy Is Mine". But seriously, Paris is good, hot on the heels of Katharine and Mandisa in my book, if not the leader of the pack. Her smoky, mini me Gladys Knight rendition of "Midnight Train To Georgia" was hands down, the best female vocal (and performance piece) this season so far. But not unlike Lisa, in the back of my mind I sometimes hear a voice that reminds me she was groomed from this, probaby since before she started talking, especially so since singing runs in her family. She's worthy, but she needs to work on coming off as a little less pageanty. I mean "Wind Beneath My Wings"? Need I say more?
The Boys
1. Kevin Covais- When you first look at Kevin, you might think of the quintessential poster boy for high school nerds everywhere, stuffed into locker rooms across this country. But then Kevin opens his mouth and you realize he actually can sing. He's also seemingly got a pretty good sense of humor about himself. And before you know it, he's like the Lucas of American Idol. He won't win, but he'll have fun regardless.
2. Bucky Covington- Follow me here. Bucky is to Kellie Pickler as Kellie Pickler was to Carrie Underwood (see above). In other words, Kellie and Bucky both have "green" written all over them, though knowing that, they handle the pressure really well. Bucky does the country thing proud, but I don't think he's hit one out of the park yet. I hope he gets to though before he, inevitably, goes home.
3. Elliott Yamin- Keeping in tradition of "idols who don't look like they'd be idols" there's Elliot Yamin. I know this sounds cruel, but when I first looked at Elliott I saw a slow, well intentioned janitor. He might have a working class look, but a first class voice. As if I wasn't sold on his talent already, my boy comes out and says he has 90% hearing loss in one ear! Some might think that's a cheap ploy for votes, I say that's mad skills. Over just a few short weeks Elliott has won me over and is quickly becoming one of my favorite contestants, period.
4. Ace Young- Let's get the obvious out of the way. ACE IS THE PRETTY ONE. You know it. I know it. Ace knows it. Pretty boy Ace is the cute, Jordan Catalano, Jake Ryan dreamboat who sat in the back of your creative writing class who only spoke once in a blue moon but when he did, it was brilliant and beautiful and made your heart just MELT. Yes, pretty boy Ace is this season's resident heartthrob, but the real question is can he sing? After hearing his dead on rendition of "Father Figure" even I was psyched, but with such a high, quiet voice I'm afraid he might have some trouble finding his footing in the week's theme nights.
5. Taylor Hicks- Before there was a top 12, before there was even a top 24, one contestant and one contestant alone stole my heart. That contestant was none other than Mr. Taylor "Soul Patrol" Hicks. Taylor is talented, but he's also crazy. Taylor's an enigma as he is the grey haired white boy who somehow thinks he is both black AND blind. Sometimes he looks like George Clooney. Other times he reminds me of Dermot Mulroney, the later years. He's equal parts Joe Cocker, Ray Charles, and Michael McDonald, all established unique artists in his own right. But while he obviously is strongly influenced by all three, he still somehow manages to pull off being unique. There's just something about Taylor. I wouldn't doubt it if he won it all. It's impossible to not smile when Taylor is on screen. Go ahead, I dare you.
6. Chris Daughtry- This just goes to show you how good the contestants are this year, the men in particular. For weeks I thought for sure Taylor was going to be my favorite (which in many ways he still is) but then Chris came along and man, can that boy sing. Chris has the sexiest, most dramatic voice in the competition, bar none. His angst ridden rock runs circles around the likes of Constantine Maroulis. He sings ten times better than half of the rock bands on the radio today, but it doesn't surprise me he hasn't made it yet. In Jersey, guys like Chris are not all that uncommon to come across fronting great cover bands. Some of those guys can really, truly sing but most of America will never know it, or at least never hear them sing anything bigger then "Sweet Caroline" to a group of drunken imbeciles at 2am. Lucky for us, Chris is breaking the mold.
So there you have it, my take on American Idol's top 12 for 2006. If you have made it this far, and watch the show like I do, let me know your thoughts.
While I respect the opinions of all of those (maybe even yourself) who fall in to the second group, I wonder how many of those people have actually seen the show. Are there aspects of American Idol that are cheesy, overdramatic and overrated? Most definitely. But, when done right, American Idol features a bunch of kickass, unsigned performers who can also sing LIVE which is a lot more than I can say for 75% of the signed artists that are being played on the radio today. Britney (cough) Spears.
Since I have watched the show since it's inception, I can honestly compare and contrast the talent from each season and tell you this- each year the talent gets better. For example, this year's worst singer could probably still sing circles around the likes of Justin Guarini or Ruben Studdard. Would Fantasia Barrino even have won had she been up against say, Bo Bice? One will never know, unless of course one day they do an American Idol's All Stars. A girl can dream, can't she?
This year's top 12 is further testament to the great, undiscovered talent that is out there in America. It's truly an embarrassment of riches... as opposed to the top 24 which was riddled with plain ol' embarrassment.
So without further adieu, I will now break down AI's top 12 of 2006. Read on to hear my thoughts, speculations and predictions. And if you're curious about my scorecard? Just check out my resume (aka last year's AI prediction post).
The Girls
1. Melissa McGhee- Melisa is a little rough around the edges, but there's something about her I like. She won't win it all, most likely won't even make the top eight, but I do think the girl can sing. She will most likely be overshadowed by the other "Mc" in the competition, but more on that later.
2. Lisa Tucker- Lisa is one of the youngest, yet most experienced performers in the competition. She's beautiful, she's poised and she's another great role model. But Lisa, who is only 16, has a problem choosing songs better suited for some who is 46. Sure, they show off her vocal range, but they make her seem much older than she really is. I always get this sinking feeling when I'm watching Lisa sing that Ed McMahon is off in the wings somewhere, waiting to give her the 3 and a half stars she deserves, only to be welcomed in to the semi-finals. Definitely deserving of top 12, but the whole shebang? I'm not so sure.
3. Kellie Pickler- Poor Kellie. She's a whole lot of cute, and a barrel full of country. She's also Carrie Underwood, 2.0. No matter how adorable it is to see the "wide-eyed innocent" country bumpkin Kellie do the whole Green Acres thing in Hollywood, I have a sinking suspicion that she can't win it all because AI has been there, done that.
4. Mandisa- Mandisa has a lot of "est's" going for her. She's the oldest girl (29), the biggest girl (we won't go there) and in my opinion, she's also the smartest girl. Why? Because Mandisa's comfort zone is obviously in the realm of big lady R&B. So what does homegirl do week one? She sings a HEART song. Oh yeah. And week two? She follows it up with a Faith Hill ditty, proving she's no dummy. Heart and Hill is where the white people's vote is at and she's proving she can do the white man's overbite better than the whiteman. She sang the hell out of those songs before showing up for week three in her own skin, singing "I'm Every Woman", a fine song that I'm also fine with never hearing again, ever. Don't believe for a second that the order of those song was not strategic. Mandisa has a plan and she will go far if she sticks to it. The proof? It worked on white girl me. You go, girlfriend! Just check the it ain't over till the fat lady sings baggage at the door OK?!
5. Katharine McPhee- Depending on when you ask me, I'd say Katharine is potentially the best, most diverse, female singer in the competition. But I don't know if America is there with me just since she hasn't had a true WOW moment in the competition...yet. I've got McFever though and the only prescription is more Katharine.
6. Paris Bennett- If you looked up the word 'adorable' in the dictionary, we'd always have Paris. At 17, she inevitably will be compared to Lisa and I'll tell ya, I haven't been this excited about an R&B comparison since Brandy and Monica duked it out on the 1997 hit, "The Boy Is Mine". But seriously, Paris is good, hot on the heels of Katharine and Mandisa in my book, if not the leader of the pack. Her smoky, mini me Gladys Knight rendition of "Midnight Train To Georgia" was hands down, the best female vocal (and performance piece) this season so far. But not unlike Lisa, in the back of my mind I sometimes hear a voice that reminds me she was groomed from this, probaby since before she started talking, especially so since singing runs in her family. She's worthy, but she needs to work on coming off as a little less pageanty. I mean "Wind Beneath My Wings"? Need I say more?
The Boys
1. Kevin Covais- When you first look at Kevin, you might think of the quintessential poster boy for high school nerds everywhere, stuffed into locker rooms across this country. But then Kevin opens his mouth and you realize he actually can sing. He's also seemingly got a pretty good sense of humor about himself. And before you know it, he's like the Lucas of American Idol. He won't win, but he'll have fun regardless.
2. Bucky Covington- Follow me here. Bucky is to Kellie Pickler as Kellie Pickler was to Carrie Underwood (see above). In other words, Kellie and Bucky both have "green" written all over them, though knowing that, they handle the pressure really well. Bucky does the country thing proud, but I don't think he's hit one out of the park yet. I hope he gets to though before he, inevitably, goes home.
3. Elliott Yamin- Keeping in tradition of "idols who don't look like they'd be idols" there's Elliot Yamin. I know this sounds cruel, but when I first looked at Elliott I saw a slow, well intentioned janitor. He might have a working class look, but a first class voice. As if I wasn't sold on his talent already, my boy comes out and says he has 90% hearing loss in one ear! Some might think that's a cheap ploy for votes, I say that's mad skills. Over just a few short weeks Elliott has won me over and is quickly becoming one of my favorite contestants, period.
4. Ace Young- Let's get the obvious out of the way. ACE IS THE PRETTY ONE. You know it. I know it. Ace knows it. Pretty boy Ace is the cute, Jordan Catalano, Jake Ryan dreamboat who sat in the back of your creative writing class who only spoke once in a blue moon but when he did, it was brilliant and beautiful and made your heart just MELT. Yes, pretty boy Ace is this season's resident heartthrob, but the real question is can he sing? After hearing his dead on rendition of "Father Figure" even I was psyched, but with such a high, quiet voice I'm afraid he might have some trouble finding his footing in the week's theme nights.
5. Taylor Hicks- Before there was a top 12, before there was even a top 24, one contestant and one contestant alone stole my heart. That contestant was none other than Mr. Taylor "Soul Patrol" Hicks. Taylor is talented, but he's also crazy. Taylor's an enigma as he is the grey haired white boy who somehow thinks he is both black AND blind. Sometimes he looks like George Clooney. Other times he reminds me of Dermot Mulroney, the later years. He's equal parts Joe Cocker, Ray Charles, and Michael McDonald, all established unique artists in his own right. But while he obviously is strongly influenced by all three, he still somehow manages to pull off being unique. There's just something about Taylor. I wouldn't doubt it if he won it all. It's impossible to not smile when Taylor is on screen. Go ahead, I dare you.
6. Chris Daughtry- This just goes to show you how good the contestants are this year, the men in particular. For weeks I thought for sure Taylor was going to be my favorite (which in many ways he still is) but then Chris came along and man, can that boy sing. Chris has the sexiest, most dramatic voice in the competition, bar none. His angst ridden rock runs circles around the likes of Constantine Maroulis. He sings ten times better than half of the rock bands on the radio today, but it doesn't surprise me he hasn't made it yet. In Jersey, guys like Chris are not all that uncommon to come across fronting great cover bands. Some of those guys can really, truly sing but most of America will never know it, or at least never hear them sing anything bigger then "Sweet Caroline" to a group of drunken imbeciles at 2am. Lucky for us, Chris is breaking the mold.
So there you have it, my take on American Idol's top 12 for 2006. If you have made it this far, and watch the show like I do, let me know your thoughts.
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