Shmuel's Soapbox: American Idol Annex

Top 10: Performances

My spoilerish take on the performances follows!

AMERICAN IDOL SEASON SIX -- TOP 10: Gwen Stefani

Gwen Stefani and groups that *inspired* her? Ohhhhkaaaaay.

LaKisha: "Last Dance"
E-nun-ci-ate, LaKisha. (Ironic, coming from me, but I'm not the one vying to be the American Idol.) Underwhelming.

This I foretell: LaKisha's not gonna make it to the final four. Melinda and Jordin are better, and don't leave her much room for keeping a fanbase. (Will this break the "this I foretell" jinx, or vindicate it further? Time will tell...)

Chris S.: "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic"
S'okay. A bit shaky in spots. Simon might call it "karaoke," and he'll be right.

Gina: "I'll Stand By You"
Okay. One of her stronger performances, actually, but not enough to get her support from the sort of fans who like ballads, and I doubt it'll help her rocker cred... that said, if she's gonna have a shot at the title (and I still don't think she does), this would be exactly the sort of thing she needs to do, showing some versatility. So at least she's playing to win.

Sanjaya:
I took this opportunity to use the bathroom. I can't imagine I missed anything important, though I'll probably check the recording later.

Haley: "True Colors"
S'okay. Kinda boring.

Phil: "Every Breath You Take"
S'okay.

Melinda: "Heaven Knows"
So here's the thing. That Melinda's the best singer in this competition is hardly news. The question is whether she's going to keep being happy to be there while coasting along, or whether she's ever going to really fight for the top spot. 'Cause I don't think she's gonna make it unless she makes that transistion. If she's lucky, she'll hit the bottom three first; the question then will be how she reacts. Barring a change in her motivation, I see her making it to #3 at most. And then selling lots of CDs.

Blake: "Lovesong"
Not bad. Blake does have a shot at the title, and this helps showcase his versatility.

Jordin: "Hey Baby"
Let's make this official: I'm predicting a win by Jordin. She's got the voice, she's got the drive, she's got the youthful freshness. If she keeps this up—and I'll grant that this is a big "if"; she can't afford to rest on her laurels—it's a lock.

Chris R.: "Don't Speak"
Gutsy choice, I'll give him that. Got off to a very uninspiring start, but he came alive in the last third.

[recap snippets air]

...good grief. Sanjaya chose "Bathwater"?!

Anyway. I'm voting for Jordin.