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May 16, 2007
Finale fate
Fox/Michael Becker
The great thing about each of the Final 3 (shown above) singing three songs Tuesday night was that it left little - if any - time for "filler."
There were a couple of silly (read: planned) arguments staged between host Ryan Seacrest and judge Simon Cowell but, other than that, the night focused on the contestants.
As in seasons past, the Final 3 returned to their hometowns, where the mayors in the respective cities received an "urgent" fax from one of the three judges letting a particular contestant know what song that judge had selected for them to sing first.
Also: In Glendale, Ariz., Jordin Sparks got a star on the floor of the mall where she once worked. In Bothell, Wash., Blake Lewis got to beatbox with some celebrities. And in Nashville, Tenn., Melinda Doolittle got a street named after her - Melinda Doolittle Way.
So, here are the high - and in the judges' opinions, low - notes from Tuesday night's competition:
First, the judges' song choices:
* Jordin: Simon picked "Wishing on a Star" by Rose Royce. I thought it was a little odd and Jordin, because of her youth (age 17), had never even heard it before.
Randy Jackson: "This is the point in the season where I'm looking to see who's in it to win it. Who will bring the heat. You harken to a little Beyonce. The run at the end was hot."
Paula Abdul: "Simon picked a good song for you. It's a great way to start the show."
Simon: "You sang it brilliantly. I wish we hadn't done the wicked jazz arrangement with it - I like the original arrangement. It wasn't your best performance."
* Blake: Paula picked "Roxanne" by the Police. I thought it was a perfect choice for Blake, who obviously knew this song by heart.
Randy: "Great, great performance. It was a pretty good vocal. I liked the one hand on the mike. I give you an 'A.' That was hot!"
Paula: "You did me proud. You were fantastic. You changed the phrasing. It was fresh."
Simon: "I would not call it earth-shattering. (With that song) you're always forced to do an impersonation of Sting. That wasn't as good as the original. I can't say it was fantastic."
Hair-styling note: Blake is ever so slowly easing back toward his former pale hair. But will there be enough time for the bleach to take effect?
* Melinda: Randy picked "I Believe in You and Me" by Whitney Houston. What the ...?! My "Idol" cohorts chortled and questioned why Randy is always telling the contestants not to sing Whitney songs, yet he picked one for her. Explanation TK.
Randy: "I wanted to throw some difficulty at you. You gotta be able to pull it off. It's rangy. I thought, 'If she can do this ....' That was hot. I loved the falsetto thing. You blew it out of the box."
Paula: "You were fantastic, amazing. I think it's one of your best performances this season."
Simon: "A very, very difficult song to sing, but it was your best performance in the last four weeks. Round 1 goes to Melinda."
Program note: It was here that Ryan and Simon had some odd exchange about someone being drunk and the need for a break to get a cocktail. That's all well and good, but this banter (or whatever you want to call it) almost always occurs while one of the contestants is awkwardly standing next to Ryan, desperate to get off the stage. Also, when Melinda received her song choice from the mayor of Nashville, she thanked "Randy Johnson." Just a slip. Just the nerves. No harm, no foul. Next batter.
Second, the producers' choices:
* Jordin: The producers picked "She Works Hard for the Money" by Donna Summer. I was pleasantly surprised because we didn't have a "Disco Week" this season. And I didn't think the judges would blast these performances because at least one of the producers - Nigel Lythgowe - was sitting right behind them, but not entirely....
Randy: "Nicely done. It doesn't really matter what song you do, you work it out. That was hot, too."
Paula: "You worked hard for the money tonight! That was fantastic."
Simon: "That (Paula's comment) was hilarious! It was a good performance. I thought the arrangement was a little old-fashioned. The end was very good."
* Blake: The producers picked "This Love" by Maroon 5. Again, I thought it was a perfect song choice. And Blake definitely can work the stage. In other words, he moves.
Randy: "You know what - when you make a record, this is the kind of song you should really include. It's a good vibe for you. Nicely done."
Paula: "I was hoping you would do that song. You were totally in your element. A good night for you."
Simon: "I preferred that to the first song. That sounded confident, not a copycat performance. It was good."
* Melinda: The producers picked "Nut Bush City Limits" by Ike and Tina Turner. An interesting choice and one that definitely would force Melinda to move around. Nothing slow about this song.
Randy: "Another stellar performance. When you make your record, add that to your repertoire."
Paula: "We love you, we love you, we love you! What else can we say?"
Simon: "That's why we hired you for this show, Paula. (As for Melinda), I loved that side of you. Actually, it was another brilliant performance."
Round note: Randy thought Melinda took Round 2; Simon called it a tie, but didn't say who the tie was between.
Third, the contestants' own choices:
* Jordin: She picked "I (Who Have Nothing)," which she performed earlier in the season, i.e. the Shirley Bassey version. Personally, I didn't like it then and I didn't like it Tuesday night. See Simon's comments below.
Randy: "Do you feel good? Another great performance, your best of the night. Way to close it out."
Paula: "It set well in your voice, how it built."
Simon: "There's no disputing the fact you sang it very well. But part of me hated the fact that a 17-year-old is singing a 60-year-old song. I wished you'd chosen a different song."
Critical note: I haven't missed a show this season, and Simon said the exact same thing when Jordin previously sang this song. And, keep in mind, the contestants don't have to choose a song they already had performed. See Blake below.
* Blake: He picked "When I Get You Alone" by Robin Thicke. Dude threw some "Saturday Night Fever" background music into the arrangement. If the singing thing doesn't work out (and it should), Blake could definitely be a producer.
Randy: "I see why you chose that Robin Thicke song. It was all right. I liked the Maroon 5 song better."
Paula: "It exemplifies who you are as an artist. You have three great performances tonight."
Simon: "I actually really like that. Throughout the competition you have taken risks. You don't play it safe. It always looks like you're having fun. Good for you."
* Melinda: She picked "I'm a Woman" by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. What none of the judges picked up on - or at least didn't mention - was that Melinda had the backup singers join her on stage. Remember, she herself was a backup singer? Nice touch.
Randy: "Cool tonight. We're seeing a range of Melinda Doolittle. You can sing anything. Whatever, whatever."
Paula: "You're stepping out into the spotlight. No regrets, no looking back."
Simon: "Melinda, Melinda, I loved the little striptease at the top. (She threw her suit jacket on the ground.) We've known each other 11 weeks. If I'm going to award a place in the finals to the person who has consistently delivered week after week, it would be you."
Afterward, Ryan asked the three judges who they thought should make it to next week's finale. Randy said, "the two girls." Simon said, "I want to see my girl Melinda." Paula, of course, was wishy-washy and wouldn't commit. "I loved all three."
Over at Dialidol.com, it's tight, tight. None of the three contestants appears totally safe. Here are the rankings: Melinda (29.87), Jordin (27.74) and Blake (27.15).
My prediction? I love Blake's creativity and originality, but I don't think it's enough to get him to the finale. So, Ryan probably will be saying "beat it" to him on tonight's results show. OK, that was mean. If he does indeed leave, where will his votes go? It would be interesting because "Idol" would be left with the competition's youngest and oldest contestants.
Posted by Leigh Grogan at May 16, 2007 09:06 AM
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