Now *that's* what I'm talking about!
Finally, a show that proves that each and every one of the Fab Four deserves their spot in the semi-finals, and that any of the four could be a worthy Idol. Last night's show surpassed all the others in my opinion, and leaves the stage set for what Idols ultimately boils down to: a popularity contest. Based on last night's stellar performances, it's all going to come down to fanbase. I think this week will mark the true end of split-votes as people begin focusing on their favorite and fighting tooth and nail to see them through to the final.
I've dogged her in the past, and I've predicted her elimination more times than I have for any one else, but Miss Nicky "Forget Colin, Give Me Gareth" de Lange has proven herself to be a force to be reckoned with. Two huge songs, and she pulled them both off amazingly - especially impressive considering that she apparently is sick with tonsillitis. The Big Ballad is to Nicky what Spinach is to Popeye, which is somewhat surprising in light of her age. Not a lot of 18 year olds are capable of belting out such powerful songs, especially not the way that she has. It took a long time, but Nicky has finally won me over completely, and I'm looking forward to seeing what she has to offer in the future.
Another contestant who started out as one of my most criticized, yet rose to the top of my regard is the lovely Miss V "Don't Get Mad, Get in the Finals" Lalouette, who also is battling the tonsillitis bug. Drawing something of an apology from Mara (does "I probably owe you an apology" count as an actual apology? Eh, I'll take what I can get) V brought a little variety to the stage as she delivered an energetic rendition of "Rhythm of the Night" (which is not by Gloria Estefan! Nobody listens to me anymore), followed by a spine-tingling take on Diana Ross' "Touch Me in the Morning". Those first few notes of her second song were awe-inspiring, and possibly the best I've ever heard any contestant sound in this season. Overall, her second song outshone her first, and even Mara had to acknowledge the likelihood that V will be in the finals next week, which is about as big a compliment as Mara could have given her. As Dave said, maybe V doesn't connect with all the judges on the panel, but she definitely has a connection with much of the audience. Dave, with his increased focus on audience reaction over his own personal opinion, has earned his place as my favorite judge: always constructive, always even-handed, (not always right), it's clear why Dave holds the position that he does and even if the judges do get a 49% of the vote, I'd be willing to be that Dave holds 19% of that, and I'll trust his judgement however he decides to wield it.
I don't know if there are any bookies making odds on this year's winner, but if there are, I imagine Karin "The Only Apples I'll Be Picking are From a Fruit Basket" holds the post as favorite to win. While she may not have the "complete package" that most people think of when they think of an Idol, she has another package all wrapped up: the ultimate human interest story - from drab to fab, rags to riches, and some other cliches that I can't think of at the moment. The fact that she has one of the most beautiful voices this year is just gravy, and the combination together makes her a tough one to beat. She performed both songs beautifully last night, and resisted the urge to turn Whitney Houston's song into an overwrought dramafest and instead made it her best performance of the night. Clear, simple, unaffected: throughout this competition, Karin has stayed true to the the things that make her stand out.
If I were a teenager, there is has been only one contestant this year whose poster would have ranked a beloved spot above my bed: Gift "To South Africa" Gwe. Now here is someone who possesses that other complete package: talent, charm, looks, and a megadose of cool. He nailed his Lionel Richie number, and made being so good look so easy. And he handled his big George Michael selection perfectly: powerful, yet controlled, and just all-over good. There are no suns going down here: the sun is just rising on a new future for Gift, and it looks like it's gonna be a bright one.
And then there was Westlife. I'm not a big Westlife fan, but I was still looking forward to their performance. All I can say is, I was underwhelmed. I have a few suspicions about their performance, but I'll wait until I've seen it on TV to voice them (trying my hand at that ol' Colin Moss suspense, see) but my overall impression of them was that they were an unapproachable group of ultra-celebrities whose presence did nothing to add to the show in my opinion. I took a few pictures of them during the show, but I'm not sure that I'll be able to post them, because a certain grumpy bodyguard informed me rather firmly that I was not to take pictures from where I was sitting. (Bad angle?) They left immediately after the show, leaving a sizeable crowd of hopeful fans disappointed, though they were quickly cheered by the appearance of the real stars, their Idols.
I did manage to get pictures of everyone else though in one form or another (gets a lot easier when there are only 4 contestants to chase around instead of 12!). I'll probably post those tomorrow - if I can get through tonight's results show first. My pre-show prediction was for Gift and Nicky to leave, and I guess I'll stick by that, though I have to say, I really don't expect to be right. Absolutely anything could happen now, and it really is anybody's game. But I do feel confident that two will leave tonight, and no matter which two it is, it will probably be the most difficult Results show yet.
I've dogged her in the past, and I've predicted her elimination more times than I have for any one else, but Miss Nicky "Forget Colin, Give Me Gareth" de Lange has proven herself to be a force to be reckoned with. Two huge songs, and she pulled them both off amazingly - especially impressive considering that she apparently is sick with tonsillitis. The Big Ballad is to Nicky what Spinach is to Popeye, which is somewhat surprising in light of her age. Not a lot of 18 year olds are capable of belting out such powerful songs, especially not the way that she has. It took a long time, but Nicky has finally won me over completely, and I'm looking forward to seeing what she has to offer in the future.
Another contestant who started out as one of my most criticized, yet rose to the top of my regard is the lovely Miss V "Don't Get Mad, Get in the Finals" Lalouette, who also is battling the tonsillitis bug. Drawing something of an apology from Mara (does "I probably owe you an apology" count as an actual apology? Eh, I'll take what I can get) V brought a little variety to the stage as she delivered an energetic rendition of "Rhythm of the Night" (which is not by Gloria Estefan! Nobody listens to me anymore), followed by a spine-tingling take on Diana Ross' "Touch Me in the Morning". Those first few notes of her second song were awe-inspiring, and possibly the best I've ever heard any contestant sound in this season. Overall, her second song outshone her first, and even Mara had to acknowledge the likelihood that V will be in the finals next week, which is about as big a compliment as Mara could have given her. As Dave said, maybe V doesn't connect with all the judges on the panel, but she definitely has a connection with much of the audience. Dave, with his increased focus on audience reaction over his own personal opinion, has earned his place as my favorite judge: always constructive, always even-handed, (not always right), it's clear why Dave holds the position that he does and even if the judges do get a 49% of the vote, I'd be willing to be that Dave holds 19% of that, and I'll trust his judgement however he decides to wield it.
I don't know if there are any bookies making odds on this year's winner, but if there are, I imagine Karin "The Only Apples I'll Be Picking are From a Fruit Basket" holds the post as favorite to win. While she may not have the "complete package" that most people think of when they think of an Idol, she has another package all wrapped up: the ultimate human interest story - from drab to fab, rags to riches, and some other cliches that I can't think of at the moment. The fact that she has one of the most beautiful voices this year is just gravy, and the combination together makes her a tough one to beat. She performed both songs beautifully last night, and resisted the urge to turn Whitney Houston's song into an overwrought dramafest and instead made it her best performance of the night. Clear, simple, unaffected: throughout this competition, Karin has stayed true to the the things that make her stand out.
If I were a teenager, there is has been only one contestant this year whose poster would have ranked a beloved spot above my bed: Gift "To South Africa" Gwe. Now here is someone who possesses that other complete package: talent, charm, looks, and a megadose of cool. He nailed his Lionel Richie number, and made being so good look so easy. And he handled his big George Michael selection perfectly: powerful, yet controlled, and just all-over good. There are no suns going down here: the sun is just rising on a new future for Gift, and it looks like it's gonna be a bright one.
And then there was Westlife. I'm not a big Westlife fan, but I was still looking forward to their performance. All I can say is, I was underwhelmed. I have a few suspicions about their performance, but I'll wait until I've seen it on TV to voice them (trying my hand at that ol' Colin Moss suspense, see) but my overall impression of them was that they were an unapproachable group of ultra-celebrities whose presence did nothing to add to the show in my opinion. I took a few pictures of them during the show, but I'm not sure that I'll be able to post them, because a certain grumpy bodyguard informed me rather firmly that I was not to take pictures from where I was sitting. (Bad angle?) They left immediately after the show, leaving a sizeable crowd of hopeful fans disappointed, though they were quickly cheered by the appearance of the real stars, their Idols.
I did manage to get pictures of everyone else though in one form or another (gets a lot easier when there are only 4 contestants to chase around instead of 12!). I'll probably post those tomorrow - if I can get through tonight's results show first. My pre-show prediction was for Gift and Nicky to leave, and I guess I'll stick by that, though I have to say, I really don't expect to be right. Absolutely anything could happen now, and it really is anybody's game. But I do feel confident that two will leave tonight, and no matter which two it is, it will probably be the most difficult Results show yet.
posted by Julie at
11:03 PM
