american idol: top 24, guys night

There are only a scant few male contestants that have caught my ear this year.

Todrick Hall started things off. He's a bit of a controversial figure, but he has the experience, the style, and the chops to go places in the competition. He overdid it with his funkified Since You Been Gone, though. It showed flashes of brilliance obscured and muddled by a heavy arrangement and a near-nonexistant melody. He's got guts, but his riffs aren't as flexible and clean as he thinks they are.

Aaron Kelly strikes me as the kind of kid that producers put through because he's a cute, young guy that can be fodder for the first few rounds of cuts. However, he sang better than I would have given him credit for. I doubt he'll have any original arrangements or ground-breaking sounds, but he's strong enough.

Jermaine Sellers almost made me cry. He was SO BAD. His pitch was EVERYWHERE, and his high tone is disGUSting. He shouldn't try to sing high, and I hope he gets cut fast, because that was abysmal.

No one on Idol has ever chosen Apologize for themselves. David Archuleta (season 7) sang it with OneRepublic for the finale (non-judged), and even he, with an incredible sense of pitch and decent high range, had problems. OneRepublic can't sing Apologize in tune live most of the time. Kris Allen did an admirable job of it last year when it was chosen FOR him, but he didn't try to sing the highest part every time. Anyway, Tim Urban couldn't pull off the song. His voice lacked depth, he couldn't reach the high notes reliably, and only his underdog status might keep him alive.

Joe Munoz sounded shaky to me, but the judges didn't comment on it. His performance came across as a bit karaoke to me, and the scarf didn't work for the outfit, but his voice was better than I was expecting.

I'm embarrassed for Tyler Grady. Not enough grit in his voice, a predictable song, not enough star power, not enough genuine rock, not enough edge.... That was the type of performance that, if he 'makes it' one day, he'd look back on and be embarassed by. He tries too hard to it some style that he really can't match, and I personally can't wait until he gets cut.

Lee Dewyze wins the dubious prize for the most out-of-tune note I've ever heard on Idol. The whole thing was rather pitchy, but that note was GROSS. It's a shame, because stylistically that was a fantastic song choice for him. Also, SIMON OPEN YOUR EARS WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR SENSE OF PITCH?!

John Park picked a key too low for his voice, and the first few lines sounded like gobbledegook. Dude, you talk like an American with only a hint of accent from upbringing. You shouldn't be slurring stuff into unintelligible mush. After hearing LaKisha Jones (season 6) do God Bless the Child, this was very underwhelming.

I've been a Michael Lynche fan since the beginning, and I liked his interpretation of Maroon 5, aside from the fact that he was physically bouncing the whole time, and you could hear it in his voice. That and he didn't show off much vocal range - the song stays in the same pocket the entire time, and he didn't mess with it enough to show himself off.

Alex Lambert sounded great, vocal-wise, but looked incredibly uncomfortable. Like a bunny rabbit in a high-powered rifle's sights. Maybe it was the mullet. :P I'm a fan of the voice, though, and I hope he pulls through.

Casey Jones surprised me. I wasn't a fan beforehand, but he did a really good job on that song. It wasn't reinterpreted, really, but it's a song that doesn't need to be. I wish the Kara/Casey thing would stop being hyped, though. It's unbecoming of everyone involved.

Andrew Garcia...I've been a fan of his from the beginning, too. He's refreshing and new. That being said, while his interpretation was cool, the song choice was weird for me. This week wasn't fantastic, but I still have high hopes.

So. I'm hoping that the bottom three includes Jermaine, and I wouldn't be surprised if Tim, Tyler, Joe, or John end up down there with him. Overall I still think a girl could win it all, but with a few male standouts (using the term loosely), it should at least stay interesting. It won't be three girls going into the finale, anyway.