Tag: Joshua Ledet

'American Idol" on April 18, 2012.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012, Fox, 8 p.m. (ET) Performance night on “American Idol” with just 7 contestants still standing. The four girls and three boys still remaining in the competition sang 2 songs each: one current song from 2010-2012 and one soul song.

Who did well?

The biggest winners, from the standpoint of judges’ reactions, were probably Hollie Cavanagh, Skylar Laine, Joshua Ledet and Phillip Phillips.

Who was off their game?

The three that seemed lackluster this night, or simply failed to find favor with the judges or the audience were Colton Dixon, Elise Testone and Jessica Sanchez. Perhaps that Judges’ Save, used to prevent Jessica from getting the axe last week, won’t make any difference.

Most Improved

It should be pointed out that Hollie Cavanagh, who has consistently been in the bottom three, did a good job on Wednesday night with her rendition of Adele’s “Rollin’ in the Deep.” It was a good song choice, and, while her performance was not perfect, it was “very well done,” as Randy admitted. (Steven Tyler declared it “perfect.”) Later, Hollie sang “Son of a Preacher Man” while wearing a short pink dress and Randy said, “Dude, you worked it out,” while Jennifer Lopez said that Hollie “showed a new composure.”

Skylar Laine also did herself proud, singing Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” in a country arrangement, which Jennifer Lopez declared she had never heard before, while adding, “A more perfect song for you does not exist.” Steven Tyler pointed out the voting bloc that loves country, saying, “A lot of people with a drawl will vote.” Randy said: “Dude, you’re so ready.” There are 2 things that one can say consistently about Skylar: 1) she will always give a peppy, spirited rendition where she emotionally connects to the material and (2) she almost always will have on a horrible outfit. Only once has she looked really lovely in a long, flowing gown. The bared arm dress she had on this night was horrid. For her second song, Skylar sang Marin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” causing Steven Tyler to declare her to be “somethin’ else” and “a wild horse that cannot be tamed.”

Floundering:

Colton Dixon sang Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.” The judges gave him acceptable comments for his first song and Jimmy Iovine pointed out the teeny-boppers will vote for him (unless they, too, are put off by his apparent narcissism). His second song of the night was an “Earth, Wind & Fire” song, and that is where things started to go downhill for Colton. Steven Tyler dubbed it “a bad song choice” and Randy said, “You sounded good, but it’s not as exciting as we would have liked.” Jimmy Iovine pointed out weeks ago that Colton does not have the pipes of a Joshua or a Jessica; he was right.

Elise Testone also had a rough night. First, she sang “No One” by Alicia Keys wearing an attractive orange dress and with a breeze blowing through her long, blonde extensions. Steven Tyler criticized the song choice, while Jennifer Lopez chose to encourage her to smile more (“When you smile when you sing, your eyes come alive.”) Elise’s second song of the night was Al Green’s “Let’s Get It On” and Steven Tyler commented, “You need to take it up a notch.”

Jessica Sanchez.

The third rockiest performer, in terms of her ability to electrify the audience, was Jessica Sanchez. She opened with “Fallen” by Alicia Keys. While her singing earned raves from the judges, they all noted her apparent remoteness and distance from the material. Later, when she chose to sing “Try A Little Tenderness,” she had on one of the worst outfits of the night. The Jodhpur pants and the overpowering necklace obscured one of the best girls’ bodies in the competition. I fear the Judges’ Save will not matter on Thursday night.

Hanging In There

Phillip Phillips, wearing his trademark gray, sang “You Got It Bad” by Usher and earned a standing ovation from the judges. Steven Tyler said, “With you, we never know what we’re gonna’ get. It was great tonight, great. “ Jennifer Lopez pronounced Phillip’s performance “Sexy” and said, “It shows your versatility.” Randy said, “I smile every week. This year, we have a true artist on the stage.” It does seem that Phillip knows he does best and to his own self is true. His song choices are good; he doesn’t let the constructive criticism throw him or deter him from delivering on his music. He always seems connected with what he sings and is engaging to watch. Phillip’s second song of the night was “In the Midnight Hour.” He came out from behind his guitar and actually danced a dance which Steven Tyler declared “brilliantly awkward.” Phillip is very likeable. He is the one remaining boy in the competition who is handsome, humble, hetero (for the teeny-bopper girls) and sings well. He is also very original. A dark horse (gray, of course).

Joshua Ledet sang “I Believe” by Fantasia and received a standing ovation. Randy declared Joshua, “Truly one of the most gifted singers we have ever had on this show. Love you. Love your voice.” Jennifer Lopez praised Joshua’s commitment to the material he sings, saying, “You leave it all on the floor every time.” Steven Tyler declared, “You could sing the phone book.” For his second number, Joshua did a rousing rendition of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna’ Come.” He displayed more dynamic touches than the other competitors, starting softly, and was praised for “holding back and then letting go.” Joshua sounds a bit like Sam Cooke and looks a bit like Johnny Mathis.

Bottom three?

Elise, Colton and Jessica. Either girl could go home.

April 11, 2012 “American Idol:” Loud with Signs of Trouble for Phillip & Hollie

By Connie Wilson

On April 11, 2012

In Music, Pop Culture, Television

"American Idol" Judges

Wed., April 11, 2012, Fox, 8 p.m. (ET) Tonight’s “American Idol” performance night, with just 7 remaining contestants, was a lot of “sound and fury, signifying nothing,” to steal from William Faulkner. It was disappointing to hear so few dynamic touches as the contestants sang songs from 2010-2012.

First up was Skylar Laine from Brandon, Mississippi, who sang a Kellie Pickler song with her usual flair. Two comments: Skylar would look better if she wore sleeves and the song was dynamically uninteresting, as it consisted of Skylar singing country as loudly as possible while playing guitar. Judges’ comments were good: “Crazy hot! Crazy good! Just great!”

Second singer was Colton Dixon who sang a Skylar Gray song, “Love the Way You Want It.” Colton was heavy on the fog and whine, as per usual. He played a white baby grand piano while staring soulfully into the camera. The judges liked it, with Steven Tyler even calling him “such a rare talent.” I’m not sure if Colton and Phillip are competing for the girls’ votes, but, if so, the judges were favorable towards Colton.

Elise and Phillip Phillips sang a duet where Elise got to demonstrate how bossy she can be. The song, “Somebody that I Used to Know” earned a “good for you for pickin’ that” from Steven Tyler.

Jessica Sanchez sang Jasmine Sullivan’s “Stuttering” while wearing a patterned jacket with puffy shoulders. The judges said: “You slayed the biggest fish of the night.” (Jennifer Lopez) “We know that you sing like nobody we’ve ever heard before.” (Jennifer Lopez) “You slay it every time.” (Steven Tyler)

Joshua Ledet from Westlake, Louisiana, wore a white jacket that was at least 2 sizes too small while singing “Runaway Baby” by Bruno Mars. It was a fast, danceable tune, and went over well. Joshua reminded me of Jackie Wilson from the 60s.

Skylar and Colton dueted on “Don’t You Want to Stay Here For A Little While.” I agreed with Randy, who pronounced it “Just okay for me.”

Hollie Cavanagh of McKinney, TX, sang Pink’s “Perfect.” Randy said, “It wasn’t perfect, but you were so much better than you were last week.” Translation: Hollie is in trouble again.

Phillip Phillips’ choice of Maroon 5’s “Give It A Little More” did not find favor with the judges, who pronounced it “underwhelming.” Although Steven Tyler compared Phillip to Steve McQueen and Johnny Cash, he is probably going to be in the bottom 3 this week.

After a power ballad of “Stronger” by Joshua, Jessica and Hollie—3 of the competition’s biggest voices—Jennifer Lopez pronounced this “the season of the big voice.”

Elise finished the night singing Lady Gaga’s “You and I.” The judges liked it, saying, “Elise is back” and calling it “the perfect song” (Randy Jackson).

The 3 lowest this week will probably include Hollie Cavanagh and Phillip Phillips, with either Skylar Laine or Elise Testone as likely targets for third, simply because they are girls. Stay tuned for elimination night tomorrow.

March 28, 2012, on “American Idol:” Who Did Well? Who Will Go Home?

By Connie Wilson

On March 29, 2012

In Music, Reviews, Television

Wednesday, March 28, 2012, Fox, 8 pm (ET) Deandre Brackensick, who sang fifth in tonight’s “American Idol” performance night, sang Eric Benet’s “Sometimes I Cry.” That song could have been used as the theme of tonight’s performances, with several of the remaining 9 contestants tearing up at key moments. [Yes, I know who Eric Benet is, Gentle Reader. That is not the point here. The point is that a song like “Whole Lotta’ Love” by Led Zeppelin (as an example) is going to be much more recognized than “Sometimes I Cry” by the singer best-known for his marriage to Halle Berry, whose biggest hit came 12 years ago.]

First up was Colton Dixon, who selected a LifeHouse song, and, after giving the females in the audience lyrics like, “You’re all I want, you’re all I need. How could it be any better than this?” (which Colton described as his “favorite worship song of all time”) he teared up a bit, to start the evening off. Steven Tyler declared, “You’ve got that star quality,” while Jennifer Lopez gushed, “You’re a performer. You’re amazing” and Randy—who has a genius for stating the obvious—said, “I think I could be looking at a contender for the title.” (Someone should clue Randy in that all the contestants are there because they are “contenders for the title.”)

Skylar Laine from Mississippi followed and selected a Miranda Lambert song. She had on the most horrible outfit I’ve seen this year: a black studded pleather motorcycle jacket with a weird asymmetrical top with a white border that emphasized exactly the areas that a short somewhat stocky performer like Skylar should be seeking to de-emphasize. The earrings for all the girls were so large that a wind might have taken any of them skyward. Jennifer praised Sklar’s “unbridled energy”, while Randy declared, “I loved it. It’s all about telling a story. You are a powerhouse singer.” Skylar’s outfit during her trio was just as bad a choice, but her enthusiastic performances remained typical for the country girl from the Southland.

Hollie Cavanagh probably received the least glowing reviews from the judges after she sang Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus Take the Wheel.” She, too, teared up, saying that it was celebrity judge Stevie Nicks’ story of her mother’s recent passing that caused her to lose it. Steven Tyler said, “I just wish you’d have sung a different song. It was just okay for me.” I’m with Steven on this, and Randy pointed out some “pitchy moments” for Hollie. She looked lovely in an all –white dress with a silver necklace collar and her hair down, and the stage effects of fog and snow were equally effective, but it wasn’t Hollie’s best night.

Deandre Brackensick, as mentioned above, sang fifth, and selected an obscure song, despite the fact that Jimmy Iovine and Stevie Nicks pointed out that, “He’s one of the guys in jeopardy here.” Deandre chose to display his impressive falsetto range, but he selected a song (Eric Benet’s “Sometimes I Cry”) that was not that well known. Steven Tyler chose to say, “You gave Prince a run for his money” So beautiful” referencing the high runs in the song, and Jennifer Lopez used the word “Crazy” five times. Randy, in his usual bombastic fashion, said, “That’s who you are. Guess who else is back in the house!” I’d like to see Deandre resurrect some old BeeGees hits if he insists on singing in this high falsetto voice, but nevermind about that for now.

The final singer who did not do it for me tonight (to be followed by the “hits”) was Jessica Sanchez, undeniably one of the most vocally talented of the girls. Her song by Beyonce: meh. Jessica used a set with red doors and wore a dress with a train that was not her most attractive look (plus the de rigeur huge earrings). Although Steven Tyler dubbed the dress “beautiful” and Jennifer Lopez used words like “Beautiful. Gorgeous. Great performance,” for me, Jessica had an “off” night. I’d say that about all of those mentioned above.
So, who really hit the vocal ball out of the park on “American Idol” on March 28^th?

They saved the best for last.

Elise Testone sang Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta’ Love’ and brought the house down. Steven Tyler told her, “You made Robert Plant proud.” Jennifer Lopez proclaimed that it was “some real rock star stuff” and Randy said, “An amazing job. Congrats!” Elise had a bit of an advantage in that she has sung the song with her own band previously. She also had the confidence of knowing that Stevie Nicks thought she was outstanding and said she would hire her right then, if she needed a singer, saying, “I don’t like to sing with just anyone.”

Heejun Han also did a nice job with his choice of the Donnie Hathaway song “I’m Singing This Song for You” and much talk of how he has turned his attitude around. The judges did give him a standing ovation, and Steven Tyler said, “You did it. You turned it around. That was great.” Jennifer Lopez remarked, “You don’t make it this far by mistake.” Randy praised Heejun’s “buttery, beautiful tone,” although noting that “it wasn’t perfect.” Heejun has been in the bottom three more than once, and, last week, he definitely pissed off Steven Tyler. Was his good job tonight enough to keep him from going home? We’ll know tomorrow (Thursday, March 29, 2012).

Two (of the four) best, for me, were Phillip Phillips and Joshua Ledet.

I happen to be a Johnny Lang fan (“Lie to Me” being my favorite) and have seen him in concert, so I did know his song “Look Out My Window,” and I loved what Phillip did with it. Phillip is always interesting and, as Stevie Nicks remarked, “He’s gorgeous.” That was right after Stevie told Phillip (who asked for her autograph), “You’re going to be a very big star.” Randy said, of Phillip’s performance, “That was a great performance. Amazing. I love you. I love the individuality. Big Props. You got big things in front of you.” To me, Phillip is a young version of Dave Matthews, so the Johnny Lang twist was appreciated.

Joshua Ledet was also “on” tonight, singing Mariah Carey’s “Without You” (Harry Nillson version0 and doing it justice. Randy said, “Dude, I think that was flawless. It was emotional for you.” That comment was in reference to Joshua’s tearing up at the end of the song, which made the fourth contestant of the night (Colton, Hollie, DeAndre and Joshua) and the fifth standing “O” from the judges.

The contestants also formed trios to sing spirited versions of songs by Michael Jackson (Deandre/HeeJun and Joshua), Madonna (Skylar/Jessica and Hollie) and Fleetwood Mac (Colton/Elise and Phillip). These were very enjoyable, and I only wished that Skylar’s sweater didn’t hang below her white jacket, which stuck out and emphasized her generous posterior. The hat wasn’t working for me, either, but she sure is a spunky singer. And, after all, this is a singing competition.
So, who’s going home tomorrow night?

I put Phillip Phillips, Joshua Ledet, Elise Testone as “safe.” Heejun Han was good tonight, but did he do too much damage to his image last week and in prior weeks? Colton has a female fan club, of which I am not a member, so they’ll probably phone it in. Skylar was her usual spirited self, (but had on horrible outfits); Hollie looked beautiful but made a few vocal gaffes. DeAndre did his falsetto schtick, which the judges seemed to love, but did the folks at home? And Jessica was lackluster, but, if she were to show up as the lowest vote getter, I believe the judges would use their once-in-a-season “save” for her.

If I were a betting woman, I’d stick with the two boys who have become regulars in the bottom three (Heejun and DeAndre) and throw in one of the girls who were off their game tonight, which means Hollie first and Jessica second, since her song didn’t receive the enthusiastic reception of some others.

If they kick Elise off after that performance, there is no justice.

“American Idol” Contestants Display “Attitude” on March 21, 2012 Show

By Connie Wilson

On March 22, 2012

In Music, Pop Culture, Reviews, Television

Wednesday, March 21, 2012, Fox, 8 pm (ET) Attitude seemed to be the keyword tonight on “American Idol.” Who has it? Who needs to get it? What should it be?

The recent entry of Tommy Hilfiger as an advisor to the contestants on how they should dress produced advice to Phillip Phillips that he should not wear gray and, from celebrity mentor Sean P. Diddy Combs and Jimmy Iovine, that he should put the guitar down and sing without it. Phillip did neither. He not only wore gray-on-gray, but he contributed a version of “Movin’ Out” that was so original I didn’t recognize it as a Billy Joel song (tonight’s theme). Phillip said, “I’m not a guy about image. The music comes first” and was pronounced “brilliant” by one judge.

Jessica Sanchez had another good night, singing “Everybody Has A Dream.” Jennifer Lopez called it her “defining moment” and Randy praised her consistency. There seems to be a bit of a contradiction there, since the judges were quite critical of her song last week, when she attempted an upbeat number from Gloria Estefan. Steven Tyler said, “You’ve gone way past my judging. Thank you for letting me hear you sing, baby.” Randy called her song, “Flawless, perfect, perfection.”

Colton Dixon was another contestant who showed some attitude regarding the comments made about his hair by Tommy Hilfiger. He sang Joel’s “Piano Man” and the judges seemed to like it. [I thought the ending just dropped off in a weird way].

Heejun Han sang “Don’t Go Changing” and seemed to be telling the judges off. It seemed as though Steven Tyler was not taking it well, as he said, “You showed ’em. You told ’em. At some point, you gotta’ take it (the music business) more serious.” Both Randy and Jennifer, while unimpressed with Heejun’s vocals, said it was “enjoyable” and “a breath of fresh air.” Heejun escaped elimination last week; we’ll see how he does this week.

Deandre Brackensick did “Only the Good Die Young.” Randy pointed out that it “wasn’t that great…just okay.”

Erika Van Pelt sang “New York State of Mind” and she displayed her “attitude” by letting the show cut and color her hair into a virtual Liza Minelli flashback. One of the judges compared her new short hair-do to Pat Benatar. I saw Pat Benatar this past summer; her hair looked nothing like this Minelli do.

Joshua Ledet, who had such a great week last week, sang “She’s Got A Way” and admitted that he “didn’t know the song.” It wasn’t Joshua’s best night, considering he is perhaps the most vocally talented male contestant, although Steven Tyler said he “sang the sweat out of that song.” What was more puzzling was Steven Tyler’s admission that he “didn’t know the song.” (Yikes!)

Skylar Laine sang “Shameless.” It wasn’t her best night. She wore HUGE earrings, as did all the girls.

Elise Testone, who sang a song nobody knows called “Vienna” was praised by the judges. Again, not as good a choice of songs as she could have made.

Hollie Cavanagh had an off night in singing “Honesty.” She was off-key at several points. She did look very nice in a white pantsuit with a sparkly silver top.

Who will go home? I’d say one of the girls who sang an obscure song. The most obscure song was that sung by Elise, followed closely by Skylar’s. Skylar should get the country vote, but Erika and her new black haircut might end up in the dumps, as well. I’m betting that Phillip Phillips, Jessica Sanchez, Colton Dixon, Joshua Ledet and Hollie Cavanagh will be “safe,” but, after that, it’s anybody’s ball game.

“American Idol” Results for March 15, 2012: The Ides of March

By Connie Wilson

On March 15, 2012

In Music, Pop Culture, Reviews, Television

Fox, Wed., March 15, 2012, 8 pm (ET) “American Idol” contestants had a hit-or-miss night. Most of the misses seemed to hinge on the young performers giving in to the advice of their elders (Jimmy Iovine and Will i.am.) to sing alternate songs. Each performer was to sing a song from the year they were born.

Standouts of the Night

Definitely the standout performer of the night was Joshua Ledet, who has the best male voice. Singing next-to-last, Jennifer Lopez commented that the show had “saved the best for last” as Joshua delivered a soulful rendition of “When A Man Loves A Woman.” Randy Jackson even said that, somewhere, Percy Sledge, who originally sang the song (Ledet sang Michael Bolton’s version), was smiling down. “You gave it up so big God came through your eyes.” Jennifer Lopez went so far as to say it was “the best thing I’ve ever seen on ‘American Idol.’” Steven Tyler spared the hyperbole, but did note that Joshua was in the same class as Jessica Sanchez last week, when she did an incredible job with Whitney Houston’s “The Greatest Love of All.” With adjectives like “phenomenal” and “incredible” Joshua stood out.

Performers Who Did Well

The final performer of the night, the petite Hollie Cavanagh, who sang Celine Dion’s “The Power of Love,” did well, as did Phillip Phillips, who survived very recent kidney stone surgery to do his Dave Matthews schtick. Others who should be safe include Skylar Laine, (one of the few Idols who stuck to her guns and sang the song she wanted to sing), Bonnie Raitt’s “Love Sneakin’ Up On You.” Also good this night was Erika Van Pelt. She sang a bluesy version of Bryan Adams’ “Heaven” and earned kudos for her performance and appearance from two of the three judges (“You look amazing tonight.”) Shannon Magrane, who sang Mariah Carey’s “One Sweet Day”, also did well, and the judges seemed to like Colton Dixon’s “Broken Heart” by White Lion. Elise Testone scored with an Al Green song that President Obama crooned recently, and earned praise for making it her own.

Performers Who Did Less Well

Although Jessica Sanchez is arguably the best female vocalist in the competition, her choice of Gloria Estefan’s “Hard to Be Around” did not serve her well. Likewise, Heejun Han faltered with Richard Marx’s “Right There Waiting.” He seemed to be out of breath. Randy called it “pitchy in at least five or six spots.” Deandre Brackensick of the flyaway hair let the judges talk him into “Endless Love.” The judges all agreed it was the wrong song to showcase Deandre’s falsetto. Randy picked Heejun to get the axe.

Unluckiest Idol

The performer who definitely had the worst night was Jermaine Jones. He was kicked off “Idol” for failing to disclose four active arrest warrants. Elsewhere on the Internet, rumors ran rampant that Jermaine had also lied about being abandoned by his father in childhood. From the rehearsal tape, Jermaine’s version of “Somewhere Out There” would have been very good, but it was always odd (and unfair) that he was allowed in as the thirteenth male contestant, when no “extra” girl was allowed into the competition.