AI7 recap, Semi-Finalists, Gals x 8 (03/05)

So it’s ‘80s night for the women tonight. But first a few comments on last night. Jim Rutter can’t believe I missed the “he had me at hello” line for David Cook. I guess I went down looking with the bat on my shoulder on that one. And he also reminds me that I need to note when Simon says, “lll-uved it,” and not “loved it,” since it’s ultra fem when he utters that line. And lastly he thought David Cook is destined to make an album of rocked up ‘80s covers. But the sad part is, I’d probably be first in line to buy that!

01 – Asia’h Epperson, I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Whitney Houston)

How bad was this outfit Asia’h was wearing? Pink top and lavender pants? Those pants reminded me of the saddle pants the girls used to wear in the ‘80s. The ones that showed the camel toe, er, moose knuckle, er, forget it TMTH. I’ve said too much… I thought Asia’h didn’t really change this up much, but there’s always that Whitney quandary. Her songs are sung so distinctly by her that it’s hard to change it up. And if you sing it the same, you won’t sing it better. It’s only been 7 years. You’d think the kids would realize that by now. The funny thing about Whitney is that I saw a clip of a concert of hers once and I think she was singing one of her numerous ballads, but she changed it up. In a subsequent interview she said that she liked doing that (changing it up) because it gave the public a different way to hear the song. Maybe it was a way she’d have preferred to sing it, but the producers had her sing it a different way. So it got me to thinking. How can you make a song that you already own, your own? Randy dropped the obligatory “I recorded that song” and said it was a tall order, but that it was hot. Paula said she nailed it. Simon was not so enthusiastic. Called it a 2^nd rate Whitney, but she is good enough for the top 12. We’ll see. I like Asia’h because she’s got a great story (her father passed away right before her audition) and she’s fun. She should be safe tomorrow night.

02 – Kady Malloy, Who Wants To Live Forever (Queen)

Katherine McPhee sang this two years ago on Queen night. How can I even start to compare Kady to Katherine? So I won’t. As you probably know (or remember since I talked in depth about this a few years ago), this song was from the movie “Highlander.” If you’ve never seen that movie, do yourself a favor and put it in your Netflix queue (am I being presumptuous in that you all are Netflix members?). It’s a little gory (we’re talking swordsmen and only dying if your head gets cut off), but a good movie. Kady did the “thank you” to the studio audience when she finished her song. I love it (not) when the contestants do that. Paris Bennett was infamous for that. Although hers was more of a “then kew.” Randy called it an interesting song choice and that she hit the big notes well (but not the softer ones). Paula called it her best performance and disagreed with Randy (how shocking!) by saying she has magic in her tender notes. Simon called it better than last week but she has a massive lack of personality. And I can see what he’s saying. They called her a Stepford Wife, but I think she’s more like an Austin Powers fembot. I think Kady is vulnerable tomorrow and will most likely be one of the two off.

03 – Amanda Overmyer, I Hate Myself For Loving You (Joan Jett)

My wife Kristin thought this was a good song for her. She was much better than last week. But she’s shown her hand already. I really don’t expect anything different from her than I’ve already seen so far. She has the same stage presence (which kind of reminds me of Bo Bice from a few years back) and sings everything the same. Her fiancé and brother were there tonight. I wish her mom was back. Amanda’s actually kinda pretty (she inherited much of her mother’s features), but she’s like that/those Goth chick(s) in high school. They may have been good looking, but it was hard to tell under all that mascara, makeup and black clothing. Randy said that’s the Amanda we like and love. He always mentions the bluesy rocker. Paula called her face beautiful and that she’s found her niche. Like she didn’t know her niche before, Paula? Simon thought it was fantastic and that she absolutely nailed it. Seacrest asked why she doesn’t smile or even looked down during the compliments and I think her reason is that she’s genuinely embarrassed to be on this show. She’s a rocker that’s sort of selling out to be on this pop show. But if this is the means to an end (record deal), then she can put up with it. I think she’s safe tomorrow, but will have to keep producing to avoid an early exit from the final 12.

04 – Carly Smithson, I Drove All Night (Cyndi Lauper)

So this was a Cyndi Lauper song (1989), but Celine Dion (arguably) made it more popular. This song was originally penned for Roy Orbison, but his version wasn’t released until 1992, three years after Lauper’s and four years after his death (thanks Wikipedia). Carly looks a lot better with makeup and styled hair. I still don’t love her, but she really can sing. Her performance was acceptable for me tonight. Randy loved it and called it another great performance. Paula called her a dependable dog. What happened to her pocket references? Simon is continually tough on Carly saying she didn’t choose the right song, which my wife Kristin agrees with. This was a copycat Celine Dion performance. She really does need to pick a song where she can showcase her voice because it is one of the strongest of the competitors. Carly is safe tomorrow and I think she will last a long time in the finals. And it still does bug me that she’s not American. Like the illegal aliens winning the lottery. Where’s the justice?

05 – Kristy Lee Cook, Faithfully (Journey)

I love Journey. My first favorite song ever was “Don’t Stop Believin’.” They had an Atari 2600 video game about Journey, although I don’t remember Randy being in the video game. The graphics weren’t that good back then, but I don’t remember a fat brotha being in it. This song has one of those “’80s Lyric Quiz” lines in it. “They say that the road ain’t no place to start a family…” Why not have a Journey night on AI? Can’t Randy pull some strings to make that happen? Anyway, Kristy put a country twang to this, but has anyone else noticed her super red tongue? My wife Kristin always points this out. Does she suck on a lollipop before going out there? Randy called it a great song. Paula said it would be a hit for her in country music. Simon called her forgettable. Kristy’s a pretty girl, but I think she’s in the bottom 3 tomorrow and possibly gone.

06 – Ramiele Malubay, Against All Odds (Phil Collins)

Ramiele is funny because she totally dresses ‘80s in real life. Her haircut, clothes, etc. Not that I mind. I love the ‘80s. It’s my high school’s 20^th class reunion this year and I’ve gone back to gel in my hair to prepare for it. I used to use a ton of Dep back in the day and now I’m using L.A. Looks. Is that bad for the ozone? But my hair never moves. I was using the Aussie spray gel but when my hair was getting longer it was wearing out by lunch. I know you all needed to know this. So you’re welcome. Ramiele really made this arrangement different. I didn’t love it, but she really has a big voice. I realize her being tiny accentuates this, but I like her nonetheless. And this song is funny as I always used to think the name of it was “Take A Look At Me Now.” Randy called it another big song and that she had a pretty good vocal, but she needs to just go for it. Paula said she has an innocent, pure voice. Simon called it very old fashioned and predictable. I think she’s safe tomorrow and Seacrest will rig it for her to stay on because she makes him feel tall.

07 – Brooke White, Love Is A Battlefield (Pat Benetar)

Everytime she sings she’s sitting down. Whether it be last week playing the guitar or this week sitting on the edge of the stage. And every time that happens, my wife Kristin says, “Joe lies” like in “Say Anything…” It makes me laugh every time. Because this is totally a Lili Taylor type song. I felt like I was at a coffeehouse and that there was a poet coming up to the stage next. Like in “She’s All That” when Rachel Leigh Cook took Freddie Prinze, Jr to that performance. Or like in “So I Married An Axe Murderer” when Mike Myers is doing his poetry. Have you seen “So I Married An Axe Murderer?” If not, add it to your Netflix queue after “Highlander.” Mike Myers isn’t way over the top in it and it has a pretty good soundtrack. Randy liked that Brooke sang it with only a guitar accompanying her. Paula called it a very wise choice, but wished she would’ve used the band more. Simon thought it worked purely without the band. My wife Kristin thinks she has a very nice tone to her voice. The USA Today guy thought this was the best performance of the night. I think Brooke is an okay singer (and she changed this song up well tonight), but I really think it’s just that she’s not the worst so far. The gals are weaker than the guys and she’s struggling to keep her head above water. I think she’s safe tomorrow but will be one of the first ones to go in the finals.

08 – Syesha Mercado, Saving All My Love For You (Whitney Houston)

I like Syesha, but can’t someone tell her that you can’t out-Whitney, Whitney? This song was clearly too big for her and it was a 2^nd rate Whitney performance. She didn’t change it much. But she looked cute in her shorts suit. Almost like she was on “America’s Next Top Model.” They were pressed for time so Randy called it good. Paula called it sophisticated and Simon called it a bit predictable but good. I think this was the first song that I heard of Whitney’s. Her first album (with this on it, along with “You Give Good Love,” “How Will I Know,” “Greatest Love Of All” and “All At Once”) was unbelievable, especially for a debut album. Anyway, I think Syesha is safe tomorrow and is one of the frontrunners for the girls (along with Carly, Asia’h and Ramiele).

Bottom 2 – Kady, Kristy

Top 2 – Carly, Brooke