Come to MiMi

Me and Mariah
Go back like
babies with pacifiers
RIPODB

So, tonight’s celebrity coach is the one, the only Mariah Carey (see Six Degrees). Of course, it’s no coincidence that the high-octave diva was scheduled for tonight’s contest. Her 11th studio album E=MC2 dropped today (I pre-ordered last weekend, so it should be arriving soon! I’ll post a review later) as one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year. OK, moderately anticipated. And in homage to MiMi, the Idols are tackling some of her greatest hits, of which (by the way) there are some 18 number ones – more than any other solo artist in history. Plus she’s Randy Jackson’s BFF and FND (favorite name drop).

Interestingly enough, Ryan opened up the show with a “disclaimer” about last week’s elimination. He warned “America” that apathetic voting could cause another fan favorite to go home early. Hey – the Democrats should use that line.

Mariah showed up in true diva fashion – little dog in tow. But I was impressed at how fully clothed she was. And I was also impressed that she was actually giving the contestants real vocal coaching. Talk about a once-in-a-lifetime … voice lessons from “The Voice.”

Disclaimer #2: Ryan and Randy considered the difficulty of singing a “Whitney” or a “Mariah” and how usually contestants are advised against it. And later Simon commented “we won’t be seeing a lot of laughs tonight.” Makes you wonder if they’d been sitting in on rehearsals.

David Archuleta tackled “When You Believe” (her duet with Whitney from the Prince of Egypt soundtrack) and the judges were impressed. Even Simon had praise for the cutie patutie. Mind you, he steered clear of the verses, which are probably the most moving and most difficult parts of that song – especially Mariah’s verse. But I thought it was an OK opener, and he’ll probably end up in the top 3. Hear the original.

Carly Smithson singing Mariah – what a strange combination. But not nearly as strange, though, as her lengthy lamentation of Michael Johns. What’s up with that????!!! Carly chose “Without You”which in my opinion is cheating because it’s actually a cover of a song originally recorded by Badfinger and then covered by Harry Nilsson only to be covered again by Mariah. But it was an obvious choice for the songstress who has become the resident screamer, a la Pat Benetar. The judges weren’t impressed; they didn’t think she lived up to her potential. Smithson needs to make a believer out of Simon. But I was so glad to see her looking soft(er) and feminine in her periwinkle dress WITH SLEEVES! (is that sexist?) Hear the original.

OMG! When I heard Syesha was singing “Vanishing” (from Mariah’s self-titled debut album), I got so excited. This is by far my absolute favorite Mariah song and has secretly been the one song I’d sing for my own Idol audition (stop laughing) since the show began. Could she pull it off? Could she capture the emotion? That would be a resounding YES – I couldn’t have sung it better myself. And I’m so glad. As the remaining member of the “underrepresented population,” I need her to stick around. Simon had a good point though – it’s always tough when the audience doesn’t know the song, but that’s what’s so cool about this show – it introduces these kids (13-year-old girls) to some really great music. I wouldn’t have changed a thing – I thought it was a perfect choice. Now that Michael Johns is gone (booo!), Syesha is my ultimate fave. She’s got the whole package – the pipes, the body, the face, the hair. Rihanna – watch out. For a while, I thought Simon was just hatin’, but I remembered he did the same thing to Fantasia. And look how that turned out. Hear the original.

Brooke White – have a little whine with that cheese? Let’s see … life-changing opportunity? Sister’s dumb wedding? What a choice. And speaking of choices … “Hero”? Come on!!! How typical. And in my opinion, the only redeeming factor of that song was the piano playing, and there was nothing complicated about that. For one thing, she rushed the song. If she were trying to up the tempo, sure … but I don’t think she was doing that. Let’s see what Randy says … Randy attributed it to a lack of confidence. (Or talent.) Paula agreed with me – that she sped the song up. Simon compared it to a meatless burger … Where’s the beef, Brooke? Where’s the beef? And what’s with this whole singer-songwriter business? Everybody who sits at a piano is not a singer-songwriter. Hear the original.

Christie Lee Cook chose “Forever,” another little-known Mariah ballad from the Daydream album. This was a great choice for Christie and I applaud her for knowing it. The song already has a slight twang so it didn’t seem like she was countryfying a soul ballad. Considering I regard her in the same light as Kelly Pickler, I have to say I thought she did a pretty good job. The judges weren’t as kind. Too bad. Hear the original.

David Cook worked it out on “Always Be My Baby.” I’m still rooting for Syesha, but if he ends up in the final two, I won’t be mad at him at all. His soft-rock rendition of this playful pop-tart was really cool. I mean really cool as in hold your lighters in the air and wave ‘em like you just don’t care “cool.” I wouldn’t have known it was the same song – but I liked it just as much as the original. It reminded me of 80s rock ballads like Guns and Roses November Rain – sweet and sinister all at the same time. And isn’t that what makes a great cover? That the artist can have a totally different vision of the song while maintaining the integrity of the lyrics. Bravo David. Bravo. The judges were even more complimentary. He received a standing “o” from Randy and Simon says he’s like a “breath of fresh air after coming out of karaoke hell.” Hear the original.

Jason Castro … and here is another artist looking for the words to describe him. Dolly called him “funky.” Mariah called him “interesting and different.” He chose “I Don’t Wanna Cry” from Mariah’s first CD and totally altered the arrangement to add Cuban/reggae undertones. But unlike David before him, he stripped the song of its essence. He dumbed down what is an absolutely dynamic song. I mean this song will bring chills every time I hear it. She sings “I don’t wanna cry, don’t wanna cry” and I feel like crying. Jason’s version made me want to cry, but for different reasons. Randy wasn’t impressed, either. But surprisingly, Simon praised his originality. Hear the original.


Simon was on the money though when he said the boys outshone the girls. I think that’s been a trend and now, I am officially eating my words. In one of the first posts, I ranted that the boys couldn’t hold a candle to the girls and were taking up valuable space in the top 12. Oh, how the script has flipped ….

In the words of Miss Tyra Banks: So who goes home? The girl who seems to have everything – looks, voice, personality -- but who just can’t seem to package it in a way that impresses the judges? Or the girl who gets better and better every week, but who the judges feel still has too far to go at this stage in the competition?

____, you’re still in the running to become the next American Idol.

Who do you guys think will (or should) go home tomorrow night? Chime in, and let’s see whose predictions come true.

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