'American Idol' Recap: Shania Twain Gives Us The Best Night Of The Season So Far

All season we’ve been waiting for an episode like the one we got last night. And who knew we’d get it from Shania Twain’s catalog?

Country night appeared to have doom written all over it. After all, this is a competition composed of a soul singer, a rocker, a folky, a blues man, a freaky opera singer and Ed Grimley. Not exactly the recipe for down home success.

But you know what? Sometimes strange combinations can yield the most delightful results. Or at least results that were far more compelling than anything we’ve seen so far this season.

Random Thoughts Waiting for the Actual Show To Start:

I wish I could have gotten and indication from Ryan’s asking the crowd for a winner as to who’s the most popular, but that was nothing but high-pitched white noise. Glad he asked.

It’s crazy how quickly pop culture moves. I would wager that most of the tweens watching this show have absolutely no idea who Shania Twain is – and it was less than ten years ago that she was essentially the queen of pop, country, and just about every other form of music.

Wow, Shania’s face certainly has far fewer wrinkles than it did when she judged the auditions a few months ago. I’m not sayin’, I’m just sayin’. . .

And. . .On with the show!



Lee Dewyze Sang “You’re Still the One”

Shania Said: He’s got this fantastic style that needs to come out and not be buried by his guitar.

Randy Said: Midways through the song you found a way to make it your own – you did a pretty good job.

Ellen Said: I thought you did better than a pretty good job.

Kara Said: The sound of your voice makes it sound so relevant. (Then she made a leap about the lyrics and how far he’s come. Please, end it now, Kara. End it now.)

Simon Said: I thought that was absolutely the perfect song choice though you were pulling some weird faces.

The Verdict:

Now this isn’t the most country song in the world, but it certainly set its roots in Nashville. Lee strips bare those roots in favor of something that sounds pretty much exactly like The Fray. It’s a bit of a mixed result that finds him shouting more than singing and started very sleepily. Kudos on the reinvention of the song, but the vocals left a tremendous amount to be desired. And goodness gracious was that short.

Grade: C+

Prediction: The judges loved him, America seems to love him, so there’s no reason to think the leadoff spot will negatively affect him.



Big Mike Sang “It Only Hurts When I Breathe In”

Shania Said: He took the song to a whole nother place.

Randy Said: You did a great job, and you’re really in the zone of who you are.

Ellen Said: It felt like Luther Vandross.

Kara Said: I always feel you’re very connected when you sing.

Simon Said: Ellen’s Luther analogy was spot on, but the performance was a little bit girly.

The Verdict:

I’m not sure why he decided to sit on the stairs at the beginning – it seemed like he should be playing jacks or harmonizing with a finger-snapping quartet or something.

This performance is a little sleepy, but he absolutely slayed the vocal. Definitely a voice that’s ready to be committed to a record – it was that effortless, professional and smooth. As the song closed, his vocals slipped slightly, but the performance came much more alive – a weird trade off, but one that I think actually helped. Another solid, but not spectacular, effort from Big Mike.

Grade: B+

Prediction: I can’t imagine he’ll get into any trouble with that performance.



Casey James Sang “Don’t”

Shania Said: He’s missing some inner confidence.

Randy Said: One of the best Casey James performances ever.

Ellen Said: You sang that like that’s really where you belong.

Kara Said: Artists do not hide – the good, the bad, the ugly, they show it all – and that’s what you did here. (Ugh)

Simon Said: Your best performance so far. It didn’t feel like somebody else’s song.



The Verdict:

Despite the fact that the repeated extreme closeup made him look dangerously like David Coverdale in the “Here I Go Again” video, Casey managed to give us his most interesting performance in weeks. Giving us a different-sounding vocal (very pop!) and doing much more than looking like a cardboard cutout programmed to sing. He actually managed to connect to this song – it felt as though we were looking in on a coffee shop performance by someone who actually wrote the song they were singing. It’s far more compelling than what we normally see from Casey, and actually more compelling than what we normally get from any of the contestants.

Grade: A-

Prediction: If Casey didn’t go home last week when he was lame to lead off the show last week, there’s no way he’s going home when he rocked a middle slot.



Crystal Bowersox Sang “No One Needs to Know”

Shania Said: Make the song more about you.

Randy Said: Not my favorite, but I loved that you tried something different.

Ellen Said: There’s just nothing that you can’t do, but it wasn’t my favorite performance.

Kara Said: It’s kind of impossible for you not to be good.

Simon Said: We don’t like Crystal this week. It’s kind of like when you’re in a coffee shop and they hire a band to sing to you that you don’t want to hear.

The Verdict:

Wow – so this whole time that Crystal was trying to be a soul person (and failing miserably despite what everyone seems to think) she clearly should have been focusing on alt-country, because this was outstanding. Just nice, easy, cheerful and actually authentic. I’ve never understood why people call Crystal and “artists” when she simply does karaoke with a guitar each week – but after this I’m starting to understand what everyone’s talking about. She was like the female Ryan Adams, and I swear that was a compliment.

Grade: A-

Prediction: Crystal? In trouble? It’s not impossible considering the other performances and the judges’ reviews.



Aaron Kelly Sang “You Got a Way”

Alicia Said: Just give us what you love.

Randy Said: I think you did a really good job.

Ellen Said: Good job.

Kara Said: It was like you really felt those words. You changed the line, “When we make love,” which was very smart. (God, I need a shower after watching Kara creep out that critique.)

Simon Said: You struggled the last few weeks, but tonight you were like a different artist.

The Verdict:

So Aaron, the country kid, manages to strip every bit of country he can from this song – not so sure that’s a good idea. And he continues to prove that theory throughout. The vocal is solid, but that’s all it is – nothing really to distinguish it from 9,000 solid karaoke vocals across the country. And the performance, well that couldn’t have been more boring if someone put a picture of Aaron in front of a record player, just sleepy and drab. This wasn’t awful, it just wasn’t anything about which to get excited.

Grade: C

Prediction: Is Aaron safe? After those judge raves it kind of seems that way.


Siobahn Magnus Sang “Any Man of Mine”

Shania Said: It’s a fun song and you gotta put some energy into those lyrics.

Randy Said: I loved it!

Ellen Said: Way to pull the Shania Twain into the station.

Kara Said: Guess who’s back? Siobahn!

Simon Said: I thought the song was perfect, but it was almost like you were giving birth up there at the end.

The Verdict:

Wow, this performance was just. . .schizophrenic. Small voice, big voice, missed lyric, missed note, rocked note, awkward walk, stage dominance, awkward beginning, crazy good finish. What in the worldwas that? It was certainly interesting, I don’t know if it was very good, but if I were given the choice of any of the performances from this show to watch again, I would certainly choose that one.

Grade: B

Prediction: The judges certainly loved her, she went last, she was incredibly memorable, and she’s even got Vote for the Worst on her side! She may just be the safest of them all.

Final Thoughts:

Y’know, just when you want to count this show out it surprises us with a night like that. A night where mediocre is the worst thing anybody could say about any of those performances. It may be a bit defeatist to say it – but that’s a huge improvement!

The other big improvement – I have absolutely no idea who’s going home this week. It the judges are to be believed then Crystal is going home. If the leadoff spot curse is to be believed then Lee is going home – there goes the two frontrunners into the bottom three right there. That can’t really happen can it?

Actually, I think it will. And even crazier is who I think is going to go home: Big Mike.

Here’s the evidence: He was voted off once before (on a night where he did really well), going out of the second slot made him a bit forgettable, and Simon mocked him just enough to make people think he hated the performance.

That’s a toxic combination, and one that I think will see Big Mike going home for good this time.

source: http://www.starpulse.com/news/Andrew_Payne/2010/04/28/american_idol_recap_shania_twain_gives

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