A Dose of Reality: American Idol 6: Men's Week 1
by The Trades Staff
Published: February 21, 2007
American Idol is down to the Top 24 and we are back for another season. It's the top 12 men and top 12 women. The top 12 men start off the week with a song of their choice. The 12 women perform on Wednesday. The results will be revealed live on Thursday.
This season, we have a roundtable of four. Each week, we'll be providing our comments on the performances.
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Rudy Cardenas
"Free Ride"
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Andrea writes: I like this guy. He's cocky, he's got a good personality,
and he's energetic. It wasn't the best song choice for him. I thought he
sounded a bit nasal. He looks at home on the stage, and I hope that he's
still around next week to do a BIGGER song that will get him some votes.
Chad writes: This was not the type of start to the show I was looking for. I thought his singing style was awkward and difficult to understand. For many of the words, it sound like he wasn't fully pronouncing them, maybe just mumbling them. I didn't like it all.
Molly writes: Well, he was nervous. That was clear. The audition flashback shows that he
has a nice voice, and maybe once this first round is over he'll settle back
into it.
Paul writes: Rudy sang it well, but I thought the song was not a good fit for him. Rudy’s enormous too-white teeth were very distracting. And him repeatedly shouting “Whoo!” gave me horror-inducing flashbacks to “Soul Patrol!” I didn’t love him.
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Brandon Rogers
"Rock With You"
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Andrea writes: Very smooth vocals with a good tone. But I was really
bored with this song. I agree with Randy, he was a bit pitchy. I think he
can do better, if he'd get over the whole "back up" singer thing. Too many
runs, needs to stick to the melody on the next one and let his natural voice
shine. (Why do guys ALWAYS do Michael Jackson the first week?)
Chad writes: Much smoother than the previous contestant. It definitely wasn't outstanding but it's early in the competition. Down the road, that performance won't be enough but it will do for now.
Molly writes: This was okay. Brandon, like Rudy, initially auditioned with a ballad and
then came out tonight with an uptempo dance song. Brandon did better than
Rudy, but I still don't think this played to his strengths.
Paul writes: I think Brandon’s nerves got the best of him. His vocals were just ordinary, his dancing was forced—I thought the whole thing was really stiff. It seemed like Brandon wasn’t feeling it—and neither was I. Tell Christina not to hire a new back-up singer just yet.
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Sundance Head
"Nights in White Satin"
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Andrea writes: Don't like this guy. Didn't during the auditions - don't
now. I did like his song choice, I thought it was quite unusual. He hit
the higher notes with ease, but here's another guy who was pitchy as well.
I really hope he doesn't make it through. I just don't see it.
Chad writes: I may be alone but I actually liked it. It was a little off but it still sounded good. He's got a "different" look which sets him apart. The judges sure bashed him but I think he'll stick around.
Molly writes: I don't get Sundance. Never have. There was a guy last season who
auditioned in New Orleans whom I loved. But not Sundance. I thought
he was very dull tonight. He chose a song to showcase vocal power, and I
guess he had it, but I just didn't enjoy it. I wish the final slot had gone
to Tommy Daniels.
Paul writes: All through the audition process, I haven’t been quite sure what to make of Sundance. I don’t like the name. I don’t like that beard thing. But there’s undeniably something about him...somehow, I still kind of like Sundance. Unfortunately, I thought he kind of sucked tonight. I hate to use Paula’s stock line, but it was a horrible song choice. The low notes got lost, and the belt notes were really tight and not very good. I think Sundance will skate by for a while on personality—but at some point he’ll have to kick it up a notch or he’ll be gone.
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Paul Kim
"Careless Whispers"
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Andrea writes: WOW, where to start? Bad song, bad outfit, bad pitch. I like
his personality, and he CAN do a great vocal when he wants to. The whole
barefoot thing is very Zen, but it's going to take more than a gimmick to
win over the audience. Last year, Taylor had to prove he was MORE than a
gimmick. This guy will have to as well.
Chad writes: Wow. I don't know what to say other than that was awful.
Molly writes: Good golly, what key did Paul choose? Was that the housekey kept under a
rock in case he's locked out of the house? Whatever it was, it shouldn't
have been his first choice. He has an interesting voice, but he wasn't
using it to good effect.
Paul writes: Paul has a real smooth, soulful voice that I really like. But tonight wasn’t his night. His pitch was off in the beginning. He rebounded in the middle. Then when he went for the “but now” high note at the end, he completely missed it. Also, there was a real disconnect between Paul and the song: “Careless Whisper” is a song of regret about the lover you cheated on. With his dancing and big smile on his face, Paul looked like he was singing something more along the lines of “Let’s Get This Party Started.” And the barefoot thing: you’re performing in front of 30 million people, Paul—put on a pair of shoes.
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Chris Richardson
"I Don't Want to Be"
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Andrea writes: I thought it was a good performance, but as a karaoke
act. He sounded like he was straining for some of the bigger notes. I'm
not sure I would say he reminds me of Justin Timberlake. I was thinking
more Jason Mraz. I think he'll go through this time, but he's going to have
to step it up to stay.
Chad writes: The dancing was horrible and the singing sounded like a boy band. I didn't like it.
Molly writes: This guy gives me a little bit of a Jon-Peter Lewis vibe, but while I didn't
care for JPL, I somehow find Chris endearing. He was probably rougher
vocally than most of the preceding guys, but he had energy, personality, and
put his own stamp on the song. Despite myself, I liked it.
Paul writes: I thought Chris’s vocals were actually pretty good. But all that head-shaking and bopping up-and-down was a little jarring. As far as the resemblance to Justin Timberlake... yes, Chris looks like JT—if Justin was a midget and had no neck.
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Nicholas Pedro
"Now and Forever"
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Andrea writes: I'm glad to see him go through, since he was one I liked last
season. He was a little shaky and breathy, and I don't think that his tone
could be heard clearly. He did a great job during the auditions and during
Hollywood week. If he goes back to something that will showcase his pipes,
he stands a good chance of making it to the finals. The song was boring,
but the camera loves this guy.
Chad writes: This was another very boring performance. It was basic and dull. He didn't sing it that well either.
Molly writes: This was nice. Not amazing, not astounding, but it could be played in the
finest grocery store in L.A., as far as I'm concerned.
Paul writes: I really like Nick, and I really like this song. Nick’s performance had a few rough spots, but overall I thought it was honest, and tender—Nick connected well with the song. The best so far.
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Blake Lewis
"Somewhere Only We Know"
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Andrea writes: WOW. 'Nuff said there kids. What a great vocal on this.
Totally unexpected song, great look, confident...I truly think that he'll go
far in this competition. This was the first performance I actually liked
this evening.
Chad writes: He picked an excellent song and did a pretty good job. So far, he's done the best job of all of the performers.
Molly writes: Excellent job by Blake. He sounded good, and he played against type. He
showed that he was ready for a singing competition. I was impressed by his
interview segment before singing, and even more impressed afterwards.
Blake's one to watch.
Paul writes: I like Blake a lot: He’s charming. He’s fun. I love the hair. I even like the beatboxing. But Blake was smart enough to put the beatboxing on hold and sing the song—and he sang it really well. I thought Nick was good—but Blake was way better.
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Sanjaya Malakar
"Knock Me Off My Feet"
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Andrea writes: This kid is cute, he's got a great smile and a good voice,
but no maturity to back it up. The song was awful - again, Stevie
Wonder???? Not even the best of the best can pull that off on their best
day. He's got a great innocence that carries well on stage - I would like
to see him get a little gritty, a little dirty, and really energized. BUT,
I think he's going home.
Chad writes: Another very boring song. Sanjaya has a great smile that makes him likable but this performance was nothing special. Although it is typical for an early performance. Just a safe song.
Molly writes: There is something about Sanjaya. He is, as Paula said, a sweet soul. And
I think he's an interesting singer. I absolutely disagreed with the judges.
I think he's got a real sense for Stevie, and that this wasn't a bad choice
for him. I think because he's young and shy, he is not as forceful and
crisp in his interpretations as he should be. But he still has something.
Paul writes: We all know by now that Sanjaya’s big sister didn’t make it to the top 24. So in her honor, it seems Sanjaya decided to female-impersonate her. Seriously, was he wearing lipstick? I suppose Sanjaya’s cute in that Kevin “Chicken Little” Covais way, but he has absolutely no sex appeal. And I think people are much more likely to buy your record if they want to bang you. Bore us he did.
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Chris Sligh
"Typical"
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Andrea writes: I liked this guy from the beginning. Not a conventional look,
he chose a good song that suited his voice, he's got a great personality.
He went out there and proved that he WANTS this. If this is his first
performance, I can't wait to see next weeks. He'll still be there.
Chad writes: Chris is definitely my favorite performer. The song wasn't the best choice but I really enjoyed his performance. He sounds great. He has a great personality. Chris is going to be in this competition for a while.
Molly writes: I want to like Chris. I do like Chris. He's got a great
personality, and is (I'm sure) great fronting his band. But solo vocalist?
I'm not convinced. This is a solo singer competition, and I think Chris is
better off in a band.
Paul writes: I hated the song, but I thought Chris sounded good. But that hair… he looks like a brunette Ronald McDonald. I just want to hold him down and shave his head.
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Jared Cotter
"Back At One"
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Andrea writes: He's got a nice tone, and a good look. But the song bored me
to tears (I hate it with a passion), and he sounded like he was trying to be
Brian McKnight. A good imitation, but nothing to write home about.
Chad writes: Good grief. Did he really pick that song? I hated it. It was horrible.
Molly writes: He had some nice notes, he had some bad notes. But ultimately this was just
not a memorable performance.
Paul writes: Jared is from Long Island, like me, so I’m hoping the hometown boy hits it out of the park. Alas, he doesn’t. The good news is unlike Sanjaya, Jared has some sex appeal—I’m sure some people watching wanted to bang him. But the performance itself was just okay.
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AJ Tabaldo
"Never Too Much"
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Andrea writes: I'm glad that he finally made it through to the top 24, but
then he comes in with a cruise ship performance, and I have to ask if he
really wants it bad enough. He needs to take a risk and do something that
the audience will not expect from him - how about some Ozzy Osbourne?
Chad writes: It wasn't too bad but it was still not very impressive.
Molly writes: Have I used the "k" word yet? I probably should have, but now's as good as
time as any. It was nice, fun karaoke. I don't know if there's anyone who
enjoyed his performance as much as he did (and Paula), but it was okay.
Paul writes: A.J. certainly wasn’t bad—yet there was nothing overly exciting about him. Much more interesting than A.J. was Paula out of her chair doing her “Of course I’m not drunk right now” dance.
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Phil Stacey
"I Could Not Ask For More"
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Andrea writes: The man who missed the birth of his daughter proved tonight
that it wasn't a mistake. He definately deserves to be there. I think it
might have been the best performance of the night. Good pitch, good tone,
great power. I can't wait for next week to see what he comes up with.
Chad writes: Well, I liked this one. It was a nice ending to an otherwise dull show.
Molly writes: Wow, talk about clunkers. Phil was way off on the opening, and didn't
recover to more than mediocre during the course of the song. He may be a
bald singer, but he's no Magni (Rockstar: Supernova). I have no idea
what Randy was listening to -- well, actually, he probably listened to the
same thing I did, and he was just wrong as usual. But props to Phil for
listening to Simon instead of Randy.
Paul writes: First of all, bald’s not a great look when you have GIGANTIC ears. Phil started out really shaky, but once he got to the meat of the song he belted it out, and he sounded good. But when Phil grabbed the mic and tried to be all rock ‘n’ roll, it seemed…well, phony. It was an uneven performance at best. Oh, and the name—Phil Stacey—it’s a little fey. I’d change it.
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