American Idol 6, April 3: Setting the Standards

Ryan Seacrest promises us an exceptional show. The bands and the final nine are all ready to go, as are the judges. Paula is wearing a kicky, 1950’s style scarf around her neck. I like how Paula plays dress-up every week. Remember last week when she copied Gwen Stefani’s bustier-shirt-tie look? She’s a chameleon, our Paula.

Tonight’s mentor Tony Bennett has a career spanning more than 60 years and has released more than a hundred records. He’s racked up an impressive15 Grammy awards and is “still at the top of his game.” He is “respected and adored” by the music industry, and his current album, Duets, is his biggest hit yet. Tony says that all of the Idols are “very competent,” and that he likes all of them. He says that the songs they’ll sing are the best that have ever been written in America and will never go out of style.

Blake Lewis is up first with “Mack the Knife.” Tony says that Blake needs to “come around to the meaning of the song.” He tells Blake that it’s “pre-rap” and that he needs to bring down the tempo and give each line more impact. Tony doesn’t seem too wowed by Blake.

But when Blake hits the stage, dressed in a powder blue jacket and some subtle plaid pants, it all comes together. The song is a cool choice for Blake. He can still keep in the genre, but he can also be himself. He throws in some scatting at the end, and the whole thing is a lot better than I thought it would be. I really like Blake, but I didn’t know how he’d deal with this genre. He definitely did the best he could.

Randy: There were a few pitch problems, but Blake started the show off well.

Paula: He showed pizzazz and was cool.

Simon: Good choice of song, performed well. He gives Blake 7/10 and the band 8/10.

Blake says the lyrics were tough and that it was fun to go first. He lets out a deep breath, happy that his performance is done. I’m sure the next genre he’ll dread will be country.

Phil Stacy is excited about meeting his hero, Tony Bennett. He’ll sing “Night and Day,” and Tony advises him to sing it with “a little beat behind it.” Tony says that Phil is a “real good singer.”

Phil looks good in a simple suit, and I’m grateful that he’s not wearing a stupid hat. The pace of the song, though, is really pretty slow. It’s almost a lullaby. His voice doesn’t sound bad, but there’s just nothing to get excited about. This might be Phil’s week to go home.

Randy: “Interesting choice,” but he didn’t feel any connection or passion from Phil. I really agree, and maybe that’s why I found it boring.

Paula: Phil reminds her of a young Frank Sinatra. Simon is incredulous. But Paula thinks he needs to show “more joy,” and to show personality not just in the chorus. It’s the same feedback she gave him last week, and let me tell you, if Paula is giving you “constructive criticism” like that instead of just telling you that you’re a star and that she likes your outfit, you should really listen to her.

Simon: “Which Frank Sinatra are you referring to,” Simon asks Paula. Phil, Simon says, has all the joy of “someone singing in a funeral parlor.” It was dark and gloomy. Randy agrees.

Phil says he appreciates Randy’s feedback and he’ll try to take it to heart. Then Ryan pulls him aside to where “Randy can’t hear” and tries to get Phil’s honest response. It’s a cute little moment from Seacrest, but of course Phil knows all too well that we’re all watching him at all times. In fact, he takes advantage of this moment to pluck at some heartstrings by saying that he was trying to focus on his wife while he sang.

Melinda is up next with “I’ve Got Rhythm.” Tony tells her that she’s the best singer all day. Melinda says it’s amazing to have someone believe in you, especially when it’s someone like him. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m sick and tired of Melinda’s humility.

Melinda starts the song out slow, cranks up the tempo significantly at the chorus. It’s a really fun performance, and she looks just adorable. Her hair is shorter this week, and it’s an improvement. It’s also nice to see her wearing something other than a pantsuit. It is way past time for Melinda to start looking like a star, not like the nice lady at your church who sings in the choir. If they could just start styling her better so that she appears to have a neck, she’d be close to perfect. Oh, and her singing? Amazing, as always.

Randy: Randy can’t speak for a few minutes, because the crowd is going crazy. He says that she gives everyone a lesson in singing every week. “This is how you do it right here!”

Paula: Melinda will have #1 CD’s.

Simon: He didn’t like the first half, calling it “a bit cabaret,” but he loved the last part. She showed a lot more fun at the end. Simon jokes that it might be a problem that they can never find anything bad to say about her.

Ryan doesn’t think not being critical is a problem. Simon laughs, saying that they enjoy being mean to people. Hey, he could always make fun of her lack of neck. I’m just saying…

Chris Richardson is subject to the dumb viewer question of the week. How do you choose a song? Chris says that you need to choose something you’re comfortable with, then consider the audiences, then the judges. Ryan asks if he imagines himself gazing into Paula’s eyes as he sings. Chris isn’t quite sure how to answer that question, so he shrugs and says sure. Ryan jokes that’s how he practices hosting the show.

Chris is going to sing “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.” He’s worried because he doesn’t know the lyrics yet, a fact that would be especially embarrassing in front of Tony Bennett. Tony says that once he learns the song, he’ll have fun with it.

Chris starts off in silhouette, showing off the fedora that he pulls off much better than Phil ever does. It’s a really fun performance, and I think Chris made absolutely the right song choice. Performing an up-tempo song like he did worked much better for him than if he’d stood behind a microphone and just belted.

Randy: Chris came out “with a vengeance” and gave one of his best performances of the season. It was cool, young, and hip.

Paula: He didn’t compromise himself, and made it cool. Paula says he did seem to be looking at her, and Randy jokes he thought Chris was looking at him.