Most people don’t like being wrong. Last week, I didn’t like being right. Most of this season, I have seen similarities between Melinda Doolittle and Elliott Yamin. As a result, I suspected that Melinda would be eliminated—that she would truly be this year’s Elliott. Melinda is one of the best vocalists I have ever heard on this show, and she possesses a very humble, seemingly sweet nature. Yep. That sounds like Elliott.
American Idol Redux: Melinda Doolittle Equals Elliott Yamin
American Idol Redux: Melinda Doolittle Equals Elliott Yamin
The best singer throughout the competition, never hitting a bad note nor having a bad performance, Melinda went home before reaching the finale. Just like Elliott last year, Melinda’s exit performance made the show and its voters look pathetic. Will I watch next week? Of course I will; it has become my job. As with any job, the time invariably comes when we hate them, but we forge on.
Melinda in her own league
Melinda has been quite a competitor this season. From standing and belting out a song with her whole heart, to adding something simple like the jacket she held over her shoulder last Tuesday to enhance her performance, Melinda was in a league of her own. To see the true gracious, humble nature of this young woman, I suggest viewing her exit video at the American Idol home page. All she could do during her interview was compliment both Jordin and Blake and wish them well.
As I said about Elliott last season, Melinda is a beautiful soul. Melinda is more than just a great singer; she’s a great role model. Too bad the kids who create the biggest voting block for this show couldn’t see that. I’m not the only one who sees the error of the voters’ ways. Simon is upset that the best singer has been eliminated from this competition before reaching the end. He blames viewers who base their votes on elements other than singing ability. Simon, I’ve been trying to tell you that for two years, but you’re obviously not listening.
Jordin still strong
As for the performances last week, I want to touch on a few highlights. While Simon hated the jazzed-up version of “Wishing On A Star,” the song he chose for Jordin, that was one of the things I liked about the performance. The song is old, and the arrangement helped to update the sound. Jordin sang the majority of this song in her chest voice, which I really like and which is stronger and richer than her falsetto. The producers chose “She Works Hard For The Money” for Jordin. I didn’t get this choice at all, and apparently, neither did Jordin. It was not an impressive performance and could have easily passed for karaoke. Jordin’s choice was “I Who Have Nothing,” which she performed as impressively as she did the first time. This girl can really sing, though, honestly, all three of her songs sounded alike. She made few, if any, vocal changes, making her delivery of each song virtually identical.
Blake Lewis Conspiracy
If one were to believe in conspiracy theories, the question of why Blake was the only contestant given contemporary choices would be a burning one. Paula chose “Roxanne” for Blake. I’ve also noticed for some time that many of Blake’s performances are enhanced by microphone reverb. I shouldn’t begrudge him that; however, as he needs all the help he can get. Like Simon, I thought Blake’s rendition of “Roxanne” was a carbon copy of The Police’s version but not as good.
The producers chose Maroon 5’s “This Love” for Blake, and Blake’s choice was from Robin Thicke’s 2003 CD, “A Beautiful World,” called “When I Get You Alone.” On both songs, Blake again copied the originals but couldn’t match the previous versions because his vocals are weak. To get the point across that he is a one-dimensional performer, Blake threw in the beat-boxing.
American Idol voters blow it, take two
Finally, America’s inability to choose the best singer in this competition was startlingly clear in Melinda’s performances on Tuesday night. She won round one hands down. I was concerned with Randy’s choice of “I Believe In You And Me” mostly because Whitney’s range is higher than Melinda’s. I worried needlessly. Melinda rearranged the song to fit her key, and she was fantastic. Simon said, “Round one goes to Melinda,” and at that moment, Randy looked like one smart cookie. The producers chose Ike and Tina Turner’s “Nutbush City Limit.”
This was a very good choice for Melinda. She once again did her rocker chick thing. I had a feeling that Melinda could tear up some Tina Turner tunes, and she didn’t disappoint. This would actually be a good style for Melinda, though just about any style will suit her incredible vocal skills. For her own choice, Melinda reprised “I’m A Woman.” Like Simon, I enjoyed her “striptease” at the beginning, and I also love the way she gave props to and included the back-up singers. This was a stellar performance.
Melinda Doolittle Album Sales
Of these three performers, the only CD I would look for is Melinda’s. Jordin is a good singer, but she’s a very young girl. I believe that her music will be too young to interest me, quashing any curiosity I might have in a record she makes. I wouldn’t take Blake’s CD if someone gave it to me, other than to use as a coaster. I don’t care for the out-dated beat-boxing, which you can pretty much guarantee will be prevalent, and he’s just not a strong singer. His vocals will require major enhancement in the studio, resulting in an inability to perform his music live.
As for Elliott—excuse me; you didn’t really think I’d close out without mentioning his appearance, did you? Elliott looks good, he sounds great, and he seems extremely happy. He sang his hit single “Wait For You,” and the interesting thing about Elliott when he performs this song is that he re-arranges it with virtually every performance. I assume he is ad-libbing, as I’ve been told he’s very good at that. Ad-libbed or rehearsed, each performance is very good. I know I’m prejudiced—I freely admit that—but Elliott is extremely blessed in the vocal department.
Yawn - is this thing over yet?
Now, it’s time for another finale that has, once again, excluded the best vocalist from participation. Perhaps it’s time to pull the plug on Idol as it now exists and put in a more equitable voting system. I know I’m beating the dead horse again, but there’s a lot of truth to that statement. I just hope that all the little girls who voted to keep beat-boxing, weak voiced Blake in the competition buy his CD so that his 15 minutes will be longer than Sanjaya’s. From where I’m sitting, Blake will likely be another Justin Guarini/Diana DeGarmo second place finisher, which ruins the goal of the producers—to make money. I guess you could say they reap what they sow.
I will watch this finale from a writer’s perspective, but I really have no interest in the outcome. Though one would think that Jordin will defeat Blake similarly to Taylor’s annihilation of Katharine last year, given this season and the bad voting results, I wouldn’t be surprised if Blake prevails. If he does, I doubt very seriously that the producers will allow that vote to stand. Their objective is to make money; they won’t do much of that with Blake as this year’s Idol. Of course, if he does win, you can pretty much count on those voting procedure changes I have been crying out for to occur. I hope to have my final article out on results day, and may the best woman win.
Shirley has a Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science with an emphasis on Creative Writing and a Master’s in Public Policy. She is currently working as a freelance writer and freelance publicist for several bands and musicians.
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