We’re done with the auditions, the dreaded Hollywood week (for both contestants and viewers), and top 36 eliminations. The Top 13 have been chosen, and the ever anticipated countdown begins for who will be the next American Idol.
There have been several changes to the show this year (both good and bad). To begin with the traditional Top 12 was expanded this year to include Anoop Desai, one of the most popular contestants among fans, despite his often less than stellar performances.
However, because an additional week was not added to the show, two contestants were eliminated in the first week. However, I think this flexibility was a good idea, because it gave viewers one more chance to see several of the singers that had not had consistently good performances, but were nonetheless early favorites of the fans.
A rule concerning eliminations has also been implemented. In past years, fans, and judges have been shocked when contestants (such as Chris Daughtry) were voted off the show long before expected. To avoid similar issues, the judges have been given the right to nullify the elimination of one contestant over the entire season. The following week, two individuals will be eliminated, yet producers hope this will limit the chance of a great contestant being voted off too early.
This past Wednesday, Jorge Nuñez and Jasmine Murray were the first two contestants of the top 13 to be eliminated. Both had unremarkable performances and the eliminations came as no surprise to fans or judges. When asked if they would like to reverse the eliminations of these individuals, the judges were quick to say no.
Kara Dioguardi, a respected songwriter and singer, has been added as a fourth judge to the show. I was initially against the idea of a fourth judge; a sentiment that has not changed in the slightest. To begin with, they already had a good balance of judges.
The kind, but out of touch with reality Paula, the brutally honest, but reliable Simon, and the dependable, but often incoherent Randy result in three diverse judges that are well-known and loved by all Idol fans. Kara is clearly the oddball out. It seems she has personality swings, and she goes from being overly nice like Paula, to trying to be more critical like Simon. Dealing with Paula’s quirks was painful enough, but we are now forced to deal with yet another judge who doesn’t offer a unique personality to the panel.
Even though it is only the first week, there are some clearly identified favorites that are predicted fly to the top. Sixteen year old Allison Iraheta is astonishingly good not only compared to the other teenagers in the show, but the entire mass of contestants. Although she is certainly not the best singers, she will have the support of the younger generation throughout the competition, and will definitively be in the top contestants.
Danny Gokey is one of the top two singers on the show this year. His voice has a beautiful gravely pitch, and he has had consistently solid performances this season. My only criticism against him is that he does not have the stage presence that many of the others have. But I can definitely see him being successful in the future based on vocal ability.
Adam Lambert is hands-down one of the best contestants the show has ever seen. He truly has it all: vocal range, a great personality, a unique image and incredible stage presence. His history of musical theater may make some of his performances look like acting, but there is no doubt that he has an incredible voice and even more astounding range.
The last contestant of particular interest this year, Scott Macintyre. He is the first contestant on Idol that is blind. However, he does not need any kind of sympathy support because he has a stunning voice, and is great with his accompaniments on piano during his performances. While he may not be the best singer, he certainly is not letting his disability slow him down in any way, and is predicted to be a more popular contestant this season.
Although they are still in the process of separating the good from the great, several of the season eight contestants are simply in a league of their own.
There is no telling which contestants will pull ahead and stay original each week, but with the changes this year the show is promising to be as popular and entertaining as ever.
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