So…last night was Motown Night on American Idol. I think pretty much all of them brought what they had to bring. I happen to like some of them more than others, but whoever you happen to like, you probably liked them last night.

What I’m figuring out, as the weeks are passing now, is who I am looking forward to seeing again. And again. Some of the singers whose style, even with all the career potential in the world, just don’t happen to be my style of singer. Paul is turning out to be one of those for me. I like aspects of his voice, his style, and I completely get his popularity, but the parts I like are just staying static for me, while the rest is going zzzzz and losing me. I do agree with the judges that if he slows it down and focuses more on the quirk and not stretching and pushing his voice to places it simply does not naturally go, with that rasp, he’d probably be growing on me, rather than losing me. But that’s what I mean. As the weeks unfold…who is grabbing you more, who is losing you?

Casey, who I also love, as the risk taker he is, and still look forward to each week, is starting to show the bald spots in his range. He can’t go much beyond what we see, and the depth of that is starting to prove more shallow than I’d thought or hoped. So…still has heart with me, I like his personality, but…kinda losing me as an actual iTunes buyer.

Thia has this gorgeous voice and sure, she gave the judges the up tempo they wanted, but I wish she was mature enough to be stronger in the way she interprets her song. She has this stunning voice with an alt edge, yet we hardly hear that. She’s too impressionable. (And possibly in trouble this week.) Whereas the other youngster, Lauren, can be almost too stubborn about what works for her. I like her country tone, but I still hear a lack of depth. Maturity, maybe, or maybe that’s all she’s got to deliver. She’s solid, but not special. Scotty is distinctive, a true gift, and was rock solid tonight, even with Motown. He owns his lane. Lauren has all the elements, but she’s not standing out when compared to the market she’s entering. In this competition she’s special, but in her niche of the industry? I don’t hear that yet. The makings of it, but I think she’s got a ways to go to get the depth she needs.

Naima pulled it out a little, but I wish there had been more of the end flavor throughout the song. She has a lot of the elements too, enough to mask her weaknesses. She’s just still trying to pull all that together, and I don’t know if she will in time to go far against this group. Haley really brought it tonight. I was kinda sorta hoping, after last week, that Naima would crash so Haley would get out of the bottom. She certainly didn’t belong there with this performance and even the judges were happy. But, compared to who else is she not going to end up there again? Everyone did well, so I think just based on voting who you voted for last time..she ends up there by default. We’ll see. The big question is…who else lands there this week?

Pia was stunning, as always. This was the first time I saw more of the star power to go with the star voice. But Jennifer has it exactly right. You can’t just stand there for two hours and pound it out. She has to learn now how to have stage presence in addition to voice presence, which she has in bucketfuls. Will be interesting seeing her trying to take that next step, but that’s what it’s going to take to give her the career she wants in music, I think, say, rather than the Broadway stage.

Stefano, again power voice, no connecting to the soul of it. And he doesn’t really get that, I don’t think, so I’m not sure he’ll grow there in time either. Cute will only get him so far. Not sure if he would be in trouble at this point, but I don’t know if he’ll go far.

And the song I thought Paul would take is the one James tackles….Stevie’s Livin’ for the City. I, for one, am very happy about this. I think the opening of the performance, the dancing, took him slightly out of his zone, but still cute. However, when he got back to center stage….yeah, he killed it. Great close. Owned. It. So, he’s one who is growing on me…

As is Jacob. That? That’s the one that gave me the goosies. Best performance for him, and he’s just growing and growing. Jacob’s style could just as easily have sent me to that samey-samey zzzz place, but instead, he’s truly learning from the mentoring process how to harness his powerful gift. It’s a joy to see. Steven running up there to hug him afterward was an absolute extension of how I was feeling.

So…what do you think? Who is growing on you? Who is losing you? Who wins? But, more importantly…who goes home this week? Starting to get challenging there… I’m afraid Haley will be down there, and probably Naima making a return trip, because I don’t know that they’ll surpass anyone else’s fandom within this one week. They did’t stumble, they did quite well…but so did everyone else, within their pocket. But…who will join them? Thia? Stefano? Casey? Will be interesting to see who’s down that way with the voters. Wonder how close the vote is? And wouldn’t it be even more fun if I’m wrong and we get a total shake up? Mmm. Such a good season!

Now, your turn. DISH!

Tags: Writing //