American Idol-Season Five

I've been watching American Idol since the first season. Even though they don't always sing the type of songs I like or wear appropriate clothing, they all teach me something. I love watching each one grow as a singer and performer throughout the competition. They teach me to be a better singer/performer and I also pick up pointers as a vocal coach for others. Throughout the competition, I'll giving you my opinions of American Idol. Take them or leave them.

So far, America has voted spot on. You never know how the vote will turn out, because they don't call to vote off the weakest pop star. They call to vote for their favorite. So you just never know who will be eliminated. I looked over the names of who was voted off last week, and even though I watched the show, already I had forgotten their faces/names. What Simon says is correct, they were truly forgettable. Their names and ages: Bobby (19), Patrick (27), Becky (25), and Stevie (19).

This week, again, America picked the correct ones to leave. Brenna Gethers, age 25, swore America would vote her as their favorite. Her over-confidence lied to her. Heather Cox had a sweet disposition, but at age 16, just didn't have the life experience to equip her for the competition. David Radford, age 17, had a beautiful retro voice, but crooning isn't as popular as other music styles. He said goodbye last night. And Sway Penala, age 28, was sent home for his Stevie Wonder impersonation. I found his song this week to be better than the song he sang the week prior, but still, he was not of the same caliber as the other male singers.

My favorite singers are:
-Mandisa (Christian praise & worship singer with a beautiful spirit, age 29)
-Paris Bennett (larger than life voice, inherited pipes from Grandma, age 17)
-Chris Daughtry (my pick for American Idol with the total package of voice, stage presence, and style, age 26)
-Taylor Hicks (most soulful, very Ray Charles-like, awesome harmonica player, age 29)

One more comment about American Idol. Has anyone else noticed that Paula Abdul seems to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol the past two shows? I'm guessing she is hooked on prescription pain medications. Her body language, slurred words, and unfiltered statements all point to a woman not in control of self. I hope she will get the help she needs, if there is in deed a problem, because she brings a lot of life to the show. Randy has the best input to the singers regarding vocal coaching. And Simon, although rough around the edges, is the most accurate at spotting a winner. He knows what he is talking about!