Music Blogs

If I were an Idol contestant, I’d be all about strategy.  I’d also need some serious vocal lessons, but that’s beside the point.

On the first night of Idol (Mon), the song selection wasn’t so hot and the vocals matched if I can be perfectly honest.  The next day, a semi-disappointed me spouted off to friends and colleagues about how if I were one of the 24 hopefuls, I’d see this as the perfect opportunity to get ahead and lead the way by having the most crowd-pleasing minute and 15 seconds yet!  I’d pick a chart-topper track.  Ya know, the song that everyone will sing-a-long to at a bar and raise their drink to, the song that everyone had on a mixtape in the 8^th grade, or the guilty pleasure song that you know everyone still has on their iPod, but pretend that it utterly repulses them.  That’s how I’d earn the votes!!  Apparently someone in my circle is a blabber mouth and shared this with the remaining top 12. 

Tuesday night’s Idol was a totally different ballgame!  I even think that there is the possibility of a Canadian spin on the Cook v. Archeleta Idol battle; (Sebastian) Pigott v. Tams!

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These two are stellar contestants and have come out fighting.  I predict some great performances from these two.  They will keep raising the bar and challenging not only themselves, but other contestants.  Theo has admitted to being a sore loser and Pigott has always shared a spotlight with brother (and fellow hopeful Oliver).  I can't wait to see the gloves come off!   

It’s a shame that I’ve already predicted the future because Amberly Thiessen, Lindsay Robins and Marie-Pierre Bellerose seem to have a really good fighting chance! 

      

Amberly brings a purity and sweetness to the show and her music that I have never before seen in such a genuine way.  For a girl who claims to be relative blank slate when it comes to music, she’s really making her mark!  On the total opposite end of the sugary sweet spectrum are Lindsay and Marie-Pierre.  Lindsay could give Avril a run for her Sk8r grrrl ways and then some.  Full of energy with the vocal register to match, this chick has a real fighting chance.  But, sitting pretty at the top of the female pack is Marie-Pierre who took a Winehouse hit and added more sultry soul with the right bit of sass (who knew that was even possible) to stick it to the other two!

Other than these stars, the honorable mentions go to the following:

Jesse Cottam

From the first audition, I have been a big fan of Jesse, but when matched up against Pigott and Tams, he’s stuck in the shadows.  Word of advice, if you’re sugary sweet and admit that your band is well versed in pop-punk, don’t try to take on Billy Idol.  Stick with what you know!  What he does know is how to hide nerves and that if he can project his inner front man, he’ll at least make it through the first few rounds of voting.    

Omar Lunan

Not only can he sing, but this boy really connects with the emotional elements of a song and the audience.  He killed it!  I just hope there’s a little more edginess to him to really bring it home.  If he could be a little more Chris Brown or JT and a little less Ne-Yo (with some odd Michael Jackson elements) and he’ll go far!

Those are my aces!  However, I’m on the fence about two other hopefuls; Shaun and Mark.

Shaun Francisco

Not too sure if Shaun will make it any further in the competition this time around, but there's hope.  While I feel that Shaun should have spent less time on the arrangement and more on his vocals, he did prove that he has some serious musicality and a stage name to match!  That is just a stage name right?  While he’s no David Cook (at least not yet), it might be in there and I for one will watch to find out (but won’t hold my breath).   

Next, Mark Day.  

How cute is this guy?  Not only can he sing, but his one-liners are great!  I feel that Mark will totally secure the mom vote.  If Idol were a teen movie, Mark would be the underdog that paid the hot exchange student to be his girlfriend…or something along those lines.  Then he’d lead the entire school in a song/dance medley through the football field to signify how he overcame the social hurdles of highschool and how it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks.  There would be jazz hands and smiles but his powerful Broadway-worthy voice would cut through the choreography and move audiences!  Basically, I think Mark could be the next Jack Black, not sure about Idol though. 

My hopes for the second night of Idol were realized.  There is some serious talent in the competition this year and I can’t wait to see how it pans out!