Melinda -- nice subtleties, but it sounded like a lazy mix...you know, like her mic level had been set for the big note and left alone...in other words, she was getting kinda buried by the band. Hey, Paula noted "subtle," too. (Regarding her response to Simon....) Melinda is so delightfully disarming!
LaKisha -- for crying out loud, LaKisha, look like you're happy and having a good time! And don't show me your stubbly armpits! (Oh, geez...might somebody consider that a racial comment?
) Singing was good, though...not great, but "good"...and certainly nowhere as excellent as the band was with it! Like Paula and Simon, I definitely didn't "feel" it as much as Randy did. Chris -- man, the band is killing again! Too weak in the beginning, sounded pretty good when the band wasn't particularly dense behind it. Listenable, but it makes me really appreciate Rob Thomas...weird, huh?...rather than think of Chris.
Haley -- I'm liking it, but is the band again awful strong in the mix? Is there something wrong with my hearing, my TV/sound system, my station? Not quite enough power at times and some sloppy enunciation at others.
Phil -- hmmmm...song choice?? Probably not a great song choice. Song too low-energy to pop the crowd. Oooo...a voice crack or two. It wasn't bad, but I don't think the audience will have any reason to think of and get excited about it.
Jordin -- technically, a nearly perfect performance, I thought, but it could have used more energy. If she was going to start in that low-purr area, fine, but she should have cranked it up as it went on.
Blake -- hmmmm...kinda good...another bad mix? Is it me? Gee, again, I'm thinking "more energy!" Like Chris made me appreciate Rob Thomas earlier, Blake is making me really appreciate Marc Anthony. Good, though...as Simon said, definitely the best song/singer match all night.
Sanjaya -- gosh, I can't believe I'm going to say this, but there's definitely some potential here. This boy needs some testosterone injections or something...too weak to sing all the way to the ends of the sentences. Had he been able to maintain his voice all the way through each line, this would have been....um, pretty good.
Oh...and his sister's still hot.
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Best: Hands down, the band! Big, tight, and skillful!
Best Of The Rest: Well, I'm not really sure. From the technical standpoint, based on showing versatility and subtleties, it was Melinda. From the performance standpoint, it was Jordin. From the closest-to-acceptable-in-the-real-world-but-still-wouldn't-be standpoint, it was Blake.
Worst: Phil....but he wasn't really bad; the song was.
Should Go: Phil, Haley, or LaKisha...nobody seemed to get an "intentional bad mix," so the producers don't seem a particular desire.
Will Go: Phil, Haley, or LaKisha...but "a shocker" wouldn't be a shocker.
