
- Kris Allen - "The Way You Look Tonight"
- Allison Iraheta - "Someone to Watch Over Me "
- Matt Giraud - "My Funny Valentine"
- Danny Gokey - "Come Rain or Come Shine"
- Adam Lambert - "Feeling Good" (arrangement: Muse)
The Theme
"Rat Pack," at least in theory. Mostly jazz standards came out to play, and nearly all of them fairly dismal. Their mentor was... Jamie Foxx. Okay, seriously, was everyone else on the planet busy?
Voted Off:
Matt Giraud who moped through "My Funny Valentine" has the distinction of being the only finalist to be told repeatedly to get the hell off American Idol. He got voted off in the pre-finals, was brought back by the judges for the Wild Card round, voted off and saved by the judges, and now voted for the third and hopefully final time. The judges' save is a frustrating moment... not only does it basically say, "No, America, you're wrong" (which would be okay if it didn't spit in the actual format of the show) but they used the save on someone that was already given a second chance. But America finally said, "No, really, we mean it" and the judges had to submit.
"My Funny Valentine": C-
Should've Gone Home:
After that tirade, could I be expected to say anyone else but Matt? Here's a curveball that's really not: Gokey sucks. But his voters have made their choice.
"Come Rain or Come Shine": D
How Was Everyone Else?
The schmaltz was rampant. Kris Allen, who blue-eye crooned through "Make You Feel My Love" for country night turned it up to 11 for "The Way You Look Tonight." Allison Iraheta turned out a decent "Someone To Watch Over Me," but it didn't sound genuine. It sounded like Pink auditioning for a part in De-Lovely. Gokey was Gokey (which is not good), and Adam Lambert wisely used the incredible Muse arrangement for "Feeling Good," otherwise most famously done by Nina Simone. If I expected the judges to be more aware, I would've expected Randy or Simon to call it copycat since it followed the exact same blueprint down to the ennunciation, but they didn't. Ironically, it was the one time so far that Adam didn't come out of left-field and did something someone else had already mastered. But it sounded so good, and he did look so good sauntering down those stairs, effectively showing everyone This Is How You Do It, Bitches.
"The Way You Look Tonight": C-
"Someone To Watch Over Me": C+
"Feeling Good": A-
Truly though, all of these songs have been done to death. And if Simon wants credability when he compares a singer to a Carnival Cruise lounge act, they should stop playing by that rulebook.