American Idol (April 20)

I watch because I'm addicted. I plan to sue someone and reap the benefits of living in an overly-litigious society.

Now, for this week's episode: Barry Manilow? On purpose? Huh. Imagine that....

Revealing secret of the Zomby: the first album I ever bought (I think I was all of 7 years old) was Barry Manilow Live. I'm not proud of that, but in the interest of full disclosure...

Diana DeGarmo: How the hell is this chirpy little lightweight still on the show? No, I mean it. The song she sang really did suit her high school performance aesthetic, though. Two words: boring crap. Five more words: please, God, make her stop.

George Huff: I generally think he has a nice voice and a good performing style, but this was all over the place. That seems a bit strange since the song and the arrangement were both good fits for him. He seemed to start a little off key and never quite found his way. Disappointing.

Jennifer Hudson: Ooo, "Weekend in New England." I actually like this song--I'm so embarassed. She did it well, too--her voice was a really good fit. Even in the little moments, she showed control and strength. When she let loose, it sent shivers down my spine.

Note: Simon is absolutely correct. This year is the "battle of the divas."

Jasmine Trias: She simply doesn't sound particularly good. She's not as bland as DeGarmo, but she has that same high school vibe to me. I feel like I'm watching a local talent show. Better than the last time I watched, yes, but not nearly good enough.

La Toya London: She is truly polite, kind, charming, and charismatic. Her voice was getting lost behind the music throughout the song, though. As good as she is, through most of the song I simply could barely hear her. She closed strong, and that helped but it wasn't even close to her best performance.

John Stevens: Singing "Mandy." Yeah, I like this one, too. The best that could be said here is that it was pleasant. His voice was pleasant. His manners are pleasant. He's a pleasant singer. His close was pretty nice, but not strong enough to keep him in this show too terribly much longer. He could grow into a really good singer some day, but he needs a few years beneath his belt...

Note: The Stan Laurel comment from Simon wasn't really called for, though...

Fantasia Barrino: Wow, what a different arrangement for this song--one of my absolute least favorite songs of all time. She did well, but not well enough to get me past my dislike of the song. What a transformation of the song, though; I felt like I was in church. Good, but not the best of the evening.