Last week, the "American Idol" judges (and I) came down hard on Lazaro Arbos for forgetting his lyrics. He deserved to go home, but Devin Velez was cut instead.
This week, Lazaro forgot his words ... again! He fumbled during his duet of "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" with Angie Miller. Singing with Angie only showed the disparity in their voices. Angie moved and sounded like a pro, Lazaro like a bad lounge singer.
That being said, his solo performance was MUCH better than past weeks, but still the weakest of the night. If one of the girls is the lowest vote getter, I'm sure the judges will use the save. Here's how I ranked them:
1. Amber Holcomb
Amber took the rock 'n roll theme in stride with her killer legs voice. She hasn't been pimped by the producers as much as the other girls, but this was far and away the best vocal of the evening. The key changes were effortless. I hope she established herself as a frontrunner with her cover of Heart's "What About Love" (trivia: Heart's Ann Wilson, like Lazaro, stuttered):
2. Candice Glover
Like Nicki Minaj, I didn't love Candice's Rolling Stones song choice (I mean c'mon, even Britney Spears has covered "I Can't Get No Satisfaction). Candice broke her toe so she couldn't work the stage, but she still worked the hell out of this song. Not her best, but better than the rest.
3. Kree Harrison
Perhaps it was her pinched nerve, but there was something about Kree's performance to Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart" this week that seemed strained. Her voice was shaky in the beginning and the end, and didn't have the same effortlessness as weeks past. I would've to hear a little more rasp. As much as the judges praise her authenticity, I'd like to see her mix it up just a little more.
4. Angie Miller
Angie closed the show, but I thought her vocal was a notch below Amber's, who sang right before her. Angie redeemed herself after last week's rare miss, but she still wasn't the top of the pack for me. She has a great voice, but there was something too over-produced about her Evanescence cover. I think she's trying a little too hard, and it's showing. Great last note though.
5. Janelle Arthur
As the judges pointed out, Janelle is very relatable. I find her likeable, and week after week she brings something different. Her cover of Billy Joel's "You May Be Right" was pleasant, but unremarkable. She'll be around for awhile, thanks to the strong Southern voting bloc. On a style note, that vest needs to be burned, and judging by it's shininess, I'm sure it's very flammable.
6. Burnell Taylor
I love Burnell, but this was probably his weakest performance to date. Yes, he did fall behind the beat ever so slightly as Randy Jackson pointed out (but frankly, so did Angie) and singing Bon Jovi was "out of his wheelhouse." Still, I liked how his voice sounded and the raspy rock thing was kinda cool in my book. I hope his popular song choice and excellent duet will save him this week.
7. Lazaro Arbos
Lazaro took on Queen's "We Are The Champions" and I have to give him credit for coming back after a bad duet and harsh criticism from the judges. Lazaro's tone is actually quite nice when he settles in. My biggest problem is despite his penchant for flashy colors and dramatic poses, Lazaro's performance quality is really flat -- the total opposite of Freddie Mercury. He also lacks power.
He was much better this week, but not good enough to stay. Hopefully America will send him home, but I'm afraid Burnell might be in danger. Who did you like? tell toofab in the comments below.
- Lawrence Yee
