I'm not a singer, or musically inclined at all, really. But I do love music. And no, I don't spend a ton of money buying albums to have a packed iTunes library, and I don't look down my nose at people who are a year behind in hearing the next big music act. I just love good music...the kind that makes me feel good, or rather, just makes me feel.
That being said, Kyle and I (for whatever reason) seem to watch almost every singing competition show there is. Right now, we're watching American Idol. [side note: I will never refer to American Idol as "AI". As a vet's kid, AI means Artificial Insemination...not American Idol]
Anyway, this season, there is quite an eclectic group of contestants. Some I like, some I don't. However, I was really impressed with almost everyone's performance last night. They all did a song by their personal icons. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it was so good, because any time a person is doing "their thing" and it's what they love...they're almost always going to be good.
Here's my brief assessment of a few of the contestants:
Phillip Phillips - Of all the contestants, it would probably be his album that I would buy. Phillip has a very Dave Matthews-ish vibe about him. He does his own thing and does it well. He doesn't really fit the Idol mold, and although he's not apologetic about it, he's not disrespectful either...so I give him kudos on that. Last night, for his icon performance, he chose a Jonny Lang song. I've been a Jonny Lang fan since high school, so the fact that Phillip chose one of his songs, and performed it really well, just sold me even more.
Jessica - The girl can flat out sing. It doesn't really matter what the song is. She will have a successful career regardless of what happens on Idol if she's surrounded by the right songwriters and creative team.
Elise - She's just awesome. Last night she sang "Whole Lotta Love" and nailed it. Not much else to say
Hee Jun - Great tone, pretty voice, but he's got to find a style and confidence if he's going to be successful.
Deandre - He's got a quirky, unique voice, but I'm not sure it's relevant in today's music market.
Joshua - I'm not sure that he knows who he is yet, and I think coming across to the audience as genuine is difficult. In other words, I am fairly certain that he's gay (whether he knows it or not), and being a preacher's kid...coming out on national TV probably isn't the easiest experience. No doubt he has an amazing voice, but he's got a long way to go.
Colton - This is the guy I secretly want to win. I've always liked his voice and alt/rock style, but there was something different about him that I couldn't quite put my finger on. I don't do Twitter, so I was a little late to the game when I read an article about the producers telling him that he needed to be careful about how he expressed his Christian faith, because it might hurt his votes. Ah, now I get it. Last week, Ryan asked him what he was thinking about before his performance, and he said that he was just praying for God to use him. Last night he performed a song by Lifehouse that he said was his favorite worship songs.
Let me stop here and say that I am not a Christian bandwagon person. I don't just cheer for or support people just because they are Christians. Matter of fact, there are a lot of singers and groups on Christian radio stations that I just do not care for. Their message is great and their heart is in the right place...I just don't care for their music.
Anyway, what I appreciate about Colton is that he is indeed an incredible performer/musician/singer and that he expresses his faith in a subtle, genuine way. He doesn't run around with a WWJD? shirt on everywhere he goes, and doesn't have a John 3:16 tattoo on his forehead. I'm sure he says a lot of faith-based stuff on Twitter, but that's sort of "read if you want" forum...he's not shoving it down anyone's throat. He just tries to exemplify his faith through his actions, which is probably the most honest form of expression.
Okay, that's my very limited Idol review.
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