The judges on American Idol have continually called this group of contestants the best to grace the show's Studio City soundstage. Week after week, however, they have fallen short of the hype, with more bizarre song choices, pitch problems, and overall shakier vocals than ever. Here's a breakdown of the top nine:
Ramiele Malubay: She appears to be perpetually constipated, standing on stage as a diva, lacking any form of personality. When juxtaposing her performance of "Alone" with that of Carrie Underwood from her Idol days, no comparison can be made. She looks like an amateur at a karaoke bar, screeching incredulously sharp notes.
Syesha: She is not phenomenal, as the sometimes-biased Randy feels. Victim to a weak register, she'll be trading in her mic soon.
Kristie Lee Cook: Despite her pitch problems, she floored me on Tuesday night, because she not only chose a brilliant song, she proved that she could actually sing. She deserves to survive longer if she can keep it up.
David Cook: "Billie Jean" was brilliant, but Cook is a far cry from what Randy has deemed the "most original, most bold contestant that we've ever had." Fantasia, anyone?
Michael Johns: He is a second-rate version of Cook, who remains memorable only for the fact that he cannot keep pitch. He has no one to blame for that but himself, as he was forced to reveal during the top 11 show that he does not like wearing his inner-ear monitors. (The ever-confused Paula Abdul seemed to think that he had a problem hearing them.) Wednesday night, however, he proved that he can be interesting. If he continues to choose his songs wisely, he has potential to stay on the show.
Brooke White: She has an exquisite charm, but she needs to learn when to shut her mouth, shed the gimmicks, and straight-up sing, understanding the limitations that her voice has, though it is rich in tone.
The same goes for pitch-perfect Carly Smithson: Cowell was right, her choice of "Blackbird" was bad - so bad that it put her in the bottom three during the top 11 results show. One can hope that Smithson will survive until the final round, as her vocals are the most controlled of all Idol contestants, making her this year's Melinda Doolittle but with a little more edge.
Jason Castro: He not only sounded like a subway performer on Tuesday, as Cowell noted, he looked like one. Over the past three weeks, he has fallen into a trap of blandness, sounding relatively polished, but failing to live up to his "Hallelujah" performance.
David Archuleta: He is so adorable that it should be a crime. Despite his youth, he probably has the most vocal talent of this year's contestants and is my pick for this year's top idol.
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