Tonight's lesson? When the songs are this good, any singer -- well, almost any singer -- with a minimum of talent can be impressive.
The rundown:
Chris, "What a Wonderful World" -- we knew from country night that Chris could sing, but I hadn't realized just how pretty his voice was. That rock-singer harshness creeps in on one or two of the loudest notes, and it doesn't belong in this performance, but I like the relaxed quality, and the rhythmic freedom Chris brings to it.
Paris, "These Foolish Things" -- that preternatural maturity really works for her tonight, and she is in absolute control of her voice. It's a dazzling performance, and if she keeps singing like she has the last two weeks, she's gonna win this thing.
Taylor, "You Send Me" -- most out-of-theme song choice of the night. Remember when Bo sang "Satisfaction" last season? What they have in common is that "Satisfaction" and "You Send Me" really aren't terribly interesting as songs; we remember them because Jagger and Cooke gave two of the great star performances in rock history. This song needs a Sam Cooke to make it work, and Taylor ain't no Sam Cooke. Even by Taylor's own standards, it's a flat, uninspired performance.
Elliott, "It Had to Be You" -- Look at how relaxed Elliott is at the beginning, and you can hear it in his voice, where there's a warmth and a charm I've never heard before. I'd still like him to tone down the vibrato a bit, but this is by far his best performance.
Kellie, "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered" -- For a few measures, I thought Kellie might surprise us again as she did last week. But then she went wildly off-pitch ("...am IIII..."), and then she got an entire beat ahead of the band without seeming to notice or care all that much. A trainwreck.
Ace, "That's All" -- Without that long hair to hide the roundness of his cheeks, Ace actually has a pudgy little face, and isn't very pretty after all. Unfortunately for him, pretty really is his strongest card at this point in the competition, because when we actually pay attention to his singing, we're struck by how thin, whiny, and nasal it is. And even beyond the quality of the voice, it's a bland performance.
Katharine, "Someone to Watch Over Me" -- I've been singing Katharine's praises all season. I thought she was the star of Stevie Wonder night, right up there with Mandisa on 50s night -- one of the front-runners. So how is it that on the night the judges sing her praises to high heaven -- Simon saying that she makes everyone else seem like "talented amateurs" -- I'm left utterly cold? I thought it was a chilly, off-putting performance, and all the doe-eyed gazes into the camera felt entirely phony to me.
For the night: Paris, Elliott, Chris, Taylor, Katharine, Ace, Kellie.
For the season: Paris, Chris, Katharine, Taylor, Elliott, Kellie, Ace.
Deserving to go home: We really do need to get rid of Ace, but sloppiness like Kellie's must be punished. Pickle the Pickler.
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