'Idology': Pretty little one that I 'adorm'
Credit: TVLine.com
TVLine.com's American Idol expert Michael Slezak is back with Season 6 finalist Melinda Doolittle to discuss Season 12's Motown Week on an all-new Idology.
In this episode, Michael and Melinda discuss "The Lazaro Problem", from his attitude to his increasingly troublesome performances. They also discuss the sudden rise of Janelle Arthur, following her killer performance of "You Keep Me Hangin' On". Other topics: what gives with Angie Miller's decline? And can Amber Holcomb branch out beyond ballads? In addition, the duo talks Burnell Taylor's perplexing habit of adding an "M" to the end of every other word in his performance of "My Cherie Amour". It's a fun episode, as always.
Check out the video below:
Via: TVLine.com
Thoughts:
I wasn't as down on Angie as they were, but I do have the feeling that she's trying to fit into a mold that isn't exactly representative of who she is. Yes, her performance of "Shop Around" was a mess, but I feel like she avoided harsher criticism by separating herself from the pack so pointedly, doing a decidedly rock arrangement of a Motown track that made her feel distinct, for better or worse. That said, Angie needs to never do that again. One week is enough, but two? She can't keep coasting. Angie needs her piano like a diabetic needs insulin. It's all the more troubling that she went into the top ten as one of the only contestants who plays an instrument, yet she continues to find ways around actually using it.
On that note, I agree wholeheartedly about the Janelle assessment. The Kris Allen/David Cook-level of artistry, when it comes to arrangements, has been sorely lacking in the Jimmy Iovine era. From the glimpses in the mentoring sessions, we can see that this is perhaps a direct byproduct of his mentorship, as Jimmy privileges simpler, safer arrangements, to a limiting degree, I'd argue -- contestants often wind up getting pigeonholed into boring song choices and even more boring arrangements, and this hurts the season as a whole (as we've seen with the ratings for Season 12 thus far, though there are certainly other factors in that situation).
This is why Janelle's take on "You Keep Me Hangin' On" felt so fresh, to say nothing of what an outstanding vocal it proved to be. I'm actually on the cusp of getting really excited about Janelle, but I'm not sure if her performance last week is indicative of the kind of artist she plans on being, or if she was simply having a really good week. And, really, I'm not even sure how much of the "same ol', same old" in the theme/song choice/arrangement department is really Jimmy's fault. Phillip Phillips and Colton Dixon, for example, had their moments of ingenuity.
But those moments were few and far between -- and the gap has only widened in the year since, under Jimmy's mentorship. Then again, I don't really get the feeling that this is an "artistry" season anyway, so much as it is a season concerned more with the voice (ha!) than with any other part of the package. This is a straight-up singer's season, which is why a contestant like Angie or Janelle stepping up with an interesting arrangement could do wonders for their standing in the competition, as we're not getting a whole lot of that this year. I guess we'll see if the artistry makes a comeback, or if it's a more traditional, seasons 1-3 type throwdown between the powerhouse voices of the competition.
What do you think? Is Jimmy hurting the creative integrity of the Idol franchise? Is it time for Lazaro's journey to end? And can Amber Holcomb change things up, or is she too set in her ways? Sound off in the comments!