Apr 22 2009
Last Rounds For Lil, Anoop on “Idol”
Lil, we hardly knew ya. Despite a promising start, Lil Rounds concluded her American Idol run with little of the star quality she initially hinted at. (picture courtesy of Reuters/Mario Anzuoni)
Imagine that- America got it right on Idol tonight.
Early in Wednesday’s double elimination results show, Ryan Seacrest put Lil Rounds out of her Idol misery. Later in the program, it was Allison Iraheta and Anoop Zzzsai- oops, Desai- that Seacrest announced as the week’s other dwellers in the bottom three. Iraheta is a powerhouse, but with the competition nearing a strong top five, somebody’s gotta go, right? Thankfully, it was Desai who took his final bow alongside Rounds.
Watching the farewell recaps, we were reminded what a striking, edgy presence Lil Rounds was at the beginning of the competition. Heck, even her hairstyle added to her cool allure- but over the last several weeks, she allowed unflattering, girl-next-door-type wigs to lessen her “it” factor, and her incessant lazy, non-dazzling karaoke interpretations weighed her down so much, that the Titanic stood a better shot at recovery. The girl can sing and showed early signs of greatness, but ultimately did not reach in to her inner soul to channel the great artist she needed to be. As Simon Cowell said some weeks ago, she was not the same girl who wowed everyone early on, and we lost her more and more with each passing week.
A new, scruffy look did not endear Anoop Desai to Idolvoters, as they gave him the heave-ho Wednesday evening. (picture courtesy of AP/FOX/Michael Beeker)
No such what-could-have-been’s for Desai, as he’s been a big ol’ snorefest from the start. Every uptempo number he touched was a disaster, and though a competent vocalist on ballads, he possessed zero excitement factor, and probably stayed a few weeks longer than he should have. To think, Alexis Grace was ousted before him…
Avoiding the bottom three this week- and proving that the judges made the right decision by saving him from elimination last week- was Matt Giraud. His funked-up version of The Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive” was not his best showing, but it was not his worst, and, to his credit, was enough to keep him around and ensure a top five finish.
With season eight’s weakest links now a memory, we have a pretty strong top five, possibly the strongest in Idol’shistory. As always, anything can happen week to week- a shining star with a flawless record could end up in the bottom bracket one week, and a regular bottom feeder can turn around and bring a showstopper to the stage another. Judging by the last seven weeks, Giraud and Iraheta are favorites to comprise next week’s bottom two. Adam Lambert, Danny Gokey and Kris Allen remain the only contestants to avoid bottom three status, so they stand the best chance of finishing as this season’s top three.
No matter who wins the competition, it’s likely that at least a few will go on to decent music careers- probably not Rounds or Desai, though. Though, one never knows- Jennifer Hudson only placed seventh during her Idol tenure, and check her out now. Granted, her premature ejection was regarded as a miscarriage of justice (unlike, say, Rounds), but nothing is impossible- it’s not like Rounds doesn’t have the vocal ability, so it’s up to her to take the judges’ advice and decide where her musical future lies.
So, what’s it gonna be, Lil? Karaoke nights and contract gigs on cruise ships and hotel chains? Or, the big time, leaving behind the half-assed interpretations of other acts’ style, finding yourself as an artist and taking risks? Like the judges said, be your own woman- not every other one.
