AI5 Semifinals Round 1:
The Guys Shake It Up!

American Idol 5 kicked into gear this week with several exciting showings by the female semi-finalists. We heard from the guys on Wednesday, and with fresh song choices and varied styles, they proved that the competition is indeed fierce this season.
The It's Destiny! panel (Destiny, Liza, and Tammy) will head straight into the battle as they give their take on the performances each week. Stay tuned- this season finds the panelists' opinions as varied and heated as ever. Let's get this party started!

Following is the It's Destiny! panel's take on the AI5 Semi-Finals Round 1: Guys.

Patrick Hall "Come To My Window"
Destiny: Not the greatest song choice for Patrick. He didn't showcase the beauty of his voice at all. I look forward to him exploring his more emotional side in the weeks to come. Oh, and what was with "Patrick's Friends" in the audience? Plastic surgery, anyone?
Score: 6.0
Liza: Totally agree about song choice. Not only wasn't it "the greatest song choice", but it was just downright horrible for him. He needs to get back into his adult contemporary box ASAP because he has a fantastic voice and can probably glory-note with the best of them. I hope he gets the chance to do so. He has a great attitude and, like Paula said, is unlike anyone else in the competition.
Score: 6.0
David Radford "Crazy Little Thing Called Love"
Destiny: It was like a cheesy Elvis impersonation. Not my cup of tea, but he probably appeals to the young girls who power vote for American Idol. He lacks the coolness factor that a "crooner" needs to have to be believable and entertaining in today's world a la Michael Buble. I don't know if that's something David can learn.
Score: 4.5
Liza: The Elvis impersonation may have worked if his vocals were actually strong, but they were very weak. I honestly don't know why he thought this was going to surprise America because he sang it in exactly the same way he has sung everything else. Unlike Patrick, David stayed in his box, but I don't think his box is right for this show.
Score: 4.0
Bucky Covington "Simple Man"
Destiny: This was just an OK performance. Didn't impress me much. The country rocker quota for American Idol was filled just fine by Bo Bice. We don't need another one at this point.
Score: 6.0
Liza: Wow - three in a row. After Tuesday's review, I didn't think we'd agree on anything! Bucky has an interesting voice, but it was all screams and rasp. This hybrid of grunge and Southern rock was very bizarre. And yeah, he is basically a poor man's Bo Bice.
Score: 6.0
Will Makar "I Want You Back"
Destiny: This guy is so adorable. It's nice to see him having fun onstage. He's got a strong voice that, combined with his winning charm, will take him a long way on this show. Fun!
Score: 8.0
Liza: And this is where we part ways. I knew it wouldn't last. While I applaud his enthusiasm and effort, I just felt like I was watching Peter Brady singing a solo with the Silver Platters. It was so white-bread. He has a nice voice, though, as evidenced by his earlier efforts. His a capella solo of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" sounded terrific. This just wasn't the right song for him.
Score: 5.5
Sway Penala "Reasons"
Destiny: I am shocked at Paula and Randy's high praise of this performance. I found the vocals to be very shaky and the song choice to be poor. The full-time (and pitchy) falsetto did nothing for me.
Score: 4.0
Liza: Ooh, I'm going to have to disagree. Isn't that song sung in all falsetto? What did you want him to do? Leave it to the backup singers, like Anwar did last year? I cringed when I heard what he was singing, but he impressed me by hitting all of those high notes. His outfit, though ... eeks.
Score: 7.5
Chris Daughtry "Wanted Dead Or Alive"
Destiny: The performance was a little one-note for me. All push, no ease. It needed a little color and variation. Hopefully, since it seems Chris will be in the competition for the duration, he will become less forced and find some nuance.
Score: 8.0
Liza: So since I jumped on Kinnik for doing this, I have to be fair and say the same for Chris. I felt like it was a straight mimic of the original. He even sounded like Jon Bon Jovi. He sang it well, though. He just needs to try to infuse more of himself into his music.
Score: 7.5
Kevin Covais "One Last Cry"
Destiny: Kevin is a novelty act for the powers that be at Idol, much like a singing cartoon animal. I believe that he is serious about what he is doing, but I get the feeling that he is the brunt of a joke that he's got no idea is going on.
Score: 8.0
Liza: I felt like I was watching a high school talent contest. Kevin has a pleasant voice and sounded quite nice on the chorus, but it was so white-bread and non-artistic.
Score: 5.5
Gedeon McKinney "Shout"
Tammy: Again, another performance where the singer acts out the lyrics while on stage. STOP THAT! Randy may have thought it was a good song choice, but I thought it was foolish. Who does this song appeal to? Does Gedeon know his audience? A more recent song would have been the smarter choice. Shout is such a cheesy song, and he really brought nothing new to it. Bor-ing.
Score: 5.0
Destiny: I couldn't disagree with you more, Tammy. I thought this was a great performance. Gedeon is like an old school Motown performer, the likes of which the AI stage has never seen. Based on the little we previously saw of this guy, I wasn't expecting this. GREAT!
Score: 9.0
Liza: GREAT???? Wow. I thought it was drunken karaoke frat night at the Delta house with this performance. I'm with Tammy. It was so campy and silly. There are so many great song he could have done to showcase his old school Motown style, why this one?? It was like watching in horror as Diana DeGarmo sang "Do You Love Me" in Season 3.
Score: 5.0
Elliott Yamin "If You Really Love Me"
Tammy: Another meh performance. Elliott lacked a spark. He really needs to grow that hair out. And that 'best male vocals EVAH' is so inaccurate and puzzling that I'm not even going to go there. At this point I'm all Stevie'd out. Please, there are other songs to cover, Idol-wannabes!
Score: 6.0
Destiny: I agree, Simon proclaiming Elliott as the best male vocalist in AI history boggles the mind. He wasn't even the best vocalist of the night. His stage presence isn't anything special, either. However, his being a regular guy from a regular town, combined with high marks from the judges, may be the right mysterious combination to draw in mass votes (see Savol, Scott).
Score: 8.0
Liza: Simon said "potentially the best", not "THE best". That may be a stretch, but I do think he had the best vocal of the night. He has a great voice - quite soulful and rich. And I think his average joe-ness is going to have mass appeal. Great job.
Score: 8.5
Bobby Bennett "Copa Cabana"
Tammy: I'm thinking the only reason Bobby is on the show is so I can snark on him. Honestly, does anyone see this as the next American Idol? He's a lounge singer, and a mediocre one at that. Nothing new or special here.
Score: 4.0
Destiny: Schmaltzy City! And crappy schmaltz at that. He may be a nice guy, but he's a waste of a coveted spot in the semifinals.
Score: 4.0
Liza: Remember the gondolier from Vegas that they cut during the first auditions? They may as well have kept him if they were looking for someone like Bobby. Good grief, what was he thinking?! That was not a semifinal performance, that was a comedy routine in a Vegas lounge. It makes a mockery of the whole show.
Score: 3.0
Ace Young "Father Figure"
Tammy: Gah. I hate myself for eating this performance right up. The song selection was obviously a calculated effort to make the female viewers toes curl. And I have no doubt that he succeeded in houses across North America. Well played, Mr.Young.
Score: 8.9
Destiny: This was indeed a crazy and risky song choice for the AI stage. And, as Tammy said, the risk paid off. Ace managed to pull it off. Good meeting of vocals and performance skills.
Score: 9.0
Liza: I feel violated. And Ace knows it. This dude is more calculating than Richard Hatch. He so obviously knows what he's doing. I am not falling for
these shenanigans, but I can't deny that he did a good job with the song. He picked the right song for his voice.
Score: 8.0
Taylor Hicks "Levon"
Tammy: What is going on with the world? Why all the Taylor Hicks love from the judges? I like Taylor, but I thought his vocals were weak and all over the place, and his performance was a bit spastic. I know what he was going for, but I just don't think he ever got there. This performance suffers even more if you listen to the Canadian Idol version by Billy Klippert. That is how you sing this song, Taylor.
Score: 4.5
Destiny: Yes, the Billy Klippert version of "Levon" may never be topped by any performer, even Elton John himself. That being said, Taylor did a good job with the song. He's got a wonderful vocal instrument. Can't wait to see what he does next.
Score: 9.0
Liza: The performance tics are very distracting, but vocally he is a standout. I do agree, though, that he doesn't rate with Billy Klippert's "Levon", but to be fair, most of the viewers in America have never even heard of Billy Klippert, let alone seen that performance to compare. But Destiny, them's fightin' words about Elton John! Watch out, or he'll call you racist. ;)
Score: 8.0
Who Should Be Eliminated
Tammy: Bobby, Gedeon
Destiny: Bobby, Sway
Liza: Bobby, David
Who Will Be Eliminated
Tammy: Bobby, Gedeon
Destiny: Bobby, Gedeon
Liza: Bobby, Gedeon or perhaps Patrick (sniff!)

Click here to check out the It's Destiny! panel's take on the girls of AI5 this week.

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We asked you, "Who Is Your Favorite Girl On American Idol 5?"
26% Katharine McPhee
18% Paris Bennett
16% Lisa Tucker
12% Stevie Scott
10% Mandisa
5% Kellie Pickler
5% Ayla Brown
4% Heather Cox
2% Melissa McGhee
2% Becky O'Donohue
1% Brenna Gethers
0% Kinnik Sky

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