Birthyears And Billboards Bombard AI5

A wide variety of genres made appearances on the American Idol stage this week as the Top 5 sang two songs apiece, one from the year they were born and one from the current Billboard charts. The night, while not full of showstoppers, offered adequate performances mixed with questionable song choices.

Following is the It's Destiny! panel's take on the AI5 Finals Round 8: Birth Years and Billboards.

Elliott Yamin "On Broadway"
Destiny: Elliott looked so comfortable as he commanded the stage during this song. He sounded great to boot. Loved the jazziness he infused into the song. I think the judges' tepid comments were a result of them being disinterested at the start of a long show more than anything.
Score: 8.9
Tammy: Well, I was disinterested because it was a poor song choice. 'On Broadway' has no 'star' moments, as much as Elliott tried to zest it up a bit. I didn't see Elliott stepping up his game with this performance.
Score: 7.5
Liza: I agree with Tammy. That was not the best showcase for Elliott. I liked the growl in his voice, but I think he tried to do too many runs in this song. It was just okay for me. He's definitely done better in the past.
Score: 7.0

Paris Bennett "Kiss"
Destiny: Looks adorable! Love the hair and the outfit. Way to command the stage, too, Paris! It's no easy feat to pull off a Prince song without looking like a fool. Not the best thing she's ever done, but good.
Score: 8.6
Tammy: Paris wasn't relying on gimmicks or pretending to be someone she was not. She just sang, and that was enough.
Score: 8.5
Liza: I'm really glad that she didn't try to do a carbon copy of Prince's version. This was a bit sassier and more fun and girlie. I'm not sure that it totally worked, but it was so much better than I expected.
Score: 7.5

Chris Daughtry "Renegade"
Destiny: Ah, we're back to old shouty rocker Chris. This, of course, means that the judges love it, and it does nothing for me. Would maybe have enjoyed it a little more if he had chosen a more popular song.
Score: 7.5
Tammy: I loved it. This surprises no one, I'm sure. I'm still annoyed that they pimp him the way they do with the super speshal lighting and such, but eh, what can you do? I didn't think he was shouting that much, certainly not the way he did with that Creed song that we don't really need to ever discuss again, ever. And while I would have liked a song that I was actually familiar with, it's probably a wise choice to choose something relatively unknown so he can't immediately be compared with the original performer.
Score: 8.8
Liza: I thought it was a good song choice, but it was the same ol' same ol' with Chris and the way he performs. It's getting kind of old and predictable. Oh, and just say no to the falsetto, Daughtry!
Score: 8.0

Katharine McPhee "Against All Odds"
Destiny: Not my favorite song. And she didn't sing it all that well either. I did not like the arrangement. Guess the girl just won't admit to herself that vocal runs are not her strong suit. Too bad, because it does her and the audience a disservice when she makes us endure her pitch problems.
Score: 5.0
Tammy: Yikes. That song did her no favors. The girl is not a belter! At different parts of the song she seemed to be speaking the words rather than singing them, as she cut her notes off prematurely. Perhaps nerves are setting in as the contestants edge closer to the finish line?
Score: 5.0
Liza: Yikes is right. There was just so much wrong with that performance. She starts the song out of tune, flubs the lyrics in the chorus a little bit. And the bigger crime ... she picked this tired, worn-out song. Her worst performance to date.
Score: 5.5

Taylor Hicks "Play That Funky Music"
Destiny: Perfect song choice for Taylor Hicks, the funky white boy epitomized. Loved his more casual outfit and the way he let loose. Sounded fantastic, to boot. A fun, entertaining performance. Randy and Simon just can't stand anyone actually having fun onstage.
Score: 9.0
Tammy: Taylor seemed to be enjoying himself onstage as he sang, which seems to be a rarity as this show moves forward. While the song suited him, and it was an entertaining performance, it wasn't especially memorable.
Score: 8.1
Liza: This song is so associated with white guys who can't dance. So naturally he picked this song. I knew Taylor couldn't pass up a chance to spaz out, which a lot of his fans love and, well, his detractors hate. Props for performing in true Taylor style, but the out-of-control Elaine Benes dancing overshadowed the good singing and made him look like a joke rather than a viable singer in the real world.
Score: 8.5 for vocals, 6.0 for performance, 7.25 overall

Elliott Yamin "Home"
Destiny: Beautiful! Love this song and Elliott's smooth, sincere delivery. Hopefully the lyrical content isn't fulfilled. Don't want Elliott going home any time soon! That being said, I have to agree with Simon that I'm a little worried whether this song will draw in the votes of the American Idol audience. Oh, and one of the best Idol signs ever was in the audience tonight: "Sing It Like Yamin It"
Score: 9.4
Tammy: I understand the need for Elliott want to 'do his thing' with every song, but would it kill him to just stick with the melody for once? Again, his vibrato stood out and was distracting. I wasn't convinced as he sang the song, he seemed more focused on 'Elliott-izing' it rather than conveying the lyrics.
Score: 7.9
Liza: I love this song too, but it just didn't quite live up to the Buble standard. I don't think Elliott sings quite wistfully enough for this song, but it was a lovely
performance.
Score: 8.25

Paris Bennett "Be Without You"
Destiny: The girl is just flat out adorable. I don't like this song at all, but she did a decent job with it. Not my favorite Paris performance ever, which is unfortunate since this is no time not to be putting your best foot forward. That being said, Paris definitely showed that she can contend with the current R&B singers of the world (even though I much prefer her contending with the jazz/blues singers of the day).
Score: 8.5
Tammy: I'm just the opposite, Destiny. This would definitely be my favorite Paris performance ever. Dare I say better than the original? Paris seemed completely natural and in her element as she sang.
Score: 9.4
Liza: I think she could give Mary J. a run for her money on that song. That was really good and, unlike most everyone else, really contemporary. Paris' vocals are so strong - she nailed the power note - and she rarely sings out of tune. She has been consistently impressive throughout the show; she deserves to stay in it longer.
Score: 9.0

Chris Daughtry "I Dare You"
Destiny: Scream city. Don't love the song. Don't love the singing. Unfortunately, none of that matters, because Chris is sailing through to the Top 2.
Score: 6.5
Tammy: Didn't love the song either. Chris battled some pitch problems and his voice sounded rough.
Score: 7.3
Liza: You know, the song actually has a nice melody that doesn't necessarily require the screaming. I wonder if you two would have liked the song had he turned it down a notch or 20! It's a shame that he screamed the song because his screaming wasn't even in tune, and he cracked quite a few times.
Score: 6.5

Katharine McPhee "Black Horse and Cherry Tree"
Destiny: The writhing on the floor didn't do much for me, especially since it got awkward rather than casual cool. The singing, however, was good. This kind of song is much better suited for Katharine than her belter tunes.
Score: 8.8
Tammy: This song was in a completely different league as compared to Katharine's first performance. It was fun, cute and a blast to listen to. I was sad to see it end. I could listen to her sing songs like that all day.
Score:9.5
Liza: Wow! This performance really surprised me. I didn't think Katharine had it in her to do this song, but that was really fantastic. Her lower, middle register is her money range; she needs to stick with it. This performance just may save her. Unless people are turned off by her getting the Chris Daughtry memorial musicians of pimp.
Score: 9.25

Taylor Hicks "Something"
Destiny: Great song. Great interpretation. Great vocals. Love this guy.
Score: 9.3
Tammy: Agreed. Taylor channeled the emotion of that song magnificently. Great, great performance.
Score: 9.8
Liza: Well, I'll probably get stoned for this, but I actually didn't really like how Taylor's voice sounded on this song. I can't really describe it - maybe it was the key or the range. And to top it all off, I can't believe they allowed him to sing this song. And I didn't like it that Chris weasled his way out of prior theme nights either. I think Taylor did himself a disservice by doing another old song because the point of this theme is to see how they're going to fare in today's music scene. And from what I've seen today, he has no relevance in today's scene at all.
Score: 7.0

Who Should Be Eliminated
Destiny: Chris
Tammy:Elliott
Liza: Taylor
Who Will Be Eliminated
Destiny: Paris
Tammy: Elliott
Liza: Paris

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We asked you, "For Whom Did You Vote On AI's Love Song Week?"
38%, Elliott, 29% Paris, 15% I Didn't Vote,
8% Chris, 7% Taylor, 2% Katharine, 1% Kellie
We Asked You, "What Love Song Do You Most Want Sung
This Week On American Idol?"
60% "Baby, I Love Your Way" by Peter Frampton
20% "Your Song" by Elton John
18% "To Be With You" by Mr. Big
1.5% "More Than Words" by Extreme
0.5% "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by Roberta Flack

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