Canadians Go Country On Idol

The Top 5 contestants on Canadian Idol 4 did Country music on Monday night after getting a little help from Martina McBride. Surprisingly, they were able to take this potentially limiting genre and put their own spin on the songs, making for an interesting night of performances.

Following is the It's Destiny! panel's take on the CI4 Top 5: Country.

Eva Avila "Here You Come Again"
Destiny: Loved it! Loved it! Loved it! Wow, this girl has got it all. She looks adorable, she sounds spectacular, and she has special natural star quality. Fabulous song choice! And her arrangement of the song made it her own. Near perfection.
Score: 9.6
Liza: Her arrangement turned it into a Burt Bacharach song (and yes, I said that before Zack did!), so if Eva's a Bacharach siren, then I guess she made it her own. I just got this whole American Idol vibe out of the whole thing. It was something straight out of an AI Bacharach medley with the walking through the crowd, the arrangement and the singing. It didn't sound like anything remotely country. After seeing the song choices, I am sensing a trend here. She sang it well technically, but it wasn't very interesting for me
Score: 7.5
Tammy: I agree with Liza. The arrangement was seriously hokey. And the song choice left me scratching my head. She brought nothing new to the song, and the key at times seemed like it was too low for her. This is probably one of her worst performances on Idol for me.
Score: 7.5

Tyler Lewis "Suspicious Minds"
Destiny: Tyler sounded good throughout most of this song, and I liked the country twangs added to the arrangement. I didn't care for his outfit, however. It was ill-fitting and made him look more awkward on the stage than he already did. Luckily for Tyler, his strong fanbase seems to have him on the fast track to the title or at least the finale.
Score: 8.8
Liza: I'll give Tyler credit - he stayed in the spirit of the theme by singing it country style. There was no Elvis there until after the last critique when he said, "Thank you very much" in Elvis voice. Heh. Bonus points for him! I still cannot watch him sing without cringing, though. The squinty eyes and invisible horse riding movements are so distracting, which is a shame because his vocals were quite good on this, especially on the bridge.
Score: 8.5
Tammy: Bwah! I was going to say he looked like he was riding a horse too. The western clothing this week really emphasized that comparison. The song didn't really do a lot for me, it wasn't until the second half of the song that he brought a bit more life to the stage, but overall it was mostly 'meh' for me.
Score: 7.8

Craig Sharpe "Always On My Mind"
Destiny: What a transformation Craig has made throughout the season! He looks like a different person with his new hair color and style, and his stage mannerisms have improved immeasurably. He has matured before our very eyes as a performer. This was a captivating performance. What a voice! I would buy this record.
Score: 9.6
Liza: I like Craig's new hairstyle too. I hope he keeps it. As for his performance, I think he connected with this song better than he has in past episodes, but the whole thing was rather boring. And what was with that last note?! Did he sing the wrong words? It sounded like he ended with "You were always on my side". Eh?
Score: 7.2
Tammy: Craig did sing this song better than many of his past performances this season, but he lost me at the end by falling back on the unnecessary glory note. He showed he has absolutely no confidence in his ability to sing a song in a low key manner, and still wow the audience.
Score: 7.8

Steffi DiDomenicantonio "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'"
Destiny: Ah, Steffi! Could you be any cuter?! What a showman she is! Love her personality, love her style, and I love her voice. She crafted a great performance of this song. Fun! (and, referring back to Craig, yes, he did end it with "you were always by my side" because, according to his conversations with Martina and Ben, he was dedicating it to his music teacher and his family)
Score: 9.0
Liza: I'm not sure on what planet this song is a country classic, and Steffi was singing it like she was in an Austin Powers movie not in a country bar. She never fails to bring the entertainment, though, and that's why she's still in this competition.
Score: 7.5
Tammy: I could have really done without the whole 'let's put my boots on while onstage!' aspect of the performance. It looked a bit awkward and one of the boots seemed to be giving her trouble. Distracting! She continues to effortlessly bring a certain glow to the Idol stage, however.
Score: 7.9

Chad Doucette "If You Could Read My Mind"
Destiny: Chad turned in a stunning performance with this one. His interpretation skills are unmatched in this competition, and his voice is beautiful and distinct. More, please!
Score: 9.6
Liza: Wow, Destiny. You must have REALLY missed your Idol while you were gone because you are just gushing! I'm glad someone has enthusiasm for these people because I'm more than just a little underwhelmed. Especially with the loose theme this week. Chad's song isn't really country either; it's folk. What is the point of having theme nights if they don't make the singers stick to the theme? Having said that, though, I thought Chad sang it well even if he looked like a wax figurine with all that makeup they caked on him.
Score: 8.6
Tammy: I loved this. Like, a lot. Singing a Gordon Lightfoot song must be key to having an amazing Idol performance. Chad is really back on track after some not so thrilling previous weeks. The boy can emote like no other, and added just enough 'Chad' to the song.
Score: 9.7

Who Should Be The Bottom Two
Destiny: Tyler, Steffi
Liza: Craig, Eva/Steffi
Tammy: Tyler, Craig

Who Should Be Eliminated
Destiny: Tyler
Liza: Craig
Tammy: Craig

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