It Is What It Is
On Canadian Idol 5: Top 7 Guys

The guys are clearly a more talented bunch than the girls this year on Canadian Idol. Unfortunately, even amongst the "better" group, there are only one or two standouts, as evidenced by the Top 7 guys' performances Monday night. The judges clearly botched things up this year with their choices for the Top 22. Being in the third week of semi-finals, we are all too aware of this fact. However, we must move past this and fulfill our unexplainable duty to watch every episode of Idol no matter what goes wrong. We must deal with and make the most of this paltry talent pool. To quote the ever-eloquent Zack Werner, "It is what it is." Let's just get this competition moving.

Following is the It's Destiny! panel's take on the CI5 Top 14: The Guys.

Matt Rapley "I'll Be There "
Tammy: While this was one of his better vocal performances, Matt really doesn't have the 'it' factor. He sounded perfectly nice tonight, but that's about it...he's too middle-of-the-road, too safe, to make any Idol performance interesting. The boy needs to learn to inject some passion into his singing.
Score: 7.4
Liza: I'm right there with you, Tammy. His charisma is really lacking, save for those dimples of his. And Matt's song choices so far have been uninspiring. He sure likes to sing these typical Idol songs, doesn't he? Surprisingly, though, he manages to pull it out of Idol dreck-land with his gospel-tinged take on the song. It was enjoyable to listen to.
Score: 7.5
Destiny: BORING! I mean, I think even he is about to doze off and fall over when he is commenting on himself. He makes Ruben Studdard seem like Mr. Excitement in comparison. The voice isn't anywhere near special enough to compensate for the serious lack of personality. This performance, as with all of Mr. Rapley's, was worthy of a high school choir classroom, not the Idol stage.
Score: 6.0

Greg Neufeld "Daughters "
Tammy: He plays to the camera a bit too much for my liking, but this is probably Greg's best performance to date. This song played to all Greg's strengths, and the quiet intensity served him well. While I'm not sure it was the 'perfection' that the judges lauded it to be, it was a pleasant change from the uptempo numbers that he's been pulling out the past few weeks.
Score: 8.6
Liza: I thought it was another good choice for Mr. Neufeld. I think he's got a corner on that singer/songwriter genre on CI this season. Well done. I get what Zack was saying, but you know that in this round if Greg went out of his "comfort zone" he'd get nailed for it. See: Rocket Man, season 4.
Score: 8.5
Destiny: Yes, the song seems to fit Greg's style, but it only highlighted his weaknesses in my book. He's no John Mayer, vocally or personality/charisma-wise. And if he isn't going to be as good as or better than the artists already in the industry, then what's the point? Maybe Greg would be better served by some original material. He needs to loosen up and show his real self. It all feels too forced and contrived.
Score: 7.9

Tyler Mullendore "Keep On Rockin Me Baby"
Tammy: There was nothing spectacular about this performance. It was a typical bar room performance, and the boy's mannerisms are beginning to grate. I do have an odd fascination with his hair, however, so I hope he makes it another week. The Sanjaya effect?
Score: 7.5
Liza: This was probably my favorite of the three performances he's had, but that doesn't say much because I hated his first two. I'm still not sold on him because of his annoying, bizarre personality. And I have a feeling he's going to croak by the end of the season with the way he sings from his throat so much.
Score: 7.75
Destiny: Tyler is the most exciting, authentic talent of this season for me. This wasn't my favorite song choice or performance of his, but it was still really good. I like his excitement to be on the show, though I do feel he needs to start toning it down and bringing the focus back to his natural artistry as he heads into the Top 10.
Score: 8.9

Liam Styles Chang "Over My Head"
Tammy: Liam's voice has a Kalan Porter-esque quality to it. Like Porter, you can't really fault his singing. He has a sound that seems ready for radio. I'm not sure this was the best song choice, however, as the song doesn't really go anywhere, so while it was a good performance, it didn't really have the 'wow' effect that Liam seems more than capable of delivering.
Score: 8.3
Liza: If this is authentically Liam Styles Chang, I mourn the old Liam Styles Chang from week one. He was a lot more interesting than this soft rock crooner, even if he does have one of the best voices in the group. And that outfit ... I have no words.
Score: 8.0
Destiny: I agree with Liza that Liam has gone downhill week to week. His energy is so weak, I almost can't stand to watch him talk or sing. His voice is good, but like Matt Rapley, I'm not sure it is good enough to compensate for his lackluster personality.
Score: 7.5

Dwight D'Eon "Bright Lights"
Tammy: Well. That was a weird song choice for Dwight to unveil his guitar-playin' skills. I was expecting him to bring the R-O-C-K. In a way, I'm glad he didn't, because I find his brand of rock a bit too homogenized. I also thought his voice sounded really average tonight, which I never really noticed before. I would not be shocked if this was the end of Dwight's run.
Score: 7.2
Liza: I really like this song, but Dwight's tone does not sit well with it. At. All. His guitar playing left little to be desired as well (as did the background vocals). I do agree with Sass that this was his best performance on this stage, but, as with Tyler, that doesn't say much for me. And I do think he'll be odd man out amongst this rocker-heavy group of men.
Score: 6.25
Destiny: I liked the song choice and was glad he didn't hard rock it out. That being said, he doesn't really excite me as a singer or performer. I could take it or leave it.
Score: 6.9

Jaydee Bixby "Sold"
Tammy: Jaydee is really good at what he does. This boy is just fun to watch. He is so at ease working the audience, and that wink he threw to the camera was nothing short of adorable. Awww, he's a good Canadian farm boy! On to the next round with you, young fella!
Score: 9.3
Liza: You can't help but smile when watching this kid. He's terribly adorable, and he has more charisma than anyone on the stage. Tonight, I give him extra points for degree of difficulty; that's a big jumble of words he was singing there. He'll never be my cup of tea musically, but he's such a shoo-in for the Top 10.
Score: 8.25
Destiny: I'm ready to send everyone else home, and let's just let Jaydee and Tyler battle it out for the next nine weeks. These young, blonde teens from rural Canada have an enormous amount of natural charisma, talent and charm. This performance was just good, clean fun.
Score: 9.0

Brian Melo "Drive "
Tammy: What I've always liked about Brian, his vocals, I did not so much love this time around. He sounded a bit rough as he tried to toughen up the song. He was also doing that 'I'm smiling as I'm singing!' thing that I hate. But he is one of my favourites, so I hope he hasn't done himself in this week.
Score: 7.5
Liza: Yeah, I'm actually really quite worried that Brian might have driven himself out of the Top 10, which would sadden me because he's been one of my top 2 favorites the first two weeks. But tonight, like Dwight, I didn't think this particular song was well-suited for Brian's voice. And he over-reached a few times near the end, causing his voice to crack. Coming off a (undeserved) bottom 4 trip last week, I think Brian's in real trouble to make the Top 10.
Score: 7.25
Destiny: I think the judges' tepid remarks towards him also may seal his fate and send him packing this week. If that does happen, it will be a shame, as he is clearly one of the best performers in the competition. He may have had a few weird vocal moments with this song, but his stage presence was strong.
Score: 7.9

Who Should Be Eliminated
Tammy: Dwight, Matt
Liza: Dwight, Matt
Destiny: Matt, Dwight

Who Will Be Eliminated
Tammy: Dwight, Matt
Liza: Dwight, Brian (noooooo!)
Destiny: Brian, Dwight

Visit the Idol Talk Archives to see all of our existing Idol coverage.
Visit our homepage for the latest features, updates, and polls.

We Asked You,
"Which Group Is The Best This Year On Canadian Idol?"
94% The Guys, 6% The Girls

The Future of Entertainment.
It’s Here. It’s Fun. It’s Destiny!
"Contact Us" to let us know you were here and what you think!

Canadian Idol logo courtesy CTV Media.