Queen For Canadian Idol Top 7

The contestants performed the music of Queen this week on Canadian Idol. With several lesser-known song choices (not a "Bohemian Rhapsody" in the bunch!), the Top 7 managed to add some interest to a theme that generally produces cringe-worthy Idol performances. It wasn't a killer Queen night, but it also wasn't a total bomb.

Following is the It's Destiny! panel's take on the CI5 Top 7: Queen.

Brian Melo "Too Much Love Will Kill You"
Liza: What a great reaction he got from the Queen guys. That definitely raised the expectations, but Brian delivered emotionally and vocally, although he did get drowned out slightly during the chorus.
Score: 8.75
Tammy: It was a great vocal, and any rasp that he has when he sings only adds to the performance. Brian really knows how to build a song and work the audience. He is one of the few performers on this show that doesn't wind up appearing like every movement on stage is calculated down to the smallest nuance.
Score: 8.7
Destiny: Agreed. Brian sounded fantastic on this song. He is one of the strongest pop male voices to hit Canadian Idol since Ryan Malcolm. I love his confidence and command of the stage, too. Well done, Mr. Melo.
Score: 9.0

Greg Neufeld "We Are The Champions"
Liza: This song is really hard to sing - just ask J.D. Fortune. Greg really masked his vocal limitations with that arrangement (which I hated!), and he could barely hit that high note. But on the other hand, at least he recognized that he wasn't going to be able to sing all those high notes and didn't set himself up for failure (although that might have been more entertaining!).
Score: 7.0
Tammy: HA! I couldn't help but have a few J.D. Fortune flashbacks myself. I really enjoyed the arrangement (but then again, I love me some Gavin DeGraw) and thought it was perhaps one of his best performances on the show to date. Greg comes across as so confident, and it seems like he's already won (though we all know that isn't much of a prize, anyway)..
Score: 9.2
Destiny: This wasn't the best song choice for Greg, so he gets points off for that. He did look great, however, and sounded decent, though he is still a bit stiff and reserved in his performance. I don't get the confident vibe from Greg that Tammy does at all. I am waiting for him to get loose and pour some real artistry and emotion onto the stage. He certainly has everything he needs to do it. The clock is ticking, Greg. Don't blow it!
Score: 7.5

Carly Rae Jepsen "Killer Queen"
Liza: I know Queen was known for being a theatrical band, but this is kind of ridiculous. Sorry, but I just don't think that Queen should ever be sung in cutsie-pie Betty Boop fashion. This just adds more ammo to my Carly-Rae-sings-everything-the-same-way rants. Change it up already!
Score: 6.5
Tammy: This girl? Cannot sing. Eventually the voters are going to get tired of her schtick. I pray for that day. And while the judges fall all over themselves lauding their praise upon her being so unique and original, somewhere Sarah Slean (who can actually sing!) throws a shoe at the tv for Carly Rae stealing her act.
Score: 5.0
Destiny: I liked what Carly Rae was going for, but she didn't have the physical stamina to pull it off. She lost her breath control, so her voice was shaky throughout the song. And for a bold performance like this to work, one must have total vocal control. Otherwise, as seen here, it all becomes somewhat of a muddled mess.
Score: 6.0

Matt Rapley "Under Pressure"
Liza: Matt's going to have to do a killer job here to make me not want to see the definitive Canadian Idol version of "Under Pressure" - Jacob Hoggard and Shane Wiebe on the season 2 finale. He didn't. Matt had a few high points, bringing back the bluesy voice that impressed the heck out of everyone two weeks ago. Unfortunately, his stage performance was dull as dirt. Now excuse me as I go search for that Jacob/Shane duet on YouTube ...
Score: 6.5
Tammy: What Liza said. Jacob/Shane? Good. Matt? Very, very bad.
Score: 5.4
Destiny: Another lifeless performance from Matt Rapley. And to add to the misery, the backup band and singers were obnoxiously overpowering. I had high hopes that Matt could infuse this beautiful song with passion and pleading and some strong, soaring vocals like he did with "Whipping Post", but no such luck. He just doesn't seem to be capable of getting with the program.
Score: 6.0

Dwight D'Eon "Tie Your Mother Down"
Liza: While barreling through the audience, Dwight looked the most comfortable he ever has on this stage. Too bad for him that some of the audience members were so obviously not feeling him. haha. I'm totally with Jake - good performance, so-so vocals.
Score: 7.25
Tammy: He was trying to sell the performance for all it was worth, but after a while it just became LYRICS BEING SUNG LOUDLY while the occasional seizure-inducing light show burned my retinas.
Score: 6.5
Destiny: Yeah, "good performance, so-so vocals" seems to sum this one up perfectly. It didn't rock my world. And neither did his pants, which seem to be the other half of the straitjacket he sported several weeks ago. And, yes, the light show was kind of out of control.
Score: 7.0

Tara Oram "Headlong"
Liza: Were the Queen guys being sarcastic when they asked Tara if she had a country influence? Because seriously? That was Shania Twain does Queen. Except I think Shania has better moves. And the look? Yikes! Bad hair, bad outfit. I'm totally on a different page than the judges.
Score: 6.0
Tammy: Again I have to agree with Liza. It totally looked as if she had sat down and wondered to herself how Shania would do this. The fact that Tara isn't being called on that is really starting to grate. Come on, judges!
Score: 6.0
Destiny: Shania Twain does Queen indeed. Tara has been sporting Shania's moves from day one, and, like Tammy said, this performance was almost like a straight-up impersonation. Tara isn't on Shania's level by a long shot (who is, though?!), but she is enjoyable. I appreciated the passion and effort she put into this song. She has a good voice, and she knows how to have fun onstage. I'm with Ben Mulroney in that Tara certainly earned her keep with her passion and extra effort.
Score: 8.0

Jaydee Bixbee "I Want To Break Free"
Liza: And I thought last week's Green Day monstrosity was horrifying. But seeing 10-year-old Jaydee Bixbee grinning and countrifying his way through this Queen song ... while wearing leather ... uh, I really don't know what to say. It was better than last week, but that is not saying much.
Score: 3.5
Tammy: I realize that I'm probably on a different planet than most people as I say this, but I...really enjoyed Jaydee's performance. I love his country phrasing on non-country songs. I could totally hear a version similar to that on any given country radio station. I didn't even hate what he did to the Green Day song. He seemed so comfortable as he worked the crowd, and his hair was looking more modern, and as a result, his A.F (Adorable Factor) went up a few notches.
Score: 8.7
Destiny: I cringe every time an Idol contestant doesn't heed specific advice from a guest mentor (LaKisha Jones, anyone?). When Jaydee cracked his first smile during this performance, which Brian May clearly told him not to do, the whole thing lost all credibility. I didn't hate the countrification of the song, but the delivery was all wrong. Clearly, Jaydee didn't know or care what the song was about. And that is a major deduction in my book. His innate talent is being overtaken by his immaturity. He seems to be losing stock faster than perhaps anyone I've ever seen on an Idol show. What's going on?!
Score: 4.5

Who Should Be Eliminated
Liza: Jaydee
Tammy: Matt
Destiny: Matt

Who Will Be Eliminated
Liza: Matt
Tammy: Matt
Destiny: Matt

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We Asked You, "Who Should Win Canadian Idol?"
35% Brian, 22% Carly Rae, 14% Tara, 13% Greg,
11% Jaydee, 2% Matt, 2% Dwight, 1% Martha

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