American Idol Recap – Top 5
Adam Lambert and Danny Gokey Redefine Cool on Rat Pack Night
Apr 28, 2009
On Disco Night, both Anoop and Lil Rounds went home, leaving the Top 5 American Idol finalists to tackle some of the best songs of all time this week – classics from the Rat Pack. With some solid advice from celebrity coach Jamie Foxx, the final five sang hits made famous by the legendary trio of Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Frank Sinatra. Here’s how each one did, and who might be going home.
Kris Allen – “The Way You Look Tonight” by Dorothy Fields and Jerome Kern
Kris sang the song, and he sang it really well; decent arrangement, good vocals, but while the judges really liked it, Kris’ performance completely lacked some of the ‘cool’ factor needed in this genre. Sinatra songs are supposed to be laid back and effortless, and while Kris made it sound easy, it was not as smooth as it could have been. With a little more up-tempo kick and grit, this one could have been a knockout. Kris still did a really good job, but with the level of the competition, Kris may well find himself in the bottom three – he deserves to continue on to the next round, though.
Allison Iraheta – “Someone to Watch Over Me” by George and Ira Gershwin
For someone who is typecast as a rocker, Allison showed a ton of versatility with this song. Her gritty voice brought some of the ‘cool’ factor to Allison’s performance that Kris was missing. Despite the fact that the song was completely out of her genre, it was definitely one of Allison’s best performances of the competition. While she, like Kris, may end up in the bottom three, it would be a shame for Allison to go home so soon, especially when she is just starting to show everyone that she can compete with Adam and Danny.
Matt Giraud – “My Funny Valentine” by Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart
Maybe it was the build up that Matt got before he started – the fact that he liked Jazz so much – but it just seemed like there was something really lacking from his performance. Matt almost seemed nervous up on stage, and as a result there was no real energy or drive to the performance. Simon and Paula really liked it, but it must have sounded better in the theater than it came across in the broadcast – because it was not terribly captivating compared to Allison and Kris. With only two people avoiding the bottom three this round, it would be surprising not to see Matt as part of the trio on the hot seat.
Danny Gokey – “Come Rain or Come Shine” by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer
Danny really knows how to pace a song, and he worked the crowd perfectly with this one; just when everyone was wondering if he was going to crank it up at the end and thought it might not happen, Danny dropped the throttle. It was a great arrangement, and Danny gave the whole song a really bluesy vibe, which totally worked. Not much else to say than, even though he may not be the most original, Danny has a great shot at being in the finals, and should be safe again.
Adam Lambert – “Feeling Good” by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse
To use Jamie Foxx’s words, “He can sing with the best of them.” Every week Adam comes up with something completely unique and over the top, and every week he steals the show. At this point, Adam has pretty much moved past just singing songs; now he is putting on a show each week, and in that respect he is in a totally different league than any of the other contestants. True, the performance might have been a bit too theatrical, but at this point, it is Adam’s competition to lose.
The competition level was higher than ever on Rat Pack night, and it was clear that Adam and Danny turned in the best performances of the evening. By default, that leaves Kris, Allison and Matt in the bottom three, and one could make a case for any two of those three to be allowed to continue on. Of those three, Allison’s performance was the best, but the vote will likely be very close to determine who makes the final four and who goes home.
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