Canadian Idol Top 20 Performances Part 2
July 2, 2008 by Jeanne
I didn’t watch Canadian Idol last night because of Canada Day (hope you all had a great time – I did!) so I’m recapping the second part of the Top 20 performances now. What did you think of the singing this week?
Adam Castelli was first up and he sang one of my favorite songs “Gone Til November” and I didn’t love it. Plus, there’s not a lot of singing in it (it’s like speak singing). I actually thought it was a bit of a hot mess.
Jake said that the passion was there but the song didn’t have enough melody. Sass said he’s really talented but she wasn’t feeling it. Farley said he could have made it more melodic. Zack said it was fine but it wasn’t a show-stopper.
More after the jump!
Jessica Sheppard sang “Umbrella” and you cannot deny her singing ability but I didn’t love that arrangement of the song. She had some timing issues.
Sass said it wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t her favorite performance. Farley said he wishes she would just go all out and fully use all of her tools. Zack said that he thought she was flat and not fresh, young and cool. Jake said it wasn’t an inspired performance but there were some good notes.
Jesse Cottam sang “Iris” in honor of his late uncle, who passed away from brain cancer and I thought it was okay but not great.
Farley said it was a good song choice but lacked intensity. Zack thought he sang one good note in the whole performance. Jake said that he showed a lack of confidence. Sass said the performance seemed a little tired.
Theo Tams performed “Collide” and I think he does a good job of picking the right songs for his voice. Plus, I really dig his piano-playing.
Zack said that Theo is one of the elite people on this show. Jake said that it was one of the best version of that song he’s ever heard on the show. Sass said that Theo is “already there.” Farley said he has been consistent, picks good songs and should go all the way.
Katelyn Dawn sang “She Talks To Angels” and it was okay. Her mannerisms kind of drove me crazy (sorry). I like confidence but I don’t like it in overabundance.
Jake said that it wasn’t the right song for her and that she wasn’t gritty enough for it. Sass didn’t love the version but thought she sang great. Farley said her voice sounded good but agreed with Jake. Zack said that she needs to be grittier but belongs in the Top 10.
Mitch MacDonald performed “I’m Yours” and I thought it was pretty darned goo. His voice gets a little whiny but he has talent.
Sass that his clarity of tone and purity of heart shines through. Farley was lovable this week. Zack said that his simple love of the song made the performance great and it reminded him of Paul Simon. Jake said he picked the right song and sang with confidence.
Katherine St-Laurent sang “The First Cut is the Deepest” and, sometimes, she sounded like Olivia Newton-John (does anyone else hear that?). I don’t know if I liked it or not, to be honest.
Farley said it was exactly what he was hoping for despite a couple little sharp moments. Zack said she didn’t figure out what key the song was in until the second verse. He also said it wasn’t a mature performance. Jake said she started sharp but eventually got into it. Sass said she thought her tone was tremendous.
Omar Lunan sang “Ain’t No Sunshine” and I thought the way he chose to start it was a mistake but the rest of the performance was pretty good since the song suited his voice. The arrangement was a bit annoying at times, though.
Zack said he wasn’t blown away and said that, next week, he shouldn’t do an old school song. Jake said it was a modern take on an oldie and thought it was a show-stopping performance. Sass said he “smoked it” and that he’s an absolute total star. Farley said that he did some wonderful, stylistic things to that song.
Earl Stevenson performed “Something to Talk About” and it wasn’t my favorite performance even though I really love him.
Jake said that Earl has tons of soul and great rhythm which saved the performance since there were some off moments. Sass said that he had so much control and that she loves him. Farley said he is a groove master and that his performances are “uniquely Earl” every time. Zack said he is unique and that his tone has so much character and that he could have pushed the song a little more (but that he rocked it).
Oliver Pigott sang “Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word” and I really liked the arrangement. I usually really dislike him but I thought this was a strong performance.
Sass said that he is a true artist. Farley said that it was unbelievable and heart-warming. Zack that it was fantastic and that it was phenomenal. Jake said that he was vulnerable and that he was just dumbstruck.
images via CTV
Jeanne I agree with most of your comments. I liked Omar the most – but I’m a sucker for R&B. Mitch was really fun to watch and really seemed to enjoy himself. However, I thought Oliver was terrible. The judges loved it but I thought it sounded just bad. I had to fast forward through Earl’s performance. Again, the judges loved it but I couldn’t even watch it because I felt so bad for him because it seemed like such a silly and odd performance (I also had to fast forward through Oliver’s performance last week because I didn’t want to watch him embarass himself). Can anyone tell me why Oliver and Earl got such great feedback from the judges? I just don’t get it.
I didn’t think Oliver was all that great. His falsetto is extremely weak and that bit at the end reminded me of a howling puppy. Out of the two brothers, I think Sebastian is more entertaining. At least, he has been so far.