Wednesday, May 16, 2007

"American Idol -- Melinda Goes Home"

Yep, that's the story: not the name of the two finalists but the fact that the most consistently good singer is going home. It made Blake's elevation to the final almost seem like an afterthought, actually. Melinda probably suffered from being the front runner right up to the final three, along with the burden of being a "pro."

I initially speculated that Blake could supplant Melinda. But it seemed too crazy a proposition. Hey, that's why you should never change your first guess on the SATs. You don't get any points for the right answer you erased.

So it's Jordin and Blake in the final. They're both spotty with som genuine highs. It's clearly the most nail-biting, wide-open final since Ruben and Clay. I thought Clay had sealed the deal with his "Bridge Over Troubled Water," but Ruben's consistency all season long made the difference. Neither finalist can claim that mantle this season, so it might very well come down to who has the best night. Tuesday, it was clearly Blake; he's firing on all cylindars. But one dynamic finale from Jordin can erase all other memories and Blake simply can't pull out those vocal fireworks. it's foolish even to predict until we see their performances next week. But it's gonna be a doozy. (Damn, why didn't I stick with my Blake knocks out Melinda stab? I'd be te toast of the town right now.)

1 comment:

Brad C. said...

I'm not certain that Melinda's going home wasn't fixed. She IS a pro, which means she probably has management already, which means she may have blanched at or been unable, legally, to sign to 19 Management in the event she was the winner.

Gospel music also appears to be a priority for her, and I would suspect that gospel isn't the market that 19/J is looking to target.

My fear is that Melinda will become another Tamyra Grey: i.e. the most talented contestant who only made it as high as third place and then was scarcely heard from again. Did she even tour after the first American Idol tour? Has she continued acting?

My hope is that Melinda will go on to become another Jennifer Hudson with a well-planned and carefully orchestrated career that highlights all of her professional strengths.