Song Choice, Song Choice, Song Choice

WHAT DO Y'ALL THINK?

Mandisa: I'd love to hear her sing At Last, but I'm afraid that Idol isn't the right forum for it, as so many others have attempted it. I think that she could easily do as good a job as Etta James, so maybe she should try it.

Katharine: Katharine's got IT. In Week 1, she picked an obscure song that showcased her talents. In Week 2, well ... not so much. So, she should dispense with the ballads and sing something with some a little spunk. At some point in the future, I'd love to hear her sing Christina Aguilera's Beautiful, but I think that it would be better suited to Hot 100 week or some other theme night like that. So, I don't know why exactly, but I think that she'd do great singing something like Quarterflash's Harden My Heart. Great song, great for her range. Unexpected.

Lisa: She really needs to switch it up next week. We all know that she can do ballads and showtunes. She's 16 ... she should sing something like How Will I Know? (Whitney Houston before she went all "street"). THAT'S a song that a 16-year-old can relate to and might have some life experience to make it believable. Besides, it's fun and upbeat, but would still showcase her undeniable vocal talent.

Paris: After Week 2's tired performance of a cheesy ballad, Paris needs to remind us why we've thought she was "The One to Beat". I think that she has the talent to nail even the most difficult song, but I need to be blown away by her the way I was during her audition. Thoughts?

Kinnik: Kinnik knows that it's do or die time, so she really needs to WOW us on Tuesday. I think that her register would be great for singing something like Mary J. Blige's Sweet Thing. Something like that would not only show off her talents (which I'm sure are more impressive than what we've seen so far), but it would make her seem 'relevant to today's musical landscape' (that last bit is the most pretentious piece of donkey dung I've ever heard come out of a DJ's mouth, so I couldn't help throw it in).

Melissa: First of all, whatever she sings, I need her to wear something that doesn't scream "LOOK AT MY BELLY BUTTON!" That said, I can't quite put my finger on her style, so I haven't been able to think of anything specific for her. I like the tone of her voice, but I'm just not feelin' her (Dawg).

Ayla: Ayla also needs to free herself from the Ballad Trap. She needs to show us that she can lighten up and have some fun. She's definitely got a good voice, but she needs to squelch all of us naysayers who say she's robotic and emotionless.

Gherkin (Kellie): Please, for the love of Pete (who is this "Pete", anyway?), no more country!

Chris: I don't think it really matters what he chooses ... I think he'll be great regardless. We've seen him sing Joe Cocker, Sheryl Crow, Bon Jovi and Fuel. A pretty broad assortment, for sure. I'd love to hear him sing Sexy & 17 (Stray Cats), but I've said [in other posts] that the authorities might have a problem with that. If only he could sing "Sexy & 21" ...

Elliott: As with Chris, I'm sure Elliott's pick will be right on the money. There's no reason to think otherwise. I can't think of anything in particular that I'd like to hear, but I'm sure he won't disappoint.

Gedeon: Otis Redding's These Arms of Mine. Totally his style and I think he could sing it with feeling, even though he's so young. Try A Little Tenderness would be a great choice, as well ("Women do get woolly, 'cause of all the stress").

Taylor: I love Taylor. I'm not a card-carrying member of the "Soul Patrol", but I am SO pickin' up what he's puttin' down! There have been a lot of comparisons drawn between his style and those of Ray Charles & Joe Cocker, which I think are warranted. I'd love to hear him sing I've Got a Woman or You Can Leave Your Hat On, either of which would leave us (at least the dames) feeling pretty weak in the knees.

Will: I'm thinking that Donny Osmond's Soldier of Love would be a brilliant choice for him. It's a great pop song that might actually allow Will to get down, get funky, and/or get loose. Also, Will might just look more like a teenaged Donny than Peter Brady. Also, this song is so far off the radar (see Carrie Underwood's choice of Could've Been from last season) that it could score him some major originality points. Will's voice is pleasant enough, but he's been uber-stiff in his last two performances. A little Donny might just be the WD-40 he needs.

Kevin: Warning! Red Alert! If there's a song out there called "On Thin Ice", Kevin should sing it because that's exactly where he is. I'm not sure that there's anything out there that Kevin could sing that will save him (based on the voting in Week 2). Now, girls ... don't get your knickers all in a bunch. I think that Kevin is a very sweet, affable kid. However, cute does not a singer make. I think that he should sing something that he can have fun with that he and the audience will really enjoy because I think that no matter WHAT he sings, it's going to be his last performance.

Ace: Ace, Ace, Ace. What to do with you? (Easy, ladies.) I have no idea what songs are available to the contestants [in terms of rights, etc.], but I think that Ace could do a lot with Cry Me A River (Justin Timberlake, for those of you who are my age+). It's got a lot more groove than anything he's yet sung, but it still shows off the dreamy, "let's talk about it over breakfast" quality that he's got.

Bucky: Though it's definitely his "niche", as the font of wisdom that IS Paula Abdul is wont to say, I think that Bucky needs to break himself out of the country comfort zone in Week 3. Sure, he's from Rockingham, so he's a good ol' boy and country music is probably a big part of his life, but if that's all he can do, then he's going to be gone faster than he can say, "Brenna" (Gesundheit!) So, it's been suggested that he sing something by Stone Temple Pilots, which I think is very interesting. Scott Weiland's range is in the same general area as Bucky's and his songs have a gravelly edge that would play to Bucky's strengths. My personal choice would be Big Empty (from The Crow soundtrack).

I realize that many (all?) of my picks are pretty random, but I'm sick and tired of hearing the same ol', same ol'. WOW me. Surprise me.