I'm pretty sure this might be the most top-to-bottom talented Top 7 I've ever seen on
American Idol. Everyone sings incredibly well, some with voices beyond their years. Usually, there's a total WTF-er in there at this point still, but not this season. It's kind of crazy.
That said, I find myself utterly bored by it and its paint-by-numbersness. The talent is there, but the intensity is not, and there's a certain lack of joy that's been apparent in certain performers of seasons past. I have yet to connect with any of the contestants or feel
them connect to what they're singing (Skylar and Phillip, who, I admit, don't do much for me,
do show signs of possibly getting there). It just feels like they're all doing an imitation of what they think an Idol contestant looks like rather than genuinely understanding what they're going out and doing vocal gymnastics/imitations of other artists to (which might have something to do with their general youngness - there's one 28-year-old and six who are 21 and under... which is why a teenager singing longingly about "making love" to someone is going to squick me out slightly). And like I said a few weeks ago, it just feels like there's a heavy dose of producer manipulation all over this season (We want you to believe Skylar and Colton are in love! Even when they're like "Um, no"! Joshua deserves a standing ovation every time he sings! Hollie deserves to be shat upon every time
she sings!). I want to believe in these guys, but I just can't, unless they can prove to me that they are their own person/performer and
understand what they're singing and get a little damn creative (without the help of the producers)... and it's not an act. Is that too much to ask?
Bah. Basically, it all just makes me miss this guy a whole lot:
This is a new song off his upcoming album. Go buy it.
