Fancast: Inside TV

The Show!!!

3 songs, 3 contestants….

To see them in person again was a lot of fun. They looked great and, seemed at ease. Surprising, considering it was a pivotal moment in the shows progression. I can say from experience that once you get to this point in the show it becomes a little like cruise control, you are so attuned to the schedule each week…that you just flow with it. So perhaps I’m not surprised then. The best thing for us was the fact the show’s end was just over the horizon.

David A.
“And So It Goes”
One of my Favorite Billy Joel songs! David did it with a subtlety and grace that , again, belies his age. There is no doubt that he is a great singer. If there was, then all doubts were removed when he sang a Capella last night. Nothing below or above him but air. He stayed in tune, something that a lot of people singing WITH music have a hard time doing, and he was virtually flawless. Not surprising. I did notice the hand to the stomach thing again though and wonder if he’s tired. He certainly doesn’t sound like it.

“My Boo”
I don’t think that I’m going to get a bit of flack for saying this was a bit of a stretch. Just hearing David say the words “my boo” was hard enough…then seeing him struggle through the torrent of lyrics, and try to move on top of it was a bit tough for me. I will say that he does have a bit of soul to him and he can handle the runs I nthe song with ease. I just think that he’s got a bit of growing (experience-wise) to do before he can tackle something like this. I, like Randy, do applaud him for moving away from the easy ballads and going toward something fresh, up-tempo and young. I understand what that’s like because I love ballads, and they come easy. I’ve been working hard on creating good up-tempos…and it’s been a long process. Fortunately David has nothing to worry about, he’s gonna be fine. The funniest thing he said was after Randy’s comment…”I know it’s pretty funny to see a white guy…” (then he trailed off and wiped his brow). I don’t know why, but it was classic.

“Longer”
Taking it back to basics, David did what he does best. The only critique of this performance was the face that he didn’t unbutton the second button on his shirt. He sang the song with ease. Not my favorite song in the world, but not his fault.

Syesha
“If I Ain’t Got You”
Even more beautiful in person, Syesha was on point when it came to this song. I sat right across from her Father, Uncle (I think) and Mother. Her Father was quite hoarse from screaming out her name and giving her support every time she came out on the stage. The tension I felt from them during the judging moments was intense, especially given the fact that is was overall negative. Syesha sounded wonderful in studio, and now that I’m listening back to it on TV I feel no different about it. She was gentle with it, didn’t go stretching for notes like I’ve mentioned in the past and didn’t try to make the song anything other than what it is, a great R&B mid-tempo hit. The only critique that I could offer is the wish that she hadn’t smeared the run right at the end of the song. It was just a sloppy moment in an otherwise stellar performance, and unfortunately it was right at the end. Most audiences only remember the beginning and the end of a performance. So a wishy-washy ending will color a whole performance if you’re not careful.

“Fever”
The thing I noticed in the audience with this one was the fact that she was a little rushed on the start. The other kids had time to set themselves before they sang, she was barely to the chair when Ryan gave the marching orders. Syesha even turned to him in surprise as she reached the chair and said (this was off mic and off camera) “Already”?? However as soon as the music started she went with it and the audience was none the wiser. The performance was a little tame overall. When I think of the remake, I always hear the Beyonce´ version of this song, and Syesha’s version lacked the same sort of fire and sex appeal. She did however look beautiful. Last night was so interesting because even Paula was handing out negative critiques. She got booed! I’ve never heard that in 7 seasons of this show!

“Hit Me Up”
This was a bit weird, and totally out her hands. She can’t have enjoyed singing this song. There were times when I could see that in her eyes. The song was meant for a singer who can’t really sing. Syesha can sing, and this song did not show off her voice or her personality at all. The producers did her wrong on this one, and the judges all but sealed her fate tonight.

David C.
“The First Time I Saw Your Face”
Never thought I’d hear a rocker do this one. Never thought a rocker would do it so well. He took a rather sweet, slow, slow song…and made it a little rough around the edges, and yelled it out at the end (in a good way). I did notice, in studio how much reverb they use now. Man, we were banging rocks together to make fire in comparison to what these peeps have now. David knows how to work the camera and the audience, and it was no surprise to hear that he’s still able to belt out the high notes, even after what has been a grueling competition.

“Dare You To Move”
Again, this song lacked the fire of the original. Mostly because it had to be crammed into 90 seconds. I was looking at Simon for most of this song, trying to gauge his reaction, and I’m sad to say that it was not good during the first half of the song. It was not overtly bad either, but he did look a little perplexed. I was perplexed too because for the first time David sounded a little off. He was a little flat in some major area, not enough to kill the song, but it seemed crammed. It wasn’t the best performance , but like the other David…I don’t think he’s going to have a problem.

“I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing”
Diane Warren, the prolific songwriter, was in the audience and she seemed pretty happy with the song…just like the majority of America I think. David is good and will only get better as he learns to use the subtleties of his voice. We know that he can rock-yell out a high note at the end of a song…but that’s not something you can do every song, night in and night out. That will make for a very short tour, or a lot of lip-synching. He’s going to be in the finale...you know it, and I know it.

I don’t think there are going to be any surprises tonight, but there will be one heck of a finale…I’m sure. I don’t know about you but I’m excited about the entire next week. I’ll be launching my new website on Friday, releasing new music for the first time in 2 years, announcing a new project I’m working on that you can participate in, and starting a general music revolution as best I can.

Friday 12am (Or Thursday night 11:59PM) is the big opening.

Hope to see you there at justinguarini.com.

Until tomorrow…