In a result that many have predicted for weeks, the Top 6 of “American Idol’s” Season 12 became the Top 5 and made “Idol” history.
- The Top 6 kicked off the night with a medley of Bacharach & David songs, beginning with Janelle Arthur walking down the steps and having some trouble with “You’ll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart).” Angie Miller had an easier time with her melody, “I Don’t Know What to Do With Myself.” Even Kree Harrison took a few moments to get into “(There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me.” And then there was Lazaro Arbos. Overall, it was the same sort of fun disaster that you can often expect from the group numbers.
- For this week’s Ford Fiesta Mission, their goal was to have a shoot-out to compete against each other to score goals with their Fiestas and a giant ball (on a rooftop). It was a very cute, visual promotion. Winners, the green team, which included Amber Holcomb and Kree.
- Then came the recap of the previous night, along with music mentor Jimmy Iovine’s comments. He thought Kree gave a great vocal performance but needs to deliver more personality. About Angie, who is admittedly not Jimmy’s favorite amongst the girls, he thought she did a competent job but it wasn’t enough to win the night. And poor Lazaro was eviscerated, not surprisingly, with Jimmy saying, “Last night’s performance was like an Ambien milkshake.” He thought it was boring and also pointed out the problem with the key change on the first song but said he didn’t redeem himself with the second song. He rated him tenth, even though there were only six contestants this week.
- Host Ryan Seacrest announced he would be forming some pairs on the stage. First, he had Angie head to the far side of the stage. Next came Lazaro, who was put in the middle of the stage. Then, Kree was placed at the near side of the stage. They were last week’s top three, Ryan reminded us, but that might not hold true tonight.
- After the break, Ryan had Kevin Bacon, star of the FOX show “The Followers,” stand up in the audience and asked him how he’d do in this competition. He joked he wouldn’t do very well (he’d also exceed the age limit).
- Then, it was time to hear more from the “guy next door,” Scotty McCreery, the Season 10 winner, who is also currently attending classes at North Carolina State University. He was very relaxed, which was not unusual for him, performing his single, “See You Tonight.” It was the sort of pop country song I could hear being used to underscore a dramatic scene in a sit-com and which could become a cross-over hit.
- Time for more results and a recap of the other three contestants. About Janelle, Jimmy said that in the past she’s made songs her own but now she was doing literal interpretations, which didn’t work because she didn’t have the vocal pyrotechnics of the other girls. Ryan had her go to the far side of the stage and join Angie. About Candice Glover, Jimmy said she is leading this thing right now, and he gave her first performance a 10 out of 10. She’s got more than just a great voice but also a great sense for what she should sing. Ryan had her join Kree. Then it was Amber’s turn. Jimmy said that “she looked like the entire package” and said he’s baffled why America doesn’t get her. Ryan told her to go to the center of the stage with Lazaro. Ryan announced one pair was the top two, one was the middle two and the other was the bottom two. We would find out later.
- Kelly Clarkson, the original “American Idol” winner, performed her new single, with a stage lit with black light and people in the audience waving glow-sticks. “People Like Us,” because of its message, could be a popular dance hit and a power anthem for anyone who feels like they’re sometimes an outcast. And no one can rock like Kelly! Mariah Carey joined her onstage afterwards to give her a hug, because Kelly is a huge fan.
- After the break, Ryan revealed that Kree and Candice were America’s top 2 and were therefore safe. Lazaro and Amber were the bottom two, meaning Angie and Janelle were in the middle of the pack and safe. For the first time, Ryan said, the cameras would keep rolling during the break to see all the backstage action while we waited to find out who was on the bottom. This wasn’t terribly exciting, since it began with just a wide shot of the stage. Then a makeup artist came on to touch people up and a couple other tech people talked to Ryan. The top four girls went backstage for a little makeup and hair touchup, as well. Then we were back, and Amber and Lazaro had their arms around each other as they listened for the results. Over 34 million votes, Ryan said, decided that Lazaro was at risk of elimination, and Amber was safe. Lazaro sang “Feeling Good,” and it was one of his strongest performances on the show. But no surprise, Randy Jackson announced they were not going to use the save. With his exit, for the first time ever, “American Idol” has an all-female Top 5.
- So let’s break down Lazaro’s successful run. After all, making it into the Top 6 is not shabby! How did he stay in for so long, while other, arguably more talented singers got cut? As the judges keep reminding us, it’s about the whole package. Viewers vote for a variety of reasons, not just because of singing talent. They tend to vote for people they like, first of all, and Lazaro was very likable. While sometimes his body language showed frustration, and while he did sometimes make excuses for his mistakes, he was always overtly polite to the judges and grateful for the opportunity he’d been given. Secondly, he had a terrific back story: with his family coming from Cuba for a better life. In addition, he has a prominent stutter that disappears when he sings. Third, he stuck out from the pack: with his retro 1950s outfits and bright colors, he was easily distinguishable from the other guys. Fourth, he might have wavered in terms of vocals, but he did know how to take command of the stage. Let’s face it: a lot of people were rooting for him, and it would have been a great story if he had only been more consistent or if he’d managed to grow vocally. Instead, he tripped over many of the songs, which while they were well-known to the American audience, were not familiar to him. Near the end of his run, it seemed he had all but given up and was almost relieved to be going home. Lesson for any prospective “Idol” contestants: brush up on American pop music!
- Why did Amber end up in the bottom two instead of Janelle, who the judges seemed to believe was more deserving? And what can Amber do to place higher? The problem that Amber has is that, to this point, she simply doesn’t stand out as a personality. While her singing is often stellar, almost every week, the information revealed about her in the videotaped packages preceding her performances has told viewers almost nothing. She comes from a small town (like several other contestants). Her fellow contestants think she’s pretty. (Which of them isn’t?).She likes to take pictures of herself and eat frozen shrimp straight from the bag. That could describe any number of people (Well, except for the shrimp). Burnell Taylor might have done her a favor when he made a public show of his affection for her by planting a kiss on her cheek as he was singing his swan song. Their budding romance was the first moment that something interesting seemed to be happening regarding her. Amber, take a page from Catniss in “The Hunger Games,” and play up that romance, whether it’s real or not. It may be your only way into viewers’ hearts.