Columbus Ledger-Enquirer Logo

American Idol 2012: Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal mentor; Skylar Laine impresses with 'Wind Beneath My Wings' | Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Archives
    • Buy Photos and Pages
    • Special Sections
    • Contact Us
    • Plus
    • Newsletters
    • Newspaper in Education
    • Subscribe
    • Subscriber Services

    • News
    • Local News
    • Photos
    • Crime
    • Databases
    • Education
    • Job Spotlight
    • Georgia
    • Business
    • Nation/World
    • Lottery
    • Sports
    • Alabama
    • Auburn
    • Braves
    • Columbus State University
    • Cottonmouths
    • Falcons
    • Hawks
    • High Schools
    • UGA
    • Blogs & Columns
    • War Eagle Extra
    • Bulldogs Blog
    • Valley Preps
    • Guerry Clegg
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • ToDo
    • Living
    • Dining
    • Celebrations
    • Outdoors
    • Faith
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Horoscopes
    • Blogs & Columns
    • War Eagle Extra
    • Bulldogs Blog
    • Guerry Clegg
    • Tim Chitwood
    • Richard Hyatt
    • Ledger Inquirer
    • Valley Preps
    • Chuck Williams
    • Dimon Kendrick-Holmes
    • Alva James-Johnson
    • Natalia Naman Temesgen
    • Chris Johnson
    • Opinion
    • Forum
    • Letters
    • Dusty Nix
    • Sound Off
  • Obituaries
  • Readers' Choice

  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Place An Ad

  • About Us
  • Mobile & Apps

Latest News

American Idol 2012: Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal mentor; Skylar Laine impresses with 'Wind Beneath My Wings'

By SONYA SORICH - ssorich@ledger-enquirer.com

    ORDER REPRINT →

April 04, 2012 08:05 PM

On a night that paid tribute to a decade of excess, "American Idol" was somewhat underwhelming.

The top eight "Idol" contestants tackled '80s songs Wednesday night and delivered a two-hour show that included songs by acts like DeBarge, Genesis and Whitney Houston. A few singers stood out, but nobody had the elusive Moment.

In fact, the best song of the night was probably one of the four duets: Jessica and Joshua's take on "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)," originally performed by George Michael and Aretha Franklin.

Gwen Stefani and That Other Guy From No Doubt mentored this week. Here's how I'd rank the performances:

SIGN UP

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to the Ledger-Enquirer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

1. Jessica Sanchez, "How Will I Know"

2. Colton Dixon, "Time After Time"

3. Skylar Laine, "Wind Beneath My Wings"

4. Joshua Ledet, "If You Don't Know Me By Now"

5. Deandre Brackensick, "I Like It"

6. Phillip Phillips, "That's All"

7. Elise Testone, "I Want to Know What Love Is"

8. Hollie Cavanagh, "What A Feeling"

Here's a full recap of Wednesday's show.

***

Deandre Brackensick, "I Like It": OK, I can't hear a DeBarge song without reflecting on the episode of "Facts of Life" that featured El DeBarge. Sigh. That was awesome. I'm not as enthusiastic about this performance, though. Sure, it's one of Deandre's stronger efforts. He interacts with the audience a lot while performing -- in fact, he starts while singing in the crowd. Deandre seems more confident that what we've seen in recent weeks, but I'm not sure he's entirely safe this week.

Jennifer: "I like it. I like it a lot. That was really great, baby."

Steven: "Totally captivating."

Randy: "It was perfect...I would make records like this."

Elise Testone, "I Want to Know What Love Is": I really want Elise to rock out tonight. This Foreigner song doesn't quite cut it. It's like she lost all the energy she delivered last week. Considering she probably already has a shaky fan base, Elise does NOT need to enter ballad land. Vocally, there aren't any huge flaws...but it doesn't quite scream "perfection," either. The end of the song gets gospel treatment. That's not enough to make me rave about this performance. Overall, it's average and kind of sleepy.

Steven: "I'm not sure if that song was the right song for you tonight."

Jennifer: "It wasn't totally right, every single moment."

Randy: "I think you're much better than this."

DUET TIME! Skylar Laine and Colton Dixon sing "Islands in the Stream" by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. I suppose this performance is fine, but I'd rather hear "Ghetto Superstar." Who's with me?

Randy: "You guys did a really good job...Very nice."

Jennifer: "It was perfect."

Phillip Phillips, "That's All": Want a fun fact? My first cassette EVER was a tape by Genesis. I'm still a loyal fan, which is why I'm especially happy Phillip chose this song. It's a good fit. Predictably, he plays his guitar, sings and has a semi-angry expression on his face while performing. Yeah, not too many surprises tonight. Still, Phillip consistently keeps me hooked, even if it is partly because he's from Georgia. It's hardly my favorite performance from Phillip, but I'm still a fan. His brother-in-law plays guitar with him on stage.

Steven: "I love your individuality...You just love being who you are."

Jennifer: Says the beginning was a little shaky, but he brought it home toward the end

Randy: "I loved it."

DUET TIME! Hollie Cavanagh and Deandre Brackensick sing "I'm So Excited" by The Pointer Sisters. It's nice to see Hollie finally perform a fast song. I'm not going crazy about Deandre on this song, but whatever.

Steven: "That was great."

Jennifer: "Together you guys sounded great. Good job."

Randy: "You guys can both really sing."

Joshua Ledet, "If You Don't Know Me By Now": Yes, this song was originally released in 1972. But Joshua is performing the Simply Red version. It's a pretty good fit, though I take issue with the fact that this song technically isn't an '80s tune. Guess I have to get over that. Anyway, this is a standard Joshua performance: big vocals, lots of emotion and gospel backup singers. I think he over-sings at points, but overall it's a pretty solid effort. He gets a standing ovation.

Jennifer: "We asked for a powerhouse performance and that's what we got."

Steven: "What a perfect, beautiful song."

Randy: "It was so mature, dude."

Jessica Sanchez, "How Will I Know": Woo hoo! Party time! I'm so happy this song is in the mix. Immediately, I give Jessica props for dressing in '80s-inspired apparel. Taking on a Whitney song is an ambitious move, but I'm happy with the final result. I'm glad Jessica has escaped the limits of ballad land. She seems to actually have fun on stage. Jessica is really growing on me. She's not the robotic singer I envisioned early in the contest.

Jennifer: "Really, really good."

Steven: "Everything you do is beautiful."

Randy: "You did an amazing job."

DUET TIME! Elise Testone and Phillip Phillips sing "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" by Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty. They do a great job with it. Elise is 100 times better than what we saw earlier in the show.

Randy: "That was hot."

Jennifer: Loved it

Steven: "It couldn't have been better."

Hollie Cavanagh, "What a Feeling": I appreciate Hollie's attempt to change things up and do a fast song this week. And I'm a total "Flashdance" fan. But this performance just isn't good. She's clearly trying too hard to seem relaxed on stage. She over-sings most of the song and even appears stiff while attempting to interact with the crowd. Sorry, I'm not impressed tonight. It really seems like she's lost her thunder in this competition. Hollie could be in serious trouble.

Steven: "Your pitch was all over the place, I'm so sorry to tell you."

Jennifer: "You don't release. You don't let go."

Randy: Says she thought too much about the performance

DUET TIME! Jessica Sanchez and Joshua Ledet sing "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)." I'm slightly embarrassed to note that I LOVE this song and listen to it on the treadmill on a regular basis. Jessica and Joshua do a great job with it. There's tons of big notes and they get gospel choir treatment. Standing ovation from the judges.

Randy: "Two of the greatest singers to ever hit this competition."

Jennifer: "That was something amazing."

Steven: "That was so fine."

Colton Dixon, "Time After Time": Colton changes the arrangement, giving this tune a pop-rock melody. After his performance, he admits he ripped off the arrangement from a band called Quietdrive. Thanks for being honest, Colton. I'm really divided on this one. At points, Colton still seems a little whiny...and I'm not entirely sold on the arrangement. However, I do see him having some appeal as a current artist -- at least more so than some of the other contestants who remain in the game.

Steven: "You nailed it."

Jennifer: "It was amazing."

Randy: "You're so current."

Skylar Laine, "Wind Beneath My Wings": Initially, I'm a little skeptical of the song choice. This season of "Idol" does not need another female contestant inhabiting ballad territory. However, Skylar does a good job with it. She demonstrates quite a bit of range, which is definitely a plus. Definitely one of the strongest performances of the night, but not one of the greatest "Idol" performances of all time. I'm impressed, though.

Randy: "I think this is your best performance on this show."

Jennifer: "You can sing with the best of everybody who's here."

Steven: "The beginning of a great career."

  Comments  

Videos

Watch to learn more about $14 furry friends

Former President Carter, wife Rosalynn smooch on ‘Kiss Cam’

View More Video

Trending Stories

She tricked her mom into meeting her Hardaway gym teacher. Now, they’re engaged.

February 14, 2019 12:00 AM

The 2019 Teacher of the Year in Muscogee County will be one of these 10 semifinalists

February 15, 2019 12:35 PM

City truck driver, 72, charged in fatal crash Jan. 31 on River Road, police say

February 15, 2019 01:38 PM

Columbus attorney never served in military, but his gift to UGA will help those who have

February 14, 2019 03:04 PM

‘Not opening Evita is not an option’ Springer director says as crews assess flood damage

February 14, 2019 03:41 PM

Read Next

How to adopt a furry friend in Columbus for $14
Video media Created with Sketch.

Local

How to adopt a furry friend in Columbus for $14

By Miranda Daniel

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 15, 2019 06:17 PM

From February 14-17, 2019, you can adopt an animal for $14 at PAWS Humane Society or you can visit PAWS at Petco, one of their adoption partners, on Saturday, Feb. 16, for a $14 adoption there.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to the Ledger-Enquirer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE LATEST NEWS

Is there such a thing as too much football? New league seems just OK so far

Guerry Clegg

Is there such a thing as too much football? New league seems just OK so far

February 15, 2019 06:51 PM
Where the Lady Bulldogs’ NCAA tournament chances stand after sixth SEC loss

Bulldogs Blog

Where the Lady Bulldogs’ NCAA tournament chances stand after sixth SEC loss

February 15, 2019 05:49 PM
City truck driver, 72, charged in fatal crash Jan. 31 on River Road, police say

Local

City truck driver, 72, charged in fatal crash Jan. 31 on River Road, police say

February 15, 2019 01:38 PM
The 2019 Teacher of the Year in Muscogee County will be one of these 10 semifinalists

Education

The 2019 Teacher of the Year in Muscogee County will be one of these 10 semifinalists

February 15, 2019 12:35 PM
Take a bow: Rachel Dickson ecstatic to nearly master vault routine made iconic by UGA coach

Bulldogs Blog

Take a bow: Rachel Dickson ecstatic to nearly master vault routine made iconic by UGA coach

February 14, 2019 11:55 AM
‘Not opening Evita is not an option’ Springer director says as crews assess flood damage

Local

‘Not opening Evita is not an option’ Springer director says as crews assess flood damage

February 14, 2019 03:41 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
Advertising
  • Digital Solutions
  • Niche Solutions
  • Print Solutions
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story