Source: USA TODAY
Now that American Idol voters have rid the show of all its guys, the women can get down to business. And Wednesday’s Top Five night recalled the glory days when everybody believed that Idol was a singing competition.
Voters will have some tough choices to make. Will they favor Candice Glover, who revamped Paula Abdul’s Straight Up as a jazzy samba, then did a powerhouse version of Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston’s When You Believe that had Carey in tears? Or will they prefer Amber Holcomb’s Carey cover, Without You, which some judges found emotionally lacking, and an exquisite, exceptionally difficult Barbra Streisand song What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?
Which country singer do they like better? Kree Harrison, who, at her best, recalls Trisha Yearwood’s elegant phrasing, whether she’s singing Celine Dion’s Have You Ever Been in Love or the Black Crowes’ She Talks to Angels? Or Janelle Arthur, who doesn’t possess perfection in her voice, but loves Vince Gill’s When I Call Your Name and can make a cover of Dolly Parton’s Dumb Blonde sound like a lot of fun.
One thing’s almost for certain: After Massachusetts native Angie Miller dedicated her version of The Pretenders’ I’ll Stand by You to Boston, her chill-inducing performance will keep her safe. Especially when coupled with a version of Beyonce’s Halo that earned her raves.
Wednesday was the rare occasion when Idol didn’t have a bad performance, even if some clearly were better than others. It’s almost a shame someone — likely Arthur or Holcomb, though the judges were dismayed at the latter possibility — will wind up getting fewer votes than everybody else.
Here’s how I rank them:
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