Idolator’s American Idolatry: The Yo Factor And The No Factor
We’re getting closer to the second American Idol milestone–tonight’s episode trims the contestant pool down to the final 12. But first, we have to get past last night’s episode, which was all about a Randy Jackson-coined quality called “the ‘yo’ factor” and the apparent fact that no one has ever told Antonella Barba, in her life, that she can’t do something.
THE HIGHLIGHTS: The producers left Melinda for last, and it was a smart move; she brought down the house again with a fiery version of Peggy Lee’s “I’m A Woman,” and her confession that she suffers from some Monk-like compulsive issues made her even more endearing. And LaKisha’s take on “I Have Nothing” wobbled a bit, but it made us more sympathetic to a Whitney Houston song than we’ve been since “So Emotional” came out.
THE “WHO?”-LIGHT: After Haley sang a version of Faith Hill’s “If My Heart Had Wings” that sounded like it was straight out of a third-rate beauty pageant, Simon said to her, “Can I tell you the problem? Do you know what I said to Paula halfway through the song? I don’t know your name.” And Simon wasn’t the only one with that problem: When Paula replied that her name was Haley, Simon retorted, “What’s her surname?” And Paula had no idea, although she skated the question by asking what the word “surname” meant. (She’s too good at the playing-dumb thing, really.)
THE “YO”-LIGHT: Last night, the intangible performance quality that was referred to in episodes past as the “wow factor” was hipped up by Randy, who renamed it the “yo factor.” Melinda had it; Lakisha had it; Ryan’s turtleneck had more of a “wha? factor”; Haley was lacking it; and neither did …
ANTONELLAWATCH: The violin-playing Jersey girl, after gutting out “Put Your Records On,” got props from Simon–for remaining stoic in the face of hating from the Idol-watching community, not her voice. On that front, he told her, “You’ve gone as far as you can go … you are surrounded by some pretty amazing girl singers.” Still, when asked if she deserved to be in the top 12, she said that she did, saying that she had “a different style” and that she wished the judges wouldn’t compare her to anyone else. Because in this competition, everyone should win, right? Her assertion that no one was trying to be like her was met with scoffs from Simon, who basically said what we shouted from our couch: “Let’s get real.” Seriously, has anyone ever told this girl “No,” ever?
WHO WE VOTED FOR (IN OUR HEARTS): Melinda and Lakisha, of course. We’re also pulling for Stephanie; sure, her version of Chaka Khan’s “Sweet Thing” was a little Beyonce-ish, but her voice is strong, and we can see her coming into her own in the theme weeks.
WHO AMERICA WILL PROBABLY CUT: Haley, who really is unmemorable in a hotel-lobby way; either Jordin or Sabrina, who had the misfortune of performing early in the show. Our money’s on Sabrina, if only because Jordin has that whole bubbly-and-17 thing going on. Antonella should go, of course, but we’re sure she won’t, if only because there are people out there who are deluded enough to want to stick up for her in the face of Simon being “mean.” (DialIdol has Haley and Stephanie (!?) in the bottom two.)
PAULA ABDUL OUT-OF-IT SCALE: 6/10. Was she actually confused by some of the song choices, or was she just … confused? Also, what was she doing under the table?
Tomorrow: The final 12 are revealed! Carrie Underwood performs! And a super secret special Idol innovation that will, no doubt, have a sky-high “yo factor”!
American Idol [americanidol.com] Earlier: Idolator’s American Idolatry archives [Photo via rickey.org]
