HER ROYAL HIGHNESS DEPARTS-AMERICAN IDOL REVIEW

HER ROYAL HIGHNESS DEPARTS

One-Time Front-Runner Majesty Never Quite Found Her Groove

Well, you can’t say this season of American Idol doesn’t at least have some interesting plot twists.  On the heels of an intriguing night of the nine remaining contestants singing songs with a band onstage, Majesty Rose was voted off the show. Such an idea would have been a sacrilege a few weeks ago, but former favorite Majesty took a nosedive in recent weeks, trying too many different types of music and failing to really connect with any of them. Her ouster (following an unsuccessful attempt to sing for the judges’ one Save) followed two weeks of her being amongst the Bottom Three vote-getters.

It’s interesting that Majesty’s downward spiral began three weeks ago when she sang a song the whole world’s been obsessed with for four months: Idina Menzel’s ballad “Let it Go”, from Frozen. It’s also interesting that Majesty was voted off Idol the same night Janelle Monae performed—Majesty’s last real home run performance was a Top 13 rendition of Monae’s “Tightrope”, which showcased her considerable energy and impressive pipes. Majesty, by the way, was joined in the Bottom Three by the likeable but bland duo of teen heartthrob Sam Woolf and Southern gentleman CJ Harris.

Given the amount the judges’ save has been talked about recently, I was a bit surprised Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. didn’t use that on someone as obviously talented as Majesty. I knew her stock had been waning in recent weeks—it’s somewhat ironic that hers was the only performance last night I didn’t see—and the judges’ had been criticizing her for trying too many different types of music without really connecting with the audience on any of them, but she was one of the clear favorites when this Top 13 was put together. For her “Sing for the Save” performance, Majesty sang the song that got her through that Rush Week and established her as one of the primary contenders, Pharrell Williams’ “Happy”, from Despicable Me 2. I didn’t see that Rush Week performance, but her rendition tonight was awkward, off-key and consistently out of breath.

I was also a little surprised—but not necessarily disappointed—that tonight’s results show was a mere 30 minutes. With the new Christopher Meloni-starring sitcom Surviving Jack premiering at 9:30, host Ryan Seacrest kept things moving along with a minimum of fuss. With Monae’s performance the only live music, the only non-results time-fillers were a brief video of the contestants joking around at their weekly post-performance dinner, and a blip where Randy Jackson singled out Caleb Johnson, Jena Irene and Malaya Watson as his favorites from last night. Then, with all the contestants seated on stools, six were sent, one-by-one, to the safety of the lounge.

As the judges noted, America’s votes have largely been based on each week’s performances, rather than on any contestant’s reputation or likeability, an interesting change for the show. That said, I was surprised to see Sam in the Bottom Three this week—though Sam has long been struggling to really bring energy and connect with the audience, I certainly thought “Hey There Delilah” was popular enough of a song to get him the votes necessary for safety. But with a second Bottom Three performance under his belt and a Top Five of Caleb, Jena, Malaya, Alex Preston and Jessica Meuse starting to take shape, it’s clear he needs to pick things up, no matter how many times Keith Urban calls his voice “buttah”. Meanwhile, Thursday was also CJ’s long-deserved first stint in the Bottom Three. Criticized week in and week out for being off-key and/or trying too hard, CJ’s only had one week where he really showed flashes of true talent and magnetism. He’s a nice guy, but he seems a little too genteel to really compete here.

*CJ’s the one I figured the judges wouldn’t save, if he was the lowest vote-getter. I thought the judges would save Majesty or Sam. (I’m not sorry they didn’t, though—I’m going to be bummed one week when they don’t narrow the field at all by saving somebody, and they only have two more weeks to do it.)*

So, after a quick show and a result that would have seemed impossible three weeks ago, here are the newest power rankings:

1. Caleb Johnson—Back at the top after a week off, Caleb wowed the judges, Randy and America, and earned the thrice-repeated label of “sexy” from Jennifer Lopez, who, herself, happens to be one of the sexiest people on the planet. He’s got a great voice, great stage presence, and, unlike many of the others, always brings energy and passion. I can’t quite bring myself to say he’s the one to beat this year, but he’s going a long way.
2. Jessica Meuse—She’s the only woman left on the show who hasn’t been in the Bottom Three yet, and after picking things up the last few weeks with her more energetic renditions of “Pumped Up Kicks” and “Rhiannon”, her stock’s edging upward. An experienced performer, she’s finally showing real signs of life.
3. Alex Preston—No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak” was an ambitious song choice for our resident off-beat, soft singer, what with that song’s inherent power and passion, but he opened the show with it, got praise from the judges, and slipped through without a hitch. Along with the two above him on these rankings, Alex is among the three who have not yet been in the Bottom Three, and one senses he’s seen where the weirdness/awkwardness line is, and he’s not going to go there again.
4. Jena Irene—For three weeks now, she’s been singing songs you can picture on a Jena album, and, for those same three weeks, she’s been getting praise from the judges. Not unbridled praise, mind you, but she’s become one of the most reliably interesting and solid performers on the show.
5. Malaya Watson—Malaya’s another one who’s completely turned things around after an iffy first few weeks of the finals; she’s found herself, singing heartfelt ballads. With her voice and passion, she could be an absolutely phenomenal talent in a few years, but, as it is, she’s become very consistent.
6. Dexter Roberts—I don’t wanna put Dexter here, but, a week removed from his first Bottom Three stint, Dexter cruised despite another weak country karaoke rendition. He said he would “change it up” this next week, and Lord, please, let him do it.
7. Sam Woolf—“Hey There Delilah” didn’t quite have the magic, huh? No one doubts Sam’s great voice or the fact that girls adore him, but after initially seeming like one of this year’s strongest performers, he’s been limping along. Perhaps he’s a little too young, just not quite ready, but his performances continue to lack life.
8. CJ Harris—Every week, CJ gets a lesson in correct musicality from Harry Connick Jr, and it’s about time he start taking the man’s advice. He sings with clear passion, but he’s been struggling against the current for a while—the Golden Boy image that got him a Wild Card pass into the Top 13 has long gone.