song suggestions Archives

American Idol 2011: The judges pick blah songs, so it’s our turn

As we reported earlier, the songs chosen by the “American Idol” judges for the Top 3 have been leaked and I have to say, the judges’ song choices are almost as bad as the contestants’ song choices most of this season.

For Lauren Alaina, they chose “I Hope You Dance” by Leann Womack. I imagine this was chosen by Jennifer Lopez.

For Scotty McCreery, it’s Kenny Rogers’ “She Believes in Me.” It’s probably safe to say that was Randy’s choice.

And for Haley Reinhart, it’s “You Oughta Know” by Alanis Morissette. Since Randy and Jennifer hate Haley, I suspect Steven Tyler picked this for her.

How boring are those choices. Haley’s is probably the best song chosen, but I never once pegged her as an Alanis type. Plus Crystal Bowersox just sang this during last season’s finale. What a bad idea.

It’s too hard to really pick what other songs the contestants could and should sing since the choices are totally wide open. So, instead I’ll just pick my dream song list for them even though the chances of them singing any of my choices have lottery-like odds. So just for the fun of it, here goes.

Haley

“Son of a Preacher Man” by Dusty Springfield. I’ve suggested this at least two other times this season. I hear she’s done it before (pre-Idol) and there’s a youtube video of it, but I want her to sing it on the “Idol” stage.

“Dream a Little Dream of Me” by The Mamas and the Papas. I always lean toward raspy voices or white-woman soul for Haley. And Mama Cass fits right into that area. I’d love to hear Haley take on Cass.

Lauren

“Fancy” by Reba McEntire. Lauren did Reba another time this season and I thought it was one of her best performances. She should take on this one and show everyone that like Scotty, she too, can be a good story-telling singer.

“Love is a Battlefield” or “We Belong” by Pat Benatar. I just want to hear Pat on the Idol stage. It worked for Martina McBride on CMT’s Crossroads with Pat Benatar, it could work for Lauren.

Scotty

“Tuesday’s Gone” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. I wanted to pick “Simple Man” but Lee DeWyze just did that last season, so I picked the second-best Skynyrd song. I think it would be a good idea for Scotty to sing a non-country song at least once Wednesday night. And since he doesn’t step outside of his comfort zone ever, I thought a southern rock song would be easy enough. There’s only a fine line between country and southern rock anyway. At least in my mind.

“Thank God I’m a Country Boy” by John Denver. I think it’s kind of a silly song, but it made Billboard’s Top 100 Country Songs list. And it’s kind of the message Scotty has been sending all season, so why not?

What would your dream song list be for the Top 3?

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American Idol 2011: What should the Top 4 sing?

What I’d like to suggest the “American Idol” Top 4 do is NOT sing songs by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. But unfortunately that’s the entire theme. So they’ll be singing only songs from that song-writing duo of the “post World War II” era. Yeah, that’s how Wikipedia explains them. That’s kind of a long time ago. But hey, they wrote some good songs so there’s no point in dwelling on the fact that teenagers and 20-somethings are being forced to sing songs as old as their grandparents.

That being said, here’s what I think the Top 4 should sing from Leiber and Stoller’s song list.

*Haley Reinhart, “I’m a Woman” by various artists. Now this song seems almost too predictable for Haley. It’s bluesy, it’s soul-ful, it’s empowering. But I think it would be a good choice for her. Even if Melinda Doolittle did sing the song during her season. I know a lot of people don’t think songs should be repeated. But it doesn’t bother me as long as the song isn’t the way-overdone “Alone” by Heart or “Against All Odds” by Phil Collins.

*Lauren Alaina, “I (Who Have Nothing)” (Shirley Bassey’s version). Again, this song has been done on “Idol” (Jordin Sparks), but it’s a pretty good and powerful song. Lauren could have a moment, despite how old the song is. But that’s the case with all these songs. It’s actually kind of frustrating. Maybe Lauren could do “Stand By Me.” While it’s been done on the show also, I don’t really remember it being done by a girl.

*Scotty McCrerry, “There Goes My Baby”  by The Drifters. I’m not sure this song will work with a twang, but it has a lot of potential for a modern twist. And there are some pretty low parts that Scotty could handle well. This is a tough theme for Scotty when you throw out the Elvis songs. I don’t think he should sing a third Elvis song this season. But if he did, he could handle “Love Me” maybe.

*James Durbin, “Kansas City” (The Beatles’ version). This has a pretty serious rock vibe for its time, so I think it could be right up James’ alley. Like Scotty, there aren’t a lot of songs that scream “James,” but he can easily make something his own.

I haven’t heard if the other part of the show will be more singles or duets and if the song selections change. Oh “Idol,” do you even know?

What are your song suggestions for the Top 4?

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American Idol 2011: What should the Top 5 sing?

This week’s “American Idol” theme is “Now and Then.” That means the Idols will have to sing two songs: one current song and one song from the 1960s (please let there be a ban on The Beatles just this week — we’ve had enough Beatles). Hmmm. OK. Now how in the world am I ever going to suggest songs for them this week? It’s going to be even more of a shot in the dark than normal. It’s crazy, but I think I’m up for it. So what should they sing?

(Click on the “Now” songs to hear them on youtube)

*Lauren Alaina

Now: “You Lie” by The Band Perry. It’s very country. But I think that’s the route she’s going. Right? I guess it could be too country for her and could be a risk, but hey, Scotty McCreery has made country fans out of a lot of people. She can do it, too.

Then: “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys or “I Fall to Pieces” by Patsy Cline. Normally I wouldn’t pick a Beach Boys song. Their stuff, for the most part, is happy and fun but has no substance. Except for this song. This one has a lot of meaning and heart. I could also hear her doing some Patsy Cline since she’s a country girl and all.

*James Durbin

Now: “Sing” by My Chemical Romance. This is actually a pretty perfect song for James. It’s a song that shows great voice range. It’s edgy. It could easily lend itself to even more edge. James could have one of his pretty sweet visions with this one.

Then: “Paint It Black” by the Rolling Stones. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out the best song from the ’60s for James and this is the only one I could pick. It’s a great song and it has been done on “Idol”  before, but I think James could do something fun and fresh with it.

*Haley Reinhart

Now: “Jar of Hearts” by Christina Perry. I really wish Haley could just sing Adele again, but that would be a bad idea. “Jar of Hearts” kind of has that Haley sound. I’m not sure why the producers and judges don’t think she knows who she is. I know. And I could hear her singing it. It’s kind of dark, though. So her second song would have to be more upbeat.

Then: “Son of a Preacher Man” by Dusty Springfield or “California Dreaming” by The Mamas and the Papas. I’ve been wanting to hear her do “Son of a Preacher Man” all season. Someone tell her!

*Scotty McCreery

Now: “Country Girl (Shake it For Me)” by Luke Bryan. I’ve only got three things to say about this song: 1) It’s country. 2) It debuted on Billboard’s Hot 100. It’s a hit. 3) It sounds like Scotty.

Then: “Bad Moon Rising” Credence Clearwater Revival or “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash. I’d really like to hear Scotty sing some CCR. They’re pretty southern rock, right? Southern rock and country kind of go hand in hand. He could handle it nicely. And if not CCR, then Johnny Cash. You can never go wrong with Cash (unless you’re Paul McDonald).

*Jacob Lusk

Now: “Forget You” by Cee Lo Green. I already suggested this once for Jacob. This song is everywhere (and that’s becoming a bad thing) but people love it. And if it’s even allowed on Fox since Cee Lo is on NBC’s “The Voice,” Jacob should do it. He needs to get America’s attention if he wants to stay any longer.

Then: “In The Midnight Hour” by Wilson Pickett. Jacob REALLY needs to shake things up. He needs to rock things out. If that’s possible. If he doesn’t, he’s going home.

What would you like to hear the Top 5 sing this week?

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American Idol 2011: What should the Top 6 sing?

Well, this week the “American Idol” Top 6 take on songs of Carole King. I’ve already been chastised for suggesting it’s going to be a boring performance episode and after a couple hours of research for this blog post, I stand by that statement. It’s not because I don’t like Carole King. It’s because most of her well-known songs are over-played, both in the mainstream and on “American Idol.”

I just can’t imagine many teenagers digging the songs the contestants will sing. I predict voting will be down and a surprise elimination could be in store Thursday. Possibly.

When picking the songs I’d like to hear contestants sing, I decided to avoid most of the obvious ones (“So Far Away,” “I Feel The Earth Move” and “It’s Too Late”), even though I know they’ll probably all sing those songs. At least I think we’ll be spared hearing “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” again since it’s already been performed on American Idol 2011.

Many of my suggestions weren’t hits by Carole King, but written by her. In those cases, I state who recorded the songs. I imagine they’re allowed to chose songs she wrote or co-wrote. If not, then few of my choices are possible. Ha.

*Jacob Lusk, “Up On the Roof” as recorded by The Drifters. To me, this is a pretty obvious one for Jacob. I could also hear him doing “The Reason,” as recorded by Celine Dion because it sounds very inspirational.

*James Durbin – “Don’t Bring Me Down” as recorded by The Animals. It has a very psychedelic ’60s feel that could mesh really with with James’ heavy metal spin. It’s not that well-known, but that doesn’t seem to be detrimental this season, so I hope he goes for it.

UPDATE: *Casey Abrams, “Some Kind of Wonderful.” I originally had a brain lapse and thought this song was the other “Some Kind of Wonderful.” But after figuring that out and listening to the real Carole King version, I remembered it’s a beautiful song and any of the contestants could benefit from singing it. So I’ll leave it as Casey’s suggestion. I  just hope he doesn’t do “Jazzman.” It’s kind of cheesy.

*Haley Reinhart, “Nightingale.” Haley might need to do a more familiar song to stay in the game, so if she skips over this one, I’ll understand, but it’s the one song by King that I can really hear Haley singing. It’s medium tempo and lends itself to plenty of Haley runs and “grrs.”

*Scotty McCreery, “It’s Going to Take Some Time.” King and The Carpenters both recorded this and both versions had some country twang to it, so I think Scotty could do well with it (since he will apparently never step out of his comfort zone). I looked for songs with “country” and “cowboy” in the title, but couldn’t find anything.

*Lauren Alaina, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.” I hope hope hope she does this song. It’s one of my favorite songs (weird I  know). My favorite version is by The Shirelles, but Dusty Springfield also recorded it. Springfield influenced a lot of country singers so maybe Lauren could look at her version. Please don’t do “So Far Away” and do this song instead!

What are your song suggestions for the week? And what do you think of the theme? Is it a good way to introduce the younger generation to one of the best singer/songwriters in history?

 

 

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American Idol 2011: What should the Top 7 sing?

This week on “American Idol,” the Top 7 will take on songs from the 21st Century. That’s an interesting non-theme. This could be quite a week with song choices. Maybe everyone will sing songs by “The Black Eyed Peas.” Let’s all hope not. Actually I hope there are no Peas, no Katy Perry, no Creed and no more Miley.

Despite the incredibly broad topic, I’ll go ahead and pick some songs that I’d like to hear the “Idol” contestants sing. And as always, feel free to add your own suggestions in our comments section.

In random order

*Lauren Alaina, “Jesus Take The Wheel” by Carrie Underwood. I really don’t like this song, and I’d be tempted to mute it, but Lauren could have a Kristy Lee Cook moment with this anthem and trick sappy Americans into voting for her all night long. She could ride that wave for two weeks at least. And being one of only two girls left, that would be a very smart move.

Way out there suggestion: “I Kissed a Girl” by Katy Perry. OK, I know I said no Katy Perry, but this would be funny.

*Haley Reinhart, “Mercy” by Duffy. Haley’s been keeping things pretty upbeat and I think it would probably benefit her to slow things down this week. “Duffy,” while slower, is a still a pretty powerful song and with her soulful growls, she could have a moment with it. I also considered an actual ballad with “Beautiful” by Christina Aguilera, but I prefer “Mercy.” Did she sing “Mercy” during Hollywood week sometime? That seems like years ago now.

Way out there suggestion: “Rehab” by Amy Winehouse. This suggestion isn’t really “way out there,” because I could REALLY hear Haley singing this song. I just don’t see Idol/Ford/Pepsi being OK with the “rehab” part of the song.

*Casey Abrams, “Smooth” by Santana and Rob Thomas. No one has done this song since Chris Richardson several seasons ago so it would almost be a fresh song. And I think Casey could add his soul spin nicely. He just needs to be careful with the weird angry singing. I’m not the only one who notices that. I promise.

Way out there suggestion: “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga. A cool, slow acoustic version.

*Jacob Lusk, “Forget You,” by Cee Lo Green. Actually this pick is as much “way out there” as the actual, “way out there” pick, but Jacob has never been easy to pick for. All I know is, he should do something fresh and not stuffy. And while he’s at it, he could try to be less arrogant. Maybe he doesn’t know what the unedited version of this song says.

Way out there suggestion: “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley. Again, it would be a lot more fresh for Jacob and if he doesn’t want to go home soon, he’ll chill out on the gospel music for a week or two. (Note: I know he’d never do either of these songs in a million years, so no need to point it out)

*Stefano Langone, “Apologize,” Timbaland/One Republic. I like Stefano, but he’s kind of boring. I imagine he’ll sing something at about this level, so I could hear him doing this.

Way out there suggestion: “Hot in Herre” by Nelly. Hey, that could get him some votes.

*James Durbin,”Mr. Brightside” by The Killers. I know The Killers aren’t hardcore enough for James, but this is a great song and he could rock it out. He can put out a metal album after Idol ends, but he’s not going to make America a nation of metal fans. So he needs to stick to popular music for a couple more weeks.

Way out there suggestion: “American Idiot” by Green Day. It’s not way out there at all, really. But could it be considered a jab at the name “American Idol”? Possibly.

*Scotty McCreery, “Amazed” by Lonestar. We all know Scotty will pick a country song, so he at least needs to pick one that crossed over to the pop charts. He has plenty of fans I’m sure, but only four people won’t be in the bottom. Anything can happen, so he needs to start thinking about earning more, new fans.

Way out there suggestion: “Because of You,” by Kelly Clarkson. I’m obsessed with the idea of a guy singing a woman’s song. It almost never happens. Scotty could take on a version closer to the version Kelly did with Reba McEntire.

What are your suggestions for the Top 7?

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