Here are some things I learned tonight thanks to Idol's songs of inspiration week: there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and dreams do come true, if you believe in yourself and make every moment count, especially if you give back, try your hardest, be comfortable in your own skin and hope. I think I've got a new mission statement.
Michael : I realized something tonight. Pretty much whatever Paula loves, I hate. So Paula loved Michael's Steven Tyler impersonation on Aerosmith's "Dream On" and she just adored his short sleeve shirt/vest/tiny knotted scarf combo. Actually, Michael didn't sing too badly, but like Simon noted, it lacked any of his own personality. But, hey, man, he's living in America and dreams can come true, so vote for him unless you hate America and dreams.
Syesha: I bet she thought Simon was going to tell her she was clever for picking an Idol winner's song (Fantasia's "I Believe"), but then she got the ol' smack-down for trying to take on, again, something meant for a bigger voice. Randy, the bad guy (i.e. my hero) of the night noted, to the enraged shrieks of the audience, that she had no special connection to the song. Simon commented that she lacked a big wave of connection and that we don't know what she's all about, and he was right on. She's a good singer but I still can't tell what makes her much more special than the dozens of other perfectly good singers who came before her on Idol. Paula of course disagreed.
Jason: Finally someone picked a song that was pleasant and not entirely self-indulgent as Jason took on Israel Kamakawiwo Ole's rendition of "Over the Rainbow", ukulele and all. I think he would have been a freaking genius if he had sung "The Rainbow Connection" instead, but this was still good. It was sweet but not cloying and he put out a bit more with the vocals too. Eat your heart out, Katharine McPhee.
Kristy: Simon and I disagreed on a major point here tonight. He thought Kristy looked like a star. I thought her clothes and hair looked cheap. But anyhow. She sang Martina McBride's "Do It Anyway," on the Syesha tip: technically fine, kind of in the genre that she seems to have settled in, but nothing special. Paula told Randy to quit picking on the contestants for being pitchy as if only anal people cared about singing in tune.
David Cook: Again, what Paula thinks is genius, I think is not so. Doing "Innocent" by Our Lady Peace, it sounded like David was trying to channel three separate singers, none of whom I recognized at all. Randy wasn't feeling it and Simon called it "pompous," which certainly wasn't helped by David holding up his palm to the audience, on which the message "GIVE BACK" had been Sharpie'd. Paula found it "very inspirational." Now, out of spite, I'm going to take back instead of give back.