NS: Pop Goes Country.
This week, pop went country on Nashville Star – or at least that’s what was the hope. There were some hits and some misses, and some very odd song choices as is typical of this type of show, right? Right! So who shined, and who tarnished? Keep on reading!
We start off by finding out one of the final two right off the bat this week – and it’s the Judges sweetheart, Tommy Stanley the Navy boy. While he gets the chance to get real nervous about that, the top 10 acts preform Madonna’s “Like a Prayer, and Melissa Laswon starts it off incredibly before everyone else joins in. It kinda goes sour there, but it was pretty fun none the less. If Melissa is in the bottom two again this week I might have to hurt someone – she’s got some serious pipes!
Montage time of the mentoring and Gabe is up first with “Living La Vida Loca”. Backup dancers gyrate and he sorta just stands there. Weird. Judges love him though, even if they want him to loosen up.
Pearl Heart does “Love Shack” and I hate it. Sure, the judges like them, but really? They need to knock a little louder, honey. (Baaaaaang bang baaaaaaang). They did countrify it, and Love Shack stands up well to being country, but I dunno. I just can’t get behind the trio. Sorry girls.
Alyson Gilbert sings “I think we’re alone now” and the judges aren’t exactly impressed. Rich especially gives her a talkin’ too (cuz, ya know, it’s country, ya’ll!). It’s pretty much exactly like the original, so the country was certainly more pop.
Ashlee Hewitt does a Britney Spears song, “(You drive me) Crazy” and she does twist it country. The judges loved her, even if she seemed a bit uncomfortable with the song.
Coffey, who I want to totally love for all his single dad adorableness completely tanks with Rihanna’s “Umbrella” – he sounds completely nasal and yells out after every phrase, and then… beatboxes?! Sorry, Coffey, I just can’t stick with you for this one. The judges are split, and I find myself agreeing with Jeff as we unite in dislike of the song.
Laura and Sophie sing Michael Jackson’s “PYT (Pretty young thing)” and I want to know what the hell is up with their dresses? They look like living dolls and it’s kind of creepy. Judges love them, and they succeed in the pop goes country challenge. Dresses aside, it was a solid performance.
After Danity Kane performs, it’s Shawn Mayer’s turn and she does N’Sync’s “bye bye bye”. Whhhhhhhhhy? It sounds country, I suppose, but I can’t get over how much I hate that song. Then she adds some dance to it, and well, yeah. ok. Jewel and John like it, but Jeff said it was too pop still. I just wish she hadn’t have done the dancing – she lost her breath and power.
Melissa Lawson is safe! YAY! And she sings one of my favorite Cyndi Lauper songs, “True Colors” and naturally she kills it. I absolutely love it, the judges love it, and even point out that she looks like she’s lost weight- she has, 67 pounds. She looks fantastic, and she better be voted through, America – she’s the real deal!
Joining Tommy in the bottom two is Justin Gaston, and he too goes for Cyndi Lauper with “Girls just wanna have fun” – he does better then last week, and it was actually kinda fun. The judges think he’s improved tremendously and hopes that he gets another chance to stick around because of it. Sounds like the death knell to me.
Tommy is the last to sing, and goes for it with “Maniac” ala Flashdance. It doesn’t sound country, but he does hold the last note for half of forever. It’s not country at all, though and the judges tell him to country it up if he stays.
And he does stay – Justin Gaston is voted off, and won’t get his chance to coninue to improve, which I think is a shame. Tommy is a good performer, but I don’t see him winning the competition even if he is the sentimental favorite.
So who will be in the final two next week? Will AMerica bend to my will and put Melissa Lawson on top? YOU’D BETTER, YA’LL! Tune in next week and we’ll see!
