American Idol: Syesha Sings a New American Classic

Syesha Mercado found herself in the precarious position of taking on one of the most popular power ballads in recent history. "I Will Always Love You", is more than just a song. It is a piece of Americana; a signpost on the landscape of America's musical history. Dolly Parton originally wrote "I Will Always Love You" in 1974 and rerecorded it in 1982 as part of the "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" soundtrack.

The song went to #1 on the country charts each time. However, it was not until Whitney Houston performed it in 1992 as part of the soundtrack for "The Bodyguard" that the song was catapulted into the record books. Dolly Parton's version was a sad and sorrowful response to the breakup of her long-standing musical partnership with country legend Porter Wagoner. Houston's version was an epic and lushly produced bona fide hit that stayed at #1 on the Billboard Pop chart for 14 weeks. The song went on to garner Record of the Year honors and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance honors for Houston. "The Bodyguard" still holds the record as the bestselling movie soundtrack of all time.

It is against this backdrop that Syesha offered her interpretation. She looked beautiful, poised delicately atop the piano. She worked very hard to pay homage to Dolly Parton's sad sweetness while retaining the powerhouse punch of Whitney Houston. If anything was lacking it was a smidge of confidence but considering the stakes who can blame her for that. Whether you love or hate the Whitney version; it is the cover by which all other covers of this song will be measured. To this end, Syesha rendered a perfectly lovely offering. However, the deck was already stacked against her. For those who love the Whitney version, it is a travesty for another artist to even attempt to sing it.

This appears to be the trap that Syesha fell into last night, with the judges. Randy admitted his bias. Paula, as always, was sweet and conciliatory. Simon had enough snark to go around. He thought it started out okay but devolved into a mess by the second half of the song. I disagree with Simon's assessment. If anything she seemed far too focused on trying to stay true to both versions and was not able to find her voice. Syesha is a stellar talent. She needs to reclaim the vivacity and effervescence she brought into the competition. Syesha's performance should be enough to keep her around for another week. However, she is still singing with a bit more restraint than I'd like to see. She needs to let go and let the world see how big her voice really is.