Chucking Chikezie on American Idol

The people have spoken and Chikezie is out. I'd like to say I'm outraged, but the truth is I'm finding it hard to get really worked up about it. Despite a rally and several relatively good and one fantastic performance, it felt like Chikezie was on borrowed time.

The biggest problem I saw for Chikezie was not a lack of talent, but his general likeability. The wide-eyed innocence that works for Brooke White and Kristy Lee Cook doesn't play as well coming from Chikezie. Everything about him says "I'm a good, middle of the road, likeable guy". He doesn't emanate the raw rock god sensuality of David Cook or Michael Johns nor is he the arbiter of the "aw shucks ain't I something" cuteness of David Archuleta.

With his safe razor cut hair and "gee Beav" wardrobe he lacked the edge to capture the public's imagination. As we've seen in seasons past, singing well is not the prerequisite to hanging around. Would I say to Chikezie to get a gimmick a la SanJaya. Not a chance. But at the very least he needs to find his edge. Grow the hair out or shave it all off. I do give him props for the orange suit but to carry it off, it has to be the whole package. Otherwise, it just comes off like Uncle Pete doing karaoke at the family reunion.

Chikezie definitely has the talent. With the right cultivation and a good stylist, he could be back to blow the doors off season 8, if something doesn't break for him before then.