No Surprises: Michael Johns Voted Off American Idol
In my critique of his performance this week (Michael Johns' Dream On Doesn't Inspire on American Idol), I mentioned that he lived up to my every expectation this week. That wasn't saying much, because I didn't expect him to win me. I had a feeling that his performance, which was anything but inspiring, would leave him in the lurches of a possible elimination. As it turns out, I was right - America made their decision, and despite the judges and audience seemingly being shocked when they announced that he was leaving, I expected it.
Compared to the other two contestants who rounded out the bottom three, his performance was the least memorable. Syesha took a leap of faith and sang Fantasia's I Believe, which was really quite good (despite the potential for comparisons), and Carly Smithson performed a passionate version of The Show Must Go On by Queen.
Michael Johns isn't the worst singer in the world - in fact, he's not even the worst contestant in the top eight. He also took some big risks this season, including his performance of Aerosmith's Dream On, which ultimately cost him his shot at being crowned this year's American Idol. At the risk of sounding like Randy Jackson, I believe that when you sing a song like Dream On, you really have to do it well, or it will pale in comparison to the original.
That's just what happened to Michael Johns this week. He took on a strong song and gave a performance that was only slightly above ordinary. Watching his second performance of the song on last night's show, though, made me wonder - was it really the right choice? I felt he invested a lot more energy and emotion in last night's performance than he did in the original. Perhaps if he had given that same performance the night before, the results would have been different.
Since he ended his run on American Idol with such a strong performance, there is some potential there for him to have been noticed by a record company. We may not have heard the last of Michael Johns just yet. If he doesn't get a record deal out of his time on American Idol, we'll at least see him on tour with this season's top 12 contestants.
Published by Andrea Caruso
I'm 30 years old, married 5 years, mom of a two year old girl. I'm a graduate of the University of Central Florida (Liberal Studies w/ concentrations in Computer Science, Art, and Psychology) and Full Sail U... View profile
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5 Comments
Post a Commentu obviously dont know how to recognize talent if u claim his elimination was no surprise
I am STRONGLY DISAGREE with u...Duh,who cares ur pediction,think about this,when syesha and carly or brooke and jason castro leave in the future...there will be less buzz and dissatisfaction,because they has less x-factor in performances and voice..many people and include me love him....he is unique and got something special that we like...he should not leave this week...i see him in top 3.......i agree with salamander...the result show of his performances was great...never mind.....jus like chris daughtry.....he may make big....not all people watch american idol and not all americans....if he become great like daughtry...he can have the whole world's back.....that matters most now....if he is no good,no one care much....then poeple would logically say yes is his time to go but No No,he has many people backing him......
I disagree as well. I actually missed the performance, but I caught his elimination show, and I have to say his reprise of the song at the end of the show was quite good.
I really thought he'd be among the last three standing. Quite frankly, this now looks like Archuleta's to win.
i i disagree as well...u predicted johns going because he wasnt your favourite not because you're smarter then anyone else. He was way more memorable then syesha and carly, syeshas performance was a real snooze fest imagine sitting through a concert of that, whereas michael works the crowd and has a natural charisma. Do you really think brooke, kristies, syeshas and david cooks performances were more memorable then that?! give me a break...u must be just as boring and retarded as brooke if u believe that
Sorry, have to respectfully disagree. You talk about comparisons and yet Syesha could not even come close to Fantasia's version. She oversings just about every song and has a very off-putting personality. She wouldn't even acknowledge that comparisons are inevitable and I have the impression she thinks she is much better than she is. I would buy anything MJ puts out...he has a great blues vibe and is good at rock as well. In my view Syesha and Kristy have nothing new or even a more interesting take on something old. I think Johns can fill a niche with his voice quite well. Just my opinion.