Why Jordin Sparks Might Win American Idol

So ... if you read my previous American Idol article, Why LaKisha Jones Should Win American Idol, you know I'm really a LaKisha fan, but things weren't looking that great on Bee Gees Night for my favorite contestant. LaKisha did pick popular songs, but it just didn't go as well for her as it did for Melinda and Jordin.

Just as I thought, the judges are looking to be blown away by the song choices and vocals and they are really looking for the final four to bring it. The problem for Melinda and LaKisha is obvious. It's far easier for them to do worse than their past performances, than it is to consistently live up to the judges' expectations.

The judges were far from impressed with Melinda's first performance of "Love You Inside Out" Simon said she sounded like a back-up singer. Way to hit a girl where it hurts, Simon. However, when Melinda returned with "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart," she did bring it. Simon predicted that the performance would put her in the semi-finals. That was a fairly safe prediction a long time ago, though, eh?

Blake and his beat-boxing ways are getting old to the judges, except Paula, who is too easy to please and probably shouldn't be a judge in the first place. Blake put his particular touch on "You Should Be Dancing," and Randy didn't think it worked. Simon pronounced sentence on the performance: "It was terrible." Randy and Simon didn't like Blake's second pick of "This Is Where I Came In" much either. They said they didn't know the song, although I don't see what that has to do with anything. Simon said it was a "bizarre" choice. That was an unfair comment, in my opinion. What are we saying here? If the judges don't know the song, they can't decide whether it was sung well? If that's the case, the judges should all be disqualified.

LaKisha's first number "Staying Alive" tanked with the judges. They wanted her to sing it straight and not try to put her own stamp on it. "No kiss tonight," Simon chided. LaKisha came back with the ballad "Run To Me." This wasn't dissed as badly as the first performance but Simon still felt LaKisha and Blake were vulnerable. I was disappointed with both of her performances because she didn't sing the chorus of etiher song. She left that to the backup singers, and I thought that was a mistake.

Jordin wins the prize for Wisest Song Choices. Smart girl! First, she sang "To Love Somebody," which I frankly feel any one of the ladies could have sung well. Actually, the first version I ever heard of "To Love Somebody" came out in the late 60s and was sung by Elvis' backup singers, The Sweet Inspirations. Jordin was doing such a fine job even in rehearsal that Barry Gibb said he thought Jordin's version was the best he'd ever heard. He said the song has been sung by Nina Simone and hundreds of others. Nina Simone? That's quite a compliment. The judges gave Jordin major props and declared her the winner of the first round. Her second choice, "I Am A Woman In Love" did not even get Paula's approval. They said it was "pitchy." Jordin still looked amazingly beautiful, but all Simon had to say was that the whole thing seemed "pageant-y" to him.

If we are to go by the judges, Bee Gees Night ended up a big 'zero' for Blake, a weak 'one' for LaKisha, and one strong performance each for Melinda and Jordin.

We'll see what American Idol voters think tomorrow night. At this point, it's looking purty good for Jordin because I don't think she has quite as high a standard to live up to as Melinda does, at least with the judges. Her youth is another plus. When you consider the number of young voters, Jordin's odds go up considerably.