If the entire American nation does not recognise the fact that James Durbin ought to be the fore-runner in this year’s American Idol show, then they should have their ears and eyes tested!!

And why am I saying this? Well, anyone tuning in to watch American Idol Season 10’s Top 13 performance will attest to witnessing James Durbin at his best – in voice control, in performance and on this night, revealing a softer side which showcased the clarity of his voice in true “melodic” fashion that would make Paul McCartney proud when he took on the song “Maybe I’m Amazed”. Yes, I am really and truly amazed by this magnificent performance!!

Every time a song contains lines which is repeated over and over again, it would take a very special someone to deliver it in different ways, tones, pitches, whatever… to make it come out right. On most cases, repetitive lines become boring, drowning itself in a “whirlpool of drones”.

I do not recall having heard Paul McCartney’s rendition of the song selected by James Durbin. In all honestly, I am not a big fan of Paul although I was and am still the biggest fan of “The Beatles”. Somehow when this historically famous Liverpool band disbanded with John, Paul, George and Ringo going their separate ways into music, movies, whatever… the fans still hung on… through the years… into the next generation and probably through all the years that follow. But their solo foray took on different levels of success for each ex-Beatle. If John Lennon had not died an early death (shot by a “crazed” fan), I wonder who would have been a bigger headliner – John or Paul? I guess we’ll never know.

Whoa!! I’ve gone off-track again. Back to American Idol 2011. As I was saying, James Durbin made me curious about the song he took on. But even without checking Paul McCartney’s original version, I can safely say that James’ rendition truly “rocks”. Yea!! Like when “The Beatles” went “yeah, yeah, yeah” during the good ol’ days.

So, to anyone reading my jottings on James Durbin’s progress on American Idol, I’ll bet you’d now realise that I am a “die-hard” music fan of James D. Yes I am and so should you if you haven’t been converted yet. How could you not be – he displays such genuine passion while up on the stage and that boyish no-holds barred attitude when he’s on camera talking or even not talking – just like a little boy who’s just discovered a new toy or something. Let’s hope no one advises him to restrain his attitude too much. When he’s natural, he’s at his best – whether he’s prancing onstage or offstage. Leave him alone I say… all the way to the Finals. Yes!!!

Next on: my girl Thia Megia. Unfortunately, when she sang Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile”, she did not “move” me like I thought she would. The song itself would have been able to move mountains. Honestly! Go check Robert Downey Jr’s version and you’ll know what I mean. Heck! It’s the “mother of all heartbreak songs” – what with the melody and the words… shucks, you’d have to possess a heart of stone if a tear does not form when you listen to the tune. So, when Thia did not rattle my tear ducts, all I can say is that the pressure must be getting to her. I have a sneaky suspicion that too much advice from various meddlesome quarters may have contributed to her attempt at changing her style to please the masses. If you’re reading this Thia, don’t try to figure out what the public wants. Just do your own thing, your own way and at your own pace. Win or lose, your “real”
fans will still adore you. I certainly will.

The other performers that still maintain my interest is firstly, Casey Abrams with a quirky take on Joe Cocker’s “With A Little Help From My Friends”. This guy is getting more adorable by the minute in a strange sort of way. Lol! And his performance tonight was on the whole quite memorable.

Second on my “still maintaining my interest” list is of course Paul McDonald, another quirky fella with equally-quirky moves which was pretty evident when he broke into his personal idol Ryan Adams’ (Ryan Who? I’m with J.Lo – who is he??) “Come Pick Me Up”. If I had to decide on whether who was more “out-of-the-world” (think “Twilight Zone”) this season, it’ll be a toss between Casey and Paul. For whatever its worth, I’ll bet these 2 are going to find their way to the top 5 – together with my man James Durbin and my girl Thia Megia of course!! There’s room for one more… now, who shall it be?

Pia Toscano. What can I say about her without offending the entire “cyberworld” who’d seemingly fallen in love with her within a space of 1 week. Yes, she can sing and yes, she is stunning – in looks and in attire. But still… even after all the raves and standing ovations, I am still not tuned in to her just yet. When she went on and on during the last few verses of “All By Myself”, I was so irritated, I felt like turning the volume down a few notches. This girl just doesn’t cut it in my books. Sorry! Although she possesses the necessary traits of a singer, she lacks the personality when she sings. To me, I just don’t see the spark there. But she does come off really sweet when she talks. Ah, if only she’d just bring to live a number like what Paris Tassin did when she auditioned not so long ago. Here I go again… another mention of Paris Tassin. Sigh!!

Scotty McCreery was his usual cowboy self when he covered his idol Garth Brooks’ “The River”. Although he was competent and probably had a big fan base, I have to again declare that I’m not a country song fan but he does sing “real good” and I’m sure the country song recording sector thinks so too. This boy is undoubtedly going to be a recording artist in this genre regardless of whether he makes it all the way to the Finals. The exposure on national tv and international distribution not to mention instant web connection has probably sealed his singing career – in a good way, that is.

Another surprise of the night was Stefano Langone who took his voice to a new level. There was an interesting spark in Stevie Wonder’s “Lately” when Stefano performed it, instantly redeeming himself from not being voted into the original Top 10 and is currently riding on his “Wild Card”. Yes, he was quite interesting tonight.

And what can I say about another “Wild Card” holder? Yes, Naima Adedapo. Although she didn’t sound as great as she did on earlier rounds, her dance moves certainly did make me sit up! In the clips prior to her performance, there was a scene where she was attired in a hip-hop kind of outfit which I certainly would like to see her dressed in when she comes onstage next. Anything to cover up her hair which is beginning to irritate me. Sorry girl! You look too old-fashioned in this getup especially when you take on Rihanna’s hit “Umbrella”. I think if she puts on a much younger look in image and relax with the moves she exhibited tonight, she might get a whole lotta votes from the “hip” crowd. Someone please convey this to Naima. Hello there!!

Meanwhile, until the results come on and I go another round with my “type-typing” or “clickity-clack”, here to keep you entertained is a videoclip of my man James Durbin from tonight’s segment: