Top 9: Song Predictions- ITunes Top 100

Good day all my fellow American Idol Junkies! This week is (reportedly) ITunes Top 100 week. For the first time this season, they did not OFFICIALLY give us the theme of the week, so this has potential to be completely off. Even if Paula Abdul DID state in an interview that this was the theme, we all know that she is about one shot away from being passed out drunk most of the time. The list that I used is provided in the link below. Here goes nothing…

http://blog.zap2it.com/americanidol/2009/03/american-idol-top-9-theme-itunes-top-100.html

Adam Lambert – Journey “Don’t Stop Believing” or Paramore “Decode”

With a list full of rap songs that don’t even deserve to be sung, Adam initially looks like he’s in trouble this week. That is, until you see Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” hanging around the bottom. This is clearly a no brainer for Adam. He showed his soft side last week with his amazing rendition of “Tracks of My Tears,” but I expect him to fully entertain us this week, a la his first two performances. He is the only singer on the show who can sing the notes that Steve Perry belts out , and plus, there is a rumor that he has his own version of this song that he’s been wanting America to hear. Some of you just went “OH NO! ‘RING OF FIRE!!’” but I’m hoping that he uses a little discretion in taking on a song that is an anthem to Karaoke bars everywhere. If someone else picks that song ahead of him, maybe he could do “Decode,” the theme song from Twilight, since Randy has already dropped that reference on him.

Danny Gokey – Nickelback “Gotta Be Somebody” or Miley Cyrus “The Climb”

I had a hard time placing a song for Danny this week. His voice is hard to put on any of the choices that are on this list, but I’m hoping that he goes a different route than he has been doing. He’s been good, but not great, and if he wants to keep it strong heading into the final weeks, he needs to deliver a big performance. I can see him “Gotta Be Somebody,” seeing as Chad Kroger has a similar tamber to his voice as Danny does. I had another song picked before I put “The Climb” as an option. I was reading last night that Danny’s Grandfather apparently passed away some time this week and he had to fly back to Milwaukee for the funeral. This is all according to a blog from a member of his church. He’s had a rough year, and this is one of the only “stirring” songs on the list. This might not come to pass, however. I think he is trying to downplay the media, seeing as the original blog has since expunged all references of the death and there has not been any mention of it in the news headlines. I don’t think he liked the fact that Idol Producers exploited his wife’s death to such an extent that people labeled him as getting sympathy votes.

Allison Iraheta – Pink “Sober” or Miley Cyrus “The Climb”

All season, the judges have told Allison that she has the whole “Pink vibe” going for her. She’s got the same tone, same style, and same attitude in her voice as Pink does. Many would consider it stupid for her to pass up this opportunity. Granted since she has the same voice type, the judges would probably label her as Cabaret, but I think that she would be VERY hard pressed to find anything else on this list that would suit her voice as well. That being said, I would actually love to hear her sing “The Climb” as well. Before you start thinking anything, no, I don’t have an unusual obsession with this song. It just seems to fit for Danny and Allison this week. I’ve stated previously that I want to see Allison do a ballad and this would be a surprisingly nice pick for her voice. Potential to be an “Idol Moment”…perhaps.

Matt Giraud – The Fray “You Found Me” or Kanye “Heartless” (Fray Version)

Matt was a wreck after he found out that he was in the bottom 2 last week. I’m not sure I’ve seen anyone as distraught as he was, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. I’m not the biggest Matt G. fan out there, but I do recognize that he didn’t deserve to be in the bottom 2 over Scott and Megan. I think he got the classic voter response “Oh he did great this week, enough people will vote for him that I don’t have to.” Wrong. I imagine that since last week he left the piano to “perform” a little more (and that did him no good), this week he’ll be seated firmly and comfortably at the ivory. There aren’t many piano friendly songs on the list, but either of the Fray songs are possibilities. I think “You Found Me” is a better choice for his voice, but “Heartless” would be a fun little spin. They could give him a synthesizer and everything. As cool as that would be, I doubt he’ll be that risky since he was so close to going home last week. Expect him to play it safe with the first option. Matt G. fans- your boy needs your vote!

Kris Allen – Matt Nathanson “Come on Get Higher” or Plain White T’s “1, 2, 3, 4”

Well, Kris is continuously giving solid performance after solid performance. “Come on Get Higher” would be another one of those. He can play his guitar again and swoon the ladies at the same time. It’s also a pretty catchy little song, so people will remember it. You could also take some liberties with the melody and do some funky stuff to spice it up. I would like to here “1, 2, 3, 4.” Not many people know this song yet, I don’t think, but it is a pretty awesome and clever song. Another guitar lady-killer. However, don’t be shocked if he pulls out some rap song like “Live Your Life” by TI. My boy got some swagga to him, I think.

Anoop Desai – Ne Yo “Mad”

Surprisingly, there are not that many R&B songs on the list as I would have thought there’d be. I think Anoop has learned his lesson in taking on songs that don’t fit his voice at all. I wouldn’t expect him to turn too far from his soulful roots, and this is one of the only songs that I feel could let him do that. Now, if he’s feeling risky, he might be able to turn one of these songs on it’s head and put a completely different spin on it. I’m not sure what song would fit in that category, but he might be able to pull it off.

Lil’ Rounds – Beyonce “Halo” or Pussycat Dolls “I Hate This Part”

Two less-than-stellar weeks in a row from Lil’ have people questioning whether she is as good as we thought she was. Last week Randy advised her to just go out there and SANG! I expect her to do that this week. Again, not too many R&B ballads on the list this week, but I can hear her singing “Halo” by Beyonce. Good song where she can focus simply on the vocals, and it can also highlight some dynamics, should she choose to show them. “I Hate This Part” could also be a good choice, but I expect the allure of singing Beyonce to win in that fight. This is a crucial week for Lil’. If she does not perform tonight, then I think she is in the realm of needing to be really worried.

Scott MacIntyre – Brad Paisley “Then”

Ok, so if nothing has convinced me that Scott should not be on the show, it was this week (in addition to every past week). We have had 3 themed weeks so far (Michael Jackson, Grande Ole’ Opry, and Motown). Not ONE of those weeks was there a song that could fit his voice/style. That is the same problem that I’m seeing this week. It is going to be very hard for him to pick from this list and find something that is going to grab our attention. If he was smart (which, given his song choice so far, he is not) he should do “Then” by Brad Paisley. 1. It’s a simple song that doesn’t go out of his range. 2. It is a piano driven song. 3. It’s emotional and he can connect to the audience like he did in Hollywood with his passion, something he’s lost of late. 4. And perhaps the biggest plus, he would be able to pick up some of the country voters who were pulling for Michael Sarver. From a strategic standpoint, I think this is the way to go.

Megan Corkery – Adele “Chasing Pavements,” or Taylor Swift “Love Story”

If ever there was a time that Megan was going to sing a song perfect for her voice, it would be now. “Chasing Pavements” is a no brainer here. Megan has the same bluesy/jazzy voice that Adele has as well as similar vocal phrasing. There will never EVER come a time with a more perfect song for you, Megan, so don’t be stupid here. After the past few weeks though, I fully expect her to be stupid and pass on the song perfect for her for another one that she can mar to oblivion. “Love Story” would be my pick if she decided to do that. It’s a popular song that draws in multiple voting groups (country and pop) thanks to the rereleased version with the synthesized drum kit (LAME!). She wouldn’t sound terrible on it, since Taylor Swift isn’t that strong of a vocalist, but I think she would be gyping herself if she went anywhere away from Adele. She wasn’t in the bottom 3 last week, but that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t have been. Since this week is showcasing some of the most radio friendly songs in the country, we’ll see if Clayton’s assertion that she would be the best on the radio stands true. (P.S. If you are wondering why she sucks as a performer, it’s because she’s NEVER performed on a stage before. She is a complete novice when it comes to this. It helped put things in perspective for me. It’s sad that I have more experience singing in front of people than a top 9 contestant on American Idol…)

There you have it folks, my predictions for ITunes Top 100 week! Let me know what you think. All comments are welcome, even those saying that I’m a complete goober and don’t know what I’m talking about. The board needs to be re-energized, so bring it!

Your American Idol Junkie,

Billy

(P.S. If Normund Gentle was still on the show he would so pick “I’m On a Boat!” And it would have been awesome.)