Every ‘American Idol’ has a story

Jordin Sparks: That’s So Jordin
There are plenty of 16- and 17-year-old girls littering past seasons of “Idol” like so many crushed tiaras after a pageant. But despite Randy Jackson’s refusal to let the issue go, Jordin has managed to avoid the dreaded postscript that has dogged just about every contestant of her demographic: “… for a 17-year-old.” She’s followed the exact same progression of strong “adult” contenders: figuring out her strengths, succumbing to a few of her weaknesses and trying to improve week by week.

It’s only when she’s not performing that her age truly shows, with a bubbly, hyperactive personality that viewers can only pray she’ll grow out of. She’s certainly got the “grow” thing down, dwarfing Ryan Seacrest whenever the two are side by side. It’s all the more peculiar considering that she’s neither overweight nor gangly, just constructed to a completely different scale. It’s as though Jordin is the Littlest Giant, here in this realm to bring happiness and, possibly, land a Disney Channel contract.

Blake Lewis: 808 from the 206
Blake’s beatboxing prowess got him a ticket from Seattle to Hollywood, but with a label on his back that said “Gimmick.” It was more of the same the next time viewers saw him, anchoring the rhythm of his Hollywood group audition. But it was the setup for a classic “Gotcha!” on the part of the show, when he crooned a strong version of Keane’s “Somewhere Only We Know” during the first week of semis with nary a lip fart to be found.

Outside of an unfortunate “Hee-Haw” bit trotted out during “Tell us your secrets” week (thus proving why he was keeping it a secret in the first place), the show hasn’t offered many glimpses into Blake’s backstage life. But he’s been revealed as perhaps the most musically savvy of all the contestants, picking songs from bands like Jamiroquai and 311 that are off the beaten track for “Idol,” but still recognizable enough not to alienate the viewers. Certainly his arrangement of “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” showed a keen interest in how music is put together, if you live in 1986.

Melinda Doolittle: Hello my baby, hello my honey
Melinda is an interesting case, because while she’s arguably the most impressively gifted of the bunch, she’s also the remaining contestant who has benefited the most from her backstory. A shy professional backup singer yearning for the spotlight, she grasped the stage with a vengeance as soon as semifinals started. She’s like the Michigan J. Frog of “Idol,” transforming from a ragingly confident performer back into a meek wallflower the second she steps out of performance mode.

That contrast between shrinking violet and spirited entertainer makes for a storyline so clearly defined that the show has actually spent the last few weeks actively trying to put an end to it. Simon flat-out told Melinda to knock it off with the humility last week, and her efforts to do so only underline the trait even further. For someone Simon claimed wouldn’t change with success, she’s ironically the one whose dramatic arc is the most developed.

Marc Hirsh is a writer in Somerville, Mass.

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