‘Idol’ finalists catch a case of disco fever

LaKisha Jones, 27, Fort Meade, Md.: LaKisha slowed down “Staying Alive,” which mainly served to make it sound like a cassette tape warping in a boombox. She shouted her intro, and it didn’t get much better after that. Randy called it weird, and again was offended by change of melody. Paula said it wasn’t great, but loved her anyway. Simon said the audience was heading for the exits and did not proffer another kiss. It didn’t look like that broke LaKisha’s heart.

Her second song was “Run to Me,” and it was going much better until she got hoarse at the end. That destroyed any momentum she had. The judges were brief in their comments for time reasons, which probably helped her because they couldn’t harp on her technique.
Grade: C-
Stay or Go? LaKisha’s in big trouble. She’s the best bet to be voted off.

Jordin Sparks, 17, Glendale, Ariz.:  Jordin told Ryan that she was getting As and Bs in school despite having to juggle tutoring sessions with singing. She definitely gets an A+ for song selection this week. After hearing her sing “To Love Somebody” in rehearsals, Gibb said, “I know a couple of hundred people have sung this song, but I haven’t heard a greater version than Jordin’s.” The judges were fans as well, calling it the best vocal of the night.

Her second choice was “Woman in Love,” a song made famous by Barbra Streisand. This didn’t go quite as well. Sparks didn’t hit all of the notes, and her voice couldn’t carry it off to perfection. The judges didn’t like it as much. Simon called it “pageant-y,” and it served notice that even on one of her best nights Jordin is still far behind Melinda vocally. Then again, she’s also 12 years younger.
Grade: A-
Stay or Go? Jordin should be safe.

Craig Berman is a writer in Washington, D.C.

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