Candice ( ✓ ) Kree ( ✓ ) Lazaro (?)
Oh, how those Idols rocked last week! They rocked like a chair at a retirement home. Let’s face it: It seems these singers have a severe problem picking songs — a proposition that will be sorely tested with one of tonight’s American Idol themes: “Songs I
THE QUEEN Candice Glover 65
HOW TO WIN: Rock the house like a hurricane, as she’s been doing non-stop since the auditions. Candice has handled rockers, ballads and the simmering soul tunes that are her forte. Her personality is forceful but disarming, and her voice starts avalanches.
HOW TO LOSE: The one type of music Candice hasn’t demonstrated her mastery over is songs from the past 30 years. She urgently needs to choose some modern material (tonight’s other theme, Burt Bacharach songs, won’t help her there), or she’s even more likely to fall victim to Idol’s soul singer jinx: Since Fantasia won Season 3 in 2004, no R&B belter has placed better than third.
THE ACE
Kree Harrison 67
HOW TO WIN: Kree is the only contestant who consistently chooses songs that work for her voice and don’t elicit groans of “How many times have we heard this?” To distinguish herself from the pack, she should range a little farther afield with her choices and rely on her remarkable range and tone, combined with impeccable command, to keep winning voters over.
HOW TO LOSE: Kree’s low-key personality could still trip her up battling for votes with the far more outgoing Candice, Janelle and Angie. She doesn’t have to worry about her vocal skills, but she’s only as good as her song choices — their quality must remain high, because Kree is vulnerable to non-musical factors.
THE JOKER
Lazaro Arbos 39
HOW TO WIN: Continue to dress like a lounge lizard, sing like a Bill Murray tribute act, choose dreadful songs and forget the lyrics. Why not? It’s working pretty well so far. Judges and Jimmy Iovine can blast him, polls can rank him at the bottom every week — but as long as a large enough clump of voters support him, whether they adore him or feel sorry for him, he’ll remain a wildcard factor in the race.
HOW TO LOSE: Obviously, no one’s figured that out yet. Tell us if you do. Seriously, he has outlasted the other guys (admittedly, not a staggering feat), and it wouldn’t be surprising — though it would be depressing — if he knocks off a few girls before he goes.