Country Music News Source

It might have been considered the “hump” show.

The February 8^th episode, after all, fell just beyond the halfway point of the season, and featured – gasp! – original songs. It was a show some might well skip in favor of a CSI rerun. I hope they didn’t. Because while the original song concept may conjure up painful images of American Idol rejects hawking their screechy wares, this episode was as far from painful as Paula Abdul is from sanity.

But this ain’t your average American Talent Competition. 

The remaining five contestants shone – every one of them, to varying degrees – during this episode. Each was thrilled to get to the point of being able to perform his or her own song, to let the world know they’re not just another pretty face. Joshua, the one I thought might get the boot, instead got the royal treatment. And he deserved it after opening his heart – and his songwriting catalogue – to let us in on his non-relationship with his birth mother. Not a dry eye in the house.

Whitney was next. After a bit of a dressing down from Jewel in the pre-tape (boy, does this host get involved with her disciples!), Whitney kicked butt with a sexy performance about skinny dipping. What followed were some of the funniest moments of the night: Jewel’s comments about Whitney’s pretty image, which offended her; Blake’s response that he was “terrible” to think that way, as a young guy who buys lots of albums, but ‘boy, thanks, Whitney, for singing that song about skinny dipping and settin’ me straight’ – you’re a more serious performer than that! The greenroom exploded with laughter.

That finished off the bottom two contestants. Then came the fun. Zak, considered the third most popular – not a surprise – switched his song at the 11^th hour on the advice of his perceptive host. The new song was about his daddy and whiskey. And the daddy of which he spoke was, in fact, in the audience, pumping his fists wildly in the air, and making Tom Cruise’s Oprah appearance look downright mellow. In fact, I thought Daddy was gonna burst a blood vessel out of sheer pride. The judges loved the performance just as much. Zak came backstage after and said, “as soon as I seen the spotlight on him, I could tell he was touched… man, I didn’t tell him I was gonna (sing the song).” 

Next up, with the second biggest amount of votes: David St. Romaine. (Will SOMEBODY throw me a curveball, just once in this competition? Please?) He rocked a rather average song, at least according to the judges, and I would tend to agree. 

And that left my choice for the next Nashville Star: Angela Hacker, the mere mention of whose name brings me goosebumps. She is more than a legend, even before she’s begun. The audience agreed; Angela’s performance brought spontaneous outbursts of applause. The song was a hands-down hit. And she is a star. The judges more than agreed. The legend himself, Randy Owen, said he’d buy a ticket to see Angela sing that again. Blake offered humble praise and Anastasia apparently shared my chill bumps. (Good thing she was wearing a few more layers than usual at the time…)

And the icing on that beautiful cake of music? Nobody got sent home. All five get to sweat it out another week… but then again, who are we kidding? Everybody must know that Angela is gonna win this one. The only question is, will it come down to her and “DSR,” as she called David, or will she share that final spotlight with her brother Zak? The Hacker sibs’ buddy, Bo Bice, himself an American Idol alumnus, told me after the show he wouldn’t dare comment on who he thinks will win, but he did lavish much praise on the pair of Star contestants everyone is talking about. 

So, who of this year’s judges is the “Simon” of the group? Bo laughed and said none could compare, though Blake was “funny as hell.” 

Why bother comparing? This show is no Idol, I’m happy to say, and the remaining contestants are the stuff Simon dreams of.