Canadian Idol: Final Five Sing Summertime Hits

(andPOP) - Was it the songs? Was it the theme? Something was missing during Wednesday night?s Canadian Idol performance show. Maybe the Idols were ?EX?hausted, or they couldn?t compete with John Dore?s full body (perhaps) sunburn. Perhaps Ben?s pink polo shirt was a bit distracting. Whatever the reason, this week?s show was a letdown.

Shane was first to serenade the country with the summer hit of 1967, ?Can?t Take My Eyes Off of You." He forgot his words near the beginning of the song, but he continued to sing, finishing strong. The judges, however, were not thrilled with Shane?s performance. Jake said, ?You flubbed the words but that?s only worth a tenth of the points. It wasn?t a gold medal performance, but it was OK. I liked the arrangement.? Zack spoke candidly, saying, ?You tanked it, but that?s OK. You tried to show what you could potentially do as an artist. I?ve got to say, I?m not buying the record.?

Kalan was the second competitor of the evening, singing the Doobie Brothers? ?Long Train Runnin?." He attempted some new dance moves, which pleased his screaming fans, and vocally, his performance was strong and vibrant. Farley commented, saying, ?I don?t know about the dance steps, but I was feeling the vibe. That was a good performance.? Jake didn?t agree, saying, ?That was the most karaoke performance you?ve ever done. I think the people here are listening without listening. That had no soul and no passion.?

Third up was Jason with ?Bad Case of Loving You." Jason put his usual intense energy into the song, and even danced in the audience, which was a first for him. Zack stated, ?The fact is, if it?s this type of generic bar rock we?re looking for in Canadian Idol, you?re it dude.? Sass said, ?What that lacked in finesse, it made up in energy. You?ve got half the equation.? It wasn?t Jason?s best night.

Next, Jacob took the stage with Aerosmith?s hit, ?I Don?t Want to Miss a Thing." The song was an excellent selection for him. His unique style brought life to a middle of the road song. Jake said, ?I?ve never been a fan of that song, but the way you did it, you made me a fan.? Zack added, ?I think people have to figure out what they?re voting for-a karaoke singer, or a person with a unique tone, and enormous star potential. You took a song I don?t like and killed it.?

Theresa was the last competitor to perform, singing the 1979 Smoky Robinson hit ?Cruisin." She held the audience?s attention like the flower in her hand. Her smooth and delicate tone came through beautifully, although the performance lacked pizzazz. Nevertheless, the audience and the judges loved her. Farley said, ?I love your phrasing. I like what you did with it.? Zack gushed, ?Your tone is so delicious. Great singing is about the kind of beautiful soulfulness you bring to this competition. You?re my favourite singer in the last two years.?

Last week was magic and every Idol was a star. It?s tough to maintain that momentum in the show and throughout the competition. Let?s hope it returns next week.