Episode Report Card Shack: D+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT First Dubya, now this
By Shack | Season 1 | Episode 12 | Aired on 08.20.2002
Next up is Kelly (Eeeeeee!) again, performing "I Surrender." Apparently this is on Celine Dion's latest album, so I'm guessing it's a cover if it's supposed to fit the '80s /'90s theme, but I can't seem to track down the original. There are about forty songs out there titled "I Surrender," and I gave up after listening to something awful from the Bee Gees. Or, since the rules for the show are about as malleable as Silly Putty, they just let her sing it anyway.
Kelly (Eeeeeee!) has changed into an elegant cocktail dress -- black, of course. Whether or not Celine is the original singer of "I Surrender," Kelly (Eeeeeee!) has definitely modeled her performance on hers anyhow. She wails the song and holds out notes forever. The sore throat affects her performance as well, but it's harder to notice on Kelly (Eeeeeee!) than on Tamyra because Kelly's already got a fairly husky voice. But when she holds out the word "surrender" (for about five seconds, it sounds like), there's a brief moment where it sounded like her voice was about to give entirely and render her mute. She also looks rather terrified for some reason, like she knows that there's a chance her throat is going to explode mid-performance. But it doesn't, and she pulls the song off. The audience goes nuts as a woman runs up to the stage and gives Kelly (Eeeeeee!) an adorable little teddy bear dressed like a cowboy. Awww. Kelly (Eeeeeee!) mouths to the audience that the woman is her best friend.
Needless to say, the judges love her, too. Randy "Kelly, Kelly, Kelly"s another comparison to Whitney, Mariah, Celine, blah blah blah. He says she sang the hell out of that song. And her voice box, probably. Paula spins around in her chair and gives Kelly (Eeeeeee!) another one of her "touchdowns." Sigh. Simon mocks Paula over the cheerleader thing again and agrees with Randy's assessment. Then he points out to the audience that the kids' voices have been stressed all week, and that he thinks it's amazing she can sing or speak at all. Maybe now she'll listen to Debra's advice about taking care of her voice.
Kelly (Eeeeeee!) heads up to Black and Decker, who bring up Kelly's throat issues again. Kelly (Eeeeeee!) points out that it's not just her; Tamyra is having problems as well. Then she goes out of her way to point out how awesome Nikki's performances were tonight. Aw, she's so sweeeeet. Doncha just love her! Admit it -- you do! Don't make me have to put you in a headlock. Then she explains that the bear came from her best friend, Jessica, who was the one who signed her up for the competition in the first place. See, my friends would have signed me up for American Idol to try to embarrass me. Black and Decker give the blah blah blah votecakes.