It’s Top 5 Week on American Idol 2014 and this week’s theme is perfect because it’s America’s requests! So that’s what I do here every week. And I actually have improved my record this season. Last week Jessica and Alex both sang songs I thought they should sing! Let’s see if I can do it again.
*UPDATE: Click here for our full recap of the Top 5 performances show!
It’s a pretty broad range, so it’s not going to be easy, but I’ll try. So what should the American Idol 2014 Top 5 sing? Let’s take a look.
Caleb Johnson, “Wanted Dead or Alive” by Bon Jovi. I will pick Bon Jovi or Guns n Roses until he does one. This would be the perfect week for Bon Jovi. Do it, do it, do it!
Jessica Meuse, “Piece of My Heart” by Janis Joplin. This might be too easy a choice and it’s been done. But I’m trying to think of a song that America will resound to because for some reason, Jessica seems to be at the bottom of their list. Maybe she could go in another direction and do something really slow. Like “Say Something” by A Great Big World and Christina Aguliera. Yeah, it’s a duet, but it doesn’t have to be.
Jena Irene, “Back on the Chain Gang,” Brass in Pocket” or “Don’t Get Me Wrong” by The Pretenders. I’m not going to say “I’ll Stand by You” because that’s been done and it’s a commercial effort for the band instead of a heart and soul kind of thing. I’m digressing. Anyway, maybe it’s not a great idea for votes, but I’d like to hear her do some Chrissie Hynde.
Alex Preston, “Knockin on Heaven’s Door” or “Forever Young” by Bob Dylan. Can they sing Dylan on Idol? They should be able to. Anyway, I just suddenly got the urge to hear Alex cover Dylan I think it’s perfect for him.
Sam Woolf, “All These Things That I’ve Done” or something by The Killers. Maybe “When You Were Young” if not the first suggestion. I think that would be a good band for Sam to cover.
What do you think the American Idol 2014 Top 5 should sing this week?
I don’t think Jessica has enough emotional connection to do say something…really hence why she’s at bottom…she’s a statue when she sings , great voice but boring
I agree. She has a GREAT voice, but she’s a stone cold statue when sings.
Emotional connection? seriously? Jess has a beautiful voice and her tone is where the connection shines and that takes skill and just because she doesn’t do a stripper dance on stage doesn’t mean she doesn’t connect.She never said she wanted to be the next Britney Spears. Music is for the ears not the eyes.
I like Jessica’s voice.
Agreed that Jess has a beautiful tone. Emotional connection is not about dancing (not a Britney fan!!). There is something in Jess’ eyes that just doesn’t connect with what she’s doing.
The emotional connection is what we hear, not what the singer sees. What I see in her eyes when she sings she loses her self in her music,shes not seeing the audience,judges or the cameras, she is living within the music
Sorry she has no emotion. Emotion is key. She needs I feel the song. Look at Adele. She does not prance around the stage but my god her emotion in a song is why she is such a phenomenal singer. I would be bored to death at a Jessica concert. Snooze fest.
I wonder if someone told her to keep her eyes open wide so they look more stunning. She never squints or narrows her vision which limits expressiveness.
That’s it….she doesn’t blink or squint!!
She connects to me, but that is just my opinion, she is very inspirational.
You don’t have to move around the floor to sing or get people to listen, When did you see or even hear of the Eagles doing a dance when they sing their music? Let’s give her the credit she is due! ….. I see Jlo dance but I don’t think she can sing.
Jessica- No Surrender by Bruce Springsteen, Give Me One Reason by Tracy Chapman
Jena- And So It Goes by Billy Joel, You Found Me by The Fray, I Am Me by Willow Smith
Sam- Ho Hey by The Lumineers, How To Save A Life by The Fray
Alex- Fire and Rain by James Taylor, Is It OK If I Call You Mine by Paul McCrane, Prettiest Friend by Jason Mraz
Caleb- To Love Somebody by The Bee Gees, Desperado by The Eagles
“No Surrender” would be a shrewd pick for Jessica, considering how it seems like a foregone conclusion that she’s a goner this week.
I really like Jessica’s voice, but I hear the complaints about her lack of personality. On her YouTube channel, she has countless videos of herself singing the lyrics of songs in the same serious, aloof style. I really wish I could hear her interpret a song, and make something personal out of it.
That said, I don’t think she’s the only one of the top five who have trouble doing that. Sam has a pleasant voice too, and the same inability to do anything better than a karaoke rendition of a song. Alex is touted for his “artistry,” but all I hear is a nice, unexciting vocalist awkwardly warbling songs he knows the words to. And Caleb is full of confidence, but steamrolling over classic rock tunes is a far cry from performing with feeling.
I’m going with the premise that they will each do two songs.
Caleb – “Still The Same”/Bob Seger and “What’s Forever For?”/Michael Martin Murphy
Jessica – “At 17″/Janis Ian and “Just Like Jesse James”/Cher
Jena – “Mean”/Taylor Swift and “It Must Have Been Love”/Roxette
Alex – “Somewhere Only We Know”/Keane and “I Put A Spell On You”/CCR
Sam – “One Headlight”/Wallflowers and “Look What You’ve Done”/Jet
I love all your choices for the contestants. Leaning more towards Cat Stevens for Alex. I’d love to see Alex do some of Cat’s (not so common) songs…maybe “Where Do The Children Play” or The First Cut Is The Deepest”.
the song The First Cut Is The Deepest”. would be good for him
I hate that song.
I disagree about the Caleb song choice, only because I worry people would compare it to Chris Daughtry, who blew it away! I suggested he do “Tuesday’s Gone With The Wind” by Skynyrd, so maybe I’ll get lucky.
I think Jena doing the Pretenders would be a bad idea for her, because at this point song choice is everything, and not many people under 30 would know those songs, sadly 🙁 I think she’d be better off doing “Bottom of the River” by Delta Rae, “Just a Girl” by No Doubt, “Let it Go/Here’s to Never Growing Up” by Avril Lavigne, or even “I’m The Only One” by Melissa Etheridge. I feel like all of those would be very memorable song choices at this point in the season, and especially because she could outsing the original artists if she wasn’t forced to move all around the stage. I’d also really enjoy if she fell to her knees at some point, or walked up and sang TO the fans, rather than grabbed their hands during the show, like Cassadee Pope did.
I actually agree with you about Janis Joplin for Jessica, though for different reasons. As long as she doesn’t attempt “Me & Bobby McGee”, I’m okay with her doing Joplin, because Joplin wasn’t known for being a beautiful singer, so it would be hard not to sound good doing her songs. HOWEVER Joplin had so much soul and feeling, I don’t know if Jessica could finally harness it, the judges could really tear her apart if she didn’t act it out.
Caleb- Paradise by the Dashboard Light- He is a Meatloaf Jr and it is about time he did one of his songs.
Meat Loaf! First name Meat, last name Loaf.
Caleb :Proud Mary
Jessica : At Last
Jena: Blue Spanish Sky
Alex: Baby did a bad bad thing
Sam: Traveling Man
Alex – Taxi – Harry Chapin
Jenna – We’re All Alone – Rita Coolidge
Jessica – The Night They Drove Ole Dixie Down – Joan Baez
Sam – I’ll Have To Say I Love You In A Song – Jim Croce
Caleb – Spirit In The Sky – Norman Greenbaum
Caleb: Proud Mary (agree with previous poster)
The Who’s Pinball Wizard or Baba O’Reilly (ie: Teenage Wasteland)
Jena: Peter Gabriel’s In Your Eyes or R.E.M.’s Losing My Religion or Man in the Moon or Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights
Jessica: Natalie Merchant’s These Are Days
Bonnie Raitt’s Something to Talk About, Christina Perry’s 1,000 Years
Alex: there are so many songs I’d like him to interpret. Where should I start?
– anything R.E.M. but particularly Driver 8 and End of the World as we Know It
Toad the Wet Sprocket’s All I Want
Elvis Costello’s Allison
U2’s A Sort of Homecoming or Pride
Prince’s Kiss
Fine Young Cannibal’s She Drives Me Crazy
John Mayer’s Your Body Is a Wonderland
Sam: Beatles’ Michelle or Norwegian Wood
The Police’s Walking in Your Footsteps, Every little thing She Does Is Magic, or Mother (lol, just thought it might help with his mommy issues)
Would it be too far out to suggest that Alex do “For What It’s Worth”/Buffalo Springfield?
I also think a really cool one for Caleb would be “No One Knows” by Queens of the Stone Age. Him & Jena dueting to “Sweet Dreams” by Annie Lennox would be pretty sweet for the finale, also.
Sounds like Jena, Sam and Alex have tweeted hints/spoilers on at least one song:
Jena: either “We can’t Stop” Miley Cyrus or “My Body” by Young the Giant
Sam: “Sing” by Ed Sheeran
Alex: “Say Something” by A Great Big World
mum’s he word for Jessica and Caleb so far.
I think Jena would sound phenomenal doing I’m With You by Avril Lavigne!