[Wolfstar]

Monchichi is actually very good at singing. If you guys closed your eyes, you’d hear a guy with incredible vocal control. You are all focused on his squinched-up “serious crooning” face, which is a mite phony for such a young dude. But he CAN sing. He is really good.

You addressed your comment to me, so I'll respond. However, painting with a broad brush, as you did, is never a good idea. I posted just last night that it isn't Archulett'a voice I have a problem with, but the fact that he sings every song exactly the same way.

Archuletta is 17 years old, but he sings like a bad Bing Crosby wannabe, for heaven's sake. Crosby was born 105 years ago and died 31 years ago. At the height of his career, Crosby was the #1 recording artist in the world. He was a great crooner and jazz singer. However, toward the end of his career, Crosby tried to remain current by singing the new music of the 1960's and he sounded horrible doing it. Why? Because his crooning style, developed in the 1920's and 30's, wasn't suited to 1960's pop and rock music.

Archuletta's 17, and yet he's making the identical mistake the 60-year-old Crosby made. As a result, Arculetta doesn't fit in any of today's commercially viable musical genres.

Give him a young, fun pop song, and he turns it into a syrupy ballad.

Give him a rock song and he turns it into a syrupy ballad.

Give him an R&B song and he turns it into a syrupy ballad.

Give him a beautiful ballad, and he turns it into a syrupy, over-the-top, lounge-lizard act.

Is Archuletta capable of anything else? Who knows. He sure hasn't shown us anything else throughout this entire competition. We've heard him sing every week for months, and he sounds EXACTLY the same every single time. Most of the time, he doesn't give even the slightest hint that he understands the emotional or lyrical point of the songs he chooses. All of his performances look and sound the same. Mechanical, phony, empty, dated.

[Lucky9teen]

Note to all AI contestants:  Do NOT attempt to cover songs by Elvis, Bob Marley, The Who or Duran Duran....at least...
THOUGHTS ON THE TOP 4:


David Cook
"Hungry Like The Wolf"         and                     "Baby O'Riley"
            I'm hungry like the wolf for something other than a copy cat of the original artist.  Now I know you've done pretty good at making songs your own, but Duran Duran?  SO, not you're genre.  And baby, WHO do you think you are?  Both songs were too comparable to the original and you didn't compare. 

Syesha Mercado
"Proud Mary"                             and    "A Change is Gonna Come"
            Proud Mary!!  Although not comparable to Tina Turner, you still did VERY well.  And I think a change has already come and you've gotten stronger and better in your performances. And although I'm female...I can still appreciate when someone looks pretty damn fine.  You kind of remind me of (a colored) Reese Witherspoon.

Jason Castro
"I Shot The Sheriff"                                   and            "Mr. Tambourine Man"
           
who closely resembles Clifford the Muppet

You didn't shoot the sheriff....you shot Bob Marley, and you ruined a good song......but Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me, I'm not sleepy.....oh wait.......now I am.....keep playing.....(((inhale from j))).....duuuuude....That was SO karaoke.  I can't believe you like, forgot they lyrics man....dude....that was sooooo messed up.....dude.....I think you're going home tonight, man.

David Archuleta
"Stand By Me"                 and          "Love Me Tender"
        
Standing by you is hard, since you are so boring.  And go figure it's still just the same as all your other songs....begging the audience to stand by you in your spiritual charge against world hunger/war/high gas prices. Some people seem to love you tender, some can't stand you (like me), and how are we supposed to distinguish your "I'm in love with you" sincerity from your "I'd like for you to pledge money to my telethon" sincerity?  Quite honestly, you bother me more than any other contestant on AI.  Bring back Sanjaya...at least he was entertaining.

[Veto!]

We think Disney will sign Archuleta, train him up for teen movies. He does, after all, have a great “instrument.”

[girlscout]

I agree 100% with you about David A. Same ole, same ole week after week after week. The kid needs to geritol his vocal capabilities and song choices.

[savedbygrace]

Archie never met a note he couldn’t multiply by seven. He knows next to nothing about music history, or different genres, or anything other than singing that same old syrupy ballad in the same old way he always sings it.

I agree, he peaked a long time ago, and isn’t growing at all.

[Netizen]

Your post is right on the money. He doesn’t seem capable of doing anything but lounge singing.

[Yaelle]

You’re right; I was not just responding to you in particular. I was thinking that everyone’s negative about him due to his physical characteristics around here. My brush was too broad, so I am sorry.

You are right: he can and will turn everything into a soulful/syrupy ballad. I am not sure he has been shown or been allowed to develop his own style, or maybe that IS his own style. Certainly there are always performers who never get contemporary. Buster Poindexter and one other guy whose name I am forgetting come to mind. Barry Manilow is not hypercurrent either. Maybe Monchichi will be like that. Maybe he’d be a great Vegas crooner and make a fortune.

But take a song and sing it well, he really can.