This Tuesday night was Elvis Presley night on Canadian Idol. The Idols certainly struggled with Elvis’s songs and with being compared to one of the most revolutionary artists ever. Aaron, Suzi, Melissa and Rex took on his challenging hits while Canada gained a greater respect for the phenomenon that was Elvis. The four remaining competitors sang two selections, one up-tempo song and one slower song.

Aaron’s first song was “Teddybear.” While this song was well done, it was not the best showcase of Aaron’s talents. In comparison to some of Aaron’s recent performances, this performance was rather dull, mostly due to the minimal range of the song. While Farley told Aaron he had “style oozing out of [his] pores,” Zack dramatically ripped a piece of paper and hollered “Next.”

Second up was Suzi with “Heartbreak Hotel.” This performance was well done. Suzi really put herself into the song, which was excellent to watch and well received by the judges. Jake told Suzi, “You sang that like you had heartbreak,” and Sass simply said, “God bless you.”

Melissa was next, singing “A Little Less Conversation.” Melissa’s energy was there, but her vocals were lacking. While her pitch got a little better near the end, it was not Melissa’s best performance. Farley told Melissa, “You energized the room.” However Jake said, “I found it really screechy” and Zack added, “You sang it in the wrong key.”

Fourth to sing was Rex with “Blue Suede Shoes.” Rex was a little stiff but he sounded good. His voice seemed well suited to his song selection. Zack said, “That was the best performance of the first half.” Farley had some advice, telling Rex, “You’re like Elvis Pretzel. You’ve gotta limber up.”

Aaron kicked off the second half of the show with “Love Me Tender.” This performance was very controlled, but very stylistic. The tone of Aaron’s voice was refreshing. Jake commented, telling Aaron, “That was what really is your comfort zone.” Sass had more praise, saying, “You really know how to milk a dramatic moment.”

Suzi’s second song was “Can’t Help Falling In Love with You.” The song started a little bit weak but became fabulous. Suzi changed the song a lot, adding her trademark creative touch. Her singing was filled with emotion which made for a touching performance. Jake gushed, telling Suzi, “We talk a lot on this show about vulnerability. Tonight is the first time I saw you be vulnerable and show your insides.” Zack called the song the “most honest and honourable performance tonight.”

Melissa was next, singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” Melissa’s vocals were excellent this time around, and she stayed focused throughout the song. The audience loved Melissa but the judges were not in total agreement. While Zack stood out, saying, “God willing you’ll sing a lot better next week,” the other judges were full of compliments. Sass said, “That was simple. That was sweet. That was stunning.” Jake added, “I really like what you do when you do that.”

Rex’s last song of the night was “If I Can Dream.” Rex was really into this song, which added a certain edge to the performance. While his vocals were a little weak, he did alright overall. Zack told Canada, “Tonight will go down in history as the night when four talented Canadians massacred one of the great catalogues in popular music.” However, Farley had words of encouragement, saying, “What I really liked was the passion. You really got into the moment of the song.”

This Tuesday the Canadian Idol competition gained new momentum. The Idols were presented with the most difficult theme yet. While it’s impossible to measure up to the legend of Elvis Presley, the Idols brought new dimension to his work. The night was a reverent tribute, especially after the Idols visited Graceland. If only Elvis had been in the audience and Zack had left the building!

As Zack told Canada, “To be honest, I have no idea who will win this thing.” After this Wednesday night, Canada will be only two weeks away from crowning this year’s Canadian Idol. Who will survive the final four? Find out tomorrow night!






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