A Lucky Break: 'American Idol's' Katie Stevens Is Spared
LAST THURSDAY, Katie Stevens should have played the lottery.
When the final elimination on a gut-churning “American Idol” results show pitted the 17-year-old Middlebury, Conn., native against Littleton, Colo., folkie Lilly Scott, it seemed that Stevens would be sunk.
Scott had a signature sound, a flamboyant look and a strong cache of performances. Stevens had a middling catalogue and three weeks of tepid support from the judges.
An obvious choice, right? Wrong. In a surprise move, the “Idol” voters sent Scott packing.
Although Stevens looked stricken onstage, hopefully, she has realized by now what she must do: Find a niche. Fast.
This criticism last week from judge Kara DioGuardi is typical fare for a Stevens performance: “I think what’s going on this year is we have people who really know themselves and people who don’t. And I don’t think you know who you are yet as an artist, and … you’re stumbling trying to figure it out.”
Stevens has a good voice. She’s young, but she’s had an unfortunate tendency toward creaky-sounding songs. And couple her tunes’ slowness with her reserved on-camera demeanor, and the result can be a yawner of a performance.
Stevens goes into this week as one of the show’s most endangered contestants. To extend her shelf life, she’d need to start evolving a style, choosing songs that fit said style and emoting enough to make her performances seem less funereal. But such a feat might take more than luck.
Photo courtesy Fox
