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By Bret Federigan
MSN TV
Yet another young competitor was sent from the stage last night on the seventh episode of "Nashville Star," as viewers of the country-singing competition show voted to send 20-year-old Ashlee Hewitt home. The Minnesota native's elimination was a mild surprise, given the positive feedback she had continued to receive from the judges. However, in the more recent weeks, Hewitt had battled the perception that she was just a pop singer masquerading in country clothing. Last night, before a live audience in the Acuff Theatre, host Billy Ray Cyrus announced that the ranch-raised soldier's daughter had been given her marching orders. Last week, the teenage duo Laura & Sophie were eliminated by audience vote.
More: "Nashville Star" hub
Performance Recap
The competition finally began to heat
up on "Original Song Night," as the five remaining contestants had the
opportunity to display their songwriting chops and to perform songs that
uniquely suited their own voices. The quality of the singing on this week's
episode was markedly higher than it has been all season long. Here's a look at
what the final five sang and what the judges had to say:
Coffey: Weathering weekly criticism from the judges that he's just not up to country snuff, this 28-year-old Californian just keeps trucking along. Again this week, the single father demonstrated that he's the most pop-oriented of the remaining contestants. His original song, "Southern Man," was reminiscent of "One Week" by Barenaked Ladies -- a catchy tune paired with lighthearted and sometimes silly lyrics. There's no doubt, however, that Coffey's been among the live audience's favorites all season long, and last night's strong placement at the start of the show demonstrates that he has a loyal, and sizable, following among viewers at home. Judge Jeffrey Steele said of the original song, "It's kind of novelty, but you pulled it off." John Rich acknowledged Coffey's clear crossover appeal, "I think that that song turns on the crowd, but I don't think that's a hit on country radio." And Jewel continued to struggle to offer up substantive feedback: "That song is you. You stood for what you are." I wrongly predicted that he'd be the artist sent home this week. I'm changing my tune; I think he'll definitely make the final three, since it's clear that he's the most fan-friendly of the singers left.
Melissa: The mother of five can punch her ticket for the final three, as she delivered a confident and Nashville-ready "Ready to Stand" that conjured up the likes of Martina McBride. As the oldest remaining contestant, she wields a voice marked with maturity and sensitivity. Her song -- a seeming personal anthem -- revealed her ability to turn a catchy hook. Jewel found the song appropriate, remarking, "You did a good job taking advantage of your voice." Jeffrey, the award-winning songwriter, was clearly impressed, raving, "I'm so mad [because] I came here as a songwriter ready to critique the heck out of everyone. It's a great lyric. It was really great." And after riding Melissa early on in the season, John has changed his tune in the last few episodes, transforming himself into one of her strongest supporters. He declared, "I'm becoming more impressed every week. You have to stay focused. The competition is not over. Stay focused, but that was great, I gotta tell you."
Gabe: Some still consider this Tex-Mex singer the front-runner, based on his aw-shucks demeanor and pliant singing voice. While he did nothing to hurt his cause tonight, he certainly didn't wow the audience. Gabe's original song, "Lost Weekend," was a catchy, Tim McGraw-inspired tune. Jeffrey, who seemed not capable of producing negative feedback on this night, said, "Great work. Great lyric. I liked it." John Rich echoed his fellow judge's praise, "I liked it, too. It is a really good song. It sounds like it could be a big old hit. Your performance is still a major problem." If this cowboy could ever learn to turn on the charisma, the competition would be over.
Ashlee: This 20-year-old's flirty delivery was never more coquettish than in her original song, "Mike's Hard Lemonade," a somewhat naughty and completely playful girl anthem. Toward the end of her song, she included vocal trills and licks that were clear impersonations of Jewel. Not surprisingly, Jewel loved the performance, proclaiming, "I've always really liked you. I'd love to help write a song for you. That was great." Jeff was less effusive, but no less positive, adding, "I'm really impressed by the songwriting skills at your age." And John seems to have turned the corner, becoming noticeably warmer and fuzzier. Sensing that perhaps Ashlee's foot was already out the door, he reminded her, "Should you be gone, Nashville would be a fool not to put you on the radio."
Shawn: For a young woman whose appearance has verged on the gothic throughout the competition, it's no surprise that her original song turned out to be the darkest and most emotionally wrenching of the night. Her offering, "I'm Not Looking Back," was also the only slow tempo song performed on the Acuff Theatre stage. While her performance was gutsy and defiant, her singing was the weakest among the remaining contestants. Nevertheless, the judges lauded Shawn's songwriting ability, as Jewel commented, "This really shows your strong suit. You're dangerous. You're best on your own material." John was surprisingly effusive, especially given the fact that snarkiness had prompted Shawn to drop him as her mentor some weeks ago. He remarked, "The last two weeks have been slam dunks. That was a great performance. If you go, it's a matter of bad timing." And Jeffrey? Well, wouldn't you know it, he capped the evening with yet another positive affirmation of her songwriting ability, "That song could have been cut by Faith Hill or Martina McBride. You're a great songwriter. You have a career in this town." Was there a song that he didn't like?
Who Got Booted
Ashlee's departure from the show was
certainly unexpected, as she demonstrated in previous weeks that she's both more
country than Coffey and more vocally talented than Shawn. Why she ultimately got
booted from the stage probably has more to do with her lack of a memorable
personality than with a lack of singing ability. You need only look at Coffey's
success to see that a big smile, an engaging personality and some
Southern-twanged chutzpah can get you far. As for Ashlee's future, I suspect she
has a future in music ... but maybe on the pop charts.
Who's in Trouble
Of the remaining four, you'd have to
think that Shawn is the most vulnerable. She's not only the weakest singer of
the final four, but she also has a personality that translates least well across
the stage and through the airwaves. Coffey's ubiquitous smile has become the
lasting image of this season's competition. There's just no way he's not going
to join Melissa and Gabe -- the two front-runners, in my opinion -- on
that final show.
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"Nashville Star" airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
