American Idol Country Night - No Excuses

American Idol once again has Country Night, and most of the performances were, well, not so good. Of course, Melinda Doolittle did great. She proved, though, that it's not the music, it's the singer.

If you're called upon to sing a different genre of music, you've got to find a way to connect. That doesn't mean you have to suddenly start singing with a twang, wearing a cowboy hat and line dancing. But you do have to discover what you can do with your voice that compliments the style of the music. Remaking it entirely into your comfort zone doesn't count.

Here's a little seen gem. While the first season of Idol did not have a country music night, they did do a country segment in the (in)famous American Idol in Las Vegas special. Justin thrilled the audience by breaking out a warm baritone for this sincere, lingering version of Desperado. It was different from his usual style, and it was gosh darn good (to put it in country terms). Plus, he didn't use nasally as a form of singing, if you know what we mean.

Justin Guarini sings Desperado