Whoa! I just listened to Archuleta's studio version (with
hgih-quality headphones) of this Mariah Carey song that he sang, and
it's amazing. Literally gave me goose bumps:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=123_f5FCLq0
Not only does he have a distinct, pitch-perfect voice, but he sings
this very difficult song with ease, feeling and believability. This
17 year old kid has everything it takes to be a pop star; at his young
age his vocals are already mature and professional -- and his
potential is incredible. Until I heard this I was starting to get a
bit bored with him, but listening to this made me realize that he is
what this competition is all about. He could be a megastar in the pop
field as Underwood is in C&W. Probably even a crossover artist.
I've been listening to Jason Castro's studio versions also, and am
nearly as impressed with him. Unfortunately for some reason, Jason
sounds better with audio only then when watching him sing. I'm not
sure why, maybe his facial expressions or demeanor are distracting --
but the hypnotic unique quality of his voice comes through clear as a
bell.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_M4CTRtZ20