I'm SO EXCITED!! Release Date: March 20th! His voice is so dreamy! Rickey.org (one of our favorite Idol sites) has a song you can listen to as well as pictures and information. The song he has on there reminds me and Mark of high school. It has that 80s R&B sound. And whether or not it's my favorite kind of music (it's not), I still LOVE it because it's Elliott! He sounds fantastic! :) Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Here's a link--check it out:
Elliott Yamin - "Wait For You"
Well I'm still not a fan of the group number, but it was somewhat better than last week.
The First Casualty - NICK. Not a big surprise (sorry Stacy!). He did go out with class though, high-fiving all the other boys!
Next, ALAINA. Again, no big surprise. The support during her song from the other girls was touching.
Guest Singer - Kellie Pickler. Obviously she's had some *work* done (she's bought a little more than just new shoes!!!!). I felt sorry for her during the performance, it was boring and she was having a hard time with her emotions. I did appreciate the sentiment that went into the lyrics though. I think the *slow song curse* of the small stage affected her, too. Poor girl! I did NOT like how they cut to Simon and he was snickering and obviously being rude behind his hand when Ryan was talking to her.
Second Male Casualty - A.J. Now that is just NOT RIGHT. As much as I have high hopes for Brandon, he hasn't yet come through and AJ has. And Sanjaya, well!!!! I don't even have to comment on that one. This is the first vote-off I am BUGGED about!!!
Finally - LESLIE. She was a "sooner-or-later", it just happened to her sooner. Sorry Leslie! I cracked up at her adding the lyrics, "WHY DID I SCAT???"
Down to 16 now, we're getting closer to the Top 12!!! Yay!! :)
I'm with John on this one--not one of my favorite results shows. Nick Pedro wasn't a big surprise. Something just told me he was going this week, even though he performed quite well. A.J.Tabaldo ? I don't know about that one. I wasn't crazy about his performance on Tuesday, but I don't think he deserved to go. Well, deserving contestants have never consistently done well on A.I. and we all know it.
Alaina Alexander was a little surprising, but she wouldn't have made it past next week anyway. Plus, I think she's too emotionally fragile to handle much more of this. I kept wondering if the band would stop playing since she stopped singing. And Leslie Hunt. Again, no surprise. I enjoyed the scat singing tonight much more than last night. I think she and A.J. should have done a duet just to save time.
And Kellie Pickler, did Ryan just imply that you had "work" done. "You've bought more than shoes, haven't you!" Well, he said something like that. Unnatural is a word that comes to mind. Enough on that.
So we're back to the "singing" contest next week. Remember, "I'll vote for you if you vote for me and if you'll be my best friend and let me use your locker next week."
Sundance sounded better in the group song than he has in his performances.
Wow, y'all were right! Nick is the first to go! I really didn't see that coming. The judges even gave his performance more props than I did, but I didn't anything really bad about his performances.
Alaina is another surprise, though she would have gone soon enough anyway.
Kellie was refreshing. Glad to see her.
AJ leaving is absurd, and another example of the kinds travesties enabled by the limitless voting system. 'Nuf said...don't let me get started.
Antonella's safe, so bye bye Leslie. There's no way Jordin was going.
Paula twice makes a valiant effort to remind the teenie boppers that it's a singing competition and not a high school popularity contest, but we know how that goes...
Argh - Leslie's so far off key when she starts...thankfully she brought it off with a little humor.
Not my favorite results show.
...John
OK, SO let's start with just the good. Blake Lewis brings back his Michael Winslow like vocal effects and impresses everyone. The Jamoroquai song was an excellent choice and his version was the definition of "The Good". Chris Sligh continues to impress with "Trouble", definitely took the opportunity to showcase his voice, point out that fat weird looking guys can have hot wives and of course to truly entertain the audience. Chris Richardson rounds out the good for the guys by displaying that he can match vocal talent with air control, I thought it was excellent even if my wife didn't like it.
On the ladies good side we of course start with Lakisha, she came out and threw down and made us all fans once again. I know you are all thinking Melinda surpassed her with this appearance, but I still prefer Lakisha. Melinda let us in on her fashion secrets which come from a pre-made manual her friend set up for her. Jordin continues to show that age has nothing to do with talent, but I could be wrong, she just might keep getting better and better as she gets older.
The bad is a simple list just subtract the weird from the good and what's left is just bad.
The weird is the part that has me confused. What is the deal with Sanjaya, he's just not projecting, not performing and not impressing anyone. The weird was the whole hat and ponytail combination with his massive eyebrows, he looked like a muppet. Thankfully AJ figured he would help Sanjaya out by being even weirder. It was almost like watching a drag queen rehearse, no wig, no dress, just discomforting arm movements and dancing. The hero of the weird is our friend Jared. What is that thing he is doing with his hands. He has big giant long creepy boney fingers and he makes all kinds of strange gestures and poses with them. He has one where he lays his hand palm up and his fingers in the #1 position, but the pointer top knuckle is bent and the thumb is out and he slides it back and forth. When he's done with that creepy move he points his crypt keeper fingers at us and lures us into the next creepy hand gesutre. It's like they're never going to stop.
The ladies are weird too, well some of them are. Leslie appearently only wears boots and seems to have no spine, it's like watching a Holly Hobby doll sing. Antonella Barba continues to prove that there are tons of losers out there who will vote for any skank who removes her top. Another horrific performance which was almost annoying to watch, not to mention the real dirty pictures were taken on a war memorial, I guess the funeral parlour was closed. Alaina's voice was all over the place, I don't think a rack of harmonizers would have helped, but that's not the weird part. The weird part is that she decided to sing the Dixie chicks, we've been indundated with their crap songs this month already, why join the list.
Men's Top Three: Chris Sligh, Blake Lewis, Chris Richardson
Men's Bottom Three: Brandon Rogers, AJ Tabaldo, Nick Pedro
Sanjaya should be gone, but I think the little girls are all power voting for him.
Women's Top Three: Lakisha, Melinda, Jordin
Women's Bottom Three: Leslie, Haley, Alaina
Antonella should go home but the real and fake dirty pictures will keep her going.
I haven't looked at any of the other posts yet since I wanted to write mine first, so I don't know if anyone else mentioned this, but I saw Simon on Extra last night. He says the "woman who saved him" is his Mum!!! :)
GINA - Oh no, a *taboo* slow song, though it does grow. I loved this song by Carrie, so we'll see how Gina does...She does it well! Good job. I love the props to the back up singer. Simon's right (again!) that her vocal sounded forced at the end. I like her personality!
ALAINA - That was a neat tribute to her mom. Hmmm...Dixie Chicks...that's going to be a tough one. Natalie Maines has such a distinctive, unique voice that it will be hard to make this song "her own". Well, Alaina did pretty well, but it's hard not to compare it to the original. She looked *squinty* throughout the performance, which I found distracting. I think she's got the looks/persona of a pop star, but we'll see if that's enough. She takes what the judges say *way* too personally.
LAKISHA - Cute grandma flirting with Ryan!!! :) I love finding out more personal stuff about the contestants! Excellent job!!! She showed she doesn't just have to belt it out to be an awesome singer! Enough fashion advice already from the man who only wears tight black T-shirts with an occasional gray thrown in for variation...
MELINDA - I just LOVE her!!! Now here's a girl who can sing a slow song and do a WONDERFUL job!!! Her voice is just amazing. I hope Melinda doesn't ever completely lose her nerves/humility - it is so endearing!
(I just have to say here that A.J. is really cute, they keep showing the boys during the performances and he's over there, totally into each one, I love it!!! That makes his stock rise with me!)
ANTONELLA - Celine? From Antonella? Has she not watched this show before or what??? I'm trying to give her a little benefit of the doubt...Simon also said on Extra last night that someone sold those pics to the tabloids (which he found "disgraceful" - the selling of the pics, not the pics themselves...) but the fact that she was even taking pictures like that makes me wonder at her ability to handle any type of fame or money. It would probably ruin her. I am trying to imagine what her mother must be thinking! I think I was objective, and her performance was not great. It was "a-ight". Her looks may take her far though, and even the publicity, because bad or good still gets her noticed. She's another one who takes the judges' comments too personally.
JORDIN - Another sweet dedication! And another voice that can sing a slow song!!! WOO HOO!!! There are some people with GREAT voices (Jordin, Melinda) who can sing the slow songs at this stage of the competition. Then there are others who don't have the best voices, but may do very well, and could even win, because they have that *certain something*. However you need to know your voice, and if you don't have a *GREAT* one, you shouldn't be singing slow songs at this stage. Way to go Jordin!
STEPHANIE - I didn't realize she's only 19, that's younger than I thought! She did really well! With the competition she has it's tough, but she did a great job, especially towards the end.
LESLIE - I *LOVED* the beginning and I was feeling a little more receptive toward her, however I didn't like the end. She did much better than last week though! I'll give her a "good job".
HALEY - There is something about *her* I really like. Her vocal was good, but unfortunately the competition is VERY TOUGH. It's hard to be compared to them. Simon is rough! I like that it seemed like she at least *tried* to not take it personally (unlike others...).
SABRINA - She did a very good job! Her voice is really pretty. I don't know why but I'm just not very invested in her at this stage of the game.
Below are *my* personal top and bottom, not necessarily who I think America will vote for...
TOP - MELINDA, then JORDIN and LAKISHA.
BOTTOM - ANTONELLA (though her notoriety/looks will probably carry her through to the top 12) and ALAINA (who has the looks but not the notoriety), then probably HALEY.
Anyone else notice the fine Paula banter we're getting this season? She is quick and witty with the British cynic this year and I like it! Let's get right to it.
GINA GLOCKSEN- "Alone" by Heart
I love that song! Honestly? Chills, great control. She hit the lower notes better than Carrie Underwhere. I think her image and the song are edgy, but she could've been a bit "edgier," I suppose, in her delivery. Still, not bad. I like her.
Stupid Finger Tricks: Did she?
ALAINA ALEXANDER- "Ready To Make Nice" by The Dixie Chicks
Aw, her mom was crying! She looks beautiful. She was WAY drowned out by the background and seemed to run out of breath (Simon agrees). It was a bit off. And UGH, do NOT ask the judges for advice! That doesn't ever help. It results in you looking needy and them engaging in more stupid banter. I know it's a competition and in a perfect world, they'd provide more constructive criticism than "Dawg, that was a'ight," but it IS technically a reality TV show.
Stupid Finger Tricks: A study in the number 2. A peace sign. Frontwards. Backwards. "2." "2." *kiss the number 2* "1. 2." Wow, she was over compensating.
LAKISHA- "Midnight Train" by Gladys Knight
I'm forgetting her last name. That's a positive "Diva" sign, eh? Excellent! More reigned in, very good. She's VERY enjoyable and relaxing to watch, because you don't get nervous for her. She gets unfairly compared to Mandisa. She's MUCH better than Mandisa and more consistently on. Simon's full of fashion advice tonight. You say Salmon. I say Orange. Potato. Potata.
Stupid Finger Tricks: Again, none necessary and she knows it
MELINDA DOOLITTLE- "My Funny Valentine"
What's to say? She's phenomenal and has really, REALLY good control. I LOVE watching her perform because she constantly amazes herself with her own abilities. She's adorable and so so good. I REALLY like her. Very, very much.
Stupid Finger Tricks: Nope. Just shock.
ANTONELLA BARBA- Does it matter what song by Celine?
Celine?! CELINE?! You've GOT to be kidding me. Nope.
Stupid Finger Tricks: Forward. Backward.
JORDIN SPARKS- "Reflection" by Christina Aguilera
Shaky start and some spots (she started out crying--gotta love that kind of sibling closeness), but overall, WOW! She's 17?! She's adorable and amazing. She was so sincerely and sweetly emotional.
Stupid Finger Tricks: 3+3 =7? No wait. 3+3=6.
STEPHANIE EDWARDS- "Dangerously in Love" by Beyonce
She's sort of a mix of Fantasia (who I like a lot) and LaToya London (who I do not like). She has quite a range. Fantastic dynamics. She doesn't have that refreshing humility that Melinda does. She's too cocky and I think that's a dangerous thing, especially at this stage.
Stupid Finger Tricks: A Fantasia-like "7"
LESLIE HUNT- "Feelin' Good" by Nina Simone
Less oddly manic moves, but some weird scatting that didn't even come close to comparing with Blake's impressive delivery.
Stupid Finger Tricks: Kind of a psycho "8"
HALEY "Marie Osmond" SCARNATO- "Queen of the Night" by Whitney Houston
What the HECK are people thinking?! If you *don't* do well the first week and all the while you hear constant criticism from the judges to your competitors saying things such as, "That song was way too big for you" and "If you're going to take on Mariah or Whitney or Celine, you've got to be able to back it up in a big way" and the like, hey, I know. Maybe don't do Whitney or Celine. Especially if it's way too big for you. And especially when you can't back it up.
Stupid Finger Tricks: None. She was crying. But hey, she did get an "A for Effort."
SABRINA SLOAN- Something I don't know or remember
I know who she reminds me of! Gloria Estefan! She has a beautiful tone to her voice and she is a powerhouse!
Stupid Finger Tricks: 10 fingers WHILE holding the mic. Impressive.
Tops: Melinda and Lakisha
Bottom 2: Antonella and Alaina and Leslie
Going Home: Leslie and Haley. But if Haley gets sympathy votes crying after the judges' harsh criticism (which seems especially rough to take after you clearly think you've done better and have worked so hard), Leslie and Alaina
Yes, this post is a day late. And yes, this week has been one of those weeks. But the blog must go on! So, similar to the guys last night, there were a few great performances, one or two pretty bad ones, and the rest were relatively good. Ultimately there are 6 obvious choices for the finals (one of which will be left out for a less deserving contestant) and 6 locks to go home. The interesting part is to see the order in which they depart, and which ones we are forced to endure the spotlight for yet another week. At least in the beginning we get rid of 4 (when you count the boys) at a time. Like ripping off a band-aid.
RANDOM THOUGHTS: I'm living my life in color, but not quite as much as Randy's shirt shows. I'm glad dedications are over. I liked the good ones, but the cheesy ones got old fast. What's with the car tire in the Unnamed Cola Beverage Red Room. I'm surprised there isn't a big ol' "Ford" stamped across it. Randy must have a lot of difficulty making decisions since he keeps rubbing his Magic 8 Ball. And 8 Ball must have been returning a lot of "ask again laters" because he looks to Paula to soften his comments or something. "Uh, I dunno. Paula? Did I like that? Why do I have difficulties expressing myself when my opinions are lukewarm? I mean, it was okay--not good, not bad. Why can't I just say that? Paula? Paula? C'mon, help me here!" Speaking of lukewarm, did anyone clap when Ryan announced that Kellie Pickler will be performing on Thursday? Stephanie Edwards didn't care. She does care about herself, though. Why does Simon keep giving out fashion advice? He's the one who says over and over again that this is a "singing competition." Either it is or it isn't. You choose.
OK. OK. Here we go. I actually know some song titles. It helps that A.J. and Leslie sang the same song. It's like a two-for-one.
GINA GLOCKSEN ("Alone"): There are a lot of people picking songs that contestants have done in the past. Not only done, but done well. Gina's low register was great, and her style fits the song, but I've been thinking the same thing as Simon (gasp!)--she has to really stretch for the high notes, and in the process it affects her performance. She definitely is one of the top 6 girls, though.
ALAINA ALEXANDER ("Not Ready to Make Nice"): Crazy! How do you pick this song after the Dixie Chicks won so many Grammys so recently? Give Alaina points for having some chutzpah, but it didn't ever get off the ground.
LAKISHA JONES ("Midnight Train to Georgia"): I'm so shocked someone sang this song. It was going to happen sometime, and I love the song, so I'm glad Lakisha did it before someone else could get to it (except maybe Melinda). I was also glad to see Lakisha get more "musical." She also still managed to show her powerful side, lest we forget.
MELINDA DOOLITTLE ("My Funny Valentine"): Amazing! This girl is probably the most talented contestant we've seen on A.I., possibly ever. Her dynamics, phrasing, emotion, interpretation, everything was outstanding. She even hit all of her "jazz notes" with perfect pitch. The small stage of the Top 24 shows takes a bit away from the impact of great performances, and I think if she had done this same performance in the finals, on the big stage, with more fans going crazy, we'd all be saying this is the best single individual performance on American Idol in any season to date. Even on the little stage, I'll say it holds its own with any other. With her humility and talent, she is the front runner in this competition without a doubt.
ANTONELLA BARBA ("Because You Loved Me"): So her dad looks connected, and her brother's name is Vincenzo (just call me Vinnie)--no wonder she's still around! Judges, be careful when you turn the key in the ignition tonight! Anyway, she really should not have tried a Celine Dion song, as this places a huge bullseye on your chest a la Rudy Cardenas. She improved her performance from last week (whoopie!) but still is outclassed by the competition. And she had to follow Melinda. Ouch! On a positive note, great tribute to the Partridge Family with that dress!
JORDIN SPARKS (That one song from Mulan): Shouldn't Haley Scarnato be singing this song? Jordin is good. She's spunky. She's talented. She'll be in the Top 12. Blah, blah, blah. This we all know.
STEPHANIE EDWARDS ("Dangerously in Love"): We all know you don't like any of the other contestants. No need to lie. Stephanie is a great singer, and this performance was more proof, but her attitude stinks! She exudes arrogance and overconfidence, and she will not go very far if that keeps up. We learned a lot from Latoya London--great talent will not overcome what the public sees as a snob.
LESLIE HUNT ("Feeling Good"): I could just repeat a bunch of stuff I said about A.J.'s performance on Tuesday, minus landing helicopter remarks, but I won't. Better song style this week, but it was just aight for me. The scatting was actually awful, and the fact that she had it written out makes it even worse. I'm sure Blake Lewis didn't write his down for Tuesday, although, I'm not sure how one would write all of his beatbox noises down. But I digress, Leslie is another one who is a good singer but just not in the same league as the rest.
HALEY SCARNATO ("Queen of the Night"): Although, she should have changed the title to "Princess After a Nap" or some such. Just changing the song doesn't change the singer. She was still a bit over the top Broadway in my opinion. It was better than last week, though.
SABRINA SLOAN (???): Sabrina has a lot of talent, and at times her performances are outstanding. I still feel like she really pushes the high notes too much. I thought she was on the edge of yelling this week as well. And for the record, I thought of that independently from Simon. She's still finalist material, but sort of middle of the road for me.
MY QUICK HITS
GINA: Better song, good job, we'll see you next week.
ALAINA: When the sound mixer can't find your vocal, you're in trouble.
LAKISHA: Way to rein it in and show us more of your talent.
MELINDA: Go straight to the winner's circle. If you pass Go, collect millions of dollars.
ANTONELLA: Thank the producers each night for your extensive pre Top 24 airtime. It's what's keeping you around. Come on, get happy!
JORDIN: Keep pushing yourself, because the "age card" will only take you so far.
STEPHANIE: Pride goeth before the fall!
LESLIE: Doo be do doo be, rat a tata, flippin' and flappin', good bye, good bye.
HALEY: A little less crimp, a little more substance.
SABRINA: I can hear you just fine. You don't need to shout.
MY TOP 3: Can I choose Melinda 3 times? No? Then, Melinda, Lakisha, Gina.
MY BOTTOM 3: Haley, Alaina, Antonella.
SEEING A THERAPIST TO START THE HEALING: Anto--, yeah right! Leslie and Haley (I like how they performed back to back, just to make it easy on us.)
So, the Top 6 girls was set before any of the 12 started performing. The big question is, which girl will be out next week to make room for Antonella? Impossible you say? This must be your first season with American Idol.
Here we go...
Gina Glocksen - Started out kind of slow and mild, but built well, triggering some chills for me. Randy agrees. Again they're talking to her as the future idol with the fashion advice.
Alaina Alexander - Better than last week, and pretty well done, but I think she lacked the power and the focus for that song. I didn't hear the pitchiness Randy mentioned, but her body language detracted from the song rather than adding to it. I anticipate extensive finger-signal commentary from Bo... ; )
Lakisha Jones - Here's that less agressive song I wanted. I like it. I like how she can toss in tiny pitch slides in the right places. Well done, but no chills of greatness. Simon will tell us why.
He didn't like the less agressive style or her orangeness, and is polite in how he says so? Perhaps valium does work?
Melinda Doolittle - A more laid back song. Good. Chills almost from the start, especially when she does a glissando to some smokey bass. God she's good! A very tough song to master, and she nails it! And I love her eyes. Still my favorite of all, and I'm so happy to hear all the judges agree. Even Simon calls her incredible and fantastic. I'm a happy guy. For me, the competition is over, and the show now consists of getting to hear her right up to the end. Whether she wins or not, it will have been worth my time and attention. Everything else is just gravy, as my friend Erich used to say.
Antonella Barba - Since I liked her better than the judges and other contributors here last week, I'll be listening much more carefully. She seems in good spirits, with a good mindset. Good song choice for me to judge. Again, some pitchiness at the start. Again, some chills, but her voice clearly lacks the maturity and training for this contest. Again, Randy starts with her redeeming looks. Simon thinks she was worse than last week, and I'm inclined to agree. He also clarifies (again) that the judges discovered Jennifer Hudson even if, etc. The worst tonight, so far, and definitely much further down on my overall list.
Jordin Sparks - My AZ girl. I have great expectations. A little lacking in the lowest notes, but clear and clean, with good presence and connection. Once again she brings the chills with her ending. Not the best, but far from the worst. She could compete with Haley for the Disney princess position.
Stephanie Edwards - A good clean performance with a few bells and whistles. Professionally dressed and professionally sung. Very good, and much better than last week, but for me, she has yet to set off any fireworks. Still, she'll be around a long time, methinks.
Leslie Hunt - Can she deliver without flopping? Second line is out of tune, and the entire soft part has loose pitch. She gets a little better when she's belting. Her scatting sucked, and I think she lost something by trying not to move so much. Worse than Antonella, even. The judges were kind, I thought.
Haley Scarnato - Clearly tries to bring it with a 'nasty' song. It's technically not bad, and is better than last week, but I don't feel she connected with the song or the audience. At the least, she didn't connect with me. Not nearly as bad as Leslie or Antonella, but despite the technical proficiency, her overall performance is still right down there at the bottom with them, for me. I can't really explain it.
Sabrina Sloan - This one fell short of giving me the critical chills last week, despite a great performance...let's see if that changes. Ah, yes! Much better. Still some yelling/pushing the song and her voice, both of which suffered. Simon agrees about shouting vs power. I think she still needs to work to get anywhere near the top.
Tops: Melinda, Melinda, Melinda...oh, and Gina and Jordin.
Bottoms: Antonella, Leslie, and Haley.
Leaving to pursue a modeling career: Antonella, depending on how many teenagers are in love with her, of course.
That's all...
...John
So I got curious and went over to Dial Idol to see what they are saying about the guys. Interestingly, the statistics they use show that Sundance (projected 1st through 6th) and Sanjaya (projected 1st through 8th) are safe. The other 8 guys could rank anywhere down to and including 10th place. It just goes to show how close things are in the early stages!
WOO HOO! The boys are back! Thank heavens! :)
First off, how in the heck does Ryan do all the stuff he's doing? I knew he did AI and his radio show, but I just saw that he also hosts some news show or something on E!...That's pretty amazing!
PHIL - I *really* like him! I love the tone of his voice. He really started the show off. Awesome job!!! (Oh, here's Paula saying his tone is great... :) )
JARED - Nice white sneakers with the black suit! :) He did pretty well. He's obviously trying to follow their advice by choosing something a little more adventurous. Simon's "love boat" comments were ridiculous, but Jared had a good come back..."That would have been a great love boat!"
AJ - Very nice! I like him much better than last week. Great song - he "acted" it well. Simon's right, it was different than the rest - he stood out!
SANJAYA - He's such a cutie! I love that he wears his grandfather's ring. I would have liked his voice to be *stronger*, he seems like he's singing very timidly. He's adorable, but the performance was just "a-ight" for me.
CHRIS S. - That was neat to find out about his wife! He's really good. I don't know if it was my favorite performance of his, but he did a great job. I loved how it grew! What woman has Simon been "saved by"???
NICK - Dedicating the performance to his girlfriend? Hmmmm...it's a little cheesy for me. The drummer was REALLY FUN to watch during this performance!!! Nick was good. He's not necessarily a favorite of mine, but he did well.
BLAKE - Well he gave us a little bit of everything! Beatboxing, falsetto, scatting, and good ole singing! He's very talented...excellent job!
BRANDON - He has a beautiful voice (I need to check if I said that same thing about him last week!). He seemed a little off to me tonight - for whatever reason, slow songs are hard on the AI stage, but I still think he's great. Simon sure has a chip on his shoulder against him!
CHRIS R. - Very good! He's another one who's very talented. He seems to me like he's already made it, not like he's in the process.
SUNDANCE - I'm nervous for him before he even starts - is he *finally* going to be able to bring it? Ohhhh, he's got me teared up already with his dedication to his son and what he's missing! And yes...HE'S BACK!!! Way to go Sundance!!! GREAT JOB!!!
Way to come back, boys! That's much more of what I expected from them.
TOP - These aren't too hard...many did awesomely, but PHIL and SUNDANCE were my favorites tonight!
BOTTOM - This was much harder. SANJAYA is the obvious one...but the other is much tougher since everyone did really well. I think I'll go with NICK, but I have absolutely no idea who will go home!
So I'm sitting on the couch with Stacy thinking, "I wonder if anyone will be any good this week," and by the end I have no idea who isn't moving on (well, I know one person leaving, but #2 is a bit fuzzy). I am so glad the guys got the jitters out last week because now we have an actual competition to watch in the foreseeable future.
RANDOM THOUGHTS: I learned a lot of math tonight. You need 6 guys and 6 girls to add up to 12; 866 vs. 800 numbers; joint = illicit drug, but also joint = song; and the attributes of geometric shapes (trapezoids have 4 sides, 2 of which are parallel lines). Now who's the "Geek in the Pink?" Tonight, it's actually blue. So does Jeff Foxworthy really like American Idol, because if not, what a way to spend an evening waiting to plug your show. I'm not going to watch "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader" for 3 reasons: (1) I don't need another show to watch, just when I'm scaling back; (b) The last Fox show that had a premiere with multiple episodes just ended up making me feel dumber (anyone remember Ian Bernardo, Crouching X-sentrikk Hidden Talent, et. al.?); and (4) I'm pretty sure that whether or not I am smarter than a 5th grader, I don't need Jeff Foxworthy to validate that. Simon seems a bit silly tonight. Sometimes I wonder what show he's watching. Some comments seemed alright, but he appeared to be stretching for some ridiculous analogies. What the hell are they drinking?! And I guess girls aren't in the Dog Pound yet. I'm a bit confused because in the past they have been. Keep an eye on that one.
OK, one by one, song titles, maybe they're correct, blah, blah, blah . . .
PHIL STACEY ("Missing You"): This was actually a good song choice for him in that his voice came through quite well. The song itself is just OK, but he did a good enough job to stick around. First can be the worst spot in the order because I always find myself saying, "Oh yeah! That's right," when I see the numbers played back. He got 2 + 1 (that's 3) yo's, too!
JARED COTTER ("Let's Get It On"): I did say he was one of my 2 "something to prove guys" tonight and I think he did. I'm with Jared: the Love Boat would have been something with that guy singing. Great performance. Much better than last week.
A.J. TABALDO ("Feeling Good"): First off, I have real difficulties with anyone singing anything Michael Buble has done because I think he's one of the recent great artists, and he has such a great sound it's hard to beat it. With that, I think A.J. did a great job switching it up this week (overhead helicopter notwithstanding).
SANJAYA MALAKAR ("Steppin' Out"): Sanjaya is a nice kid with a million-dollar smile, but he has no power and he seems young out there. I had the same thoughts as the judges, with a bit more tact and compassion however. He did seem like a performer in a high school talent show. He'd win, no doubt, but he's just not quite there as far as A.I. goes.
CHRIS SLIGH ("Trouble"): Great song choice! These were the vocals I was waiting for. It's as if he was actually reading this blog! Big improvement on last week. Brilliant dedication. Show the talent and the rest is taken care of.
NICK PEDRO ("Fever"): I was glad he picked this song since that's the kind of thing that got him to Hollywood in the first place. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when we knew he would not be singing another Richard Marx song. Maybe Jon Heeter can get him a few votes to keep him around. Oh! And the happy drummer should be good for a half dozen or so more as well.
BLAKE LEWIS ("Virtual Insanity"): Cap on sideways = beatboxing tonight (more math!). I knew he'd do it, but I loved that he kept it short, blended smoothly into a dope scat solo, and slid right back into his vocals. Awesome! It actually gave me a younger, hipper Al Jarreau type vibe, which is a good thing in my book since I like the older, less hip Al Jarreau as well. I think Simon was right in that he was out of tune in a couple of spots, but as far as originality of moves? I checked out the Jimiroquai video to see for myself, and unless I missed cockroaches, ravens, sliding couches, and enormous fuzzy top hats in Blake's performance, tonight's was quite different from the original!
BRANDON ROGERS ("Time After Time After Time After Time After . . ."): OK. My most frequently accessed memory of this song is of a Japanese guy I met when I lived in Japan, playing his guitar, and singing this song with the most stereotypical accent possible. And that version is the most interesting I've heard, including Brandon's tonight. I don't agree with Simon that sentimentality is "rubbish," and I'm not surprised that Simon can't get beyond the surface of real emotion. A heartfelt song can be quite powerful. But Simon's point is well taken: he has got to do more to stand out, or his stay will be a short one.
CHRIS RICHARDSON ("Geek in the Pink"): A few good things. Not a song done by Elliott Yamin (you're no Elliott, right Stacy?). Great song choice for him. And he had a lot of fun up there. He definitely has that boy-band, front guy type vibe, just like Justin Timberlake. And if Chris ever says that he doesn't try to look or sound like Justin, I think he's lying.
SUNDANCE HEAD ("Mustangs, Driving, Wax On, Wax Off"): The other of my 2 guys to watch this week really did his thang! I am glad to see Sundance return from the nearly dead. You can see the relief on his face to finally be out of the "box." As a father I can relate to the distraction and difficult emotions he must be feeling while he's away from his son, but it looks like he finally realized what he needed to do to stick around. If he keeps singing like this, I'll forget all about the "between auditions and week 2" period of his life.
MY QUICK HITS
PHIL: Better start this week = see you next week
JARED: Way to step it up. Now you gotta keep it up
A.J.: Unless you're planning to land on the roof of the building, your arm motions are just distracting.
SANJAYA: It's been a pleasure hosting you on A.I.
CHRIS S.: Keep picking songs like tonight, and you have a way to go.
NICK: What a shame that your best performance coincided with so many other bests.
BLAKE: Perfect blend of talents to keep that degree of difficulty up.
BRANDON: Maybe backgrounds are better for you. Prove me wrong if you get the chance.
CHRIS R.: What a geek.
SUNDANCE: Way to advertise for Ford. You'll get the check at the end of the week.
MY TOP 3: Blake, and the 2 C's (kind of like my freshman Physics classes!)
MY BOTTOM 3: Sanjaya, Brandon, and Nick (too close to really tell)
STEPPIN' OUT TIME AFTER TIME: Sanjaya and Brandon.
Admittedly, the guys are mostly on even footing in my mind, and there is no way to really differentiate them in my mind. Tweeners and Grannies make the difference tonight in Sanjaya's life. Even the Top 6 are tough to pick at this point. At least the guys brought it this week!
I'm so much smarter than a 5th Grader. I'm blogging instead of watching more Fox tonight. No boob tube for me. (Ha! I said "boob." I wonder if we'll get more hits from people seeking Antonella Barba pictures).
Yo, dawg, that was a HOT show! Paula was great tonight. I like her. And those boys brought it ON (and apparently white sneakers are in?)! There was some nice falsetto tonight, mmmmmm. Lots of stupid finger tricks though. I've given this some thought. I do NOT think it helps us remember who's got what numbers, so they should probably just not do it. Though TWO boys showed some real originality when it comes to finger tricks tonight. Read on.
Phil Stacey - "Missing You"
I dislike that song. Yuck. He was off in parts. He has a bizarre voice--I kind of like it and I kind of don't. Very odd. But yo, yo, that was pretty good! I'm not sure what poor Phil is to make of the words "very, very good" and "karaoke singer" in the same sentence though.
Stupid Finger Tricks: a "#1, Baby" shout out
Jared Cotter - "Let's Get It On"
Okay, I love this song, but the best I've heard ever so far is Nikko Smith. Boy, I miss Nikko. Jared has great control and a great falsetto. The judges suck. Too much stupid banter. Very little constructive anything. I'm still not sure what Pauler thinks even though Simon seems to know.
Stupid Finger Tricks: Simple peace sign
A.J. Tabaldo - "Feeling Good"
Isn't he cute? Great song. Very good. I am LOVING the falsetto tonight. Not sure about the whole "It's a new Don" pronunciation. He seemed shifty-eyed and nervous at first, but once he got into it, it was great.
Stupid Finger Tricks: Wow, an "0" and a "3" and a mouthed "vote for me!" Huh.
Sanjaya Malakar - "Stepping Out"
Well, crap. I was hoping that outfit meant some early Michael Jackson. Which would have been oh-so-much-better than what we heard tonight. That poor kid. He has a nice, sweet, smooth voice, but it's not powerful enough to compete. He picked a not very challenging song and it was too Broadway. Geez, the judges don't even think it was that (and they're right--it really was more high school musical than Broadway). Poor Sanjaya was trying not to cry. It takes guts to wear a fedora at age 17 on national television like that. Good for Ryan for being so sweet. What a nice host.
Stupid Finger Tricks: A *sideways* "4" Wow.
Chris Sligh with conditioned hair and a cute, cute wife - "Trouble"
He almost made me forget that Taylor sang this song. GREAT voice! Wow!
Stupid Finger Tricks: A simple 5. Hello.
Nick Pedro - "Fever"
Cute girlfriend. Holy SIX cuts to the crazy drummer! Paula was grooving and Simon was snapping. He hit some GREAT notes and has a great falsetto! Everyone was so good tonight that I hope his apparent lack of "charismer" doesn't hurt him this week. I like him. What a good Portuguese boy.
Stupid Finger Tricks: 6 fingers and a "Vote For Pedro" shout out that I like and hope helps him
Blake Lewis - "Virtual Insanity"
Cute boy, great (be prepared for an onslaught of that word) stage presence, great falsetto (Damn, falsettos are sexy), beatboxing, scatting, wow! That is a HARD song to sing--there's very little breathing! Great song choices again and again! Great name, very marketable. Great, great, great. He is my favorite male contestant hands down. Speaking of hands . . .
Stupid Finger Tricks: 7 fingers and Mad Props for the very original beatboxed "7!"
Brandon Rogers - "Time After Time"
Urgh. I know he's better than he showed tonight. Cute boy, but holy BORING song. I like the cool cross gender thing that many contestants do, but Cyndi Lauper?? That just wasn't challenging or showcasing. Bad choice, bad mixing (that's not his fault). You can tell Simon likes him despite the slam and hey, he likes puppies, too. What a mood he's in.
Stupid Finger Tricks: Have you noticed the worse the judges' criticism, the more the nervous finger tricks? Brandon broke out 8 fingers and then he showed us that he is indeed smarter than a 5th grader by breaking it into a study of 4 and 4 and then oooooh, criss crossing them! Yeah, sorry, that is not going to compensate for the crappy song choice (nice dedication though).
Chris Richardson - "Geek in the Pink"
Yeah, that song is new to me, too. Funny dedication song for a grandmother, but it worked. He's good and I like him better this week. He's very Justin Timberlake this week, wow. I disagree with Simon, however. He is NOT the best tonight.
Stupid Finger Tricks: Hmmm, I didn't write it down. And shocker, I don't remember it.
Sundance Head - "Ride, Sally, Ride"
Sweet dedication, awwwww. He has redeemed himself and his thank you to America was very smart. That was good.
Stupid Finger Tricks: He has no need to put up any fingers with a performance like that and he knows it.
Best tonight for me: I heart Blake Lewis and Nick Pedro
Bottom Two: Sanyaya and Brandon
Who's getting the boot? Sanjaya and urgh, I'm nervous for A.J. and Nick even though they both did very well
Oh, and a word to the contestants. When you're standing behind Ryan and he's promoting the next Fox show to premiere next (for three days in a row!!), don't do stupid head antics in an effort to mug the camera and get more air time. You'll only annoy the hell out of people. This means you. Don't annoy me, Chris. I like you tonight.
I liked the subtle nod Ryan gave to Oscar-winning Jennifer Hudson at the start of the show in which he emphasized (literally) how the AI judges had discovered her (even if they thought she wasn't good enough) - a sad attempt at damage control, but a good example of what we psych people call 'reframing'... ; )
I also fine-tuned my home stereo system this week, given the sucky audio I encountered last week. So far it sounds much better.
Phil Stacey - I agreed pretty much with Simon. Good, but not outstanding.
Jared Cotter - Sounded a little strained and unpolished to me. Paula picked up on him pushing the song. I didn't disagree with Simon's cabaret appraisal. About the same as last week. He may survive on looks for awhile.
AJ Tabaldo - Very smooth start, and adds some kick and owns it pretty well. Best so far tonight, but not huge.
Sanjaya Malakar - Let's hope he's found some fire. Not so much. Smooth and pleasant, but he needs some growl in his voice, especially with that song! Randy agreed. Paula remains the patron saint of diplomatic, positive feedback, and Simon remains intent on squashing her like a bug when she does that. Still, it wasn't bad, so maybe he'll last another week and finally show us something more impressive. I was the same way as a singer - too sweet, and not enough bite, though I did manage to make a lot of girls cry... ; )
Chris Sligh - Nice looking wife, and I'll bet he deserves her completely. The song is unknown to me, but he certainly kept me interested in it. I like his suit and sneakers. He gave me some chills, so that's the key for me. Very good, and I'm glad to hear the judges agree.
Nick Pedro - Smooth and smokey...about the same as last week, with a couple of tries at adding some pizazz. Unfortunately, those attempts took him off-key. Just okay for me. I think the judges liked it a little better than I did.
Blake Lewis - I can see he gets a lot of his strength and confidence from his parents. He let himself be himself in tonight's song choice. Once again he owned the stage, the song and the audience. Awesome! Randy agrees. Paula nails how smart he's being, and I agree. Simon's being tough, but I know where he's coming from - he's expressing his disappointment as though he's talking to the American Idol already. What's clear to me is how strongly the energy of his performance has affected the judges. Both last week and this week they are all over each other. Clearly they were strongly impacted and it manifests in energetic interactions. I've seen the same thing with mental health clients with powerful energies surrounding them - the entire treatment team becomes galvanized, and no one remains indifferent.
Brandon Rogers - Pitchy and timid, to start, and the song wasn't played fast enough. I understand the dedication and intent to express feeling, but I agree somewhat with Simon that it's still a competition, and this wasn't up to par.
Chris Richardson - A good example of a dedicated song with feeling and some pop to it. Simon's point is made, and Paula has nowhere to hide except humor. Up there with Blake's performance, though I liked Blake a little better.
I must say I'm liking the pace of the show much better tonight.
Sundance Head - He makes a good attempt at bringing it and not sucking. I admire his efforts, but I don't think it was as impressive as Randy and Paula. Like Simon, I feel like, "let's not get carried away".
Tops: Blake Lewis, Chris Sligh, Chris Richardson, AJ Tabaldo.
Bottoms: Brandon Rogers, Jared Cotter, and, for me, if I'm honest, Sundance Head.
I'm expecting much better from the girls...
...John
And now, my thoughts on the girls, who at this point are ahead of the guys. Did I mention how boring this will be if the guys don't close the gap pretty soon. I'll get as tired hearing of how great the girls are as I am of seeing Simon's black shirts, but of course he has been sporting some completely different looking gray shirts, too! Anywhere, here we go.
Girls
Alaina Alexander--Honestly, I don't have really high hopes for her. Gone this week. Gone next week. Same difference.
Antonella Barba--She needs to prove that she belongs in this group of contestants. She really didn't show much last week as she was outclassed by some incredible powerhouse-type singers. If she can have a perfect performance this week, she could stick around for one more.
Gina Glockson--Last week's praise gives her a free ride this week, unless she passes out midway through her song. And even then she still stands a good chance of making it through.
Haley Scarnato--Here's another one I can't get too attached to. Not that I feel any particular affinity for any of the Disney princesses. Like Antonella, I really think Haley's days are numbered on A.I.
Jordin Sparks--Young. Spunky. Great first week. If Gina gets a free ride this week, the show will pay Jordin to stay. She's safe barring a natural disaster, like Simon's pearly whites falling out.
Melinda Doolittle--It gets redundant right now. Great first week. She can not show up and still get enough votes to stick around.
Sabrina Sloan--She wasn't my favorite last week, but I doubt she's in any danger going into Wednesday's performances.
Stephanie Edwards--I'm a bit curious to see how she responds to being one-upped like 4 or 5 times throughout last week's show. She would benefit from being toward the end of the show this week.
So, my 2 with something to prove this week . . .
Lakisha Jones--Yeah, you heard me right! She had a great first showing, but I don't want her to become another Mandisa--great when she belts it, disappears when she doesn't. I think Lakisha needs to pick a song with a bit more expressive range so at least when she's belting one, we can say, "And we know she can bring the quiet intensity. Remember week 2?"
Leslie Hunt--She has a very unique voice in this group, and on the right song I can see her holding her own in this competition. If she doesn't bring her best this week, she'll have a tough time getting into the eventual Top 12.
In summary, here are the girls to which I'll be paying close attention on Wednesday. . . .
Melinda (an early favorite of mine)
Gina
Lakisha
Leslie
Honestly, Haley and Antonella are non-factors at this point, and the others should cruise through. I'm only putting Melinda on the list because she is so damn good!
Since my children, especially my son, are Star Wars obsessed lately I was tempted to subtitle this "The Guys Strike Back" (you know, "Star Wars" Episode 5 . . . never mind), but I've been getting geared up for the next round of performances, thinking of some people to watch. Here are some things that crossed my mind.
Guys
Blake Lewis--he needs to follow up his somewhat surprising first performance with something great. He can't afford to be just OK this time around if he wants to keep the momentum going.
Sanjaya Malakar--NO STEVIE!!! First round jitters should be out of the way this week, so this is his "make it or break it" week in my opinion.
Nick Pedro--This guy could jump up quite a bit since his first week's performance was somewhat less than inspiring. But if he comes out singing "Hold On to the Night" I will write him off!
A.J. Tabaldo--Pointing to the sky and doing a helicopter maneuver will not do a whole lot this week. After last week's solid performance he's in a good position to keep on keeping on.
Brandon Rogers--This is one guy I want to see bring it. Look for him to step it up and wow us this week.
Chris Richardson--(this is for Stacy) Let's not do an Elliott impersonation. What if he come out in some wild afro wig like Rickey Smith in Season 2 (think Earth, Wind, and Fire--"September"). Given the weak performances last week he's in good position to do well again.
Chris Sligh--I like him and think he's got the potential to do quite well, but I'd like to see something a bit "reined in" from him this week, something a little more "musical."
Phil Stacey--This guy has got to sing the beginning of a song well! If he can do that his stock rises a bunch.
And my 2 with something to prove . . .
Jared Cotter--His performance last week was a weak one, but I could tell he has got some real talent there. A good improvement tomorrow and he will be rapidly on the rise.
Sundance Head--Listen. I like him. I have nothing against him. But he seems "lost" up there. If he can finally pick a good song befitting his bluesy style, this guy stands to gain the most of anyone this week. If he's got "it" at all, it will come out this week.
So, the guys I'll be watching a little more closely this week will be:
Blake (an early favorite for me)
Sanjaya
Jared
Sundance
So there is the chatter on the guys. Stay tuned for thoughts on the girls. . . .
Jennifer Hudson won Best Supporting Actress, though she noted before the show that she didn't think of herself as an actor, but that Eddie Murphy was, who, though quiet and almost invisible on the set until he was 'on', instantly transformed himself into the part in a way that defined acting.
Jennifer and Beyonce later collaborated in singing 4 of the songs nominated for Best Original Song. I Need To Wake Up, by Melissa Ethridge, in An Inconvenient Truth, won, despite two nominations for songs from Dream Girls'.
Jennifer's come a long way from being told by Simon that she just couldn't cut it...LOL!
