Finale Announced

This is going to be the best finale since Clay and Ruben! Humdinger indeed. I'm so excited. It's about time we have a really competitive finale!!

And did you catch the shot of Simon's face during Fantasia's performance? HILARIOUS!

Top 3 Minus 1 - Fantasia Performs!

Grrr... I spent most of the show watching with peripheral vision while I researched problems with a forum and options for its future.

Fantasia was hard to miss, though. Wow!

It was telling to see David A., Syesha, and David C. all overcome with tears at the overwhelming support they received on their homecoming trips.

Okay, here it is...

David A. and David C. are the finalists, as seemed fairly obvious.

I still applaud Syesha for having matured enough to take third place, and I think she'll do very well. I think she grew up tremendously in the last 4 weeks.

See you next week...

The Three Stooges--Guess Who I'm Talking About

I've been quite excited to see how the three finalists would do with three selections and I thought the show was as good as any final 3 they've had in the past.

RANDOM THOUGHTS: No Clive Davis selection? Hallelujah. He has a knack for picking songs that aren't great showcases for the contestants even if they are good studio songs. I was pleasantly surprised that all three judges made great choices for the contestants. I was not as happy with the producers. It's fairly obvious who each of the judges are pulling for after watching last night's show. Has Randy gotten dumber this season. I feel like his whole approach has gotten so much worse. He used to be a bit more honest with his criticism, but now he almost seems random in whether he offers positive feedback or negative, regardless of the quality of the performance. Did Ryan actually insinuate that Syesha's Dad is gay? Sometimes the filler is just plain awful.

David Archuleta: I thought Paula's choice was a great one for him and he did a predictably fantastic job on it. His own choice for himself was stupid. At this point there is no danger of him proving he is actually young at heart. He has an older, inspirational style. It's OK. It's work this far so why change now? The producers' choice was only a little better, although it does suit his voice perfectly. Overall, a B+ night for Little David.

Syesha Mercado: Randy make an appropriate choice for her, but he also set her up for comparison. "A few note changes" don't make this an original performance. Being unique requires more than this. With that said, she performed very well and it is the kind of song she can pull off. Simon's comments were more than fair on this one, though. Her second choice ("Fever") was as stupid as David A.'s. Number one, her timing was off on the initial phrases. Number two, where were the classic brass kicks that everyone loves about this song? It was weird without them. Number three, the prop was distracting, but it proved a very important point: Syesha is an actress first, singer second. That is not a bad thing. Broadway musicals are full of people like this. She is very well suited to musical theater, but not tops when looking for a recording artist. The producers must want her out because they sabotaged her with that choice. She sounded awkward on it even though she did the best she could with it. Bad luck for Syesha equals the end of the road.

David Cook: Simon's choice was fantastic for him. It forced David to be original and do something with a song he normally wouldn't touch. Simon was actually clapping partway through the performance, although I'm not sure if he was applauding David or himself. David's choice was a bit strange and I think Paula was right in her assessment regarding a beginning, middle, and end. The producers must want David Cook to win because their choice, while somewhat of a setup since so many contestants have tried this song, was perfect for him. I thought the arrangement and presentation were top notch, and even if he didn't sound perfect on it, the whole package was great. If he's not the front runner after tonight it's not because he doesn't deserve it.

RANKING ACCORDING TO ME:

David Cook
David Archuleta
Syesha Mercado

CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR: Syesha

Top 3 - Judges', Personal, and Producers' Choices

Judges picks:

David A. - 'And So It Goes' - Paula's choice. I like how he starts out a cappella. He does a very fine job of it, with an appropriate amount of vocal riffs. Randy loved it. Paula loved it. Simon calls it a bit predictable, and good but not outstanding.

Syesha - 'If I Ain't Got You' - Randy's choice. A good showcase for her voice, which she trills wonderfully at the end. Randy loved it. Paula loved it. Simon objects to the choice, but liked it well enough.

David C. - 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' - Simon thinks this song is about him. It is a tough song, but he owns it with his own twists and some wonderful extended notes. Big time chills! He really showcases the unique power of his voice. Outstanding!!! Randy jokes? about the song choice being predictable and non-rock. Paula loved it. Simon loved it, of course.


Personal picks:

David A. - 'With You' - A nice change of pace from the ballads, and he does it decently, but it wasn't great for me. Randy also didn't believe it. Paula liked it. Simon didn't buy it either, saying it wasn't him.

Syesha - 'Fever' - An old, but timeless, Peggy Lee song. She's gonna work the drama with her chair prop. She wears it well, and I very much liked the ending. I liked it better than David A.'s choice, actually. The judges all didn't love it. Simon calls it "cabaret." There's some truth to that, in terms of missing an opportunity to sing something more contemporary and Idol-like.

David C. - 'Switchfoot' - Not A song I know, or particularly like, but he certainly does well by it. Randy likes the song choice. Paula didn't like that the minute and a half slot cut the song short. Simon gave it middle of the road with the other two personal choices.


Producer's picks:

David A. - 'Longer' - I love the song, and agree it's a good choice. He does very well with it. Some chills here. He really made it his own. The judges generally liked it, but Simon calls it "gooey," though says he did well enough to go to the finals.

Syesha - I missed the name - It's kind of a good song for her style, but not so much for an Idol competition, though it wasn't her choice, after all. I thought she did very well by it, but the judges have similar concerns about the song choice.

David C. - 'I Don't Want To Miss A Thing' - A very good choice of song, which he makes his own. More chills. I think I'm looking at the big winner here. Paula's on her feet. Randy loved the song but called it predictable. Simon agrees that he wins the night.


Tops: David C., for me. David A. did extremely well, though, and his fans may put him at the top.

Props: David A. and Syesha both did very well.

Leaving: Syesha, for me. In the quick review, I notice her voice just isn't as perfectly on pitch as the Davids' are.