Am I Really That Old? (Idol Style)

When one of the contestants on American Idol was born just months before I graduated high school, I start to realize that I've put in enough time to earn the grays I'm sporting. These birth year theme nights are really cool because they are broad enough to sample a lot of different sounds, but yet narrow enough that the contestants don't (necessarily) make such rotten choices. As we've seen, some contestants still find a way to make poor selections, but they just can't help themselves. Some people can't dress themselves. Some people don't know what song to pick. It's just how it is sometimes.

I'm glad the judges just appeared magically in their seats rather than walking through the ridiculously slow sliding stage doors. It's like when you try to rush through the automatic doors at the grocery store and they don't quite open fast enough and you're left with a dented milk jug and sore forehead. Never happened to any of you? Yeah, me neither. I thought they were trying to conserve time but we see that wasn't the case. Stacy was talking tonight about how cute she thinks Paula is, and how sometimes what she says is so flowery and 'round about, and I had the thought that she is like a Portuguese greeting card.

Non-sequitor thoughts begin, here--> To illustrate, when my Portuguese mother-in-law goes on a trip, all of her sisters and brother and nieces and nephews and neighbors and Portuguese grocers call to wish her a good trip and much happiness and much love and big kisses to all of her family and safety and the grace and protection of the Lord and . . . and . . . Add in a Happy Birthday and you've got Hallmark, the Lisbon version.

OK, on to the recap . . .

Danny: I loved the arrangement and interpretation of the song this week. I'm starting to feel a little sorry for Danny, though, only because he's a great singer who actually has some originality and understands who he is, but I'm afraid he might get lost in the shuffle with the laud and praise some other contestants are getting each week. I hope once there are less contestants (and when the first performance slot isn't the predetermined "spot to forget") Danny will continue to wow us.

Kris: Simon was a bit harsh and indulgent in his own critique, but Kris was definitely off his game tonight. He needs to find a way to bring it again next week. And how about his family doggin' on the taxi drivers of the world. Good thing this show isn't taped in NYC or he'd be hoofin' it all over town. "Sorry. Off duty."

Lil: The best part of the performance for me was finding out that "Lil" is her actual, given name. Very cool. When they announced she'd be singing a Tina Turner song I thought to myself, "Oh, OK. Another diva." I just don't think Lil knows how to make a song original. She's a great singer who does a nice impression of some other great singers, but week in and week out she makes the same plea and promise to America. I just need to see Lil the Artist, not Lil the singer.

Anoop: Simon's yo-yo analogy was a decent one. He really does change from week to week. I agree that this was a better week for him--perfect song and perfect interpretation. I could completely hear Anoop in this one this week. Anoop dog is in the house tonight! (As an aside, I loved how Simon told Anoop to not worry about--to borrow a Wally Cleaver-ism--giving the judges "the business.")

Scott: I've gotta give him props for stepping out from behind the piano, but I wasn't a huge fan of the performance. The guitar wasn't impressive enough to be worth the change. I like Scott, and I would love to keep hearing more from him. I think sticking to the piano is the best bet for him and gives him the greatest chance of continuing on for a few more weeks.

Allison: Where did this girl come from. And was she really singing a song from her birth year that I heard at my senior prom? Ouch! I'm getting old! I loved this song choice, too, because it was restrained and controlled, but yet showed the rocker side that we've come to expect and love. She keeps singing like this and she'll be sailing through to the finals. I love her mother's comments about talking too much. Classic!

Matt: I was a bit worried when Matt chose a song by The Greatest Singer in the Known Universe (per Randy), but he worked it out! This was the right style for him, especially when he infused his own jazzy, soulful side to the song. He needed this performance tonight. I think it may have been the hat.

Adam: This guy is in a league all his own. He is not my favorite singer as far as his natural genre, but I've got to admit he is the most original and talented of the group this year. He has a knack for taking songs and making us feel like we're hearing them for the first time. Too bad most of America missed his performance on their DVRs.

So, realizing that so many of the contestants are really good this year, here is MY BOTTOM THREE: Lil, Scott, Anoop (simply a prediction, not preference)
RELEASED OF THE PRESSURE TO BE ORIGINAL: Oh, please let it be Lil.

P.S. Did you catch each of the "Judge-isms" in the contestants' recaps?

Top 8 Minus 1 - Jordin Sparks Performs!

Brooke is safe. Surprise.

David C. is safe. There goes my bottom two, so tonight will really be a surprise (unless they dump Syesha).

David A. is safe - no surprise.

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I loved Jordin Sparks' duet with Chris Brown, 'No Air'.

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Jason is safe.

Kristy is safe. Now I'm worried for Carly.

So the bottom three are Carly, Michael, and Syesha.

Personal preferences aside, I think Michael is the least likely to get the boot, but I would rather it was Carly. If Carly and Syesha are the bottom two, I can only hope it's Syesha that is leaving.

Wow! It seems the audience is as surprised as I am, but Michael is the one going home.

Maybe the song choice, 'Dream On' was prophetic. Or maybe America just wishes he'd wash his hair? I dunno...

His departure performance just doesn't seem to warrant the bottom spot. I still think it was a good choice.

Anyway, see you next week.

Inspire Me

All week I was wondering what the theme might be and I totally forgot Idol Gives Back was inspirational songs week last year. Appropriate.

RANDOM THOUGHTS: Still not loving that set. This is their 5th week on The Big Stage II and the contestants still don't know how to come out in a coordinated fashion. Randy was on one tonight, but he gets like that occasionally toward the middle of the show. Paula had nothing but good to say tonight, eh? I saw very little crowd touching tonight during the performances. I guess Chikezie and Ramiele leaving taught everyone a lesson: just sing! It's getting pretty tough to pick a bottom three now with some great contestants left. Although, one of my picks for the bottom is easy still. Guess who? If you read Boquinha's post (which I haven't yet) I understand she has similar feelings about one of the contestants. Did they put the Cooks back-to-back this week to get more publicity for Celebrity Chefs With Knives, A.K.A. Hell's Kitchen?

Michael Johns: I really liked his performance and thought he sang it fairly well, but I agree with the judges. This is not his natural element. He really needs to start listening to the judges and not just doing his own thing. They know what they are talking about when it comes to his song selections.

Syesha Mercado: Ooooooh. She picked a Fantasia song. I'm so shocked, as Fantasia may as well be the A.I. version of a true diva. I was quite worried the judges might over-praise (is that a word?) her again, but they gave her her due to an extent. She has talent but isn't nearly as good as everyone says she is. She picked a song that draws direct comparision, which apparently Syesha keeps missing each week, or she's so full of herself that she actually thinks she is as good as Whitney, Fantasia, Mariah, and any other one-name diva out there. Can you tell who I'm sick of at this point? If not, you can be in my bottom three, too.

Jason Castro: What an awesome selection. He is not the most vocally talented performer, but he has one of the keenest senses of who he is as a performer and nailed this one. I'm glad the judges gave him his due. I'm looking forward to the Castro album.

Kristy Lee Cook: Is it me or is this girl getting more and more confident as the weeks go on. It doesn't hurt that the past few weeks have lent themselves to perfect song choices for her. She does very well with country type songs and had another very nice performance. She should be around for a bit longer if fans pick the truly deserving contestants.

David Cook: This was a stinker for him and he knew it as soon as it was over. The song was a decent choice but he didn't nail it like he usually does. I was a bit let down by David this week.

Carly Smithson: I'm going to tell you right now, the judges don't have as much influence as they would like to think, but at this point their comments to help or hurt a contestant's chances. Carly deserves a bit more praise and a little less harsh criticism than she's been getting. I think the judges want more from her because they think she's one of the best, but they are going to put wannabes like Syesha through and send Carly home with their antics lately. Granted, Carly's song selection was off this week, but she still sounded pretty good and deserves more pseudopraise.

David Archuleta: When David A. found out about the theme this week here's what he probably thought:

"Inspirational songs. Calm down. Get centered. Don't get too excited, but this is your week. Finally you can pick a song you love and not have it sound out of place. You love these songs and this week that's OK."

Somehow I see him being one of those Michael W. Smith type of performers and ending up on some W.O.W. compilation somewhere. "W.O.W.: Christian Songs from the Young Ones." You know what I'm talking about. He did very well this week, although I think Randy was smoking something when he said it was his best performance of the season.

Brooke White: I'm surprised they had her go last this week with this song. Not that she did poorly or that it was a silly song choice, but it just wasn't one of those obvious showstoppers they seem to try to include at the end. I liked her performance although the James Taylor vibe suits it more in my opinion, not that it's really that different. It was solid but nothing "wow."

MY TOP THREE: Jason, and then some others
MY BOTTOM THREE: Syesha (shock!), Brooke, and Michael (based on performances this week if I'm being honest)
INSPIRING ELLEN DEGENERES ON HER SHOW THIS WEEK: Syesha, or no one if Idol is Giving Back on Thursday.

Top 8 - Inspirational Songs!

Michael Johns - Starts out with a good song. It wasn't quite up to the original, but he fairly owned it. Randy didn't love it. Paula was more supportive. Simon called it a little "wanna be-ish" and Randy agreed.

It looks like there's a lot of energy tonight, so it should be an interesting show.

Syesaha - Sings a Fantasia joint, and does fairly well, ending with an amazing high note that was a little freaky, actually. Randy compared her with Fantasia and, of course, she fell short. Paula is more supportive. Even Simon acknowledges her technical handling of the song, but says it didn't give him the "emotional" connection that Fantasia brought to it. Simon has emotions?!?

Jason - Over the Rainbow - Kind of a weak arrangement, centering around his banjo ukelele. Just okay, for me. Randy goes crazy over it. Paula loved it too. Simon loved it too. I guess I'm outvoted here.

Kristy - Finally found a song she could really connect with. The judges all liked it, too. She may be around a bit more.

David C. - Started a little weak but developed well. Nevertheless, one of the weaker performances tonight. Randy didn't love it (I see a pattern). Paula loved it. Simon thought it "pompous."

Carly - Another good performance from her. None of the judges liked it. Simon thought it was oversung to the point of feeling "angry," and said she might be in trouble.

David A. - A great song choice, which follows well on his performance of Imagine, and seems to build on it. He does it very well, and the judges love it unanimously.

Brooke - 'You've Got A Friend' - not the most powerful of inspirational songs, but one of my favorites. Her phrasing is a bit stiff and unmelodic. As much as I like her, it was pretty unimpressive. Just okay for Randy. Paula is supportive. Simon gives it "pleasant."


Tops and Props - David A., the rest, with Props to Michael Johns, and, yes, Syesha.

Bottoms - Brooke, and David C.

Leaving - Sadly, I think it's Brooke.

60 minutes I can't get back

Being busy and entertaining family this week I haven't had much time to get to posting here, but I did have a few thoughts on last night's elimination. J Lo's performance was great, and she seems like such a nice mentor to have on the show. Yeah, Haley's gone. Phil's bottom 2 and is days are numbered. Sanjaya still gets too much individual attention. Blah, blah, blah. So, here are some questions left unanswered.

1. Why did we need another 60-minute show full of filler? What was on the other networks last night? I feel like the old lady in the Wendy's commercial: Where's the beef?

2. Was the sound editor off on the Ford commercial? It seemed like a number of the contestants were out of sync with the sound track.

3. Did Akon really jump to number one on the Billboard charts after his first appearance with Gwen Stefani? I think he really benefited from that appearance a couple of weeks ago.

4. Did Fox really only give $5 million to Idol Gives Back? They'll make that back in the first commercial break!

5. Is anyone else tired of seeing Simon squirm when things get sentimental? At some point he's going to go Grinch and his heart is going to explode out of his chest as he sobs uncontrollably.

6. Why didn't Tony Bennett open the right door?

7. Where's the love for Randy? J Lo said she give critique like Paula, and she gave some credit to Simon, but she didn't even look at Randy. And after he gave her the "I know someone famous" shoutout!

Alright, enough for me. Country next week. We should have a grumpy Simon, sub par performances, and one or two standouts. I'm guessing Martina McBride should be a good mentor for the idols, so bring on the twang!

Top 8 Minus 1 - JLo Performs!

They're squeezing an hour out of this!? JLo better perform twice!

The group sing was enjoyable. It's interesting how they seem to have paired people by their relative status - Sanjaya with Haley, most noticeably.

When they interviewed the little girl about who she liked, it seemed clear that Sanjaya has a similar appeal to young kids as Michael Jackson had. He does have that 'young at heart', playful vibe. The kid was quick to say she didn't like Blake or Jordin. Interesting.

Simon took the ribbing well about his man-breasts, as drawn by one of the schoolgirls in Africa.

Tony Bennett's fake audition was pretty funny, especially the 'other door' ending...LOL!

Blake keeps a crib sheet on his wrist...LOL! I probably would, too.

Phil's in the bottom 3. No real surprise. Sanjaya gets played - up & down. I'm betting he's safe. Haley's in the boot'em 3, as well. Yay! Chris and Sanjaya get played. I'm betting Chris is going down. Yep. But I'll bet he's not in the bottom 2.

Ellen Degeneres did a bit today about how Howard Stern and a certain website are encouraging people to vote for Sanjaya - as the worst contestant. She stole my joke and noted that we'd already tried voting for the worst, and look what's happened, and urged people to vote for the best. She really meant it. She loves American Idol, and, according to a poll of her viewers, on her website, Melinda is still winning by a landslide.

Chris is safe, as I thought.

Sanjaya wants JLo....ewwww!

JLo sings! Yes! Talk about goose bumps! It's easy to feel her even without understanding the words. She is awesome. I don't know if you've ever gotten to watch her act, but she's a joy to watch in the cinema, as well. It doesn't surprise me that she's in the 'Paula school of criticism', and I love her for saying so (not that we don't need our Simon).

Haley goes bye-bye. She sings us off with good spirits. I wish her well.

See you next week!

...John

I almost prefer Diana Ross week!

So, another lackluster week with a few really good performances. To quote some really insightful people, I wasn't jumping out of my chair, you looked nice tonight, and I actually didn't hate it.

RANDOM THOUGHTS: J-Lo is actually really nice. Not that I thought she wouldn't be, but it's nice to see some of these stars and find out they are a bit more normal than I expected. I don't think Simon likes Latin music. His comments are very similar to what he says on country night. It seems that Randy loves Latin music. He just couldn't get enough. I'm so glad I saw the cast of "Dive" tonight, especially since I haven't a clue who they are or what Dive is. I guess I'm supposed to Google it. Ah, we've reached the point in the season where Paula's bias against female performers comes out definitively. There just aren't enough people in this thing with the attitude to pull of Latin music, but there were one or two who made it work for them. And can we put a moratorium on Gloria Estefan in these weeks. I can only take so much of the original Sound Machine, and usually no one can pull it off. Jose and the Caribbean Conga Line were loving it tonight. The band (and especially the percussion) was awesome tonight!

This week is a bit hectic for us in general, so my comments might be a bit abbreviated (you can all stop cheering now!).

MELINDA DOOLITTLE ("Sway"): I love the song, and I recognize it's old. J-Lo said it. Everyone could tell. She nailed it, brought more attitude than usual, and put on a great performance. The problem is that current Latin has more wow right now and she's starting to stagnate. On the up side, Simon did get to say something mean early in the show, and to Melinda for once! (OK, so much for abbreviated)

LAKISHA JONES ("Conga"): Hate the song. Lakisha did well with it and give her credit for going uptempo with attitude, although the attitude is nothing new. Didn't like her interview. It just made her seem a bit arrogant, but that may just be me.

CHRIS RICHARDSON ("Smooth"): I think it was a great song choice for him in that it suited his style and was contemporary. The problem is Rob Thomas is a tough act to top. All in all, a respectable performance.

HALEY SCARNATO ("Turn the Beat Around"): You can turn the car around and take her home, too. This song has probably been done in every A.I. season, and except Diana Degarmo in Season 3, no one has really done well with it. You have to nail the "syncopated rhythm" and not come off like someone with no rhythm. And you may not like what Simon said, but he's right. If Haley doesn't like it, she can try dressing more modestly and singing well. Or, she can see if Blake can perform with her.

PHIL STACEY ("Maria, Maria"): I think I know who he was thinking about, and it wasn't his wife. I've been hard on Phil in the past, but I do listen each week with an open mind and I'm willing to give him credit where credit is due. But, this was a weak vocal week for him, accentuated by the fact that he doesn't have the Yo to go with this genre. Immediately telling Simon you appreciate his negative comments is done already. Give it up. We get it. You've got love aplenty. His shout outs come off as too calculated. Why are you still here?

JORDIN SPARKS ("The Rhythm is Gonna Get You"): Estefan song #3. At this point, if it hasn't gotten me, an A.I. performance is not going to make it happen. She's got the energy to pull it off, and did a good job. I did like how she put a fresh spin on a lot of the song, but I still was underwhelmed on this one.

BLAKE LEWIS ("Need to Know"): Simon was right. It was the best song selection of the night and his voice and style match it perfectly. He has the attitude to do the Latin week. He isn't the best contestant vocally, but he knows how to stay within his abilities and bring out his unique style. Great performance tonight.

SANJAYA MALAKAR ("Besa Mi Mucho"): Great song selection. Great style on the stage. His vocals are still good, but not great. And Randy is right. He is the smartest contestant he's had in a while. Keep your fans happy = go far.

MY TOP 3: Blake, Melinda, and somebody else
MY BOTTOM 3: Haley, Phil, and some other contestant
TURNING THIS THING AROUND (AND HEADING HOME): Haley

J-Lo tonight. Let's see if we keep this show family friendly! Hey! You all wanted contemporary, and now you've got it!

Top 8 with JLo!

I love JLo, and her latest spanish language album is hot, hot, hot! And she looks for goose bumps, too! Definitely my kind of performer.

Melinda Doolittle: Does a fair job of injecting a sexy tone, per JLo. A guest on Ellen made the same point I hovered around last week. I'm not the only one getting tired of the undeserving demeanor when confronting the judges every week. She does the job with the song. Excellent. The judges agree except for Simon, who makes the point that she needs to exude some personality. She handles him very well, but he speaks to my earlier point. She does seem to be making an effort to turn that around, as evidenced by her double-take in response to Ryan's 'sexy' compliment - at first, she starts to hang her head demurely, but then lifts her head, smiles, and says, "thank you" like she actually deserves it. It seems she's reading the blogs.

Lakisha Jones: 'Conga' - doesn't drive home the rhythm vocally. It's driving her, but she should be driving the song, in my opinion, not the band. Paula picks up on this, and Simon agrees.

Both she and Melinda are losing ground to contenders like Jordin, who doesn't sing as well, but brings herself fully into every performance, and Blake Lewis, who manages something original and edgy most of the time. Well, let's see how Jordin and Blake do tonight.

Chris Richardson: This song seems like a long stretch for Chris. I'm not impressed. He does a decent job, with some very good runs, but it doesn't move me. The judges like it more than I. Still middle-of-the-road, for me.

Haley Scarnato: 'Turn The Beat Around' - Decent, but doesn't 'bite' the lyrics as well as JLo suggested, and her body isn't moving when the lyrics say it should be. Simon nails her on the skimpy dress.

Phil Stacey: Gave JLo goose bumps, so let's see. The hat is better than his bald head. I think his performance tonight is less intense than what he showed JLo, so, not great, but he does well, and the ending did raise a bump or two. Randy catches what I'm saying. His daughter's stuffed cow - Simon 'cow' - that's funny!

So far, they're doing roughly equally well...

Jordin Sparks: 'Rhythm's Gonna Get You' - low notes are borderline, but she's driving the song with her voice, and she puts herself into it and makes it her own. Definitely some goose bumps. Best tonight. Randy seems to agree. Simon has to knock her down.

Blake Lewis: 'I Need To Know' - 'Shake 'n' Blake' - also drives the song with the vocal rhythm, as it should be. A little better than Jordin, and the best tonight. Simon says it, so it must be true.

Sanjaya Malakar: 'Besa Me Mucho' - Good choice of song for him, and he does a suprisingly good job with it. His projection is appropriate for the song, rather than being too soft. Even Simon appreciated it.

Tops: Blake, Jordin, Melinda, in that order.

Bottoms: Sanjaya (I confess to writing tops and bottoms before hearing him), and Haley. I now have to reverse this: Haley, Sanjaya and Phil OR Chris, you choose.

Turning the beat around and taking it home: Haley.