Well, that was fun! Gwen Stefani is a breath of fresh air. It's nice to have some hip, contemporary stuff on AI. It's about time, too.
Chris Sligh. No big surprise. I thought it would be Haley, but he'd be my next guess anyway.
My favorite part of the evening is when he hugged Phil and said -- in the middle of his song -- "You owe me 50 bucks!" ROTFL!
Sligh's gone. No shocker there. He'd lost his edge or mojo or something since we've been seeing him weekly. He seemed like the kind of guy who's hiding a lot of insecurity behind a facade of self-depricating humor. That stuff is great when you're Tommy Boy, but not as an Idol. I had higher hopes for him, and apparently much of America did as well. I am slightly surprised that Haley's got one more week in her, but then again, Sanjaya's far from the last position so anything goes!
So I have only a handful of unanswered questions:
1. Did Akon say anything besides, "C'mon y'all. Like this!" That big necklace was distracting, too. It reminded me of Flavor Flav's clock.
2. Why, Ryan? Why? Did you need to wear the hair?
3. Why do the producers and writers of A.I. feel the need to give extra air time to those clearly out of their league? Think Sanjaya and Kevin "Chicken Little" Covais.
4. Is it just me, or did Lakisha seem a bit overconfident tonight?
5. Did Paula and Gwen Stefani shop at the same place for the show tonight?
6. Do people really spend $10 to enter those contests 10 times? And do they ever get the wrong answer?
I'm excited for Tony Bennett week. He's 80 years old and still putting out relevant material. Any doubters should see the work he did on his Duets
Here we go...!
Ryan's Sanjaya hair is a trip! Sanjaya took it with good humor.
Phil and Haley hit rock bottom. Chris or Gina will join them. I'm thinking Sligh.
Gwen gives the best celebrity performance of the season (admittedly not too hard to do, but really, very good).
Sligh slides down to the bottom. Phil is safe, again. I don't know who it will be...
It's Sligh (and the family moaned).
I think this will still give him a leg up if he chooses to continue singing, and I hope he does.
Phil owes him $50 - apparently Chris bet on his own demise with accuracy.
See you next week!...
...John
My goal is to keep it short and sweet, so let's get down to it!
LAKISHA - Very Good!
CHRIS S. - Good.
GINA - Excellent!
SANJAYA - Ugh. I think he's completely lost it. I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing that he's not fading away quietly into the distance like past not-up-to-par performers.
HALEY - Good.
PHIL - He may mug too much for the camera, but I love his voice. Very Good!
MELINDA - Excellent.
BLAKE - Excellent!!! Thank you thank you thank you for knowing to *just sing the lyrics*!!! We know you can beatbox and that has it's place, but this wasn't it and you knew it! The vocal alone was great! He is very intuitive in knowing how to change it up just enough each week.
JORDIN - Very Good!
CHRIS R. - Good.
TOP - BLAKE and GINA. I still love Melinda and she's incredible, but she's got to make it new and exciting each week - how, I don't know...I just know that I'm enjoying others who are going a step beyond and keeping it fresh.
BOTTOM - SANJAYA and CHRIS R.
We'll see tonight! :)
Urgh, when is cool Seacrest coming back? The guy who's "been Ryan Seacrest" is too dweeby! Where's the Ryan we love? If Simon can dress the way he does week after week, surely Ryan can go back to inside out T-shirts and sports jackets. Please?
So, Gwen Stefani seems so . . . normal. It was kind of weird. But interesting.
Lakisha - "Let's Dance" by Donna Summer
Well, I have officially forgotten her last name. Isn't that sign #1 of a diva? Um, so, I like her hair. She does seem younger. I've noticed Simon really does remember his advice to them from the previous week and watches to see if they'll follow it. But Donna Summer? Blech. She was great, but the song was just a'aight for me for her.
Sligh - Does it matter any more? But for the record, he sang "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic."
He was out of breath and all over the place. He was off on his rhythm and he's too accommodating of whatever the judges tell him ("Chris, your hair is green tonight." "I know. I should work on that. I'll try to make it less green next time and more some other color that will please you."). You just want to throw a pair of cojones on the stage for him to use next time. So, I'm bored with him now. His voice is too Broadway to pull of anything by The Police. And the echo thing that was going on all night was totally distracting (okay, that's not his fault, though if the judges told him it was, I'm sure he'd profusely apologize and promise America that instead of knitting or crocheting on his down time, he'd talk to those sound guys). I was super uncomfortable for him. And Simon has the same facial expression he's had with Taylor. He dislikes Taylor. And he dislikes Sligh. Simon likes some spitfire in the contestants. I bet Simon wants to toss a pair on stage for Sligh, too.
Gina Glocksen - "I'll Stand By You"
Wow! Great song for her! I love it! Weird outfit, but great vocal! Nice personality, too. She has a lovely smile and such nice teeth! Wow, she got mad praise tonight. I'd like to see her go far and do well. I doubt it'll happen, but hey, maybe it could--I think a Gina-Blake finale would be interesting.
Sanjaya Malakar - Something by No Doubt
Oh. My. Gosh. What in the world did he do to his hair? I suppose since his dignity has been all but flushed down the toilet, why fight it. It gave me bad Nadia Turner flashbacks. You know, the kind of thing where you're grimacing in confusion as you watch the TV, half wanting to fast forward, but too sickly fascinated to hit the button? Yeah, that was his hair for me for him. GREAT comments by Simon. I totally agree. Being totally real about the vocals, though, I kind of liked it! Except for the part where he forgot his lyrics (I'm amazed they didn't say anything, but then again why bother). He was better than Sligh tonight.
Haley Scarnato - "True Colors"
Boring song. Boring performance. And I bet those girls get sick of hearing that Paula thinks they're pretty right after they mucked up a performance.
Phil Stacey - That Stalker Song by the Police
"Every Breath You Take" worked well on Phil. 1. He sounds good on it. 2. He kind of looks like a stalker. I so prefer him with the goofy knitted hats. I'm totally distracted by his chrome dome for some reason. He's good, but he annoys me and I'm bored with him now, too.
Melinda Doolittle - Something else by Donna Summer
Great hair and outfit (despite Simon's opinion). She looks pretty. Boring song. Very good vocal, blah, blah, blah. It's not her fault, but she's good every week. So what is there to say?
Blake Lewis - Love Song by the Cure
First of all, I totally called that he'd sing The Cure. And he even dressed the part (except for no crazy hair, which is fine with me). Cough. Sanjaya. Cough. I love the Reggae arrangement. I'm always glued to his performances to see what he'll do. I love that he teases us by not always doing beatbox stuff. I love this guy. He's contemporary. He's hip. He has a great voice for this kind of thing. He's different. He's unique. He's original. He's daring. He's interesting. He's great. More on this later.
Jordin Sparks - "Hey Baby, Hey Baby, Hey Baby, Hey!" or something like that
It was a little boring and weird for me. The whole naughty school girl uniform doesn't work on her. She's too cute and adorable and likeable. It wasn't "performed" enough for me. It wasn't bad, but I didn't love it either. But I do like her a lot. So, she's forgiven. :P
Chris Richardson - "Don't Speak"
LOL at Gwen Stefani's "vocal olympics" comment! I usually like the cross gender songs (you know, when a guy sings a girl's song and vice versa), but this was just okay for me. He messed up his lyrics, too. Why is no one calling them on this?! When it's the first week on the big stage, the judges jump ALL OVER the contestants telling them that "at this point in the competition, there is just no excuse" yadda yadda. But for the top 10, it's suddenly not an issue?? And BOY was he MIFFED when Ryan interviewed him about Blake being told he's the top guy. That tight smile and "Hey, Blake and I are friends. If he's the front runner, great!" was just soooo believable.
Okay, I have something to say about "style over substance." That's what I'm liking this year. Don't get me wrong, Lakisha and Melinda are great, but a finale with both of them in it and even EITHER of them in it is just kind of boring. I don't know that I'd buy an album by either one of them even though they are technically and vocally AMAZING. Isn't that interesting? And why not? For the same reason we don't buy many Whitney, Celine, and Mariah CDs. They're AMAZING, yes, but that's not our style. It's kind of predictable (not a bad thing) and boring (a bad thing). Blake is not technically as good, but he's INTERESTING. He's different. He's unique. He's contemporary. He keeps your interest. You watch JUST to see what he'll do. He's a phenomenal and smooth performer. And while he may have less substance in terms of vocal ability and perfection, his style trumps that for me. I'd buy his album over a diva's any day. So, there's my spiel on why I like Blake more than more polished singers.
Top 10 performances, best to worst, in my opinion--keeping it real:
Gina Glocksen
Blake Lewis
Melinda Doolittle
Lakisha Jones
Phil Stacey
Jordin Sparks
Chris Richardson
Sanjaya
Haley
Sligh
Bottom 3 (or is it 2 now? I'm confused. Makes you wonder why they didn't mention the 3rd bottom a week ago): Sligh and Haley
Leaving: Haley
And I'm still not thrilled. Or as Simon says, "I'm not jumping out of my seat." When we answer the phone as we're sitting down to watch A.I., you know this season's not quite as exciting as past seasons, but we're not giving up on something amazing happening.
RANDOM THOUGHTS: They randomly told us titles of songs tonight. I guess they figured we should know them all. It makes for interesting comments later. This was the first short show for the finals, and you can tell: no titles, brief comments by Gwen Stefani, cutting off Simon "Oscar-style," less brainless banter (a good thing), etc. Now not only do you need the massive, dope, crazy, insane, yo-factor song, but you also need to be in the pocket. Paula looked like she was going for the Gwen hair tonight. She should have made it blond to complete the effect. And did you all like her ring pop she was sporting tonight. What was that thing? Why oh why do people pick Donna Summers songs when you don't have to? My rule of thumb is "disco when they make you, but ditch it when you can." They grouped contestants 4 and 5 together as part of their half-off advertising promotion. I was waiting for an ad for Crazy Eddies discount autos at one point, but it never happened.
LAKISHA JONES ("Let's Dance" but not Gwen Stefani style): Of course it was a strong start, and I hadn't realized it until Randy said so, but this was the first real up-tempo joint she's chosen. It was pretty good, but I just don't like Donna Summers disco songs. In the end I think this type of song choice when you don't have to (there were so many better songs from which to choose) will hurt her popularity tonight. But I was totally surprised when the song started out slow and then picked up in the middle.
CHRIS SLIGH ("Sting Had Magic. I Have Bunions"): Chris can sing. He cannot dance. Oh, and he doesn't have rhythm. And he said the song was hard. Even if it was, find a better way to frame it, like "I wanted to really challenge myself" or "It's a great song and I wanted the audience to hear the Police" or "I may have been sleeping when I picked this one." When Paula told him the audience wanted to groove but may have had a tough time, she meant "Chris, your moves on stage were so off beat and distracting that people were having visceral reactions to your performance, and now the staff has a lot to clean tonight." Not a great showing by Sligh.
GINA GLOCKSEN ("I'll Stand By You" but not in Sligh's mess): Great performance. It was the right style without being over the top. She kept gyrations to a minimum and focused on the song itself. I was impressed more than usual by her this week. And there was so much chalk and cheese I don't know what to do about it.
SANJAYA MALAKAR ("Rubber Duckie"): Or something about bathwater. I thought the song was kind of cool. His hair was a bit surprising and I was waiting for a Simon smackdown, like when Ricky Smith wore an afro wig to sing some Earth, Wind, and Fire in Season 2. But you can tell the judges don't really think there's any point in saying anything. I can tell because Simon actually said that. He still has good tone, poor projection, and really no business competing at this point, but this is a voting, ahem, singing (?) competition so hats off to Sanjaya for going for it each week, even if this week he looked like a slightly more disturbing version of Marvin the Martian.
HALEY SCARNATO (I've never heard this song before, so I'm not sure of it's title): They already filled the contractual obligation to the guitar player to appear on stage once each season, so this week we just see his hands. It was a nice arrangement with the acoustic guitar, but she really didn't "bring it." This is a song that can be incredibly boring or quite emotional. Hers was the former.
PHIL STACEY ("I'll Be Watching You" so I can keep kissing up): Good song choice for him. He actually did a decent job. My big beef is that I'm now trying to shake the visual of a crazed Phil Stacey actually watching me and my every move. And he almost avoided the idiotic behavior Simon has been alluding to, and then he does that annoying scream.
MELINDA DOOLITTLE ("Heaven Knows" why people keep singing Donna Summers): Melinda needed to go a bit more contemporary this week since most everyone else did. No disrespect to the influence Donna may have had on Gwen Stefani, but the song was sort of boring next to some of the other performances. Melinda is the most talented performer they've ever had on A.I., and will likely win this thing, but I'd like to see her push herself a bit more with the (gasp!) song selection. The fact that she can pick a loser song and still be the front runner speaks volumes to her abilities, though.
BLAKE LEWIS ("I Will Always Love You"--didn't Whitney sing that?): I love what he does each week to make songs new and entertaining. I actually like that the beat boxing was left behind this time, and I really enjoyed the new rhythm he put on this very recognizable song. Stacy looked at me at the beginning of the show when Ryan said someone picked The Cure, and she said, "I bet it's Blake." He's the one who finds the songs that are off the beaten path, and then does it well. Technically not the best singer, but like Simon said, Blake's individuality and overall package makes him the top guy right now.
JORDIN SPARKS (I didn't catch the song title. I don't think she sang it enough): Number 1, good song choice in that it is hip, young, contemporary, and energetic. Like Jordin. Number 2, poor song choice because even Gwen was surprised at how melodic it can be. It's a good performance song, but the real magic is probably in the whole persona that Gwen Stefani brings to the stage. It's hard to really upstage that, but Jordin did a decent job overall.
CHRIS R. ("Don't Speak" especially if you didn't like it): Sing the runs. Don't sing the runs. The runs are cool. The runs take away. Melody. Runs. Lyrics. Runs. I feel like I have to go the bathroom now! Poor guy doesn't know what to do. He needs a week with Justin Timberlake as the mentor so he can get advice he cares about. Overall Chris did adequately, but I'm not impressed overall by what he's done to date. This week I will give him the bronze for Vocal Olympics, however.
MY TOP THREE: Gina, Blake, Melinda? Honestly, I didn't enjoy a third one that much more than the rest.
MY BOTTOM THREE: Sanjaya, Sligh, Haley
NOT SPEAKING ANYMORE ON A.I.: Haley
So tonight I think Gwen Stefani performs. Finally a contemporary artist with the potential to truly entertain. I think it will be much like Shakira's performance on A.I. recently. Should be good.
Sanjaya and the Vote For The Worst crew and other people and sites which are promoting the thought that it's a good idea to vote for people like Sanjaya are going to ruin a show which could have launched some nice careers this season.
Here's the way I see it right now. I can't stand how untalented and now cocky this jackass is. I am truly concerned that we will see a decent singer sent home while we will be further forced to sit through another horrific version of a song by a person that I would have thrown my drink at in a karoake bar.
Tonight Jordin, Chris Sligh and Haley all screwed the pooch. Chris needs to get a metronome and spend some quality time learning how to sing with the beat and not tap dance all over it. Jordin took a simple bubble gum pop song and butchered it into a bad evening at the Apollo and even the sandman wouldn't have wanted to listen...HOOK HOOOK.... Just a side note here, i thought it was odd that no one commented that she was off key and out of breath in the middle of the song. She paced the song poorly and paid for it with her ability to hit notes. Haley is the sad one, she really could have nailed it tonight. Time after Time and True Colors are seriously two of my favorite songs, hearing her turn one into some nightmarish Celine Dion single made me want to cram pencils into my ears. I think this is our bottom three and I think we will lose one of these people to the reign of the unlistenable Sanjaya.
Since i'm ranting about this little puke, lets discuss it. He's got no voice, he can't project and he can't bring any power to his vocals. Most of his songs sound like he is having a conversation with his invisible friend who is slightly more effeminate then he is. Now tonight he took it a step further and takes on a second song I like, and this one I am a huge fan of. Not only did he horribly butcher the song, forget the lyrics and look like a jackass, but then he's cocky and makes obnoxious comments? Who is he?
I want to pound several bags of candy up his butt and beat him with a baseball bat. We can call it Pinata'. I bet I could charge people a dollar and make a fortune.
As for the rest of the evening, here's a simple summary. Lakisha and Melinda once again nail it to the wall and dare everyone else to step up. Blake Lewis brought an interesting twist to a classic Cure song and he really listened to Gwen which was a good plan, I think beat box would have been overkill. Chris Timberlake...I mean Richardson...desperately wants to by J-Tim and he is pulling off a fairly convincing act, but I don't think he can compete. Phil Stacy seems to be phoning it in every week, and it's getting tiresome. I think this was a basic coast week for him.
That just leaves Gina Glocksen, I saved this and seperated it because I think she is the one person who stepped up several levels and could see Melind and Kiki eye to eye this week.
Bottom three is Jordin, Haley and Chris Sligh and i'm thinking we might lose Haley.
Getting right to it...
Lakisha Jones - 'Let's Dance' - very nicely done, but not spectacular, for me.
Chris Sligh - 'Every Little Thing She Does' - I liked it a lot! Nice song choice. I missed the rhythm problems noted by the judges.
Gina Glocksen - "I'll Stand By You' - WoW! That was a moment for me (major chills)! Awesome connection with the song, and her best performance ever! Paula agrees. Simon messes with her, but agrees. She just moved up a couple of notches, and it was the best so far tonight, as Simon noted. I now have great respect for this girl.
Sanjaya Malakar - Don't know the song, but I thought he did a decent job on it, though he's back to being weak. He seems intent on keeping the focus on the hair, eh?
Haley Scarnato - Here's Dr. Mark's jingle... ; ) - 'True Colors' - I thought she made it her own and sang it uniquely and with some surprisingly good dynamics. It was good, but it didn't grab me any more than it did Randy.
Phil Stacey - 'I'll Be Watchin You' - No Phil Collins, and a little weak in the softer sections, but I liked it very much when he hit the chorus. Very good. Paula picks up on exactly what I'm hearing.
Melinda Doolittle - Blew Gwen away, so I'm expecting the usual excellence. Sure enough, chills start early and don't go away. A poll of viewers on the Ellen Degeneres' website has her at the top by a large margin, with Lakisha next, but a long ways down.
Blake Lewis - 'I Will Always Love You' - Randy says it for me. Not the song that best showcases his talent, but, as Paula points out, it does showcase his tenderness. I agree with Simon that he's the front-running guy. The judges took the words out of my mouth.
Jordin Sparks - Low notes are weak, but a solid performance overall, with some chill-giving spots toward the end. Very good. Simon gives her "most improved".
Chris Richardson - 'Don't Speak' - Maybe his best performance yet, but, for me, still in the middle of the pack.
Nobody was really bad tonight, so picking the bottom won't be easy...
Tops: Melinda, Gina, and Lakisha
Bottoms: Sanjaya, and if the judges are right, Chris S., but I don't really agree, and no one else stood out for me as not so hot, tonight.
...John
Music of the 90s. According to the American Idol site, Gwen Stefani will be with our lovely contestants this week. And I was so geared up for commercial jingles! I can teach the world to sing . . .
Anyway, I've only seen Gwen lately on late-night talk show performances and it was quite interesting so I'm curious to see how she coaches the contestants. Enjoy!
...is hosting Stephanie Edwards today (she's singing right now - and is a little pitchy), and Elliot Yamin tomorrow!
So, looking back over my list of best to worst, my second-from-the bottom got the boot. She didn't do well yesterday, but she deserved to be on the tour, vocally anyway. Her personality just wasn't that warm. And those with personality are really Blake and Jordin. Gina's okay, too. Sligh's getting old for me for him. Anyway, I digress.
So, Herman sounded better than Diana Ross. What a shocker. And Lulu? Wow, she sings that song differently than she did in the 60s. I love that song. I miss the old style. If she was going to make it contemporary, she could've let Blake beatbox it. (Blake has single-handedly introduced ALL of America to that term, by the way). Anyway, she sounded better than Diana Ross, too. And she's so cute!
Two things that bugged me about tonight. No, three.
1. Phil's camera mugging and constant cheering. He doesn't know when to stop.
2. Ryan's repeatedly erroneous statement, "You are not in the bottom 3 tonight." Liar! Clearly, he lied to someone. (For those who are mathematically challenged, there are 11 contestants and he only said who the bottom 2 were, so when he said, 'You are not in the bottom 3 tonight" to the other 9 people, he was lying to somebody).
3. Product Placement and Plugs. Hey look, everyone! There's a top 12 again! Brad Garrett has joined us! Isn't that clever? You see, what's happened? Tivo has happened. So, advertisers started sweating the fact that most of America happily fast forwards commercials (except my mom who has seriously said to me, "Those are the best part!" Sorry, Mom, I know that was years ago, but you DID say it), thus totally ignoring the fruits of their money and efforts.
So, what do they do? They put big, giant coke cups on the judges' table. And big red swirls on the floor and walls. They have little Ford vehicles drive right across the TV screen! And they put Brad Garrett in the top 10. It's such an imposition really. I mean, it's being THROWN at us. Even if we choose to not fast forward commercials, at least we can get up, walk out, grab a snack or use the bathroom (but, ewww, so not at the same time), walk back in, and not miss a second of our favorite shows while totally ignoring the commercials (except for my mom who will be sitting there watching every one of them).
But now we see it all while we watch our favorite shows. And I don't like it. It's like an invasion of privacy. Sort of. It's a violation anyway. And it bugs me. Grrrrr.
So, more Haley and more Sanjaya. And they're on the tour instead of Brandon and Stephanie. Harumph.
All in all, not super surprising just the same. Oh! But Chris R. being bottom two--yeah, that WAS surprising really. And interesting.
What I *am* beginning to see is the possibility of a finale between Melinda and Jordin or one of them and Blake . . .
Peter Noone's performance was pretty lame, if I may say so...yes, please HUSH!
First group - no surprise - all clear.
Second group - I'll say no problem - correct!
Third Group - possibly the bottom 3 - but no, and Sanjaya is in the group.
Stephanie and Chris R are bottom feeders. Can I pick 'em, or what?
Lulu, in contrast, kicks ass with her rendition of 'To Sir With Love' (though she was screaming it a bit - LOL!).
Stephanie's going bye bye. Chris lucked out, and gets another chance to prove himself.
B'd'ya b'd'ya b'd'ya...That's All Folks!
...John
I guess my wish was for Phil to go. Will someone please make him stop screaming?! I was fine with his excitement, but I got tired of the yelling and continued celebration during the "recap" portion of the show. He'll be a fun one on tour! Stephanie Edwards, the pain is over. If you look back at last night's show, Stephanie's performance was exit worthy, but she has the talent to have competed for much longer. Her problem is that she never really showed a part of her personality that made me care. She had no safety net. Melinda Doolittle can come out next week, forget her lyrics, fall down, pass out, wake up during Wednesday's show and still not be voted out because we've established that she's likeable for things other than her singing ability. It's like the Get Out of Jail Free card in Monopoly. Stephanie just never had it.
After tonight, as always, I have unanswered questions. Here they are in no particular order:
1. Wasn't it so cool how the producers listened to me (and half of the American Idol Blogdom out there) and edited in that little crying girl using grainy, black-and-white film footage? OK, that one was more of a statement framed as a question rather than a true question.
2. Where were the Hermits? Hiding out I suppose.
3. Can you fit Lulu into your purse on the airplane?
4. Why aren't they playing up how many people voted this week? Oooh! I know! I know! The stats are flat.
5. Where were the judges tonight? I feel like I hardly saw them.
6. I've asked this before, but if Ryan can rush through the elimination thing, why haven't we done this in past seasons? They could do it like the Powerball on Saturday night. Interrupt the news for a few minutes, watch the ping pong balls, show a little video montage, bada bing, bada boom! Presto! Now back to Chip with Sports.
I was fairly bored tonight, so there weren't many questions floating through my head. I wonder what next week will bring.
This genre of music was GREAT for the contestants. No matter what their style, everyone found something that really suited them. It was an awesome show!
HALEY - This was a good choice for her. She really played up her strengths!
CHRIS R. - It was pretty good! I'm not very invested in him but he did well. I loved the guitar player with him! Peter Noone was pretty rough on him (or maybe it was just edited that way...)
STEPHANIE - Great intro!!! Wow, she did a terrific job! I'm impressed! I am opposite of the judges: I like her better tonight than when she sings the more "up-tempo" songs. I really liked her!
BLAKE - I love that song and he did a wonderful job!!! He put his spin on it but didn't overdose it like before. Way to go Blake!
LAKISHA - Really well done! I think her problem (if she has one) is that she's already on top - where can she go from here? It's hard to keep in new and exciting each week.
PHIL - This song seemed to showcase the musicians over the vocals, but he did well! It was a fun song. I really liked the ending!
JORDIN - She's got a lot of energy! Her cute personality will help her with longevity in this show. REALLY REALLY GOOD! I really liked it. *Beautiful* was a good word for it.
SANJAYA - Why in the world is that girl crying? Anyway, he's right - he doesn't have the best voice in the competition, but he's improving significantly each week! I thought this was his best performance so far.
GINA - It was good! "Pitchy" seems to be the only word in Randy's vocabulary. I don't think she was abandoning who she is - here's another example of the judges telling the contestants to embrace who they are (in her case, a rocker) but then the next week they're like "that's not you". They made it way too heavy after her performance.
***Are the judges just trying to *find things* to be negative about since everyone's doing so well? Good grief!
CHRIS S. - I'm glad his glasses are back! Another quality performance. Everyone is doing *swimmingly*!!!! :)
MELINDA - Somehow she keeps it fresh, new, and exciting each week. She's PHENOMENAL!!!
TOP - This is A LOT tougher tonight. However, my favorite performances were the ones who I seem to like week after week - JORDIN and MELINDA.
BOTTOM - TOUGH TOUGH TOUGH!!! It's like trying to pick the worst of the best - they seriously all did really well tonight. I think we'll see PHIL and ???? (maybe Chris R., maybe Sanjaya, maybe Haley, maybe Gina?) in the bottom 3. Who knows!!!!!
WHAT IS UP WITH THAT CRYING GIRL????
Are you kidding me?? Is this "news?" This is a real article! Some worry that his song choices don't reflect his Christian faith. Oh, and he only mentioned Jesus once in his bio (as his #1 hero, by the way). Seriously, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! That's the kind of talk that makes me crazy. Isn't one's faith personal and not to be worn on their sleeves anyway? Had he mentioned Jesus on every line of his bio, would that really have made him "more Christian?" Honestly, it would've bugged me. If someone really has a good relationship with God or anyone else for that matter, they can shout it from the rooftops if they want to, but doing that doesn't make it so or more so. It simply IS. Give me a break. He's in a singing competition, for crying out loud. He can love Jesus all he wants, that's his personal business. But it BUGS me when people make an issue of it. (Rant Off).
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/185417/is_american_idol_chris_sligh_christian.html
Dear Lord,
I don't ask for many things. I ask to win the lottery, I ask for national "Naked Women Month", I ask for my health and perhaps a little less pain and now I ask for one more thing. Please please please God, please set several large angry dogs loose on Sanjaya. Perhaps then he might sing with some form of emotion, some level of projection but most of all, he would be in as much pain as I was last night as he butchered a favorite song of mine.
If there are any dogs left over feel free to sic them on Gina Glocksen who is supposed to be a Rock chick...she's supposed to understand the manic level that song should have reached, she's allegedly in the know when it comes to matters of both Rock and Roll. Paint It Black is the second of one of my favorite songs to be brutalized.
Phil, you better start running now you shiny headed phony. I hated your attempt to cover David Lee Roth covering the Nashville Teens hit Tobacco Road. It was smarmy and lame, it lacked interest and energy, but most of all, it was purely a ploy to sing something recognizable enough to slide into the ten crowd and be part of the tours. When the dogs are done eating Sanjaya who is just an appetizer, I hope they hunt you down.
Let's pause here for some positive comments, Lulu looks great still, Melinda is without a doubt several levels above her competition here as is LaKisha and Blake Lewis never fails to please. Chris Sligh did an excellent job of not getting voted off, but the whole warm up to the crowd comment was about you actually looking happy in the crowd rather then annoyed at how narrow the row was. Jordin Sparks stepped up again and showed how a young kid can make it in this show....Sanjaya...I'm staring at you...read that last line again. Hell, I even like Chris Richardson tonight and normally I can't get past his bad Justin Timberlake wannabe posing.
Lastly, some pity...Haley Scarnato, I know some of you don't like her, but she has a certain something about her that makes me want to say nice things. Oh wait...I know...it's that she's mostly naked...and I think she makes a perfect spokesperson for Naked Women Month.
I think Haley would be better off on the Grease show, she sounds very Broadway and not at all Pop.
I say we all wave goodbye to Phil, he's my #1 with a bullet for the bus home. Perhaps Chris Sligh's shot out to Dave from Vote For The Worst won't help Sanjaya enough to keep him from falling on his sword finally, but you never know.
So...we have our choices...I think either Haley, Phil or Sanjaya is going home tonight and unfortunately I think Haley is finally going to win something. Sorry Haley, we will miss your legs and back and bra-less outfits and the wondering of what physics are being used to suspend said mammaries.
So the only thing that would have made this night even more authentic would be to have shown that little girl (the one who was crying) using grainy file footage type film. She looked like someone straight from the JFK airport when The Beatles first arrived in the 60s. Classic! Oh, so many things to say. I hope I remember them all!
RANDOM THOUGHTS: The intern must have been doing the directing in the beginning because there were a lot of bad cuts when they introduced the contestants. Now you see them, now you don't! If the performances tell us about the mentors, then back in the day Herman's Hermits and Lulu were infinitely better than Diana Ross was. Their coaching was so much more helpful, and it showed. I can't believe someone actually referenced Kilroy tonight. How authentic! Randy's got a new cosmetic line he's pushing: Yo Factor. Why did Ryan have two mics so conspicuously placed tonight? He looked so dorky, but not as dorky as his toss the cell phone, "Oops! I broke it!" fake runaway routine. Ryan, you're better than this. I feel like I'm watching the Miss U.S.A. pageant (and not in the good way, if there is such a thing) with these Cola-Beverage-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named (but recognized by the swirl and bubbles) questions each week. What would you do for world peace? Sing good.
HALEY SCARNATO ("Tell Him" I paid way too much to be missing this much fabric): But seriously, where the hell are the clothes? No back, no legs, too much heel. This time Simon told us exactly what he was looking at. Overall, a solid performance. She seems more confident, and she must really, really want to go on tour.
CHRIS RICHARDSON ("Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" after Simon's comments): Peter Noone did a great job with Chris. He is the first one to get Chris to sing the melody. He borrowed one of Daughtry's tricks and brought out the guitar guy. He sang on tune, brought in his own style. Nice. Now if only Chris could stop singing through his nose!
STEPHANIE EDWARDS ("You Don't Have to Say You Love Me," especially since you don't): Ouch! This was a bad night for Stephanie. I have never liked her, but I've never doubted her singing talent. She is just too serious about this thing. Like her Miss U.S.A question. The hardest thing? "Picking the song" is the obvious and boring answer. Spice it up a little. Walking in this dress, sitting on these crappy stools, looking at Simon's mug each week--any of these would show more personality, which is what she needs right now 'cause the singing was off this week. Lulu may be reminded of Beyonce, but sometimes people look at me and are reminded they left the toilet seat up. Memory is a funny thing.
BLAKE LEWIS ("Time of the Season" where we break dance): The judges must have read our blog (and every other blog with any sense) because all of a sudden contemporary and individuality work. Blake made it his own, sang it well, and really "performed." It was a "Cool vibey massive yo factor edgy tasty super size quarter pounder version tonight, dawg!" Simon's right, it is a singing competition as this show was conceived, but Peter Noone hit the nail on the head: it's become more of a voting contest in reality. People should vote for Blake this week.
LAKISHA JONES ("Diamonds are Forever" they are, and if you don't believe me, I'll sing it ad nauseum): Being a huge Bond fan, I was excited at the prospect of a "shaken, not stirred" performance, but this song is not one of the best Bond themes. Lakisha can sing, blah blah blah, but the bling was the most exciting part of the performance. I did enjoy her comeback to Simon. Simon liked it, too.
PHIL STACEY ("Tobacco Row," isn't that in Virginia?): So he had fun up there. He was really feeling it. It was bad. Not terrible, but bad. And his excuses and camera mugging and pathetic kissing up and incorrect math--your number was 6, not 5!--it's old already. He seems to be trying to beg his way into the upper eschelon of this year's contestant pool, but it's not working. You never know who will end up leaving each week, but he's a strong candidate.
JORDIN SPARKS ("I Who Have Nothing" but plenty of years ahead): This was a great performance. She's got some real talent, and it shows. The fact that she's "so excited" doesn't hurt, either. If she can keep it up she'll be a legitimate contender for a while yet. She is definitely the best, young contestant we've had in 6 seasons of A.I. Wow!
SANJAYA MALAKAR ("You Really Got Me" makin' a fool of myself): Hey, if you're going out, go out having fun. When the judges don't even want to make fun of you any more it's a bad sign. I'm actually really shocked that Randy and Simon didn't rip him to shreds up there. Mad props to Sanjaya for having the cajones to do what he did, and to make no apologies for being around. If America, and by "America" I mean that sweet little girl he hugged, wants Sanjaya here, all he can do is keep on keepin' on.
GINA GLOCKSEN ("Paint it Black" and it's still crap): At least the laser show lights were hot! The thing about the Rolling Stones is they can't sing, but they have style. It's not one I particularly care for (and I understand people enjoy it better stoned out of their minds), but they do have "it" or "yo" or "dawg" or whatever it is these days. So, it's not surprising that the song is repetitive, boring, monotonous, loud, tonally impaired, etc., etc. Simon was right (gag!) on this one: it was style over substance tonight. Gina's a better singer than this song showed.
CHRIS SLIGH ("She's Not There" but I'll find her here somewhere): I'm a fan of sauntering about at a leisurely pace. It's good for digestion. But I got distracted very quickly by Chris's stroll through the crowd. He did pick the perfect song. He did sing it well. He did impress me this week. He did wear his glasses. He did fix his hair. He did enough to stick around another week or two.
MELINDA DOOLITTLE ("As Long As He Needs Me" to give him chills, I'll do it): Melinda always gives me chills, even on a song that is a bit boring. I rarely like it when singers choose songs from musicals on non-Broadway nights, but given the lack of Melinda's 1960s global awareness I'll cut her some slack. She is a consummate performer and there is no way she will not have a successful career ahead of her. Even an adequate performance from Melinda beats 99% of what A.I. shows week in and week out. She. Is. Amazing.
MY TOP 3: Blake, Chris S., Melinda/Jordin
MY BOTTOM 3: Sanjaya, Phil, Stephanie
PURCHASING A TICKET TO SEE IDOLS ON TOUR 2007: Phil (you've got a young one at home anyway--enjoy.)
So, the invasion is over. Who will be our casualty tomorrow night? Who will miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime? Tune in tomorrow--
Enough of that.
Well, that was much better, wasn't it. And the audience was on one. Geez-a-loo. I like Ryan (always have), but I like sarcastic Ryan. He's getting a bit too cheesy and dweeby for my liking. Too much "Vegasness" in his hosting. Blech. And calling that crying tween to the stage? Were they trying to give that girl an attack?
Haley Scarnato - "Tell Him"
Good song for her, you would think. But eek. It was all over the place and her outfit was distracting (Is she wearing a bra? How does one wear a bra in a shirt like that?). The look on her face after Simon's comment tells me she knows full well what she's doing when she wears those ridiculously short outfits. I think she likes her legs. And her back.
Chris Richardson - "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying"
It got better throughout. I don't really care for Chris. For some reason, I can't get into him. Not sure what it is. But I can give credit where it's due--he did a good job.
Stephanie Edwards - "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me"
What. Did she do. To that song? She was off. I haven't ever liked her. It's not her "fun" that's "missing" (I mean, has that ever shown up? Does it even exist?). I say it again. She's got the LaToya London syndrome. She thinks she's better than everyone else. Nothing wrong with confidence, but cockiness? It kicked LaToya right out of the competition. It kicked LaToya's CD (according to a reliable source) right to the .99 cent rack. A .99 cents, by the way, my friend couldn't bring herself to spend. Could Steph Stink Eye be on the way out?
Blake Lewis - "Time of a Season"
That was a PERFECT match for his voice! He's PERFECT for that genre. And his performance was HOT. I LOVE him. Very good, very sexy, very fitting, very likeable, very, very top 2 for me for him. This guy is a musician and a singer and a performer and he is tops. I can't really put this better than Randy, so I'll just repeat: "This week, you've put together a very cool, vibey, edgy, massive yo factor version of a song!" What could I possibly add to that?
LaKisha - "Diamonds are Forever"
She should've listened to Lulu and sung the other song. It was monotonous, old, boring, and a bit too Broadway for me. Though I love her comeback to Simon (so did he). Lakisha was actually bottom 6 for me tonight.
Phil Stacey - "Tobacco Row"
He has quite a range. It was a bit pitchy. I agree with Simon about him needing more "grit." Every time I start liking Phil, he kisses up to America and it BUGS me. "Did you enjoy it? I love singing for you." Bleh. Just sing, shut up, and hold up your fingers. I was liking it until he opened his mouth with that comment. I don't, however, agree with Simon about his insinuation that Phil could be headed out tomorrow. I mean, bottom 3 maybe, but if there's any mercy at all in this competition, Sanjaya will go and spare him and us all. Mind you, I thought that before hearing him sing tonight.
Jordin Sparks - "I Who Have Nothing"
"I'm So Excited!" How could anyone NOT like her?! And, while we're at it, Lulu is SO freaking adorable. Jordin is hands down the BEST "youngest contestant" this show has EVER had. That was PHE-freaking-NOMENAL. She's 17?! She's AMAZING! And so stinking cute. "Omigosh, that was so empowering and I don't even have a boyfriend!" LOL! You go, girl!
Sanjaya Malakar - "You Really Got Me"
What in the bloody hell was that? That was bloody awful, that's what that was. British Invasion indeed. To the pained girl crying in the audience: "Oh, Honey, I know. I'm crying, too. It hurts, doesn't it. Just try to block it out and have a nice glass of warm milk before bed tonight and think happy thoughts."
Gina Glocksen - "Paint It Black"
She was off. And you know it's bad when Randy starts with, "Gina, Gina, Gina, you having fun?" While we're on the topic of "fun," IS it about fun?? I get SO sick of the phrase almost always preceded by a shrug, "Well, I had fun!" As if that's enough to make us forget or not mind all the awful notes. Ohhhhh! She had fun! Well then, who cares about all of those sucky notes and uncomfortable moments! Singing competition? Bah! She had fun!! Can you hand me the phone, dear? Give me a break. What a better response would be, I don't know, but ANYTHING is better than (shrug), "Well, I had fun!" It's Season 6. Please someone come up with something better than that. Or at least something else.
Chris Sligh - "She's Not There"
That was great! Perfect on him (except for the jumping around on the stage part which would've been fine if it hadn't winded him for the next part of the song). I agree with Simon that he worked the audience fine and did indeed not need to "lick them." I kind of like hearing Simon talk Randy. "You did your thing." Well then. All right!
Melinda Dolittle - "As Long As He Needs Me"
I got chills and it was fantastic, no question. I'd like to see her do some fun stuff to mix it up. She always sings with such conviction and power that I don't want that to get old. She could sing the phone book and the look in her eye would say that in her heart of hearts and in the deepest depths of her soul she really DOES believe that if you feel you've been poorly treated by a medical professional, you really should call Schulster, Simon, and Schulster. 10 more weeks of that might get tiring and I really don't want to tire of her, because I like her a lot. Let's see some more "W-O-M-A-N!" Oh, and I think it's hilarious that Simon's in shock over meeting such a genuinely nice person. Though I know it's not the first time. Remember Season 5? Elliott? Yeah, it's my post, so I can make whatever shameless plugs I want. We got his CD today and it's fantastic and HE'S fantastic. LOVE it. Oh, and love Melinda, too.
Here's my ranking for tonight:
Jordin/Blake (Toss up for me)
Melinda
Chris R
Chris Sligh
Lakisha
Phil Stacey
Gina
Haley
Stephanie
Sanjaya
Bottom 3 - Same as my list: Haley, Stephanie, and Sanjaya
If there's any mercy at all, leaving is Sanjaya so that there's at least a decent touring Top 10.
Hi all!
Sanjaya must have heard of my Michael Jackson remark...now he's wearing a half-glove?
Simon undressed?! Please, no, Paula! If that's what she thinks about, no wonder she needs 'medicinals'... ; )
The British Invasion, eh? Isn't Simon enough?
Haley Scarnato - It was just okay for me. One of her better performances, but I didn't like the song choice as much as Randy and Paula. As dirty ol' Simon noted, her outfit helped her out a lot.
Chris Richardson - 'Don't Let The Sun Catch You Cryin' - one of my favorite songs - he starts off very weak and stays there until near the end...ramps it up to where he should have started off, and lets it die. Not good, for me. Someone singing in the dorm shower. Randy and Paula see something different. Even Simon liked it. Am I in a bad mood, or being too picky? No! This is American IDOL! You'll see what I mean when Melinda hits the stage...
Stephanie Edwards - 'You Don't Have To Say You Love Me' - another favorite, and another weak start, though she recovers fairly quickly, and takes it up a notch in the bridge. Bringing it up a notch makes her pitchy, though. A little better than Chris R and Haley. Finally the judges seem to be hearing what I'm hearing. Are they more forgiving of Chris R and Haley based on personality?
Blake Lewis - I hope for something interesting on this. 'Time Of The Season' - Good song choice if he can handle the register changes. I like it! Gives me some chills. Just enough beatbox. A smidge pitchy in spots, but overall, the best so far tonight. Paula seems to agree, by her gestures. Randy loved it, too. Simon, too, approves, even if he can't say he 'enjoyed' it. Is he capable of such a thing? Now we know why Ryan is an emcee and not a performer. Yikes!
Lakisha Jones - 'Diamonds Are Forever' - Combined with her outfit, I think it was a great song choice for showcasing her big voice. She could have used her performance for the sound track. Perfect, and lots of chills. Randy's hard on the would-be winner, but Paula makes up for it. Simon ages her along with the song, which seems absurd to me. I'm glad she can shrug it off. Randy finally gives some concrete advice about risking some runs, which she could have done.
Phil Stacey - 'Tobacco Road' - Good song choice, and he owns it pretty well. He risked losing some of his connection with the audience by running around a bit much at times, but hung in there and ended very well. Randy and Paula like it, and, of course, Simon is more critical. There's some truth in that Phil could use some grit in his voice for that song, but I don't think it's as bad as Simon says (oooo - Simon says - let's not play, shall we?).
Jordin Sparks - She's so excited! - 'I Who Have Nothing' - Lulu wants her to scream...let's see how that goes over. This is a big song, and she's a wee bit shakey until the bridge, but she really owns it from there on. Very, very good! Actually better than Lakisha tonight, and Randy agrees. Paula likes it, and Simon is disturbed because the song made him feel something. That's the point, you rube!!!
LOL at the few non-positive Brits moving over here!
Sanjaya Malakar - Wild side? This should be different. 'You Really Got Me' - OMG, the teeniebopper crying in the audience makes it clear where his votes are coming from! It's a glimmer of the Beatles effect on the female population, and he definitely picked the right song to change his image! Completely different performer, and the judges agree. Simon sees dollar signs in the tearful teeniebopper, and is completely satisfied. If he can keep it up, he'll stay in the top 6, where that performance put him. Quite a jump up the ranks!
Gina Glocksen - Gina's looking very hot tonight. Let's see if her performance matches, and she presents better than she did in the interview with Ryan. 'Paint It Black' - She starts pretty far off key, but gets back quickly. She doesn't have the tension in her body to project the song with the power it needs. She definitely improves towards the end, but it wasn't enough for me. Simon overkills the criticism, but there's some truth in what he says.
Chris Sligh - I'm thinking he'll do well with this theme. 'She's Not There' - a pretty limited song, with a lot of repetitive words and chords. But Sligh OWNS the song, and connects well with the audience. Very good, but not the best tonight, which is what Simon finally pronounces, as well.
Melinda Doolittle - saving the best for last, eh? Good move, and they know it. 'As Long As He Needs Me' - another favorite of mine, and very challenging, but if anyone can do it, Melinda can. Right from the start, her enunciation and phrasing are excellent. Starting seated, she is clearly aiming for a 'moment', which is very ambitious with this song. But she pulls it off and makes the teeniebopper and me both tearful. Simon's 'impeccable' is the right word.
My tops for the night: Melinda, Jordin, Sanjaya (believe it or not), and Lakisha, in that order.
My bottoms for the night: Stephanie, Haley, Gina, Chris R, in rough order.
Letting the sun catch him crying: Chris R, though the judges think differently.
Later days!
...John
