So, here we are at the bittersweet conclusion to what was, in the end, a revival for the Idol franchise which looked dead a year ago. There were still bumps in the road but my faith was restored enough that I am excited to see the show crank up again next winter. By this point, I think most people have already decided who they want to win it all and I doubt that any performance from this evening will change any minds. I may be imagining things but didn't they make a big deal out of the fact that Taio Cruz was participating in some sort of songwriting competition that would be the coronation song at the end of the season? If so, I guess they smartly decided that Taio wouldn't have anything that Scotty or Lauren would be interested in.
Scotty: Scotty showed lots of character by deferring to Lauren even though he won the toss to determine performance order. To pay him back for his kindness, the producers made sure that the judges heaped so much praise upon Lauren that it was easy to see who they hope pulls out the win for the Season. I am confident that little girls all over the country will make sure that Uncle Nigel does not get what he was wishing for, however. Scotty sang "Gone", "Check Yes or No", and "I Love You This Big". "Gone" was much better the first time he sang it, however, it was still a solid performance. "Check Yes or No" was a pick by George Strait and I am not sure that it did Scotty any favors. This was the first time that Scotty seemed nervous while singing all season. Luckily for Scotty, Lauren fared no better. "I Love You This Big" is not an overly complex song but it's simple message will touch his audience and get out their votes. It was very sweet that both of Scotty's parents were crying during his performance.
Lauren: Lauren started the evening with Ryan pointing out that she had blown a vocal chord during rehearsals. Lauren sang "Flat on the Floor, "Maybe it was Memphis" and "Like My Mother Does". "Flat on the Floor" was not my favorite the first time around and my opinion on it didn't improve tonight. Much like George Strait, Carrie Underwood didn't really do Lauren any favors with her pick of "Maybe it was Memphis" for Lauren either. I am not a fan of the song and I was not impressed by Lauren's singing of it either. "Like My Mother Does" was designed to tug the heartstrings and get out the vote. Though it was just as hokey as Scotty's song, it was better written and gave Lauren an advantage in the final round. Unfortunately for her, Scotty has had a stronghold on this competition all season and I don't think he has any intention of giving it up now.
Did everyone see my favorite Idol, David Cook, at the end? LOVED IT! :)
Who will win?: No shock this season. Scotty will take this one hands down.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Season 10 - Top 3: The Top 3 Sing 3
Only two weeks of performances left to go in Season 10 and I am getting a little sad that it will all be over soon. This top three is the best that I can remember and I will be a little sad about whoever goes home. Please pardon the shortened comments this week, I got a late start and have to work in the morning. Here we go...
Round 1: They Pick For Themselves
Scotty - "Amazed": My boy Scotty showed some range with this one that I wasn't sure was in his toolbox. He got a little drowned out by the "backup" singers during the middle of the song but I am not going to hold that against him because they obviously do not know how to reign it in and back up the lead singer. They do it to everyone. This was the first of three strong performances for the night. Score: A-
Lauren: "Wild One": Of all the Faith Hill songs, why did Lauren have to pick this one? She always has a hard time keeping her breath during the fast songs and it was a problem for her with this song. I know that she can't sing a ballad for every song but there just had to be something that would showcase her more than this like "This Kiss" from Faith or, here is a wild idea, another Miranda Lambert song since she did so well with "Gunpowder & Lead" during the results show last week. Score: B-
Haley - "What Is and What Should Never Be": Who knew that Haley was the real rocker this season? This was absolutely amazing and the fact that she didn't really miss a beat when she fell showed true poise. To quote Randy, "she is in it to win it baby!". Score: A+
Round 1 Winner: Haley
Round 2: Jimmy Iovine is the Man when it comes to picking songs!
Scotty- "Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not?": I will admit that I was very doubtful when they announced the song that Jimmy had picked for Scotty but I shouldn't have worried. It was an absolutely perfect pick for him. He showed more talent in this one song that he has all season. I can't wait to download it. I must disagree with Jennifer about Scotty's hair though. He looks much better now than during his Short Hair Don't Care days. I hope he leaves it alone. Score: A+
Lauren - "If I Die Young": Another great pick by Jimmy that fit Lauren perfectly. It was going really well until she flubbed the middle and then she seemed to be trying to make up for it with a little over singing which just seemed like screaming to me. Score for the first half: A Score for the whole song: B+
Haley - "Rhiannon": Haley was completely channelling Stevie Nicks during her performance though I was a little concerned that she was going to be blown off stage by the wind machines. If the choruses had been in full voice and not reserved and soft then she would have taken Scotty in this round as well. Despite her loss, this was still really, really good. Score: A
Round 2 Winner: Scotty
Round 2.1: Beyonce video that went on for so long that they had to cut it off for a commercial break and then felt the need to keep reminding us that we could watch it online. No, thank you. Score: F
Round 2.1 Loser: Beyonce. She is better than this God awful song. Leave this to the "artists" that can't actually sing, Beyonce, like Ke$ha. You are better than this.
Round 3: Judges' Pick
Scotty - "She Believes in Me": I believe in Scotty and that he is in it to win it! ;) He really came together this week to deliver three solid performances and this was the icing on the cake. This was tender, heartfelt and sung perfectly. Score: A
Lauren - "I Hope You Dance": Lauren did a really good job with this one but it felt really karaoke to me. I think that it may have been the dress and the "pageant" feel to the production that was throwing me off. She did a good job with the singing but I am just saying... Score: A-
Haley - "You Oughta Know": I am going to ignore the start of the song since they made her sing the generic lyrics that make no sense at all. Once she got past the first couple of lines, it was a slam dunk. Her growl is perfect for the anthem for women done wrong. Score: A
Round 3 Winner: Haley
Should Be Top 2: Scotty and Haley
Will Be Top 2: Scotty and Lauren
Round 1: They Pick For Themselves
Scotty - "Amazed": My boy Scotty showed some range with this one that I wasn't sure was in his toolbox. He got a little drowned out by the "backup" singers during the middle of the song but I am not going to hold that against him because they obviously do not know how to reign it in and back up the lead singer. They do it to everyone. This was the first of three strong performances for the night. Score: A-
Lauren: "Wild One": Of all the Faith Hill songs, why did Lauren have to pick this one? She always has a hard time keeping her breath during the fast songs and it was a problem for her with this song. I know that she can't sing a ballad for every song but there just had to be something that would showcase her more than this like "This Kiss" from Faith or, here is a wild idea, another Miranda Lambert song since she did so well with "Gunpowder & Lead" during the results show last week. Score: B-
Haley - "What Is and What Should Never Be": Who knew that Haley was the real rocker this season? This was absolutely amazing and the fact that she didn't really miss a beat when she fell showed true poise. To quote Randy, "she is in it to win it baby!". Score: A+
Round 1 Winner: Haley
Round 2: Jimmy Iovine is the Man when it comes to picking songs!
Scotty- "Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not?": I will admit that I was very doubtful when they announced the song that Jimmy had picked for Scotty but I shouldn't have worried. It was an absolutely perfect pick for him. He showed more talent in this one song that he has all season. I can't wait to download it. I must disagree with Jennifer about Scotty's hair though. He looks much better now than during his Short Hair Don't Care days. I hope he leaves it alone. Score: A+
Lauren - "If I Die Young": Another great pick by Jimmy that fit Lauren perfectly. It was going really well until she flubbed the middle and then she seemed to be trying to make up for it with a little over singing which just seemed like screaming to me. Score for the first half: A Score for the whole song: B+
Haley - "Rhiannon": Haley was completely channelling Stevie Nicks during her performance though I was a little concerned that she was going to be blown off stage by the wind machines. If the choruses had been in full voice and not reserved and soft then she would have taken Scotty in this round as well. Despite her loss, this was still really, really good. Score: A
Round 2 Winner: Scotty
Round 2.1: Beyonce video that went on for so long that they had to cut it off for a commercial break and then felt the need to keep reminding us that we could watch it online. No, thank you. Score: F
Round 2.1 Loser: Beyonce. She is better than this God awful song. Leave this to the "artists" that can't actually sing, Beyonce, like Ke$ha. You are better than this.
Round 3: Judges' Pick
Scotty - "She Believes in Me": I believe in Scotty and that he is in it to win it! ;) He really came together this week to deliver three solid performances and this was the icing on the cake. This was tender, heartfelt and sung perfectly. Score: A
Lauren - "I Hope You Dance": Lauren did a really good job with this one but it felt really karaoke to me. I think that it may have been the dress and the "pageant" feel to the production that was throwing me off. She did a good job with the singing but I am just saying... Score: A-
Haley - "You Oughta Know": I am going to ignore the start of the song since they made her sing the generic lyrics that make no sense at all. Once she got past the first couple of lines, it was a slam dunk. Her growl is perfect for the anthem for women done wrong. Score: A
Round 3 Winner: Haley
Should Be Top 2: Scotty and Haley
Will Be Top 2: Scotty and Lauren
Season 10 - Top 4: Inspirational & Leiber/Stoller Meet Gaga
I contemplated muting all judges comments this week after the 'Haley Fiasco' from last week but against better judgement I decided to give them one more try. I am such a silly girl. Jennifer and Randy are dead to me (though JLo looked like she may have had a little extra life given to her upper lip this week). I am not interested in anything that they have to say after this week. I am giving Steven a pass because, even though he is usually ineffective and uninspired, he championed the underdog and earned my gratitude. As I sit to write this, I find myself filled with a cynical bitter distaste for the judges and the show. Please forgive me.
Round 1 (Inspiration Songs)
James - "Don't Stop Believing": I thought this was a hot mess. It was overly screechy, pitchy and very uneven. Of course, the useless judges thought it was the "indication of what was yet to come". Was it just me or was James a little over confident this week? Actually, I thought he was down right cocky to the point that he made Adam Lambert seem somewhat modest and you all know how much I "loved" Screech. He is walking a very thin line with me.
Haley - "Earthsong": I am not going to say that this was as good as "House of the Rising Sun" was last week but it was better than James' first or second song and she was completely mistreated by the judges. Simon had a reputation for being mean but I don't know that he was ever as mean to a contestant as the tag team of Randy and JLo were tonight. Randy then felt the need to deal just one more blow when he announced that every performance from round 1 was the best except for Haley. I know that the judges are pushing to make sure that Haley does not disrupt their vision for the final three and, after this, I honestly think Haley will be better off when she gets sent home tomorrow. She needs to go before the judges can cause permanent damage. This is who they are casting stones at?!?!?! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=035GStnLOaI
Scotty - "Where Were You": I am not going to say that this was a flawless performance but it was really darn good. Scotty is better without the backup singers so he should nix them for all future shows. I know that Scotty is going to coast to a win but he would actually be better off to just let James have it so that he can escape the drivel that will be the "winning" song and put out an album free of the stank that is songs written by Ryan Tedder and Kara DioGuardi.
Lauren - "Anyway": Just as it was written, little Lauren came out of her shell tonight to finally hit the big notes. She did a really good job with the song which would have been even more impressive if the producers hadn't come up with this poor little Lauren storyline a few weeks back. Now I just felt like I was being manipulated, because I/we was/were, which took all the joy out of it.
Round 1 Winner: Scotty
Round 1 Loser: James
Round 2 (Lieber & Stoller)
Haley - "I Who Have Nothing": This song belonged to Jordin Sparks for me before tonight. Now, it belongs to Haley. She had the "moment" of the week again this week. Of course, it doesn't matter because she is going home tomorrow. This was a perfect swan song for her and the perfect fit for her place in the competition as the lonely contestant that gets no love.
Scotty - "Young Blood": There was nothing funnier than Scotty's interaction with Gaga. I think he may have been a little scared. ;) There was nothing wrong with the vocal performance. He hit all the notes but the whole thing seemed a little over-the-top corny to me. I still love him but I am just saying...
Lauren - "Trouble": This was a solid performance. It didn't really require a lot vocally but Lauren was able to bring more confidence than she usually shows. Lauren is much better when singing than during her interview packages. She should sing more and talk less.
James - "Love Potion #9": ...or more of the same from Round 1. Screeching? Check. Wonky notes? Check. Huge production? Check. So, if you weren't convinced that the powers that be DEMAND that James be in the final three then you need look no further than tonight's episode where he not only got to start and end the show but both were huge productions and they even let him get away with the God awful glory noting at the end of this song. I am now officially over him.
Round 2 Winner: Haley
Round 2 Loser: James
Should Go Home: James
Will Go Home: Haley
Round 1 (Inspiration Songs)
James - "Don't Stop Believing": I thought this was a hot mess. It was overly screechy, pitchy and very uneven. Of course, the useless judges thought it was the "indication of what was yet to come". Was it just me or was James a little over confident this week? Actually, I thought he was down right cocky to the point that he made Adam Lambert seem somewhat modest and you all know how much I "loved" Screech. He is walking a very thin line with me.
Haley - "Earthsong": I am not going to say that this was as good as "House of the Rising Sun" was last week but it was better than James' first or second song and she was completely mistreated by the judges. Simon had a reputation for being mean but I don't know that he was ever as mean to a contestant as the tag team of Randy and JLo were tonight. Randy then felt the need to deal just one more blow when he announced that every performance from round 1 was the best except for Haley. I know that the judges are pushing to make sure that Haley does not disrupt their vision for the final three and, after this, I honestly think Haley will be better off when she gets sent home tomorrow. She needs to go before the judges can cause permanent damage. This is who they are casting stones at?!?!?! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=035GStnLOaI
Scotty - "Where Were You": I am not going to say that this was a flawless performance but it was really darn good. Scotty is better without the backup singers so he should nix them for all future shows. I know that Scotty is going to coast to a win but he would actually be better off to just let James have it so that he can escape the drivel that will be the "winning" song and put out an album free of the stank that is songs written by Ryan Tedder and Kara DioGuardi.
Lauren - "Anyway": Just as it was written, little Lauren came out of her shell tonight to finally hit the big notes. She did a really good job with the song which would have been even more impressive if the producers hadn't come up with this poor little Lauren storyline a few weeks back. Now I just felt like I was being manipulated, because I/we was/were, which took all the joy out of it.
Round 1 Winner: Scotty
Round 1 Loser: James
Round 2 (Lieber & Stoller)
Haley - "I Who Have Nothing": This song belonged to Jordin Sparks for me before tonight. Now, it belongs to Haley. She had the "moment" of the week again this week. Of course, it doesn't matter because she is going home tomorrow. This was a perfect swan song for her and the perfect fit for her place in the competition as the lonely contestant that gets no love.
Scotty - "Young Blood": There was nothing funnier than Scotty's interaction with Gaga. I think he may have been a little scared. ;) There was nothing wrong with the vocal performance. He hit all the notes but the whole thing seemed a little over-the-top corny to me. I still love him but I am just saying...
Lauren - "Trouble": This was a solid performance. It didn't really require a lot vocally but Lauren was able to bring more confidence than she usually shows. Lauren is much better when singing than during her interview packages. She should sing more and talk less.
James - "Love Potion #9": ...or more of the same from Round 1. Screeching? Check. Wonky notes? Check. Huge production? Check. So, if you weren't convinced that the powers that be DEMAND that James be in the final three then you need look no further than tonight's episode where he not only got to start and end the show but both were huge productions and they even let him get away with the God awful glory noting at the end of this song. I am now officially over him.
Round 2 Winner: Haley
Round 2 Loser: James
Should Go Home: James
Will Go Home: Haley
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Season 10 - Top 5: Now and Then aka "A Moment Like This"
Who is in it to win it?!? According to Randy, everyone has been for the past few weeks except for Haley . Sheryl Crow is the mentor this week which just shows how far she has fallen since a few years ago when she was bashing the show. Welcome to selling out, Sheryl! I have been grumbling all season about changes that I would like TPTB to make to the show for next year. I have finally figured out what I want and it will be an easy fix for the show and save the production company a lot of money as well. Fire all the judges and do not replace them! Just let Ryan introduce the contestants/video segments, then we can jump straight to the performances and voting. Not only will it save money and time but it will save my last thread of patience as well. JLo is dead to me after tonight! Seriously. Steven doesn't seem to know any better and we all knew that Randy was full of too much hot air. She had the most potential and I am holding her responsible for the mockery that the judging panel has become. To pay homage to the most irritating phrase on the show and our pathetic judges, I am going to rate everyone on whether or not they are "In It To Win It!".
Round 1: Current Songs
James - "Closer to the Edge": I didn't get it. The sound was not mixed correctly. At some points you could barely hear the music. James was screechy and the moving around he did only made it worse. Not that it matters because the judges were instructed to give him a tongue bath regardless. Still, "He's in it to win it"! Barf. If he wanted it as much as Randy thinks he does then he would have picked a different song and sang it better. My score: NOT In It To Win It!
Jacob - "No Air": Jacob, you don't have a chance to win Idol. You also can not sing as well as Jordin Sparks or dance as well as Chris Brown. It sounded like someone was skinning cats. Off pitch, screechy and just freaking awful. Jennifer it is not only important for Jacob to find his niche in the business but it is also important for him to pick songs that he can actually sing. This is not one of them. I can't believe Randy actually attempted to call him on it. Unfortunately, he also told him that he sings like Luther which is not correct either. I don't know who is voting for Jacob but I hope they go to bed early tonight and forget to vote. My score: NOT IN IT TO WIN IT!
Lauren - "Flat on the Floor": Lauren was the first performance that showed any promise of the evening. It was a little breathy but at least it was lively and not all over the place like the first two guys. I am still waiting on Lauren to return to a ballad that will accentuate her voice. I don't know if it is Lauren's idea to draw comparisons to Carrie Underwood or not but I think she should abandon that tack immediately and concentrate on making her own name. My score: in it to win it,
Scotty - "Gone": Holy cow! Scotty is THE MAN! It was a side of him that we have never seen before and I really loved it. It was high octane, low corn brilliance and he couldn't have done it any better. My score: IN IT TO WIN IT!
Haley - "You and I": Haley was awesome but, of course, she can't get any respect for it. The judges followed script and bashed Haley so much that she actually thought that it was really bad. Hopefully, she has someone close to her (Casey?) that can let her know how full of crap the judges are. I think I may have to start muting the sound during the judges comments. My score: In It To Win It! (unfortunately, it doesn't matter for her since they want her gone)
Round 1 Winners: Scotty! and Haley
Round 1 Loser: Jacob
Round 2: Songs from the 60's and 70's
James - "Without You": I know that the judges thought that it was his "Moment" and it started off okay but I was not a fan of the screechy end and he has been better. My score: In It To Win It.
Jacob - "Love Hurts": I would rather have heard Sheryl sing this one. Love hurts and so does going home buddy. Hanibal Lechter was in the audience waiting on you. Please get out so that Haley can stay. My score: So not in it to win it that I wish he would go home right now!
Lauren - "Unchained Melody": I have been waiting since Elton John week for Lauren to sing another ballad that will showcase her voice unlike the bouncing drivel that she has been singing lately. I think that she left out some high notes near the end that she should have left in but it was so much better than anything she has done in the past few weeks. My score: In It To Win It!!
Scotty - "Always on my Mind": The last time this was done well by someone from the Carolinas it was Fantasia. No one feels a song like Fantasia so Scotty couldn't live up to her on that scale but with the exception of a couple of misplaced notes it was really, really good. My score: In It To Win It!
Haley - "House of the Rising Sun": The best performance of the night and the season. Period. This was the biggest "Moment" of the season. My score: THIS SHOULD WIN HER THE COMPETITION! (but will probably end up being her swan song).
Round 2 Winner: HALEY!
Round 2 Loser: Jacob
Should Go Home: Jacob
Will Go Home: Haley
Round 1: Current Songs
James - "Closer to the Edge": I didn't get it. The sound was not mixed correctly. At some points you could barely hear the music. James was screechy and the moving around he did only made it worse. Not that it matters because the judges were instructed to give him a tongue bath regardless. Still, "He's in it to win it"! Barf. If he wanted it as much as Randy thinks he does then he would have picked a different song and sang it better. My score: NOT In It To Win It!
Jacob - "No Air": Jacob, you don't have a chance to win Idol. You also can not sing as well as Jordin Sparks or dance as well as Chris Brown. It sounded like someone was skinning cats. Off pitch, screechy and just freaking awful. Jennifer it is not only important for Jacob to find his niche in the business but it is also important for him to pick songs that he can actually sing. This is not one of them. I can't believe Randy actually attempted to call him on it. Unfortunately, he also told him that he sings like Luther which is not correct either. I don't know who is voting for Jacob but I hope they go to bed early tonight and forget to vote. My score: NOT IN IT TO WIN IT!
Lauren - "Flat on the Floor": Lauren was the first performance that showed any promise of the evening. It was a little breathy but at least it was lively and not all over the place like the first two guys. I am still waiting on Lauren to return to a ballad that will accentuate her voice. I don't know if it is Lauren's idea to draw comparisons to Carrie Underwood or not but I think she should abandon that tack immediately and concentrate on making her own name. My score: in it to win it,
Scotty - "Gone": Holy cow! Scotty is THE MAN! It was a side of him that we have never seen before and I really loved it. It was high octane, low corn brilliance and he couldn't have done it any better. My score: IN IT TO WIN IT!
Haley - "You and I": Haley was awesome but, of course, she can't get any respect for it. The judges followed script and bashed Haley so much that she actually thought that it was really bad. Hopefully, she has someone close to her (Casey?) that can let her know how full of crap the judges are. I think I may have to start muting the sound during the judges comments. My score: In It To Win It! (unfortunately, it doesn't matter for her since they want her gone)
Round 1 Winners: Scotty! and Haley
Round 1 Loser: Jacob
Round 2: Songs from the 60's and 70's
James - "Without You": I know that the judges thought that it was his "Moment" and it started off okay but I was not a fan of the screechy end and he has been better. My score: In It To Win It.
Jacob - "Love Hurts": I would rather have heard Sheryl sing this one. Love hurts and so does going home buddy. Hanibal Lechter was in the audience waiting on you. Please get out so that Haley can stay. My score: So not in it to win it that I wish he would go home right now!
Lauren - "Unchained Melody": I have been waiting since Elton John week for Lauren to sing another ballad that will showcase her voice unlike the bouncing drivel that she has been singing lately. I think that she left out some high notes near the end that she should have left in but it was so much better than anything she has done in the past few weeks. My score: In It To Win It!!
Scotty - "Always on my Mind": The last time this was done well by someone from the Carolinas it was Fantasia. No one feels a song like Fantasia so Scotty couldn't live up to her on that scale but with the exception of a couple of misplaced notes it was really, really good. My score: In It To Win It!
Haley - "House of the Rising Sun": The best performance of the night and the season. Period. This was the biggest "Moment" of the season. My score: THIS SHOULD WIN HER THE COMPETITION! (but will probably end up being her swan song).
Round 2 Winner: HALEY!
Round 2 Loser: Jacob
Should Go Home: Jacob
Will Go Home: Haley
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Season 10 - Top 6: Songs of Carole King
Another week, another dated theme. At least we got a new mentor this week and Will.i.am was nowhere to be seen. :) The disturbing thing about that is that the mentor was Babyface and he now has gray hair. Geez, I am old! Also, what was up with Randy's sweater? It was like a throwback to Grease gone bad. Has he enrolled in Rydell High? There is no reason for people that make that much money to look so ridiculous on television. The judges must have attended school this week to learn their lines for critiquing each of the contestants as that is the only thing that makes who got positive comments and who got negative comments make sense. Not sure what the agenda was but it was grating on my nerves.
Jacob - "Not My Baby": It doesn't matter what I think of Jacob's singing because the judges are guaranteed to love it no matter what. Steven mentioned that the strutting part of his performance is what has been missing to this point. I thought the dancing was ridiculous and did not help the performance at all. He should never do it again. Ever. He should also be in the bottom two with Casey.
Lauren - "Where You Lead": I don't really care for the song but I thought that Lauren did a decent job with it and hit the notes. It was a playful performance but I don't know if it really showed us anything new from her. As an aside, I am not sure if the show or her mother is responsible for the Tammy Faye lashes but they need to go away immediately.
Casey and Haley - - "I Feel The Earth Move": Haley was great by herself but the duet with Casey just did not work for me this time. I thought Casey was horrid and brought the entire thing down with his out of tune grunting..
Scotty - "You've Got A Friend": I was expecting disaster this week since I couldn't find a song from Carole King with "country" in the title. I was thoroughly impressed though. He showed us more range than he has in the competition so far. He also reigned in the twitchy eyebrows until the very end of the song. :) This was not only his best performance of the season but the best of the night. He didn't get proper credit for it from the majority of the judges, of course, but then that wasn't part of the script written for them, I guess. Only Steven (gasp!) seemed to get how awesome this was. It doesn't really matter though because Scotty was once again the first contestant to be marked "safe" on Dial Idol about 15 minutes after the show went off so he should continue to be fine.
James - "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?": This should not have worked for James but it came close. The opening verse was very impressive. I, like Steven, wasn't overly fond of the "rock" start to the second verse but it grew on me and then he ruined it all by falling into his standard screeching and screaming to end the song. There is potential there but I don't think that TPTB at Idol can help direct him to it. They are ruining any talent that he does have by leading him down the wrong path. Not the best of the night.
Lauren and Scotty - "Up on the Roof": I thought that, individually, each of them did a great job with the song. The "duet" portions were sometimes off and the harmonies were just not getting there.
Casey - "Hidy Ho": This did nothing for me. It was a perfect song for Casey to growl over but I found it boring and couldn't wait for it to end. I also can't wait for him to go home. Please let it be this week unless Jacob goes this week and then he can get out next week.
Haley - "Beautiful": I thought Haley did another beautiful (no pun intended) job with her song this week. This is two very solid performances from her in a row. I know that it will do her no good as she will return to the bottom three regardless but I certainly hope that she makes it to, at least, the top 4.
Jacob and James - "I'm Into Something Good": Whoever came up with this pairing on this song is truly warped. The suits didn't do favors for either guy and this was one of the oddest things that I have ever seen on television. Both guys will get a pass from me though since this was not fair to either of them.
The Best: Scotty
The Worst: Casey and Jacob
Should Go Home: Casey
Will Go Home: Casey or Jacob
Jacob - "Not My Baby": It doesn't matter what I think of Jacob's singing because the judges are guaranteed to love it no matter what. Steven mentioned that the strutting part of his performance is what has been missing to this point. I thought the dancing was ridiculous and did not help the performance at all. He should never do it again. Ever. He should also be in the bottom two with Casey.
Lauren - "Where You Lead": I don't really care for the song but I thought that Lauren did a decent job with it and hit the notes. It was a playful performance but I don't know if it really showed us anything new from her. As an aside, I am not sure if the show or her mother is responsible for the Tammy Faye lashes but they need to go away immediately.
Casey and Haley - - "I Feel The Earth Move": Haley was great by herself but the duet with Casey just did not work for me this time. I thought Casey was horrid and brought the entire thing down with his out of tune grunting..
Scotty - "You've Got A Friend": I was expecting disaster this week since I couldn't find a song from Carole King with "country" in the title. I was thoroughly impressed though. He showed us more range than he has in the competition so far. He also reigned in the twitchy eyebrows until the very end of the song. :) This was not only his best performance of the season but the best of the night. He didn't get proper credit for it from the majority of the judges, of course, but then that wasn't part of the script written for them, I guess. Only Steven (gasp!) seemed to get how awesome this was. It doesn't really matter though because Scotty was once again the first contestant to be marked "safe" on Dial Idol about 15 minutes after the show went off so he should continue to be fine.
James - "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?": This should not have worked for James but it came close. The opening verse was very impressive. I, like Steven, wasn't overly fond of the "rock" start to the second verse but it grew on me and then he ruined it all by falling into his standard screeching and screaming to end the song. There is potential there but I don't think that TPTB at Idol can help direct him to it. They are ruining any talent that he does have by leading him down the wrong path. Not the best of the night.
Lauren and Scotty - "Up on the Roof": I thought that, individually, each of them did a great job with the song. The "duet" portions were sometimes off and the harmonies were just not getting there.
Casey - "Hidy Ho": This did nothing for me. It was a perfect song for Casey to growl over but I found it boring and couldn't wait for it to end. I also can't wait for him to go home. Please let it be this week unless Jacob goes this week and then he can get out next week.
Haley - "Beautiful": I thought Haley did another beautiful (no pun intended) job with her song this week. This is two very solid performances from her in a row. I know that it will do her no good as she will return to the bottom three regardless but I certainly hope that she makes it to, at least, the top 4.
Jacob and James - "I'm Into Something Good": Whoever came up with this pairing on this song is truly warped. The suits didn't do favors for either guy and this was one of the oddest things that I have ever seen on television. Both guys will get a pass from me though since this was not fair to either of them.
The Best: Scotty
The Worst: Casey and Jacob
Should Go Home: Casey
Will Go Home: Casey or Jacob
Monday, April 25, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Season 10 - Top 7: Songs from the 21st century
In their quest to "mix it up" this week the producers brought back those who have been sent home so far from the Top 13 to take on "So What" from Pink. I wish that they had cut this and some of the other fluff so that the show would have only run an hour instead. It was only somewhat mind numbing before Paul joined in and helped them butcher it. TPTB obviously had a talk with the judges and possibly even wrote down some critiques for them to use this week. Unfortunately, they used up everything they had after the first performer and then went tongue bath all the way to the end of the show.
Scotty - "Swingin'": He kind of cheated this week because this song is quite a bit older than the 21st century. I just knew that he was going to bust out the Josh Turner so he surprised me. I will agree that this was a very safe pick for Scotty that didn't demand too much. It wasn't bad but it didn't blow me away either.
James - "Uprising": This was a shriek fest. I get what he was trying to do and I will give him props for continually picking a song that hasn't been done on Idol before, however, I think this song hasn't been done before for a reason. For the past few weeks, James has really struggled with the lower notes. His combination of send-the-dogs-running-for-the-hills screeching and too low mumbling during the chorus was a drain on this one. It was the most theatrical of the night but it was definitely not the best. He should pay close attention to David Cook during the results show so that David can show him how it should be done.
Haley - "Rolling in the Deep": I was very scared for Haley when she said that she had picked this song as I was not sure that she could handle Adele but she proved me wrong. This was my favorite performance of the night and I hope that she will not make a visit to the bottom three this week because she is not deserving.
Jacob - "Dance with my Father": The judges have got to stop comparing Jacob to Luther. There is no comparison. Luther had a beautiful rich, clear voice that Jacob just can't seem to find. I am not saying that it is not in him somewhere. We have seen scant traces of it over the past month and half but it is so buried in the trembling vibrato and over the tops shrieks and vocalizations that I am not sure if it can be found. Shocker! This was too Lusky Stank for me.
Casey - "Harder to Breathe": I was ready for Casey to go home last week. Heck, I was ready to put him on my list of people to go home this week before he even started to perform. He changed my mind tonight. I would like to point out that he sings much better than Adam Levine live. We sat through that Maroon 5 disaster a few seasons ago and it's horrible refrains are still stuck in my brain. As an aside, the are letting Adam Levine judge on The Voice which is some sort of sadistic joke because, without hearing one of their contestants sing, I can promise you that all of them sing better than Adam. Casey's vocal was great but he still needs work on his stage presence. The evil marching back and forth across the stage were just not doing it for me.
Stefano - "Closer": They spent a lot of time telling us how good looking and super talented Stefano was during his taped package tonight. Oh, and he is a "ladies man" too. Whatever! I hope the ladies man goes home this week. Stefano is not nearly as good looking or as talented as he thinks that he is. I could not be more over him.
Lauren - "Born to Fly": Of all the songs, I am not sure why Lauren picked this one. I truly thought that this would be her week to shine and, with the right song, I think that she would have. She did not do a bad job with the vocals but it seemed very karaoke to me and she didn't even try to hit any of the hard notes. If Lauren wants to stick around to the end then she is going to need to step it up and start having solid performances week after week. For some reason the teenage girls are keeping her out of the bottom so she needs to take advantage of that now.
Should Go Home: I am begging for Stefano to go but I will not argue if they send home Jacob. As of right now, DialIdol is showing Stefano, Casey and Haley (NO!) in the danger zone. I will be hoping that Haley is saved.
Scotty - "Swingin'": He kind of cheated this week because this song is quite a bit older than the 21st century. I just knew that he was going to bust out the Josh Turner so he surprised me. I will agree that this was a very safe pick for Scotty that didn't demand too much. It wasn't bad but it didn't blow me away either.
James - "Uprising": This was a shriek fest. I get what he was trying to do and I will give him props for continually picking a song that hasn't been done on Idol before, however, I think this song hasn't been done before for a reason. For the past few weeks, James has really struggled with the lower notes. His combination of send-the-dogs-running-for-the-hills screeching and too low mumbling during the chorus was a drain on this one. It was the most theatrical of the night but it was definitely not the best. He should pay close attention to David Cook during the results show so that David can show him how it should be done.
Haley - "Rolling in the Deep": I was very scared for Haley when she said that she had picked this song as I was not sure that she could handle Adele but she proved me wrong. This was my favorite performance of the night and I hope that she will not make a visit to the bottom three this week because she is not deserving.
Jacob - "Dance with my Father": The judges have got to stop comparing Jacob to Luther. There is no comparison. Luther had a beautiful rich, clear voice that Jacob just can't seem to find. I am not saying that it is not in him somewhere. We have seen scant traces of it over the past month and half but it is so buried in the trembling vibrato and over the tops shrieks and vocalizations that I am not sure if it can be found. Shocker! This was too Lusky Stank for me.
Casey - "Harder to Breathe": I was ready for Casey to go home last week. Heck, I was ready to put him on my list of people to go home this week before he even started to perform. He changed my mind tonight. I would like to point out that he sings much better than Adam Levine live. We sat through that Maroon 5 disaster a few seasons ago and it's horrible refrains are still stuck in my brain. As an aside, the are letting Adam Levine judge on The Voice which is some sort of sadistic joke because, without hearing one of their contestants sing, I can promise you that all of them sing better than Adam. Casey's vocal was great but he still needs work on his stage presence. The evil marching back and forth across the stage were just not doing it for me.
Stefano - "Closer": They spent a lot of time telling us how good looking and super talented Stefano was during his taped package tonight. Oh, and he is a "ladies man" too. Whatever! I hope the ladies man goes home this week. Stefano is not nearly as good looking or as talented as he thinks that he is. I could not be more over him.
Lauren - "Born to Fly": Of all the songs, I am not sure why Lauren picked this one. I truly thought that this would be her week to shine and, with the right song, I think that she would have. She did not do a bad job with the vocals but it seemed very karaoke to me and she didn't even try to hit any of the hard notes. If Lauren wants to stick around to the end then she is going to need to step it up and start having solid performances week after week. For some reason the teenage girls are keeping her out of the bottom so she needs to take advantage of that now.
Should Go Home: I am begging for Stefano to go but I will not argue if they send home Jacob. As of right now, DialIdol is showing Stefano, Casey and Haley (NO!) in the danger zone. I will be hoping that Haley is saved.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Season 10: Top 8 - Scary Movie(s)
Oh my God, Dawg! Frickin' Will.i.am, again? For me, for you, for me, the judges have continued their trend of not giving any constructive criticism at all. Not everyone is good every week but you wouldn't know that because we were six contestants in before anyone was criticized and she was not the worst performance to that point so it wasn't even fair. We were obviously hearing things on television that the studio audience did not. Was is me or were at least 5 of the contestants off from the music or overpowered by the backup singers? After 10 years, Idol should know better than to let that happen. If it was just one person then I would blame the contestant but it was obviously a mixing issue with the audio that was being recorded. Yo, yo, yo, this week was a complete let down for me. The "this show doesn't suck as much as it did last season" glow was produced right off of me and by the end of the night I was in a total funk and missing Simon. It is obvious that TPTB still need to tweak elements of the show. They need to start with a judge who isn't afraid of making America mad at them and add someone who was born since 1975 to pick the themes for next year. If it has been done before then it is not eligible for consideration. Period.
Paul - "Old Time Rock & Roll": Paul must have gotten a deal on his suit. He seemed to be having a rollicking good time but I thought the vocal was a little all over the place. To be fair, there are other artists out there that get by with a lot less talent and he is definitely better than that train wreck known as Iggy Pop. The thing that i dislike most about Paul which is the little bit of drunken uncle mixed with a whole lot of chicken foot was out in full force tonight. I was actually grateful when he grabbed the tambourine because then he stopped banging on his microphone and causing that thumping noise. Of course, the judges thought it was an awesome encore at Paul's concert. Whatever.
Lauren - "The Climb": Lauren's performance had promise. She should have sung the stripped down version that was shown in her taped package. She started off well but once the music and backup singers started it seemed off.. There were some bad notes but I decided that I am not going to blame her for the faults with tonight's performance. She is definitely a victim of the mad audio mixer and a lingering cold.
Stefano - "End of the Road": Stefano tells us that he is going to concentrate on his stage performance and make sure that he is entertaining America. He chooses a Boyz II Men song to try to do this. He obviously thinks that his voice is stronger than it actually is. He shouldn't think. In the 10 seasons of Idol, there has been one rule that foolish contestants have broken again and again. Do not prophesize your ouster from Idol by singing about going home or anything along those lines. This should be the end of the road for Stefano despite Steven's claims that it won't be. He doesn't have a snowball's chance in you know where of winning. Pia's fans are sure to be plotting their revenge against Stefano this week.
Scotty - "I Cross My Heart": I actually wish Scotty had stuck with "Everybody's Talkin'" instead of King George. I understand why he chose to change to George Strait but I think he would have done a better job on the Harry Nilsson song. All of the verses were good but the chorus was rough because his voice disappeared when the three backup vocalists joined in. They were overpowering him. Scotty should be able to recover with whatever lame theme is picked for next week.
Casey - "Nature Boy": The second guy to go against the advice of Jimmy. This was much more disastrous for Casey than for Scotty. Jimmy was right that the song was too small for the Idol stage. I think that Casey may have saved Stefano from heading home this week by offering himself up as a sacrifice. Randy thought that Casey brought a whole new vibe to the stage but I don't think that America is ready for a Jazz Idol. Casey, it made me want to cry too and Pia's fans may be out for your blood as well since the judges used her save on you.
Haley - "Call Me": I was not expecting a lot from Haley on this song and it lived up to my expectations. Awesome song but completely wrong for this kind of show. I do want to acknowledge that she was the first, and only, contestant slammed by the judges and it was complete b.s. since this was not the first poor performance up to this point in the show. Since 99% of the voters are girls, I am not sure that her extremely short outfit will help her any but I hope a guy goes home this week.
Jacob - "Bridge Over Troubled Water": Claymates around the world are rejoicing that Clay Aiken has retained his title for owning this song yet again. http://youtu.be/blEEIsGC3zA You could feel the Lusky Stank coming from the first note and it was carried throughout. How far Jacob has fallen...from daring people not to vote for him last week to begging for their votes this week.
James - "Heavy Metal": On what ended up being a sub par evening, this ended up being my favorite performance. I am not going to give the credit for that to James. He spent a little too much time screeching for me. I am going to give the credit to Zakk Wylde who killed it.
Should Go Home:
Stefano or Casey
Will Go Home:
Casey
Paul - "Old Time Rock & Roll": Paul must have gotten a deal on his suit. He seemed to be having a rollicking good time but I thought the vocal was a little all over the place. To be fair, there are other artists out there that get by with a lot less talent and he is definitely better than that train wreck known as Iggy Pop. The thing that i dislike most about Paul which is the little bit of drunken uncle mixed with a whole lot of chicken foot was out in full force tonight. I was actually grateful when he grabbed the tambourine because then he stopped banging on his microphone and causing that thumping noise. Of course, the judges thought it was an awesome encore at Paul's concert. Whatever.
Lauren - "The Climb": Lauren's performance had promise. She should have sung the stripped down version that was shown in her taped package. She started off well but once the music and backup singers started it seemed off.. There were some bad notes but I decided that I am not going to blame her for the faults with tonight's performance. She is definitely a victim of the mad audio mixer and a lingering cold.
Stefano - "End of the Road": Stefano tells us that he is going to concentrate on his stage performance and make sure that he is entertaining America. He chooses a Boyz II Men song to try to do this. He obviously thinks that his voice is stronger than it actually is. He shouldn't think. In the 10 seasons of Idol, there has been one rule that foolish contestants have broken again and again. Do not prophesize your ouster from Idol by singing about going home or anything along those lines. This should be the end of the road for Stefano despite Steven's claims that it won't be. He doesn't have a snowball's chance in you know where of winning. Pia's fans are sure to be plotting their revenge against Stefano this week.
Scotty - "I Cross My Heart": I actually wish Scotty had stuck with "Everybody's Talkin'" instead of King George. I understand why he chose to change to George Strait but I think he would have done a better job on the Harry Nilsson song. All of the verses were good but the chorus was rough because his voice disappeared when the three backup vocalists joined in. They were overpowering him. Scotty should be able to recover with whatever lame theme is picked for next week.
Casey - "Nature Boy": The second guy to go against the advice of Jimmy. This was much more disastrous for Casey than for Scotty. Jimmy was right that the song was too small for the Idol stage. I think that Casey may have saved Stefano from heading home this week by offering himself up as a sacrifice. Randy thought that Casey brought a whole new vibe to the stage but I don't think that America is ready for a Jazz Idol. Casey, it made me want to cry too and Pia's fans may be out for your blood as well since the judges used her save on you.
Haley - "Call Me": I was not expecting a lot from Haley on this song and it lived up to my expectations. Awesome song but completely wrong for this kind of show. I do want to acknowledge that she was the first, and only, contestant slammed by the judges and it was complete b.s. since this was not the first poor performance up to this point in the show. Since 99% of the voters are girls, I am not sure that her extremely short outfit will help her any but I hope a guy goes home this week.
Jacob - "Bridge Over Troubled Water": Claymates around the world are rejoicing that Clay Aiken has retained his title for owning this song yet again. http://youtu.be/blEEIsGC3zA You could feel the Lusky Stank coming from the first note and it was carried throughout. How far Jacob has fallen...from daring people not to vote for him last week to begging for their votes this week.
James - "Heavy Metal": On what ended up being a sub par evening, this ended up being my favorite performance. I am not going to give the credit for that to James. He spent a little too much time screeching for me. I am going to give the credit to Zakk Wylde who killed it.
Should Go Home:
Stefano or Casey
Will Go Home:
Casey
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Season 10: Top 9 - R&R Hall of Fame
Another theme that we have seen before... :(. Ryan let us know that Gwyn Stefani would be helping the contestants with their style this week and Will.i.am would be mentoring. I am eternally glad that Gwen was only styling the contestants as she was horrible when she was a mentor during the Sanjaya season. And what is up with Will.i.am being on the show again? Does he own rights to this show or what? We need a break and he needs to go back to his full time job with the Black Eyed Peas.
Jacob - "Man in the Mirror": Jacob started off well but then he went all Lusky-Stank on me. I think that Jacob has a wonderful voice but I need him to reign it in for me to be able to enjoy it. He does have some interesting dance moves though...even Ryan called him out on them. :)
Haley - "Piece of My Heart": Everyone could guess that Haley would choose Janis and she did not surprise. I know that the judges love the growl but I am not a fan. I think she sings better without it and proved that during parts of this song when she forgot to growl. Unfortunately, the judges have convinced her that she should sing every song this way. It was not a bad performance, but I am just saying...
Casey - "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?": Okay, I admit it. I love the wild, wacky, stand up bass playing Casey. He has such a rich quality to his voice and seems to truly enjoy every minute that he is performing on stage.
Lauren - "Natural Woman": You could definitely see Gwyn's influence on Lauren's style and that is not a positive. I prefer her looking more like a country starlet than a rock and roll tramp. She did a decent job with the song but I thought it was kind of boring.
James - "While My Guitar Gently Weeps": James wanted to turn it down a notch this week. I absolutely loved it until he went to the primal scream to end the song. I don't know why he feels that he has to be an active participant in the Adam Lambert School of Screeching but I really wish that he would just be himself and cut that out. He has a better voice than Lambert and doesn't need to go to the screech to try to impress us. He just needs to sing. If not for the scream, he would have made my best list for the week.
Scotty - "That's All Right Mama": Scotty does Elvis and he does Elvis really well. Dude! He has got it down! I don't know that anything can stop him from winning this season. I can't image anything that will be able to trump him. I find myself wondering each week what in the world he will be able to sing for that theme and he always finds something that fits him perfectly. He is destined for stardom and the country music charts.
Pia - "River Deep, Mountain High": Gwyn also had a strong influence on Pia's "look" this week. Pia picked a more up tempo song this week and the vocal was more lively but her performance was still kind of a ballad. She needs to learn how to move around on stage and not just move to her mark and hit the notes.
Stefano - "When A Man Loves A Woman": The two lines that were in falsetto were absolutely horrid and put him at the bottom of the scoreboard with Jacob for me. He did a better job of pronouncing his words than he usually does though he did drop the ends of many words but it was still just not very good to me. I don't know what happened to Stefano. I liked him early in the competition but now I am ready for him to get gone.
Paul - "Folsom Prison Blues": Paul does Johnny Cash? What?!? It was punk meets country and I dug it. I think this should be enough to keep him out of the bottom three this week. He is so much better when he sings in his full voice and drops the falsetto.
The Best
Scotty, of course. I also really enjoyed Paul and Casey.
The Worst
Stefano, Jacob and Pia
Should Go Home
Stefano
Will Go Home
Haley
Jacob - "Man in the Mirror": Jacob started off well but then he went all Lusky-Stank on me. I think that Jacob has a wonderful voice but I need him to reign it in for me to be able to enjoy it. He does have some interesting dance moves though...even Ryan called him out on them. :)
Haley - "Piece of My Heart": Everyone could guess that Haley would choose Janis and she did not surprise. I know that the judges love the growl but I am not a fan. I think she sings better without it and proved that during parts of this song when she forgot to growl. Unfortunately, the judges have convinced her that she should sing every song this way. It was not a bad performance, but I am just saying...
Casey - "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?": Okay, I admit it. I love the wild, wacky, stand up bass playing Casey. He has such a rich quality to his voice and seems to truly enjoy every minute that he is performing on stage.
Lauren - "Natural Woman": You could definitely see Gwyn's influence on Lauren's style and that is not a positive. I prefer her looking more like a country starlet than a rock and roll tramp. She did a decent job with the song but I thought it was kind of boring.
James - "While My Guitar Gently Weeps": James wanted to turn it down a notch this week. I absolutely loved it until he went to the primal scream to end the song. I don't know why he feels that he has to be an active participant in the Adam Lambert School of Screeching but I really wish that he would just be himself and cut that out. He has a better voice than Lambert and doesn't need to go to the screech to try to impress us. He just needs to sing. If not for the scream, he would have made my best list for the week.
Scotty - "That's All Right Mama": Scotty does Elvis and he does Elvis really well. Dude! He has got it down! I don't know that anything can stop him from winning this season. I can't image anything that will be able to trump him. I find myself wondering each week what in the world he will be able to sing for that theme and he always finds something that fits him perfectly. He is destined for stardom and the country music charts.
Pia - "River Deep, Mountain High": Gwyn also had a strong influence on Pia's "look" this week. Pia picked a more up tempo song this week and the vocal was more lively but her performance was still kind of a ballad. She needs to learn how to move around on stage and not just move to her mark and hit the notes.
Stefano - "When A Man Loves A Woman": The two lines that were in falsetto were absolutely horrid and put him at the bottom of the scoreboard with Jacob for me. He did a better job of pronouncing his words than he usually does though he did drop the ends of many words but it was still just not very good to me. I don't know what happened to Stefano. I liked him early in the competition but now I am ready for him to get gone.
Paul - "Folsom Prison Blues": Paul does Johnny Cash? What?!? It was punk meets country and I dug it. I think this should be enough to keep him out of the bottom three this week. He is so much better when he sings in his full voice and drops the falsetto.
The Best
Scotty, of course. I also really enjoyed Paul and Casey.
The Worst
Stefano, Jacob and Pia
Should Go Home
Stefano
Will Go Home
Haley
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Season 10: Top 11, Part 2 - Elton John
Elton John songs are sung every season but I don't remember Elton being done as an actual theme in the past handful of seasons. There are lots of great songs so it is definitely sure to please. I don't mean to beat a dead horse but I am still waiting on the new and inventive themes that we were promised. On with the show...
Scotty - "Country Comfort": Scotty is a mess and I mean that in the best possible way! :) That boy knows exactly what he is doing. He hits all the right notes and gestures each week to keep the girls voting and to keep all of us in the fan club. I loved it.
Naima - "I'm Still Standing": Naima definitely made this her own and managed to do so while hitting all the notes. I agree with the judges in that I am not completely sold with this as a reggae song but she did a much better job with this than she would have done if she had sung it as written.
Paul - "Rocket Man": Okay, Paul, I will admit that this is a hard sell for you since this is one of my favorite Elton songs. Unfortunately, I just didn't enjoy it. It was just not consistent and actually too soft in places. Paul mentioned that doing this song was disastrous for him 5 years ago and I don't think that it got any better.
Pia - "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me": This was a little more lively than what Pia has done in the past. She gave a solid vocal performance but I found myself remembering the performance of this song from season 2 and wishing that I was watching that instead.
Stefano - "Tiny Dancer": Another of my favorite songs. Stefano redeemed himself a little from last week. There is still something odd in his phrasing but his singing was much improved.
Lauren - "Candle in the Wind": I was dreading someone picking this song and I was worried when she said this was what she was going to sing. I shouldn't have worried. I thought she nailed this one. I loved the country tone to the song.
James - "Saturday Night's All Right": I really liked this up until the screaming at the end. James always seems so relaxed on stage. It is just like he is putting on a concert for us each week and I don't know that any Idol has ever set a piano on fire. I loved the "Pepsi moment".
Thia - "Daniel": I don't want to beat the poor girl up. It may be her age but she is just not as polished as everyone else. I am actually hoping that she is one of the contestants that is sent home this week.
Casey - "Your Song": Casey did a really good job this week. He reminded us why he was saved last week. He is a lovable cut up that can actually sing. I hope that people get out the vote for him this week so that the judges' save was not in vain.
Jacob - "Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word": I enjoyed the first half of the song but I thought the second half lived up to what Jimmy Iovine said could be his downfall which is that it went too over the top. Jacob has a wonderful voice and he doesn't need to beat us over the head with it.
Haley - "Bennie and the Jets": I don't think this was the right song for Haley. I really didn't like it but the judges did not agree with me. Only the votes will tell so I guess we will find out tomorrow night if I am right or if the judges are.
The Best
Scotty, Lauren and Casey
The Worst
Thia, Paul and Haley
Going Home... Thia and Haley, I think.
Scotty - "Country Comfort": Scotty is a mess and I mean that in the best possible way! :) That boy knows exactly what he is doing. He hits all the right notes and gestures each week to keep the girls voting and to keep all of us in the fan club. I loved it.
Naima - "I'm Still Standing": Naima definitely made this her own and managed to do so while hitting all the notes. I agree with the judges in that I am not completely sold with this as a reggae song but she did a much better job with this than she would have done if she had sung it as written.
Paul - "Rocket Man": Okay, Paul, I will admit that this is a hard sell for you since this is one of my favorite Elton songs. Unfortunately, I just didn't enjoy it. It was just not consistent and actually too soft in places. Paul mentioned that doing this song was disastrous for him 5 years ago and I don't think that it got any better.
Pia - "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me": This was a little more lively than what Pia has done in the past. She gave a solid vocal performance but I found myself remembering the performance of this song from season 2 and wishing that I was watching that instead.
Stefano - "Tiny Dancer": Another of my favorite songs. Stefano redeemed himself a little from last week. There is still something odd in his phrasing but his singing was much improved.
Lauren - "Candle in the Wind": I was dreading someone picking this song and I was worried when she said this was what she was going to sing. I shouldn't have worried. I thought she nailed this one. I loved the country tone to the song.
James - "Saturday Night's All Right": I really liked this up until the screaming at the end. James always seems so relaxed on stage. It is just like he is putting on a concert for us each week and I don't know that any Idol has ever set a piano on fire. I loved the "Pepsi moment".
Thia - "Daniel": I don't want to beat the poor girl up. It may be her age but she is just not as polished as everyone else. I am actually hoping that she is one of the contestants that is sent home this week.
Casey - "Your Song": Casey did a really good job this week. He reminded us why he was saved last week. He is a lovable cut up that can actually sing. I hope that people get out the vote for him this week so that the judges' save was not in vain.
Jacob - "Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word": I enjoyed the first half of the song but I thought the second half lived up to what Jimmy Iovine said could be his downfall which is that it went too over the top. Jacob has a wonderful voice and he doesn't need to beat us over the head with it.
Haley - "Bennie and the Jets": I don't think this was the right song for Haley. I really didn't like it but the judges did not agree with me. Only the votes will tell so I guess we will find out tomorrow night if I am right or if the judges are.
The Best
Scotty, Lauren and Casey
The Worst
Thia, Paul and Haley
Going Home... Thia and Haley, I think.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Season 10: Top 11 - Motown
The executive producers of Idol spent the off season telling us that they were completely revamping the show. Not only would there be a new judging panel but they were going to mix up the themes as well. I give them a pass on the "Songs from the year they were born" theme because each year the contestants get younger and that lends itself to changing up the songs and bringing something new to the mix. Motown is a different story. I like songs from this era but forcing kids to sing something that was popular when their grandparents were in high school, does not bring anything new and exciting. This is the one thing that has been holding back what has, to this point, been one of the better Idol seasons of all time. Maybe they should let Jimmy Iovine pick the themes or instead of picking a genre of music use something like mood or a more general theme (solo female singers, girl groups, boy groups, etc) to give the contestants a chance to really pick something that will highlight "what kind of performer that they want to be". I am not 100% sure what the answer is but something has got to give. On another note, letting the contestants work with the performers to tweak the songs each week has really had a positive effect on the show each week (or there is just more talent this season than in seasons past). There don't seem to be nearly as many bad performances as we would usually see each week in previous seasons.
Casey - "I Heard It Through The Grapevine": Casey tried to change it up and make it his own. There were a couple of bad notes but it was good overall. I do, however, prefer his hair in its natural wild state to the moussed smoothed down version that he was sporting tonight.
Thia - "Heatwave": Her voice is just not that strong and there were lots of times that she seemed to get buried by the music. She definitely flubbed the words at least once. I thought that it was very pageant-like. One of the weaker performances of the night.
Jacob - "You're All I Need": Jacob took Jimmy's advice and trained to reign in a little of the church tonight. It worked much better for me. He did a really good job on this one without taking it over the top. Much, much better than last week.
Lauren - "You Keep Me Hanging On": Another strong week for Lauren. She nailed the song and made it look easy while doing it. She should definitely be safe.
Stefano - "Hello": I usually like Stefano but he started off by saying that he had never heard of the song before which I kind of have a hard time believing since it has been done on the show before (very well by Cookie). Maybe I am just old and out of touch with the youth of today. This was a mis-step for him. I did not like his phrasing on the song and thought that he pronounced some of the words oddly in order to make them fit with what he was trying to do. He should get a chance to redeem himself next week based on his previous performances and the fact that only young girls are voting so the girls will have to go first.
Haley - "You Really Got A Hold On Me": It started rough and never really completely got on track. She pulled it together in the middle but then she put in way too much of the growling. I don't know that this was enough to save her from the fate that millions of little girls have in store for her this week.
Scotty - "For Once In My Life": I was worried about Scotty when I saw the theme but he surprised me. I shouldn't have been worried. He showed a broader range this week by hitting higher notes that I wasn't sure he was capable of and keeping in those deep notes that he is known for. I really think that he has a future in country music.
Pia - "All In Love is Fair": Another beautiful ballad by Pia. She has a wonderful voice and certainly looks the part but, yet again, I just don't feel a connection from her when she sings.
Paul - "Tracks of My Tears": Paul is much better with his guitar. This was my favorite performance from him since the actual competition started. He definitely needs the guitar to make him more comfortable and control the chicken foot. :)
Naima - "Dancing in the Street": This is not a difficult song to sing but Naima sang better on this song than she has in weeks. I was worried about her longevity but the producers helped her find a way to incorporate the dancing with her singing and yet keep her from hitting those wonky notes. She put together a complete performance and proved that, despite a couple of rough weeks, she should still be here.
James - "Living for the City": James has such a strong presence on stage during his performances. He makes it look effortless. I am still not a huge fan of the high notes, but James seems to have a talent for only using them where they make sense which Adam Lambert was never able to do. He should be a solid contender.
The Best
Jacob, Lauren, Scotty and Pia
The Worst
Thia, Stefano and Haley
Going Home
Based on the fact that she has been living in the bottom three -- Haley. I would prefer it if Thia would go, though.
Casey - "I Heard It Through The Grapevine": Casey tried to change it up and make it his own. There were a couple of bad notes but it was good overall. I do, however, prefer his hair in its natural wild state to the moussed smoothed down version that he was sporting tonight.
Thia - "Heatwave": Her voice is just not that strong and there were lots of times that she seemed to get buried by the music. She definitely flubbed the words at least once. I thought that it was very pageant-like. One of the weaker performances of the night.
Jacob - "You're All I Need": Jacob took Jimmy's advice and trained to reign in a little of the church tonight. It worked much better for me. He did a really good job on this one without taking it over the top. Much, much better than last week.
Lauren - "You Keep Me Hanging On": Another strong week for Lauren. She nailed the song and made it look easy while doing it. She should definitely be safe.
Stefano - "Hello": I usually like Stefano but he started off by saying that he had never heard of the song before which I kind of have a hard time believing since it has been done on the show before (very well by Cookie). Maybe I am just old and out of touch with the youth of today. This was a mis-step for him. I did not like his phrasing on the song and thought that he pronounced some of the words oddly in order to make them fit with what he was trying to do. He should get a chance to redeem himself next week based on his previous performances and the fact that only young girls are voting so the girls will have to go first.
Haley - "You Really Got A Hold On Me": It started rough and never really completely got on track. She pulled it together in the middle but then she put in way too much of the growling. I don't know that this was enough to save her from the fate that millions of little girls have in store for her this week.
Scotty - "For Once In My Life": I was worried about Scotty when I saw the theme but he surprised me. I shouldn't have been worried. He showed a broader range this week by hitting higher notes that I wasn't sure he was capable of and keeping in those deep notes that he is known for. I really think that he has a future in country music.
Pia - "All In Love is Fair": Another beautiful ballad by Pia. She has a wonderful voice and certainly looks the part but, yet again, I just don't feel a connection from her when she sings.
Paul - "Tracks of My Tears": Paul is much better with his guitar. This was my favorite performance from him since the actual competition started. He definitely needs the guitar to make him more comfortable and control the chicken foot. :)
Naima - "Dancing in the Street": This is not a difficult song to sing but Naima sang better on this song than she has in weeks. I was worried about her longevity but the producers helped her find a way to incorporate the dancing with her singing and yet keep her from hitting those wonky notes. She put together a complete performance and proved that, despite a couple of rough weeks, she should still be here.
James - "Living for the City": James has such a strong presence on stage during his performances. He makes it look effortless. I am still not a huge fan of the high notes, but James seems to have a talent for only using them where they make sense which Adam Lambert was never able to do. He should be a solid contender.
The Best
Jacob, Lauren, Scotty and Pia
The Worst
Thia, Stefano and Haley
Going Home
Based on the fact that she has been living in the bottom three -- Haley. I would prefer it if Thia would go, though.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Season 10 - Top 12: Songs from the year they were born
This is the theme that I have started to dread because with each passing year more and more of the contestants were born after I graduated high school. That is just depressing people... and not something that I want to dwell on. Idol continued to bring things that we haven't seen in previous seasons which I applaud. However, they need to make sure that they aren't over producing some of the contestants right off the show, as well.
Naima - 1984 - "What;s Love Got To Do With It?": Naima attempted to bring Tina's hit into 2011 and I think it would have worked if the singing had been better. Unfortunately, it wasn't and I didn't enjoy it. I am glad that the judges finally called her out on the pitch issues. I do want to give her props for not starting her performance with that little dance move that she has used for the past two weeks though. I was starting to think that she couldn't start a performance without it. I really liked Naima during the audition rounds be seems to have lost her spark since the competition part of the show kicked into high gear. Hopefully she can get it back.
Paul - 1984 - "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues": I need Paul to stop addressing the crowd right before he starts singing. Not only is it annoying but it seems to throw him off because the first half of all his performances are generally not very good. I could use less chicken foot as well. Maybe if he cuts out both things then his singing will improve greatly. I have definitely heard him do better during the audition rounds. If he makes it through he should try sitting on a stool next week.
Thia - 1995 - "Colors of the Wind": The theme from a sub par Disney movie, Thia? Really? There had to be a better song than this from 1995 though, as has already been discussed, I am too old and forgetful to name one right now. The singing was okay but it was not very lively and I could...not...wait...for it to end.
James - 1989 - "I'll Be There For You": James was right and this was a really good time in music. Though I may be biased because this was when I was in my prime and rocking Garinger High School. ;) James brought out the big guns with Bon Jovi. There were some notes that were off which is the first time that he has done that. He does a really good job of putting enough of himself into each song to make it his own. I am still not sold on him personally but I definitely think that he has possibilities as an Idol.
Haley - 1990 - "I'm Your Baby, Tonight": Again, I think poor song selection was to blame for a strange almost desperate vocal performance. There had to be a better song than this from 1990 sung by someone other than Whitney. She was all over the place literally and figuratively. The "red lipstick massacre" did provide a little comic relief to liven up the end of the performance.
Stefano - 1989 - "If You Don't Know Me By Now": Too many runs. I usually like Stefano but this was just okay for me. The judges obviously think differently. He made light of Milli Vanilli in his taped piece and they have an infamous place in music history but I think I would have preferred to hear him sing them, though I would have wanted "Blame it on the Rain" over "Girl, You know it's True".
Pia - 1988 - "Where Do Broken Hearts Go?": When I heard that this is what Pia was going to sing my first thought was "here we go again with ballad number...". Once she started singing and I got to hear Whitney - The Remix, I was begging for the standard ballad. This was proof that despite what the "awesome" "super-talented" producers of this season think you can't make every song better by playing a dance track behind it.
Scotty - 1993 - "Can I Trust You With My Heart?": Go Scotty! I am so glad that Scotty is sticking with what he does best and not letting them change him and steer him away from country music. I am not going to say that this was a really difficult song to sing but he nailed it with no bad notes which is the first time that happened tonight.
Karen - 1989 - "Love Will Lead You Back": Karen seems to really want to be a diva that can belt out the big notes but she just doesn't have a strong enough voice for that. She also seems to be raiding JLo's closet and she was really channeling her again tonight. There were less wonky notes so she showed improvement but I am not sure that Karen knows what kind of singer she wants be yet.
Casey - 1991 - "Smells Like Teen Spirit": Casey is the freaking man! He is completely NOT AFRAID. I agree with JLo that he was screaming some of the notes, however, I distinctly remember Kurt doing that as well. That was kind of the point of song though I am sure that Jennifer was not a Nirvana fan no matter how much she wants us to believe that she was.
Lauren Alaina - 1994 - "I'm The Only One": Lauren used the sexy flem that her bout with the flu provided to knock this one out of the park. Definitely one of the best of the night. I also want to mention that her Dad seems like an awesome man and father...and he made me cry. ;)
Jacob - 1987 - "Alone": Jacob has a really good voice and the beginning and end were good but the middle had a little too much "lusky stank" on it for me.
The Best
Casey, Scotty and Lauren
The Worst
Naima, Paul and Haley
Naima - 1984 - "What;s Love Got To Do With It?": Naima attempted to bring Tina's hit into 2011 and I think it would have worked if the singing had been better. Unfortunately, it wasn't and I didn't enjoy it. I am glad that the judges finally called her out on the pitch issues. I do want to give her props for not starting her performance with that little dance move that she has used for the past two weeks though. I was starting to think that she couldn't start a performance without it. I really liked Naima during the audition rounds be seems to have lost her spark since the competition part of the show kicked into high gear. Hopefully she can get it back.
Paul - 1984 - "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues": I need Paul to stop addressing the crowd right before he starts singing. Not only is it annoying but it seems to throw him off because the first half of all his performances are generally not very good. I could use less chicken foot as well. Maybe if he cuts out both things then his singing will improve greatly. I have definitely heard him do better during the audition rounds. If he makes it through he should try sitting on a stool next week.
Thia - 1995 - "Colors of the Wind": The theme from a sub par Disney movie, Thia? Really? There had to be a better song than this from 1995 though, as has already been discussed, I am too old and forgetful to name one right now. The singing was okay but it was not very lively and I could...not...wait...for it to end.
James - 1989 - "I'll Be There For You": James was right and this was a really good time in music. Though I may be biased because this was when I was in my prime and rocking Garinger High School. ;) James brought out the big guns with Bon Jovi. There were some notes that were off which is the first time that he has done that. He does a really good job of putting enough of himself into each song to make it his own. I am still not sold on him personally but I definitely think that he has possibilities as an Idol.
Haley - 1990 - "I'm Your Baby, Tonight": Again, I think poor song selection was to blame for a strange almost desperate vocal performance. There had to be a better song than this from 1990 sung by someone other than Whitney. She was all over the place literally and figuratively. The "red lipstick massacre" did provide a little comic relief to liven up the end of the performance.
Stefano - 1989 - "If You Don't Know Me By Now": Too many runs. I usually like Stefano but this was just okay for me. The judges obviously think differently. He made light of Milli Vanilli in his taped piece and they have an infamous place in music history but I think I would have preferred to hear him sing them, though I would have wanted "Blame it on the Rain" over "Girl, You know it's True".
Pia - 1988 - "Where Do Broken Hearts Go?": When I heard that this is what Pia was going to sing my first thought was "here we go again with ballad number...". Once she started singing and I got to hear Whitney - The Remix, I was begging for the standard ballad. This was proof that despite what the "awesome" "super-talented" producers of this season think you can't make every song better by playing a dance track behind it.
Scotty - 1993 - "Can I Trust You With My Heart?": Go Scotty! I am so glad that Scotty is sticking with what he does best and not letting them change him and steer him away from country music. I am not going to say that this was a really difficult song to sing but he nailed it with no bad notes which is the first time that happened tonight.
Karen - 1989 - "Love Will Lead You Back": Karen seems to really want to be a diva that can belt out the big notes but she just doesn't have a strong enough voice for that. She also seems to be raiding JLo's closet and she was really channeling her again tonight. There were less wonky notes so she showed improvement but I am not sure that Karen knows what kind of singer she wants be yet.
Casey - 1991 - "Smells Like Teen Spirit": Casey is the freaking man! He is completely NOT AFRAID. I agree with JLo that he was screaming some of the notes, however, I distinctly remember Kurt doing that as well. That was kind of the point of song though I am sure that Jennifer was not a Nirvana fan no matter how much she wants us to believe that she was.
Lauren Alaina - 1994 - "I'm The Only One": Lauren used the sexy flem that her bout with the flu provided to knock this one out of the park. Definitely one of the best of the night. I also want to mention that her Dad seems like an awesome man and father...and he made me cry. ;)
Jacob - 1987 - "Alone": Jacob has a really good voice and the beginning and end were good but the middle had a little too much "lusky stank" on it for me.
The Best
Casey, Scotty and Lauren
The Worst
Naima, Paul and Haley
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Season 10: Top 13 - "Songs From Their Idols"
The first week of what I consider to be the real competition was a little drowsy due to song selection but it didn't seem like there were quite as many train wrecks as in previous years so we are off to a solid start. Life without Simon has continued to be refreshing and I wanted to note a couple of improvements that I have seen so far. They have yet to say that anyone sounded like they should be performing on a cruise ship and the judges are actually watching the contestants sing during their performance. What a change!
Lauren Alaina -- "Any Man of Mine": I am not sure if it was the song or the fact that she went first but it was a little boring and she seemed uncomfortable. I agreed with the judges that it was a little lacking and that her voice is much stronger than this kind of song. Lauren, honey, we are glad you had fun and all but the purpose of the show is to entertain the audience and you fell short this week.
Casey Abrams -- "With a Little Help from my Friends": Casey is lovingly odd. He found a lot more passion than Lauren. I don't know that he actually brought anything new to the song but it was good and I like him.
Ashthon Jones -- "When You Tell Me That You Love Me": Ashthon is a really pretty girl but her floaty arm movements grate on my nerves. The singing was okay but it definitely didn't blow me away. "Hey" Ashthon, we know who you are so stop greeting us at the end of each phrase in the song. It is annoying. Stop it immediately.
Paul McDonald -- "Come Pick Me Up": This is not an Idol-type song and I thought it was a horrible mess. It had no life to it at all. I was bored and uncomfortable. I am not really a fan of Ryan Adams music and this did not make me wish to give him another chance or steal his records. I have like Paul through the earlier rounds so I hope that he will make it through but this might have been the end for him.
Pia Toscano -- "All By Myself": Technically the singing is really good but for some reason I just have a disconnect from her. She looks and sounds the part but there is just something missing.
James Durbin -- "Maybe I'm Amazed": As much as I don't care for his personality, James has delivered two weeks in a row. I don't care for the primal screams (you all know how I feel about Screech) but he held it to the parts of the song where it made sense so I actually liked it.
Haley Reinhart -- "Blue": This was the best that Haley has done in the competition so far. I am not going to say that it was terribly exciting but then it fit the ballad theme that everyone seems to be going for tonight.
Jacob Lusk -- "I Believe I Can Fly": Jacob should have left R Kelly at home because he definitely hasn't been good enough to go to church. Hello people! Jacob has one of the best voices so he will hopefully be able to get enough votes to make it through to next week.
Thia Megia -- "Smile": Thia has a pretty voice but she let the producers lead her astray with the poppy beat near the middle of the song. It was much better in the beginning.
Stefano Langone -- "Lately": Stefano brought much needed life to the show after all the ballads. I actually enjoyed the peppy redo. Not the beautiful singing that Stefano displayed during the wild card but it was good.
Karen Rodriguez -- "I Could Fall In Love": Karen mentioned in the taped piece that she was going to add a Beyonce flair to the song but it seemed like a straightforward karaoke version to me. Not a fan.
Scotty McCreery -- "The River": Scotty certainly knows his wheelhouse. He was a little drowned out by the music at the beginning but he pulled it together. He doesn't have a wide range but as long as he can keep picking strong country songs he should go far. Babylockthemdoors knows his skill set. ;)
Naima Adedapo -- "Umbrella": I will give Naima credit for trying to make it her own but she should have took a lesson from Ta-Tynisha last week and just left Rihanna alone. Bad dancing, mediocre singing and reggae? I didn't get it.
Top 3
Casey, James and Haley
Bottom 3
Karen, Naima and Paul. I hope either Karen or Naima go home.
DialIdol Results
DialIdol hasn't had a chance to post any results yet. Check out their site if you are interested in seeing who they think is safe at www.dialidol.com.
We are going to be subjected to a performance by Adam Freaking Lambert for the results show which I am not looking forward to. To make up for it, David Cook, my favorite word nerd, is singing the going home song this year with his remake of "Don't You (Forget About Me)". At least I have one thing to look forward to while waiting an hour to see who is going home.
Lauren Alaina -- "Any Man of Mine": I am not sure if it was the song or the fact that she went first but it was a little boring and she seemed uncomfortable. I agreed with the judges that it was a little lacking and that her voice is much stronger than this kind of song. Lauren, honey, we are glad you had fun and all but the purpose of the show is to entertain the audience and you fell short this week.
Casey Abrams -- "With a Little Help from my Friends": Casey is lovingly odd. He found a lot more passion than Lauren. I don't know that he actually brought anything new to the song but it was good and I like him.
Ashthon Jones -- "When You Tell Me That You Love Me": Ashthon is a really pretty girl but her floaty arm movements grate on my nerves. The singing was okay but it definitely didn't blow me away. "Hey" Ashthon, we know who you are so stop greeting us at the end of each phrase in the song. It is annoying. Stop it immediately.
Paul McDonald -- "Come Pick Me Up": This is not an Idol-type song and I thought it was a horrible mess. It had no life to it at all. I was bored and uncomfortable. I am not really a fan of Ryan Adams music and this did not make me wish to give him another chance or steal his records. I have like Paul through the earlier rounds so I hope that he will make it through but this might have been the end for him.
Pia Toscano -- "All By Myself": Technically the singing is really good but for some reason I just have a disconnect from her. She looks and sounds the part but there is just something missing.
James Durbin -- "Maybe I'm Amazed": As much as I don't care for his personality, James has delivered two weeks in a row. I don't care for the primal screams (you all know how I feel about Screech) but he held it to the parts of the song where it made sense so I actually liked it.
Haley Reinhart -- "Blue": This was the best that Haley has done in the competition so far. I am not going to say that it was terribly exciting but then it fit the ballad theme that everyone seems to be going for tonight.
Jacob Lusk -- "I Believe I Can Fly": Jacob should have left R Kelly at home because he definitely hasn't been good enough to go to church. Hello people! Jacob has one of the best voices so he will hopefully be able to get enough votes to make it through to next week.
Thia Megia -- "Smile": Thia has a pretty voice but she let the producers lead her astray with the poppy beat near the middle of the song. It was much better in the beginning.
Stefano Langone -- "Lately": Stefano brought much needed life to the show after all the ballads. I actually enjoyed the peppy redo. Not the beautiful singing that Stefano displayed during the wild card but it was good.
Karen Rodriguez -- "I Could Fall In Love": Karen mentioned in the taped piece that she was going to add a Beyonce flair to the song but it seemed like a straightforward karaoke version to me. Not a fan.
Scotty McCreery -- "The River": Scotty certainly knows his wheelhouse. He was a little drowned out by the music at the beginning but he pulled it together. He doesn't have a wide range but as long as he can keep picking strong country songs he should go far. Babylockthemdoors knows his skill set. ;)
Naima Adedapo -- "Umbrella": I will give Naima credit for trying to make it her own but she should have took a lesson from Ta-Tynisha last week and just left Rihanna alone. Bad dancing, mediocre singing and reggae? I didn't get it.
Top 3
Casey, James and Haley
Bottom 3
Karen, Naima and Paul. I hope either Karen or Naima go home.
DialIdol Results
DialIdol hasn't had a chance to post any results yet. Check out their site if you are interested in seeing who they think is safe at www.dialidol.com.
We are going to be subjected to a performance by Adam Freaking Lambert for the results show which I am not looking forward to. To make up for it, David Cook, my favorite word nerd, is singing the going home song this year with his remake of "Don't You (Forget About Me)". At least I have one thing to look forward to while waiting an hour to see who is going home.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Season 10: Top 12 Girls
Ta-Tynisa Wilson: "Only Girl In The World" -- I missed this performance since I was late getting home from work but based on what I saw during the recap that was a really good thing. Rihanna she is not.
Naima Adedapo: "Summertime" -- This was completely different from the Fantasia version which is smart because that wouldn't have worked. I have liked Naima since the early rounds and hope that she makes it through.
Kendra Chantelle: "Impossible" -- The song was a little boring but she sang it really well. Will she stand out enough to get to the next round?
Rachel Zevita: "Criminal" -- This was unrecognizable from the Fiona Apple version in a really, really bad way. She made this too much of her own. She should definitely not make it through to the next round.
Karen Rodriguez: "Hero" -- I liked her better in the earlier rounds. Something about her performance tonight rubbed me wrong. It was a decent vocal but I didn't like how she kept switching from English to Spanish. I preferred the Spanish parts of the song since it made it seem like less of a Mariah song.
Lauren Turner: "Seven Day Fool" -- I don't know that I love this song but she has a really powerful bluesy voice that should get her to the next round.
Ashthon Jones: "Love All Over Me" -- Ashthon has the strongest stage presence of any of the female contestants. Again, I don't know if I am a fan of the song but she gave a strong vocal performance.
Julie Zorrilla: "Breakaway" -- Can you say disaster? I really liked Julie in the earlier rounds but this was a mess. I don't see any way that she can make it through after this. Leave Kelly Clarkson alone people! You will always pale in comparison!
Haley Reinhart: "Fallin'" -- She growled her way through Alicia Keys like she was really believing it. It wasn't bad but it wasn't anywhere near the best either.
Thia Megia: "Out Here On My Own" -- This was the first time that I have heard Thia sing well. It was perfectly sung. Based on this performance she should probably make it through but I don't know that she has shown us enough to prove her spot if you take all of her performances into consideration.
Lauren Alaina: "On The Radio" -- This is not a difficult song to sing but she did a solid job with it. The thing that bothers me about Lauren is that I always get the impression that I am watching the talent portion of a beauty pageant when she is on stage. I definitely think that she will make it through. I did love it when she called Ryan "Peaches" and I think it might stick. ;)
Pia Toscado: "I'll Stand By You" -- I don't really even know why but I just really didn't think this was as spectacular as the judges did. I am not saying that it was bad but....
Should Make It Through:
Ashthon, Lauren Turner, Lauren Alaina, Kendra and Naima
Naima Adedapo: "Summertime" -- This was completely different from the Fantasia version which is smart because that wouldn't have worked. I have liked Naima since the early rounds and hope that she makes it through.
Kendra Chantelle: "Impossible" -- The song was a little boring but she sang it really well. Will she stand out enough to get to the next round?
Rachel Zevita: "Criminal" -- This was unrecognizable from the Fiona Apple version in a really, really bad way. She made this too much of her own. She should definitely not make it through to the next round.
Karen Rodriguez: "Hero" -- I liked her better in the earlier rounds. Something about her performance tonight rubbed me wrong. It was a decent vocal but I didn't like how she kept switching from English to Spanish. I preferred the Spanish parts of the song since it made it seem like less of a Mariah song.
Lauren Turner: "Seven Day Fool" -- I don't know that I love this song but she has a really powerful bluesy voice that should get her to the next round.
Ashthon Jones: "Love All Over Me" -- Ashthon has the strongest stage presence of any of the female contestants. Again, I don't know if I am a fan of the song but she gave a strong vocal performance.
Julie Zorrilla: "Breakaway" -- Can you say disaster? I really liked Julie in the earlier rounds but this was a mess. I don't see any way that she can make it through after this. Leave Kelly Clarkson alone people! You will always pale in comparison!
Haley Reinhart: "Fallin'" -- She growled her way through Alicia Keys like she was really believing it. It wasn't bad but it wasn't anywhere near the best either.
Thia Megia: "Out Here On My Own" -- This was the first time that I have heard Thia sing well. It was perfectly sung. Based on this performance she should probably make it through but I don't know that she has shown us enough to prove her spot if you take all of her performances into consideration.
Lauren Alaina: "On The Radio" -- This is not a difficult song to sing but she did a solid job with it. The thing that bothers me about Lauren is that I always get the impression that I am watching the talent portion of a beauty pageant when she is on stage. I definitely think that she will make it through. I did love it when she called Ryan "Peaches" and I think it might stick. ;)
Pia Toscado: "I'll Stand By You" -- I don't really even know why but I just really didn't think this was as spectacular as the judges did. I am not saying that it was bad but....
Should Make It Through:
Ashthon, Lauren Turner, Lauren Alaina, Kendra and Naima
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Season 10: Top 12 Guys
The competition has started! The night got off to a rocky start but ended strong. Hopefully this is a sign of a strong season to come…
Clint Jun Gamboa: “Superstitious” – I have heard worse but it was nowhere near perfect. He seemed a little manic. It has been done better in previous seasons.
Jovany Baretto: “I’ll Be” -- Nice abs but not a terribly strong singer. Other than a nice note near the end it was boring and forgettable.
Jordan Dorsey: “OMG” – Mr. You Are Not Talented Enough To Sing In My Group picked a song that features autotune which is designed to hide imperfect singing. It was all over the place and not good. As someone who was not a fan to start with, I hope that he will get the boot.
Tim Halperin: “Street Corner Symphony” -- I have liked Tim in his performances during the early rounds but this song was a complete misstep. It got a little better towards the end but the beginning and middle were a complete disaster. He obviously needs a piano to feel comfortable on stage.
Brett Loewenstern: “Light My Fire” – I don’t know if I can find the right words to express just what a hard to watch disaster this was. Good Lord! Jim Morrison is rolling in his grave.
James Durbin: “Another Thing Coming” -- Okay. I have voiced my opinion on this guy to anyone that will listen. I have referred to him as Screech v 2.o. Tonight, he proved me wrong. Shocker! I don’t know how the rest of the season will go but the boy can sing some Rob Halford and earned his way through to the next round.
Robbie Rosen: “Angels” -- Sarah McLachlan was a lofty goal and Robbie fell miles away from the mark. It sounded like someone was strangling a sick cat. Bad!
Scotty McCreery: “Letters From Home” -- Scotty was a little cheesy with the posing (and those eyebrows!) but it was a solid performance. He showed personality but did not act crazy which was a plus. I think he showed enough to make it through either with the votes or as a wild card.
Stefano Langone: “Just The Way You Are” – Despite one really bad high note, he gave a solid vocal performance and showed great presence. He got the votes of my friend Maria’s little girl, Elizabeth, so he was obviously a hit with the younger crowd. ;)
Paul McDonald: “Maggie May” – It was weird how much he sounded like Rod Stewart. It fit him perfectly. I am not sure how far this guy will be able to go in the competition but he should definitely make it through.
Jacob Lusk: “A House Is Not A Home" -- I am not a big fan of over singing and the use of a lot of runs so Jacob concerned me since he has been prone to that in the early rounds. He truly stunned me tonight because he was able to show amazing talent and control. He is the best singer in the bunch. He also reminds me of a male version of Jennifer Hudson because they both sing larger than life.
Casey Abrams: "I Put A Spell On You" – Casey was really good but he may have owned the song too well. He was starting to freak me out. It was like he was stalking and threatening the audience. That said, he definitely deserves to make it through.
Who Should and Will Go Through?
Jacob Lusk, Casey Abrams, Paul McDonald, James Durbin, Stefano Langone and Scotty McCreery
Clint Jun Gamboa: “Superstitious” – I have heard worse but it was nowhere near perfect. He seemed a little manic. It has been done better in previous seasons.
Jovany Baretto: “I’ll Be” -- Nice abs but not a terribly strong singer. Other than a nice note near the end it was boring and forgettable.
Jordan Dorsey: “OMG” – Mr. You Are Not Talented Enough To Sing In My Group picked a song that features autotune which is designed to hide imperfect singing. It was all over the place and not good. As someone who was not a fan to start with, I hope that he will get the boot.
Tim Halperin: “Street Corner Symphony” -- I have liked Tim in his performances during the early rounds but this song was a complete misstep. It got a little better towards the end but the beginning and middle were a complete disaster. He obviously needs a piano to feel comfortable on stage.
Brett Loewenstern: “Light My Fire” – I don’t know if I can find the right words to express just what a hard to watch disaster this was. Good Lord! Jim Morrison is rolling in his grave.
James Durbin: “Another Thing Coming” -- Okay. I have voiced my opinion on this guy to anyone that will listen. I have referred to him as Screech v 2.o. Tonight, he proved me wrong. Shocker! I don’t know how the rest of the season will go but the boy can sing some Rob Halford and earned his way through to the next round.
Robbie Rosen: “Angels” -- Sarah McLachlan was a lofty goal and Robbie fell miles away from the mark. It sounded like someone was strangling a sick cat. Bad!
Scotty McCreery: “Letters From Home” -- Scotty was a little cheesy with the posing (and those eyebrows!) but it was a solid performance. He showed personality but did not act crazy which was a plus. I think he showed enough to make it through either with the votes or as a wild card.
Stefano Langone: “Just The Way You Are” – Despite one really bad high note, he gave a solid vocal performance and showed great presence. He got the votes of my friend Maria’s little girl, Elizabeth, so he was obviously a hit with the younger crowd. ;)
Paul McDonald: “Maggie May” – It was weird how much he sounded like Rod Stewart. It fit him perfectly. I am not sure how far this guy will be able to go in the competition but he should definitely make it through.
Jacob Lusk: “A House Is Not A Home" -- I am not a big fan of over singing and the use of a lot of runs so Jacob concerned me since he has been prone to that in the early rounds. He truly stunned me tonight because he was able to show amazing talent and control. He is the best singer in the bunch. He also reminds me of a male version of Jennifer Hudson because they both sing larger than life.
Casey Abrams: "I Put A Spell On You" – Casey was really good but he may have owned the song too well. He was starting to freak me out. It was like he was stalking and threatening the audience. That said, he definitely deserves to make it through.
Who Should and Will Go Through?
Jacob Lusk, Casey Abrams, Paul McDonald, James Durbin, Stefano Langone and Scotty McCreery
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