American Idol Season 8 – Top 7 – Performance – VIDEO
Movie director Quentin Tarantino is this week’s mentor for the “Songs of the Cinema” theme, and he did the cold opening with Ryan! Hee.
They ditched the stupid Judges/Ryan intro. Good. Paula is wearing a big ass crazy rhinestone dog collar thingy. Simon blames the girls for last week’s overrun, and says that the judges will only be able to talk two at a time for each contestant.
Cool video package on Quentin! Ha ha, they are replaying the classic Diana DeGramo dis from Season 3. He says they are a very good and promises to be as tough as he has to be.
Quentin Tarantino Intro – VIDEO
I was expecting Quentin to be a little, well, meaner. He pretty much loved everybody. And while he gave good advice, sadly, there was much suckage hitting the Idol stage tonight. Best performances were from Kris Allen, Anoop Desai and Adam Lambert. The rest were crappy pitch-fests.
Kris Allen picked the best song–the Academy Award winning “Falling Slowly”. The rest included two Bryan Adams songs (Meh), the putrid “Endless Love”, the schmaltzy “The Rose” and the horrifying “Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” Blech.
One of the soul boys is going home this week. I’m thinking it’s between Matt and Anoop. But since everyone thinks Kris will be oh-so-safe, he could be a surprise boot. I think the judges would save Allison and Kris–maybe Matt.
Oh, and how pathetic was it that the freaking judges are so freaking incapable of shutting the eff up that they had to resort to two person judging teams for each contestant…and they were STILL running short on time tonight. Gah.
More in my Idol wrap up tomorrow…
Live blog and VIDEOS after the JUMP…
Allison Iraheta – à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t Want to Miss a Thing – Aerosmith – Armageddon – Allison says her session with Q felt like an audition. “It was awesome” she says. Gah, I hate this song, no matter who is singing it. It’s a little low for her range. She’s best on the real soft sweet parts and on the glory notes, but she’s pitchy and hoarse on the rest. Not my favorite Allison performance. Paula says, “You posses the same special sauce as Adam…you don’t compromise your authenticity.” Simon says, “You are the girls only hope left in this competition right now…you’re getting stronger, more confident…you’re believing you’ve got a chance now…we could see you all the way through to the end.” Finally, some love from Simon! Too bad he missed the boat on some of her better performances. OMG, he was not kidding about the 2-judge thing. This is NOT the answer. 1-866-436-5701
Anoop Desai – à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Everything I Doà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ by Bryan Adams – Robin Hood – Quentin tells him to “Rough it up” You have to KILL with a really big vocal. Go go Anoop! Another really smooth vocal. Oooh. He’s bringing the emotional heft on the chorus. He’s probably not “roughing it up” as much as Quentin would like, but I still think it’s good–nice phrasing. I think Anoop’s going to be ballad boy for the rest of the competition. Randy says, “The last couple of weeks, you have definitely found your zone…you did a really good job.” Kara says, “You definitely found your place…pop songs adding your soul to it…I think this is your best…I felt connected to your singing.” I hope viewers don’t forget about Anoop this week. He deserves to stay another week. 1-866-436-5702
Adam Lambert – à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Born to be Wildà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ by Steppenwolf – Easy Rider – Q says Adam is the real deal. Crazy rock star Adam is back. Interesting arrangement with some minor chord/electronic elements thrown into the chorus. Weird harmonizing with the background singers. Man I really don’t like his rock wail, but he’s not overusing it. Except there. Heh. Still, he’s totally entertaining on the Idol stage. Last, big crazy rock wail note! He really re-worked that chorus. The purists probably won’t like it. Paula is cheering and jumping out of her seat. “You dare to dance in the path of greatness…you’re one of the bravest contestants I ever witnessed” she said.  Simon says, “Vocally incredible…it was a little bit like watching the Rocky Horror Musical in parts.” He goes on to say that some will like it, some will hate it–it won’t be as popular as “Mad World” 1-866-436-5703
Matt Giraud – à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Have You Ever Really Loved a Womanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ by Bryan Adams – Don Juan - Matt gets some Ryan pimpage. About his confidence, Matt says his level is “kinda in the middle.” Q likes his arrangement, but tells him to enunciate. I’m hearing some pitchy stuff. The song itself is kind of meh. I don’t think Matt is doing much to bring the song alive like he did last week with “Part Time Lover”. Oh dear. He’s reaching too hard for some of those high notes. Not good. Hm. He did not kill it. Randy says, “When you hit the bridge it was off…you can’t do all that stuff with a simple melody…not one of your best.” Gah. I’m agreeing with Randy! Kara says, “It’s the struggle between Rock vs. Soul” He’s getting nailed again for singing a rock song. That’s not the problem–the song itself is really lame and Matt did not sing it well, rock song or no. 1-866-436-5704
Danny Gokey – à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Endless Loveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ by Diana Ross – Endless Love - Danny also gets Ryan pimpage. Danny says he bought a guitar, but he won’t play it on the show. He’s also not wearing glasses. Q says he’s a fan of his vocals. He tells Danny not to use his hands, but his eyes instead. The harp player accompanying Danny is sitting right next to him. Eep He’s hitting some bad notes. Danny’s running a bit roughshod over this tender love song. He needs more grace and finesse to pull this off. Gah. Is he crying? He never mentions his wife, but he’s still pimping her. Paula thinks the key should have been lowered. Then she begins to prattle a bunch of hyperbole that sounds super rehearsed. Simon says, “We know you are a brilliant singer, but I’m disappointed that we had the harp on stage and a traditional version.” He compares him unfavorably to David Cook, who changed up a Lionel Richie song last year. Simon says that he notices that song means a lot to him personally, and congratulates him for that. 1-866-436-5705
Kris Allen – à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Falling Slowlyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova – Once – Q says he captured the spirit of the competition the most by choosing a song from a movie that he loved. They go back and forth about playing an instrument, but Kris decides to sing without. Ok, this is a very sweet vocal. Oooh some really delicate, beautiful phrasing going on. I like the way he trails off his phrases. Absolutely lovely falsetto. This is a winner. He’s hitting a perfect glory note. I am getting chills as I type this. THE BEST PERFORMANCE TONIGHT. More chills. WOW. Kris has got it going on. Randy didn’t like it. He’s a complete moron. He says it was pitchy. No, it was not. Kara says, “It was one of your best moments ever.” Paula yips in her seat, knowing she can’t say anything. What is Randy smoking? 1-866-436-5706
Lil Rounds – à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Roseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ by Bette Midler – The Rose – Q says he’s a big fan of Lil. He likes the gospel switch, but tells her to commit to the first part. She’s warbling uneasily through the first part. When she goes gospely, her attempts at runs are terrible. Pitchy. Pitchy. Pitchy. Gah. This is the best TPTB could do for an R&B singer this year? She’s just not very good. PERIOD. Paula really likes it. Simon says, “I think that you are getting this completely wrong…you had some nice moments, but you are not the artist we believe we met 7 or 8 weeks ago.” Lil is popping off at Simon. She’s pissed. Lil, reign it in. This is not helping you. 1-866-436-5707 Even with cutting the judges remarks, they are STILL tight on time. Ridiculous.
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831 Responses to “American Idol Season 8 – Top 7 – Performance – VIDEO”
I’ve heard that rumor too. But for me, the question still remains on why said ring seems to switch from his right hand to his left hand or disappear and reappear. Comes off as odd and calculating to some people.
I don’t feel that way at all. I feel the loss of a spouse is devastating. Far too devastating in fact to be auditioning for AI within mere weeks of its occurance. For some people, every moment of Danny’s televised grieving process has come across as insincere, beginning with his melodramatic first telling of his story which just came across as really unnatural and off to me.
And, I’m aware that everyone grieves differently. But, I’m also aware that some people are narcissists who are completely full of shit. When you decide to share your mourning period wiith a television audience, all different sorts of people will have all different sorts of opinions. That’s the risk you take.
Tragedies are sad. But they happen to everyone, good and bad. Some people are douchebags before the tragedy and continue to be afterward. The tragedy itself does not change their inner douchebagness. And, it doesn’t make me have to like them.
Anoop gave the best performance on AI last night. He was so smooth and almost flawless. I bet the studio verson is beautiful too! I hope he’ll be safe for another week (or two, or three).
Adam gave another exciting performance! Such energy and talent.
I think it’s time for Lil to go home. She is less and less like an R&B Diva and more like a back-up singer.
Nobody said Danny shouldn’t have himself a good cry or ten, or that he’s not allowed to get truly emmotional when he sings if his thoughts drift to his wife. It’s the contrived nature of the song lyrics PLUS the harp (heaven’s own instrument, as another brilliantly put it) PLUS the sudden lack of spectacles PLUS the upward gazing PLUS the tears all converging in the same performance that brings out my cynical side. I am all for using music as a catharsis, but I don’t like a musical catharsis used as a gimmick. I dunno…I don’t think Danny’s some machiavellian strategist or anything…more like a big harmless dog who has this instinctual drive to be petted and fawned over constantly and will pull out all the stops to get your attention…giving you the sad face, begging, doing tricks, tail wagging…. There’s a palpable difference for me between say Fantasia’s Summertime or Cook’s ABMB and TWIK or Jason’s Hallelujah (or maybe even Adam’s Mad World or Kris’s performance this week) which were personal performances that genuinely moved me, and Danny’s Endless Love, which had me rolling my eyes. Mileage, I guess.
hardkandy Apr 15th, 2009 at 2:57 am
gah seriously who the eff is voting for hokeyjokey.
well at least when he wins, taylor wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t be the worst selling winner anymore. hurrah!
HAHAHAHAHA
No lame group number this week?
The hate has never had that effect on me. I’ve never understood the Danny love because his singing seems below par practically every time out.
Film: ‘ONCE’
The IMDb (film) rating is 8.1 out of 10. That is excellent!
It’s popularity is down 3% this week.
(Not any more. Better rent it before the weekend. The music has won a lot of awards.)
Tagline: How often do you find the right person?
With regard to Danny, to quote the song: “Hate is a stong word, but I really really don’t like you” (him). He seems to be arrogant, and sings at best so-so, yet he gets votes up the ying yang. Even without the dead wife stuff, he is just a mediocraty and still is THE front-runner despite all the buzz about the much better Adam.
“Re: Danny. I think at this point he is damned if he does or damned if he doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t around here. I am a fan of his voice, the gravelly tone works for me. About his personality, I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know that he is calculating. I think (and I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t mean to be offensive) that he is just not very bright. The other contestants seem to really like him so I am apt to believe that heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s likable. Somebody like David Cook or Adam Lambert would have handled the public side of his à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“storyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ differently, probably a lot better, but I for one donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t feel all the hatred toward Danny because of his lack of this social skill.”
you are right, the hatred on Danny seems to have everyone puts meaning on every single thing he does from changing glasses to taking them off to squinting his eyes, wearing a ring. yes, at this point no matter what Danny does is taken in the wrong context, he is really damn if he does and damn if he dont. I think the reason he is getting more votes is people like underdog and the more hatred, the bounce off is people keep voting for him. I for one like Danny but I dont think he should win but I think he should be given a break. I think Danny is just the way he is and if we get to know him just like the other contestant, we will grow to like him. its sad that Danny is being judged so harshly. I also believe that he lacks social skill and hes not like Adam Lamber whos street smart and has been out there.
This is what Adam thinks after watching his performances back:
http://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/2009/04/14/adam-lambert-channels-his-inner-simon/
It was posted a few pages back but the above quotes came afterwards so I’m posting again.
I’ll be the first to admit that I am a VERY VISUAL person and that I am shallow enough to be drawn towards someone that is more visual appealing. To me Danny just doesn’t cut it…and it turns me off, but it isn’t just about natural beauty, it’s about what you do with the face you have. Considering that he seems to have tons of money to buy new glasses every week, and now new contacts why hasn’t he done anything about his teeth and his smile? And he’s putting on weight at an enormous clip. And he just looks dirty when he doesn’t shave, as opposed to guys who look sexy with a stubble. He also doesn’t allude charm. I know tons of really ugly guys that exude so much charm that I think they are beautiful (Steve Buscemi (sp) anyone?)
Every video clip I see of Danny, every interview, every group photo he so tries to put himself front and center. He seems like he is so STARVED for attention, either a combination of coming from a large family or taking a back seat to a wife that probably had more attention directed at her because of her medical problems. I’m NOT saying that Danny was jealous of his siblings or his wife, but that “human nature” causes most of us to seek attention when we don’t get enough of it.
Because of this perceived character flaw that I see in Danny I just cannot embrace him as a performer. I support those that are comfortable in their own skins, who have the charm to draw me in, who attempt to be stylish and current, who put a smile on my face with their smile, and who are eye-candy of some sort. Men need to tickle my whatever and women need to seem like someone I would like to be friends with. Gokey just turns me off and makes me feel uncomfortable.
I dont hate Danny. I just dont like being played and from day one thats what he has been doing with the event of his wife’s death imo. He continues to do it even without words by the dramatic eye movement towards the heavens last night after that dreadful song.
He is doing what he needs to do to win this thing, I get that but I dont have to like it.
I don’t think Adam is trying to be “rock-n-roll” in the traditional sense. I think, for example, that BTBW was more like a pop punk/nuwave cover of a classic rock song. And pop punk and nuwave borrowed heavily from the RHPS vibe of the 70s glam movement, so there you go.
ALmost forgot…watching back the show for the second time, Anoop was a lot better than I remembered. I think he benefitted by QT’s mentoring the most because he’s a good vocalist and a fun guy but not necessarily an innately gifted showman. QT told him how to sell it by hitting the big emmotional beats, and Anoop delivered. Nice progress. Let’s see if he can apply that to an upbeat number next and recapture the fun of My Perogative. I’d put him behind Adam and Kris, and he shouldn’t be going home.
I think Matt performs better when he wears his hat. For serious.
Re Danny, I have no personal feelings about him one way or the other. I don’t hate him; I don’t care enough about him (or any other contestant) to feel hate for him.
I do have questions about the way he is handling himself on Idol. I sometimes wonder if he is merely shameless about exploiting his wife’s memory, or if obliviousness is part of the problem – possibly he is clueless enough not to sense how he comes across on camera. But I tend to doubt it.
I think he is mystifyingly overrated as a singer, but he has some talent. I liked his performance last week, and I’m content to enjoy his singing when he picks the right song, isn’t pitchy, and does not preach or get mawkish. Last night, however, he sucked.
Reading a comment from EW blog:
Well, TPTB need to contact Glen and Marketa to see if they are able to perform à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Falling Slowlyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ with Kris for the Finale.
There is such positive vibes about this song and the movie “Once”. Good for Kris!
ALmost forgotà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦watching back the show for the second time, Anoop was a lot better than I remembered.
Yep, sounds like you got taken in by the producers, too. Camera angle, focus, backdrop, lighting, judges lukewarm comments. Then, immediate start of lightening/strobes/frantic drumming “vote for this guy” performance of Adam intent on making you forget Anoop. No commercial break, no pimp spot or even close to the pimp spot.
And, of course, they follow up with Matt who is the other “get rid of him now” choice of the powers-that-be.
Anoop was good both times I watched it but boring as all get out too. Anoop is sort of a smooth ballad singer. His voice is quite good but when he is “on” the results are invariably soporific.
my take on adam stays the same. OTT performance. he actually has some good vocals tonight (no screeching at least) but lots and lots of wailing. i agree with simon rocky horror picture show theater. that’s not a bad thing but I AM LOOKING FOR A POP STAR! not a musical theater star.
i still can’t stand danny. his voice is boring. the songs he picks are boring. his clothes are boring. what else can i say. blah blah blah
Anoop was great but if he doesn’t know how to sing a fast song what’s the point of winning. (you can do it anoop!!!!)
Allison did a decent job. could have been better but she is still great.
i love Kris!!!!! he did a great job. Randy is an ass. it was a rough start but everything else was beautiful.
Matt & Lil are in the same boat to me. Either can go. Hell I hope they both leave tonight. i’m done with both of them.
NOLA, that is a great link of Susan Boyle!
With a Disco theme, this could be the “moment” for Anoop. Song choice is vital, and it cannot be a ballad.
Adam will have such fun with this theme. It is not easy, but I have always enjoyed the results. This time around, Adam will add so much color and excitement!
Oh dear, Anoop must first get through tonight. Here’s hoping the right person is sent home.
From all the Danny supporters, it does look like he’ll be around for awhile. I just can’t enjoy his performances. There is nothing there that appeals to me.
When I first heard the spoiler for Kris’s song, I immediately went and looked it up. I definitely have never heard Falling Slowly or Once before yesterday. And when I first heard it I thought, Eh, it’s alright. But it’s kind of boring.
So then Kris sings it. Wow. I thought it was better than the original. This was definitely not boring. It was heartfelt, emotional, and completely on pitch the whole time. And it was definitely my favorite performance of the night. (Okay, I keep switching between Anoop and Kris) This is a performance that I could listen to over and over and over.
Pitch comments are always strange. For Danny, from the very first line, I could tell, Wow this is going to be incredibly pitchy. And it was. It was pretty unbearable for me. Not one single note seemed in tune. And yeah, Matt was pitchy too, but it wasn’t so bad that I couldn’t stand to listen. But Kris seemed perfect.
Okay, I relistened to Danny. It’s not as bad as I thought it was originally. Still very pitchy though. Actually, now I’m noticing something. He sounds really nasally. And it’s bothering me now. Having gritty vocals is one thing, but Danny really just sounds like he needs to clear up his throat =/
I’m not. Some people – like meee, are very, VERY happy to see someone bringing back glam rock. Adam is into so many different genres & can do so many different styles from opera to rock to pop but he’s said he wants to do glam-rock/alt-rock/art-rock…exciting OTT theatrical music that’s NOT theatre ie. Bowie, Prince. He doesn’t listen to show-tunes on his ipod.
If people were unaware of Adam’s theatrical background, I don’t think any one would even be mentioning that. What’s funnier is that people view it as a negative. SO may greats started out in theatre.
I’m worried about Matt. I think if Kris gets the bottom spot, he’ll get saved, because he was great last night, and will be again tonight if he needs to be… but if Matt’s the bottom vote-getter, he’ll have to “sing for his life” without his piano (because they always lose their instruments for the singout, right?), and that will not do the song justice. It sucks Matt had an off-night, because I think his version had the potential to be really good. I think if he had pulled off that bridge, he would not be in this position… DAMN nerves!
I’m hoping against hope that since everyone but Danny is yellow per Dial Idol, that maybe America will surprise me and kick Lil to the curb. Everyone left has something, except for her. Her and Danny, who is inexplicably perpetually safe (ugh).
I wonder what Simon thougt about Kris? Hmmmm…
I just went back and watched some of these again and I went from liking Kris’ performance to just loving it. The beginning I didn’t like as much but as soon as he got into it… yeah. That was gorgeous.
I watched Adams performance yet again and I really love this guy…his pants are so darn tight…he is one sexy man…
I notice when he ran over to the band that the backup singers voices were so low it made that part of the performance sound like someone forgot their words…however it shows how perfessional he is because he made up for that lapse by rocking the head moves harder…it took me about the 20x to notice it.
MY sister pointed out that his gorgeous jaw line is disappearing…have anyone notice this?
I was looking on some pics and video of Adam Lambert and I too notice that he has been putting on some weight….I love him (no matter what size)
Also, I took a look at all the contestant and they all seem to be putting on weight..unlike past idol contestant who had weight lost that was very visable over the course of the compition…
I don’t agree at all. His performance is so OTT and theatrical that it’s hard to avoid. If I didn’t know he’d been in theater I’d have been suggesting he go there. I don’t have a problem with anyone who does theatre but if I want to hear it I’ll go there. I don’t want to hear it on my iPod.
Yay!!
It really is an amazing movie. It’s one of the best, if not the best, I’ve seen about songwriting and creativity and how that process evolves. I highly recommend it for music fans…or writers…or really anyone who is interested about that kind of thing.
WORD. WORD. and TRIPLE WORD! Every time I read a musical theatre comment, I think to myself — what a lazy criticism. If anything, his musical theatre background was a handicap in the beginning because in his early performances, he didn’t know how to work the camera. But he’s a quick study and the complete package that people see now is due to his amazing improvement since Satisfaction when there was a little too much eye-camera action going on. The guy has charisma, confidence, energy and incredible vocal chops. Emphasis on the vocal chops. Like some poster said upthread, Adam could have sung (probably nailed) every other constestant’s song on the show on Tuesday, whereas no one else could have even come close to his version of BTBW. That’s why he SHOULD win the AI crown. He is simply the BEST one out there and has been since day one. (Since DAY ONE – tm Randy- dawg!)
Oh and his fellow Idols love him. He’s their go-to guy if they have a problem (Camp Counselor Adam FTW!).
i can hardly wait to see what Kris does for Disco week. He totally amazed me this week !!!! Awesome !!! I have played it backed and listened to it several times and love it more and more each time. I didnt even know the song and now I am hooked. Kris is a all around entertainer !!! Looking at some of the funny stuff on line and other perfomances he has done just cracks me up!!! I wish a little of that was shown more on the show but WELL DONE Kris keep up the great work !
Oh and his fellow Idols love him. Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s their go-to guy if they have a problem (Camp Counselor Adam FTW!).
LaurieD..If you look at some of the videos of the other contestants they all have said that they go to Kris for advice. Adam said that Kris is the one that calms him and helps him because he tends to spaz out !!! Look at Adams Video where he talks about it !!!
MY sister pointed out that his gorgeous jaw line is disappearingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦have anyone notice this?
I was looking on some pics and video of Adam Lambert and I too notice that he has been putting on some weightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦.I love him (no matter what size)
I do not think he is gaining weight. HE was using alot more makeup in the beginning and used some to define his face. Without it he appears to have put on a little. He is still the same ole’ Adam. I was really surprized looking at him in person how much makeup he really wears. He has some bad skin so I think he wears it to cover some of that. He is still nice looking with or withot the makeup. My sister said that she thinks he wears so much because of all the freckles. He even has freckles on his hands!!! I think he should try letting the freckles show on the show one night …could be fun and a different side of Adam !!!