Ok guys–the gals just pwnd you tonight–you know that right? A much better night of performances, although there were some clunkers. I can feel the ghost of Season 3 lurking over my shoulder. There are several talented soul singers on the girls slate. So good, most will make it to the Top 12 and then start cancelling each other out. You’ve got your 3 Divas of Season 3, and now your 5 divas of Season 6…
First, tonight’s ad (moola) report, courtest of reader Claire (thanks Claire!):
85 ads
9 breaks
average ads per break: 9.5
First hour: 51 ads.
Second hour: 34 ads.
Out of the 85 ads only 2 Wendy’s ads, 2 Coke
ads and 4 Cingular ads were repeats, leaving 77 uniquely different ads…
Now, on with the show.
Stephanie Edwards - “How Come You Don’t Call Me” by Alicia Keys - I wasn’t as bowled over by Stephanie as the judges were. I thought she would be called out for being “old fashioned.” Indeed, her performance was very old school. It was a little pitchy, and when she sunk to her knees at the end of the song, I thought it was a little over the top. Still, a solid effort. Simon said, ”It looks like you came out and said ‘I want to win American Idol’ and that’s what it’s all about.”
After the break, Randy chats with the girls. Melinda said, “I thought the guys were amazing tonight.” Yeah, what else was she going to say? Antonella says she’s really nervous. No kidding.
Amy Krebs - “I Can’t Make You Love You” by Bonnie Raitt - Paula finds Amy’s Hollywood audition “refreshing”. That’s never a good sign. Amy is deadly dull, which is the kiss of death in the Idol world. It’s better to suck outright than to be boring. Nobody will vote for Amy, because nobody will remember her. She sings the song in a little-girl voice. Her attempt to spice up the tune with some off-key runs is not a good idea. Simon says Amy will have a problem in the competition unless she does something in order to stand out. I think Amy is in danger tonight.
Leslie Hunt - “Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin - This song is probably a “little bit too big” for Leslie, as they say. She’s got a great tone–she reminds me a bit tonight of the soulful 60’s pop chanteuse Dusty Springfield. However, singers like Leslie, who don’t have a huge voice, suffer a bit on the Idol stage. She needs to pick songs that suite her particular style. Certainly, picking soul tunes while competing with so many big-voiced soul singers is not the way to go. I hope Leslie lives to see another week. I think she’s got something special–but she has to break from the pack and distinguish herself at this point. Simon says that Leslie looks “embarrassed and ungainly.” Her dad looks like he wants to deck him.
Sabrina Sloan - “I Never Loved A Man The Way I Loved You” by Aretha Franklin - Sabrina comes out of nowhere to rock the house tonight. Besides spot-on vocals, she has a confident stage presence. If she can develop momentum, she could be a dark horse to make it into the Top 12. The judges love it. Interestingly, when the Ryan asks her about song choice, Sabrina says that after watching the show for 5 seasons, she knew what kind of song she needed to pick. Now that’s called “doing your homework.”
Antonella Barba - “I Don’t Want Miss A Thing” by Aerosmith - Oh dear. Antonella is nervous, nasal and off-key. Randy says she was bland. Paula tells her she looks great, which is her stock remark when she doesn’t want to hurt a contestant’s feelings. Simon says, “The good news is you’re attractive, the bad news is, it didn’t work. It was way, way, way too big for you…I think this has seriously, seriously damaged your chances of remaining here another week.” Antonella easily has the worst performance of the night. However, she’s already got a fan base–she’s had tons of screen time already. Coupled with Simon’s harsh words–the fanbase and the pity votes will get her through to next week–probably at the expense of a more deserving contestant.
Jordin Sparks - “Give Me One Reason” by Tracy Chapman - Jordin impresses me much more than she did in her initial audition, where she went wildly off pitch on the high notes. She’s very confident for a 17 year old. I really like her song choice tonight. Rather than pick the typical Top 40 R&B hit, she goes for some acoustic blues–a really smart way to distinguish herself. Jordin uses her big voice to excellent effect here. The judges all approve. I think Jordin has a good shot to make it into the Top 12.
Nicole Tranquillo - “Stay” by Rufus and Chaka Khan - Nicole’s performance is screechy, strange and all wrong. Chaka is hard to cover–her wandering vocals are not easy to duplicate. Simon put it well, he said it was, “Indulgent…aggressive…it looked unnatural and over-rehearsed.” If Nicole isn’t eliminated tomorrow, she’s going to have to pick songs that don’t overwhelm her. Again, with so many talented soul singers in this competition, Nicole should choose songs that will set her apart from the rest rather than tunes that highlight her weaknesses.
Haley Scarnato - “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” by Meatloaf - I love this song, but not Haley singing it. As Simon would say, it’s all very cabaret. She smiles through the song without conveying the underlying passion. Meatloaf is another tough one to cover in my opinion, because nobody can sing his songs like he can. Haley, in particular, has very sweet, well controlled vocals. Her style is not suited to big power ballads. The judges are unimpressed, and so am I.
Melinda Doolittle - “Since You Been Gone” by Aretha Franklin - Mild mannered Melinda comes alive on stage in a way that’s neither forced or overbearing. She has so much natural ability, she makes it all look easy. I see Melinda as this year’s Elliott Yamin–a contestant who isn’t quite aware of how good they are. If Melinda makes it into the Top 12, and I suspect she will, we’ll have the pleasure of watching her terrific talent blossom. Simon says, “I have seen people come out here with little talent and a huge amount of arrogance, and you’re the opposite.”
Alaina Alexander - Brass in Pocket by the Pretenders - Alaina just does not posses the musical chops to be in this competition–that was clear in her initial audition. She was advanced through the rounds anyway, I suspect as eye candy/cannon fodder. So, really, the judges should not be surprised that she mangles the great Chrissy Hynde classic, ”Brass in Pocket.” I actually feel bad for Alaina. She’s a victim of a classic Idol stunt. She gets nothing but praise and support as she’s advanced through the preliminary rounds. But once she hits the Idol stage, the tables quickly turn and the judges tear her down. Simon, who took a particular shine to her during the auditions says, ”…I thought it was a mess…you lost it half way through…you are going to be reliant on your looks at the moment, not your voice.” ”Nice” she answers icily. Poor Alaina, learning Idol lessons the hard way.
Gina Glocksen - “All By Myself” by Eric Carmen. Ok, I know the most recognizable version is Celine Dion’s, but I always think of the original when I hear this song, so indulge me. Gina’s performance starts off reasonably enough–she sounds good in her lower register. However, she can argue with Simon all she wants, but she definitely did not hit those high notes. Really, she needs to watch her own performance. Getting snotty with the judges will only get her the “bitch” label. And for an Idol contestant, particularly a female, bitchiness is a fast track to elimination. Well, unless you are the only girl standing. Ahem. If Gina can reign in her inner bitch and stick to songs that are in her range, she could earn a spot in the Top 12.
Lakisha Jones - “And I Am Telling You” from the musical “Dreamgirls” - Only somebody really insane or really talented would attempt to tackle this huge song on the Idol stage. Lakisha is the latter. She nails it. She gets the emotion of the song down without oversinging it. The praise from the judges is effusive. Randy says, “Jennifer Hudson, watch out” Well, I would not go that far. Randy and Simon agree that Lakisha is in a different league. Quick cut to the girls looking stupefied. And to top it off, it’s Lakisha’s daughter’s 4th birthday today. Not only will she advance to the next round, there’s now talk that she could win the whole shebang.
In my opinion, it’s too early to handicap a front runner. Lakisha needs to show she has range–that she can do more than belt a tune. Like Mandisa did last year, Lakisha could falter in the weeks to come when she’s expected to sing different genres. Unless, if the producers want her to succeed bad enough, they tailor the themes to her strengths. Only time will tell.
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LKJ,
I totally agree with you about Lakisha and Melinda. I think Lakisha has an incredible voice but I enjoyed Melinda’s go-with-the-flow performance style better. Lakisha seemed a bit restrained for such a big emotional ballad.
divas alwasy impress out of the gate. people notice a good belting song with glory notes.
now, 5 weeks from now, when that is all you hear from that person….lets talk then.
folk, yep — it’s gonna be a loud season
St. Lucia say:
I’m thinking that guy is gonna be Blake Lewis, but we’ll see. And I second your wish.
I find Melinda Dolittle uninteresting. Nothing wrong with her, just uninteresting — she’s LaToya to me.
I too believe that the judges were withholding good comments in anticipation of Lakisha. I don’t hold that against Lakisha, but it’s really unfair to the non-screamers.
What I really like about this group is that the better singers are grown-up women. Each of the stand-outs have a maturity to their voice, personality and stage presence. It’s a distinct and welcome change from Season 5 when, with the exception of Mandisa, the female finalists were young girls in most every respect. Yeah - Kat included.
Although I could be entertained at times by the female finalists last season, far too often I was bored witless by them. I think something very different is in store for this season.
IMO, the women of color all did well. The white chicks, with the exception of Gina, sucked. I’m not a fan of the big gospel voice, but there was no denying those girls can sing & they brought it. So whoever posted the first list at the top, I don’t have a specific order after Lakesha & Melinda, but there is the top 6 as far as I’m concerned.
1. Lakesha Jones
2. Melinda Doolittle
3. Sabrina Sloan
4. Jordin Sparks
5. Stephanie Edwards
6. Gina Glockson
7. Leslie Hunt
8. Alaina Alexander
9. Haley Scarnato
10. Antonella Barba
11. Nicole Tranquillo
12. Amy Krebs
Nicole Tranquillo was the worst IMO. I don’t know what she sang or if it’s urban or what, it was just screaming to me. I was very curious about Leslie Hunt after reading so much about her on these boards. She seemed too smiley - like she was having so much fun that she wasn’t paying attention to the lyrics. Sort of like Kat did last year. And I was finally able to empathize wtih those who found Taylor’s movements distracting to his performance. While I love Taylor & his moves, Leslie’s moves just seemed odd & awkward to me. Overall, the girls have a lot more to offer than the guys, and I’ll go out on a limb and say a black woman will win this year.
While I love some of the women this season (like Melinda, Lakisha, Sabrina, Setephanie and Jordin) I really hope this isn’t a “divas belting it” season…that gets boring quickly. I love a good diva voice as much as the next person, but really now…obviously they are pimping for a girl this season. The boys don’t stand a chance cause none of them have diva voices like the girls do. Not really fair, IMHO. Hate this whole gender vs. gender thing personally.
It really does look like it is going to be a diva-belting season and while these ladies have good voices, too much of a good thing is going to sate the appetite pronto. I agree that so far the girls have outclassed the guys but at least the guys are a little more diverse that the gals from Divaville.
I completely agree, Calimari. I’m not even really a fan of the genre but Lakesha and Melinda were incredible and I also liked Stephanie & Jordin. I have to disagree with those that say it’s screaming. There’s a big difference between a big, powerful voice and screaming which to me means you’re singing beyond your range.
What a difference a day makes. Many of the women brought it last night unlike the guys. I’m not willing to crown a woman yet because who knows what the audience will like but could see more of them in the top 10 as it stands now.
I love Melinda’s voice. She’s just so sweet and unassuming. She’s definitely my favorite right now. I don’t have the connection that I did with Kat from the get-go, but I still have that tug on my heartstrings because she genuinely doesn’t think she’s that good. Here are my rankings:
1. Melinda Doolittle
2. Lakisha Jones
3. Sabrina Sloane
4. Jordin Sparks
5. Stephanie Edwards
6. Gina Glocksen (but I can’t stand her attitude - I think it’s going to
hurt her in the end)
7. Leslie Hunt
8. Haley Scarnato
9. Amy Krebs
10. Antonella Barba
11. Alaina Alexander
12. Nicole Tranquilo
I think the girl that sang “All Coming Back to me now” (Haley?) belongs on Broadway as Belle from Beauty & the Beast and not on the idol stage.
Antonella is complete suck. Nicole T’s performance (shes the ‘local’ girl from PA) was so painful I muted my TV. I thought she missed every note & it was worse than what the judges said.
I saw Ryan Seacrest making eyes at that ‘emotional’ blonde girl (Alaina?) even before Simon said anything, so I give Simon mad props for saying exactly what I was thinking at home & calling Ryan on his crush. I think that girl sang Brass in pocket but I don’t know, the sucky ones all blend together.
Lakisha made me cry (joy). Melinda I love as well because of her personality. After that, Jordan, Stephanie and Sabrina can be in the top 5. Maybe Gina as the last of the top 6.
The rest….. BLAH.
I may actually call in & vote this year for the first time because I will be very mad if some of these girls get by on LOOKS and some of the talented ones go home. You know there’s trouble with someones performance when Paula starts out with ……”First of all you look fantastic”…… that always makes me laugh. I sortof think Paula’s singing career was based on looks & dancing, not talent, but hindsight is 20/20.
Well I agree with most here that Lakisha and Melinda are awesome. I hope they make it far. I’m tired of the girls (like Kat) making it on their looks and cleavage.
Of course, there will NEVER be another Taylor. He made it on his talent and just happens to be sexy also.
I hear he had an awesome first concert last night, even though he was not feeling 100%.
The girls were mostly better than the boys, but I agree with the posters that said the diva stuff gets boring after awhile. I sense that Melinda may be able to switch it up more than Lakisha once the competition gets going, but that’s purely a hunch.
All the pretty girls with the long brown hair seemed interchangeable to me. Two of them should go home. I don’t care which two.
I like Leslie, but she shouldn’t sing Aretha amongst all the divas. I hope she gets another chance.
None of them sang anything modern. That was a drag.
The belters are getting all of the glory, but I hope people are noticing Leslie, I love her beautiful and unique tones.
Side note, On The View, Elizabeth is pimping out Blake that he is going to be on everyone’s Ipod and is her favorite.
all coming back to me now is a celine dion song, that meatloaf just recently covered on his latest bat out of hell cd
[quote]Getting snotty with the judges will only get her the “bitch” label. And for an Idol contestant, particularly a female, bitchiness is a fast track to elimination. Well, unless you are the only girl standing. Ahem.[/quote]
LMAO I can’t imagine who that would be.
“It’s All Coming Back To Me Now” is a power ballad, written by Jim Steinman in 1983.[1] Inspired by Wuthering Heights, Steinman attempted to write ‘the most passionate, romantic song’ he could ever create.[2] Although it was intended for Bat out of Hell II and given to Meat Loaf in 1986, Steinman and Meat Loaf decided to use “I’d Do Anything for Love (but I Won’t Do That)” for the latter album, and save this song for Bat III.[3][4]
The song has had three major releases, all roughly belonging to the soft rock genre: the first version appeared on the concept album Original Sin, recorded by Pandora’s Box; it was then recorded by Céline Dion for her album Falling into You, and her version was a commercial hit, reaching No. 2 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 3 in the UK singles chart; and finally by Meat Loaf, as a duet with Norwegian singer Marion Raven, which was released in October 2006 and entered the UK singles chart at No. 6.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It’s_All_Coming_Back_to_Me_Now
Hi - read mj everyday, thought I would throw 2 cents in. Wow, Lakisha was worth the long wait! I am afraid the 4 other big belters will vie for the same votes and some will fall by the wayside. I also don’t think Barba-ella was as bad as all that. There is a lot of focus on her from all the air time and the song was odd for her, but there were parts of the performance that showed nice vocals. I think she will get at least another chance for redemption.
I wouldn’t worry too much about Divas overtaking the competition. There are so many of them I suspect at least 1 or 2 will get eliminated before the top 12 just because they will start to cancel each other out. My guess is Stephanie and/or Sabrina will get sent packing. besides. Melinda Dolittle may be diva-capable, but she also has the most control over her voice and is quite capable of reeling it in. Jordin Sparks also seems like she is not tied to the R&B sound. I think by the time we get down to the top 10 or so, it will be just fine.
Aw Lisa, you trumped me.
Yep. I was right. It’s a Meatloaf song. I don’t care who actually recorded it first.
‘Pandora’s Box’ was a female group put together by Jim Steinman himself and he decided to put “It’s All…” (his song) on that debut album. When Meat Loaf finally recorded it, he also recorded a second Steinman song from the ‘Pandora’s Box’ cd, and both appear on Bat III. Steinman wrote virtually all of Meat Loaf’s hits.
nice recap, MJ!
I’ve got my favorites now: Beat Box Guy and Melinda
I think Beat Box Guy is gonna win it all, but I’ve been so SO wrong before!
Oh, and I especially enjoyed the commercial breakdown — oh my.
I’m a little surprised at all the dislike for Nicole T. I was definitely entertained by that song and she sounds like she has an incredible voice. The problem I had with it was that she looked and sounded like she was trying to impersonate Chaka Khan. And, obviously, it didn’t quite work since it was coming from a girl-next-door type white girl. I applaud her for trying something out of the ordinary. I just wonder if she’s willing to show her own vocal style and personality and not just copy her favorite singers.
I’d really hate it if she was kicked off tonight because I think she has a lot of potential but I’m definitely worried since most people seemed to really dislike her performance last night.
FYI - That isn’t Leslie Hunt’s Dad, it’s her fiance. He’s my cousin.
I liked Stephanie, Sabrina, Lakisha, Melinda and Jordin last night. I think Lakisha was the best singer but Sabrina the best total pkg plus she is younger and more current so far. I think she will get the teen vote. I too think its too early to declare a winner, as simon soooo loves to do. After last year, he might wanna not do that or eating crow will get to be old hat for him. If the boys don’t come out smoking next week and continue to do so, we can all sit back and watch the gals have a turkey shoot, one guy at a time.
Mekias - I agree. I would like to see Nicole next week give it another shot with another song, this time more relaxed. I think she tried too hard, although I also found her entertaining. I agree with some of the criticism, but I relistened to her (on rickey.org, where you can just listen to the voice), and there were times where I really dug it.
Fat Butcher - wss the woman next to the fiance her sister or her mom?
Sorry this is late but I have to say this is going to be another year where the woman will run over the men and I love those years.
Stephanie Edwards, “How Come You Don’t Call Me Anymore” – I was worried she going to be in that LaToya London school. Great voice but no personality and she proved she had the personality tonight. I still don’t know if she’s special enough to make the top 12 but do I think she picked a great song and knew how to perform it.
Amy Krebs, “I Can’t Make You Love Me” – WHY sing this song. When Amy goes home we are going to have to hear her sing this to the audience and it will be painful for all sides. The only way anyone should sing this song is if they found a fresh way of doing it and I don’t know if that’s possible anymore. She had a pleasant tone to her voice and a fresh 70’s look to her but I don’t think she’ll be here next week.
Leslie Hunt, “You Make Me Feel (Like a Natural Woman)” – I love the tone of her voice that smoky, bluesy deep sound she produces however I hope she picks songs to fit that style like Joni Mitchell or Judi Collins because I think she could do well with those. My problem with her is by doing this song she is comparing herself to Kelly Clarkson who BLEW this song away and she’s not Kelly.
Sabrina Sloan, “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)” – I just recently heard Jennifer Hudson do this song and it was a little hard to get her performance out of my head but I thought Sabrina did this justice. I love when people pick a great song that hasn’t been done on Idol yet and they deliver and that’s what she did. Those last couple of notes were better then any of the boys last night.
Antonella Barba, “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing” – Poor Antonella. I see potential there but not with a song like this or a performance sitting on a stool. I think her problem is she’s in the background a lot and doesn’t know how to find a way to stick out. I do think she’ll survive another week barely but she’s not top 12.
Jordin Sparks, “Give Me One Reason” – Who let Kimberly Locke back on this show??? Okay any 17 who does Tracy Champman on Idol has my voice. I loved everything about her performance. Fabulous song choice and a power vibrato filled voice gets me everytime.
Nicole Tranquillo, “Stay” – Okay I liked this performance but I think its one of those you either liked it or hated it. I thought she hit some power notes and has a good voice but I think she needs to pick something a little more familiar without being two over done.
Haley Scarnato, “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” - Unless you have a power voice or a tone that is to die for you should not pick a song like this and especially after we’ve already heard you do it in the auditions. I want to hear different songs not the same one over and over. I think she is safe this week but should have her bags packed just in case.
Melinda Doolittle, “Since You’ve Been Gone” I don’t know if I buy this shy butterfly story but I’ll buy any record she puts out. She has such a voice, great tone, power and her performing skills are amazing. I think she’s top 5.
Alaina Alexander, “Brass In Pocket” – She’s defiantly one of the pretty girls this year and after she is sent packing she can do hair/skin care commercials. I love the song choice just not on her through I did think she sang it well. I think the problem with singing the lines “I’m special” is that you really have to believe it and power through it and she didn’t.
Gina Glocksen, “All By Myself” – I like Gina she’s from a town in Chicago I grew up, by she has a great voice, and she stands out among all the others with that said I think she needs to be careful coming across as a diva because that will get her cut faster then anything. I thought she sang the song well however she has a rocker look belting out a Celin Dion song just doesn’t go together she should have been doing Brass in Pocket.
Lakisha Jones, “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” – You just know that Idol has been dying to get this song the show with all the Jennifer Hudson hoopla. With that said I thought she was fierce. Great voice and power however I wonder if she can ever top that kind of a performance.
Okay onto the rankings judging from last night the men should be very very afraid. Start looking for the guys to do things like singing without their shirts or any other desperate move because they need it.
1. Lakisha Jones
2. Melinda Doolitte
3. Gina Glocksen
4. Jordin Sparks
5. Sabrina Sloan
6. Leslie Hunt
7. Sabrina Edwards
8. Nicole Tranquillo
9. Alaina Alexander
10. Haley Scarnato
11. Amy Krebs
12. Antonella Barba
Going home through will be Amy and Alaina because no one can remember one and no one liked the other.
Two Questons:
First, what time is the results show tonight on the East Coast? (my TV Guide channel and Yahoo say 9 but the American Idol site says 8)
Secondly, MJ or anyone, do you have an archive of comments from this time last year. I would love to see just how wrong we were. I am a huge Elliott fan and picked him from the Hollywood rounds but everyone esle I liked early was gone early.
This season is a flop. Most girls can sing better than all the boys. Boys are bad. Girls are not special. I doubt america will vote for gospel singer. So that leaves out lakisha. It would be melissa or someone else with more personality will win it all. It will be bad year for american idol after the last year super Hit season.
It will teach AI a lesson. They have to find better singers to make people get motivated to vote for them.They have to find hidden talent.
if there is a fvaourite for me in this is Nicole Tranquillo. Yes she is aggressive and very talented and chaka khan tone in her voice.
She has the talent,confident and personality. if she try to stay within her limits, she will do far better than others. She has upside compare to others.
After rewatching the show, and not only relying on performance, but also how their personalities/charisma/looks came through and previous airtime/fan base support, my prediction for top 6 girls are:
1. LaKisha
2. Melinda
3. Gina
4. Haley
5. Stephanie (or Jordin, but not both)
6. Antonella (yikes, unless she totally crashes next week and then I would guess Leslie)
I agree, the singers this season don’t inspire me to even vote.
The girls were much better. Here is how I ranked them:
Lakisha
Melinda
Stephanie
Sabrina
Jordin
Haley
Gina
Leslie
Amy
Nicole
Antonella
Alaina
I think Alaina and Nicole go home tonight!
Totally disagree that this season is a flop. It’s way too soon to tell and I like several of the singers. I’ve only ever agreed with one of the winners and that was season 1 (didn’t watch season 3) yet find the show enjoyable every season.
MJ, thanks for the recaps. I agree with your comments for the most part.
For the record, Jordin did NOT go “wildly off pitch” in her initial audition. She was perfectly on key.
*
For me, it was:
1. Melinda
2. Stephanie
3. Sabrina
4. LaKisha
5. Jordin
6. Gina
7. Leslie
8. Haley
9. Nicole
10. Alaina
11. Amy
12. Antonella
Hey Preston,
I think I pretty much agree with your order!
I enjoyed the ad report. Any idea what they charge?
PJ - the song Stephanie sang is an Alicia Keys song. I think that’s kind of modern.
I love Alicia Keys.
I totally agree with Elizabeth.. I just love Blake.
I bet he will do very very well… I am thinking Top 3. I loved his performance. I am going vote for him.
Personally I don’t want another diva to win. We already have Fantasia and Jennifer HUdson. Just saying.
Like someone mentioned before “It’s all coming back to me” is not originally by Meatloaf. It was intended for him but he never did it.
It was done initially by Pandora’s Box, made famous by Celine Dion and then covered recently by Meatloaf. As a Celine fan, I’d love credit to be given where it’s due. She made the song.
rher - That is her mom.