Hang on to your hat’s kids….
It’s DIANA ROSS week on American Idol. Yes, the contestants get to choose from the fine oeuvre of MISS Diana Ross.
Will the kids pull it out, particularly the guys, or will we be treated to a massive trainwreck? Stay tuned…
Recap to follow…
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The show tonight starts off with more “Yeah, we’re awesome, we’re Idol, we’ve won stuff” footage. TPTB at American Idol will continue to toot their own horn. By the time the big mid-season charity event rolls around, I predict the self-congratulation will become unbearable.
Tonight is the first performance night of the finals and the first week on the big stage. Not to mention, the boys and girls are competing together for the first time. MISS Diana Ross is the guest “mentor” and she’s like a cogent Paula Abdul. She actually has some useful suggestions for the singers, beyond being very positive and encouraging. She’s still got the giant crazy hair-do, but she looks good without looking tucked and pulled.
Often, with a guest host, the theme isn’t centered around their music specifically. I think tonight would have served the entire cast better if the theme had been broader-say a “soul” or “Motown” night. But instead, we’ve got the songs of Miss Diana Ross. For the R&B singers in the bunch, the theme is a snap. For the others, it’s a challenge. Some try to meet that challenge by modernizing the songs, or bringing their own sensibility to the music. I find it ironic, that while the judges are constantly harping on originality and “making a song your own” they totally blast some of the contestants for attempting to change things up a bit. Personally, as an Idol watcher who has lived through a Motown week year after year, I welcome the variety. I don’t get it. Make it your own, but don’t change it. Be original, but don’t alter the originals. Get your stories straight judges! Anyway, I felt more than a little frustrated by the end of last night’s telecast.
Ricky Minor’s band is giant–like an orchestra. You’ve got your guitar players and percussion, but there are also strings and horns in the mix. It’s kind of awesome, but I hope they don’t overpower the kids. Ryan introduces the Top 12. Brandon is first.
Simon says, “This stage changes everybody, it’s a whole different ballgame, it can either make you or break you.” He’s got that right.
After clips of MISS Ross’s ”incredible” career, the competition finally begins. For real.
Brandon Rogers - “You Can’t Hurry Love” - MISS Ross goes all new-age on Brandon, telling him to “go back to his center, his heart place.” It’s not helping, because Brandon is still having mega-problems in this competition. The bigger stage is just swallowing him up even more than before. He’s unable to step it up, and it’s a shame. His performance tonight is not only tentative, but he hits a few clunkers and then forgets the words. If Brandon is not voted off this week, he will be soon. Simon says, “It was a very predictable version, predictable arrangement…no star quality, no originality…” It’s funny Simon should say that…
Melinda Doolittle - “Home” - Melinda gets a little chat time with Ryan. She answers some fan questions from the website courtesy of COKE. We learn that Melinda hates high heels. Which leads to a very strange psycho-sexual exchange between Ryan and Simon. This show gets stranger and stranger. Melinda is thrilled to meet MISS Ross. Despite describing herself as an “old time Motown girl at heart,” Melinda chooses the Broadway classic “Home” from the musical, “The Wiz.” Not exactly Motown, that. Melinda is her usual fabulous self, bringing her excellent vocal chops and unique phrasing to the proceedings. As always she is very, very good. The dichotomy between the confident singer, and the self-effacing woman who faces the judges is simply jarring. Melinda! You are good. Start believing it. Bonus Idol goodness: Paula crying like a crazy person. I love Paula. She’s good Tee Vee.
Chris Sligh - “Endless Love” - Let me start by saying that I think the original version of “Endless Love” as sung by MISS Diana Ross and Lionel Richie back in the 80’s is total pop dreck. As a matter of fact, hearing the song makes me want to poke my eyeballs out with a sharp stick. Next, I think there’s nothing sacred about this song that precludes it from re-arrangement–particularly the cool, modern twist that Chris Sligh brings to the song. I mean, look–the boys are given the choice of singing freaking Diana Ross songs. I don’t blame them for wanting to change things up. So, being the totally modern gal that I am, and also a huge fan of Brit-pop, I absolutely adored Sligh’s arrangement. The judges proceed to slam him for changing up the song. Funny, Brandon was criticized by Simon for a “predictable” arrangement. But now, Chris is told he should have sung the song as is–don’t mess with a classic. Nice contradiction there. Sadly, in the midst of the hang-wringing over Chris’s arrangement, there was NO discussion of his vocals, which were excellent–powerful and heartfelt–even with the less melodic arrangement. Bah. I have nothing more to say.
Gina Glocksen - “Love Child” - Gina tells Diana that she sang the song for her parents when she was little. Gina has a tough time taking Diana’s advice, which is to enunciate the words properly–she slips and slides all over the lyrics. She fails to bring the desperation that the song requires. The song itself is hopelessly out of date. As if having a child out of wedlock is some shameful thing these days–I think it’s tough for someone Gina’s age to fully comprehend what this song meant at the time. Paula says it’s a “feel good” song, which is really bizarre. Gina needed to crawl inside the song in order to express the protagonist’s shame and fear. She was unable to do that. I disagree with Simon–It wasn’t a good song choice for her–but I agree, it was forgettable.
Sanjaya Malakar - “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” - MISS Ross says, “Sanjaya to me, is love, you care about him.” Then she says, “You better get your soul in there.” and then, “Can you dance?” At which point, I cover my eyes with my hands. Peeps, here is my plea: Stop voting for this poor child. Worsters: I love ya, you know I do but PLEASE this child needs to be taken out of his misery. He’s completely out of his depth. STOP VOTING FOR HIM. The boy needs to go home What the hell did the stylists do to his hair? The curly do is ridiculous. He’s painful to watch–particularly when the judges slam him. Tonight, as always, he’s completely unable to project. His voice is pleasant, but it’s slight, and he has absolutely no charisma while he’s performing. When the judges ream him, he looks like he’s going to cry. And the longer he stays, as he begins to knock off favorites, it’s going to become really unpleasant for this kid. So PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY AND GOOD STOP VOTING FOR HIM. I’m finished.
Haley Scarnato - “Missing You” - Kindly, MISS Ross says that Haley has a “studio recording” voice rather than a live performance voice. Haley has a pretty tone, but her stage presence is flat and unremarkable. Her performance is breathy and dull, she drops lyrics and goes off pitch on the big notes. Predictably, Randy criticizes her and Paula tells her she looks beautiful and leaves it at that. Simon takes a different tack–he makes a point of addressing her by name and tells her that he didn’t think it was that bad. He tells her that she had “a real presence” up there. She starts to cry, because she cannot believe Simon is praising her. It’s so sad, because really he’s working reverse psychology on the viewers. He’s basically damning her with faint praise, hoping the viewers will not vote for her out of pity. However, she’s a beautiful girl, and has a unique style within the competition. Unlike the R&B singers, she’s got a pool of voters all to herself. While she’s certainly in danger of being voted off this week, I would not be surprised if she managed to hang on.
After the break, Ryan talks to his Nana. He’s just a Nana’s boy.
Phil Stacey - “I’m Going to Make You Love Me” - MISS Ross sang this song with the great Marvin Gaye back in the day. Randy thought the performance was a little boring. Paula was expecting “more” and feels that he needed to make it more “uptempo.” What? The arrangement is actually pretty faithful to the original. But I’m thinking of the version MISS Ross did with the Temptations. On that, tenor Eddie Kendricks took some of the lead vocals. Really, Phil acquitted himself quite nicely. I’m confused. Do they want faithful renditions of “classics” or not? Simon thought it was just OK, and that it was a good choice for him. Simon plays down Phil’s performance–which, particularly on second listen–is one of his best so far. I think Phil relies a bit much on the big glory notes to make his performances interesting–rather than conveying real emotion. But seriously, I’m beginning to think the judges are purposely downplaying the boys’ talents this week.
Lakisha Jones - “God Bless the Child” - We learn that LaKisha’s nickname is “Kiki”. This song is a Billie Holliday classic, sung by MISS Diana Ross in the movie, “Lady Sings the Blues.” LaKisha brings another strong, powerful, yet understated performance this week. I don’t think she has the ear for excellent phrasing that Melinda has, but for a belter, she understands how to hold back at the right time. I don’t feel, with LaKisha, that I’m being clobbered over the head. Definitely, another solid performance from, but this week’s theme is tailor-made for her. Total tongue bath from the judges, as one might expect.
Blake Lewis - “You Keep Me Hanging On” - What kind of music does Blake listen to? We get a rundown of Blake’s cool credentials–he loves a ton of electronica and hip-hop. He also loves MJ (that’s Michael Jackson, heh) and Prince. As Blake describes how he took “You Keep Me Hanging On” and slowed it down and added new beats to it on his computer, I’m thinking, “Ruh rho.” No matter how well he sings, he’s going to get creamed by the judges. And, after the judges trounced Chris Sligh’s performance, Blake must be about to pee his pants right about now. MISS Ross says, “You need to make it fresh.” But the judges disagree. Blake, with a bit of fancy footwork, does update this classic, but honestly it’s not a radical rearrangement. He’s a bit pitchy, but overall his vocals are good and the arrangement would fit quite nicely on the radio. In the past weeks, Blake has been lauded for bringing something “current” to the competition. So, he brings a current twist to a classic and the judges not only don’t like it, but they, particularly Randy and Simon, are almost offended. Ugh. Year after year they trot out these Motown classics for the kids to sing. And normally, it winds up being one of the dullest weeks of the season. That a few of these kids attempt to bring something different to the proceedings is a welcome relief, if you ask me
Stephanie Edwards - “Love Hangover” - MISS Ross says Stephanie has “star quality.” But she really is unable to stand out tonight. “Love Hangover” isn’t a great song choice. It’s a little monotonous. Simon is right, it is arranged badly. Stephanie has a few pitch problems, trips over some of the lyrics and just can’t manage to bring any excitement to the performance. Stephanie is in a crowded, talented field of R&B singers in this competition. She is forgettable, at a time when she really needs to shine to stay competitive. At this stage, she cannot afford a so-so performance. With the vote splitting, she could very well be in danger of leaving the competition this week.
Chris Richardson - “The Boss” - Chris was “starstruck” when he met MISS Ross. He brings a ton of energy to his performance, but he cannot mask his weak vocals. His tone is thin and nasally. While Chris does a great job connecting to the audience, I have to agree with Simon. The vocals are just not there. There’s too much vibrato, and too much messy melisma. It was a very sloppy vocal performance. But, Chris gets the best marks of the night of all the boys, but that’s probably ’cause he did not mess with the arrangement too much. Simon harps on his vocals again, and I think he’s right. Simon says it was “dreadful”.
Jordin Sparks - “If We Hold On Together” - MISS Ross says that Jordin has “star quality” and an “inner light” Jordin picks a treacly ballad–the theme from the movie “Land Before Time.” Jordin’s phrasing and stage presence are right on. She’s flat on the high notes, but she does bring personality and charm to her performance. She has to work on the shaky pitch, but otherwise, she really is a likable, compelling presence on the big stage. I particularly like that she’s a rock fan, and I hope she continues to choose some interesting songs. I’ll give her a pass for tonight. Simon said it was a little bit “gooey”. Yeah.
Tomorrow, Miss Ross performs something from her latest album. My prediction: Brandon, Stephanie or Haley is voted off. But on American Idol, anything can happen…
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It was one of the BIGGEST Motown hits, a BIG song, requiring a BIG voice. He, of all people, should have picked something less ambitious because his voice is little and I think he could have sounded better with something else. Of course this kid is out of his league, but it’s not his fault that the PTB picked him as the designated “cute-boy-cannon-fodder” and are now trashing him because his fans like him.
Make a note, Simon. If you don’t want these kids to stick around - don’t put them in the Top 24.
I don’t even think Chris R. is cute. I get a [insert bland, white, Timberlake-esque pop-boy] vibe from him. ProTools can fix his voice in the studio and the PTB can sell him to the tween and teen set whether he wins or not on the PopTarts tour.
Still, he seems to be one of the most popular boys this year, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the last guy standing. Blech.
My thoughts on last night:
Brandon - forgot his words badly, the rest of it was ok. I see shades of a great voice but most of the time it doesn’t seem to show up.
Melinda - didn’t like the song but Melinda worked it (as she always does). Still my favorite.
Chris S - hated the arrangement. Knew it sounded familiar then Randy mentioned Coldplay and I was like, “Yeah, that’s freakin Coldplay!”. His voice sounded ok but the arrangement didn’t give any emotion to the song.
Gina - bored. She tends to yell at me when she goes for high notes. She didn’t seem natural up there for some reason. She was wandering around the stage and didn’t seem to know what to do with herself.
Sanjaya - why can this guy not sing louder? I can barely hear him half the time. The background singers come in and blow him out of the water.
Haley - looked great tonight. Think it was the hair. She got McPhee’vered. At times it was good, then she lost it. I think her emotional breakdown will get her through to next week. Generally, I think she’s a good singer, I just don’t like what she sings.
Phil - another horrible song choice but he sang it well. This guy has yet to pick a song that wasn’t a cheesy easy-listening piece of crap. He’d be perfect for “Do I Make You Proud?”
Lakisha - liked her tonight but when she’s not singing, she has zero personality. Never smiles.
Blake - I’m a Blake fan but I didn’t like him tonight. The background music was good but keyboard was just dreadful and made me want to bash my head against the wall. Anyone got an aspirin? Oh yeah, his singing was unemotional and boring.
Stephanie - loved the start of the song. It just never seemed to go anywhere and she missed some notes near the middle.
Chris R. - still don’t like his voice and he seems to be trying too hard to entertain.
Jordin - didn’t like the song. She started fine but had several pitchy spots and her transitions between medium and high notes were a little jaring.
Overall, I’d rate them:
Lakisha
Melinda
Phil
Stephanie
Jordin
Chris S.
Brandon
Gina
Haley
Blake
Chris R.
Sanjaya
Should be going home tonight: Sanjaya
Will be going home tonight: Brandon
Waiting ever-so-patiently for MJ’s recap….
Once again it was the Mindy Doo, KiKi & Jordin show. I think Stephanie may go tonight. Her song was not that well known & her performance forgettable. Haley doesn’t have any competition for the Princess role & she plays it well. And Sanjaya is a tween’s dream. They both will most likely make it to the tour. Not a bad thing for them as it will surely build up their egos as well as their bank accounts. I’m not planning on seeing the AI tour this year so I’ll be spared this trainwreck. Hell, I’m not even sure I can watch this entire season.
Could it be an Idol shocker & Chris S. will go tonight? Like Clark Kent/Superman, I don’t think people can recognize him with/without his glasses so people may not have voted for him. Or maybe they didn’t vote for him because of his Coldplay plagerism, um I mean Coldplay arrangement. I kept thinking what does Coldplay have to do with Diana Ross? Okay, the lead singer of Coldplay is Chris Martin who is married to Gwyneth Paltrow who was in “Emma” with Ewan McGregor who also was in “Star Wars Episode I” who also was with Yoda who also was in “Star Wars Episode V” who also was with Billy Dee Williams who then was with Diana Ross in “Mahogony.” Not exactly 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon but I think I know what Sligh was getting at…Not!
Aw, I like Sligh! I didn’t think he was nearly as bad as the judges led on, and thought he was miles better than Jordin, who I like and find charming. Some of her notes, though - HOO! Icky and OFF.
I thought for sure the judges were going to call her on it, but nope! I wonder if they discuss their comments before the show or what?
BEST PART OF LAST NIGHT’S SHOW - The Opening! I LOVED the fact that Taylor was MISSING from the whole thing - what happened to all those SOUL PATROLLERS who were going to buy “extra” albums to boost sales - he can’t even hit platinum - sad, sad, sad. Makes you think about all the HYPE from last year - TAYLOR HICKS JUST DOESN’T CUT IT - never has, never will.
As an avid voter, I’m truly hoping that a “group” doesn’t form this year to cause grief among those of us that enjoy everything about the show, and understand that it is a SINGING competition and that’s what should be focused on. There is some real talent in the group this year, and I’m really hoping that their fans keep dialing and just don’t expect the numbers to be high - I know I’ll be calling.
SANJAYA needs to go home - get over the looks people, he actually kind of frightens me - I don’t see the attraction!
I disagree with most - actually, ALL - you said FOT. I can call you “FOT”, can’t I?
My main thing is, it’s NOT just “a singing competition”, otherwise Kat wouldn’t have made top two. It’s looks, personality, attitude.
Scared of Sanjaya, eh? You must be pretty tough! Wow!
Best part of the whole night (when speaking with Doolittle):
Ryan: How do you feel about the high heels, Simon?
Simon: You would know.
Ryan: Stop going into my closet!
Simon: Why don’t you come out of it.
Ryan: We’re talking about the top 12, not about your dreams and wishes.
It’s funny because it’s so true!
Great recap, MJ! I pretty much agree with everything you said.
http://www.dialidol.com/asp/predictions/Predictions.asp
What I don’t get is this: If the Three Stooges want Sanjaya to go home, they know darn well what they have to do: either overpraise him or damn him with faint praise. Actually, overpraising him one week and then giving him brush-off praise the following week would almost certainly work. But then again, I like Sanjaya. So I’m OK with him getting slammed, because I know then that he will be around the next week.
I think they are giving Jordin the Lisa-Tucker edit. Way, way over-the-top praise until she squeaks into the tour line-up, and then they will yawn and call her boring. Color her gone!
Chris Sligh, master strategist, gets his playbook unceremoniously shoved up his arse by the judges. Even Paula gets all “You playin’ me, bitch?” They cut off his hip-hype by attacking his arrangement–not only once, but after Blake’s performance, too. His not-to-hawt transformation is aborted by Simon telling him flatly to put his glasses back on. And Simon scared The Funny out of him week one. I’m glad I never got on the Sligh Love Train, or I’d be seriously pissed.
Agree the reaction to Chris’ Endless Love lies somewhere between contradictory and hypocritical.
Among the males, Sligh was the best vocal of the night. Who cares if he added a Coldplay beat to a song that was a clunker even when released.
Really thought there was something more behind the critique of Chris’ arrangement.
my rate:
Melinda
Lakisha
Blake
Chris S.
Gina
Stephanie
Jordin
Brandon
Chris R.
Phil
Haley
Sanjaya
Who I want to go:Sanjaya/Haley
who will go:Brandon/Haley
Does not voting at all count? ‘Cuz that is what I am do…uh, not doing this year.
Honestly. I am so not invested this year, I don’t care who wins.
I think Melinda and Lakisha are clearly the vocal talents this year, but are they interesting? I don’t think too much.
The rest have varying levels of talent to me, but no one really is making me return every week. I am doing it out of habit.
So, 13 straight sold out jampacked shows nationwide in a SOLO tour, which has grossed close to a million bucks based on estimates of tickets plus merchandise doesn’t cut it ?
How many of the 72 finalists can attempt this feat and succeed ?
Only 3 by my count.
About the performances/performers:
Sanjaya - sounds like he’s just singing along with the radio in the car…
Phil - was he wearing too much blush last night or was that just my tv?
Melinda - it’s time for her to accept that she’s good; I mean, you could tell the girl it’s a quarter after twelve and she’d look astonished
Haley - appearance-wise, did she not look like the understudy for Katherine McPhee?
Chris R. - I liked him early on and I’m over it; he should form a boy-band with Ace and move on
Agreed that the theme should have been broader: Motown/Soul classics.
Double agreed about Taylor’s omission from the opening montage being somewhat laughable. He was another one I liked early on and then got bored of…and I’m just not convinced that he’s as humble as the soul patrollers want to believe he is.
Finally, the thing to remember about DialIdol is, at this stage of the game, their predictions are bound to be way off. Remember, all it does is measure the BUSY SIGNAL which, at this stage of the competition, is only for the first fifteen or so minutes. It doesn’t measure total number of calls - only the busy signal. This means good news - if Sanjaya really is hanging on via the tween vote, and they aren’t allowed to stay up late, they’re going to all try to call immediately after the show and then go to bed (I’m hoping), while votes continue to trickle in for other contestants.
Reminder:
Keep the conversation in this thread focused on last night’s show and THIS SEASON’S contestants. Thank you.
About Dial Idol — I seem to remember that they were more accurate last year at this stage in the game. The error margins right now are huge, and they were way off the last few weeks.
Just a theory — maybe a lot fewer people are voting this year? I know I’m not voting, and I was voting feverishly at this time last year.
Okay, scratch my last comment. I just checked the Season 5 Dial Idol rankings, and they were WAY off in weeks 10 and 11. They got a lot more accurate starting with week 9.
i think melinda is playing this really smart. she has probably heard all the stuff about not fitting the image of an “idol” (whatever the hell that means). so instead, her song choices show an absolutely strong inclination to live theatre. she would be great on broadway. 3 of the 4 songs (just not the first one) are performance pieces. they show how she can perform a song and connect with the audience. her interpretation is stunning. remember how all the mentors keep saying “you have to understand the words, believe them and tell a story with the song” - well that she can do in spades.
her calling is not a top 40 singer but a broadway star. and what better way to audition for it than the song selections she has made so far. winning AI would actually do more harm than good.
I TOTALLY agree with this, bruno. Last night really clinched it for me. I can’t wait for Melinda’s obligations to American Idol to be over so that I can see her perform - whether on Broadway or on a concert tour - without having to put any more money in 19’s pockets. Well, I’ll buy her CD but that’s all they’ll get from me.
AUUGH! What is UP with (most of) you guys and Jordin? Granted, she seems awesome as a personality–love her for that– but as a singer she’s soooooo less than. Please listen back to just the audio, for any of her performances. It’s often out of tune, usually devoid of passion or charisma, and always sickly sweet. Like watching the middle part of a boring high school recital. However she’s being so pimped by TPTB because they need some young faces to remain in the competition…and many of you are falling for it. Sure, some of you may truly love her vocalization, but some of you are being led. Listen again.
Truly, same goes for the (also lovable) Chris R. Want to love his vocals, just can’t.
Im just sayin…
Matt Buckstien report - just because I think what he’s doing is hysterical. He didn’t do Diana Ross because he didn’t know the theme (so he did cheat) however, he didn’t do country either. He did Johnny B. Goode, by Chuck Berry and he was much more entertaining than pretty much everyone last night. Certainly better than most of the boys.
Reminder:
Comment on the show and the Idols. Do not comment or make judgements on your fellow posters or their opinions
Sorry mj, does Matt Buckstein count? lol
LOL Yes, he counts. :). He’s competing this season in his own way, so he is definitely on topic. :).
Other Idols can be brought into this discussion as long as it relates back to the topic. I just don’t want THIS thread to devolve into some off-topic discussion of last year’s contestants. THANK YOU! :)
Does anyone know who next week’s guest is?
MJ,
What’s your take on Taylor’s sales? I don’t love the CD, but I knew last year that you just need to WATCH him perform, not just listen to it. But where are those zillions of fans when it comes to buying the CD? I’d just be curious as to your opinion, as I view you as the utmost authority (with me as a close second!).
.
I think the judges’ comments were way off last night. Blake and Chris S tried to update the songs and did a good job of it. I was totally intertained with Blake and I thought Chris sang well. Why is it that they pick one, Chris R, who is doing the same type of thing but with poor vocals and he gets a pass. I don’t get it.
Ask me that in the daily thread. Taylor’s sales numbers are off topic in this thread. Thanks :).
Is it just me — or does Phil Stacey remind you of “Wooly Willy” cardboard and plastic toy where you make the eyebrows and moustache with a magnetic pen we had as kids?
Tracy S
Is it just me — or does Phil Stacey remind you of “Wooly Willy” cardboard and plastic toy where you make the eyebrows and moustache with a magnetic pen we had as kids?
Nigels interview is up at TVWeek.com Said (of Course) it’s surprising.
Jordin Sparks’ singing a song that is so “Disney” puts her in competition with Haley at this point. I don’t quite agree that Haley has a pool of voters all to herself.
Haley and Jordin have both sung to the “Disney” audience so far…remember that Jordin sang “Reflection” or whatever it was called, a couple of weeks ago.
I thought that the judges unfairly trashed both Sligh and Blake Lewis. Although, to be fair, Paula stood up for Blake and said that it was current enough to be a hit today. I have the feeling that both of those guys will have gotten the boot by the time we make it to top 6. Then I’ll have no reason to watch.
I don’t get Chris Richardson at all.
Well, anyone BUT Sanjaya going would be surprising to the majority of viewers, so I’m not worried about it. They are hyping it for what else - ratings.
ETA: That said, any “shocker” could be a that previously perceived “stronger” contender (aka Blake or Chris S) is in the bottom 3 tonight. However, I really think it’s either Brandon or Stephanie going home tonight. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was those two and either Blake or Chris S in the bottom 3 - even if the two latter contestants aren’t “really” in the bottom 3 votes-wise (which either very well could be). I think TPTB can, and do, mess around with those other two placements each week… but the person going home really IS the bottom vote getter. I think they can, and do, do that for ratings and to wake up fanbases. Does that make sense? LOL.
Isn’t next week British Invasion week? If so, Peter Noone and Lulu, I think, are the guests? I look forward to THEM. Not so much the performances.
I liked Chris Sligh’s Coldplay-meets-Lionel Ritchie effort - but then I’ve never liked that song so just about anything would be an improvement on it.
It may be his undoing but I hope he continues to put exactly the twist that suits his personal musical style on the songs he gets lumbered with. If this year is weighted theme-wise towards producing a female “diva” winner then it’s going to be tough for the guys to establish and maintain their identity week after week. Sligh has the kind of voice to cope with all manner of things including belting out oldie ballads Aiken-style, but even though it might take him closer to winning the competition, IMO it would not be good to get labelled thus if he wants a stab at the kind of post-Idol musical career I believe he’s aiming for. It’s a tricky path to tread but I think it’s the right one for him - and for Blake.
Where I disapprove of his strategy is in changing his look. What possessed him to remove the trademark specs??? In the absence of *hawtness* I thought he’d been pretty smart in creating the specs+fro brand - memorable, easily identifiable, fun for the fans to copy - then he goes and abandons 50% of it! Seriously Chris…not smart.
I hear he wore them last night so I hope they’re back for good. Tsk.
Loved the recap MJ and agreed with almost all you said.
I’m just having a lot of trouble hearing the glowing praise heaped on Melinda and Lakisha EVERY week. I love Lakisha’s drama and her expressive face when she sings, but is she MARKETABLE(i hate that word)? And with Melinda, I’ve listened to her several times without looking at her. Her vibrato is too wide at times, her tone color too heavy. In many ways, she seems too old (the biggest criticism that Taylor got last year was that he seemed so old).
Anyway, I think it’s fairly obvious what’s going on this year. AI is determined NOT to have another winner with backbone. Taylor had musical vision, something AI winners are NOT supposed to have. And from what I’ve been reading online, he was determined to do things HIS way, something that may in the end hurt his sales figures and his standing with the AI machine (there are worse fates in life, I’m sure) Melinda and Lakisha, this year’s “picks” are great vocalists, but neither seems to have much of a backbone…malleable, moldable, etc. Chris S. and Blake on the other hand are obviously MUSICIANS who pose a threat to TPTB. As long as those boys remain true to their own musical vision, they’ll die a slow death on AI…and you can bet the judges will never praise them again like they did in Top 24. Then there is Jordin, who I believe is this year’s dark horse. Trainable, malleable, appealing, talented, but very very green. This is why she is getting great praise for performances that would get Gina slammed (another one who appears to have musical vision and a strong will).
Yes, America decides. But AI has learned to have a very tight grip on WHAT America gets to choose from. This year, it’s a limited line up for sure (grilled cheese or grilled cheez?)
If and when Chris S and Blake are voted off, I’m definitely done voting. And I may be done with AI for good. (it’s such a sick addiciton, though, I doubt I could ever be donen with it. Ugh)
Oh, and littleboyblue, YOU ROCK!
Wasn’t “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” originally by the Supremes and THE TEMPTATIONS, not MARVIN GAYE?