Who doesn't love Harry Connick, Jr.? He is a crooner and a swooner and I adore his music! Maybe this week's episode will be a little better than the last few weeks. I hope so. There aren't too many contestants, though, who I think will fit in well with a big band. But we shall see. Maybe someone will surprise us.
Aaron Kelly -- Fly Me to the Moon -- He seemed to struggle a little bit in the beginning. But I guess he got a little bit better toward the middle and end. It's kind of comical to watch him sing this style of music, though, because it definitely requires a certain swagger. Aaron definitely has zero swagger. But bless his little heart, he gave it a good shot.
Bonus Question: What was the funny story Casey shared about his friend back home?
Casey James -- Blue Skies -- Casey's voice is lacking a little, which is much easier to notice when he's performing without his guitar. I would say this performance was better than Aaron's, but definitely not something we would typically expect from a Top 5 contender on American Idol. But this is Season 9, so, all things considered, this was a decent performance.
Bonus Question: What large tattoo does Crystal sport across her back?
Crystal Bowersox -- Summer Wind -- Crystal is obviously the most seasoned and talented performer on the show this season. Her performance showcased that. I thought it was a little boring in the beginning, but the song became more interesting toward the middle and end. This was a nice performance of hers. I'm still a fan. My brother wanted me to say that Crystal looks like Julia Stiles. I put it in here because today is his birthday. And he's spending it watching American Idol and reading my blog over my shoulder.
Michael Lynche -- Writing this before he performs, I kind of think Michael could potentially shine with this style of music. The Way You Look Tonight -- For once Michael's cockiness has an opportunity to shine without becoming abrasive. His attitude carried across more as charm and swagger than conceit tonight and it definitely worked in his favor. I think Michael's was definitely the best performance of the night. And the truest to the Rat Pack stylings. The double-handed wave at the end was something I could have done without, though.
Lee Dewyze -- That's Life -- I love Michael Buble's version of this song. Lee was the second best tonight. It might be more because of the song than his vocals, though. Lee is primarily a really good gritty singer, but when his the song calls for a cleaner vocal, his voice just doesn't sound as good. But I loved hearing the song. The organ was a nice addition.
Bonus Question: What homework did Kara give Lee?
So who you do think will go home? Who do you think SHOULD go home? Answer the bonus questions and send me your predictions tomorrow before the show starts Wednesday!
*Tonight we'll be doing something a little different: The first person to answer will receive 20 bonus points, the second person will receive 15, the third person will receive 10, and the fourth person will receive 5. So get your answers in quickly!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Idol Gives Back
Idol Gives Back is back again. In Idol Gives Back's inaugural year the producers made the decision to not send anyone home because they wanted to maintain the inspirational and uplifting theme, rather than bringing down the mood of the show with a downer of an elimination. In season 7, the Idol people acted like they were not going to eliminate anyone, but then cruelly and viciously gave Michael Johns the boot. You'll get 2 bonus points for making an extra prediction this week if you're right: do you think they WILL or WILL NOT eliminate someone this week?
Bonus Questions:
Which judge said “We’re to the point now where someone’s going to have to go home every single week.”?
Which judge said, “You don’t have the tone for that voice.”
Name each of tonight’s songs that are from movie soundtracks (2 points each)
It seems like every season during “inspirational songs week”, the contestants choose really strange songs that I would never think of as particularly inspirational. This week continued that trend.
Just to show how very disengaged I am from this show this season, as soon as the show came on the camera panned around behind the judges and I thought, “wow, there’s 4 judges this week? I wonder who the guest judge is!”
Casey James – Don’t Stop. I didn’t get his vocal arrangement for this song. It didn’t sound right. I’m not that good at hearing notes, but it almost seemed like he was singing in the wrong key. Maybe it’s just me. I just didn’t think this performance was consistent with the caliber of Casey’s other performances.
Lee Dewyze – The Boxer. Welp, he still stinks at interviews. I’m starting to think he’s a lost cause. I appreciate Lee’s efforts in trying to play more of a ballad this week, but I wish his voice was a little crisper and able to hit the notes better. I would say this performance was refreshing, but not as great as it could have been. I love the original Simon and Garfunkel version of this song, but I don’t think I ever really paid much attention to the lyrics.
Tim Urban – Better Days. Why did it sound like a bunch of the notes in the beginning were way too low for Tim’s voice? Tim was well on his way to making a fan out of me, until he opened his mouth this week. Too many bum notes. The orchestra sounds pretty, though. I’m not sure how much credit Tim deserves for that, though.
Aaron Kelly – I Believe I Can Fly. I agree with Alicia Keys that this song has the potential for overkill. His song choice proves just how green Aaron is as a performer. I would say that other than Wind Beneath My Wings (if Katie Stevens had still been in the competition, she would have chosen that.), this is probably the most cliché “inspirational” song in popular culture. And Aaron did his typical Rascal Flatts impersonation with the song. I suppose it wasn’t a bad performance vocally….just not my cup of tea. And annoying.
Siobhan Magnus – When You Believe. I haven’t heard this song in years. I loved her hair tonight. I think Siobhan has a beautiful voice. She had a couple of bad weeks, but she seems to be back now. This song suited her voice very well and I think she pulled it off. Why are the judges so hard on her? It’s like their judging her on a different plane than most of the other contestants.
Michael Lynche – Hero. I wish he wouldn’t point into the camera. I guess this performance was okay. I’m just not a big fan. I think I might like him more if he wasn’t so cocky acting. And the judges are way easier on him than they are on Siobhan for some reason.
Crystal Bowersox – People Get Ready. I love that she started out a capella. And I love that Crystal has done two outspokenly Gospel songs in the past two weeks. I don’t know if she’s a believer, but I still appreciate that she’s unashamedly performing songs that a lot of people would be afraid to touch. She’s such an incredible performer. This performance was miles ahead of all of the others. That was beautiful. And inspirational. Bonus Question: Why did Crystal say she got emotional during her song?
Bonus Questions:
Which judge said “We’re to the point now where someone’s going to have to go home every single week.”?
Which judge said, “You don’t have the tone for that voice.”
Name each of tonight’s songs that are from movie soundtracks (2 points each)
It seems like every season during “inspirational songs week”, the contestants choose really strange songs that I would never think of as particularly inspirational. This week continued that trend.
Just to show how very disengaged I am from this show this season, as soon as the show came on the camera panned around behind the judges and I thought, “wow, there’s 4 judges this week? I wonder who the guest judge is!”
Casey James – Don’t Stop. I didn’t get his vocal arrangement for this song. It didn’t sound right. I’m not that good at hearing notes, but it almost seemed like he was singing in the wrong key. Maybe it’s just me. I just didn’t think this performance was consistent with the caliber of Casey’s other performances.
Lee Dewyze – The Boxer. Welp, he still stinks at interviews. I’m starting to think he’s a lost cause. I appreciate Lee’s efforts in trying to play more of a ballad this week, but I wish his voice was a little crisper and able to hit the notes better. I would say this performance was refreshing, but not as great as it could have been. I love the original Simon and Garfunkel version of this song, but I don’t think I ever really paid much attention to the lyrics.
Tim Urban – Better Days. Why did it sound like a bunch of the notes in the beginning were way too low for Tim’s voice? Tim was well on his way to making a fan out of me, until he opened his mouth this week. Too many bum notes. The orchestra sounds pretty, though. I’m not sure how much credit Tim deserves for that, though.
Aaron Kelly – I Believe I Can Fly. I agree with Alicia Keys that this song has the potential for overkill. His song choice proves just how green Aaron is as a performer. I would say that other than Wind Beneath My Wings (if Katie Stevens had still been in the competition, she would have chosen that.), this is probably the most cliché “inspirational” song in popular culture. And Aaron did his typical Rascal Flatts impersonation with the song. I suppose it wasn’t a bad performance vocally….just not my cup of tea. And annoying.
Siobhan Magnus – When You Believe. I haven’t heard this song in years. I loved her hair tonight. I think Siobhan has a beautiful voice. She had a couple of bad weeks, but she seems to be back now. This song suited her voice very well and I think she pulled it off. Why are the judges so hard on her? It’s like their judging her on a different plane than most of the other contestants.
Michael Lynche – Hero. I wish he wouldn’t point into the camera. I guess this performance was okay. I’m just not a big fan. I think I might like him more if he wasn’t so cocky acting. And the judges are way easier on him than they are on Siobhan for some reason.
Crystal Bowersox – People Get Ready. I love that she started out a capella. And I love that Crystal has done two outspokenly Gospel songs in the past two weeks. I don’t know if she’s a believer, but I still appreciate that she’s unashamedly performing songs that a lot of people would be afraid to touch. She’s such an incredible performer. This performance was miles ahead of all of the others. That was beautiful. And inspirational. Bonus Question: Why did Crystal say she got emotional during her song?
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Top 9 Week (again)
Crystal Bowersox – Saved. Wow. I love the gospel feel she has. I’m not familiar with this song. This may in fact be my first iTunes purchase of the American Idol season. I just love how Crystal has a handle on this whole performance thing. And she knows what she’s good at and where her voice can go. You don’t hear her going and attempting a Whitney Houston ballad because that’s not her forte. I appreciate that about Crystal. She nailed it with this performance.
Andrew Garcia – Hound Dog. This performance is very cheesy to me. Andrew has consistently failed to bring whatever it was that helped him soar to the top in Hollywood Week. This rendition of Hound Dog is pathetic. I think Andrew needs to figure out what type of music he wants to make. Then if he wants to reinvent songs he can try to recreate them into his own style. But this just didn’t work at all. I was glad when it was over.
I wonder if Kara gets money for every time she says “own it” on the show, because I think she says it at least a hundred times an episode.
Tim Urban – Fools Rush In. Aunt Sharon, this is for you: Tim actually sounded nice on this performance. I liked his guitar playing. The performance was nice and subtle. Tim may have finally mastered the art of subtlety. His performance was definitely better than Andrew’s, and possibly even close to Crystal’s in quality.
Lee Dewyze – A Little Less Conversation. He fumbled around the lyrics a little. But overall, I liked his take on the song. He still lacks in the performance aspect. He’s very awkward in all of his interview packages and everything, so I wonder if he has some shyness to overcome. I don’t know. I would say this performance was good, but GASP, maybe not quite as good as Tim Urban. Yikes!
Aaron Kelly – Blue Suede shoes. Did anyone else think he looked like a little kid trying to do an Elvis impersonation during his performance? I agree with Aaron that this song is all wrong for him. It just doesn’t make sense. Granted, at this point Aaron’s going to have to pull something pretty spectacular out of his hat if he wants to impress me…..like Tim Urban did tonight.
Siobhan Magnus – Suspicious Minds. I’ve noticed over the past couple of weeks that Siobhan makes really weird faces when she sings. If I’m noticing that, it might mean that she’s boring me. She got a little better toward the middle to the end of her performance. But I think Siobhan is definitely in a little bit of a slump right now. Her movements as she sang were really corny. She still sang better than many of the other contestants, but she still disappointed me. Maybe next week she’ll be back on track.
Michael Lynche – In the Ghetto. Here’s the point where Michael proves to America why he was worthy of the only-good-for-one-use judges’ save that could potentially send Crystal, Lee or Siobhan home later on in the competition. And, actually, he was much improved over his previous performances, in my opinion. I think this is, by far, his best performance. It was a little hard to hear at the end what with my little brother singing along at the top of his lungs and all. Maybe Michael really was worth the trouble…..well, I’m not entirely convinced of that yet with several weeks into the competition and one good offering to speak of, but I will say I definitely don’t hate him as much as I used to.
Katie Stevens – Baby, What Do You Want Me to Do? Katie robbed an accessories store before her performance! Jeesh! How can she walk around with all that stuff on her? I just don’t get what’s so great about her voice. She can hit the notes, but I think her tone is a little Kermit the Frog-like. And all those faces she makes and head jerks she does remind me of someone in a cheesy pageant. I can’t see past all of that. And she deserves to go home tomorrow*.
Casey James – Loudy Miss Cloudy. I’m not familiar with this song, either. But I think Casey sounds great singing it. He, too, has found his niche. Unlike Crystal, though, I think Casey’s performances tend to sound similar. He’s consistently good, though so I can’t complain about that. I think Casey and Lee are probably the two most talented male contestants this season.
Why did Adam Lambert say he loved Elvis?
Whose song did Simon say he identified with the lyrics?
Which judge used the expression “on the money, full stop” tonight?
What “instrumental” joke did Ellen make during Katie Stevens’ performance?
*Actually, after listening to the recap at the end of the show, I would say Andrew deserves to go home a million times before Katie.
Andrew Garcia – Hound Dog. This performance is very cheesy to me. Andrew has consistently failed to bring whatever it was that helped him soar to the top in Hollywood Week. This rendition of Hound Dog is pathetic. I think Andrew needs to figure out what type of music he wants to make. Then if he wants to reinvent songs he can try to recreate them into his own style. But this just didn’t work at all. I was glad when it was over.
I wonder if Kara gets money for every time she says “own it” on the show, because I think she says it at least a hundred times an episode.
Tim Urban – Fools Rush In. Aunt Sharon, this is for you: Tim actually sounded nice on this performance. I liked his guitar playing. The performance was nice and subtle. Tim may have finally mastered the art of subtlety. His performance was definitely better than Andrew’s, and possibly even close to Crystal’s in quality.
Lee Dewyze – A Little Less Conversation. He fumbled around the lyrics a little. But overall, I liked his take on the song. He still lacks in the performance aspect. He’s very awkward in all of his interview packages and everything, so I wonder if he has some shyness to overcome. I don’t know. I would say this performance was good, but GASP, maybe not quite as good as Tim Urban. Yikes!
Aaron Kelly – Blue Suede shoes. Did anyone else think he looked like a little kid trying to do an Elvis impersonation during his performance? I agree with Aaron that this song is all wrong for him. It just doesn’t make sense. Granted, at this point Aaron’s going to have to pull something pretty spectacular out of his hat if he wants to impress me…..like Tim Urban did tonight.
Siobhan Magnus – Suspicious Minds. I’ve noticed over the past couple of weeks that Siobhan makes really weird faces when she sings. If I’m noticing that, it might mean that she’s boring me. She got a little better toward the middle to the end of her performance. But I think Siobhan is definitely in a little bit of a slump right now. Her movements as she sang were really corny. She still sang better than many of the other contestants, but she still disappointed me. Maybe next week she’ll be back on track.
Michael Lynche – In the Ghetto. Here’s the point where Michael proves to America why he was worthy of the only-good-for-one-use judges’ save that could potentially send Crystal, Lee or Siobhan home later on in the competition. And, actually, he was much improved over his previous performances, in my opinion. I think this is, by far, his best performance. It was a little hard to hear at the end what with my little brother singing along at the top of his lungs and all. Maybe Michael really was worth the trouble…..well, I’m not entirely convinced of that yet with several weeks into the competition and one good offering to speak of, but I will say I definitely don’t hate him as much as I used to.
Katie Stevens – Baby, What Do You Want Me to Do? Katie robbed an accessories store before her performance! Jeesh! How can she walk around with all that stuff on her? I just don’t get what’s so great about her voice. She can hit the notes, but I think her tone is a little Kermit the Frog-like. And all those faces she makes and head jerks she does remind me of someone in a cheesy pageant. I can’t see past all of that. And she deserves to go home tomorrow*.
Casey James – Loudy Miss Cloudy. I’m not familiar with this song, either. But I think Casey sounds great singing it. He, too, has found his niche. Unlike Crystal, though, I think Casey’s performances tend to sound similar. He’s consistently good, though so I can’t complain about that. I think Casey and Lee are probably the two most talented male contestants this season.
Why did Adam Lambert say he loved Elvis?
Whose song did Simon say he identified with the lyrics?
Which judge used the expression “on the money, full stop” tonight?
What “instrumental” joke did Ellen make during Katie Stevens’ performance?
*Actually, after listening to the recap at the end of the show, I would say Andrew deserves to go home a million times before Katie.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Top 10 Week
Please excuse my brevity and scatter-brained-ness on this week’s blog. There are a couple of reasons for being so off tonight:
It’s 10:30 as I type this and I’m just now sitting down to watch Idol for the evening.
I’ve just about lost my faith in American Idol Season 9….if it wasn’t for a certain female contestant (whose name may or may not rhyme with Powerbox), I probably would have quit watching around Top 20 week or so….also I have a contest to run and people counting on me to deliver prizes…so here we go!
Awkward kissing moment with the judges backstage before the show started...that was weird.
Bonus Question: What did the back of Randy Jackson’s cardigan say? (hint: I don't know what the cardigan really said, and I'm really curious....so you'll get points if you give me your best guess or if you give me the correct answer.)
Bonus Question: What is the name of Usher’s new album?
Bonus Question: Which contestant did Usher instruct to “make me that person [you’re in love with]”?
Siobhan Magnus – Through the Fire – I like her hair with that braid thing going across the top of her head. Siobhan sounds uncharacteristically off key tonight. She sounds bad. Oh boy. She was one of the ones I was counting on to get me through the night. Everyone I’m watching this with thinks I’m crazy, but I think she sounds terrible tonight. She has to quit with that shrieking stuff…it’s old now.
Casey James – Hold On, I’m Comin’ – I think Casey sounds alright. To me Casey is consistently mediocre every week. But he’s never done anything astounding on the American Idol stage. It’s time for him to start rising above the pack and make a name for himself.
Michael Lynche – Ready for Love – Bonus Question: To what food item did Michael Lynche liken his guitar? Michael sounds better with this subtle performance where he’s not displaying his cheese factor. But he was a little boring to me. For me, for you.
Didi Benami – What Becomes of the Broken Hearted – She looks like Taylor Swift this week for some reason. I like the tone of her voice. She was channeling the older styles of music a little bit. She may not have as many big vocal tricks up her sleeve as some of the other contestants, but her voice quality is very pleasant to listen to and she’s a little bit unpredictable in that you never really know if she’s going to soar or to bomb. This week I would say she definitely didn’t bomb, but I don’t think she was nearly as bad as the judges seemed to think she was.
Tim Urban – Sweet Love – Usher told him that he hoped he would “give it to the camera” at some point….but Tim didn’t take his eyes off the camera the entire time! It was a little creepy. I thought his performance was okay. His voice really wasn’t that great, but it sounded fine I guess. To sound like Simon, it sounded like wedding music or background music at the shopping mall or something. Just kind of stale and nowhere close to as good as the real thing.
Note: I am 92% sure that Randy Jackson said “Predestrian!”
Andrew Garcia – Forever – I got made fun of for not knowing this Chris Brown song. I guess Andrew changed up the arrangement, but I thought it was okay sounding, but a little on the boring side. I don’t know. I can’t really critique it since I didn’t know what it was supposed to sound like I guess.
Katie Stevens – Chain of Fools – This was a very predictable song choice for her. I already hate it with the horn introduction. Katie is so pageanty when she sings. She tried to put a “pretty” bad attitude look on. She’s just so corny to me. And I just don’t get her voice. I mean, she does okay with the notes, but I just don’t like the way it sounds. I guess she has a lot of fans, though, because she’s still on the show.
Lee Dewyze – Treat Her Like a Lady – I actually enjoyed this arrangement of the song. I thought it started out a little slow, but maybe that was the effect he was going for, because the song just exploded in the middle. This was the best performance of the night so far. Maybe this was the “moment” the judges were wanting Lee to create.
Crystal Bowersox – Midnight Train to Georgia – Those background singers are horrifyingly awful, but I was surprised to hear that Crystal could play the piano, too. Although she didn’t play much of it. This whole performance was something very different for Crystal. Adam made the comment that she didn’t know what to do with her hands since she wasn’t holding a guitar. I thought her vocals sounded terrific….maybe not the best we’ve heard from her, but definitely head and shoulders above most everyone else in the competition.
Aaron Kelly – Ain’t No Sunshine – Aaron’s back with his crooked faux-hawk. He’s a little pageanty as well. I liked his little head jerk at the end of his performance. And his hand motions. I literally LOLed at this performance. He’s just annoying to me for some reason. I can’t even critique his singing because his stage presence was so goofy.
That’s it. Answer the bonus questions and get me your predictions before the show starts on Wednesday! I’m going to Tennessee!
It’s 10:30 as I type this and I’m just now sitting down to watch Idol for the evening.
I’ve just about lost my faith in American Idol Season 9….if it wasn’t for a certain female contestant (whose name may or may not rhyme with Powerbox), I probably would have quit watching around Top 20 week or so….also I have a contest to run and people counting on me to deliver prizes…so here we go!
Awkward kissing moment with the judges backstage before the show started...that was weird.
Bonus Question: What did the back of Randy Jackson’s cardigan say? (hint: I don't know what the cardigan really said, and I'm really curious....so you'll get points if you give me your best guess or if you give me the correct answer.)
Bonus Question: What is the name of Usher’s new album?
Bonus Question: Which contestant did Usher instruct to “make me that person [you’re in love with]”?
Siobhan Magnus – Through the Fire – I like her hair with that braid thing going across the top of her head. Siobhan sounds uncharacteristically off key tonight. She sounds bad. Oh boy. She was one of the ones I was counting on to get me through the night. Everyone I’m watching this with thinks I’m crazy, but I think she sounds terrible tonight. She has to quit with that shrieking stuff…it’s old now.
Casey James – Hold On, I’m Comin’ – I think Casey sounds alright. To me Casey is consistently mediocre every week. But he’s never done anything astounding on the American Idol stage. It’s time for him to start rising above the pack and make a name for himself.
Michael Lynche – Ready for Love – Bonus Question: To what food item did Michael Lynche liken his guitar? Michael sounds better with this subtle performance where he’s not displaying his cheese factor. But he was a little boring to me. For me, for you.
Didi Benami – What Becomes of the Broken Hearted – She looks like Taylor Swift this week for some reason. I like the tone of her voice. She was channeling the older styles of music a little bit. She may not have as many big vocal tricks up her sleeve as some of the other contestants, but her voice quality is very pleasant to listen to and she’s a little bit unpredictable in that you never really know if she’s going to soar or to bomb. This week I would say she definitely didn’t bomb, but I don’t think she was nearly as bad as the judges seemed to think she was.
Tim Urban – Sweet Love – Usher told him that he hoped he would “give it to the camera” at some point….but Tim didn’t take his eyes off the camera the entire time! It was a little creepy. I thought his performance was okay. His voice really wasn’t that great, but it sounded fine I guess. To sound like Simon, it sounded like wedding music or background music at the shopping mall or something. Just kind of stale and nowhere close to as good as the real thing.
Note: I am 92% sure that Randy Jackson said “Predestrian!”
Andrew Garcia – Forever – I got made fun of for not knowing this Chris Brown song. I guess Andrew changed up the arrangement, but I thought it was okay sounding, but a little on the boring side. I don’t know. I can’t really critique it since I didn’t know what it was supposed to sound like I guess.
Katie Stevens – Chain of Fools – This was a very predictable song choice for her. I already hate it with the horn introduction. Katie is so pageanty when she sings. She tried to put a “pretty” bad attitude look on. She’s just so corny to me. And I just don’t get her voice. I mean, she does okay with the notes, but I just don’t like the way it sounds. I guess she has a lot of fans, though, because she’s still on the show.
Lee Dewyze – Treat Her Like a Lady – I actually enjoyed this arrangement of the song. I thought it started out a little slow, but maybe that was the effect he was going for, because the song just exploded in the middle. This was the best performance of the night so far. Maybe this was the “moment” the judges were wanting Lee to create.
Crystal Bowersox – Midnight Train to Georgia – Those background singers are horrifyingly awful, but I was surprised to hear that Crystal could play the piano, too. Although she didn’t play much of it. This whole performance was something very different for Crystal. Adam made the comment that she didn’t know what to do with her hands since she wasn’t holding a guitar. I thought her vocals sounded terrific….maybe not the best we’ve heard from her, but definitely head and shoulders above most everyone else in the competition.
Aaron Kelly – Ain’t No Sunshine – Aaron’s back with his crooked faux-hawk. He’s a little pageanty as well. I liked his little head jerk at the end of his performance. And his hand motions. I literally LOLed at this performance. He’s just annoying to me for some reason. I can’t even critique his singing because his stage presence was so goofy.
That’s it. Answer the bonus questions and get me your predictions before the show starts on Wednesday! I’m going to Tennessee!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Top 12 Week
Sorry folks, no blog this week or next. Come back on Top 10 week and I'll get back into the swing of things! Thanks for checking in. -nicole
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Season 9: Top 8 Guys
I’ve had a long-standing hypothesis that Randy Jackson is among the most obnoxious personalities on television. Tonight, as Ryan introduced the judges and Randy proceeded to give a hardy “yeah, yeah, yeah” for each judge (including himself), and then predictably, a resounding “boooooooo” for Simon Cowell, he solidified his place as the single most annoying person who ever has been, or ever will be on television.
But none of that matters because the weather is lovely, the sun was bright today, my windows are open and there is a cool, gentle breeze whispering through my house as I type this. I don’t care if the boys stand up there and perform Vanilla Ice, I’m still going to be in a good mood!
Lee Dewyze – Firefly – This was a very bizarre choice for Lee. He started out a little nasal-sounding. And he stayed that way. He sounded horrible. The song is supposed to sound mystical and dreamy, not like you swallowed rocks before you sang. That was icky. I don’t know what the judges were talking about. It was absolutely terrible.
Alex Lambert – Trouble – This, on the other hand, was a perfect song choice for the mullet-haired wonder. Alex still looked really stiff on the stage, but I think he has turned himself into a serious contender. I love the tone of his voice. I really want to listen to an entire album of his already. And that’s saying a lot, considering the slim pickins we have as far as the men are concerned this season.
Bonus Question: Despite Alex's great performance, only one judge gave him a positive review. Name that judge.
Tim Urban – Hallelujah – Before he even sang a note, I knew this was Tim Urban’s proverbial kiss goodbye to the American Idol stage. Nobody can possibly surpass Jason Castro’s monumental performance of this song a mere two years ago. Jason had one of the biggest performances in Idol history with this song. Tim sounded okay, but with Jason’s performance in my mind, I would be doing Tim a favor if I called his version mediocre. He didn’t sing with the tenderness and vulnerability the song begs. Tim missed a few notes, and it just wasn’t there for me. Maybe I’m biased, though. The judges seemed to disagree.
Andrew Garcia – Genie in a Bottle – Wow. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard that song. I almost didn’t recognize it until he got to the chorus. I liked his interpretation of this song; I just hope Andrew doesn’t become a one-trick pony, taking originally female pop-songs and turning them into acoustic coffee-house hits. I thought he sounded really good with the song, though. It was my favorite performance of the night up to that point in the competition. I think the judges were a little unfair in their criticism of him.
Bonus Question: In the comments below, please list who you think is the best judge and who you think is the worst, and don’t forget to list your reasons why! Because these judges are killing me tonight (in the bad way)!
Casey James – You’ll Think of Me – I think Casey is slowly becoming one of my favorites of the male contestants…and it has nothing to do with how he looks with his shirt off. I think he is very adept at interpreting songs with a raw emotion and then conveying them in a way that isn’t cheesy. I thought Casey sounded great singing it tonight. Yes, Randy, he is good at the blues vibe, but he can also show different facets of himself as an artist.
Bonus Question: Who is married to the person who originally sang “You’ll Think of Me”
Aaron Kelly – I’m Already There – Aaron gave a cheesefest of a performance tonight. It all started when he began with his first chorus of “I’m Allllllllready there,” as he slowly stood from his stool and stepped into the spotlight with his hand stretched in the air. Aaron’s voice is lacking almost as much as his stage presence. He’s simply not as good at singing as all of his competitors. He’s very plastic to me, like David Archuleta. It’s like he’s been bred from infancy to be a stage performer and everything he does is so rehearsed and polished, that it’s too rehearsed and polished. I’m not digging Aaron and I think he’ll be going home this week along with the other child contestant, Katie Stevens.
Bonus Question: Despite Aaron's subpar performance, only one judge gave him negative reviews. Name that judge.
Todrick Hall – Somebody to Love – As I sit here during the commercial break, Ryan Seacrest has just announced that Todrick will be singing something by Queen, and then the camera cut to Todrick with his black leather/tweed jacket with a multitude of zippers and those strange little half-gloves that everyone seems to be sporting on the show this season. I must admit I’m nervous. Queen is my favorite, you see, and I know there is no way, eh hem, NO WAY in this world that Todrick has the capacity to do justice to a Queen song. Oh, the humanity! I am offended at the very thought. I hope Todrick proves me wrong. Well, I will give Todrick props this week for not trying to overhaul a song into a tacky overdone anthem. However, Todrick’s vocals fell flat and boring about midway through the song and he never quite got there. He doesn’t have the range to sing Freddie Mercury and I’m afraid we’ll be hearing this song again tomorrow night. Once again, I disagreed with the judges.
Michael Lynche – This Woman’s Work – Well, I was not expecting that falsetto at the beginning of the song. For a minute I thought I was listening to Jordan Knight and the New Kids on the Block circa 1991! This performance seemed to drag on for a long time. Michael’s movement on stage is always very strange to me. It’s unnatural on him for some reason. I didn’t like this performance because I couldn’t figure out what it was supposed to be. Everyone knows I’m not the biggest R&B fan, but all that aside, I just didn’t get it this time.
Well, I'm still in a wonderful mood because of the fresh air, but I have successfully chosen 3 men to go home tomorrow night instead of just two. It would be more fair if they would accept more girls this year since they are better. I'm holding out hope that we'll get rid of one female and 3 males tomorrow night. I know it's not going to happen, but a girl can dream, can't she?
After tomorrow night's show, we'll know who the Top 12 contestants are, and you'll get your points for your selections. Be expecting a lovely points recap on Friday!
But none of that matters because the weather is lovely, the sun was bright today, my windows are open and there is a cool, gentle breeze whispering through my house as I type this. I don’t care if the boys stand up there and perform Vanilla Ice, I’m still going to be in a good mood!
Lee Dewyze – Firefly – This was a very bizarre choice for Lee. He started out a little nasal-sounding. And he stayed that way. He sounded horrible. The song is supposed to sound mystical and dreamy, not like you swallowed rocks before you sang. That was icky. I don’t know what the judges were talking about. It was absolutely terrible.
Alex Lambert – Trouble – This, on the other hand, was a perfect song choice for the mullet-haired wonder. Alex still looked really stiff on the stage, but I think he has turned himself into a serious contender. I love the tone of his voice. I really want to listen to an entire album of his already. And that’s saying a lot, considering the slim pickins we have as far as the men are concerned this season.
Bonus Question: Despite Alex's great performance, only one judge gave him a positive review. Name that judge.
Tim Urban – Hallelujah – Before he even sang a note, I knew this was Tim Urban’s proverbial kiss goodbye to the American Idol stage. Nobody can possibly surpass Jason Castro’s monumental performance of this song a mere two years ago. Jason had one of the biggest performances in Idol history with this song. Tim sounded okay, but with Jason’s performance in my mind, I would be doing Tim a favor if I called his version mediocre. He didn’t sing with the tenderness and vulnerability the song begs. Tim missed a few notes, and it just wasn’t there for me. Maybe I’m biased, though. The judges seemed to disagree.
Andrew Garcia – Genie in a Bottle – Wow. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard that song. I almost didn’t recognize it until he got to the chorus. I liked his interpretation of this song; I just hope Andrew doesn’t become a one-trick pony, taking originally female pop-songs and turning them into acoustic coffee-house hits. I thought he sounded really good with the song, though. It was my favorite performance of the night up to that point in the competition. I think the judges were a little unfair in their criticism of him.
Bonus Question: In the comments below, please list who you think is the best judge and who you think is the worst, and don’t forget to list your reasons why! Because these judges are killing me tonight (in the bad way)!
Casey James – You’ll Think of Me – I think Casey is slowly becoming one of my favorites of the male contestants…and it has nothing to do with how he looks with his shirt off. I think he is very adept at interpreting songs with a raw emotion and then conveying them in a way that isn’t cheesy. I thought Casey sounded great singing it tonight. Yes, Randy, he is good at the blues vibe, but he can also show different facets of himself as an artist.
Bonus Question: Who is married to the person who originally sang “You’ll Think of Me”
Aaron Kelly – I’m Already There – Aaron gave a cheesefest of a performance tonight. It all started when he began with his first chorus of “I’m Allllllllready there,” as he slowly stood from his stool and stepped into the spotlight with his hand stretched in the air. Aaron’s voice is lacking almost as much as his stage presence. He’s simply not as good at singing as all of his competitors. He’s very plastic to me, like David Archuleta. It’s like he’s been bred from infancy to be a stage performer and everything he does is so rehearsed and polished, that it’s too rehearsed and polished. I’m not digging Aaron and I think he’ll be going home this week along with the other child contestant, Katie Stevens.
Bonus Question: Despite Aaron's subpar performance, only one judge gave him negative reviews. Name that judge.
Todrick Hall – Somebody to Love – As I sit here during the commercial break, Ryan Seacrest has just announced that Todrick will be singing something by Queen, and then the camera cut to Todrick with his black leather/tweed jacket with a multitude of zippers and those strange little half-gloves that everyone seems to be sporting on the show this season. I must admit I’m nervous. Queen is my favorite, you see, and I know there is no way, eh hem, NO WAY in this world that Todrick has the capacity to do justice to a Queen song. Oh, the humanity! I am offended at the very thought. I hope Todrick proves me wrong. Well, I will give Todrick props this week for not trying to overhaul a song into a tacky overdone anthem. However, Todrick’s vocals fell flat and boring about midway through the song and he never quite got there. He doesn’t have the range to sing Freddie Mercury and I’m afraid we’ll be hearing this song again tomorrow night. Once again, I disagreed with the judges.
Michael Lynche – This Woman’s Work – Well, I was not expecting that falsetto at the beginning of the song. For a minute I thought I was listening to Jordan Knight and the New Kids on the Block circa 1991! This performance seemed to drag on for a long time. Michael’s movement on stage is always very strange to me. It’s unnatural on him for some reason. I didn’t like this performance because I couldn’t figure out what it was supposed to be. Everyone knows I’m not the biggest R&B fan, but all that aside, I just didn’t get it this time.
Well, I'm still in a wonderful mood because of the fresh air, but I have successfully chosen 3 men to go home tomorrow night instead of just two. It would be more fair if they would accept more girls this year since they are better. I'm holding out hope that we'll get rid of one female and 3 males tomorrow night. I know it's not going to happen, but a girl can dream, can't she?
After tomorrow night's show, we'll know who the Top 12 contestants are, and you'll get your points for your selections. Be expecting a lovely points recap on Friday!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Top 16 Ladies
How about a rushed episode tonight where the performances are approximately 30 seconds long? I appreciated that Idol was only an hour , but I felt like I needed to sit in front of a fan, stretch my muscles and drink a glass of ice water afterwards. Holy cow!
Katie Stevens – Breakaway – Katie seemed like she couldn’t get in the right tempo with the band. This might have been her weakest performance to date. She missed a lot of those notes. I was glad when it was over.
Bonus Question: Who did Siobhan say she was dedicating her performance to?
Siobhan Magnus – House of the Rising Sun – I think Siobhan is one of the serious contenders this season, and I never would have said that two weeks ago. I really liked this performance. Siobhan’s voice is so strong and she knows how to use it properly.
Bonus Question: In one redundant sentence, Kara described Siobhan as both unique and what?
Lacey Brown—The Story – I love this song. I think Lacey sounded great singing it. Except for she skipped the huge part of the song. I think she sounded subtle, though, and that song suited her voice so well. She’s considered by many to be an underdog, but Lacey is still one of my favorites. And if anyone is looking for some new folksy music with power vocals, I would highly recommend Brandi Carlile.
Katelyn Epperly– I Feel The Earth Move—I don’t think Katelyn’s voice was as strong as it has been. This performance was a little cheesy to me, from the way she was playing the keyboard with her little side to side movements to her vocals. It wasn’t my favorite, but it wasn’t horrible either, I suppose.
Didi Benami—Rhianna – I liked seeing Didi back with her guitar. I think she’s more comfortable on stage with it, and she sounds better. Didi has one of the freshest sounding voices on the show and I hope this performance will help to seal her place in the Top 12.
Paige Miles—Smile – This is just a wild thought, but it might be nice to see a performance of the song “Smile” by a singer who is smiling. I think Paige’s voice is one of the weakest ones in the competition. She had her moments, but overall, she sounded shaky and off. It was such a dreary performance. It was especially bad in light of Jermaine Purifory’s incredible performance of the song in his audition…and he didn’t even make it to the Top 24!
Bonus Question: Who did Ryan say wrote “Smile”?
Crystal Bowersox– Give Me One Reason – I love this song, too! I think this performance was great. I love Crystal’s style and her voice. She is consistently good. I can’t think of one bad week she’s had. American Idol hasn’t had a blues singer since Taylor Hicks…if you can count that. Crystal looks like she enjoys every minute of being up on the stage.
Lilly Scott—I Fall To Pieces – I’m falling out of love with Lilly. I think her style and her personality and quirkiness overshadow her lacking vocals. She has consistently left me feeling iffy. I really wanted to be a fan of hers, but it’s just not going to happen. Maybe I’m wrong. I don’t know. I just don’t think she’s as good as the hype she’s received.
What did you think? Who is your favorite and who is the weakest? Comment below and email me your bottom 3 predictions and answers to the bonus questions!
Katie Stevens – Breakaway – Katie seemed like she couldn’t get in the right tempo with the band. This might have been her weakest performance to date. She missed a lot of those notes. I was glad when it was over.
Bonus Question: Who did Siobhan say she was dedicating her performance to?
Siobhan Magnus – House of the Rising Sun – I think Siobhan is one of the serious contenders this season, and I never would have said that two weeks ago. I really liked this performance. Siobhan’s voice is so strong and she knows how to use it properly.
Bonus Question: In one redundant sentence, Kara described Siobhan as both unique and what?
Lacey Brown—The Story – I love this song. I think Lacey sounded great singing it. Except for she skipped the huge part of the song. I think she sounded subtle, though, and that song suited her voice so well. She’s considered by many to be an underdog, but Lacey is still one of my favorites. And if anyone is looking for some new folksy music with power vocals, I would highly recommend Brandi Carlile.
Katelyn Epperly– I Feel The Earth Move—I don’t think Katelyn’s voice was as strong as it has been. This performance was a little cheesy to me, from the way she was playing the keyboard with her little side to side movements to her vocals. It wasn’t my favorite, but it wasn’t horrible either, I suppose.
Didi Benami—Rhianna – I liked seeing Didi back with her guitar. I think she’s more comfortable on stage with it, and she sounds better. Didi has one of the freshest sounding voices on the show and I hope this performance will help to seal her place in the Top 12.
Paige Miles—Smile – This is just a wild thought, but it might be nice to see a performance of the song “Smile” by a singer who is smiling. I think Paige’s voice is one of the weakest ones in the competition. She had her moments, but overall, she sounded shaky and off. It was such a dreary performance. It was especially bad in light of Jermaine Purifory’s incredible performance of the song in his audition…and he didn’t even make it to the Top 24!
Bonus Question: Who did Ryan say wrote “Smile”?
Crystal Bowersox– Give Me One Reason – I love this song, too! I think this performance was great. I love Crystal’s style and her voice. She is consistently good. I can’t think of one bad week she’s had. American Idol hasn’t had a blues singer since Taylor Hicks…if you can count that. Crystal looks like she enjoys every minute of being up on the stage.
Lilly Scott—I Fall To Pieces – I’m falling out of love with Lilly. I think her style and her personality and quirkiness overshadow her lacking vocals. She has consistently left me feeling iffy. I really wanted to be a fan of hers, but it’s just not going to happen. Maybe I’m wrong. I don’t know. I just don’t think she’s as good as the hype she’s received.
What did you think? Who is your favorite and who is the weakest? Comment below and email me your bottom 3 predictions and answers to the bonus questions!
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