Well, Season 8 has almost come to a close. We ended up with the guy everyone knew would make it to the finale and the guy nobody guessed would ever make it (literally, NOBODY guessed that Kris would be the winner). Personally, I felt disappointed by Season 8. It seems like we had a lack of dynamic personalities among the Top 13 this season...nobody laughed, nobody really cried that much...there were a few annoying characters, but there really wasn't that "connection" (to employ a grossly over-used Idol term here) with the contestants as we have had in the past. Does anyone remember seeing David Cook moved to tears last season after his performance during Mariah Carey week? Or Carly Smithson finally giving the performance we all knew she was capable of with Broadway week, only to be sent packing the next night? This season to me was so mild, so emotionless, and so.....boring. I'm not sure if I can stomach another one...unless, of course, another David Cook comes along, or maybe an Allison Iraheta for next season. We'll just have to wait and see what Season 9 has in store for Idol, I suppose.
Adam - Mad World. Adam chose to don a vampire coat and then proceeded to make wide-eyed creepy vampire eyes at us through the camera during this performance. I thought his vocals sounded good, although this encore performance lacked the "moment" that his original had. This performance was way over-the-top as far as the drama was concerned. The fog machines and the pandering to the cameras was overkill for me (for you). Rating: 8
Kris - Ain't No Sunshine. Kris, on the other hand, chose to sit behind the piano and give a performance that was more earnest, more emotional and more raw than his first try. I think he had an absolutely stellar performance this time, and rather than relying on theatrics, he allowed his musicality to shine. Rating: 9
Adam - A Change is Gonna Come. I think this song was a very good choice for Adam. It allowed him to scale things back a little and to sing in his lower register, which, according to my calculations, we have heard a total of once this entire season. Adam's voice sounded incredible with this performance. If you closed your eyes while he was singing, you would have thought it was a large woman in a gospel choir. I don't know if that would generally be taken as a compliment, but I definitely mean it in the highest regard. Rating: 9
Kris - What's Goin' On. I am playing the SABOTAGE card here with Simon Fuller's choice for Kris! It is not fair in the least for the American Idol people to require Kris to sing a politically-themed anti-war song, considering Kris's roots (the Church, and the South) and his fan base. That was a low-blow, Idol people. I can't say that I'm surprised, though. Kris did not seem like he connected to this song as much as his last song, but he still did his job and performed the song well. I think Kris's vocals sounded great, but he lacked the charisma Adam had with his song on this round. And why in the world did Randy critique Kris for this song choice? Do the judges listen at all to what's going on around them (please do not think there was an intended pun there..it's not my style)? Rating: 8
No Boundaries - This year's coronation song happens to share a name with a clothing and accessories brand carried in Wal-Mart stores. Funny, both the brand and the song (and its writer) are generic, cheap, and about a decade behind. And the lyrics to this song sound eerily similar to a Hannah Montana song (the only reason I know the Hannah Montana song is because it has been on the VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown which I watch every Saturday morning when I wake up earlier than I wanted to). I would encourage you to listen to the Hannah Montana song "The Climb" and then listen to "No Boundaries"..if your stomach can handle that much cheese in one sitting. I'm telling you, Kara should be arrested for plagiarism. On a positive note, though, at least this year's coronation song contains no magic rainbows on the horizon.
Adam - This song is so clearly not Adam's cup of tea. His voice did not sound right singing those lyrics. He hit some bad notes and fell behind the tempo of the song a little bit. It was one of Adam's weakest performances of the season in my mind. Rating: 6
Kris - Kris also hit some bum notes in his performance, and he got a little screamy toward the end. I don't know if the song was in the right key or the wrong key or what, but I think he flubbed a couple of lyrics, too. I do think, though, that Kris sounded much more natural with this song than Adam did. Rating: 7
Here are some bonus questions for you (one question for each of the Top 13--even Gokey)....once again, you will receive bonus points based on how quickly you answer the questions:
1. How many times during tonight's show did someone use the phrase "dark horse"?
2. Who originally sang this year's goodbye song "Home Sweet Home" which was performed by
Carrie Underwood tonight?
3. What season 7 finalist was shown in the audience of tonight's show?
4. What happened to Paula's hair?
5. What did Adam's parents say he didn't do until he was 18 months old?
6. How much did Kris charge his parents to sing for them when he was a kid?
7. How many times did Randy say "Check it out"?
8. How many times did Kara say "artist"?
9. How many times did Paula stand up while she was talking?
10.How many times did Simon say "look"?
11.How many times did someone say "True to yourself"?
12.How many times did someone say "American Idol"?
13.How many times did someone say "iTunes"?
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Season 8: Final Three...It's Not Over
I am so over American Idol right now that it's not even funny....blasted American Idol Pool! If it wasn't for all of my millions of adoring fans and followers I would have officially given up on Idol for this season. But alas, the masses demand my American Idol attention, and so like Seacrest, I will continue to be here like a lovable and loyal puppy....with a great tan.
The Final 3 episode of each season of American Idol has always consisted of ample footage of hometown visits complete with screaming girls, elementary school teachers receiving flowers, and contestants tearing up with sentimentality for their respective hometown crowds. However, season 8 brought on the addition of yet another blabber mouth judge who says everything and nothing all at once. And the addition of more talky talky means the exclusion of the heart-warming first glimpse of stardom we have all grown to love. In previous seasons, the final 3 episode also included 3 performances by each contestant. But I suppose America must want to see more of Simon and Paula playing patty cake while Randy examines his cardigan sweater and practices his "for me, for you's", and Kara screams at the top of her lungs like the baby sister nobody pays attention to...yeah, I'd rather see that than 3 extra performances.
Bonus Question: What landmark did American Idol reach with tonight's show?
Danny Gokey - Dance Little Sister. Has anyone heard this song before? I actually have a Terrence Trent D'Arby song on my iPod, his "Wishing Well" was one of my favorites as a child in the late 80s/early 90s. But I had never heard of this song. What a peculiar song choice. And Danny didn't disappoint us by shaving off his faux beard. I think he borrowed it from George Michael circa 1987, but it's not really about the beard, I suppose. Danny started the song sounding like a mountain lion devouring the lyrics of this inspirational/creepy ballad. After the angry growling portion of the song had subsided, Danny--in true Danny form--began to sound very screamy, and eventually evolved into a one-note wonder by the end. Woops! The camera guy dropped his camera...Danny must have startled him with his second consecutive week of skatting. And as if all of that wasn't enough, Danny delighted all of America once again with his incredible dance moves. He looked like a pigeon on the sidewalk searching for breadcrumbs (that statement says it all). I did not particularly enjoy this performance, or the obnoxious horn section that came along with it...but anything is a vast improvement over last week's "Dream On" catastrophic massacre. Rating: 6
And then the American viewing public was gifted with a wonderfully entertaining cat fight between Paula and Kara over whether Danny's dance moves were horrible or great. Kara was right on this one, guys...he sucked. However, in order to resolve the conflicts in this dysfunctional family, I think a good old-fashioned dance-off is required.
After the choreography fight between Paula and Kara, Danny's response was that "I am not an in-sync person". However, I would argue that he may not be an "in sync" person, but he is most definitely an "*NSYNC" person. He could have easily been the 6th member....he could have even replaced that Chris guy that nobody liked...
Kris Allen - Too Late to Pologize. Kris got to sing my least favorite song EVER tonight. First, of all, did anybody notice that Kris was wearing blue nail polish on his thumb during his hometown visit? Perhaps a mathematically and historically challenged judge who shall remain nameless has advised him to "dirty it up" a little....just a thought. I noticed during his visit to Arkansas that Kris had a southern accent....did he always have it and I just never realized? Or is this something that only comes over him when he's in his home state? I'm curious about this. Personally, I thought it was a smart decision for Kris to choose to accompany himself on the piano rather than working the stage. He needed to get back to his roots of doing a simple and understated performance. I thought Kris sounded very good during his performance of this horrendously annoying song (I liken it to leprosy). I did get a little bored, but it wasn't really Kris's fault that he had such a schlumpy song to work with. Rating: 7
I'm sorry, but I need to make a brief pause in the blog to inform you that I think these judges are so full of crap! I almost cussed them tonight (almost)...and I was watching by myself so I didn't have anyone with whom I could share my frustrations. It was tough.
Randy Jackson, in his infinite wisdom and never-ending vocabulary managed to give Kris a critique without ever giving him a rat's chance in a sewer to win. And then Kara completely threw Kris under the bus when she blamed him for not changing up the song SHE CHOSE! If I were a contestant on American Idol (and believe me, I've already won the show in my own mind), I would want to oblige the judges by performing the song they had spent copious hours and energy selecting specifically for me (translate: Randy and/or Kara had their personal assistant put their iPod on "shuffle" and chose the first song that came up). It would be important for me to stay true to the original since the judges are supposed to think that this particular song is one that fits into my own musical stylings and...dare I say, artistry.
In other news we all saw coming, the judging panel (as well as myself and the rest of America) has turned on Kara DioGuardi and her space-aged shoulder pads. They're gunning for her to leave. Except for Randy, of course, who is either oblivious to the soap opera unfolding before his very eyes (highly likely), or wants to keep Kara around because she parrots everything he says and (in his own mind) makes him seem like he has half an ounce of credibility.
Whew! This is gonna be a long blog tonight...sorry!
Bonus Question: Which ousted Season 8 contestant has been used all season in a commercial for AmericanIdol.com?
Adam Lambert - One. I'll be honest with you, my friends. I'm not much of a U2 buff. I like a few of their songs, but I wouldn't say I'm generally familiar with their catalog. I know this is one of their more popular songs, but I don't think I've ever heard it before. I did note, however, that Adam's double ear monitors made him look uncannily like Spock from Star Trek...or is it Spoc? Clearly, I'm not a Trekkie, either. I thought Adam sounded very good with this song, actually his voice sounded like a large woman singing in a gospel choir. That's a strange marriage between the look and the voice, but judging by the throngs of fans, I suppose it works for him. I was not digging the denim on denim ensemble he was donning for this performance, but I will say that Round 1 definitely went to Adam. Rating: 8
Bonus Question: Why did Adam encourage America to "rewind the tape" to listen to his performance of "One" again?
You know, I'm not a Mac person, but I really think those Mac vs. PC commercials are one of the most successful marketing campaigns ever! Those commercials are funny.
Hokey Pokey Gokey - You Are So Beautiful. How did I know that Danny was going to choose a sappy, inspirational ballad? Here is how Danny's first lyric sounded, "Hyou ahre soh bheautifuhl"...someone's been taking enunciation lessons from Ms. Iraheta, huh? She had a penchant for adding in a slew of extra h's to all of her songs....but America wrongly gave Allison the boot last week, and so I will not discuss her anymore (although, you will receive 10 extra bonus points if you answer one of your questions in the syling of Allison--by adding extra h's to your words--in honor of the woman who should have won). Just when I was getting ready to write "too much" in my notebook, I received an important phone call, and so my dedicated readers and Gokey fan(s), I will spare you--and him--my normal tongue lashing. It would not be fair for me to critique someone's performance if I didn't give them my attention to listen to it in the first place (although, Cowell does it and gets paid 36 million a season).
Bonus Question: How much money did Ryan Seacrest say Idol Gives Back has raise thus far?
Kris Allen: Heartless. What the?!?! Kris should receive the American Idol crown already just based on making the most daring and unpredictable song choice ever! When Kris started singing I was secretly crossing my fingers and hoping that he would not be using the dreaded AutoTune mic to sing his song (a la Kanye). I knew deep down inside of my soul that Kris would never dream of such a monstrosity, and my anxieties were eased as soon as Kris completed his first phrase. Wow. I didn't know what this song was actually supposed to sound like when someone, a human being with vocal cords, sang it. While I think Kanye's lyrical and remedial rhyming skills could use some assistance (see below), I felt like Kris did an amazing job with this song.
Now, I could dissect this deep and thought-provoking lyric, and point out all of the illegal rhymes in this particular phrase, but I'm running short on time and long on blog, so I'm going to opt out. But please know that it bothers me to the fullest.
I think the acoustic guitar and the heartfelt vibe with which Kris interpreted this song were nothing short of brilliant. I've never been nuts over Kris throughout this entire season, but he made a fan of me tonight with that one performance. This performance was imaginative, inventive, and surprising. I hope it serves as a catalyst to bring Kris to the forefront of the competition now because he deserves it. I would even say that this is one of the best performances of all time on Idol. Rating: 10 (I'm not even sure I gave a "10" to David C. Cook last season for any of his performances).
Please allow me another brief pause to discuss the "weightedness" of this competition. First of all, Kara continued to defend her earlier statement about Kris's "Pologize" performance rather than giving him the credit he deserved for completely remaking that Kanye West song. And next, Ryan stood on the stage and gave Kris a handshake and told him, "It's been a great season"....are you bleeping kidding me? It was as if Ryan was already telling America that this would be Kris's last performance on the show. That is disgusting to me, and the Idol people should be ashamed of themselves. I'm wagging my proverbial finger at them right now (it's a proverbial finger because it's difficult to wag your real finger while you're typing).
Adam Lambert - Cryin'. I was fairly confident that Adam was going to choose either a Queen song or an Aerosmith song for tonight, I will say that I was leaning more toward Queen, but I did have several Aerosmith songs on my song predictions list. I thought the beginning of the song sounded great. Adam's voice sounds good when he's singing like a man (I realize this phrase might offend some people, but I've been typing for over an hour now and I don't honestly care at this point). I thought this performance from Adam was okay at best. I mean, yeah, he can perform the crap out of a song and entertain the masses. But I thought his voice got a little shrieky in some parts, and it was especially accented by that awful background vocalist they had working with him. She made my ears bleed. I thought this performance seemed ingenuine, really. Adam wasn't connected to the song, and he even messed up the lyrics at the end (only a true Aerosmith fan would have noticed this...especially if said Aerosmith fan uses iTunes in their office on a daily basis and although it's on "shuffle", it consistently plays the same songs every day and one of those songs is "Cryin'"). Rating: 7
In a perfect world, Adam would have been standing in Kris's shadow after that performance. But a perfect world we do not live in right now my friends, and Adam was treated with an extra dose of pimping from Simon Cowell. Now, please understand that I am fully aware that the judges are not providing actual opinions throughout the majority of the American Idol season. They are spoon fed various lines and quips and critiques to hand out to the contestants depending on the producers' desire about this contestant's fate. However, I think there should be an official rule against the judges blatantly urging America to vote for a specific contestant. That is stupid! Do we watch the show for the judges to tell us who we should vote for? Oh, I am mad now!
Bonus Question: Did Randy boo Simon at any point during Tuesday's show?
Just like last week, you will receive extra points depending on how quickly you answer the bonus questions. But please remember, that your answers don't count until you have answered all of the questions completely. Here is how the scoring will work:
1st person - 20 points
2nd person - 15 points
3rd person - 10 points
4th person - 5 points
The Final 3 episode of each season of American Idol has always consisted of ample footage of hometown visits complete with screaming girls, elementary school teachers receiving flowers, and contestants tearing up with sentimentality for their respective hometown crowds. However, season 8 brought on the addition of yet another blabber mouth judge who says everything and nothing all at once. And the addition of more talky talky means the exclusion of the heart-warming first glimpse of stardom we have all grown to love. In previous seasons, the final 3 episode also included 3 performances by each contestant. But I suppose America must want to see more of Simon and Paula playing patty cake while Randy examines his cardigan sweater and practices his "for me, for you's", and Kara screams at the top of her lungs like the baby sister nobody pays attention to...yeah, I'd rather see that than 3 extra performances.
Bonus Question: What landmark did American Idol reach with tonight's show?
Danny Gokey - Dance Little Sister. Has anyone heard this song before? I actually have a Terrence Trent D'Arby song on my iPod, his "Wishing Well" was one of my favorites as a child in the late 80s/early 90s. But I had never heard of this song. What a peculiar song choice. And Danny didn't disappoint us by shaving off his faux beard. I think he borrowed it from George Michael circa 1987, but it's not really about the beard, I suppose. Danny started the song sounding like a mountain lion devouring the lyrics of this inspirational/creepy ballad. After the angry growling portion of the song had subsided, Danny--in true Danny form--began to sound very screamy, and eventually evolved into a one-note wonder by the end. Woops! The camera guy dropped his camera...Danny must have startled him with his second consecutive week of skatting. And as if all of that wasn't enough, Danny delighted all of America once again with his incredible dance moves. He looked like a pigeon on the sidewalk searching for breadcrumbs (that statement says it all). I did not particularly enjoy this performance, or the obnoxious horn section that came along with it...but anything is a vast improvement over last week's "Dream On" catastrophic massacre. Rating: 6
And then the American viewing public was gifted with a wonderfully entertaining cat fight between Paula and Kara over whether Danny's dance moves were horrible or great. Kara was right on this one, guys...he sucked. However, in order to resolve the conflicts in this dysfunctional family, I think a good old-fashioned dance-off is required.
After the choreography fight between Paula and Kara, Danny's response was that "I am not an in-sync person". However, I would argue that he may not be an "in sync" person, but he is most definitely an "*NSYNC" person. He could have easily been the 6th member....he could have even replaced that Chris guy that nobody liked...
Kris Allen - Too Late to Pologize. Kris got to sing my least favorite song EVER tonight. First, of all, did anybody notice that Kris was wearing blue nail polish on his thumb during his hometown visit? Perhaps a mathematically and historically challenged judge who shall remain nameless has advised him to "dirty it up" a little....just a thought. I noticed during his visit to Arkansas that Kris had a southern accent....did he always have it and I just never realized? Or is this something that only comes over him when he's in his home state? I'm curious about this. Personally, I thought it was a smart decision for Kris to choose to accompany himself on the piano rather than working the stage. He needed to get back to his roots of doing a simple and understated performance. I thought Kris sounded very good during his performance of this horrendously annoying song (I liken it to leprosy). I did get a little bored, but it wasn't really Kris's fault that he had such a schlumpy song to work with. Rating: 7
I'm sorry, but I need to make a brief pause in the blog to inform you that I think these judges are so full of crap! I almost cussed them tonight (almost)...and I was watching by myself so I didn't have anyone with whom I could share my frustrations. It was tough.
Randy Jackson, in his infinite wisdom and never-ending vocabulary managed to give Kris a critique without ever giving him a rat's chance in a sewer to win. And then Kara completely threw Kris under the bus when she blamed him for not changing up the song SHE CHOSE! If I were a contestant on American Idol (and believe me, I've already won the show in my own mind), I would want to oblige the judges by performing the song they had spent copious hours and energy selecting specifically for me (translate: Randy and/or Kara had their personal assistant put their iPod on "shuffle" and chose the first song that came up). It would be important for me to stay true to the original since the judges are supposed to think that this particular song is one that fits into my own musical stylings and...dare I say, artistry.
In other news we all saw coming, the judging panel (as well as myself and the rest of America) has turned on Kara DioGuardi and her space-aged shoulder pads. They're gunning for her to leave. Except for Randy, of course, who is either oblivious to the soap opera unfolding before his very eyes (highly likely), or wants to keep Kara around because she parrots everything he says and (in his own mind) makes him seem like he has half an ounce of credibility.
Whew! This is gonna be a long blog tonight...sorry!
Bonus Question: Which ousted Season 8 contestant has been used all season in a commercial for AmericanIdol.com?
Adam Lambert - One. I'll be honest with you, my friends. I'm not much of a U2 buff. I like a few of their songs, but I wouldn't say I'm generally familiar with their catalog. I know this is one of their more popular songs, but I don't think I've ever heard it before. I did note, however, that Adam's double ear monitors made him look uncannily like Spock from Star Trek...or is it Spoc? Clearly, I'm not a Trekkie, either. I thought Adam sounded very good with this song, actually his voice sounded like a large woman singing in a gospel choir. That's a strange marriage between the look and the voice, but judging by the throngs of fans, I suppose it works for him. I was not digging the denim on denim ensemble he was donning for this performance, but I will say that Round 1 definitely went to Adam. Rating: 8
Bonus Question: Why did Adam encourage America to "rewind the tape" to listen to his performance of "One" again?
You know, I'm not a Mac person, but I really think those Mac vs. PC commercials are one of the most successful marketing campaigns ever! Those commercials are funny.
Hokey Pokey Gokey - You Are So Beautiful. How did I know that Danny was going to choose a sappy, inspirational ballad? Here is how Danny's first lyric sounded, "Hyou ahre soh bheautifuhl"...someone's been taking enunciation lessons from Ms. Iraheta, huh? She had a penchant for adding in a slew of extra h's to all of her songs....but America wrongly gave Allison the boot last week, and so I will not discuss her anymore (although, you will receive 10 extra bonus points if you answer one of your questions in the syling of Allison--by adding extra h's to your words--in honor of the woman who should have won). Just when I was getting ready to write "too much" in my notebook, I received an important phone call, and so my dedicated readers and Gokey fan(s), I will spare you--and him--my normal tongue lashing. It would not be fair for me to critique someone's performance if I didn't give them my attention to listen to it in the first place (although, Cowell does it and gets paid 36 million a season).
Bonus Question: How much money did Ryan Seacrest say Idol Gives Back has raise thus far?
Kris Allen: Heartless. What the?!?! Kris should receive the American Idol crown already just based on making the most daring and unpredictable song choice ever! When Kris started singing I was secretly crossing my fingers and hoping that he would not be using the dreaded AutoTune mic to sing his song (a la Kanye). I knew deep down inside of my soul that Kris would never dream of such a monstrosity, and my anxieties were eased as soon as Kris completed his first phrase. Wow. I didn't know what this song was actually supposed to sound like when someone, a human being with vocal cords, sang it. While I think Kanye's lyrical and remedial rhyming skills could use some assistance (see below), I felt like Kris did an amazing job with this song.
How could you be so cold?
As the winter wind when it breeze, yo
Just remember that you talkin' to me, though
You need to watch the way you talkin' to me, though
Now, I could dissect this deep and thought-provoking lyric, and point out all of the illegal rhymes in this particular phrase, but I'm running short on time and long on blog, so I'm going to opt out. But please know that it bothers me to the fullest.
I think the acoustic guitar and the heartfelt vibe with which Kris interpreted this song were nothing short of brilliant. I've never been nuts over Kris throughout this entire season, but he made a fan of me tonight with that one performance. This performance was imaginative, inventive, and surprising. I hope it serves as a catalyst to bring Kris to the forefront of the competition now because he deserves it. I would even say that this is one of the best performances of all time on Idol. Rating: 10 (I'm not even sure I gave a "10" to David C. Cook last season for any of his performances).
Please allow me another brief pause to discuss the "weightedness" of this competition. First of all, Kara continued to defend her earlier statement about Kris's "Pologize" performance rather than giving him the credit he deserved for completely remaking that Kanye West song. And next, Ryan stood on the stage and gave Kris a handshake and told him, "It's been a great season"....are you bleeping kidding me? It was as if Ryan was already telling America that this would be Kris's last performance on the show. That is disgusting to me, and the Idol people should be ashamed of themselves. I'm wagging my proverbial finger at them right now (it's a proverbial finger because it's difficult to wag your real finger while you're typing).
Adam Lambert - Cryin'. I was fairly confident that Adam was going to choose either a Queen song or an Aerosmith song for tonight, I will say that I was leaning more toward Queen, but I did have several Aerosmith songs on my song predictions list. I thought the beginning of the song sounded great. Adam's voice sounds good when he's singing like a man (I realize this phrase might offend some people, but I've been typing for over an hour now and I don't honestly care at this point). I thought this performance from Adam was okay at best. I mean, yeah, he can perform the crap out of a song and entertain the masses. But I thought his voice got a little shrieky in some parts, and it was especially accented by that awful background vocalist they had working with him. She made my ears bleed. I thought this performance seemed ingenuine, really. Adam wasn't connected to the song, and he even messed up the lyrics at the end (only a true Aerosmith fan would have noticed this...especially if said Aerosmith fan uses iTunes in their office on a daily basis and although it's on "shuffle", it consistently plays the same songs every day and one of those songs is "Cryin'"). Rating: 7
In a perfect world, Adam would have been standing in Kris's shadow after that performance. But a perfect world we do not live in right now my friends, and Adam was treated with an extra dose of pimping from Simon Cowell. Now, please understand that I am fully aware that the judges are not providing actual opinions throughout the majority of the American Idol season. They are spoon fed various lines and quips and critiques to hand out to the contestants depending on the producers' desire about this contestant's fate. However, I think there should be an official rule against the judges blatantly urging America to vote for a specific contestant. That is stupid! Do we watch the show for the judges to tell us who we should vote for? Oh, I am mad now!
Bonus Question: Did Randy boo Simon at any point during Tuesday's show?
Just like last week, you will receive extra points depending on how quickly you answer the bonus questions. But please remember, that your answers don't count until you have answered all of the questions completely. Here is how the scoring will work:
1st person - 20 points
2nd person - 15 points
3rd person - 10 points
4th person - 5 points
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Season 8: Rock Week...Another One Bites the Dust
Every season American Idol pretends to be cool for a week as they adopt a "rock" theme. We all as viewers of this wonderful show, know that American Idol is neither cool nor rock. But sometimes it's fun to pretend. I'm intrigued that Slash agreed to mentor on the show. It seems like Idol really isn't his thing.
Currently Listening To: Another One Bites the Dust (Hopefully Gokey) by Queen
Adam - Whole Lotta Love. I wonder if Adam has extra muscles in his neck from all of that pageant head flicking he does. I contend that if Adam was a girl, he would have been criticized for all of his pageant antics, but since he's a boy, he gets a free pass. I think Adam sounded good, relatively speaking. I still can't stand the sound of his voice, but I can appreciate that he has an expansive vocal range. This performance was still very theatrical, but I think I'm just going to have to get over that peeve because America seems to love their drama queens. Rating: 8
Allison - Cry Baby. I think Allison sounded really good with this song. The verses were a little boring for me, but she made up for that with the chorus. Allison is so earnest in her approach to a song. I always feel like she's putting everything she has into her performances. And I love watching her belt out those huge notes. Rating: 8
I am so sick of Allison being raked over the coals by the judges every week. They never criticize her singing...it's always her song choice or her outfits or her personality. It is so unfair that she can't be appreciated for her voice. And, you know what? I cheered when Allison stuck up for herself with the judges....somebody needed to say something to them. And if a 17 year old needs to bring them down, then so be it.
Pretty Cheesy Duet (This is a band name I made up for Kris & Danny)...you can guess which one is pretty and which one is cheesy. Renegade by Stix is one of my favorite songs ever. I have to commend Kris for taking on the rock theme and actually dressing the part. Danny, on the other hand, looked decidedly "unrock" with his red oxford shirt and the necklace he borrowed from either Paula Abdul or Mr. T. Sometimes I think he's the long lost third brother from the Night at the Roxbury sketches...but I digress. I think this performance could have been better. Kris's voice cracked a little...and no matter what the judges say, Danny was the one who messed up the harmonies...I'll go back and watch it again to prove myself right. That last harmony where Kris was singing the main part and Danny was singing higher...that was the worst part of the entire song because Danny was way off.
Kris - Come Together. I thought Kris would pick something by Boston or Bruce Springsteen. But I guess you can never go wrong with the Beatles..except for when the Idol people decided to do two consecutive weeks of Beatles songs last year. Woops! As Kris was singing I wrote, "He sounds good, but the judges aren't going to like it...karaoke." Personally, I think that Kris's voice isn't the quintessential "Rock" voice, and so anything he would have chosen tonight would have sounded original. I especially enjoyed the breakdown Kris did with the third verse of the song. I thought it sounded great. This week proved that Kris can hold his own in any genre. And while Kris may not have the biggest voice in the competition, he definitely does not have the weakest voice. And the judges should give him more credit for that. Rating: 8
Man, those judges were brutal to Kris! Kris looked pretty aggravated while they were critiquing him, and rightfully so. I wish for once that a judge would give some constructive criticism to a contestant, rather than pandering to them or making fun of them...oh yeah, or giggling with each other. They're gunning big time for Kris to go home this week. First, they put him in a duet with Gokey and then told Gokey he sounded better. And then they completely tore him apart on what I thought was an exceptionally entertaining performance. It's not fair!
D. Goke - Dream On. This song got Michael Johns booted from the show last season, so let's hope it's an omen. Everything about this performance was unnatural and forced. Danny took the stage looking like a deer in the headlights. I have never seen someone open his eyes so wide as he sang. And, excuse me, but was he really skatting in the middle of that song? I'm sorry, Goke, but Steven Tyler, you are not. And will someone please tell the kid that his rocker scream sounds like a car accident? I have to admit, I literally laughed out loud as Danny "sang" his last note. It was pathetic! After this week, Danny could give Lil Rounds a run for her money in the "they think they're better than they really are" department. Rating: 5
Glamitude (the name I made up for the Adam & Allison combo). Slow Ride by Foghat. A funny little story about Foghat. For the early part of my childhood, and really, until I was a young adult, I thought the band was called Zogbat due to an illegible font on the cover of a CD of theirs my dad had. I think Adam and Allison sounded good...they were much more natural than the other pairing. Adam and Allison did equally well on this performance. In fact, Allison had to hit higher notes for her typical range, so I would contend that she even outsang Lambert on this duet.
But not according to the judges! I could not believe when Simon told Adam he probably kept Allison in the competition by singing with her. That was the most incredibly rude, demeaning, and ludicrous thing he could have said at that moment. I really think the judges would have had the same response if Allison had just stood up there on the stage next to Adam and step-touched without even singing. I am officially incensed....and me and Simon, we are SO over! And then Adam, who is usually so poised and professional, had the audacity to say, "Yes, I hope I did save her!" Are you kidding me? Who does he think he is? Allison held her own up there, and I'm sick of them treating her like she is second-rate to everyone else on the show.
ARGHHHHH I am working on some deep breathing to try to calm myself down.
We're going to do the bonus questions a little differently this week. You will get extra points based on how soon you turn in your answers to the questions. The points will be distributed as follows:
1st person to hand in their answers gets 20 extra points.
2nd person - 15 points
3rd person - 10 points
4th person - 5 points
Bonus Questions:
1. Which of the judges and contestants wore sparkly or metal studded clothing?
2. Email me a COLOR photo of Slash with the following characteristics:
-no glasses, no hat, not wearing black, and no guitar in the picture.
3. For each of the songs performed tonight, tell me the year it was originally released and the original artist.
Currently Listening To: Another One Bites the Dust (Hopefully Gokey) by Queen
Monday, May 4, 2009
Fantasy Idol...A Chance for More Points
What if you were a contestant on American Idol Season 8? What songs would you choose each week? How would the judges rate your performances? Well, that's what this week's "extra credit" activity is: Pretend you are a contestant on American Idol's Season 8, and choose your song selections for each week (along with an explanation as to why you chose each song). Now, there are a couple of stipulations for the game:
1. Since this........ is AmERican Idol (you should read that in the voice of Ryan Seacrest), you cannot choose the same songs as any of your fellow contestants (including me). The American Idol producers would not allow the same song to be performed twice on the same episode...that would make for bad TV. So, you'll have an easier time picking songs if you get your answers in sooner.
2. You also may not choose any of the songs the "real" contestants have chosen for each episode. That would make this game too easy.
3. So, please select one song for the first eleven weeks in the competition (audition round through Top 3). For the finale (Top 2 Week), you will be performing 3 songs from the Nokia Theater stage....you must select 3 songs for the finale. You must make selections for every week...and explain why you chose that song. This activity is worth an extra 50 points!
Here are my picks:
Audition - Foolish Games by Jewel. I think this is just a pretty song that would sound good a capella for the auditions...plus, I don't know that I've ever heard someone sing it as an audition, so it would be original.
Top 36 - The Longest Time by Billy Joel. I think it would give me a dramatic edge to sing this song a capella from the stage...just the voices of me and my background singers, who would hopefully be having an "on" week.
Michael Jackson Week - Will You Be There. This is not a quintessential Michael Jackson song, but every time I hear it it brings back a rush of memories. This song is from the Free Willy soundtrack, and it's actually a really pretty song. I would employ a gospel choir to back me up on this performance. And I know Free Willy is a cheesy movie, but you have to admit that when that boy stood on the jetty with his arms in the air as the giant orca jumped over him and soaked him with water...you know at least a couple tears came down.
Grand Ole Opry Week - Crazy Dreams by Carrie Underwood. I just love the sound of this song and the content about playing air guitar, singing into a hairbrush, and being a dark horse is just too good to pass up. AND....since this is fantasy Idol, I would learn to play the banjo just for this performance.
Motown Week - If I Were Your Woman by Gladys Knight. I just think this is a powerful and soulful song...but it's sung from a place of desperation which would allow for some good emoting.
Top Downloads Week - Mercy by Duffy. I love this song and it's sassy and upbeat. And it's a Top Download.
Songs from the Year You Were Born - Hurt So Good by John Mellencamp. This song gets stuck in my head every time I hear it....hopefully that would help the viewers to remember my performance. The song has a little edge to it, but it's a crowd favorite that everyone loves to sing along to.
Idol @ the Movies Week - Kiss from a Rose by Seal. I love the dark mood that this song sets and I would love to do a cool interpretation of it. First, I have to figure out what in the heck the lyrics mean.
Disco Week - Young Hearts Run Free by Candi Stanton. I first heard this song in the Romeo + Juliet movie my freshman year of high school. I love it! It's another one that gets stuck in your head and just won't let go. I think that would be advantageous in this competition.
Rat Pack Standards Week - The Best is Yet to Come. Man, I love this song. I think it would maybe be a good omen that would send some votes my way. And I think it would be vocally challenging and would show my amazing precision when it comes to hitting all those notes (remember: "fantasy" idol).
Rock Week - Piece of My Heart by Janis Joplin. This is probably one of the greatest rock songs of all time. And the real reason I want to sing it is because I want to kick the microphone stand down in the middle of my performance...that would be appropriate for this song.
Top 3 - Killing Me Softly by Roberta Flack. I was born about 20 years too late because most of my favorite music is older stuff. I love this song. It was actually written based off of someone's reaction to hearing Don McClean perform American Pie. And I love that it's a song about music...that's a whole endless conundrum that gets all tangled up in my brain.
Top 2 - Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy by Queen. Queen is my favorite band ever, and this is one of my favorite songs ever...and it would allow for some sauntering and sass (Adam Lambert style). Somethin' to Talk About by Bonnie Raitt. I love the flirty attitude in this song and I think it would go over well at this stage in the competition. The Story by Brandi Carlile. This is not a very well known song, but Brandi Carlile is a very folksy singer with a very rocker voice. It's a beautiful song and I'd love to introduce America to it.
So, there you have it...Remember you can't choose the same songs as anybody else...so you should get your selections in sooner rather than later. Please post your picks in the comments section below this blog (the bottom of this particular blog...NOT the bottom of the page). If you can't figure out how to comment, please let me know and I'll walk you through it.
50 easy points could soon be yours!
1. Since this........ is AmERican Idol (you should read that in the voice of Ryan Seacrest), you cannot choose the same songs as any of your fellow contestants (including me). The American Idol producers would not allow the same song to be performed twice on the same episode...that would make for bad TV. So, you'll have an easier time picking songs if you get your answers in sooner.
2. You also may not choose any of the songs the "real" contestants have chosen for each episode. That would make this game too easy.
3. So, please select one song for the first eleven weeks in the competition (audition round through Top 3). For the finale (Top 2 Week), you will be performing 3 songs from the Nokia Theater stage....you must select 3 songs for the finale. You must make selections for every week...and explain why you chose that song. This activity is worth an extra 50 points!
Here are my picks:
Audition - Foolish Games by Jewel. I think this is just a pretty song that would sound good a capella for the auditions...plus, I don't know that I've ever heard someone sing it as an audition, so it would be original.
Top 36 - The Longest Time by Billy Joel. I think it would give me a dramatic edge to sing this song a capella from the stage...just the voices of me and my background singers, who would hopefully be having an "on" week.
Michael Jackson Week - Will You Be There. This is not a quintessential Michael Jackson song, but every time I hear it it brings back a rush of memories. This song is from the Free Willy soundtrack, and it's actually a really pretty song. I would employ a gospel choir to back me up on this performance. And I know Free Willy is a cheesy movie, but you have to admit that when that boy stood on the jetty with his arms in the air as the giant orca jumped over him and soaked him with water...you know at least a couple tears came down.
Grand Ole Opry Week - Crazy Dreams by Carrie Underwood. I just love the sound of this song and the content about playing air guitar, singing into a hairbrush, and being a dark horse is just too good to pass up. AND....since this is fantasy Idol, I would learn to play the banjo just for this performance.
Motown Week - If I Were Your Woman by Gladys Knight. I just think this is a powerful and soulful song...but it's sung from a place of desperation which would allow for some good emoting.
Top Downloads Week - Mercy by Duffy. I love this song and it's sassy and upbeat. And it's a Top Download.
Songs from the Year You Were Born - Hurt So Good by John Mellencamp. This song gets stuck in my head every time I hear it....hopefully that would help the viewers to remember my performance. The song has a little edge to it, but it's a crowd favorite that everyone loves to sing along to.
Idol @ the Movies Week - Kiss from a Rose by Seal. I love the dark mood that this song sets and I would love to do a cool interpretation of it. First, I have to figure out what in the heck the lyrics mean.
Disco Week - Young Hearts Run Free by Candi Stanton. I first heard this song in the Romeo + Juliet movie my freshman year of high school. I love it! It's another one that gets stuck in your head and just won't let go. I think that would be advantageous in this competition.
Rat Pack Standards Week - The Best is Yet to Come. Man, I love this song. I think it would maybe be a good omen that would send some votes my way. And I think it would be vocally challenging and would show my amazing precision when it comes to hitting all those notes (remember: "fantasy" idol).
Rock Week - Piece of My Heart by Janis Joplin. This is probably one of the greatest rock songs of all time. And the real reason I want to sing it is because I want to kick the microphone stand down in the middle of my performance...that would be appropriate for this song.
Top 3 - Killing Me Softly by Roberta Flack. I was born about 20 years too late because most of my favorite music is older stuff. I love this song. It was actually written based off of someone's reaction to hearing Don McClean perform American Pie. And I love that it's a song about music...that's a whole endless conundrum that gets all tangled up in my brain.
Top 2 - Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy by Queen. Queen is my favorite band ever, and this is one of my favorite songs ever...and it would allow for some sauntering and sass (Adam Lambert style). Somethin' to Talk About by Bonnie Raitt. I love the flirty attitude in this song and I think it would go over well at this stage in the competition. The Story by Brandi Carlile. This is not a very well known song, but Brandi Carlile is a very folksy singer with a very rocker voice. It's a beautiful song and I'd love to introduce America to it.
So, there you have it...Remember you can't choose the same songs as anybody else...so you should get your selections in sooner rather than later. Please post your picks in the comments section below this blog (the bottom of this particular blog...NOT the bottom of the page). If you can't figure out how to comment, please let me know and I'll walk you through it.
50 easy points could soon be yours!
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