Top 2 - E.g., The FINALS!!
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
All RIGHT. I can't profess to being too excited. Melinda was my girl and I'm deeply unhappy that she was booted last week. But I've stuck with the show this long so I'm seeing it through. They just showed the Kodak - if you look WAY into the toppiest topmost balcony, that's where I sat for last year's final competition between Kat an Taylor. MAN was THAT vibe different. Anyone have any news on whether Taylor is performing this year??
Ryan talks about the Kodak being packed (duh). It's the "Battle of the Sexes" version of American Idol, apparently. We hang with the judges, who are dressed up. Randy's outfit is weird. Paula's hair is weird. Simon looks good in a suit-sans-tie. I also dig Ryan's suit. Paula broke her nose? Does that explain why her face looks weird? WAY weird. She tripped over her dog. Ryan says "so the bitch is OK". Oooh. So much for family-friendly. More after the click! Click it!
The songwriting contest winners came out of Seattle which is where, ironically, both Blake and Jordin auditioned. Newsflash: it was raining in Seattle during the auditions. We flash back to the good, bad and ugly of Seattle auditions. We see the two of them in line for their very first auditions. They look WAY different now. It's actually a pretty nice retrospective. I don't know, folks - without hearing a note sung, I'm leaning Blake. I'm not a Jordin-hater. But I do respect Blake's risky choices. Exsqueeze me? Baking powder? Did Ryan just say Jordin's "consistent performances" got her where she is today? My ass. She ranged from ear-bleedingly, off-keyedly horrid to brilliant with nary a gasp in between. I thought she sucked way more than she rocked.
With that, we're to the first commercial.
And we're back. We have a new Jordin/Blake coin thingy to choose who sings first or second. Blake unwisely chose to go first. Hm. This all happened last week. We're back live at the Kodak. They have three songs tonight - their favorite, something they did before, and the winning songwriting song (they each do this).
Blake Lewis starts with You Give Love a Bad Name. He starts off beat-boxing. This was not, I thought, one of his better performances, but it wasn't a bad one either. The drummer is on stage with him. He starts out and stays in tune. The arrangement of this song is growing on me. He's shouting a little in the chorus and pulling just ever-so-slightly flat. It's minor, but it's there. There's a LOT of beat-boxing in this tune. Not as much singing. But it's a good overall performance - nothing socks-knockingly wonderful, and his mic technique is causing his voice to fade in an out. Overall, just ok. Not great, not bad.
Randy: 10 out of 10 on beat boxing. Singing just ok.
Paula: She thinks Blake outdid himself. She gives him a 10+. She must have broken her ears, not her nose.
Simon: Not the best singer, but definitely the best performance. The singing was a bit flat and he was shouting, but he doesn't think it matters. It was his best performance three or four weeks ago and he was right to do it again.
He's with Ryan. They review the reviews. 1-866-IDOLS01 or 03 or 05 or text to 5701.
Jordin Sparks is doing Christina Aguilera's Fighter (a new song). She starts out stalking around. I don't think I know this song. It's rocky R&B. She starts out quite strong. She goes to a bit of shouting but the chorus comes back down to where she can actually sing an not scream. The song itself is pretty frenetic. I have no concept of how popular it might be. The second chorus is very high and she's doing the shouty thing again and it sounds a bit out of control. I think this song is WAY harder than Blake's first one was, but it honestly hurts to listen to Jordin sometimes. From a singing perspective, though, better than Blake, but he edges her with a decent vocal and a better performance. Round 1 Blake.
Randy: He found it a very interesting choice tonight. He thinks it's the great entertainer against the great singer (what - Melinda's here?).
Paula: Best. Finale. Ever. She was stellar.
Simon: He likes the choice of a younger song. He thought the vocals were shrieky in the middle (I agree) and he calls round 1 to Blake. Interesting.
Randy gives performance to Blake and vocals to Jordin. 1-866-IDOLS02 or 04 or 06 for Jordin or text to 5702.
Commercial time.
And we're BACK. We get a little Blake retrospective. He wanted drums as a kid. He never got them. So he beat boxed. His father and he resemble each other. Blake will be doing Maroon 5's She Will Be Loved for his second song. We haven't heard that before. It's a more subdued, seated Blake this time around. He sounds good in the first verse. I think anything Maroon 5 suits his voice. He's generally in tune, but we're going to the chorus. He cops a falsetto for the chorus, and it's passable. He's kind of pinching it, frankly - tightening his throat so that although he hits the note, it sounds shrill in the falsetto. He's through the bridge and back to the verse. It was pretty good. Back to the second chorus - same complaint with the falsetto. But this WAS a good SINGING performance for Blake.
Randy: Great song, very nice vocal. Very nice.
Paula: Really got into the ease of the song. He was relaxed.
Simon: It was good, it was safe - it wasn't as good as the first performance and he wouldn't have chosen that song in the final because he doesn't think it makes that much of an impact. Hm. I do think it's wildly popular.
Ryan's with Blake. 1-866-IDOLS01 or 03 or 05 or text to 5701.
Another commercial break.
Now we get the Jordin retrospective. We see her singing at 12 in braces. We meet her parents. We learn this is her dream. She's be singing Martina McBride's A Broken Wing. This was, for me, the strongest performance she had this season. I also think it was long enough ago that it's a good choice. You know something I like about Jordin? She's quite modest in what she chooses to wear. It's refreshing. She's doing the song well. She's in tune through the first verse and chorus, but she IS trending shouty in the chorus. I think it's just what she does. It does hurt, but at least she's in tune. Overall very good.
Randy: He loved her since day 1. He believes she's the most talented 17 year old singer he's seen. He loved it.
Paula: Thought she sang it great. Excellent.
Simon: "Now THAT was good."
She's with Ryan. 1-866-IDOLS02 or 04 or 06 for Jordin or text to 5702.
Gotta give Round 2 to Jordin.
We're back after commercial for the final performances from each. We meet the songwriters who won the songwriting competition. They look very - normal. Their song is This Is My Now.
Blake starts out seated on the big hayuge diamond vision screen. Of course, we don't know this song. The beginning is pretty Disney Films for me. The first verse is good vocally - not too challenging. We're in the chorus, and honestly, I think it sounds like every other schlocky AI inaugural song. That's not Blake's fault. But his vocal is REALLY REALLY off in parts of this song. It's like he got lost in the band. This song SO doesn't suit him. I wonder if he puked when he heard it. Honestly - I like Blake - but I want him to stop singing this song. This vocal is not good. Not a good way to end it. The song gets an F and Blake's vocal barely a C.
Randy: Randy knows it doesn't suit him. He thought it was all right but not great.
Paula: She thought he did a great job.
Simon: He thought it was all a little odd. He thought Blake looked frustrated. He thinks we have to judge Blake primarily on the first two performances.
Honestly. Blake looked like someone killed his dog and I would have to agree - he got screwed by that song. Highly unfair. It's like someone giving me a Reba McIntyre tune to sing (which I hate) and then basing my whole career on just IT. Poor Blake. 1-866-IDOLS01 or 03 or 05 or text to 5701.
OMG. I have to listen to that awful song again. Jordin is doing This Is My Now this time around. She's clearly changed the key and this clearly suits her more so than it suited Blake. She's shaky to me at the beginning, though. She's screaming her way through what passes for the chorus. Vocally it's better than Blake's version, but I can't say it's great by any means. This plays right into her screaming propensity. She hits a super power note at the end, though - TOTAL money note, and then screams a higher than high note. Ack. She looks pretty though, and starts to cry at the end of the song, which really annoys me. Round 3 Jordin, but I'll vote for Blake.
Randy: He thinks it's great. It's about her and finding the superstar.
Paula: Paula cries. For some reason Jordin's parents are wonderful to Paula. Jordin should be proud.
Simon: Last week Simon didn't think she was good enough to make the finals but he was wrong. She wiped the floor with Blake on that song.
She's with Ryan. 1-866-IDOLS02 or 04 or 06 for Jordin or text to 5702.
Ryan talks about how we can GET THAT SONG at American Idol.com. Personally I want to ram a spiked shoe through the eyeballs of the guys who wrote it. So I don't think I"m buying it.
Jordin sang better than Blake. But yawn to Jordin. Blake performed better than Jordin. But that last song - my God. But because they hosed him so totally, I'll throw votes his way.
Labels: American Idol, Final 2, Finals, Performance
What will I say next? Click and find out.
posted by RenaRF @ 7:20 PM,
,
Top 4 Perform!
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
I've been working hard all day, and have not had dinner. I MUST go get some food, eat it, and then blog. I won't be too late, but I'll be late. --36 minute interlude -- All right! I'm fed and I'm back and ready to blog.
36 million Americans are deciding their fate! Three girls and only one guy!! Only two weeks left until the Finale!! WHO WILL IT BE??! And with that, we begin. You'd think a cure for cancer or world peace was on the table from the introduction. I see Taylor's still safely back in the electronic intro. Check. Ryan takes the stage. He's unshaven again - it must be because of the pressure he references. Paula looks quite put together and Simon's wearing white. The word's on it's head. Tonight is Barry Gibb night, and the Idols will have TWO songs tonight. Digression: In seventh grade I was CERTAIN I'd lose my virginity to Barry Gibb. How embarrassing, and now the blogging world knows. Follow over the click for the rest of the live recap!
We do the honorific to the very Barry Gibb. He bought Johnny Cash's house in the hills of (I think) Tennessee - the house burned to the ground a week ago or so. Now the Idols are with the very Barry. He still has his hair, he blissfully hasn't altered his face, and I think he looks great. I dig the gray hair. He thinks the Idols sound great together. They'll be doing ONLY BeeGee's tunes. I would love to know who's doing How Can You Mend... blah blah.
Melinda Doolittleis up first. She chose Love You Inside Out. Barry was confused at first, because it was all done in falsetto originally. Even in rehearsal she sounds great, and the very Barry admits that it worked for him. Now here's Melinda. I love the top but I don't like the jeans so much. She sounds great. The song is totally identifiable and even though she brings something different to it, she is doing grat. She's definitely not singing it in falsetto. She gets to improvise in the second chorus, and I have to say - she's owning this. You could hear her recording this song today. A!
Randy: He thinks it will be an interesting night. It was a solid performance - it was good. He wasn't jumping up and down.
Paula: It's hard to critique her because she's always vocally so good. It's consistent.
Simon: He thinks he wants incredible, and it wasn't incredible. He thought it was more of a backing vocalist performance. (???) He thinks she's better than that.
Melinda's with Ryan. 1-866-IDOLS01 or 05 or text to 5701. We're at commercial.
And we're back! Ryan's futzing with the judges. Haley's in the audience (bleah). Randy pimps AT&T/Cingular. And we're off to Blake Lewis. He chose You Should Be Dancing. OMG - it sounds like he's going to sing it all in falsetto. The very Barry thinks his beat boxing suits the song, and he digs it. So here we are. The vocal starts rough right of the gate but he corrects and gets back on key. He's dancing around. He beat boxes. I can't distinguish his voice from that of the background singers in the falsetto parts of the course. The second verse is better - it's in key. He beat boxes through the horn parts and then does vocal scratching and it is pretty good - just not actual singing. He's back to the third chorus, and I still can't tell him from the background vocalists. Not great. B-.
Randy: Tonight the beat boxing didn't work for him. It made it corny for him.
Paula: She thought it started shaky - pitch was off - but the beat boxing shows true musicianship but it wasn't his best night.
Simon: He'll give Blake unique, but he thought it was absolutely terrible, that performance.
1-866-IDOLS02 or 06 or text to 5702. Gotta say - I don't know how you can compare Blake's performance to Melinda's before them. They're worlds apart.
We run right to Lakisha Jones. The very Barry tells us she chose Stayin' Alive. From her rehearsal, it sounds like she's slowing it down. He thinks it's difficult for a girl to do something a guy did in a high falsetto, but he likes what she does with it. We open and Lakisha struts out. I like the look better this week. Her vocal is strong out of the gate. She takes the first chorus in a lower middle register. I hear one tiny pitch issue but otherwise it's good. She's in the second verse. This is technically a difficult song to perform. She goes for a power note and then improvises and back to the well-known chorus. I keep waiting for her to totally break it loose but she doesn't. It was good, though. A-.
Randy: It was weird for him. These songs don't need to be changed, and it didn't work for him. She tried to do too much with it.
Paula: She felt taking the tempo down kind of brought the audience down.
Simon: No kiss from Simon tonight. He's sorry, but she's back to the shouting again. It was verging on scary in parts, so the second song has to be better.
1-866-IDOLS03 or 07 or text to 5703.
Ah. Not only is Jordin Sparks in the pimp spot, but she gets a viewer question. Sheesh. Q: What have you learned about yourself? A: That she can handle a lot more than she thought she could. We learn her grades are good. She's singing To Love Somebody. Among my FAVORITE BeeGee's tune. The very Barry LOVED her. She starts out. Vocally she sounds good, but her expression doesn't match the song - this is mournful, not triumphant. That's a nit, but it's my nit and I'll pick it all I want. She gets just a shade pitchy in the lower parts but she's very good in the other parts. She's substantially less screamy until the very end - just one teeny shouty moment. Overall very good, but this is a gut-wrenching tune, and I didn't get that from her. A.
Randy: That was the best vocal so far in an overall rough night.
Paula: She thinks Jordin looks beautiful and it was the best vocal so far.
Simon: Best song choice, best performance so far.
It's time to re-annoint the annointed one, apparently. 1-866-IDOLS04 or 08 or text to 5704. I didn't like it better than Melinda's, though, but it was close. I just prefer the richness in Melinda's voice, I guess. Break time.
Melinda gets a viewer question. Q: What is the first tape or CD that she ever bought. A: It was a tape of Michael Jackson's Bad. Her second choice is my FAVORITE - How Can You Mend a Broken Heart. Barry's mad because she removed the word "lose" from the song!! I think it's funny, and he eventually agrees. She's changed to a dress. The first verse and chorus are solid. They sound good - no "Melinda Moment" yet, though. Her phrasing and interpretation is beautiful for a beautiful song, I will say. In the second chorus she starts with a Moment, but then it abruptly goes to a power closing. The only thing I will say I that it strays from the original substantially. I think it works, and it shows off her voice. Another solid performance - although the ending was a little show-bandy. A.
Randy: Much better. Great song, great vocal, great ending. Resident pro.
Paula: No doubt a beautiful vocal - reminds her of Stephanie Mills. She wants her to throw technique away and surprise her (then you get Jordin last week).
Simon: The second half of the song put her in the semi-finals.
1-866-IDOLS01 or 05, or text to 5701.
Blake's doing This Is Where I Came In and he loved it because he thought it was a great song. I don't know this song. He's beat boxing again, and he's making it contemporary. It wasn't a hit, but the very Barry thinks it has the ability to be one still. He vocal starts out good - in tune. It sounds reminiscent of Jamiroquai, only better than his performance of Virtual Insanity. It DOES sound contemporary to me, because I don't know the song. Vocally it's good, but poor Blake is nowhere near the ability of the remaining girls. He hits a few clunker notes past halfway, ut he goes to the chorus and recovers and he beat boxes a bit. Another bad note. Ugh. Overall just ok. B-.
Randy: Thought it was better, but not jumping up and down. He doesn't have to beat box on everything.
Paula: She thinks he's the contemporary rebel in the competition. She liked hearing him sing it. She said he was on key (!!!).
Simon: He thought the song was completely tuneless and he hasn't had a good night tonight. He can't say these have been good performances, and it was a weird choice of song.
1-866-IDOLS02 or 06 or text to 5702. Gotta say - I think his fan base will support him, but I don't think he picked UP votes tonight with either performance. The second song was way obscure, and I think that's risky.
And we're back. Is that JUDGE JUDY? Oh my God - it IS Judge Judy! How... odd. We meet Simon's mom but Judge Judy steals Simon's mom's intro. How... rude. We get the songwriting competition pimp. Lakisha is singing Run To Me for her second song. Another beautiful song. The very Barry references how she had to change the key in the song. She's n a dress and the girls are right there with her. She starts off fine - the verse is good. She goes to the chorus and it's good, but a little powerful for the intent of the song. She takes the lower harmony in the first chorus - strange. She's in the second verse, and she takes the key change right before the second chorus and she belts out a power note. She takes the whole chorus up and strong. It sounds good if it doesn't fit the song. Vocally I thought it was quite good, and I believed her. A.
Randy: Much better than the first - it was good.
Paula: She's still a champ.
Simon: Better than the first, still wasn't great - thinks she and Blake are vulnerable tonight.
1-866-IDOLS03 or 07 or text 5703.
Ok. We're with Jordin, closing the show. She's singing Woman In Love which Barbara Streisand sang. Her interpretation is different, and the very Barry thinks Jordin will be one of the greatest female recording artists ever. She starts out in an actual gown. The first verse is good - one kind of questionable note. It was good until she went right before the chorus which I thought was kind of borderline. In the chorus she hits the important notes, but I have to say, she drops off in pitch and precision in the non-power portions. And frankly, I think she's screaming the high notes. I really didn't enjoy that much - she struggled noticeably in parts. Just a B.
Randy: Not her best - pitchy all the way through.
Paula: Jordin is beautiful. It was not... (the best?)
Simon: He thought it was old-fashioned and very pageanty, although he loved the song.
1-866-IDOLS04 or 08 or text 5704. Honestly - while I didn't care for Blake's song that much, I think in the second round, Jordin was the worst. My biggest complaint about her all along is that she's totally inconsistent, and she proved it again tonight. First, quite wonderful - second, screamed and painful.
Here's where I rank them so far:
Round 1:
Melinda Doolittle
Jordin Sparks
Lakisha Jones
Blake Lewis
Round 2:
Melinda Doolittle
Lakisha Jones
Blake Lewis
Jordin Sparks
Leaving us with a final ranking of:
Melinda Doolittle
Lakisha Jones
Jordin Sparks
Blake Lewis
Honestly though - I don't know if the last song by Jordin hurt her more than my ranking reflected. Overall, for me, the night was just meh.
Labels: American Idol, Finals, Performance, Top 4
What will I say next? Click and find out.
posted by RenaRF @ 6:57 PM,
,
Top 6 Perform - But I'll be late with the recap.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Well, my slavedriving husband nee bandleader is cracking the whip on rehearsals again tonight. I had hoped we would get through everything quickly, but no luck. So, recap willt be late but it will be tonight!
Ok. 9:30pm Eastern and I'm sitting down to watch. Here we go! It's six again this week, but we'll be eliminating two tomorrow night. Tonight is Bon Jovi night, and somehow since we're eliminating two, Ryan states that the pressure is doubled (not sure I get the math on that). AH - Taylor is BACK in the AI intro (he was gone for at least a week, hat tip to MJ's readers for catching that). We see Gina Glocksen in the audience. Ryan forgot to fall onto a razor today. Last week raised almost $70M. We re-meet the judges for the upteenth time. Simon's sporting a tan. Follow me over the click for the rest of the recap.
We get the Bon Jovi tribute package. Wow - did they have some HAIR in the 80s! I had hair like that at one point. Gotta say - I like John better with the flatter hair. The Idols meet John and his keyboard dude, and we learn his kids love American Idol. John thinks the singers have to bring a sincerity in their delivery - they have to make it their own. John looks good, by the way. Better looking as he gets older, no doubt.
Phil Stacey is in the bad first slot. He'll sing Blaze of Glory. Probably a good choice - John was knocked out by him. Phil starts out in the audience. No hat tonight, but his jacket is WAY cool. He starts out flawlessly. His vocal is really really good. He looks comfortable - I think the performance aspect of this song, so far, is as good as the singing of it. And let me tell you - this is a TOUGH song to sing, male or female. I just hope the lyrics aren't prophetic! He gets a solid A.
Randy: He's happy for Phil. It was his best performance ever on the show. It was the bomb.
Paula: Best opening they've had all season long.
Simon: He thought it was ok (lots of booing). He didn't hear authenticity - in the middle he thought he was like a bad actor playing a role. He doesn't think he's done enough to last next week.
I'm not feeling Simon here. I thought it was absolutely magnificent. 1-866-IDOLS01 or 07 or text 5701.
Commercial, then Jordin.
Back - we see Gina. Jordin Sparks is nervous meeting John Bon Jovi. She's singing Living on a Prayer - we think that perhaps John's not all that sold on Jordin. Hm. He's finding other notes for her, and that's a good idea. She has to sound good with whatever she does. Jordin's got rocker hair tonight. She's on stage with two low-slung guitar players. She has some fun red streaks in her hair. I thought the first verse was ok - I'm not sure I like the changes. She's doing what she does, though - she's pulling just flat on some of the notes in the lower register. She's much better in the chorus, I'll say that absolutely. She performs this well with the other two dudes on stage - she works them well. But again - she pulls flat and it makes me crazy. She took a key change and now she's screaming the chorus. Overall, I'm completely underwhelmed by this. C.
Randy: This was interesting for him - he knows it was tough for her. The verses were rough, he said. She agrees. It wasn't her best.
Paula: She gives credit because Jordin went for it.
Simon: He didn't like the look (but Randy did). He thought the singing was out of control, verging on shrieking at times (finally, Simon gives her a fair review). It was "terrible" he says. I agree.
Jordin was nervous about rock week. She's glad she was here for it. 1-866-IDOLS02 or 08 or text to 5702.
Back from commercial, and we're getting ready for Lakisha Jones. She makes a joke about the camera getting her "slim side". Hah. She gets a question about what kind of training she had - none. She learned in church. She is now with John, and she admits she's never listened to him. She's singing This Ain't a Love Song. John explains the sentiment to her. John really liked her. She starts out behind the mic stand. I don't know this song, and I have to say - this look she's got is not the best for her. The verse goes really really low but she handles it better (e.g., in tune) than Jordin. I think the chorus undersells her natural ability but she's in tune and she seems more engaged from a performance perspective this week. She takes a key change and she gets to go to a power note, and one that fits with the song. Overall, I thought this was very good. A-.
Randy: He thinks she's back this week. He thought the start was a bit rough, but she sold him midway through to the end.
Paula: She thought it was good.
Simon: He could actually kiss her after that (and she comes down and gets a kiss on the lips from Simon! Ha!). "You were so good", he tells her. She rose to the challenge and absolutely nailed it. And Simon likes her lips (oooh - little creepy eyeplay there).
I liked her, but I liked Phil better. 1-866-IDOLS03 or 09 or text to 5703.
Back from commercial, and Ryan's with the judges. Blake Lewis is up next, singing You Give Love a Bad Name. He's with John, who thinks Blaks is doing "an adventurous rendition". John tells the camera that Blake has to sell a version of a song that a lot of people know and "don't want messed with" (people, John? Or you?). Blake knows he's taking a risk on it. John's not sold - he thinks Blake is rolling the dice. Blake dyed his hair, and he starts off best boxing. The percussionist is on stage with Blake. He's definitely changed the feel of the song. He beat boxes in this one. His vocal is ok - it's a little flat in spots. He plays the chorus pretty straight and true to the original. Now we're into the beat-boxing/percussion call-response. I actually kind of liked that. It's not singing, but he's smart - because this genre and Bon Jovi's song do NOT suit his voice and never will. He gets a B+ (gotta knock him down on the vocal - it was only ok) for knowing his strengths and weaknesses and giving a performance that maximized the former and minimized the latter.
Randy: Blake gets the award for the most original version. He thought it was hot.
Paula: She acknowledges the risk - she thought it was amazing.
Simon: He thinks half of the people hated it and half loved it - he thought it was the right thing to do.
1-866-IDOLS04 or 10 or text to 5704.
Ugh. We're back with Chris Richardson. I can hear the nasal now on those high notes - ugh. Chris doesn't like being called "Justin Timberlake" by Ryan. He gets a viewer question - what does he do before he walks out on the stage? Just have fun. Chris is doing Dead or Alive. I can tell from the rehearsal that I'm going to hate it. Chris didn't know the words in rehearsal and he was appropriately contrite. Chris starts out. The very beginning of the first verse is is decent. I think this is REALLY high, frankly, and he's pulling just flat on the highest notes. I don't like his phrasing and interpretation, but so far it's not nasal. This is a ballsy song for him to do, because even he mentioned Chris Daughtry doing it last season, and he is not nearly as good as Chris D. was. But he's not hideously awful and he's pretty much sticking to the original version. He's shouty at the end, and he does NOT find the "blues" note Jon BJ referenced, but I liked him slightly better than Jordin this week. Only slightly. B-
Randy: He thought Chris did his thing. He liked it.
Paula: She liked it, too. Good job, she says.
Simon: He thinks Chris did as much as he could possibly do with the song, but he's not sure if Chris will survive another week.
1-866-IDOLS05 or 11 or text to 5705.
And we close the show with a pro talking to pro. Melinda Doolittle is with John. She admits right out that she's bad at rock. John says he can teach her. She's singing Have a Nice Day. John knew Melinda would bring soul to the song - he said she nailed it. She's on stage with another low-slung guitar player. She starts out and I have to say - she's discovered her edge in this first verse. She sounds a little reminiscent of Tina Turner at the beginning. She's got TONS of attitude during this song and it fits the song perfectly. Need I say that her vocal is absolutely perfect? Not a bad note yet in the competition. This song, again, is not different but I really admire the way she brought rock to herself so she could credibly pull this off. She gets, again, an A.
Randy: Great performance again.
Paula: She loved it.
Simon: He thought it was like a young Tina Turner and vocally it was in a different league than everyone else tonight (duh).
1-866-IDOLS06 or 12 or text 5706.
OMG. MUST I have my American Idol experience ruined by an address from George Bush, a man who has done NOTHING to honor his commitments made at the G-8 summit to end extreme poverty in Africa? What a hypocrite. Ooops - did I say that out loud?
Here are my final rankings:
Melinda Doolittle
Phil Stacey
Lakisha Jones
Blake Lewis
Chris Richardson
Jordin Sparks
Let me say - I thought Melinda, Phil and Lakisha were WAY better vocally than anyone else tonight. Blake gets pulled up from where his vocal should have put him by his creativity and performance skills. Chris did better than I thought he would, though it's still substantially below the other four imo. And Jordin? I don't get it. Last week, I thought, was flat through the verse and screamed in the chorus. This week was flat in the verse, shrieky in the chorus, and totally uncontrolled. She had a GREAT night during country week - but she is WAY oversold by the judges as far as I'm concerned. Just my $.02, and it's my blog, so I can say what I want. ;-) See you tomorrow for predictions and results, and thanks for reading!
Labels: American Idol, Finals, Performance, Top 6
What will I say next? Click and find out.
posted by RenaRF @ 6:47 PM,
,
Top 6 Perform - Back in the Saddle Edition
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Ok. I'm back this week, on time, and live-blogging. I missed last week's performances because I was at Taylor Hicks' show in Baltimore - TOTALLY worth it. If he's coming to your town, GO SEE HIM. The show is awesome.
I did finally get to see last week's performances - I watched them Thursday night. I thought Jordin was the best with Phil close behind. It goes without saying that Sanjaya was awful, but I want to know - what is UP with Lakisha? My mother describes her performances as "phoning it in". I made the comment that she looked like she was on tranquilizers these past few weeks. What gives? Thoughts? I thought Chris R. deserved to be in the bottom 3 more than Blake, but Jimmy, loyal watcher and reader of this blog, pointed out to me that he constantly sounds like the singer from Spandau Ballet. BINGO! That is exactly it. Let's hope he just sounds like Blake this week. Follow past the click for this week's recap!
So we're off! This week is the "special American Idol". Same three judges, same six finalists - but the calls for votes will save lives in Africa. Let me pump www.one.org here yet again as we launch into Idol Gives Back. So I guess that means tomorrow's results show is the extravaganza bonanza, right? Cool. I can get into that.
Ryan enters in another great suit and the crowd goes wild. We are reminded about Idol Gives Back. If we don't know what it is already, though, I don't know how we would get on board at this point. But hey - they're trying. They're pushing it - pushing the sponsors, pushing the money. Tomorrow's results show is 2 hours long, and it will function like an elimination telethon. Bono will be joining (newly added name). That's like a gold-standard blessing of the entire effort. We meet the judges. I haven't heard any more about the so-called "controversy" of Simon's comments after Chris Richardson sent a shout out to Virginia Tech. Thank God - what a tempest in a tespot that was. Now Ryan directs us to watch the footage of his and Simon's trip to Africa. We're pulling out the tearjerker footage this week - good. These people live in horrible, abject poverty. These children live in this hopeless environment. They are completely deserving of our compassion and should receive a whopping proportion of our generous nature. Not for nothing, I totally believe and buy Simon's outrage when he sees the conditions and refers to Africa as "hell on earth". I bet that was a quietly life-changing event for him.
Ok - back to the show. Each contestant will have TWO numbers that you can call. Chris Richardson is up first, singing Change the World by Eric Clapton. Lovely song - hope he doesn't sing it through his nose. Chris starts seated. The opening vocals are a little bit shaky for me. As he goes to the higher notes at the beginning he gets the nose thing, but some of his interpretation is quite lovely. He's in the chorus and I think he sounds flat. Not consistently flat, but noticeably flat in spot. He rises and does a run that distracts from the song (bummer). He dances around as he goes to the second chorus. Overall, I would say this performance is mediocre. We're in the final 6 - not good enough. C.
Randy: Randy loves this show to see who's in it to win it and he thought Chris was (???).
Paula: Chris did fantastic - great song choice. She's proud of him.
Simon: It feels that the competition starts properly tonight. It reminded Simon of the very first time they saw him - good vocal, more soul, sexy performance - he did really well.
I'm flabbergasted. I really didn't enjoy that. 1-866-IDOLS 01 or 07 and text 5701 (only one text number). There will be four hours to vote (did they tell the donors this??!! Heh.).
www.myspace.com/idolgivesback is the MySpace pimp for the charity week. We are returned to the poverty subject right here in the USA, the richest country in the civilized world. Yet some of these kids live in a form of poverty every bit as obscene as that we saw in Africa. Randy goes back to Louisiana and visits Katrina survivors. They also go to Kentucky, and the Navajo nation in Arizona. Ryan went to Atlanta to see the devastating effects of homelessness. Seen but ignored - obscene. Paula went to Oklahoma, and they've teamed with programs all over America. They pimp donations for these kids abroad and at home.
Melinda Doolittle is singing There Will Come a Day by Faith Hill. I don't know this song. Melinda starts off center stage. She seems to be feeling the words. She sounds great. It's obvious that she feels the meaning of this song - she conveys it through her performance. I like her look. They've softened her up. She takes the key change beautifully. She's a skilled pro - I hope that doesn't get her in the long run, because right now, she's absolutely the most deserving in the competition. She shows up EVERY WEEK and tonight is no different. She sounds perfect. She gets an A.
Randy: Every week he sees her she's dope and has it all together. He doesn't know waht to say anymore.
Paula: She thinks it must feel great to get the praise and love and critiques week after week. She's magical.
Simon: What he loved was that it wasn't a copycat performance. She took it and made him believe she recorded it originally. A vocal master class.
1-866-IDOLS 02 or 08, or text to 5702.
We're back. We're changing thousands of lives. The target is 50 million calls and they'll make $5 million off of just one sponsor. Excellent.
Blake Lewis gets to answer the viewer question. From Eric in VA - what's the biggest sacrifice he's had to make? A: He's missing is family and friends at home but he has their support being here. Blake's singing John Lennon's Imagine. I can hear that. I dig his hair this week. This is one of the most beautiful songs ever. Blake starts off softly - very appropriate. He's seated, almost reclining. He is singing the song straight so far and his vocal is the dominant sound on the stage. He transitions from verse one to two nicely. This song carries itself and Blake really seems to believe what he's singing. He goes to the bridge and so far I am really liking this performance. This isn't power-challenging like Melinda's song, but this song speaks for itself and Blake just owned it, imo. A.
Randy: Great choice of song. An amazing song. It was just ok for him performance-wise, though - wanted him to do more with it (NOT).
Paula: She talks about the beautiful simplicity of that song and she really loved it.
Simon: This is a tricky one because he chose one of THE big songs of all times and it's not a belter song. It felt sincere, but it didn't go anywhere, but he sang it with sincerity, so it was good.
1-866-IDOLS 03 or 09 or text to 5703. I thought it was lovely, if anyone's asking.
Ok. We're back from commercial and our votes are saving lives. iTunes and Ford will donate videos from tomorrow night's performances. You pay, they give the $$ to the needy. Cool. We're back with Ryan in Africa, and he's in a town where 1/3 of the children are malnourished. ONE THIRD. The children are orphans. They are at a feeding center that not only feeds them but helps them get into school so they can have a future. It costs FIFTY CENTS a day to feed these children three meals a day. That's about $15 a month, folks. Dig deep and do it.
Lakisha Jones is singing I Believe by Fantasia. Interesting choice. She's dressed beautifully and the girls are reasonably tucked away. I think the key sounded a little weird in the beginning - like she started one place and the music went another, but I can't tell if it was just the way the song goes. The verse was a little rough for me vocally but the chorus is much better. She's gesticulating a lot but honestly - it doesn't really reach her eyes or her face. While her vocal is very diva-great, I have to say this is one of my least favorite Lakisha tunes. It was weird for me pitch wise. B-.
Randy: Great song choice - a few pitch problems - not her best but he did like it.
Paula: No doubt that she's a powerhouse vocalist. She took on a monster song - and Paula can't get past Fantasia but it shouldn't take away from Lakisha's vocals.
Simon: He thinks Paula preferred the Fantasia version. It was very emotional - he's having an issue with the shouting. Before he thought that she was... (and we don't hear the rest).
1-866-IDOLS 04 or 10 or text to 5704.
Two left to perform, and Phil Stacey is one of them. He gets a viewer question: What do you miss most about home? A: He misses his two baby girls most, but he knows it will be all worth it. Phil's singing The Change by Garth Brooks. It had a profound effect on him. Interesting that he's doing country again, and probably smart. He starts stading next to a pianist that is on the stage. No hat tonight. The beginning of this song is very nice - I don't know the song - but I find it sweet. As with Melinda's performance and Blake's, I think Phil feels this song. You can see it all over his face. He vocal through the verse and chorus is nice. He's in the bridge now. He has to watch a bit of shoutiness, but it doesn't distract (at least I don't think so) - I'm just nitpicking. His vocal is lovely. I give him an A as well.
Randy: Back again this week with another strong performance.
Paula: She feels like he found his comfort - it was fantastic. His best.
Simon: Good song choice. The only thing he'd advise is that the country tone from last week suited his voice and he needs to connect that up to his performances. People like him.
1-866-IDOLS 05 or 11 or text to 5705.
We're back. And for the record, I REALLY loved that One.org commercial. We're back with just one left, and that's Jordin Sparks. But first we're going to see another pitch for the charities (which is good). Simon is at ConAgra and he's at a food bank. There are 50,000 food banks in the US. Simon states the obvious, yet it needs to be said: he had no idea there were places like this in the US. There are fifty people at the bank yet only four are paid - the rest are volunteers. And it's America's Second Harvest - another of my fvorite charities. www.americassecondharvest.org. They do wonderful work.
NOW we have Jordin Sparks, singing You'll Never Walk Alone. This is a beautiful song - a classic. Jordin looks beautiful and sophisticated. She's singing softly at the start and I have to say - there are a few tiny pitch problems through the softer parts in the first verse. She recovers nicely into the chorus and does some beautiful phrasing and intonation as she sings. She means this song - she looks like she's going to cry. My one criticism is that she shouts a lot of it. Love her generally, but not my favorite performance from her. A for sincerity, B for vocals.
Randy: One of the best vocals by any contestant every in six seasons (that's a huge stretch).
Paula: Picked a haunting song and she did a lovely job. She's glorious.
Simon: He thought she was fantastic (apparently she's the annointed one).
1-866-IDOLS 06 or 12 or text to 5706. Don't get me wrong - I thought it was a lovely performance and I truly believed she felt it. But the vocal was sporadic for me - pitchy in some spots and shouty in others.
Here is the final rankings on the night:
1. Melinda Doolittle
2. Phil Stacey
2. Blake Lewis
3. Jordin Sparks
4. Lakisha Jones
5. Chris Richardson
I'll think about it more tonight, but I would say my bottom two are the two I have listed here tonight. I'll make it official tomorrow.
Labels: American Idol, Finals, Performance, Top 6
What will I say next? Click and find out.
posted by RenaRF @ 6:54 PM,
,
Top 8 - Performance
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Ok - I'm not as late as I thought I would be. About 25 minutes. It's apparently Latin Night, and we start backstage with the Idols and all the makeup mirrors. Ryan's very besuitedness come out on the stage to the screaming, sign-waving fans. This is the show WE control, we are reminded. We are admonished to give it up for the band and for the judges. Paula looks pretty lucid this week. Yay!!
Jennifer Lopez, the very J-Lo, is apparently the guest coach tonight. Cool! I dig J-Lo. We are taken on a package tour of her storied career. She's Queen of the Bootie, giving up her rehearsal time to coach the top 8. She talks about the differences between the 8, their styles and "vibes". She talks about having to convey the emotion with Latin music It's a challenging genre - I know, from performing it. It's not for everyone. Follow over the click for the whole recap.
Melinda Doolittle is doing a song I do!! Sway!! It was originally covered by Dean Martin but jumped back up there with its cover by the Pussycat Dolls. It's one of my faves!! J-Lo recorded it - in Spanish. Melinda's excited. I don't know if I'll be able to sing it again if Melinda blows it away. Melinda has to channel her inner sexy to make this song work. She comes out in a black dress - she looks pretty. She's good through the first abbreviated verse and bridge/chorus. She sounds great but it's not a pipes kind of song. She gets a few appropriate power notes in there, but probably not enough to show off her voice. She takes the key change and handles it nicely - it's a squirelly change. I like her look and her phrasing. It's a good performance - not a blow-you-away one, but very good. A.
Randy: He finds the genres interesting. Another solid performance. Not her best, but solid.
Paula: Very sultry, very smooth. She looks lovely and appreciated the subtlety.
Simon: He didn't like it. That song is all about personality, and she appeared much older than she is, and she appeared very lounge/cabaret. He liked the end, but he thought it was lazy and wooden. He thinks she's better than that.
Melinda's happy because she thought Simon really wanted to say something bad and he got the chance (nicely handled by Melinda!). 1-866-IDOLS01 or text 5701. I'll vote for her tonight.
Interesting - as we go to break, we are informed Lakisha is up next. Divas out of the gate.
We're back, and Lakisha Jones gets a viewer question. Q: What made you try out for the show? A: She wanted to provide a better life for her daughter. Short and simple. She's with J-Lo, and we learn Lakisha can't really pronounce Spanish words and can't dance Latin. So J-Lo's schooling her. It's funny. She's singing Congo, the Gloria Estefan dance classic. The band sounds great. Lakisha's dressed for the song. The girls are out in force, of course - she's singing well and moving well. This is a great song coice, because she's singing well and it's an energetic, fun, recognizable song. She's playing the song pretty straight vocally. Again, she doesn't really have a chance to showcase her formidable pipes. Overall, it's a very good performance. She gets an A.
Randy: Randy loved that she was having a good time and she made it her own. It was hot.
Paula: Lakisha looks lovely, but she didn't feel it like Randy did. She thought it was safe.
Simon: Lakisha doesn't agree with Paula, but Simon does. It's not a singer's song.
Well I liked it, and I liked it just marginally better than Melinda's performance. 1-866-IDOLS02 or text 5702.
Another break and then we'll see Chris Richardson.
And we're back! We are reminded about "Idol Gives Back" and it's growing by the week in scope and starpower. J-Lo's with Chris, and he's singing Smooth, the smash Santana comeback hit. J-Lo's giving Spanish lessons again and she moves the key up a whole step (wow!). And here's Chris on stage with a guitar player and a percussion. He starts out in the low part and let me say - this is a VERY difficult song to sing. It's range is all over the place. Chris looks like he's concentrating a bit, but he sounds good. He changes is a bit but not too much. I like the higher parts much better than the lower register. He knocks the chorus off and does it well. He adds some runs in there - just a bit too much - but good. Another A.
Randy: He was worried about the song but he did a very cool job.
Paula: It was a hot performance.
Simon: Not the best vocal he's heard, but he preferred it to the first two because it was more contemporary. It was a good performance.
1-866-IDOLS03 or text 5703. ANOTHER commercial break - after are Haley and Phil.
And we're back, and Ryan's with the judges, who are out from behind the desk. Haley Scarnato is singing Turn the Beat Around (OH MY GOD). J-Lo seems to think Haley needs rhythmic help. Blake comes in to beatbox. Haley's in SHORT shorts but the boobs are not the central focus of the outfit. Haley dances. Haley starts out in the middle part of the harmony - I expected to hear the high part. It wasn't bad - a little weak. She's in the verse. She does the rhythmic stuff passably well, but runs out of breath which affects her pitch. It's all over the place, and she's literally being drowned out by the band. Now she's shaking and jiggling. This wasn't bad, but it was sloppy vocally. B-.
Randy: Really karaoke for him tonight. He didn't get it at all. Any bar.
Paula: Not a singer's song, but fun and she had fun up there.
Simon: He thinks she has a good tactic - wear the least amount of clothes as possible because she can't do well vocally because there's much better singers and all she can do is have fun. He couldn't understand her - the vocals were rushed.
Simon speaks truth again. Ryan gives her a chance to respond to Simon and she goes diplomatic. Probably smart. 1-866-IDOLS04 or text 5704.
We move right to Phil Stacey, who is singing Maria Maria. J-Lo is listening to him, and this weirds Phil out. He's a bit starstruck. Phil will get to showcase his voice on this one - he gave J-Lo goosebumps. Phil's wearing a hat, which is smart I think. He starts out soft and his voice is really quite perfect for this song. He sounds great. He goes through the first verse and goes to the bridge/chorus. Did I mention that he sounds great? I mean, really great. This is a totally challenging song rhythmically and vocally and Phil is knocking it back so far. He gets just a tiny bit screamy in a later part, but overall I really, really liked this. A.
Randy: He doesn't know if it was his best - he didn't feel the passion - but he has a great upper range.
Paula: Vocally she thought it was a really good vocal.
Simon: Phil's a nice guy, but he didn't find any originality - he thought it was lifeless and flat.
Why do the judges hate Phil?? He was my best performance so far tonight. 1-866-IDOLS05 or text 5705.
Jordin Sparks is up next and she gets a viewer question: If you were in charge of choosing next week's theme, what would it be? A: She would do 80's music because she loves it. She's with J-Lo. Rhythm Is Gonna Get You is her choice. J-Lo thinks she has a sweet voice. She gives dancing lessons again. Jordin looks pretty, though not very Latin-y. She handles the first verse very well, and she's into the chorus - but like the other two big-voiced girls, this isn't really a singer's song. For the first time, I don't really like Jordin's tone - it's a little thin and shrill in parts and she hits a really, really flat note that she adjust to the proper place. Ouch. She ends it by taking it way up and changing the song appropriately, which helps the performance a lot. B+.
Randy: Of course he loves her because she's 17 and has the yo factor.
Paula: Loves that she's authentic. She's adorable.
Simon: It was an OK performance. Nothing stunning, and he hasn't seen a progression tonight.
1-866-IDOLS06 or text 5706.
Blake Lewis - doing I Need to Know, by Marc Anthony (J-Lo's hubby FYI). J-Lo wants him to feel the emotion and get into the passion of the song. Blake's out on the stage - he always look the part. I like this song, by the way, and in a weird way, it suits Blake's voice. His vocal is good through the first verse and chorus. He has some moves thrown in there but so much that it distracts. Second verse is good as well. Overall I think this is one of my favorite Blake performance. A.
Randy: Best song choice of the night. Hot performance.
Paula: Very smart performance. Captured who he is.
Simon: Best choice of song, best performance so far.
1-866-IDOLS07 or text 5707.
Break, then Sanjaya. Ugh.
Sanajaya Malakar chose Besseme Mucho. Oh God. J-Lo really liked it. It's a good choice for him. So here's Sanjaya, sitting on stage. He's bcut his hair and he almost looks Hispanic. He singing more strongly than usual. He makes lovey eyes at the camera. He sounds better than he usually sounds, but the song isn't really that challenging. This is, without a doubt, the BEST he's done by a long shot.
Randy: He thinks he's smart and thought it was really good.
Paula: Very very nice.
Simon: couldn't understand a word of it, sang like a 14 year old, and it wasn't horrible.
1-866-IDOLS08 or text 5708.
I'm revamping my final rankings:
Blake Lewis
Phil Stacey
Lakisha Jones
Melinda Doolittle
Chris Richardson
Jordin Sparks
Sanjaya Malakar
Haley Scarnato
Labels: American Idol, Finals, Performance, Top 8
What will I say next? Click and find out.
posted by RenaRF @ 7:25 PM,
,
Top 9 Perform!
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
All right! It's that time again. Tonight's high-profile super-mega-legend coach is Tony Bennett. He's before my time, but everything I've seen indicates that he's still a cool dude and a nice one to boot. Ryan's looking smashing in shades of black, I must say - love the look.
We go through the usual routine - we get the intro, the band recognition, the nerve-shot of the 9 remaining contestants, and the introduction of the judges. We are admonished that Tony Bennett is "the master" and we get a recap of his storied career. 109 albums, 15 Grammys, numerous other awards, and all at the tender age of 80! The remaining Idols are thrilled to meet them. He loves them - they're a rare group. Note he didn't say they were a talented group. Follow over the click to the first performance of the night.
And we get right into it. Blake Lewis is up first, singing Mac the Knife. Perhaps a smart choice. Tony observes that he has to get to the meaning of the song. And we're right to Blake's performance. He's dressed up for this one. I can't say I think the outfit, which looks like none of it actually goes together, does much for me. His beginning vocal is good - it's relaxed, it's in the right key and he's in tune. He dances a bit here and there as the music continues to modulate up. I have to say - this is probably one of my favorite Blake performances because he's IN TUNE throughout pretty much whole song. Quite good. He gets an A-.
Randy: (crowd screams wildly) He thinks it's a very good way to start the evening. He points out a few pitch problems (which I didn't really hear) but thought it was good.
Paula: Blake was "pizzazz". He's cool.
Simon: Good song choice, says Simon - gives him 7 out of 10 where he gives the band 8 of 10. He mentions that the band played a big part in the song.
Blake doesn't mind going first, and he was most worried about the lyrics. 1-866-IDOLS01 or text 5701. I'd throw a vote his way tonight.
We're gonna break, which is good so I can eat quickly.
And we're back!! We pimp the American Idol Gives Back extravaganza again, and that's a good thing. They have to split the live broadcast, apparently, that's how popular it is. That's good, too. And Kelly Clarkson is going to sing live - that's actually news!
Phil Stacey has been looking forward to this week - Tony's his hero. Tony wants him to speed the song up a bit and put a beat behind it. Tony thinks he's one of the better singers he's heard period, and I agree. Phil won't last long because people find him creepy, but he's a great singer. He starts off in a suit, behind the mic stand, singing this beautiful song Night and Day. It's a little weird for me - I think it's the arrangement, frankly, because Phil's in tune. This is a nuanced performance with a lot of bonus notes that are great, but I thought perhaps the vocal and the arrangement didn't always synch up. It's hard to grade this one - vocally, it's an A but the performance is a B.
Randy: It was an interesting choice for Randy, but he didn't feel any real connection or passion. It didn't hit him.
Paula: She thinks he's reminiscent of a young Frank Sinatra (Simon is shocked), but she needs him to have more joy and warm the vocals up throughout the song.
Simon: He doesn't think Phil's Frank Sinatra. He thought it had the joy of somone singing in a funeral parlor - it was gloomy and dark. No life in the performance. The other judges agree about the darkness. He was trying to focus on his wife. 1-866-IDOLS02 or text 5702. Poor Phil.
Melinda Doolittle is doing I've Got Rhythm, which is probably a really good choice. Tony loves her - thinks she's the best singer all day (or so far). She's out at center stage doing a jazzy version of the song. Can't really stand the dress, but Melinda's singing overcomes anything she's wearing. She goes to the chorus and it's fantastic. One of the things I like about Melinda is that in watching her, I truly believe she would rather be doing nothing other than singing THAT song on THAT stage at THAT moment. She sells it EVERY time. This week is no different. A+
Randy: Randy loves that she comes out every week and gives everyone a lesson in singing (yes, that's it exactly!).
Paula: She's like a master class for everyone else to watch. It was a flawless performance.
Simon: He didn't like the first part of the song, but he liked the last part of the song. He thought it was great in the second half - great, personality, fun. He doesn't think they're ever going to be able to criticize her.
Simon thinks it's a problem that they can't be mean occasionally with Melinda because she's so good. 1-866-IDOLS03 or text 5703.
Do I really care what House is doing next on House? No, I don't. Continuing - Chris R. gets a viewer question: what does he consider most when choosing a song? A: You have to do something you're comfortable with, see if the audience will like it, and then if the judges will like it. He went with a Duke Ellington song and he doesn't know the words. Mr. Saturday Dance is his choice. It's a little low for him in parts in the beginning. He's got the look down to go with the song - retro-hip. He hasn't sung through his nose once yet! Yay! So far the vocal is pretty good - I don't know how challenging the song is, frankly, but he's playing it straight - no extra runs (more or less), and no nose-singing. A good Chris R. performance. B+.
Randy: He thinks Chris came out with a vengeance and it was one of his best performances of the season.
Paula: He kept himself in the song and she loved it.
Simon: He thought it was very good - very believable, and he agrees with Randy and Paula about how he made it hip. Thought he was one of the strongest tonight.
1-866-IDOLS04 or text 5704. End of the show, peeps (duh).
Jordin Sparks is up next singing On a Clear Day. Tony thought she was in tune and had intelligent improvisation that fit the song. And we're right to Jordin's performance. She starts off strolling and singing. I can't say I like the tone of her voice for this particular song - she's punching through notes where I would rather hear some nuance, but she IS in tune. It's just loudly in tune. The song itself - the arrangement - is repetitive and repetitive in the high power parts. I can't fault her voice, but I'm not blown away. A-.
Randy: He loved that there's some heat up on stage tonight - it was the bomb.
Paula: She thinks Jordin is a magnet of joy. She's proud of her.
Simon: He thought she sang it well, but she didn't make the song young and current. She sang a song very well, but very old-fashioned and very traditional (I agree).
1-866-IDOLS05 or text 5705.
Gina Glocksen is singing Smile. Interesting. Probably outside of where she's been most successful, so we'll have to see. She starts seated. She's toned down the rocker a bit. This is a beautiful song. She's handling the beginning part quite well. She's my dark horse this season. She's much better than I think anyone realizes. This song is a nuanced performanced yet it's still Gina. She gets a teeny bit screamy but then pulls is back to the softer, sweeter vocal. I really, really liked that. She was completely in tune. A.
Randy: He actually liked it.
Paula: A flawless performance.
Simon: He can't rave about the vocal because two girls outsang her (disagree generally - she was better than Jordin imo).
1-866-IDOLS06 or 5706.
Tony's with Sanjaya and says that he "makes it interesting". Sanjaya is singing Cheek to Cheek and says that his goal is to show America that he really can sing. Let me pause for a moment - I find that interesting, because it's obvious, then, that he's seen the press surrounding him, the "Sanjaya is killing Idol" headlines and whatnot. I KNEW that would happen. WHY do you keep this kid around, America?? Sheesh. At any rate, here we go with the performance. Right out of the gate he's not in tune. He gets his pitch back after the first few notes. He loses it again in the low notes, but he's a bit more precise than weeks previous in his vocal this time around. But people - it's just not good. You HAVE to compare him to the other people in the competition and there's just no comparison. His vocal is better, but still not nearly good enough. C-.
Randy: Randy won't comment on the vocals, but he's turned into a great entertainer.
Paula: She gets why people love him but points out that vocals were off in the beginning.
Simon: He's trying a different tactic this week, and tells him it's "incredible".
1-866-IDOLS07 or text to 5707.
Haley Scarnato. She gets a viewer question: Is she more nervous singing or waiting for the judges. She picks out Simon. She's singing Ain't Misbehavin'. She's wearing a boob/legs dress again, playing to her "assets". She starts seated. The beginning of the song is in tune and quite pretty - a little breathy, but good. She's stalking around as the band comes in. She's on stage now and it's the uptempo part. It's all very broadway and it suits her. She gets in a clunker note but recovers quickly. This was probably a good song choice for her - she sings it strongly up until an AWFUL flat note at the end, one she held. Oops. Her grade: C+, just because of that awful note.
Randy: He thought this would be a good week for her... but what does Paula think?
Paula: Thinks green's a good color.
Simon: Thinks she's got great legs. He thought it was a good style of music, a little "pageanty".
Haley makes faces. 1-866-IDOLS08 or text to 5708.
Ok - since we're at commercials and my DVR has caught up, let me just say - Haley's attitude REALLY rubs me the wrong way. She's out there in a short, low-cut tight dress and she makes a face about the comment about her legs. Well, then wear a long skirt, girl. You can't work your assets and then be pissed off that someone noticed.
Lakisha Jones is doing Stormy Weather. Tony advises her to drop a run and stick where the song is written. Lakisha's out in floor-length dress - it's very attractive on her. She's styling this particular song, and the arrangement is different from the original. The vocal is excellent as usual. The difference between Melinda and Lakisha is in the believability arena. It's not that I don't believe Lakisha or that she gives poor performances that are vocally perfect - she's a very good performer. But Melinda's just a skosh better. I think I put Lakisha just slightly under Gina this week - mainly because she kept the final run in the end of the song and I thought that particular bit was the worst part of the performance. A-.
Randy: He loved it - perfect song - pitch problems at the front, but great in the end.Paula: Most gorgeous she's ever looked. Sounded beautiful.
Simon: He thought it was sassy - a great performance.
1-866-IDOLS09 or text 5709.
Here are my final rankings:
Melinda Doolittle
Gina Glocksen
Lakisha Jones
Chris Richardson
Jordin Sparks
Blake Lewis
Phil Stacey
Haley Scarnato
Sanjaya Malakar
((sigh)) Predictions before the show tomorrow, but I can already feel who's going.
Labels: American Idol, Finals, Performance, Top 9
What will I say next? Click and find out.
posted by RenaRF @ 7:00 PM,
,