This week, the contestants are singing songs from the Rat Pack, so we are obviously expecting slower songs from the 60's. This is a far cry from some of the other nights that we've had this season. The guest mentor is Jamie Foxx. This was sort of odd to me at first, but then they explain how he has transcended the entertainment business, much like the Rat Pack did, so it made more sense. He was actually very entertaining and very good at critiquing the contestants and getting them to enhance their performances with his suggestions. Now, to see how they actually did. On to the reviews!
Kris Allen - Frank Sinatra "The Way You Look Tonight"
Kris opens up the show with a solid performance of "The Way You Look Tonight." I enjoyed this, but it was definitely not one of his best. I'm not sure how to describe it. It was good, but not spectacular, and at this point in the show, you need to be spectacular to prove that you should be there. I liked the slower parts of the song. I feel like Kris' tone was good and he used some interesting phrasings to shake up the song a bit. The faster parts left a little more to be desired, however. His falsetto wasn't quite there and the band swallowed up what is already a pretty thin voice to begin with. I did enjoy the end. The notes that he was hitting were difficult notes to find and added a degree of musicality to the song that I was unaware he was capable of. I enjoyed him choosing the 5th in his ending note rather than resolving it, but I can see where some wouldn't. Overall, a good performance, but not necessarily enough to keep him in the finals. Hey, there is always a duet with Jamie Foxx waiting post-Idol. I bet that thought is pretty tempting...
Allison Iraheta - Frank Sinatra "Someone to Watch Over Me"
FINALLY! Allison does a ballad! Vocally, this was one of Allison's best performances. It was pitch perfect and sang with confidence and feeling. The comparisons to Joss Stone and Pink are undeniable and I think that Allison is probably the most ready to release a successful album right now. Simon is correct, however. She does seem too content in the stride that she's on right now. She does not have that look that makes you feel like she thinks she can win. This might be where her age and immaturity are rearing their ugly heads. She needs to shock us with something unique and spectacular in order to stay in for the long haul. Is there a chance that she can win the competition? Yes, but it's small. And every week that the guys show her up, it's getting smaller and smaller. That's what she said.
Matt Giraud - Frank Sinatra "My Funny Valentine"
This was hands down my least favorite performance of the night, sung by my least favorite contestant left on the show. Did he deserve to stay on the show longer than Lil or Anoop, probably, but the save was pretty pointless, since he has no shot of winning. Matt chose to sing "My Funny Valentine," a very difficult song to sing. People have said to me "Hey, give him credit for trying to sing a song that hard." My answer to them. No. If you don't have the vocal chops to pull off a song, then you shouldn't sing it! Period. I mean, come on. Doesn't he remember Melinda Doolittle SLAYING this song? Watch that and see what I mean. He was pitchy and didn't take Jamie Foxx's advice to just sing the song without so much melisma. The performance was not TERRIBLE, I suppose. There were some OK spots, but overall, he really showed that he's not deserving of that spot. I hope that this week, there is a double elimination...Matt and the little monster that lives on his forehead that he tries to hide with God-awful looking fedoras. It seems harsh, I know, but I'm just tired of listening to him.
Danny Gokey - Frank Sinatra "Come Rain or Come Shine"
Danny has been in a rut lately. He is consistently good, but not outstanding. He changed that this week with his version of "Come Rain or Come Shine." It started off with the same formula that he tends to use: tiny bit rough at the beginning with some of his tone, then growing into a solid performance that shows that he is a very good singer. He kicked it up another notch this week. It's like he flipped on a switch and just decided, "hey, I'm going to kill this ending right here." And he did. This was the best I've heard him sound thus far. It was the most original that he has been with a melody line and he looked like he actually WANTED it for a change. With this performance, he wiped the floor with Kris Allen and regained his spot in the finals, in my opinion.
Adam Lambert - Sammy Davis, Jr. "Feelin Good"
Adam gets the pimp-slot tonight and is the only contestant to choose a song NOT sung by Sinatra. Go figure that Adam is the "different" one. Though not his greatest performance ever, he still did not disappoint. The song was like a roller coaster ride for me. I loved the beginning. The 8th note triplets on the piano, matched with the softer side of his voice, completed with the stairs, the lights, and the pearl suit created the best entrance I've seen on the show. It was the initial rise before the first drop out of the chute. Once the band kicked in, he seriously strutted down the stairs like this was his concert and we all paid money to see him. The arrangement was great at first- it was very full and sounded like it used every instrument in the orchestra equally. Things, however, got a little weird for me during the first part of the bridge/interlude. It seemed like everything was musically correct, but it just sounded a bit awkward to me. This was the part of the ride that just sort of let up for a bit to let you catch your breath. Then, he hit you with a 12 second glory note. This was the double loop at the end of the ride. I was sort of shaking my head in disbelief at this point. It shouldn't surprise me when he does stuff like this, but it still does. That is what is making him so popular in this competition- his ability to keep surprising you. Though not his best performance of the season, it was still solid and consistent with what he has been delivering so far.
Rat Pack week turned out better than I thought it would, overall. This was the most uniform that I've seen the contestants all season. They were closer to the same level with each other than they have ever been. No performance was terrible, though Danny and Adam stood above the rest and Matt fell behind. I expect that Matt, Kris, and Allison will be in the bottom 3 this week, with Matt going home. If he doesn't, the show is rigged and I'm going to send them hate mail.
Power Rankings:
1. (1) Adam Lambert
2. (3) Danny Gokey
3. (2) Kris Allen
4. (4) Allison Iraheta
5. (5) Matt Giraud
Danny overtakes the #2 spot again from Kris and shows that he is still just as deserving of the finals. This is going to be an interesting finish this season. I wouldn't be surprised if we see some of the closest vote tallies in the history of Idol. Dun, dun, DUN! What do you all think? Are we going to have an upset this year or is the most consistent contestant going to win the show? What do you all think of the performances last night? Let me know in the comments.
Your American Idol Junkie,
Billy
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Top 5: Song Predictions - The Rat Pack
The theme for the top 5 on American Idol is "The Rat Pack" and rumor has it that the contestants will be singing 2 songs from this week on. The Rat Pack was an influential group of performers in the 50's and 60's, comprised of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop. There were other entertainers who came in and out of the "group," but these were the primary members. I'll go ahead and tell you now that I don't expect to get many, if any, right this week! I am not the biggest Rat Pack follower, so it was hard for me to listen to so many songs and pick who would sound good on what. I do have a sneaking suspicion though that this week might be a snooze-fest for most listeners. Music from this era was good, but it simply did not have all of the accoutrement's that we are used to in our music. I think some of our Idol-wannabes will do fine, but others might have a hard time choosing an appropriate song that fits their voice. These baritones epitomized the meaning of a "pure voice" - one that did not need vocal embellishments or insane range to showcase it's beauty. Can our Idols refrain from these overkills for one night and sing a straight-laced version of classic song, or will they have to get creative and stylize songs to fit their voice? Let's see what I have them singing this week.
Adam Lambert – Peter Lawford "Age of Aquarius" and Dean Martin "Blue Moon"
Of all the contestants remaining on the show, Adam is probably in the best position this week. Though he can have one of the most "screechy" voices, he can also have one of the most pure when he tries. He has also showcased more of his tenor range thus far on the show, but we have seen glimpses of what sounds to be a rather nice baritone range as well. I hope that we get to see some of that this week. "Age of Aquarius" seems like a song that Adam can have his usual fun on, seeing as there are so many different arrangements of this song, all being somewhat crazy and a little off-kilter. This would be his "one for him" song choice. The "one for you" song choice could be "Blue Moon." This is a very pretty song, one that Elvis remade, and has become a classic. I can already see Adam singing with the blue lights shining from behind like most of his other slower performances. I think he'll be fine, but this definitely won't be his best week.
Kris Allen - Dean Martin "Sway" and Frank Sinatra "I've Got You Under My Skin"
Kris is in the next best position because he also has a fairly pure tone to his voice that can accompany these kind of arrangements well. I think that these two songs will complement his voice and style quite nicely, giving him an opportunity to pull away from Danny in the standings, since they are still pretty close right now. I can see him pulling out a new look this week- maybe a side part with some hair gel, a suit, and a bow tie. I think people would like that. I think he should be fine this week, but he needs to be praying for Danny to stumble big time.
Danny Gokey - Frank Sinatra "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" and Frank Sinatra "That's Life"
Danny might face a tough week this week. Whereas Adam and Kris can have pretty pure tones to their voice, Danny is the exact opposite. What makes his voice unique is the raspiness, something that you never heard in ANY Rat Pack song. That being said, it is not impossible for him to do well this week. John Mayer did a version of "In the Wee Small Hours" on Letterman and it sounded really good with his breathy voice. I could hear Danny killing a version like that. "That's Life" can also sound good with a more gravely sound. The concern for Danny is great at the moment, because it is no longer just this blog's feeling that Danny is slipping. Other bloggers and entertainment reporters are starting to notice his decline as well. If this trend continues, don't expect Danny in the finals. He needs to be just as suave as these original Kings of Cool were if he wants to maintain his grasp.
Allison Iraheta - Dean Martin “Mambo Italiano” and Frank Sinatra "One for My Baby"
Allison faces the same problems that Danny does this week. Her voice does not fit any of the songs, but she might be able to find some covers that she could pull off. And look, here I am giving them to her! Rosemary Clonney sang a version of "Mambo Italiano" that was very upbeat and fun. I can see her doing that, and maybe adding a little ethnic flair in there. She can also do Bette Midler's version of "One for My Baby." This would not be as good as the first, but she could still pull it off. Plus, it would be a slow song for her, something that she STILL has yet to REALLY do. Now, she might be able to find a loophole in the system since, technically, the Rat Pack is rumored to have let Marilyn Monroe, Shirley MacLaine, and Judy Garland participate in their frivolities. If this is the case, then she might choose to go that safer route. I predicted last week that Allison would kill it this time, since she seems to do just that after being in the bottom 3, but that might not happen.
Matt Giraud – Dean Martin “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head” and Sammy Davis Jr. "Mr. Bojangles"
Why can I hear Matt doing an R&B version of "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?" This would actually be pretty good I think. I think he could change it up to fit his style and make it his own without running the risk of disappointing the judges. "Mr. Bojangles" could also be a nice fit for him. I do think that Matt has to sing a perfect set this week if he wants to stay on the show. The fact that he was not in the bottom 3 last week was just the producers saving the judges from looking moronic for saving him. He should DEF be in the bottom 3 this week, just because there is NO WAY that he can be in the top 2.
There you have it, guys. After listening to a lot of these songs, I think I have a newfound respect for this era of music. Just because you can sing a wide variety of styles, with over-the-top melismas and out-of-this-world ranges, doesn't mean you have to. Sometimes, singing the melody is the best way to show the beauty of a song and the voice of it's singer. Restraint is key this week, Idols. Restraint, but with energy. If they can do this, I think America will reward them with plenty of votes.
Your American Idol Junkie,
Billy
Adam Lambert – Peter Lawford "Age of Aquarius" and Dean Martin "Blue Moon"
Of all the contestants remaining on the show, Adam is probably in the best position this week. Though he can have one of the most "screechy" voices, he can also have one of the most pure when he tries. He has also showcased more of his tenor range thus far on the show, but we have seen glimpses of what sounds to be a rather nice baritone range as well. I hope that we get to see some of that this week. "Age of Aquarius" seems like a song that Adam can have his usual fun on, seeing as there are so many different arrangements of this song, all being somewhat crazy and a little off-kilter. This would be his "one for him" song choice. The "one for you" song choice could be "Blue Moon." This is a very pretty song, one that Elvis remade, and has become a classic. I can already see Adam singing with the blue lights shining from behind like most of his other slower performances. I think he'll be fine, but this definitely won't be his best week.
Kris Allen - Dean Martin "Sway" and Frank Sinatra "I've Got You Under My Skin"
Kris is in the next best position because he also has a fairly pure tone to his voice that can accompany these kind of arrangements well. I think that these two songs will complement his voice and style quite nicely, giving him an opportunity to pull away from Danny in the standings, since they are still pretty close right now. I can see him pulling out a new look this week- maybe a side part with some hair gel, a suit, and a bow tie. I think people would like that. I think he should be fine this week, but he needs to be praying for Danny to stumble big time.
Danny Gokey - Frank Sinatra "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" and Frank Sinatra "That's Life"
Danny might face a tough week this week. Whereas Adam and Kris can have pretty pure tones to their voice, Danny is the exact opposite. What makes his voice unique is the raspiness, something that you never heard in ANY Rat Pack song. That being said, it is not impossible for him to do well this week. John Mayer did a version of "In the Wee Small Hours" on Letterman and it sounded really good with his breathy voice. I could hear Danny killing a version like that. "That's Life" can also sound good with a more gravely sound. The concern for Danny is great at the moment, because it is no longer just this blog's feeling that Danny is slipping. Other bloggers and entertainment reporters are starting to notice his decline as well. If this trend continues, don't expect Danny in the finals. He needs to be just as suave as these original Kings of Cool were if he wants to maintain his grasp.
Allison Iraheta - Dean Martin “Mambo Italiano” and Frank Sinatra "One for My Baby"
Allison faces the same problems that Danny does this week. Her voice does not fit any of the songs, but she might be able to find some covers that she could pull off. And look, here I am giving them to her! Rosemary Clonney sang a version of "Mambo Italiano" that was very upbeat and fun. I can see her doing that, and maybe adding a little ethnic flair in there. She can also do Bette Midler's version of "One for My Baby." This would not be as good as the first, but she could still pull it off. Plus, it would be a slow song for her, something that she STILL has yet to REALLY do. Now, she might be able to find a loophole in the system since, technically, the Rat Pack is rumored to have let Marilyn Monroe, Shirley MacLaine, and Judy Garland participate in their frivolities. If this is the case, then she might choose to go that safer route. I predicted last week that Allison would kill it this time, since she seems to do just that after being in the bottom 3, but that might not happen.
Matt Giraud – Dean Martin “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head” and Sammy Davis Jr. "Mr. Bojangles"
Why can I hear Matt doing an R&B version of "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?" This would actually be pretty good I think. I think he could change it up to fit his style and make it his own without running the risk of disappointing the judges. "Mr. Bojangles" could also be a nice fit for him. I do think that Matt has to sing a perfect set this week if he wants to stay on the show. The fact that he was not in the bottom 3 last week was just the producers saving the judges from looking moronic for saving him. He should DEF be in the bottom 3 this week, just because there is NO WAY that he can be in the top 2.
There you have it, guys. After listening to a lot of these songs, I think I have a newfound respect for this era of music. Just because you can sing a wide variety of styles, with over-the-top melismas and out-of-this-world ranges, doesn't mean you have to. Sometimes, singing the melody is the best way to show the beauty of a song and the voice of it's singer. Restraint is key this week, Idols. Restraint, but with energy. If they can do this, I think America will reward them with plenty of votes.
Your American Idol Junkie,
Billy
Thursday, April 23, 2009
5 Alive: Elimination Results (SPOILER ALERT!)
After (another) week where Kris and Adam stole the show with their ingenuity and near flawless performances, it's time to see how this week's elimination episode went down. Last night we found out the "dramatic" results from the wake of the first-ever Judges Save. The second double elimination this season was about as suspenseful as the first (aka not at all), but we'll get to that in a little bit. Here is a recap of last night's episode- some observations.
1. The show opens with a video showing Paula teaching the top 7 a dance that she choreographed to "Dance and Shout." OK, so Paula might be a Meth-addict, but I like her a lot. She is crazy and does not make sense most of the time, but she seems really nice and is hilarious. I think that the show wouldn't be near as good if she wasn't on it. Even when she is being the "drill sergeant" on the dance floor, she still has a great time and you can tell that the contestants see her more as a friend than a judge. The video is pretty funny. You can tell that the Idols were working their butts off to learn that choreography. Granted, it wasn't that hard compared to most choreographed routines, but for non-dancers, I can see how it would have been tough to learn.
2. Now to see the results of the practice! Dressed in head-to-toe 80's garb, complete with aviators and boy band mics, the group dances from the audience to the stage. SURPRISINGLY, they are NOT BAD! They proved to be much better than I thought they would be. Sure, they aren't together on every step, but that's to be expected. Worst dancer on the floor- Matt Giraud. Boy can play piano, but leave the dancing shoes in the closet, homie. He looked just a tad lost the whole time. Anoop wasn't far behind him. Best dancer on the floor- Kris Allen. SHOW 'EM THAT WHITE BOYS CAN DANCE! I'll just go on the record to say that I'm not quite sure what Kris was wearing, but I was sorta liking it. I'm going to get a crazy shirt like that and see if I can pull it off.
3. The Ford commercial is lame as usual. This one looks like it took about 5 minutes to shoot, edit and print. The theme is weak. Are they trying to say that being a baker, construction worker, or dog groomer is a bad thing? Or that if you suck at your job you should quit and go to a cafe that is looking for singers? I'm not quite sure, but it was sorta stupid. I've come to expect that though.
4. After the commercial and a quick wardrobe change, it's time to break down who is going to be in the bottom 3. Lil stands up first and is told to walk to the far side of the stage, obviously meaning that she is in the bottom 3. Ryan comes over and tells her that she is eliminated. Just like that. It was so quick that I missed it because I looked an a friend for two seconds rather than keeping my eyeballs glued to the TV. So much for keeping it suspenseful. This one was one
that could have swung either way, in my opinion, but I'm glad that Lil is going home. She was, by far, one of the biggest let-downs this show has ever seen. During her audition, I thought she was the one to beat this season, but after falling apart once she got into the top 11, she essential dug her own grave. I don't think being on this show helped her "career" that much. She showed every record producer that she is not ready for the pros. However, her swan song tonight was the best I've heard her sing all season. It was great, and I know she is wishing that she had brought that the night before.
5. It's now time to go back in our time machine again and bring back some of the greats of Disco to relive some of their glory moments. Freda Payne is first with "Band of Gold." Let me just say, HD TV is not her friend...and neither is the plastic surgeon's knife. DANG! She sorta scared me. Thelma Houston is next with "Don't Leave Me This Way." She sounds better and looks better, but the front of that dress was just a TAD too short for some of the dance moves she was doing on that raised stage. I hope the front row liked what they saw...I just vomitted. KC from KC and the Sunshine Band closes the nostalgic trip down memory lane, and I'm glad it's almost over. He can no longer sing, he looks ridiculous, he is staring these woman down like a creeper, and his long point-and-stare into the camera at the end was just the cherry on the top of an overall really awkward performance.
6. The rest of the bottom three is about to be revealed. Kris. Easily safe. Adam. No brainer, safe. Danny. Really wish he wasn't safe but you know he is. Anoop is sent to the losers stools again, and with a swiftness since Ryan knows he doesn't like the suspense. I think Ryan is still a little sore from Anoop last week. He told Anoop "You are getting used to being in the bottom 3, aren't you?" HAHAHA. Little jabs are the best. It's now between Allison and Matt as to who is joining Anoop, and it is surprisingly (sort of), Allison! I knew that the producers wouldn't want the judges to look like idiots by saving Matt and then having him fall in the bottom 3 again. I seriously doubt that more people voted for him than Allison, but hey, the producers knew that they weren't going home. What would it hurt to swap them.
7. David Archuleta, the first runner up last season, and arguably the most talented KID ever to ever grace the stage, performs before the final results are given. He also shows just how terrible some producers are at turning a great talent like his into bubble gum pop fodder. His album was released by Jive records, proving that they don't know how to use an artists talents to sell a record. They'd just rather whore them out with catchy loops and meaningless lyrics. Britney Spears? Backstreet Boys? *NSYNC? Point proven. The performance was bad and I feel sorry that he's been reduced to this, because the kid can saaaang.
8. The final elimination is here and it is no surprise to anyone here or in that auditorium that Anoop couldn't beat Allison in this little race. He was my 100% pick to go home this week, and it was obvious before the first note was even sung this week. Even though I attended UNC with him, he never proved to be anything overly special to me on the show. Sure, he was the golden voice of the Clef Hangers, but outside of the collegiate bubble, that amounts to nothing. It was a great run, Anoop, especially since you almost didn't make the show (top 13). Congrats to the highest finish for a Tar Heel on AI...but we still won the National Championship! Woohoo!
There ya go, folks. Enjoy the weekend (I know I will...it's my birthday!) and check back in next week for all the crazy happenings in Idol-land.
Your American Idol Junkie,
Billy
Expect big things from Allison next week since she always delivers after being in the bottom 3.
1. The show opens with a video showing Paula teaching the top 7 a dance that she choreographed to "Dance and Shout." OK, so Paula might be a Meth-addict, but I like her a lot. She is crazy and does not make sense most of the time, but she seems really nice and is hilarious. I think that the show wouldn't be near as good if she wasn't on it. Even when she is being the "drill sergeant" on the dance floor, she still has a great time and you can tell that the contestants see her more as a friend than a judge. The video is pretty funny. You can tell that the Idols were working their butts off to learn that choreography. Granted, it wasn't that hard compared to most choreographed routines, but for non-dancers, I can see how it would have been tough to learn.
2. Now to see the results of the practice! Dressed in head-to-toe 80's garb, complete with aviators and boy band mics, the group dances from the audience to the stage. SURPRISINGLY, they are NOT BAD! They proved to be much better than I thought they would be. Sure, they aren't together on every step, but that's to be expected. Worst dancer on the floor- Matt Giraud. Boy can play piano, but leave the dancing shoes in the closet, homie. He looked just a tad lost the whole time. Anoop wasn't far behind him. Best dancer on the floor- Kris Allen. SHOW 'EM THAT WHITE BOYS CAN DANCE! I'll just go on the record to say that I'm not quite sure what Kris was wearing, but I was sorta liking it. I'm going to get a crazy shirt like that and see if I can pull it off.
3. The Ford commercial is lame as usual. This one looks like it took about 5 minutes to shoot, edit and print. The theme is weak. Are they trying to say that being a baker, construction worker, or dog groomer is a bad thing? Or that if you suck at your job you should quit and go to a cafe that is looking for singers? I'm not quite sure, but it was sorta stupid. I've come to expect that though.
4. After the commercial and a quick wardrobe change, it's time to break down who is going to be in the bottom 3. Lil stands up first and is told to walk to the far side of the stage, obviously meaning that she is in the bottom 3. Ryan comes over and tells her that she is eliminated. Just like that. It was so quick that I missed it because I looked an a friend for two seconds rather than keeping my eyeballs glued to the TV. So much for keeping it suspenseful. This one was one
that could have swung either way, in my opinion, but I'm glad that Lil is going home. She was, by far, one of the biggest let-downs this show has ever seen. During her audition, I thought she was the one to beat this season, but after falling apart once she got into the top 11, she essential dug her own grave. I don't think being on this show helped her "career" that much. She showed every record producer that she is not ready for the pros. However, her swan song tonight was the best I've heard her sing all season. It was great, and I know she is wishing that she had brought that the night before.
5. It's now time to go back in our time machine again and bring back some of the greats of Disco to relive some of their glory moments. Freda Payne is first with "Band of Gold." Let me just say, HD TV is not her friend...and neither is the plastic surgeon's knife. DANG! She sorta scared me. Thelma Houston is next with "Don't Leave Me This Way." She sounds better and looks better, but the front of that dress was just a TAD too short for some of the dance moves she was doing on that raised stage. I hope the front row liked what they saw...I just vomitted. KC from KC and the Sunshine Band closes the nostalgic trip down memory lane, and I'm glad it's almost over. He can no longer sing, he looks ridiculous, he is staring these woman down like a creeper, and his long point-and-stare into the camera at the end was just the cherry on the top of an overall really awkward performance.
6. The rest of the bottom three is about to be revealed. Kris. Easily safe. Adam. No brainer, safe. Danny. Really wish he wasn't safe but you know he is. Anoop is sent to the losers stools again, and with a swiftness since Ryan knows he doesn't like the suspense. I think Ryan is still a little sore from Anoop last week. He told Anoop "You are getting used to being in the bottom 3, aren't you?" HAHAHA. Little jabs are the best. It's now between Allison and Matt as to who is joining Anoop, and it is surprisingly (sort of), Allison! I knew that the producers wouldn't want the judges to look like idiots by saving Matt and then having him fall in the bottom 3 again. I seriously doubt that more people voted for him than Allison, but hey, the producers knew that they weren't going home. What would it hurt to swap them.
7. David Archuleta, the first runner up last season, and arguably the most talented KID ever to ever grace the stage, performs before the final results are given. He also shows just how terrible some producers are at turning a great talent like his into bubble gum pop fodder. His album was released by Jive records, proving that they don't know how to use an artists talents to sell a record. They'd just rather whore them out with catchy loops and meaningless lyrics. Britney Spears? Backstreet Boys? *NSYNC? Point proven. The performance was bad and I feel sorry that he's been reduced to this, because the kid can saaaang.
8. The final elimination is here and it is no surprise to anyone here or in that auditorium that Anoop couldn't beat Allison in this little race. He was my 100% pick to go home this week, and it was obvious before the first note was even sung this week. Even though I attended UNC with him, he never proved to be anything overly special to me on the show. Sure, he was the golden voice of the Clef Hangers, but outside of the collegiate bubble, that amounts to nothing. It was a great run, Anoop, especially since you almost didn't make the show (top 13). Congrats to the highest finish for a Tar Heel on AI...but we still won the National Championship! Woohoo!
There ya go, folks. Enjoy the weekend (I know I will...it's my birthday!) and check back in next week for all the crazy happenings in Idol-land.
Your American Idol Junkie,
Billy
Expect big things from Allison next week since she always delivers after being in the bottom 3.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Top 7 (Part 2): Performance Results
Another week down, another performance episode to critique. I was not a huge fan of this weeks theme or performances, much like I anticipated yesterday. It's such an awkward genre. I understand that you have to narrow down the field each week so everyone is singing relatively the same type of song, but I'm sure they could find a better option than Disco. Anyway, it's time to nitpick our Idols song choices again, since most didn't follow my advice. On to the review!
Lil Rounds - Chaka Khan "I'm Every Woman"
Called it! A correct pick feels good after a week where I went 0/7. I actually liked this song much more than the judges did. I thought she had the confidence back that made people originally fall in love with her. Sure, she didn't do the song complete justice, but it is Chaka Khan people- one of the Disco Divas. Of course it was going to to fall somewhat short, but it was her best performance in a long while. It was fun and had lots of energy. This is not to say that I was gaga over it, but just slightly more impressed than the judges were. I'm not sure how this will translate into the results show tonight, but I think that she definitely put herself even with Matt. I think that one of them is gone and one of them stays. She has a 50/50 shot in my mind.
Kris Allen - Donna Summer "She Works Hard for the Money"
Yesterday I said that Kris was on the cusp of overthrowing Danny from the second place spot on the power rankings. I think he did just that with this song. This was a tie for my favorite performance of the night. Everything the judges said was spot on. Original, daring, and extremely entertaining. As one who is partial to acoustic sets, I thought it was brilliant. But I also think that even an ear that isn't as privy to acoustic arrangements would like it. With an actual coherent reference, Paula said that it had a very "Santana-vibe," which I loved. The Latin feel added another dimension to this song that most people might not have attempted. Kris is the real deal, folks. Even if he doesn't win this shebang, I think he will still be pretty successful post-idol. The combination of his talent with his image and personality makes him extremely marketable, so I think we will be seeing more of him to come in the future, no matter what the outcome of the show is. P.S. If Paula had said the "he likes to shop in the women's section" to Adam, it would have been "controversial," but it was hilarious for Kris.
Danny Gokey - Earth, Wind & Fire "September"
In order for Danny to have kept his grip on the number 2 position in the competition, he needed to blow me away this week. He did not. Were his vocals solid? Of course. He's a great singer, so that should be a given. But the song did not do anything for me. Though vocally solid, he continues to use the same recipe for his performances. He has not shown me one new dynamic from his repertoire since the first time we saw him sing "I Heard It On The Grapevine" during auditions. Everything is consistently the same, with no variation whatsoever, and it's now officially become boring. At this point, he should be bringing something new to the table every week and WILLING us to vote for him, not just remaining complacent with where he is by constantly choosing safe songs. Are there any Gokey fans left out there? The people I know who where high on him at the beginning of the season have shifted to other contestants. Rep your boy if you disagree with what I'm saying and convince me otherwise. Obviously safe, but not a lock for the finals like Paula claims. P.S. Sexiest voice ever?! Pleeeeaaaase...I'm glad the girl in my apartment last night thought Paula was smoking a crack pipe, too.
Allison Iraheta - Donna Summer "Hot Stuff"
Vocally- very solid. I liked how she started it as a ballad and let it grow into the up tempo part. The judges were in disagreement on the arrangement, but I liked it. I think it made it much more modern and DEFINITELY much more Allison. She messed up the end, since she was supposed to break, then hit her last baller note, but she still pulled it off without too much harm done. I know Randy comments on it all the time, but I really CAN'T believe this girl is so young. She has more poise on the stage than most of the other contestants, easily. What DID bother me a bit was the lyrics. "I want some hot stuff, baby, this evening. I want some hot stuff, baby, tonight." Allison, you are a KID! You can't be singing songs like that! Yes you act older than you are, but you still aren't that old really. I'm surprised the judges did not pick up on that tidbit and run with it. Allison has the potential to move up in the rankings from 4, but she would have to do much more to overtake Danny than Kris did.
Adam Lambert - Yvonne Elliman "If I Can't Have You"
Adam continues to hold to Brent's theory of the "one for you-one for me" song choice recipe. This week he went with a very original, slowed down version of "If I Can't Have You." What is different about this song in comparison to his other slow songs is that this is the first true power ballad that he's sung all season. Being slow in tempo does not mean a song is a ballad, but rather, the emotion that the song conveys. As I have stated previously, what Adam is so good at is selling his songs. Sure it helps that he has the vocal talent to pull off most arrangements, but it is his connection with the audience that is separating him from rest of the group. His comfortability in doing this can definitely be attributed to his musical theater background. Some might say that this puts him at an advantage over the other contestants, but I don't see how it is any different than Kris using his guitar or Matt, his piano. The contestants are allowed to use skills that they have learned in their past to amplify their performances once on Idol. Adam is doing this well. Another thing that Adam was able to do in this performance was show his range in a very controlled and reserved manner, instead of shrieking through the high notes like he sometimes does in his faster songs. This is another side that we haven't seen before. Adam maintains his lead on the pack because he is continually bringing new ideas to the table and showcasing himself in different lights. The other contestants would do well to take note if they want to have a chance in catching him. P.S. That review was completely objective and factual.
Matt Giraud - Bee Gee's "Stayin' Alive"
Matt G. merited the coveted Judges Save last week, but this week's performance made me think that he might not have deserved it. Yesterday, I stated that Adam would be the only contestant who could do this song and pull it off. I hold true to that statement. I thought that this rendition was clumsy and amateur at best. You could not understand what he was saying in the choruses, the dancing was very gimmicky, and the falsetto was excruciatingly bad. That last note made me slam my head against the window repeatedly. I also hate when he tries to emulate Justin Timberlake, musically, as well as fashionably. He does not look right with skinny ties and fedoras. He looks like he is playing "Wannabe Pop Star!" He just does not seem like he knows who he is, as a person or an artist, as was also evident in the video posted on Monday's entry. He is in the same boat as Lil is, in my opinion, with a 50/50 shot of going home. The favor might be SLIGHTLY in his favor, however, given that he was saved last week and his fans (and Idol producers) might get him through another week. This way, the judges don't look like complete incompetents for saving him. But Simon was correct last week. There is absolutely no way he can win this competition.
Anoop Desai - Donna Summer "Dim All The Lights"
Poor Anoop. Whereas Lil and Matt get 50/50 shots at going home or staying, I'm giving Anoop a 100% shot at going back to Chapel Hill. There is no doubt that Anoop is a good singer, he is just not a good performer, and he proved that again last night. Granted, there was little that Anoop could have done to remain on the show. He would have had to have done a song that channeled Adam's theatrics, Kris' tone, Danny's soulfulness, Lil's power, Matt's piano and Allison's presence, all at the same time. I would be very shocked if he made it past this round, but I guess stranger things have happened. P.S. He didn't buy his jacket from the “God-Awful, Ridiculously Ugly Jacket Store,” but he still wore a jacket, keeping true the frat-boy theme he has been pushing. Does anyone know if he is actually IN a frat?
Again, this week, two contestants are being sent home due to the Save last week. I have a feeling that those two contestants are going to be Anoop and Lil, with Matt rounding out the bottom 3. Don't be surprised if Lil stays and Matt goes, though. Like I said, the gap between them is incredibly small right now. I wouldn't be surprised if the difference in votes for the two varied by as little as 10,000. I have a feeling that this is going to turn into a very vanilla cast for the rest of the season.
Power Rankings:
1. (1) Adam Lambert
2. (2) Kris Allen
3. (2) Danny Gokey
4. (4) Allison Iraheta
5. (5) Matt Giraud
6. (7) Lil Rounds
7. (6) Anoop Desai
A little bit of movement at the top and at the bottom, but it really does not matter at the bottom since two are leaving. Kris has finally passed Gokey, but needs to continue to do big things to keep him in his rearview mirror.
There you have it folks. Hope you all enjoyed. Have a great day doing whatever you are doing. Hopefully it's better than what I'm doing.
Your American Idol Junkie,
Billy
Lil Rounds - Chaka Khan "I'm Every Woman"
Called it! A correct pick feels good after a week where I went 0/7. I actually liked this song much more than the judges did. I thought she had the confidence back that made people originally fall in love with her. Sure, she didn't do the song complete justice, but it is Chaka Khan people- one of the Disco Divas. Of course it was going to to fall somewhat short, but it was her best performance in a long while. It was fun and had lots of energy. This is not to say that I was gaga over it, but just slightly more impressed than the judges were. I'm not sure how this will translate into the results show tonight, but I think that she definitely put herself even with Matt. I think that one of them is gone and one of them stays. She has a 50/50 shot in my mind.
Kris Allen - Donna Summer "She Works Hard for the Money"
Yesterday I said that Kris was on the cusp of overthrowing Danny from the second place spot on the power rankings. I think he did just that with this song. This was a tie for my favorite performance of the night. Everything the judges said was spot on. Original, daring, and extremely entertaining. As one who is partial to acoustic sets, I thought it was brilliant. But I also think that even an ear that isn't as privy to acoustic arrangements would like it. With an actual coherent reference, Paula said that it had a very "Santana-vibe," which I loved. The Latin feel added another dimension to this song that most people might not have attempted. Kris is the real deal, folks. Even if he doesn't win this shebang, I think he will still be pretty successful post-idol. The combination of his talent with his image and personality makes him extremely marketable, so I think we will be seeing more of him to come in the future, no matter what the outcome of the show is. P.S. If Paula had said the "he likes to shop in the women's section" to Adam, it would have been "controversial," but it was hilarious for Kris.
Danny Gokey - Earth, Wind & Fire "September"
In order for Danny to have kept his grip on the number 2 position in the competition, he needed to blow me away this week. He did not. Were his vocals solid? Of course. He's a great singer, so that should be a given. But the song did not do anything for me. Though vocally solid, he continues to use the same recipe for his performances. He has not shown me one new dynamic from his repertoire since the first time we saw him sing "I Heard It On The Grapevine" during auditions. Everything is consistently the same, with no variation whatsoever, and it's now officially become boring. At this point, he should be bringing something new to the table every week and WILLING us to vote for him, not just remaining complacent with where he is by constantly choosing safe songs. Are there any Gokey fans left out there? The people I know who where high on him at the beginning of the season have shifted to other contestants. Rep your boy if you disagree with what I'm saying and convince me otherwise. Obviously safe, but not a lock for the finals like Paula claims. P.S. Sexiest voice ever?! Pleeeeaaaase...I'm glad the girl in my apartment last night thought Paula was smoking a crack pipe, too.
Allison Iraheta - Donna Summer "Hot Stuff"
Vocally- very solid. I liked how she started it as a ballad and let it grow into the up tempo part. The judges were in disagreement on the arrangement, but I liked it. I think it made it much more modern and DEFINITELY much more Allison. She messed up the end, since she was supposed to break, then hit her last baller note, but she still pulled it off without too much harm done. I know Randy comments on it all the time, but I really CAN'T believe this girl is so young. She has more poise on the stage than most of the other contestants, easily. What DID bother me a bit was the lyrics. "I want some hot stuff, baby, this evening. I want some hot stuff, baby, tonight." Allison, you are a KID! You can't be singing songs like that! Yes you act older than you are, but you still aren't that old really. I'm surprised the judges did not pick up on that tidbit and run with it. Allison has the potential to move up in the rankings from 4, but she would have to do much more to overtake Danny than Kris did.
Adam Lambert - Yvonne Elliman "If I Can't Have You"
Adam continues to hold to Brent's theory of the "one for you-one for me" song choice recipe. This week he went with a very original, slowed down version of "If I Can't Have You." What is different about this song in comparison to his other slow songs is that this is the first true power ballad that he's sung all season. Being slow in tempo does not mean a song is a ballad, but rather, the emotion that the song conveys. As I have stated previously, what Adam is so good at is selling his songs. Sure it helps that he has the vocal talent to pull off most arrangements, but it is his connection with the audience that is separating him from rest of the group. His comfortability in doing this can definitely be attributed to his musical theater background. Some might say that this puts him at an advantage over the other contestants, but I don't see how it is any different than Kris using his guitar or Matt, his piano. The contestants are allowed to use skills that they have learned in their past to amplify their performances once on Idol. Adam is doing this well. Another thing that Adam was able to do in this performance was show his range in a very controlled and reserved manner, instead of shrieking through the high notes like he sometimes does in his faster songs. This is another side that we haven't seen before. Adam maintains his lead on the pack because he is continually bringing new ideas to the table and showcasing himself in different lights. The other contestants would do well to take note if they want to have a chance in catching him. P.S. That review was completely objective and factual.
Matt Giraud - Bee Gee's "Stayin' Alive"
Matt G. merited the coveted Judges Save last week, but this week's performance made me think that he might not have deserved it. Yesterday, I stated that Adam would be the only contestant who could do this song and pull it off. I hold true to that statement. I thought that this rendition was clumsy and amateur at best. You could not understand what he was saying in the choruses, the dancing was very gimmicky, and the falsetto was excruciatingly bad. That last note made me slam my head against the window repeatedly. I also hate when he tries to emulate Justin Timberlake, musically, as well as fashionably. He does not look right with skinny ties and fedoras. He looks like he is playing "Wannabe Pop Star!" He just does not seem like he knows who he is, as a person or an artist, as was also evident in the video posted on Monday's entry. He is in the same boat as Lil is, in my opinion, with a 50/50 shot of going home. The favor might be SLIGHTLY in his favor, however, given that he was saved last week and his fans (and Idol producers) might get him through another week. This way, the judges don't look like complete incompetents for saving him. But Simon was correct last week. There is absolutely no way he can win this competition.
Anoop Desai - Donna Summer "Dim All The Lights"
Poor Anoop. Whereas Lil and Matt get 50/50 shots at going home or staying, I'm giving Anoop a 100% shot at going back to Chapel Hill. There is no doubt that Anoop is a good singer, he is just not a good performer, and he proved that again last night. Granted, there was little that Anoop could have done to remain on the show. He would have had to have done a song that channeled Adam's theatrics, Kris' tone, Danny's soulfulness, Lil's power, Matt's piano and Allison's presence, all at the same time. I would be very shocked if he made it past this round, but I guess stranger things have happened. P.S. He didn't buy his jacket from the “God-Awful, Ridiculously Ugly Jacket Store,” but he still wore a jacket, keeping true the frat-boy theme he has been pushing. Does anyone know if he is actually IN a frat?
Again, this week, two contestants are being sent home due to the Save last week. I have a feeling that those two contestants are going to be Anoop and Lil, with Matt rounding out the bottom 3. Don't be surprised if Lil stays and Matt goes, though. Like I said, the gap between them is incredibly small right now. I wouldn't be surprised if the difference in votes for the two varied by as little as 10,000. I have a feeling that this is going to turn into a very vanilla cast for the rest of the season.
Power Rankings:
1. (1) Adam Lambert
2. (2) Kris Allen
3. (2) Danny Gokey
4. (4) Allison Iraheta
5. (5) Matt Giraud
6. (7) Lil Rounds
7. (6) Anoop Desai
A little bit of movement at the top and at the bottom, but it really does not matter at the bottom since two are leaving. Kris has finally passed Gokey, but needs to continue to do big things to keep him in his rearview mirror.
There you have it folks. Hope you all enjoyed. Have a great day doing whatever you are doing. Hopefully it's better than what I'm doing.
Your American Idol Junkie,
Billy
Top 7 (Part 2): Song Predictions- Disco Week
Break out your dancing shoes and bell-bottoms, boys and girls! It’s “Disco Week” on Idol. This is always one of my least favorite weeks on the Idol calendar, but I’m interested to see what this season’s batch can bring me to change my opinion. Disco is hard to pull off because it is so irrelevant in the music industry today in terms of actual songs played. Sure it still helps inspire P. Diddy to have some samples to choose from, but other than the occasional loop from a rap song, we rarely hear anything that sounds like disco on the radio. With that said, everyone still loves to occasionally go back and rock some disco tunes. It was a fun era with high energy music, and people like that.
Once again, I have no official list to go on, so I’m using the list provided below to choose my songs. There are tons of other disco songs out there, so don’t be surprised if our hopefuls choose something not on this list, but most of them should be.
http://www.alaskajim.com/lists/disco_songs.htm
Now, onto the picks!
Adam Lambert – Bee Gee’s “Stayin’ Alive” or Vicki Sue Robinson “Turn The Beat Around”
Last week I said that Adam should sing “Stayin’ Alive” for movie week. I’m going to hold on to that pick this time for Disco Week. He might be the only contestant this season that could risk doing a song so iconic and pull it off. The song has PLENTY of high notes for him to revel in and ample energy so that he can perform it easily. However, I’d love it if he took this song and completely rearranged it into a smooth, laid back version, reminiscent of “Tracks of My Tears.” That would get a lot of people’s attention. Another song I think he’d sound surprisingly good on is “Turn The Beat Around.” I know a lot of you are thinking “the Gloria Estefan song?!” Yes, she remade that from Vicki Sue Robinson. I think he would have a lot of fun with this song, interacting with the band and getting the crowd revved up. Do I expect Adam to do either of these songs though? Not really. He has proven most weeks this season that he will come up with something that you least expect, just to keep you on your toes.
Danny Gokey - KC & The Sunshine Band “That's The Way (I Like It)” or The Trammps “Disco Inferno”
This week is critical for Danny, whether he knows it or not. Though his singing has been consistent, his performances have been lackluster for the past few weeks. If he wants to maintain his hold over the rising Kris Allen, he needs to come out with a good, entertaining showing tonight. I think he could do that with “That’s The Way (I Like It)”. I can hear his raspy tone grunting out the chorus in a way that would fit the song rather nicely. The same is true with “Disco Inferno.” I can see him ripping this song up, complete with some cheesy dancing that would make me want to vom. The vocals would be great though. I want the judges to continue to be critical on him this week if he stumbles. They are doing him a big disfavor if they continue to shower him with praise when they need to be giving him constructive criticism. He’s not quite at the level where he can sing anything he wants to and kill it, although I do think he thinks he is. And that could be bad in the upcoming weeks. Again, no need to sweat about him being in the bottom 3, but no longer a lock for the finals unless he delivers.
Kris Allen - Kool & The Gang “Celebration”
After a week where Kris (arguably) stole the show from the other contestants with an emotional version of “Falling Slowly,” all eyes will be fixed on him to see if he can muster the performance needed to top Danny Gokey. If it were not for his speed bump with “All She Wants to Do Is Dance,” I think that he would have already accomplished this feat, but he gets a second chance tonight. I think that he would sound very good on “Celebration.” It’s not terribly difficult to sing. It’s not terribly high out of his range. It IS very catchy and memorable. If he can manage to do a fast song that people will enjoy, then I think he will be in a great position. This could be hard though, seeing as fast songs have been judged extremely harsh for any contestants not named Adam Lambert. Most of the contestants aren’t willing to throw themselves into an up tempo piece to sell the song like he does, but if Kris can do that he will give a memorable performance that will possibly vault him to number 2.
Allison Iraheta - Lipps Inc. “Funkytown” or Bee Gee’s “Night Fever”
When I thought about Allison’s tone and flair for rock and roll, I immediately thought of “Funkytown.” The judges get on her from time to time for not being herself, or for not acting her age. I don’t understand, because I feel like she does a good job of that, but this song would allow her to have a good time and not be overly serious. She is a natural performer, so this would be a great way for her to work the stage, strut a little, and win some people’s votes. I think she is in a dangerous position because she’s remaining static. She hasn’t given me the type of consistency that I want to see- the consistency that is needed to pull away from the middle of the pack and actually be a contender. She has not improved anything in how she sings or performs, so she isn’t proving to people that she DESERVES to be the American Idol. Simon is right, she is the girl’s only hope, but at the rate she is going, her only hope status isn’t good enough to challenge the current front runners. She needs to start picking up some steam here, and quick.
Matt Giraud - Earth, Wind & Fire “Let's Groove”
This song reminds me a lot of “Part-Time Lover” in how I envision Matt performing it. If Matt has been taking notes on his performances, he should realize that people are not really digging the whole Billy Joel- Piano Man act. That worked ok for Scott, but Matt has more to offer than just that. People like when he does songs with a driving, catchy melody, sings them with plenty riffs, and performs them with a swagger. He would be able to do that with “Let’s Groove.” After being saved by the judges this past week, I expect that Matt’s fans will come through to keep him in the competition for a little while longer, but again, he faces the middle-of-the-pack dilemma and needs to do something to show that he deserves to be there.
Anoop Desai - Earth, Wind & Fire & The Emotions “Boogie Wonderland” or Andy Gibb “I Just Want To Be Your Everything”
I’m really grasping at straws for Anoop this week. Of all the contestants, I feel like he might have the hardest time finding a suiting song for his voice. Earth, Wind & Fire has several songs that he MIGHT be able to pull off, like “Boogie Wonderland” or even “September.” The problem he faces here is that this is DISCO week. There were not many ballads written in this musical era. What is good though, is that he should be able to find a song where he can’t strut as much as he would normally do on a fast song. He might be able to give an entertaining performance that will not come off as over-pretentious and forced. All this is nigh though, for Anoop does not have that great of a shot of lasting past this week. Two people are going home, and as a consistent resident of the bottom 3, I think his time has finally come.
Lil Rounds - Chaka Khan “I'm Every Woman” or Donna Summer “Hot Stuff”
What’s funny is that I have the exact opposite problem for Lil that I had for Anoop. There are SO many songs that Lil could sing this week. If she can sing like she’s capable of singing, then I think that she has the ability to do very well. “I’m Every Woman” or “Hot Stuff” are my two picks for her. Chaka Khan and Donna Summer both have similar voices to Lil, and while she runs the risk of the “copycat” remarks, I feel like the biggest thing for Lil to worry about is getting a song that she can sound good on and try and convince America to keep her on the show. These two songs are very popular and could help her in that fight. “Best of My Love” by The Emotions and “Last Dance” by Donna Summer are also possibilities. “Last Dance” would allow her to do a ballad-esque into that leads into a high energy, up tempo chorus. This would also be a good way to broadcast her dynamic range. I called that Lil was going home this week, but there is a slight chance that she can sway people to vote for her again. She just needs to ball it out.
Group Song - Sister Sledge “We Are Family”
With all of the talk about how close this group is this season, I don’t see how they can’t do this song, complete with cheesy hugs and inside jokes overflowing from the performance.
A few more things to address:
There were so many songs that made me laugh when I pictured Adam singing them. “It’s Raining Men,” “Dancing Queen,” “I Love the Nightlife,” etc. etc. Haha.
Megan Joy would have sang “Fly, Robin, Fly” by Silver Connection. CAW! CAW!
John Travolta is the rumored mentor this week. I’m not sure what he can possibly do to help them sing, but maybe he can show them some Saturday Night Fever moves…hmmmm.
There you have it my little disco dancers, my predictions for this week’s sure-to-be-interesting performance episode of Idol. You know the deal, leave your comments after the beep.
Your American Idol Junkie,
Billy
Once again, I have no official list to go on, so I’m using the list provided below to choose my songs. There are tons of other disco songs out there, so don’t be surprised if our hopefuls choose something not on this list, but most of them should be.
http://www.alaskajim.com/lists/disco_songs.htm
Now, onto the picks!
Adam Lambert – Bee Gee’s “Stayin’ Alive” or Vicki Sue Robinson “Turn The Beat Around”
Last week I said that Adam should sing “Stayin’ Alive” for movie week. I’m going to hold on to that pick this time for Disco Week. He might be the only contestant this season that could risk doing a song so iconic and pull it off. The song has PLENTY of high notes for him to revel in and ample energy so that he can perform it easily. However, I’d love it if he took this song and completely rearranged it into a smooth, laid back version, reminiscent of “Tracks of My Tears.” That would get a lot of people’s attention. Another song I think he’d sound surprisingly good on is “Turn The Beat Around.” I know a lot of you are thinking “the Gloria Estefan song?!” Yes, she remade that from Vicki Sue Robinson. I think he would have a lot of fun with this song, interacting with the band and getting the crowd revved up. Do I expect Adam to do either of these songs though? Not really. He has proven most weeks this season that he will come up with something that you least expect, just to keep you on your toes.
Danny Gokey - KC & The Sunshine Band “That's The Way (I Like It)” or The Trammps “Disco Inferno”
This week is critical for Danny, whether he knows it or not. Though his singing has been consistent, his performances have been lackluster for the past few weeks. If he wants to maintain his hold over the rising Kris Allen, he needs to come out with a good, entertaining showing tonight. I think he could do that with “That’s The Way (I Like It)”. I can hear his raspy tone grunting out the chorus in a way that would fit the song rather nicely. The same is true with “Disco Inferno.” I can see him ripping this song up, complete with some cheesy dancing that would make me want to vom. The vocals would be great though. I want the judges to continue to be critical on him this week if he stumbles. They are doing him a big disfavor if they continue to shower him with praise when they need to be giving him constructive criticism. He’s not quite at the level where he can sing anything he wants to and kill it, although I do think he thinks he is. And that could be bad in the upcoming weeks. Again, no need to sweat about him being in the bottom 3, but no longer a lock for the finals unless he delivers.
Kris Allen - Kool & The Gang “Celebration”
After a week where Kris (arguably) stole the show from the other contestants with an emotional version of “Falling Slowly,” all eyes will be fixed on him to see if he can muster the performance needed to top Danny Gokey. If it were not for his speed bump with “All She Wants to Do Is Dance,” I think that he would have already accomplished this feat, but he gets a second chance tonight. I think that he would sound very good on “Celebration.” It’s not terribly difficult to sing. It’s not terribly high out of his range. It IS very catchy and memorable. If he can manage to do a fast song that people will enjoy, then I think he will be in a great position. This could be hard though, seeing as fast songs have been judged extremely harsh for any contestants not named Adam Lambert. Most of the contestants aren’t willing to throw themselves into an up tempo piece to sell the song like he does, but if Kris can do that he will give a memorable performance that will possibly vault him to number 2.
Allison Iraheta - Lipps Inc. “Funkytown” or Bee Gee’s “Night Fever”
When I thought about Allison’s tone and flair for rock and roll, I immediately thought of “Funkytown.” The judges get on her from time to time for not being herself, or for not acting her age. I don’t understand, because I feel like she does a good job of that, but this song would allow her to have a good time and not be overly serious. She is a natural performer, so this would be a great way for her to work the stage, strut a little, and win some people’s votes. I think she is in a dangerous position because she’s remaining static. She hasn’t given me the type of consistency that I want to see- the consistency that is needed to pull away from the middle of the pack and actually be a contender. She has not improved anything in how she sings or performs, so she isn’t proving to people that she DESERVES to be the American Idol. Simon is right, she is the girl’s only hope, but at the rate she is going, her only hope status isn’t good enough to challenge the current front runners. She needs to start picking up some steam here, and quick.
Matt Giraud - Earth, Wind & Fire “Let's Groove”
This song reminds me a lot of “Part-Time Lover” in how I envision Matt performing it. If Matt has been taking notes on his performances, he should realize that people are not really digging the whole Billy Joel- Piano Man act. That worked ok for Scott, but Matt has more to offer than just that. People like when he does songs with a driving, catchy melody, sings them with plenty riffs, and performs them with a swagger. He would be able to do that with “Let’s Groove.” After being saved by the judges this past week, I expect that Matt’s fans will come through to keep him in the competition for a little while longer, but again, he faces the middle-of-the-pack dilemma and needs to do something to show that he deserves to be there.
Anoop Desai - Earth, Wind & Fire & The Emotions “Boogie Wonderland” or Andy Gibb “I Just Want To Be Your Everything”
I’m really grasping at straws for Anoop this week. Of all the contestants, I feel like he might have the hardest time finding a suiting song for his voice. Earth, Wind & Fire has several songs that he MIGHT be able to pull off, like “Boogie Wonderland” or even “September.” The problem he faces here is that this is DISCO week. There were not many ballads written in this musical era. What is good though, is that he should be able to find a song where he can’t strut as much as he would normally do on a fast song. He might be able to give an entertaining performance that will not come off as over-pretentious and forced. All this is nigh though, for Anoop does not have that great of a shot of lasting past this week. Two people are going home, and as a consistent resident of the bottom 3, I think his time has finally come.
Lil Rounds - Chaka Khan “I'm Every Woman” or Donna Summer “Hot Stuff”
What’s funny is that I have the exact opposite problem for Lil that I had for Anoop. There are SO many songs that Lil could sing this week. If she can sing like she’s capable of singing, then I think that she has the ability to do very well. “I’m Every Woman” or “Hot Stuff” are my two picks for her. Chaka Khan and Donna Summer both have similar voices to Lil, and while she runs the risk of the “copycat” remarks, I feel like the biggest thing for Lil to worry about is getting a song that she can sound good on and try and convince America to keep her on the show. These two songs are very popular and could help her in that fight. “Best of My Love” by The Emotions and “Last Dance” by Donna Summer are also possibilities. “Last Dance” would allow her to do a ballad-esque into that leads into a high energy, up tempo chorus. This would also be a good way to broadcast her dynamic range. I called that Lil was going home this week, but there is a slight chance that she can sway people to vote for her again. She just needs to ball it out.
Group Song - Sister Sledge “We Are Family”
With all of the talk about how close this group is this season, I don’t see how they can’t do this song, complete with cheesy hugs and inside jokes overflowing from the performance.
A few more things to address:
There were so many songs that made me laugh when I pictured Adam singing them. “It’s Raining Men,” “Dancing Queen,” “I Love the Nightlife,” etc. etc. Haha.
Megan Joy would have sang “Fly, Robin, Fly” by Silver Connection. CAW! CAW!
John Travolta is the rumored mentor this week. I’m not sure what he can possibly do to help them sing, but maybe he can show them some Saturday Night Fever moves…hmmmm.
There you have it my little disco dancers, my predictions for this week’s sure-to-be-interesting performance episode of Idol. You know the deal, leave your comments after the beep.
Your American Idol Junkie,
Billy
Monday, April 20, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
Top 7: Elimination Results (SPOILER ALERT!)
Well, there probably isn't much to spoil, seeing as I was unable to get up here yesterday to make this post. That is my bad, folks. It has been a crazy week, so finding the time to compose a meaningful entry has been hard. No worries though! I'm here to give you some of my thoughts from Wednesday night's Elimination episode.
1. Part of me really likes the Tarantino "trailer" that they made with the recaps from the performance night. It was sort of cool. I've decided that I think Tarantino is a bit crazy...and I like that. His personality is over the top, but he is hilarious. He reminds me of Conan O'Brien for some reason. I think I would enjoy working with him had I been one of the contestants.
2. It always sort of freaks me out when Ryan awkwardly touches all of the male contestants (I guess he can't be sued for sexual harassment?). But when Simon joins in on the awkwardness by winking at Ryan, I get freaked out more. Maybe it is a British thing. Maybe winking at other guys doesn't mean anything homosexual there, sort of like walking arm-in-arm with another guy is considered normal in Turkey.
3. The Ford commercial this week is OK I guess, for their standards. Matt G. seems to be the star of this commercial. He gets lots of screen-time (foreshadowing anyone?!). The put each singer on a magazine cover that stereotypes them and their style. I want to know what happened to Ford? I guess the recession is taking it's toll on their advertising budget, but I liked it better when they had cool commercials like this from last year.
4. WHAT?! They are going to sing "Maniac!" for the group song. If you were like me, you were thinking to yourself "This has disaster written all over it." I was happy to be wrong! They actually did VERY well on this number. Allison getting Simon's attention was funny to me, and Matt G. was featured as the sole chorus singer (foreshadowing anyone?!)...and tore it up! I bet he is wishing that he had been allowed to sing that for his performance, rather than that slow, sloppy mess he did the other night. Best group performance of the year, easily.
5. I died laughing when Ryan was talking to Anoop. He tried to extend the drama by asking Anoop questions about him being in last weeks bottom 3 to make him nervous, and Anoop just said "Come on, Ryan." You could tell that Ryan got PISSED and was like "B****, you're in the bottom 3, now get your @$$ over there." That is paraphrased of course, but it was funny. Contestants. Don't snap at Ryan. Ryan is gangsta and will play your face on national television.
6. Jennifer Hudson performed and easily showed that Lil wouldn't have even been an afterthought in this competition had she been on this season. The song wasn't that great, and the sound guy was screwing up like crazy, but she showed that even on a less-than-stellar performance, she could out sing at least 5 of the contestants left on the show.
7. It's between Danny, Kris, Lil, and Matt as to who are going to be the final 2 in the bottom 3. Really, Idol? Could you have made it any LESS suspenseful? Clearly, it's Matt and Lil...two personalities that crumble to pieces when they hear bad news. Again, Lil looks like she wants to run Simon over with a dump truck, and Matt looks like he's about to break into tears. But hey, let's listen to something that will put everyone to tears...and not in a good way.
8. I don't understand why Miley Cyrus is famous. Her performance of "The Climb" was terrible. I mean, who headbangs to a ballad?! If she can sell a million records, I don't know why anyone can't. It's talent-less hacks like this that make me despise the modern music industry. There penchant for selling out for commercial success with sex rather than promoting artistic integrity is disgusting. Kudos to the bands/artists that are still out there making real music and showing true artistry. End rant.
9. Surprisingly, Anoop is the leading vote getter of the bottom 3 and it's down to Matt and Lil again. Lil gets the safety nod, and Matt is left to sing his song to try and earn the Judges Save. With how the show has been going, didn't you SEE this coming?! He sings the song better and the judges decide to save him, much to Simon's apparent dislike. CALLED IT! Now, two people are going to go home next week, and with Matt getting a surge like this, I don't know how it won't be Lil and Anoop going home next week. You heard it here, folks, before any songs have even been sung!
That wraps up my synopsis of the results show. Look forward to some DRAMA next week as the contestants all try and prove that they are top 5 material, not just top 6! Disco week is going to be rough on this group, but hey, at least it's a more specific genre right?! Maybe I'll get some right this time!
Also, I forgot to put my power rankings up on the last post, so here they are:
1. (1) Adam Lambert
2. (2) Danny Gokey
2. (3) Kris Allen
4. (3) Allison Iraheta
5. (5) Matt Giraud
6. (6) Anoop Desai
7. (7) Lil Rounds
Only one change in rank this week, and it's sorta drastic! Kris Allen has now pulled past Allison and is running neck-and-neck with Danny Gokey. Do you think that is crazy, or is that a good assessment? Let me know.
Your American Idol Junkie,
Billy
P.S. Britney Spears is starting to reveal her whoredom to the world (as if she hadn't already done that enough). Some people might know this already, but people around NC do not. I figured out last night that her new song, titled "If You Seek Amy" is a phonetic play on words. Sound out words slowly and figure out which naughty word she is trying to spell. Hint: If = F and the "my" in "Amy" = Me. I can't tell you what it really says due to the international nature of this blog. We try to keep it family friendly here, folks.
Lyric that now makes sense: "All of the boys and all of the girls are begging to 'if you seek Amy'." WOW.
1. Part of me really likes the Tarantino "trailer" that they made with the recaps from the performance night. It was sort of cool. I've decided that I think Tarantino is a bit crazy...and I like that. His personality is over the top, but he is hilarious. He reminds me of Conan O'Brien for some reason. I think I would enjoy working with him had I been one of the contestants.
2. It always sort of freaks me out when Ryan awkwardly touches all of the male contestants (I guess he can't be sued for sexual harassment?). But when Simon joins in on the awkwardness by winking at Ryan, I get freaked out more. Maybe it is a British thing. Maybe winking at other guys doesn't mean anything homosexual there, sort of like walking arm-in-arm with another guy is considered normal in Turkey.
3. The Ford commercial this week is OK I guess, for their standards. Matt G. seems to be the star of this commercial. He gets lots of screen-time (foreshadowing anyone?!). The put each singer on a magazine cover that stereotypes them and their style. I want to know what happened to Ford? I guess the recession is taking it's toll on their advertising budget, but I liked it better when they had cool commercials like this from last year.
4. WHAT?! They are going to sing "Maniac!" for the group song. If you were like me, you were thinking to yourself "This has disaster written all over it." I was happy to be wrong! They actually did VERY well on this number. Allison getting Simon's attention was funny to me, and Matt G. was featured as the sole chorus singer (foreshadowing anyone?!)...and tore it up! I bet he is wishing that he had been allowed to sing that for his performance, rather than that slow, sloppy mess he did the other night. Best group performance of the year, easily.
5. I died laughing when Ryan was talking to Anoop. He tried to extend the drama by asking Anoop questions about him being in last weeks bottom 3 to make him nervous, and Anoop just said "Come on, Ryan." You could tell that Ryan got PISSED and was like "B****, you're in the bottom 3, now get your @$$ over there." That is paraphrased of course, but it was funny. Contestants. Don't snap at Ryan. Ryan is gangsta and will play your face on national television.
6. Jennifer Hudson performed and easily showed that Lil wouldn't have even been an afterthought in this competition had she been on this season. The song wasn't that great, and the sound guy was screwing up like crazy, but she showed that even on a less-than-stellar performance, she could out sing at least 5 of the contestants left on the show.
7. It's between Danny, Kris, Lil, and Matt as to who are going to be the final 2 in the bottom 3. Really, Idol? Could you have made it any LESS suspenseful? Clearly, it's Matt and Lil...two personalities that crumble to pieces when they hear bad news. Again, Lil looks like she wants to run Simon over with a dump truck, and Matt looks like he's about to break into tears. But hey, let's listen to something that will put everyone to tears...and not in a good way.
8. I don't understand why Miley Cyrus is famous. Her performance of "The Climb" was terrible. I mean, who headbangs to a ballad?! If she can sell a million records, I don't know why anyone can't. It's talent-less hacks like this that make me despise the modern music industry. There penchant for selling out for commercial success with sex rather than promoting artistic integrity is disgusting. Kudos to the bands/artists that are still out there making real music and showing true artistry. End rant.
9. Surprisingly, Anoop is the leading vote getter of the bottom 3 and it's down to Matt and Lil again. Lil gets the safety nod, and Matt is left to sing his song to try and earn the Judges Save. With how the show has been going, didn't you SEE this coming?! He sings the song better and the judges decide to save him, much to Simon's apparent dislike. CALLED IT! Now, two people are going to go home next week, and with Matt getting a surge like this, I don't know how it won't be Lil and Anoop going home next week. You heard it here, folks, before any songs have even been sung!
That wraps up my synopsis of the results show. Look forward to some DRAMA next week as the contestants all try and prove that they are top 5 material, not just top 6! Disco week is going to be rough on this group, but hey, at least it's a more specific genre right?! Maybe I'll get some right this time!
Also, I forgot to put my power rankings up on the last post, so here they are:
1. (1) Adam Lambert
2. (2) Danny Gokey
2. (3) Kris Allen
4. (3) Allison Iraheta
5. (5) Matt Giraud
6. (6) Anoop Desai
7. (7) Lil Rounds
Only one change in rank this week, and it's sorta drastic! Kris Allen has now pulled past Allison and is running neck-and-neck with Danny Gokey. Do you think that is crazy, or is that a good assessment? Let me know.
Your American Idol Junkie,
Billy
P.S. Britney Spears is starting to reveal her whoredom to the world (as if she hadn't already done that enough). Some people might know this already, but people around NC do not. I figured out last night that her new song, titled "If You Seek Amy" is a phonetic play on words. Sound out words slowly and figure out which naughty word she is trying to spell. Hint: If = F and the "my" in "Amy" = Me. I can't tell you what it really says due to the international nature of this blog. We try to keep it family friendly here, folks.
Lyric that now makes sense: "All of the boys and all of the girls are begging to 'if you seek Amy'." WOW.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Top 7: Performance Results
Welcome back all you junkies. “Songs from Cinema” week turned out to be surprisingly good! This might have been one of the best weeks that we’ve had in a long time. No one was terrible and there were a few great performances. The competition is getting pretty stiff right now, with 7 contestants that deserve to be there. This is my first nil week since I’ve started the blog, but I sort of expected that. When you are given a theme as broad as “Songs from Cinema,” you literally have thousands upon thousands of songs that can be used. Overall, I thought the singers picked good songs for themselves. How did they SING those songs, however, is the question. Let’s see how they did.
Allison Iraheta - Aerosmith "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" (Armageddon)
I like Allison as much as the judges do, but I honestly didn’t hear what they were hearing. They were praising her way more than they should have. The intro was too subdued for too long. She should have taken a listen to David Cooks version and done the strings in a similar fashion so that the song wouldn’t lose energy from the get-go. The tessitura sat just a smidge too low for her, so the verses came out very muffled with no power or support. And the tone that I love from her simply wasn’t there for most of the song. She didn’t completely botch the song by any means, but she didn’t do herself any favors by doing this choice. It was mediocre for the standards she has set for herself. Mediocre performances are the ones you have to worry about, because fans vote in droves for great performances or awful performances where they are trying to save their Idol. If trends continue like they have, as a seemingly bi-weekly choice for the bottom 3, Allison has to be a little worried this week.
Anoop Desai - Bryan Adams "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves)
This song was a very good choice for Anoop, surprisingly. When I heard he chose this, I immediately thought disaster. But he worked it! Vocally, this was Anoop’s best performance yet. I was listening very hard, and if there were missed notes, I missed them. I think the soul that he added to the song fit it extremely well and he made it pretty current. Some passion was thrown in there too to top it all off. The only critique I have for him is to STOP WEARING COATS! It’s crazy that every night, he has on some different type of outerwear that he must have gotten at the “God-Awful, Ridiculously Ugly Jacket Store.” It makes you get nasty lip sweat, Anoop. Ditch the coats, you are in LA. All that being said, I’m not sure if it was quite the performance to save him from the bottom 3. He’s been there so often, that one has to assume that his fan base is just not large enough to pull him much further.
Adam Lambert – Steppenwolf “Born To Be Wild” (Easy Rider)
So, apparently people are thinking that I am too pro-Adam on this blog. It’s true, he’s the guy I’m pulling for, but I remain objectively critical on his performances. I point out places where he falters, and places where he shines, he just does more of the latter. The reason it sounds like I’m putting him on such a high pedestal compared to everyone else is simple- he IS on a higher pedestal. He is in a different league than the others. He’s consistent every week, to the point where you don’t even remember less than perfect notes. Even if I absolutely detested the guy, I couldn’t deny that his talent is greater than any of the other contestants and his ability to perform is something Idol has never seen. Did you see how he worked the stage last night?! You have to admit that it was entertaining. I still hold strong that I would have rather heard him sing “Eye of the Tiger,” but this performance allowed him to let out his inner divo that has been pushed aside the last two weeks. The chorus was a little shaky, due to the intense head banging from Adam, the band, and the backup singers, but other than that it was solid. I won’t go into how baller the end was.
Matt Giraud – Bryan Adams “Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman” (Don Juan DeMarco)
Hmmmm. The comment that Simon gave Anoop last week about being a “Yo-Yo” performer can be aptly applied to Matt as well. He had a great week with “Part-Time Lover,” but then went to this song and I’m not sure why. He was pitchy the entire song, he had a TERRIBLE break in his voice, the bridge was horrendous, and his falsetto was just not clicking with him tonight (but I’ve always that it was suspect anyway). It’s a great song, but he had to sing it like Daughtry did. And he didn’t. I flip-flop with how I view Matt, and I feel like the majority of America does as well. You can tell that he does not know how to take negative (but constructive) criticism by his facial expressions, and after his near-tear-fest last night, I think he is worried that he is going to be in the bottom 3. I think he’s right.
Danny Gokey – Lionel Richie “Endless Love” (Endless Love)
The bullet proof armor that Danny once donned seems to be cracking, even if it is only slightly. Tonight was one of the first times that I can recall one of the judges actually critiquing him, not just patting him on the back on a job well done. The arrangement was not as good as it could have been. The harp was cool, but I don’t think it complemented his voice at all. When you have a rich, soulful voice, a harp is not really the instrument to pair it with. He was much pitchier than usual on the second half of the first verse, which surprised me. He got back on track and delivered the great vocals that we’ve heard from him, that is, until the falsetto note at the end. He also, for the second time, chose to ignore the advice of the mentor to not use his hands. It was pretty distracting, but I know once you get in the moment, old habits tend to resurface without you being able to control it. So I’m not faulting him too much here. For any of the other contestants, these little blips might not be as evident, but when a front-runner stumbles, people take notice. It’s definitely nothing to be worried about, but he might want to fix that crack real soon if he wants to make it to the finals. Because there is another contestant on his heels…
Kris Allen – Glen Hansard “Falling Slowly” (Once)
…and it’s Kris Allen. To me, this was borderline the best I’ve heard from Kris. The beginning was not as great as it could have been, since he didn’t support his low notes with his diaphragm, but it was still good because it set the emotion. It is a beautiful song that allowed him to just go out there and sing- no distractions to take away from his voice. The chorus was great, his tone was very nice, and he showed Matt how falsetto should be sung. After listening to the original, however, I wish that he would have sung the major seventh on the word “time.” He went the easier route, but to most people, it wasn’t an obvious change. I think this was the best performance of the night, not because it was the best vocally (because it wasn’t), but because of the heartfelt passion that he poured into it.
Lil Rounds – Bette Middler “The Rose” (The Rose)
Was this the right song for Lil to sing? No. Did she do better than previous weeks? Unquestionably. Lil seriously has an issue with song selection. I don’t know how many times the judges can beat her over the head until she realizes that she needs to stop singing dumb mess. There were a few issues I had with this performance. I did not like the straight-laced beginning. We all know Lil doesn’t sing like that, so why is she trying to now? The switch to the Gospel feel was ABRUPT! It felt like there was no crescendo or transition at all. I liked how she sang the Gospel section and wish that she would have sung the entire song like that. Pitch was still a concern for her (as always) but not to the extent that it has been in the past. I’ve noticed something lately. Her vibrato settles in a funny place within the note. It makes the note sound sharp, though it’s in pitch. I’m not even sure if that makes sense, but that’s what I heard. I’m not sure where to place Lil in the pack right now. It should be interesting tonight.
That was an entertaining show. My top picks for tonight are Kris and Adam. No one else met the mark that they did. Danny is obviously safe, but who of the remaining 4 should be placed in the bottom 3? I’m going to say that the bottom three will be Matt, Allison, and Anoop. I wanted to put Lil in the bottom three, because I believe she deserves it moreso than Allison, but I think with her being safe for so long up to this point, and her beating Anoop in votes last week, she has a broader fan base than I initially thought and they will be pulling for her by voting a ton. The other three have all seen the bottom 3 before, with Allison being the only one to have not seen the bottom 2. I think it comes down to Matt and Anoop, with Matt receiving the lowest number of votes. I think the judges like him enough that they will implement the Judges Save. Honestly, I think no matter who goes, they will use it this week, so look forward to a crazy episode next week!
On a side note, I still find it amazing how they managed to cut one performer and half of the judges’ comments from last week and STILL ran over! These producers need to get on the ball.
Your American Idol Junkie,
Billy
Allison Iraheta - Aerosmith "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" (Armageddon)
I like Allison as much as the judges do, but I honestly didn’t hear what they were hearing. They were praising her way more than they should have. The intro was too subdued for too long. She should have taken a listen to David Cooks version and done the strings in a similar fashion so that the song wouldn’t lose energy from the get-go. The tessitura sat just a smidge too low for her, so the verses came out very muffled with no power or support. And the tone that I love from her simply wasn’t there for most of the song. She didn’t completely botch the song by any means, but she didn’t do herself any favors by doing this choice. It was mediocre for the standards she has set for herself. Mediocre performances are the ones you have to worry about, because fans vote in droves for great performances or awful performances where they are trying to save their Idol. If trends continue like they have, as a seemingly bi-weekly choice for the bottom 3, Allison has to be a little worried this week.
Anoop Desai - Bryan Adams "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves)
This song was a very good choice for Anoop, surprisingly. When I heard he chose this, I immediately thought disaster. But he worked it! Vocally, this was Anoop’s best performance yet. I was listening very hard, and if there were missed notes, I missed them. I think the soul that he added to the song fit it extremely well and he made it pretty current. Some passion was thrown in there too to top it all off. The only critique I have for him is to STOP WEARING COATS! It’s crazy that every night, he has on some different type of outerwear that he must have gotten at the “God-Awful, Ridiculously Ugly Jacket Store.” It makes you get nasty lip sweat, Anoop. Ditch the coats, you are in LA. All that being said, I’m not sure if it was quite the performance to save him from the bottom 3. He’s been there so often, that one has to assume that his fan base is just not large enough to pull him much further.
Adam Lambert – Steppenwolf “Born To Be Wild” (Easy Rider)
So, apparently people are thinking that I am too pro-Adam on this blog. It’s true, he’s the guy I’m pulling for, but I remain objectively critical on his performances. I point out places where he falters, and places where he shines, he just does more of the latter. The reason it sounds like I’m putting him on such a high pedestal compared to everyone else is simple- he IS on a higher pedestal. He is in a different league than the others. He’s consistent every week, to the point where you don’t even remember less than perfect notes. Even if I absolutely detested the guy, I couldn’t deny that his talent is greater than any of the other contestants and his ability to perform is something Idol has never seen. Did you see how he worked the stage last night?! You have to admit that it was entertaining. I still hold strong that I would have rather heard him sing “Eye of the Tiger,” but this performance allowed him to let out his inner divo that has been pushed aside the last two weeks. The chorus was a little shaky, due to the intense head banging from Adam, the band, and the backup singers, but other than that it was solid. I won’t go into how baller the end was.
Matt Giraud – Bryan Adams “Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman” (Don Juan DeMarco)
Hmmmm. The comment that Simon gave Anoop last week about being a “Yo-Yo” performer can be aptly applied to Matt as well. He had a great week with “Part-Time Lover,” but then went to this song and I’m not sure why. He was pitchy the entire song, he had a TERRIBLE break in his voice, the bridge was horrendous, and his falsetto was just not clicking with him tonight (but I’ve always that it was suspect anyway). It’s a great song, but he had to sing it like Daughtry did. And he didn’t. I flip-flop with how I view Matt, and I feel like the majority of America does as well. You can tell that he does not know how to take negative (but constructive) criticism by his facial expressions, and after his near-tear-fest last night, I think he is worried that he is going to be in the bottom 3. I think he’s right.
Danny Gokey – Lionel Richie “Endless Love” (Endless Love)
The bullet proof armor that Danny once donned seems to be cracking, even if it is only slightly. Tonight was one of the first times that I can recall one of the judges actually critiquing him, not just patting him on the back on a job well done. The arrangement was not as good as it could have been. The harp was cool, but I don’t think it complemented his voice at all. When you have a rich, soulful voice, a harp is not really the instrument to pair it with. He was much pitchier than usual on the second half of the first verse, which surprised me. He got back on track and delivered the great vocals that we’ve heard from him, that is, until the falsetto note at the end. He also, for the second time, chose to ignore the advice of the mentor to not use his hands. It was pretty distracting, but I know once you get in the moment, old habits tend to resurface without you being able to control it. So I’m not faulting him too much here. For any of the other contestants, these little blips might not be as evident, but when a front-runner stumbles, people take notice. It’s definitely nothing to be worried about, but he might want to fix that crack real soon if he wants to make it to the finals. Because there is another contestant on his heels…
Kris Allen – Glen Hansard “Falling Slowly” (Once)
…and it’s Kris Allen. To me, this was borderline the best I’ve heard from Kris. The beginning was not as great as it could have been, since he didn’t support his low notes with his diaphragm, but it was still good because it set the emotion. It is a beautiful song that allowed him to just go out there and sing- no distractions to take away from his voice. The chorus was great, his tone was very nice, and he showed Matt how falsetto should be sung. After listening to the original, however, I wish that he would have sung the major seventh on the word “time.” He went the easier route, but to most people, it wasn’t an obvious change. I think this was the best performance of the night, not because it was the best vocally (because it wasn’t), but because of the heartfelt passion that he poured into it.
Lil Rounds – Bette Middler “The Rose” (The Rose)
Was this the right song for Lil to sing? No. Did she do better than previous weeks? Unquestionably. Lil seriously has an issue with song selection. I don’t know how many times the judges can beat her over the head until she realizes that she needs to stop singing dumb mess. There were a few issues I had with this performance. I did not like the straight-laced beginning. We all know Lil doesn’t sing like that, so why is she trying to now? The switch to the Gospel feel was ABRUPT! It felt like there was no crescendo or transition at all. I liked how she sang the Gospel section and wish that she would have sung the entire song like that. Pitch was still a concern for her (as always) but not to the extent that it has been in the past. I’ve noticed something lately. Her vibrato settles in a funny place within the note. It makes the note sound sharp, though it’s in pitch. I’m not even sure if that makes sense, but that’s what I heard. I’m not sure where to place Lil in the pack right now. It should be interesting tonight.
That was an entertaining show. My top picks for tonight are Kris and Adam. No one else met the mark that they did. Danny is obviously safe, but who of the remaining 4 should be placed in the bottom 3? I’m going to say that the bottom three will be Matt, Allison, and Anoop. I wanted to put Lil in the bottom three, because I believe she deserves it moreso than Allison, but I think with her being safe for so long up to this point, and her beating Anoop in votes last week, she has a broader fan base than I initially thought and they will be pulling for her by voting a ton. The other three have all seen the bottom 3 before, with Allison being the only one to have not seen the bottom 2. I think it comes down to Matt and Anoop, with Matt receiving the lowest number of votes. I think the judges like him enough that they will implement the Judges Save. Honestly, I think no matter who goes, they will use it this week, so look forward to a crazy episode next week!
On a side note, I still find it amazing how they managed to cut one performer and half of the judges’ comments from last week and STILL ran over! These producers need to get on the ball.
Your American Idol Junkie,
Billy
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Top 7: Song Predictions- Songs from Cinema
It is “Songs from Cinema” week in Idol-land, and I’m extremely excited about it. As most of you know, I have a borderline obsession with movies, so the music in movies is equally important to me. It was hard to pick just 2-3 songs for everyone because I love SO many songs used in cinema. It is practically a wide open show tonight, because the theme is so broad. On weeks like this, I never expect to get many picks right. But, I still enjoy a good challenge! Here goes nothing…
Adam Lambert- Survivor “Eye of the Tiger” (Rocky) or The Bee Gees “Staying Alive” (Saturday Night Fever) or Guns N’ Roses “Welcome to the Jungle” (The Dead Pool/Death Race)
I know I picked “Eye of the Tiger” for Adam last week, but I REALLY want to hear him sing it. He would absolutely kill it. It’s one of the most popular songs from one of the biggest movie franchises ever. It seems like it would be a no-brainer, but he has dodged my advice up to this point and has still done very well. If anyone were to try “Staying Alive,” it would be Adam. Again, he’s the only one in the competition who could hit the notes, it has plenty of attitude, and he could express himself in it. The only problem is the line “I’m a woman’s man, no time to talk.” That could be a conflict of interests with his personal preference. I’ve said before that I think he would smash “Welcome to the Jungle” as well, but I’d rather hear one of the first two songs more. He’s gone mellow the past two weeks, so expect him to liven it up a bit. Hollywood and acting are his bag, so expect him to do well…again.
Danny Gokey- Aerosmith “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” (Armageddon) or Goo Goo Dolls “Iris” (City of Angels)
I bet Danny is wishing that he saved Seal’s “Kiss From a Rose” for tonight! I really wanted to pick “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” for Adam, but there are just too many songs out there that he would sound good on, so I gave it to Danny. He won’t be able to hit all the notes that Steven Tyler can, but I think that he could do a serviceable job with this song. Especially with some heavy strings (you know I love them). “Iris” would also be a good choice. Musically, it is one of my favorite songs. The way the song crescendos into the instrumental section is phenomenal. It’s not crazy out of his range and he can put some passion into it. He needs to step it up, because Adam is beating him week in and week out right now. He needs to get people’s interest in him up again.
Kris Allen- Bryan Adams “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) or Ewan McGregor “Come What May” (Moulin Rouge!) or "When You Wish Upon A Star" (Pinocchio)
So, part of me hopes that Kris doesn’t do Bryan Adams, but part of me hopes that he does. It’s terribly cliché for a guitar player to do this song, but he would sound very good on it, especially if he added a pop spin to it with the vocals. I think he will tone it down a little this week after poor feedback from the judges the last-go-round. I would personally like to hear him sing “Come What May.” This is one of my favorite songs from a movie, and it’d be one that I’d DEFINITELY want to sing if I were on the show. This would be an opportunity for Kris to showcase more than just the pop side of his voice, but open it up to reveal a richer, more haunting side, if he has it. Click on the song title above to see the video. Last minute add was the Pinocchio song. I think he could do an awesome SOLELY acoustic version of that song.
Allison Iraheta- Evanescence “Bring Me to Life” (Daredevil) or Bette Midler “Wind Beneath My Wings” (Beaches)
For some reason, I can hear Allison singing “Bring Me to Life”…and singing it well! That would be no easy task, but I think her rock edge would sound really good on it. She has a big enough voice to sing Amy Lee, but it would sound so original that the judges would not get caught up on the “karaoke” train they get on so much. I wanted to hear Allison tone it down a bit, and she did last week, but only a bit. I would love to here her back off even further and sing “Wind Beneath My Wings.” We all now that she can sing rock. But can she sing anything else? Her voice would sound great on this and I think she would have an idol moment. I doubt, however, that she is mature enough to pick this song. She needs to do well this week to show that she is capable of being a rival to the crown.
Matt Giraud- Elton John “Tiny Dancer” (Almost Famous) or Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band “Old Time Rock and Roll” (Risky Business)
Both of these songs are piano driven. Both are extremely popular. Both are very good for Matt to sing. They are not bluesy, R&B songs, but I still think he could do well singing either. The judges seem to want to put him in a box with his style, but I think he should branch out and show all aspects of his artistry. I liked “You Found Me” better than most did, but I liked the fact that he didn’t try to oversell his runs on the audience. I think he should do that again. “Tiny Dancer” would allow him to use the falsetto that the judges keep asking him to bring, and “Old Time” would allow him to have some crazy fun on the piano. I’m sure both of these songs are popular picks at the Piano Bar, so he should be fine.
Lil Rounds- Whiney Houston “I Will Always Love You” (The Bodyguard) or Gloria Gaynor “I Will Survive” (The Replacements) or Mary J. Blige “Not Gon Cry” (Waiting to Exhale)
I really have no idea what to expect from Lil this week. The judges have suggested Whitney before. They INCESSENTLY suggest Mary J. Will she finally follow their advice? I think it’d be wise for her to. I’d rather hear the latter two songs than Whitney. All that will happen there is that she will be called a second rate Whitney, which is true. She can’t sing that song like Leona Lewis did here. I can hear her singing “I Will Survive” and doing it well, but I think Mary J. is the way to go here. It’s more modern, and she can show her relevancy. I still don’t think that she’s an artist, but she better try to be one this week or she’ll be in the bottom 2.
Anoop Desai- Boyz II Men “A Song for Mama” (Soul Food) or R. Kelly “I Believe I Can Fly” (Space Jam) or Righteous Brothers “Unchained Melody” (Ghost)
Anoop is going to stay with the slow songs for the rest of the time he’s on the show, which might not be too much longer. He doesn’t have the chops to really pull off a fast one, so he needs to pluck the heart strings a little. We know he loves Boyz II Men, so I expect him to pull that out this week. This would also have all of the sentimental types dialing in his number, since everyone loves their Mama, right?! I feel like R. Kelly is just a TAD too cheesy, but it would fit with his range and he can show off his runs. I am really hoping he doesn’t do “Unchained Melody,” because that is MY song, and I would want to sing that on the show. I would be severely disappointed if he chose this one, but I can definitely hear him sounding decent on it.
Group Song- Rent “Seasons of Love” (RENT)
There you have it, folks. My predictions for “Songs of Cinema” week. This might have been harder than last week’s “Year They Were Born,” seeing as there are SO many good songs that have been featured in SO many movies. Hopefully, I’ll get one right so this wasn’t a complete waste of time!
How are you all feeling about the show right now? Is it turning out to be a good season, in your opinion? Or do you feel like contestants from seasons past would wipe the floor with most of the singers this year? Let me know!
Your American Idol Junkie,
Billy
Adam Lambert- Survivor “Eye of the Tiger” (Rocky) or The Bee Gees “Staying Alive” (Saturday Night Fever) or Guns N’ Roses “Welcome to the Jungle” (The Dead Pool/Death Race)
I know I picked “Eye of the Tiger” for Adam last week, but I REALLY want to hear him sing it. He would absolutely kill it. It’s one of the most popular songs from one of the biggest movie franchises ever. It seems like it would be a no-brainer, but he has dodged my advice up to this point and has still done very well. If anyone were to try “Staying Alive,” it would be Adam. Again, he’s the only one in the competition who could hit the notes, it has plenty of attitude, and he could express himself in it. The only problem is the line “I’m a woman’s man, no time to talk.” That could be a conflict of interests with his personal preference. I’ve said before that I think he would smash “Welcome to the Jungle” as well, but I’d rather hear one of the first two songs more. He’s gone mellow the past two weeks, so expect him to liven it up a bit. Hollywood and acting are his bag, so expect him to do well…again.
Danny Gokey- Aerosmith “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” (Armageddon) or Goo Goo Dolls “Iris” (City of Angels)
I bet Danny is wishing that he saved Seal’s “Kiss From a Rose” for tonight! I really wanted to pick “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” for Adam, but there are just too many songs out there that he would sound good on, so I gave it to Danny. He won’t be able to hit all the notes that Steven Tyler can, but I think that he could do a serviceable job with this song. Especially with some heavy strings (you know I love them). “Iris” would also be a good choice. Musically, it is one of my favorite songs. The way the song crescendos into the instrumental section is phenomenal. It’s not crazy out of his range and he can put some passion into it. He needs to step it up, because Adam is beating him week in and week out right now. He needs to get people’s interest in him up again.
Kris Allen- Bryan Adams “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) or Ewan McGregor “Come What May” (Moulin Rouge!) or "When You Wish Upon A Star" (Pinocchio)
So, part of me hopes that Kris doesn’t do Bryan Adams, but part of me hopes that he does. It’s terribly cliché for a guitar player to do this song, but he would sound very good on it, especially if he added a pop spin to it with the vocals. I think he will tone it down a little this week after poor feedback from the judges the last-go-round. I would personally like to hear him sing “Come What May.” This is one of my favorite songs from a movie, and it’d be one that I’d DEFINITELY want to sing if I were on the show. This would be an opportunity for Kris to showcase more than just the pop side of his voice, but open it up to reveal a richer, more haunting side, if he has it. Click on the song title above to see the video. Last minute add was the Pinocchio song. I think he could do an awesome SOLELY acoustic version of that song.
Allison Iraheta- Evanescence “Bring Me to Life” (Daredevil) or Bette Midler “Wind Beneath My Wings” (Beaches)
For some reason, I can hear Allison singing “Bring Me to Life”…and singing it well! That would be no easy task, but I think her rock edge would sound really good on it. She has a big enough voice to sing Amy Lee, but it would sound so original that the judges would not get caught up on the “karaoke” train they get on so much. I wanted to hear Allison tone it down a bit, and she did last week, but only a bit. I would love to here her back off even further and sing “Wind Beneath My Wings.” We all now that she can sing rock. But can she sing anything else? Her voice would sound great on this and I think she would have an idol moment. I doubt, however, that she is mature enough to pick this song. She needs to do well this week to show that she is capable of being a rival to the crown.
Matt Giraud- Elton John “Tiny Dancer” (Almost Famous) or Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band “Old Time Rock and Roll” (Risky Business)
Both of these songs are piano driven. Both are extremely popular. Both are very good for Matt to sing. They are not bluesy, R&B songs, but I still think he could do well singing either. The judges seem to want to put him in a box with his style, but I think he should branch out and show all aspects of his artistry. I liked “You Found Me” better than most did, but I liked the fact that he didn’t try to oversell his runs on the audience. I think he should do that again. “Tiny Dancer” would allow him to use the falsetto that the judges keep asking him to bring, and “Old Time” would allow him to have some crazy fun on the piano. I’m sure both of these songs are popular picks at the Piano Bar, so he should be fine.
Lil Rounds- Whiney Houston “I Will Always Love You” (The Bodyguard) or Gloria Gaynor “I Will Survive” (The Replacements) or Mary J. Blige “Not Gon Cry” (Waiting to Exhale)
I really have no idea what to expect from Lil this week. The judges have suggested Whitney before. They INCESSENTLY suggest Mary J. Will she finally follow their advice? I think it’d be wise for her to. I’d rather hear the latter two songs than Whitney. All that will happen there is that she will be called a second rate Whitney, which is true. She can’t sing that song like Leona Lewis did here. I can hear her singing “I Will Survive” and doing it well, but I think Mary J. is the way to go here. It’s more modern, and she can show her relevancy. I still don’t think that she’s an artist, but she better try to be one this week or she’ll be in the bottom 2.
Anoop Desai- Boyz II Men “A Song for Mama” (Soul Food) or R. Kelly “I Believe I Can Fly” (Space Jam) or Righteous Brothers “Unchained Melody” (Ghost)
Anoop is going to stay with the slow songs for the rest of the time he’s on the show, which might not be too much longer. He doesn’t have the chops to really pull off a fast one, so he needs to pluck the heart strings a little. We know he loves Boyz II Men, so I expect him to pull that out this week. This would also have all of the sentimental types dialing in his number, since everyone loves their Mama, right?! I feel like R. Kelly is just a TAD too cheesy, but it would fit with his range and he can show off his runs. I am really hoping he doesn’t do “Unchained Melody,” because that is MY song, and I would want to sing that on the show. I would be severely disappointed if he chose this one, but I can definitely hear him sounding decent on it.
Group Song- Rent “Seasons of Love” (RENT)
There you have it, folks. My predictions for “Songs of Cinema” week. This might have been harder than last week’s “Year They Were Born,” seeing as there are SO many good songs that have been featured in SO many movies. Hopefully, I’ll get one right so this wasn’t a complete waste of time!
How are you all feeling about the show right now? Is it turning out to be a good season, in your opinion? Or do you feel like contestants from seasons past would wipe the floor with most of the singers this year? Let me know!
Your American Idol Junkie,
Billy
Thursday, April 9, 2009
7 in Heaven: Elimination Results (SPOILER ALERT!)
The judges save is still in play people! Last night we saw our elite 8 trimmed down to 7. This begs one to ask whether the save will be used in the two coming weeks, since it is unable to be used after the top 5. Let's see what shook down on last night's episode.
1) Frankie Avalon?! Really?! That is a random way to poke fun at how old Simon is. But effective. I felt old watching him sing, so I'm sure Simon felt like he was one foot in the grave. P.S. Frankie Avalon would have been in our Elite 8 if he competed this season. Sure he doesn't have dynamics, but you have to admit, he's got a great old-school voice. Much better than Scott's, anyway.
2) The group song is Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out of My Head." We now see why the producers make them lip-sync most of the time. Last night they actually performed live and it was AWFUL! Lil was flat the entire song, the choreography was lame, and every single one of the contestants had a "WTF are we doing this song for?" look on their face. I had the same look. Apparently, they sang this song because it was a song from 2002, the year of American Idol's birth. Aww, precious. Not really. Cheesy.
3) The behind-the-scenes clip for the Ford Commercial Video was actually pretty good. The contestants seemed to enjoy all of the costumes and make-up. Everyone except Anoop that is (surprise, surprise). I can't blame him though. I'd be pissed too if I was the only Indian person on the show and they made me the valet. THAT'S RACIST! You know Adam was loving it. He probably used his own make-up kit. When I was watching it, I thought "Wow, this commercial might turn out to be a good one for a change." Once they started playing it, though, I remembered that Ford was lame and couldn't pull it off. They sang the least energetic version of Britney Spears' "Circus" that I've ever heard (granted that's only the second version besides the original that I've heard). They needed some bass and some strobe lights. That would have made it better. OK, I'm going stop critiquing Shane Drake's failed attempt at a decent commercial.
4) After the Ford commercial, Ryan talks to Adam about his performance the night before. Since the Idol Producers are incompetent, the performance show ran 10 minutes over and a great many people missed Adam's version of "Mad World," which merited a standing ovation from Simon- the first in the shows history. If you missed it, you should check it out (sorry it's backwards, but this was the best version I could find).
5) It's about time to see who America has put in there bottom 3. Adam, Kris, and Anoop are asked to stand. Adam is a no brainer. Safe. Seacrest adds some of his corny suspense and it is revealed that Anoop is in the bottom 3, even after a decent week from him and an off week for Kris. The power of the teeny-boppers, people. But I still feel like this is the right call.
6) It's hard for me to wrap my mind around who thought it would be a good idea for a family television show to have Flo-Rida come and sing his new hit that is not even trying to hide the fact that he is talking about oral sex. This again makes me hate modern music. Gone are they days when rappers, you know, rapped about real issues, or singers sang songs that would help inspire the world. Now it's all about sex and money and it's all fodder. End rant.
7) Back to the results. Scott is obviously the worst of the 5 remaining (Danny, Lil, Allison, and Matt), so he goes over. Then Ryan tries his tomfoolery again and reveals that Lil is in the bottom for the first time. Now that the 3 stools are filled, time for another performance!
8) Kelly Pickler is out singing on the Idol stage again. As a season 5 Alumni, you'd think by now, after a record deal and a few hit songs, she'd be able to perform. False. She stunk then, she stinks now. She would not be in our Elite 8 this year. The contestants are thinking to themselves "Hey, if she can do it, so can I, right?!" She does have the look though.
9) As Lil is sent back to the safety of the couches, it's now down to Anoop and Scott, with only 30,000 votes separating them. That's not much in the grand scheme of 34 million votes. As predicted here, Scott was the Idol-wannabe that was sent home. He was in no position to stay on the show any longer. It's actually quite a feat that he lasted this long. Anoop has survived to sing another day, but one has to expect that his time is coming soon. He is almost in my "can not win this competition" bag. He and Lil have to both do something spectacular in the next two weeks, and hope that another of their fellow contestants stumbles. If not, it is hard to not see them being the next two to go.
There you have it, folks. Did America get it right? Were there any die-hard Scott fans out there that need to let out some rage? Go ahead and let me know.
Your American Idol Junkie,
Billy
1) Frankie Avalon?! Really?! That is a random way to poke fun at how old Simon is. But effective. I felt old watching him sing, so I'm sure Simon felt like he was one foot in the grave. P.S. Frankie Avalon would have been in our Elite 8 if he competed this season. Sure he doesn't have dynamics, but you have to admit, he's got a great old-school voice. Much better than Scott's, anyway.
2) The group song is Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out of My Head." We now see why the producers make them lip-sync most of the time. Last night they actually performed live and it was AWFUL! Lil was flat the entire song, the choreography was lame, and every single one of the contestants had a "WTF are we doing this song for?" look on their face. I had the same look. Apparently, they sang this song because it was a song from 2002, the year of American Idol's birth. Aww, precious. Not really. Cheesy.
3) The behind-the-scenes clip for the Ford Commercial Video was actually pretty good. The contestants seemed to enjoy all of the costumes and make-up. Everyone except Anoop that is (surprise, surprise). I can't blame him though. I'd be pissed too if I was the only Indian person on the show and they made me the valet. THAT'S RACIST! You know Adam was loving it. He probably used his own make-up kit. When I was watching it, I thought "Wow, this commercial might turn out to be a good one for a change." Once they started playing it, though, I remembered that Ford was lame and couldn't pull it off. They sang the least energetic version of Britney Spears' "Circus" that I've ever heard (granted that's only the second version besides the original that I've heard). They needed some bass and some strobe lights. That would have made it better. OK, I'm going stop critiquing Shane Drake's failed attempt at a decent commercial.
4) After the Ford commercial, Ryan talks to Adam about his performance the night before. Since the Idol Producers are incompetent, the performance show ran 10 minutes over and a great many people missed Adam's version of "Mad World," which merited a standing ovation from Simon- the first in the shows history. If you missed it, you should check it out (sorry it's backwards, but this was the best version I could find).
5) It's about time to see who America has put in there bottom 3. Adam, Kris, and Anoop are asked to stand. Adam is a no brainer. Safe. Seacrest adds some of his corny suspense and it is revealed that Anoop is in the bottom 3, even after a decent week from him and an off week for Kris. The power of the teeny-boppers, people. But I still feel like this is the right call.
6) It's hard for me to wrap my mind around who thought it would be a good idea for a family television show to have Flo-Rida come and sing his new hit that is not even trying to hide the fact that he is talking about oral sex. This again makes me hate modern music. Gone are they days when rappers, you know, rapped about real issues, or singers sang songs that would help inspire the world. Now it's all about sex and money and it's all fodder. End rant.
7) Back to the results. Scott is obviously the worst of the 5 remaining (Danny, Lil, Allison, and Matt), so he goes over. Then Ryan tries his tomfoolery again and reveals that Lil is in the bottom for the first time. Now that the 3 stools are filled, time for another performance!
8) Kelly Pickler is out singing on the Idol stage again. As a season 5 Alumni, you'd think by now, after a record deal and a few hit songs, she'd be able to perform. False. She stunk then, she stinks now. She would not be in our Elite 8 this year. The contestants are thinking to themselves "Hey, if she can do it, so can I, right?!" She does have the look though.
9) As Lil is sent back to the safety of the couches, it's now down to Anoop and Scott, with only 30,000 votes separating them. That's not much in the grand scheme of 34 million votes. As predicted here, Scott was the Idol-wannabe that was sent home. He was in no position to stay on the show any longer. It's actually quite a feat that he lasted this long. Anoop has survived to sing another day, but one has to expect that his time is coming soon. He is almost in my "can not win this competition" bag. He and Lil have to both do something spectacular in the next two weeks, and hope that another of their fellow contestants stumbles. If not, it is hard to not see them being the next two to go.
There you have it, folks. Did America get it right? Were there any die-hard Scott fans out there that need to let out some rage? Go ahead and let me know.
Your American Idol Junkie,
Billy
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Top 8: Performance Results
Another week of performances have been sung, and now it's time to lash into them with my critiques. A reminder, the theme was "Year They Were Born." Did your Idol-hopeful do well according to my harsh standards? Did I get any of my predictions right? Let's find out!
Danny Gokey - Mickey Gilley "Stand By Me"
Call me crazy, but I'm going to disagree with the judges. I did not like this performance at all. Now, it is no secret that I am not particularly fond of Danny, but I do recognize his ability to sing and give him kudos when he earns them. This week, he did not earn my kudos. Here are the problems I had with this song. 1) I absolutely hated the arrangement. "Stand By Me" has one of the most recognizable bass melodies ever written, and to not pay at least SOME homage to that was a poor mistake. If you are going to re-stylize a classic song in an attempt to make it "your own", you better make sure it's great. 2) I was not impressed by his vocals. The beginning was incredibly nasally and too straight-laced for this type of song. Once the Bridge kicked in, he sort of found his stride, but that was 3/4 of the way into the song- too late in a performance to win my approval back. The rest was just not that good, for his standards. Is it just me or is the Danny Train slowing down? Do you think the likes of a Kris Allen or Allison Iraheta can pass him? I want to know what you think.
Kris Allen - Don Henley "All She Wants To Do Is Dance"
DING DING! Correct pick! Now, when I pick a song for one of the contestants, I factor in several variables, such as what would sound good with their voice, what would relate well to the audience, what would be memorable, and in my head, I have an idea of how they SHOULD perform the song. These are just a few of the main issues I address. That being said, Kris did not perform the song how I envisioned he would or should have. Sometimes, the contestants get busy and forget to read all of the blog to see what they should do, and that is on them. I'm throwing the alley-oop and it's up to them to convert the dunk. His performance was not TERRIBLE I suppose, but it was not good either. His decision to bring out the guitar again was not the best. Again, you couldn't really hear it that well and he seemed way too preoccupied with playing it rather than singing. His singing in a crowd of girls was even worse. He is, what, 5'6"? He got swallowed up by the sea of people and looked like part of the crowd, not one performing for the crowd. I do agree with Kara here. It was like he was doing some song for Jazz homework, and let the song lead him rather than the other way around. That is not what the show is about. It will be interesting to see how the fans react this week, since I previously predicted that he would not be able to give a less-than-stellar performance and not feel the effects in one way or another.
Lil Rounds - Tina Turner "What's Love Got To Do With It"
DING DING! Correct pick! Another point to add to the rant above- it is not my fault if the contestant doesn't perform a song as well as they are capable of doing. This is the case for Lil. No matter what the judges said, this was the right song for her to sing. She, however, did not deliver on the performance. She is in a vicious cycle right now where she got reamed by the judges, then that affected her next performance, which caused her to get reamed again, which affected the next performance, so forth and so on. You could hear the nerves in her voice. Her pitch was always slightly off, she shouted the choruses, the last note was terrible, etc. I just can't pull for her anymore until she shows me something b-rilliant. She claims to be an artist, but I have seen no artistry as of yet. She escaped trouble last week. I don't think she can do the same this go-round.
Anoop Desai - Cyndi Lauper "True Colors"
I should have had another DING DING here. I had this song starred on my sheet for Anoop to sing, but I didn't follow my gut. I wanted him to do this song, but figured he would choose one of the others that I had suggested. Danny negated that, so he went with the one that I should have went with. Overall, he did very well this week. He showed off his sultry voice again rather than his pompous one and apologized for being a prick last week. This probably saved himself for another week. I don't know how much longer America will put up with him though. I'm starting to get tired of the Anoop ride. Simon hit the nail on the head when he compared Anoop to a Yo-Yo. It's so true. While this performance was good, he didn't give the type of performance that would be deemed an Idol Moment, so he is still not out of the clear. Had he gotten some pimp lighting, that would have helped his cause. The pimping of the Tar Heels might be enough though! Expect his college campus/alumni to pull him through on the wake of a National Championship. GO HEELS!
Scott MacIntyre - Air Supply "The Search is Over"
"I wanted to show you my punk side." REALLY!?!? Scott, you are hopeless. Funny, but hopeless. Right now, I'm sort of wishing that Scott had been eliminated last week. Sure, Megan was not a great singer by any stretch of the imagination, but at least she was easy on the eyes and had that quirky sense of humor that only she could pull off. Scott "worked" the stage this week with a switch from piano to guitar. I'm impressed that he would take this step, but he shouldn't have. The guitar playing was lousy as was his singing. If I recall correctly, there was one part that had me curled up in a ball cringing on my sofa. There are witnesses to this. I had never heard of the song and I don't know why he didn't have someone read him my predictions for him. He would have done much better with those, but still, not enough to sway me. I'm ready for him to go home, because no matter how versatile he thinks he is, he is one of the most boring contestants we've ever seen on that stage. Votefortheworst has now embraced him as their new golden boy, so we'll see if they can pull him out of the trench, but I doubt it. Scott should easily be bottom 3 this week with a high probability of heading back to Arizona.
Allison Iraheta - Bonnie Raitt "I Can't Make You Love Me"
This is another one that I'm kicking myself over, because this song was on my starred list for Allison. Granted I can't say that this was the one that I wanted her to sing the most. I still hold that "November Rain" would have been amazing. She still did well on this song though. She really does have the most unique voice in the competition, and might be the most ready to make a successful album right now. I didn't like the runs that she put in some of her phrases, but I loved her tone. She continues to impress me, but she just needs to hit a stride and stick with it. This bouncing in and out of the bottom 3 does not bode well for her chances to win the whole shebang. She is beginning to show a little bit of the quirkiness that Megan had, but with a much better voice. I expect that she will be safe this week.
Matt Giraud - Stevie Wonder - "Part-Time Lover"
Yet another song choice that I almost picked. Part of me really felt that he was going to pick this song because it was Stevie, but part of me also thought that it wouldn't pack the bang that he needed. I think I was wrong about both of those. I think he did a good job tonight, minus that switch to falsetto that made me wince. Lots of energy, lots of charisma, and lots of fun. He did over-sing it slightly, but Stevie over-sings everything he does, so it might not have been that bad. His runs seemed a little more natural and less forced tonight as well. He had a bit of swagger to him and that is a big change from the nervous Matt we've seen lately. I'd say one of the top 3 performances of the night.
Adam Lambert - Tears for Fears "Mad World"
It's starting to get ridiculous, folks. I'm not sure I've ever seen a contestant in the history of Idol who has delivered consistently week after week like Adam has. "Mad World" is my jam and when I found out he was singing it, I was sort of excited. He didn't let his fans down. Besides that last off note that eventually found it's way back to where it was supposed to be, he was pitch perfect. I've watched the show for a while now, but I don't recall Simon ever giving a contestant a standing ovation! That was big time. Don't go crowning him the automatic Idol yet, though. I am one of those skeptics who finds it hard to believe that the early front-runner in a competition like this is the one who WILL win it. Should he win? Probably. But there have been too many "come from behind" winners in the history of this show to make me think he has it locked up. That being said, he is still the best on the show right now and is running circles around even his closest competitors at this point.
In my opinion, on a stage as big as this one, you have to go out there every week and improve on what you did the previous week. Every time you sing, there has to be that feeling of "Wow, they did even better THIS week than LAST week!" That kind of consistency and building is what can lead one to winning this show, not coming out hot and cold and the audience never knowing what to expect from you. David Cook showed this last year. He had the ability to improve upon what he had already done. Adam is the only one this season who is showing me that he can do that. Danny is sounding the same on every song and is playing this competition too safe. If he wants to beat Adam, he's going to have to get creative. Shoot, if he wants to beat Allison or Kris in the long run, he needs to do something, because I feel like people are getting tired of him and changing their votes to more interesting contenders.
As for my predictions, I got 2 right this week, but should have had 4-5...I should just follow my gut. After a week where the majority of the performers did songs that sounded like they had just practiced them for the first time 20 minutes before the show started, the bottom 3 should look like this: Scott, Lil, and (dare I say) Kris. This does not mean that Anoop or Matt are completely impervious to taking Kris' spot. They both did well this week, but their fans have shown that they can be slack about phoning in the votes before. I'd say Anoop has more to worry about than Matt because, though his performance was solid, it didn't have that quality that would make me want to vote for him over someone else. Matt's did. If Kris' growing legion of fans went at it last night, expect Anoop to swap spots with him. I don't see any way around Scott not leaving this week. He's just not up to par with anyone left, and as I've said before, he has no shot of winning this show. Adios, punk rock Scott.
And now, onto the Power Rankings (number in parenthesis is previous weeks rank):
1 (1). Adam Lambert
2 (2). Danny Gokey
3 (4). Allison Iraheta
3 (3). Kris Allen
5 (5). Matt Giraud
6 (7). Anoop Desai
7 (6). Lil Rounds
8 (8). Scott MacIntyre
A little bit of switching going on this week, with one tie! I think Kris and Allison are in a dead lock in terms of how they've performed so far on the show. Anoop and Lil is a tough call, but ultimately, Anoop has had more good moments than Lil has.
Well, that's it folks. Sorry for the length, but I hope you enjoyed it. Who do you think is going home tonight? Is America going to get it right and send Scott packing, or is something dramatic going to happen and leave us wondering "Huh?!?!" Leave your comments and opinions below and let me know what you thought of their performances!
Your American Idol Junkie,
Billy
Danny Gokey - Mickey Gilley "Stand By Me"
Call me crazy, but I'm going to disagree with the judges. I did not like this performance at all. Now, it is no secret that I am not particularly fond of Danny, but I do recognize his ability to sing and give him kudos when he earns them. This week, he did not earn my kudos. Here are the problems I had with this song. 1) I absolutely hated the arrangement. "Stand By Me" has one of the most recognizable bass melodies ever written, and to not pay at least SOME homage to that was a poor mistake. If you are going to re-stylize a classic song in an attempt to make it "your own", you better make sure it's great. 2) I was not impressed by his vocals. The beginning was incredibly nasally and too straight-laced for this type of song. Once the Bridge kicked in, he sort of found his stride, but that was 3/4 of the way into the song- too late in a performance to win my approval back. The rest was just not that good, for his standards. Is it just me or is the Danny Train slowing down? Do you think the likes of a Kris Allen or Allison Iraheta can pass him? I want to know what you think.
Kris Allen - Don Henley "All She Wants To Do Is Dance"
DING DING! Correct pick! Now, when I pick a song for one of the contestants, I factor in several variables, such as what would sound good with their voice, what would relate well to the audience, what would be memorable, and in my head, I have an idea of how they SHOULD perform the song. These are just a few of the main issues I address. That being said, Kris did not perform the song how I envisioned he would or should have. Sometimes, the contestants get busy and forget to read all of the blog to see what they should do, and that is on them. I'm throwing the alley-oop and it's up to them to convert the dunk. His performance was not TERRIBLE I suppose, but it was not good either. His decision to bring out the guitar again was not the best. Again, you couldn't really hear it that well and he seemed way too preoccupied with playing it rather than singing. His singing in a crowd of girls was even worse. He is, what, 5'6"? He got swallowed up by the sea of people and looked like part of the crowd, not one performing for the crowd. I do agree with Kara here. It was like he was doing some song for Jazz homework, and let the song lead him rather than the other way around. That is not what the show is about. It will be interesting to see how the fans react this week, since I previously predicted that he would not be able to give a less-than-stellar performance and not feel the effects in one way or another.
Lil Rounds - Tina Turner "What's Love Got To Do With It"
DING DING! Correct pick! Another point to add to the rant above- it is not my fault if the contestant doesn't perform a song as well as they are capable of doing. This is the case for Lil. No matter what the judges said, this was the right song for her to sing. She, however, did not deliver on the performance. She is in a vicious cycle right now where she got reamed by the judges, then that affected her next performance, which caused her to get reamed again, which affected the next performance, so forth and so on. You could hear the nerves in her voice. Her pitch was always slightly off, she shouted the choruses, the last note was terrible, etc. I just can't pull for her anymore until she shows me something b-rilliant. She claims to be an artist, but I have seen no artistry as of yet. She escaped trouble last week. I don't think she can do the same this go-round.
Anoop Desai - Cyndi Lauper "True Colors"
I should have had another DING DING here. I had this song starred on my sheet for Anoop to sing, but I didn't follow my gut. I wanted him to do this song, but figured he would choose one of the others that I had suggested. Danny negated that, so he went with the one that I should have went with. Overall, he did very well this week. He showed off his sultry voice again rather than his pompous one and apologized for being a prick last week. This probably saved himself for another week. I don't know how much longer America will put up with him though. I'm starting to get tired of the Anoop ride. Simon hit the nail on the head when he compared Anoop to a Yo-Yo. It's so true. While this performance was good, he didn't give the type of performance that would be deemed an Idol Moment, so he is still not out of the clear. Had he gotten some pimp lighting, that would have helped his cause. The pimping of the Tar Heels might be enough though! Expect his college campus/alumni to pull him through on the wake of a National Championship. GO HEELS!
Scott MacIntyre - Air Supply "The Search is Over"
"I wanted to show you my punk side." REALLY!?!? Scott, you are hopeless. Funny, but hopeless. Right now, I'm sort of wishing that Scott had been eliminated last week. Sure, Megan was not a great singer by any stretch of the imagination, but at least she was easy on the eyes and had that quirky sense of humor that only she could pull off. Scott "worked" the stage this week with a switch from piano to guitar. I'm impressed that he would take this step, but he shouldn't have. The guitar playing was lousy as was his singing. If I recall correctly, there was one part that had me curled up in a ball cringing on my sofa. There are witnesses to this. I had never heard of the song and I don't know why he didn't have someone read him my predictions for him. He would have done much better with those, but still, not enough to sway me. I'm ready for him to go home, because no matter how versatile he thinks he is, he is one of the most boring contestants we've ever seen on that stage. Votefortheworst has now embraced him as their new golden boy, so we'll see if they can pull him out of the trench, but I doubt it. Scott should easily be bottom 3 this week with a high probability of heading back to Arizona.
Allison Iraheta - Bonnie Raitt "I Can't Make You Love Me"
This is another one that I'm kicking myself over, because this song was on my starred list for Allison. Granted I can't say that this was the one that I wanted her to sing the most. I still hold that "November Rain" would have been amazing. She still did well on this song though. She really does have the most unique voice in the competition, and might be the most ready to make a successful album right now. I didn't like the runs that she put in some of her phrases, but I loved her tone. She continues to impress me, but she just needs to hit a stride and stick with it. This bouncing in and out of the bottom 3 does not bode well for her chances to win the whole shebang. She is beginning to show a little bit of the quirkiness that Megan had, but with a much better voice. I expect that she will be safe this week.
Matt Giraud - Stevie Wonder - "Part-Time Lover"
Yet another song choice that I almost picked. Part of me really felt that he was going to pick this song because it was Stevie, but part of me also thought that it wouldn't pack the bang that he needed. I think I was wrong about both of those. I think he did a good job tonight, minus that switch to falsetto that made me wince. Lots of energy, lots of charisma, and lots of fun. He did over-sing it slightly, but Stevie over-sings everything he does, so it might not have been that bad. His runs seemed a little more natural and less forced tonight as well. He had a bit of swagger to him and that is a big change from the nervous Matt we've seen lately. I'd say one of the top 3 performances of the night.
Adam Lambert - Tears for Fears "Mad World"
It's starting to get ridiculous, folks. I'm not sure I've ever seen a contestant in the history of Idol who has delivered consistently week after week like Adam has. "Mad World" is my jam and when I found out he was singing it, I was sort of excited. He didn't let his fans down. Besides that last off note that eventually found it's way back to where it was supposed to be, he was pitch perfect. I've watched the show for a while now, but I don't recall Simon ever giving a contestant a standing ovation! That was big time. Don't go crowning him the automatic Idol yet, though. I am one of those skeptics who finds it hard to believe that the early front-runner in a competition like this is the one who WILL win it. Should he win? Probably. But there have been too many "come from behind" winners in the history of this show to make me think he has it locked up. That being said, he is still the best on the show right now and is running circles around even his closest competitors at this point.
In my opinion, on a stage as big as this one, you have to go out there every week and improve on what you did the previous week. Every time you sing, there has to be that feeling of "Wow, they did even better THIS week than LAST week!" That kind of consistency and building is what can lead one to winning this show, not coming out hot and cold and the audience never knowing what to expect from you. David Cook showed this last year. He had the ability to improve upon what he had already done. Adam is the only one this season who is showing me that he can do that. Danny is sounding the same on every song and is playing this competition too safe. If he wants to beat Adam, he's going to have to get creative. Shoot, if he wants to beat Allison or Kris in the long run, he needs to do something, because I feel like people are getting tired of him and changing their votes to more interesting contenders.
As for my predictions, I got 2 right this week, but should have had 4-5...I should just follow my gut. After a week where the majority of the performers did songs that sounded like they had just practiced them for the first time 20 minutes before the show started, the bottom 3 should look like this: Scott, Lil, and (dare I say) Kris. This does not mean that Anoop or Matt are completely impervious to taking Kris' spot. They both did well this week, but their fans have shown that they can be slack about phoning in the votes before. I'd say Anoop has more to worry about than Matt because, though his performance was solid, it didn't have that quality that would make me want to vote for him over someone else. Matt's did. If Kris' growing legion of fans went at it last night, expect Anoop to swap spots with him. I don't see any way around Scott not leaving this week. He's just not up to par with anyone left, and as I've said before, he has no shot of winning this show. Adios, punk rock Scott.
And now, onto the Power Rankings (number in parenthesis is previous weeks rank):
1 (1). Adam Lambert
2 (2). Danny Gokey
3 (4). Allison Iraheta
3 (3). Kris Allen
5 (5). Matt Giraud
6 (7). Anoop Desai
7 (6). Lil Rounds
8 (8). Scott MacIntyre
A little bit of switching going on this week, with one tie! I think Kris and Allison are in a dead lock in terms of how they've performed so far on the show. Anoop and Lil is a tough call, but ultimately, Anoop has had more good moments than Lil has.
Well, that's it folks. Sorry for the length, but I hope you enjoyed it. Who do you think is going home tonight? Is America going to get it right and send Scott packing, or is something dramatic going to happen and leave us wondering "Huh?!?!" Leave your comments and opinions below and let me know what you thought of their performances!
Your American Idol Junkie,
Billy
Monday, April 6, 2009
Top 8: Song Predictions- Year They Were Born
Welcome back, everyone! It’s been a few days now and I have been deep in preparation for this post. As we all know, Megan is no longer with us. Most of you readers are in state of euphoria because you no longer have to put up with an amateur contestant on American Idol who “caws” on every episode and can be showed up at any Karaoke bar on any given night. Sorry, but I do believe that to be very true. Last week proved to be only an average week in my predictions with 2 correct, but this week provides the toughest task yet. The theme for this week’s show is “Year They Were Born.” After EXTENSIVE research, I have made my picks. Since there was no definite list to choose from, I used the top 100 songs from each year to base my predictions on. I found the contestant’s birthdays on wikipedia, so they are subject to error, but I believe they are correct. Click on the contestant’s birthday to see the list that I used. Here goes nothing.
Adam Lambert – January 29, 1982 – Survivor “Eye of the Tiger” or Journey “Open Arms”
This should be Adam’s dream week. I know he has done great so far, but he should be able to murder everyone this week. He is finally in HIS genre. Well, maybe not his “genre,” since his style is more unique than one genre can encompass, but he definitely has a list of songs that cater to his strengths. These two songs were the best fits for him, in my opinion. I would be happy if he sang either. It just depends on how he feels he needs to strategize. Should he go upbeat or mellow? I think he would sound great on “Open Arms” but “Eye of the Tiger” is extremely popular and he has the pipes to kill it. This could go any way though. Look at that list. I can see Adam singing so many of those songs. “I Love Rock and Roll,” “Tainted Love,” and “Edge of Seventeen” are all very possible choices. He should do well, no matter what he sings this week.
Danny Gokey – April 24, 1980 – Journey “Any Way You Want It” or The Romantics “What I Like About You”
From what Danny has showed me so far this season, he has a pretty simple formula for picking songs. So far, he has varied from fast to slow every week. If he does a fast song, the next week, he’ll probably do a slow song, and vice versa. After a moving performance of “What Hurts the Most” last week, expect Danny to spice it up again. I personally wanted to hear him sing AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long,” but I think that those lyrics are too provocative for one of our resident Jesus Freaks to pull off. I’m thinking that he would sound better on “What I Like About You” and he can even put a new spin on it to fit his soulful side. For “Any Way You Want It,” I think that he would have to lower the key considerably. He has some range, but not Steve Perry/Adam Lambert range. Musically, however, I think this song would be a better arrangement for Idol’s stage/fans. He has consistently delivered on vocals, so his task for this week is to calm down the ridiculous dancing and cheesy demeanor on the up-tempo numbers.
Kris Allen – June 21, 1985 – Don Henley “All She Wants To Do is Dance” or Bryan Adams “Summer of 69”
Kris Allen is in his niche right now. Surprisingly, he has been more solid and consistent than many of the other contestants up to this point and is quietly making a stance as a legit contender. However, this week is CRUCIAL. Right now he has the buzz around him, but that could all quickly fade if he botches this performance. He’s getting people’s attention, but I don’t think he is quite safe enough to provide a lackluster performance and not feel the effects, like Danny or Adam could do. We have seen him use instrumentation the past two weeks, so I would like to see him go without it this time and have some fun with “All She Wants To Do is Dance.” I think this would be a really cool song for him to do. It would show some range, prove that he can sell a pop song, and allow him to do a little of the dancing that he pulled out for “Man in the Mirror.” 1985 was also a big year for Bryan Adams, and I’m sure it’s very tempting for him to do “Summer of 69.” He would sound good on “Heaven” too, but after David Archuletta killed that in Hollywood last year, I hope he has a little more sense than to pick that song.
Matt Giraud – May 11, 1985 – Huey Lewis & The News “The Power of Love”
Matt is in a bit of a predicament this week. There aren’t many songs on this list that I could see him doing. This was a year more for the acoustic rock scene, not the bluesy piano scene. That being said, I do think that he would give a very serviceable performance of “Power of Love.” It’s full of energy and a lot of people like it. It would also be one of the best ones to add his R&B spin on. People are perplexed with him right now. We can see that he’s talented, but I feel like he is finding himself running in the middle of the pack, not able to fully break out and be a front-runner. I don’t think that he is going to do much to help that cause this week, but he could surprise us.
Scott MacIntyre- June 22, 1985 – Mr. Mister “Broken Wings” or Simple Minds “Don’t You (Forget About Me)
So, I’m prepared for another less-than-spectacular showing from Scott this week. I don’t have much to say about him other than I think it might be his week to go. This would make “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” a HILARIOUS choice for him this week- a subtle plea to his fans to go out and vote for him to keep him on the show. It was also the most popular song of 1985, so that’s also a plus. If he wants to play off the recent success of the E-Trade commercial, he could do “Broken Wings.” His voice would actually fit well on this song I think. But again, I don’t have much to say about Scott.
Lil Rounds – November 14, 1984 – Tina Turner “What’s Love Got To Do With It” or Phil Collins “Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Know)” or Prince “When Doves Cry”
Lil has fallen victim to her own poor song choice selection the past 3 weeks. I honestly don’t know how she hasn’t been in the bottom 3 and Allison has, but I digress. Lil needs a lil bit of a confidence booster right now. The poise she showed in the first two performances, “Be Without You” and “The Way You Make Me Feel,” has dissolved and she does not look like the front-runner most of us pegged her to be. Both of those songs have a lot of personality and sass, and Lil needs to get that back. She could do that with “What’s Love Got To Do With It.” If she is trying to go up there and just sing and show off her vocals again, “Against All Odds” would be a good choice for her, but not the Phil Collins version. She’d more than likely do the Mariah Carey rendition instead, which would showcase much more than the original song would allow her to do. “When Doves Cry” is a long shot for me, but she might pick that one based on it’s popularity. 1984 was a bad year for Lil’s genre, so she could have trouble. If she chooses to pick another God-awful song selection, expect something along the lines of “Girls Just Want To Have Fun.”
Anoop Desai – December 20, 1986 – Steve Winwood “Higher Love” or Ben E. King “Stand By Me”
So this is what I like to call my Psalm 100 special. My two picks include songs that Psalm 100, the a cappella group that I participated in while at UNC, did over the course of my membership. Anoop does not have much to work with, but either of these choices would allow him to show off his vocals without strutting like a peacock too much. I really have started to dislike Anoop just based on his personality and his feeling of some deserving entitlement that he has not earned. Last week helped cement that for me, but hey, maybe I’m the only one. Anoop only has two gears, apparently- crooning a slow ballad or pimping himself over an over-zealous song choice. Sadly, only one of those is good. He needs to be himself and stop trying to show off for the judges (because they obviously don’t like it). People can tell that he is acting fake and it’s driving away some of his votes. He needs to figure himself out, and with a quickness.
Allison Iraheta – April 27, 1992 – Guns N’ Roses “November Rain” or Mr. Big “To Be With You” or U2 “One”
Well, we have one contestant who was born in the 90’s. Man I feel old. 1992 was the year of some iconic 90’s classics, such as “Baby Got Back,” “I’m Too Sexy,” “Jump Around,” “Tennessee,” “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” and the oh-so popular “Achy Breaky Heart.” For all of our sakes, I hope Allison does not choose any of these. I have been saying that Allison needs to take it down a notch for some time now, but she has yet to do it. I’m hoping she takes my advice this week. I think she would put a hurting on some “November Rain.” I can already hear the violins being tuned and see the blue lights shining from behind. She could have a very amazing performance of this song if she can do it like I can envision it. The other two songs are ok choices for her, and she would do them well, but I’m not sure if those two would be able to get her back out of the bottom 3 (even though I don’t think she should be there.) Come on Allison, do the right thing.
I have to say that this is the most time that I have spent, thus far, in making my predictions, so I hope that they are at least partially accurate. I really would like to have some good come out of me spending as many hours on this as I did, haha. Let me know your thoughts on these picks. Am I right in my predictions or am I crazier than Megan Joy? I would like to know! Enjoy the show, folks!
Your American Idol Junkie,
Billy
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