We'll have half of our Top 12 after tonight. Will someone I voted for or even liked make it this time? OK, OK, I liked Danny's performance last week, but his personality is starting to rub me the wrong way. I predicted Adam, Megan and Nick would get through last night, but DialIdol suggests some slightly different results. We can't be sure of anthing though, until Ryan reads it off his card tonight.
There were more votes this week! Instead of 24 million it was 25 million votes! Clearly this season is gaining momentum! People are loving it more and more as it goes on! Just keep telling yourselves that, "Idol."
The group performance is of Ne-Yo's "Closer." Eh, this song isn't that great. I feel sorry for these kids (some of whom are older than me) that they got such a crappy song. Last week's "I'm Yours" was better. None of these group performances have had solos this year. It's much more fun when the contestants get their little spotlights.
Ryan tells us there'll be an unseen audition at the commercial. Crap, I like to keep my tape paused during the breaks. Oh, it's just an unfunny bad audition. Thanks for wasting my time. It's not like they could've shown Jeanine's audition or anything.
Ryan chats it up with the contestants. Nick says if he doesn't make it he's still looking for employment. Matt B. says the judges weren't too hard on him, and that they all have to enjoy what they're doing. Jesse says song selection is very hard, and Jeanine still thinks she overcompensated for her lack of screentime with last night's performance. So nice of them to include this vital segment.
Allison Iraheta is up first. Ryan makes her stand to the side. Next is Jesse Langseth. Ryan makes her stand to the side. Matt Breitzke next, he has to stand to the side. Who's going to make it to the Top 12? Drum roll please! It's Allison! Cool. I voted for her out of fodder sympathy, and apparently America thought she deserved it too. I guess we're to assume that Matt B. and Jesse don't make it. Allison gets to sing "Alone" again (naturally!), and she doesn't sound as good this time. Of course, they rarely do, since they're overcome with emotion. I have a feeling that this girl's going to be one of the first eliminations in the Top 12. She got through this week on the strength of her vocals, but I don't think she has the fanbase to keep her in it very long, and her youth means she'll probably struggle.
Megan Corkrey and Kris Allen are called over next. Oh boy, I really hope Megan doesn't make it. I liked Kris though. Ryan has both of them stand off to the side. Now Matt Giraud and Jeanine Vailes are called over. One of these four is making the Top 12. Ryan asks Paula who it'll be. Duh! Obviously it's going to be a guy. If it were a girl, it would mean Mishavonna and Jasmine sitting over on the couch were automatically eliminated. Then again, "Idol" isn't below coming up with new, more cruel ways to tell people they didn't make it.
Jeanine is the first to learn she didn't make it. No surprise there. It's not Matt G. either. Whoo-hoo! DialIdol was wrong! Not that he deserved it after that crappy performance. So that means it's Kris, right? America voted and the person going thru is...Kris! All right! He deserved it! I know Megan will be back to annoy us at the Wild Card, but for now she's gone! Hooray! We hear "Man in the Mirror" again, and Kris seems very humbled throughout the whole thing. That's how you react to making the Top 12, Danny. Like Allison, I think Kris could be an early Top 12 boot, but for now he deserves to enjoy this moment.
They replay the "Idol" retrospective that they showed us at the beginning of the first episode. It's cool, but I don't need this on tape again.
Now it's time for Brooke White! She tells us she's happy to be on the "Idol" stage without being a competitor. She gives the usual cliche advice to the contestants and adds "don't Google your name." She sings her new song called "Hold Up Your Heart." It's not bad. It's so nice to see Brooke again. It's also nice to see that she's doing more with her career than Syesha Mercado and Jason Castro. Take that, all you people who voted for them instead of her!
Now it's time for them to make Adam's addition to the Top 12 official. Mishavonna Henson, Kai Kalama, Nick Mitchell, Adam Lambert and Jasmine Murray are all brought out to center stage. Mishavonna says she may have picked the wrong song but thought she did her best. Kai says he has no regrets. Jasmine says she has no idea what's going to happen. After the vote, none of them are through. I knew they'd make the final "dramatic" cut Nick vs. Adam. After the final vote, Adam is in the Top 12! Oh well. Nick was fun, but I knew he wasn't going to make it. Adam's a great entertainer though, so I'm sure he'll give us some good moments in the Finals. Like Danny last week, he got two pimp spots on back-to-back nights. Come on, producers. Everyone knew Danny and Adam were going to make it, so saving them for last was anti-climactic. The third seat is the one that's always up in the air, so that should be the one you save for last.
They briefly mention the Wild Card, which is next week. Simon says it's a second chance for contestants who may have made a bad song choice. Does that mean they aren't going to be forced to repeat their songs, as one rumor had it? Boy, I hope so! Who wants to tune in to see essentially the same performances? Of course, the Wild Card show is one day after the Group 3 results, so are they all going to have only one day to choose and rehearse a song?
Next week's performers:
Arianna Afsar
Ju'Not Joyner
Kristin McNamara
Nathaniel Marshall
Lil Rounds
Jorge Nunez
Kendall Beard
Scott MacIntyre
Felicia Barton
Von Smith
Taylor Vaifanua
Alex Wagner-Trugman
Not a particularly strong group, in my opinion. The only three I'm interested in are Alex (go geeks!), Felicia (go vague associations!) and Kristin (go...talent!). Of course, we know the three who get through will be Lil, Scott and probably either Von, Taylor or Jorge. Yawn. Then again, after this week's results there may be some hope that the boring, overpimped contestants won't make it through.
One week from today we'll have our Top 12! I can't wait!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Semifinal Group 2 - The Fodder Steps it Up (at least, some of them)
Where else can you find a welder, a bartender, a font designer and a comedian all on the verge of stardom? Certainly not on "American Idol," as few contestants on this show truly attain "stardom." There is a slight chance that maybe one of them could become a bonafide star though, so perhaps this is worth missing "Lost" for.
First up is young Jasmine Murray. Hey, I thought they were supposed to be pimping her! Why is she in the death spot? Which song does she choose on her way to a prospective career as a watered-down Jordin Sparks? "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles. Well, it hasn't been done on this show before, so that makes her more inspired than nine of the twelve from last week. She doesn't sound bad, but she doesn't really "wow" me either. She does a little of that overpronunciation that annoys me. Her stage presence is OK, but the best I can say about this performance it that it's merely decent. Randy says it was pitchy throughout and not the right song. Kara says she's very commercial, but it was all over the place. Paula says she gave it her all, but the pitch was bad. Simon thinks she entered the competition too early. Jasmine takes it all in stride and says she had a great time.
Matt Giraud's intro clip shows his performance of "Georgia" from Hollywood. I think that means they're pimping him. They saw what a positive reaction it got on the internet when it was shown before and they're hoping it'll bring him votes tonight. Nah, that can't be it. The producers of "American Idol" still deny that the internet exists. His song choice is another that's never been done: Coldplay's "Viva La Vida." OK, let me start by saying that I find Coldplay to be one of the most boring bands ever. I've never understood their incredible popularity. Matt's performance of this song is too breathy, the runs sound bad, and I think his voice cracks a few times. He tries to make it "soulful," but it just comes off as affected. Finally, it's good to have a legit reason for not liking him. Kara says she's not blown away, and that Matt needs a bluesy song. Paula says it was a risky song choice. Simon says it was verging on a horrible performance. Randy's pulling for him, but says he needs more complicated songs. I like how they give him the "it was a bad performance but we hope you get votes" response. I don't know if they laid it on thick enough to save him, though.
Now we come to our least-pimped contestant, and the bartender mentioned in the intro: Jeanine Vailes. I hope she does well enough that only her lack of screentime will keep her out of the Top 12. That'll show the producers that this "group" format needs to go. I'll probably vote for her tonight just out of fodder sympathy. Hey, she's from Washington, DC? I thought she was from California? These contestants keep changing their hometowns. She's doing Maroon 5's "This Love." Hmm, this could be interesting. It starts out with her voice too low and drowned out by the band, and it doesn't improve much from there. She tries to get into it and make it soulful near the end, but it just doesn't work. The runs and pitch are awful. Argh! Sorry, Jeanine, but this is really not good. Paula says she has great legs. I see they're doing it "Canadian Idol"-style tonight, where they rotate which judge speaks first. Simon says it was terrible and a bad song choice, but seconds the leg comment. Randy thirds the leg comment, seconds the bad song choice comment and says the best part was when it ended. Kara says it was overdone, to which Jeanine replies that she was trying to make up for her lack of screentime. I feel bad for her. She seems like a fun, smiley person who really wants this badly, but her performance did her no favors. Ah, what the heck. I'll give you some votes, Jeanine!
Nick Mitchell looks fairly normal before they cut to the break, but could Normund Gentle (apparently it's not "Norman") surprise us and end up performing on the "Idol" stage? Oh, the suspense!
Knowing it could be his one shot, Nick decides to break out Normund Gentle for his signature song: "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." OK, this is brilliant. We've heard this song done by every wannabe diva, and now we get to hear someone crap on it, set it on fire and leave it on AI's doorstep. Nick (er, Normund) changes several lyrics to reflect his desperation to stay on the show, and removes his glasses and white jacket over the course of the song's ever-heightening emotion. He walks up to the judges' table and caresses the Idol logo, and when he ends the song at the "you're gonna loooooo-o-o-oooo-o-o-o-o-o-o-ooove..." part, he simply deadpans "me" instead of drawing it out. I haven't laughed this hard at an AI performance since Sanjaya's "You Really Got Me." This is truly a stroke of genius. The audience can't stop cheering. Simon hopes he's speaking on behalf of America when he hopes that Nick doesn't go through. Dude, you're British. Don't try to speak for America. Randy says it was one of the most entertaining performances ever on Idol, but the vocals weren't happening. Kara says it was memorable and he's not a terrible singer, but she doesn't see him in the music market. Paula says he's a true performer, but she doesn't know if this is the stage for him. I am so voting for this guy. This'll probably end up with What Not to Sing's highest standard deviation ever! I'm going on record as saying I loved it.
Next is fodder (er, teenager) Allison Iraheta. If she does "Hot Hot Hot" I'm going to laugh. She seems very uncomfortable chatting it up with Ryan and comes off as a little weird. Probably nerves. This is the 1000th performance in AI history. Will the milestone be memorable? Her song choice is "Alone" by Heart. Oh no. Please stop singing this song! The band drowns out her voice a little at first, but when she gets going she shows a surprising amount of vocal power. Her stage performance is somewhat amateurish, but the vocal is probably the best of the night. I'm impressed. Randy says she blew it out the box. Kara says Allison doesn't know how good she is and she has serious chops. Paula thinks she can sing the telephone book (brother, can we retire that cliche after hearing it every week last year with David Archuleta?) and that it was the best of the night so far. Simon says it was the best so far by a clear mile. Allison seems like a very spacey person. It'll be interesting to see how she does if she gets more confidence onstage (and advances in the competition).
Kris Allen is next, and they show us that in Hollywood he was known for playing his guitar. Tonight he's doing Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror." At least it's not an overdone song choice. The performance starts out slightly boring at first, but as the song picks up, so does the performance. He hits some incredible notes, and despite his face looking a little goofy at times, I actually really like this. This guy deserves some votes. Kara says the second half was better than the first, but it doesn't compare to what he did in Hollywood. Um, you are aware that contestants aren't allowed to play instruments in these Semifinals, right? Paula says he showed personality and nailed it, Simon pimps Danny Gokey by saying Kris isn't as good as him, but that he's proud of him. Randy says he proved he can do it without the guitar. Good on him. Rise above your fodder status, Kris!
Megan Joy Corkrey, now featuring her middle name and Keri Russell-ish curly hair, is the girl who annoys me the most, so that means she's getting through tonight. I just know the judges will pimp her for her cool jazzy quirkiness. They remind us that she has a son in the intro clip. Extra votes right there. Her song tonight? "Put Your Records On." Whoop-dee-doo, another overdone choice! Her jazz-isms throughout this song annoy me. She isn't really that great of a singer, but she seems to have a style that works for her, so we know the judges will love it. Ick. Paula says she did everything right. Simon calls her a "funny little thing," says she oversang the second part, and hopes America votes for her! AHHHHH! DON'T LISTEN TO SIMON YOU MORONS WHO VOTED FOR MICHAEL LAST WEEK! Randy says she did a nice, nice job. Kara calls her a "package artist," and says that with the right song she could have a hit. Ah, I give up. She'll be in the Top 12 despite her minimal talent. I think it's safe to start calling her the fourth member of the Top 12 I'm not thrilled with.
Blue-collar family man Matt Breitzke is next. Will his kid help him get through too? His song choice is Tonic's "If You Could Only See." Booooooooooooring. This song reminds me of how I started following "Canadian Idol" during its fifth season, and the guy who won was this dude named Brian Melo. I downloaded a bunch of ZIP files off Idolforums that had mp3's of each week's performances. I ended up deleting most of Brian's because he always picked such boring songs, and this was one of them. Jaydee Bixby may have come in second place, but he was much more entertaining than Brian will ever be. Sorry, back to the American version of this franchise. I like the soulful texture to Matt's voice on the slow part, but when the music rocks Matt doesn't. He just drones on tepidly. Such a boring song. Really forgettable. Simon hates the song and thinks it was boring. Randy seconds the boring. Kara says it was a poor song choice and he fell really flat. Paula says he has a good voice, but it was a poor song choice. Matt stands by his song choice because he loves it. Well, good luck with that attitude. Maybe if you go to Canada you can win "Idol" there.
Jesse Langseth is a single mom. Sheesh, her too? How many freaking contestants have kids this year? She's doing Kim Carnes' "Bette Davis Eyes" because she thinks it's one of the greatest songs ever written. Our first visual of her is a vampy silhouette. Some of the affected blues/jazz-isms are kind of annoying, but she clearly has a good voice. She's similar to horseteeth Megan, except she's better at what she does. Randy says it was just OK, but not exciting. Jesse asks what he'd like to see from her, and Randy says he wants her to stretch herself vocally. Kara says she took some risks and that there were some good moments. Paula says she's found her captivating throughout the competition, and that she's "just got it." Simon thinks she's forgettable. I kind of like her, though her talkative personality is slightly annoying.
Next is Kai Kalama. He's obviously not one of the pimped, since his mother is only briefly mentioned in his intro clip. If he mentioned that he takes care of her he'd get tons of votes. He's doing Jimmy Ruffin's "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted?" Sheesh, another boring song choice. Kai's vocals are good, but this song just doesn't rope you in. I don't have much to say about it except that I can't see how this would inspire people to pick up the phone. This is so middle-of-the-road it's not even funny. Kara says the song was too old-fashioned. Paula says she loves the throwback songs, and that Kai's got the chops to do well in the business. Simon compares him to a wedding or hotel singer, and says he should be singing backup. Randy says it was too safe. I think the judges said it better than I could. Then again, after this many performances my descriptive abilities get drained.
Mishavonna Henson is a really cute girl who promises not to let America down. She's singing "Drops of Jupiter," a song which bombed for Ace Young. Ergh, another bad song choice. Like Casey Carlson last week, she made the mistake of choosing a song that doesn't work from a female perspective. The vocals are on-key but lacking in power. It's extremely karaoke, but since she's fodder I'm voting for her anyway. Paula says she's a fan of Mishavonna's voice, but the song choice didn't excite her. Simon says it was technically good, but it left him cold. Randy says she needs to sing something young and didn't show off her voice enough. Kara says she needs to loosen up. Mishavonna says she's a lot more crazy than she lets on, and that we'll see the crazy if we vote for her. Sorry, Mishavonna. I don't think anyone but me, your friends and family will be voting for you.
And the pimp spot goes to...Adam Lambert. He's doing "Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones. Hmmm. So he's going to show us his rock side tonight, eh? The song starts slow, with just a few strums of an electric guitar backing him, but then he kicks it up and starts going wild with it. He has an incredibly powerful voice, and thanks to his musical theater background he's clearly comfortable onstage. He's like Constantine Maroulis without the grease and possessing actual vocal talent. He lets out some crazy screams and makes them look effortless. This is really dang good. He totally rocks it and makes it his own. He'd be perfect for an '80s hair metal band, and I happen to like that style, so he's cool with me. Now it's pimping time. Paula says it was like watching an Adam Lambert concert. Simon says some parts were excruciatingly bad and some parts were brilliant, and that it was a "love it or hate it" performance. Randy loves it and says Adam is one of the most current contestants out there. Kara says his vocal technique is outrageous. I don't think Adam needs my votes tonight.
My performance ranking:
1. Nick (9.5 out of 10)
2. Adam (9 out of 10) (Adam's was obviously better technically, but I enjoyed Nick's more)
3. Kris (7.5 out of 10)
4. Allison (7 out of 10)
5. Jesse (6 out of 10)
6. Jasmine (5.1 out of 10)
7. Kai (5 out of 10)
8. Matt B. (4.5 out of 10)
9. Mishavonna (4 out of 10)
10. Megan (3.9 out of 10)
11. Matt G. (3.5 out of 10)
12. Jeanine (3 out of 10)
Predictions after the performances:
I was tempted to be really cynical here and say that the three with kids, Megan, Matt B. and Jesse get through, but I'll try to be more realistic.
Top male vote-getter: Adam. He rocked it and gave the most technically proficient performance of the night.
Top female vote-getter: Megan. She'll get through for no good reason just like Michael did last week. Freaking judges.
Third seat: Nick. Come on. That was awesome on so many levels.
Whom I voted for: Jeanine, Nick, Allison, Kris, Jesse, Mishavonna
I got some interesting results when dialing. My predictions may end up being wrong. Oh, I do hope so! OK, that sounded...yeah.
First up is young Jasmine Murray. Hey, I thought they were supposed to be pimping her! Why is she in the death spot? Which song does she choose on her way to a prospective career as a watered-down Jordin Sparks? "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles. Well, it hasn't been done on this show before, so that makes her more inspired than nine of the twelve from last week. She doesn't sound bad, but she doesn't really "wow" me either. She does a little of that overpronunciation that annoys me. Her stage presence is OK, but the best I can say about this performance it that it's merely decent. Randy says it was pitchy throughout and not the right song. Kara says she's very commercial, but it was all over the place. Paula says she gave it her all, but the pitch was bad. Simon thinks she entered the competition too early. Jasmine takes it all in stride and says she had a great time.
Matt Giraud's intro clip shows his performance of "Georgia" from Hollywood. I think that means they're pimping him. They saw what a positive reaction it got on the internet when it was shown before and they're hoping it'll bring him votes tonight. Nah, that can't be it. The producers of "American Idol" still deny that the internet exists. His song choice is another that's never been done: Coldplay's "Viva La Vida." OK, let me start by saying that I find Coldplay to be one of the most boring bands ever. I've never understood their incredible popularity. Matt's performance of this song is too breathy, the runs sound bad, and I think his voice cracks a few times. He tries to make it "soulful," but it just comes off as affected. Finally, it's good to have a legit reason for not liking him. Kara says she's not blown away, and that Matt needs a bluesy song. Paula says it was a risky song choice. Simon says it was verging on a horrible performance. Randy's pulling for him, but says he needs more complicated songs. I like how they give him the "it was a bad performance but we hope you get votes" response. I don't know if they laid it on thick enough to save him, though.
Now we come to our least-pimped contestant, and the bartender mentioned in the intro: Jeanine Vailes. I hope she does well enough that only her lack of screentime will keep her out of the Top 12. That'll show the producers that this "group" format needs to go. I'll probably vote for her tonight just out of fodder sympathy. Hey, she's from Washington, DC? I thought she was from California? These contestants keep changing their hometowns. She's doing Maroon 5's "This Love." Hmm, this could be interesting. It starts out with her voice too low and drowned out by the band, and it doesn't improve much from there. She tries to get into it and make it soulful near the end, but it just doesn't work. The runs and pitch are awful. Argh! Sorry, Jeanine, but this is really not good. Paula says she has great legs. I see they're doing it "Canadian Idol"-style tonight, where they rotate which judge speaks first. Simon says it was terrible and a bad song choice, but seconds the leg comment. Randy thirds the leg comment, seconds the bad song choice comment and says the best part was when it ended. Kara says it was overdone, to which Jeanine replies that she was trying to make up for her lack of screentime. I feel bad for her. She seems like a fun, smiley person who really wants this badly, but her performance did her no favors. Ah, what the heck. I'll give you some votes, Jeanine!
Nick Mitchell looks fairly normal before they cut to the break, but could Normund Gentle (apparently it's not "Norman") surprise us and end up performing on the "Idol" stage? Oh, the suspense!
Knowing it could be his one shot, Nick decides to break out Normund Gentle for his signature song: "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." OK, this is brilliant. We've heard this song done by every wannabe diva, and now we get to hear someone crap on it, set it on fire and leave it on AI's doorstep. Nick (er, Normund) changes several lyrics to reflect his desperation to stay on the show, and removes his glasses and white jacket over the course of the song's ever-heightening emotion. He walks up to the judges' table and caresses the Idol logo, and when he ends the song at the "you're gonna loooooo-o-o-oooo-o-o-o-o-o-o-ooove..." part, he simply deadpans "me" instead of drawing it out. I haven't laughed this hard at an AI performance since Sanjaya's "You Really Got Me." This is truly a stroke of genius. The audience can't stop cheering. Simon hopes he's speaking on behalf of America when he hopes that Nick doesn't go through. Dude, you're British. Don't try to speak for America. Randy says it was one of the most entertaining performances ever on Idol, but the vocals weren't happening. Kara says it was memorable and he's not a terrible singer, but she doesn't see him in the music market. Paula says he's a true performer, but she doesn't know if this is the stage for him. I am so voting for this guy. This'll probably end up with What Not to Sing's highest standard deviation ever! I'm going on record as saying I loved it.
Next is fodder (er, teenager) Allison Iraheta. If she does "Hot Hot Hot" I'm going to laugh. She seems very uncomfortable chatting it up with Ryan and comes off as a little weird. Probably nerves. This is the 1000th performance in AI history. Will the milestone be memorable? Her song choice is "Alone" by Heart. Oh no. Please stop singing this song! The band drowns out her voice a little at first, but when she gets going she shows a surprising amount of vocal power. Her stage performance is somewhat amateurish, but the vocal is probably the best of the night. I'm impressed. Randy says she blew it out the box. Kara says Allison doesn't know how good she is and she has serious chops. Paula thinks she can sing the telephone book (brother, can we retire that cliche after hearing it every week last year with David Archuleta?) and that it was the best of the night so far. Simon says it was the best so far by a clear mile. Allison seems like a very spacey person. It'll be interesting to see how she does if she gets more confidence onstage (and advances in the competition).
Kris Allen is next, and they show us that in Hollywood he was known for playing his guitar. Tonight he's doing Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror." At least it's not an overdone song choice. The performance starts out slightly boring at first, but as the song picks up, so does the performance. He hits some incredible notes, and despite his face looking a little goofy at times, I actually really like this. This guy deserves some votes. Kara says the second half was better than the first, but it doesn't compare to what he did in Hollywood. Um, you are aware that contestants aren't allowed to play instruments in these Semifinals, right? Paula says he showed personality and nailed it, Simon pimps Danny Gokey by saying Kris isn't as good as him, but that he's proud of him. Randy says he proved he can do it without the guitar. Good on him. Rise above your fodder status, Kris!
Megan Joy Corkrey, now featuring her middle name and Keri Russell-ish curly hair, is the girl who annoys me the most, so that means she's getting through tonight. I just know the judges will pimp her for her cool jazzy quirkiness. They remind us that she has a son in the intro clip. Extra votes right there. Her song tonight? "Put Your Records On." Whoop-dee-doo, another overdone choice! Her jazz-isms throughout this song annoy me. She isn't really that great of a singer, but she seems to have a style that works for her, so we know the judges will love it. Ick. Paula says she did everything right. Simon calls her a "funny little thing," says she oversang the second part, and hopes America votes for her! AHHHHH! DON'T LISTEN TO SIMON YOU MORONS WHO VOTED FOR MICHAEL LAST WEEK! Randy says she did a nice, nice job. Kara calls her a "package artist," and says that with the right song she could have a hit. Ah, I give up. She'll be in the Top 12 despite her minimal talent. I think it's safe to start calling her the fourth member of the Top 12 I'm not thrilled with.
Blue-collar family man Matt Breitzke is next. Will his kid help him get through too? His song choice is Tonic's "If You Could Only See." Booooooooooooring. This song reminds me of how I started following "Canadian Idol" during its fifth season, and the guy who won was this dude named Brian Melo. I downloaded a bunch of ZIP files off Idolforums that had mp3's of each week's performances. I ended up deleting most of Brian's because he always picked such boring songs, and this was one of them. Jaydee Bixby may have come in second place, but he was much more entertaining than Brian will ever be. Sorry, back to the American version of this franchise. I like the soulful texture to Matt's voice on the slow part, but when the music rocks Matt doesn't. He just drones on tepidly. Such a boring song. Really forgettable. Simon hates the song and thinks it was boring. Randy seconds the boring. Kara says it was a poor song choice and he fell really flat. Paula says he has a good voice, but it was a poor song choice. Matt stands by his song choice because he loves it. Well, good luck with that attitude. Maybe if you go to Canada you can win "Idol" there.
Jesse Langseth is a single mom. Sheesh, her too? How many freaking contestants have kids this year? She's doing Kim Carnes' "Bette Davis Eyes" because she thinks it's one of the greatest songs ever written. Our first visual of her is a vampy silhouette. Some of the affected blues/jazz-isms are kind of annoying, but she clearly has a good voice. She's similar to horseteeth Megan, except she's better at what she does. Randy says it was just OK, but not exciting. Jesse asks what he'd like to see from her, and Randy says he wants her to stretch herself vocally. Kara says she took some risks and that there were some good moments. Paula says she's found her captivating throughout the competition, and that she's "just got it." Simon thinks she's forgettable. I kind of like her, though her talkative personality is slightly annoying.
Next is Kai Kalama. He's obviously not one of the pimped, since his mother is only briefly mentioned in his intro clip. If he mentioned that he takes care of her he'd get tons of votes. He's doing Jimmy Ruffin's "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted?" Sheesh, another boring song choice. Kai's vocals are good, but this song just doesn't rope you in. I don't have much to say about it except that I can't see how this would inspire people to pick up the phone. This is so middle-of-the-road it's not even funny. Kara says the song was too old-fashioned. Paula says she loves the throwback songs, and that Kai's got the chops to do well in the business. Simon compares him to a wedding or hotel singer, and says he should be singing backup. Randy says it was too safe. I think the judges said it better than I could. Then again, after this many performances my descriptive abilities get drained.
Mishavonna Henson is a really cute girl who promises not to let America down. She's singing "Drops of Jupiter," a song which bombed for Ace Young. Ergh, another bad song choice. Like Casey Carlson last week, she made the mistake of choosing a song that doesn't work from a female perspective. The vocals are on-key but lacking in power. It's extremely karaoke, but since she's fodder I'm voting for her anyway. Paula says she's a fan of Mishavonna's voice, but the song choice didn't excite her. Simon says it was technically good, but it left him cold. Randy says she needs to sing something young and didn't show off her voice enough. Kara says she needs to loosen up. Mishavonna says she's a lot more crazy than she lets on, and that we'll see the crazy if we vote for her. Sorry, Mishavonna. I don't think anyone but me, your friends and family will be voting for you.
And the pimp spot goes to...Adam Lambert. He's doing "Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones. Hmmm. So he's going to show us his rock side tonight, eh? The song starts slow, with just a few strums of an electric guitar backing him, but then he kicks it up and starts going wild with it. He has an incredibly powerful voice, and thanks to his musical theater background he's clearly comfortable onstage. He's like Constantine Maroulis without the grease and possessing actual vocal talent. He lets out some crazy screams and makes them look effortless. This is really dang good. He totally rocks it and makes it his own. He'd be perfect for an '80s hair metal band, and I happen to like that style, so he's cool with me. Now it's pimping time. Paula says it was like watching an Adam Lambert concert. Simon says some parts were excruciatingly bad and some parts were brilliant, and that it was a "love it or hate it" performance. Randy loves it and says Adam is one of the most current contestants out there. Kara says his vocal technique is outrageous. I don't think Adam needs my votes tonight.
My performance ranking:
1. Nick (9.5 out of 10)
2. Adam (9 out of 10) (Adam's was obviously better technically, but I enjoyed Nick's more)
3. Kris (7.5 out of 10)
4. Allison (7 out of 10)
5. Jesse (6 out of 10)
6. Jasmine (5.1 out of 10)
7. Kai (5 out of 10)
8. Matt B. (4.5 out of 10)
9. Mishavonna (4 out of 10)
10. Megan (3.9 out of 10)
11. Matt G. (3.5 out of 10)
12. Jeanine (3 out of 10)
Predictions after the performances:
I was tempted to be really cynical here and say that the three with kids, Megan, Matt B. and Jesse get through, but I'll try to be more realistic.
Top male vote-getter: Adam. He rocked it and gave the most technically proficient performance of the night.
Top female vote-getter: Megan. She'll get through for no good reason just like Michael did last week. Freaking judges.
Third seat: Nick. Come on. That was awesome on so many levels.
Whom I voted for: Jeanine, Nick, Allison, Kris, Jesse, Mishavonna
I got some interesting results when dialing. My predictions may end up being wrong. Oh, I do hope so! OK, that sounded...yeah.
Monday, February 23, 2009
A Bit of News Courtesy of WhatNotToSing.com!
This Wednesday, after our new president so rudely delays "American Idol" (what's with this guy? First the World Series, and now "American Idol." Who does he think he is that he can do this to one and a half American institutions?), we'll be getting Semifinal Group 2's performances. According to our friends at WNTS, the fifth performance that night will be #1000 in the show's history! What a milestone!
They're also running a fun little contest to see who can most closely guess the performer, song and WNTS rating (read the site if you don't understand the ratings). That's definitely worth checking out.
As long as I'm here, I sure hope someone in Group 2 steps up his or her game and blows us away. I don't care for the styles of Alexis or Michael, and while I like the texture and tone of Danny's voice, I'm not exactly sure what his style is anymore. The constant dead wife pimping got old a long time ago too. If his dead wife gets mentioned anytime after the Top 12 episode (you know, when we're introduced to the contestants in more depth and it'll inevitably be mentioned again) I'm officially done giving him chances. I want someone in that Top 12 I can root for.
They're also running a fun little contest to see who can most closely guess the performer, song and WNTS rating (read the site if you don't understand the ratings). That's definitely worth checking out.
As long as I'm here, I sure hope someone in Group 2 steps up his or her game and blows us away. I don't care for the styles of Alexis or Michael, and while I like the texture and tone of Danny's voice, I'm not exactly sure what his style is anymore. The constant dead wife pimping got old a long time ago too. If his dead wife gets mentioned anytime after the Top 12 episode (you know, when we're introduced to the contestants in more depth and it'll inevitably be mentioned again) I'm officially done giving him chances. I want someone in that Top 12 I can root for.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Semifinal Group 1 Results - So Many Suprises!
After 24 million votes and a montage of their "Idol" journeys set to "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," these 12 hopefuls will find out if they made the Top 12 tonight. But first - a group performance!
The song they sing is Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours," which is already this year's audition song we're all sick of. Kind of an odd choice. I'm glad they kept these group sings even after Nigel Lythgoe left. They look lost doing the choreography most of the time, but they seem to be having fun out there. Jackie hams it up to the camera the whole time, and Stephen shows us that he is indeed the corny guy he said he was yesterday. The ending is pretty cool when they're all singing completely different parts. Not one of my all-time favorite group performances, but a pleasant little diversion.
Ryan chats with the contestants, and Jackie says that she'd give her performance last night a 91 if it were for a school report card. Anoop says the contestants are all relaxed, but after Ryan grills him a bit he admits that he's incredibly nervous. Anoop is so dang likable with his good sportsmanship. Tatiana says she's humbled to be there, and Stevie says she's proud to have gotten this far, but that it was confusing when the judges asked her to be younger.
After the filler's over we get to the results.
Casey Carlson's up first. After chatting with the judges for a while it's revealed that she didn't make the Top 12. What was the point of dragging that out? There was no way she was getting in after that atrocity last night.
Stephen Fowler's next, and he doesn't make it either. Well, duh!
Pink-haired Alexis Grace is next, and we all know she's going to make it, so stop delaying the inevitable. After much stalling, Alexis is announced as the first member of the Top 12. Boo for more kid pimping! She gets to sing her song from last night once again. She can't be the next American Idol. Eventually there'll be a non-Aretha Franklin theme week, and she's still too whitebread to do Aretha justice anyway.
Ricky Braddy and Jackie Tohn both learn their fates next, and neither one makes it. Too bad. I voted for both of them.
Anoop Desai and Michael Sarver come down together, two pimpees who didn't do great last night. They're both incredibly nervous. One of them is going through, and that person is...Michael. Friggin' crap. I saw it coming after looking at DialIdol, but that doesn't mean I like it. Once again, the one I voted for didn't make it. At least Anoop handles it with the utmost class. How great would it be if he came back as a Wild Card? Michael sings "I Don't Want to Be" again, and it's amazing how stultifyingly mediocre he is. My facetious "instant Top 12" comment when Michael mentioned his family last night turned out to be more accurate than I thought. Ryan tells us after the performance that only 20,000 votes separated Anoop and Michael. Dang it! I knew I should've voted harder!
I might as well turn it off now because I know Danny's getting the last spot, but I'm a masochist, so I won't. Tatiana's the only one left that I voted for, but she doesn't have a chance now.
They talk about the new "American Idol Experience" attraction at Disney World. I heard about that. It's cool that they got a bunch of past contestants, including all seven winners, together for the opening of it. They show us a clip of David Cook and Carrie Underwood singing "Go Your Own Way" together, and they sound incredible. Now that's how you do a duet! Two talented singers complementing each other and harmonizing perfectly!
Now it's time for our next two and...oh! What do you know! It's Carly Smithson and Michael Johns, the two losers that "Idol" keeps propping up because they want to pretend that America actually liked the plants they cultivated last year! Carly seems to have a slight southern twang in her Irish accent now. Either that or she's really from Alabama and just lied about being from Ireland like she lied about everything else.
So why are these two here? Oh, they're going to do a duet for us! Well, I'm sure it's going to be great after they just saw two pros do it the right way! Their song? "The Letter." Didn't they do that at the finale last year? I don't even remember for sure because I was sick of being told that we Americans got it wrong by not keeping these two non-Americans in the competition and stopped paying attention when it was their turn to perform. It's a jazzed-up version rather than the somber Box Tops version. They both still look and sound like they're trying to take a dump when they sing, and Carly tries to outscream Michael during all the parts where they sing together. Alex Chilton would be ashamed. Hey, "Idol," next time you want to bring back the 6th and 8th Place finishers from a season, do Kellie Pickler and Bucky Covington or something. You know, people who were actually successful after the show?
Anne Marie Boskovich, Brent Keith and Stevie Wright all stand up, and none of them are in. Yeah, yeah. It's going to be Danny. We all know it. He should've been the first one announced so that there could've been some drama to this whole process.
Finally that leaves us with Danny Gokey and Tatiana Del Toro. GEE, I WONDER WHO'S GETTING IN? The one we've all been told to love or the one we've all been told to hate? And the one who makes it is: Danny. He let's out a "whoo!" when he finds out. It's so touching how humbled he is to be in the Top 12, isn't it? Tatiana starts crying. Poor girl. I don't care how annoying you thought she was, you can see that this really meant a lot to her. Like Anoop, I hope she's a Wild Card, but I wouldn't bet on it. During Danny's reprise of "Hero," one of his friends watching on the side holds up a picture of Danny and his wife that the camera zooms up on. Is it too early to predict (or hope) that Danny is this year's shocking elimination? Tatiana remains tearful throughout the entire thing. Sorry, Tatiana. I voted for you!
What a disappointing night. I'm not enthusiastic about any of the people who made it. The first three members of our Top 12 can be summed up as follows:
1. Daughter
2. Family
3. Widower
In other words, no sympathetic backstory, no go. Sorry, Anoop, Tatiana, Jackie and Ricky!
Next week it's Group 2, which contains the following people:
Megan Corkrey
Kris Allen
Mishavonna Henson
Matt Breitzke
Allison Iraheta
Matt Giraud
Jasmine Murray
Kai Kalama
Jesse Langseth
Adam Lambert
Jeanine Vailes
Nick Mitchell
Let's take a look at these people real quick:
Megan: single parent
Kris: fodder
Mishavonna: fodder
Matt B: family
Allison: fodder
Matt G: no sympathetic backstory
Jasmine: just a kid
Kai: takes care of his mother
Jesse: fodder
Adam: no sympathetic backstory
Jeanine: fodder
Nick: no sympathetic backstory
It's obvious who's going to make it: Megan, Matt B. and Kai.
That means Group 3 will be:
Arianna Afsar: just a kid
Felicia Barton: parent
Kendall Beard: fodder
Ju'Not Joyner: parent
Scott MacIntyre: blind
Nathaniel Marshall: had a rough life growing up
Kristen McNamara: no sympathetic backstory
Jorge Nunez: no sympathetic backstory
Lil Rounds: parent
Von Smith: no sympathetic backstory
Taylor Vaifanua: just a kid
Alex Wagner-Trugman: fodder
Hmmm. This is a tough call. I guess Lil, Ju'Not and Felicia will get through because of their kids, and Nathaniel, Scott and one lucky contestant with no kids or sob story will get through as Wild Cards. That one lucky contestant will finish in 12th Place.
Please, America. Could we all agree to try for at least one surprise in these Semifinals?
The song they sing is Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours," which is already this year's audition song we're all sick of. Kind of an odd choice. I'm glad they kept these group sings even after Nigel Lythgoe left. They look lost doing the choreography most of the time, but they seem to be having fun out there. Jackie hams it up to the camera the whole time, and Stephen shows us that he is indeed the corny guy he said he was yesterday. The ending is pretty cool when they're all singing completely different parts. Not one of my all-time favorite group performances, but a pleasant little diversion.
Ryan chats with the contestants, and Jackie says that she'd give her performance last night a 91 if it were for a school report card. Anoop says the contestants are all relaxed, but after Ryan grills him a bit he admits that he's incredibly nervous. Anoop is so dang likable with his good sportsmanship. Tatiana says she's humbled to be there, and Stevie says she's proud to have gotten this far, but that it was confusing when the judges asked her to be younger.
After the filler's over we get to the results.
Casey Carlson's up first. After chatting with the judges for a while it's revealed that she didn't make the Top 12. What was the point of dragging that out? There was no way she was getting in after that atrocity last night.
Stephen Fowler's next, and he doesn't make it either. Well, duh!
Pink-haired Alexis Grace is next, and we all know she's going to make it, so stop delaying the inevitable. After much stalling, Alexis is announced as the first member of the Top 12. Boo for more kid pimping! She gets to sing her song from last night once again. She can't be the next American Idol. Eventually there'll be a non-Aretha Franklin theme week, and she's still too whitebread to do Aretha justice anyway.
Ricky Braddy and Jackie Tohn both learn their fates next, and neither one makes it. Too bad. I voted for both of them.
Anoop Desai and Michael Sarver come down together, two pimpees who didn't do great last night. They're both incredibly nervous. One of them is going through, and that person is...Michael. Friggin' crap. I saw it coming after looking at DialIdol, but that doesn't mean I like it. Once again, the one I voted for didn't make it. At least Anoop handles it with the utmost class. How great would it be if he came back as a Wild Card? Michael sings "I Don't Want to Be" again, and it's amazing how stultifyingly mediocre he is. My facetious "instant Top 12" comment when Michael mentioned his family last night turned out to be more accurate than I thought. Ryan tells us after the performance that only 20,000 votes separated Anoop and Michael. Dang it! I knew I should've voted harder!
I might as well turn it off now because I know Danny's getting the last spot, but I'm a masochist, so I won't. Tatiana's the only one left that I voted for, but she doesn't have a chance now.
They talk about the new "American Idol Experience" attraction at Disney World. I heard about that. It's cool that they got a bunch of past contestants, including all seven winners, together for the opening of it. They show us a clip of David Cook and Carrie Underwood singing "Go Your Own Way" together, and they sound incredible. Now that's how you do a duet! Two talented singers complementing each other and harmonizing perfectly!
Now it's time for our next two and...oh! What do you know! It's Carly Smithson and Michael Johns, the two losers that "Idol" keeps propping up because they want to pretend that America actually liked the plants they cultivated last year! Carly seems to have a slight southern twang in her Irish accent now. Either that or she's really from Alabama and just lied about being from Ireland like she lied about everything else.
So why are these two here? Oh, they're going to do a duet for us! Well, I'm sure it's going to be great after they just saw two pros do it the right way! Their song? "The Letter." Didn't they do that at the finale last year? I don't even remember for sure because I was sick of being told that we Americans got it wrong by not keeping these two non-Americans in the competition and stopped paying attention when it was their turn to perform. It's a jazzed-up version rather than the somber Box Tops version. They both still look and sound like they're trying to take a dump when they sing, and Carly tries to outscream Michael during all the parts where they sing together. Alex Chilton would be ashamed. Hey, "Idol," next time you want to bring back the 6th and 8th Place finishers from a season, do Kellie Pickler and Bucky Covington or something. You know, people who were actually successful after the show?
Anne Marie Boskovich, Brent Keith and Stevie Wright all stand up, and none of them are in. Yeah, yeah. It's going to be Danny. We all know it. He should've been the first one announced so that there could've been some drama to this whole process.
Finally that leaves us with Danny Gokey and Tatiana Del Toro. GEE, I WONDER WHO'S GETTING IN? The one we've all been told to love or the one we've all been told to hate? And the one who makes it is: Danny. He let's out a "whoo!" when he finds out. It's so touching how humbled he is to be in the Top 12, isn't it? Tatiana starts crying. Poor girl. I don't care how annoying you thought she was, you can see that this really meant a lot to her. Like Anoop, I hope she's a Wild Card, but I wouldn't bet on it. During Danny's reprise of "Hero," one of his friends watching on the side holds up a picture of Danny and his wife that the camera zooms up on. Is it too early to predict (or hope) that Danny is this year's shocking elimination? Tatiana remains tearful throughout the entire thing. Sorry, Tatiana. I voted for you!
What a disappointing night. I'm not enthusiastic about any of the people who made it. The first three members of our Top 12 can be summed up as follows:
1. Daughter
2. Family
3. Widower
In other words, no sympathetic backstory, no go. Sorry, Anoop, Tatiana, Jackie and Ricky!
Next week it's Group 2, which contains the following people:
Megan Corkrey
Kris Allen
Mishavonna Henson
Matt Breitzke
Allison Iraheta
Matt Giraud
Jasmine Murray
Kai Kalama
Jesse Langseth
Adam Lambert
Jeanine Vailes
Nick Mitchell
Let's take a look at these people real quick:
Megan: single parent
Kris: fodder
Mishavonna: fodder
Matt B: family
Allison: fodder
Matt G: no sympathetic backstory
Jasmine: just a kid
Kai: takes care of his mother
Jesse: fodder
Adam: no sympathetic backstory
Jeanine: fodder
Nick: no sympathetic backstory
It's obvious who's going to make it: Megan, Matt B. and Kai.
That means Group 3 will be:
Arianna Afsar: just a kid
Felicia Barton: parent
Kendall Beard: fodder
Ju'Not Joyner: parent
Scott MacIntyre: blind
Nathaniel Marshall: had a rough life growing up
Kristen McNamara: no sympathetic backstory
Jorge Nunez: no sympathetic backstory
Lil Rounds: parent
Von Smith: no sympathetic backstory
Taylor Vaifanua: just a kid
Alex Wagner-Trugman: fodder
Hmmm. This is a tough call. I guess Lil, Ju'Not and Felicia will get through because of their kids, and Nathaniel, Scott and one lucky contestant with no kids or sob story will get through as Wild Cards. That one lucky contestant will finish in 12th Place.
Please, America. Could we all agree to try for at least one surprise in these Semifinals?
Semifinal Group 1 - Let the Pimping Begin
Now this is something worth recapping. All that other mess I recapped was a waste of time. Tonight we finally get what we really watch this show for: the music. A star could be born tonight or someone's one shot at stardom could be lost tonight. Forget the knife, you need a machete to cut through this tension.
For the next two hours, 12 singers will each do their best to convince us that they're worth dialing 11 digits for repeatedly. The guy and girl with the most votes will make the Top 12, and the highest vote-getter of either gender after those two will also make it. My initial predictions to make it from this group were Danny Gokey, Tatiana Del Toro and Anoop Desai. Will they prove me right or will they make me look like a moron? I hope not the latter. I do a good enough job of that all by myself.
So we're live! The digital picture coming through my antenna is much better than the picture from last week. There's the usual useless filler where Ryan talks to the judges, and Simon flirts with Ryan by complimenting his hair. Eeeeeeeeeee-yeah.
Ryan tells us there's a Billboard Hot 100 theme tonight. What? I hope that doesn't mean these contestants are going to fall victim to an incredibly limited list of song choices once again. Let these kids be themselves and stop forcing them to rehash the same old crap!
Jackie Tohn is first, with "A Little Less Conversation." Hey, she's following the advice of What Not to Sing! They suggested that a girl try this song! So what's Jackie going to do with it? Make it fun and silly like Jon Peter Lewis did, or make it dead serious like Chris Daughtry did? Come on, this is Jackie freaking Tohn. What do you think she'll do? It starts out as kind of a slow, soulful groove, but then Jackie counts "3! 4!" and the music picks up. She traipses all over the stage while acting sort of mock-sexy. Her nasal, raspy vocals are weird for this song, but occasionally she goes into a clean tone that makes her sound like a totally different person. I tell you, this girl can take you for a ride with her multi-faceted voice. Jackie's more about entertainment than vocals, but she can definitely sing. This performance is unconventional, but I like it. Randy says he wasn't blown away by the vocals, but that Jackie's a good entertainer. Just like last year, Randy echoes my sentiments. Mind stealer! Kara says she has a big personality and showed who she was. Paula says it wasn't perfect, but sometimes perfect is boring. Simon says she played the clown and did herself no favors. Jackie's parents Thelma and Al are there in the red room, and they're proud of their quirky daughter. Al Tohn? It must've been fun living in New York back when the Jets had a certain star receiver. Jackie says she wanted to be a rockin' entertainer so she'd stand out instead of the typical "and you...and you...you're gonna love me" Idol. Thank you! I am so sick of that stinking song on this show! Jackie, you are just too cool.
Next we meet Ricky Braddy, AKA Fodderboy. He tells us he was in a job serving chicken fingers, which drained him because it wasn't what he loved. I feel ya, buddy. He sang Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You" in Hollywood, and the judges apparently loved it so much that the editors didn't want to show it to us. Tonight he's doing, "A Song For You." Argh. Didn't Elliott Yamin pretty much do the definitive version of that song on this show? Somebody do something new here! His voice reminds me of Jason Yeager. Remember him? No? Didn't think so. It's very well-sung, just...too much of the same ol', same ol'. I'd be happy for Ricky if he got out of his crappy job, but that just didn't move me enough to say I loved it. Randy says he's the star of Season 8, and it was unbeliveable. Kara says it was amazing and he killed it. Paula says she's glad his talent is finally being seen, since he didn't get any screentime. Simon says he's not jumping out of his chair, because Ricky has no star quality or charisma. His parents are in the red room with their "Braddy Bunch" t-shirts. I'm amazed the judges pimped him so much considering how little screentime he got. Perhaps he's not fodder after all.
Alexis Grace's turn! Please don't pimp her, judges. She annoys me. She says she's dirtied herself up per the judges' advice, and of course, mentions her daughter. Great. Instant Top 12. She's singing "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You" by Aretha Franklin. What a surprise! We haven't heard her sing anything else but Aretha Franklin on this show. Looking like a cocktail lounge singer, she gives us a performance where the "soul" seems affected and borders on whitebread. I mean, it's not terrible, but come on. This girl's no Aretha. Randy says she found the dirt and the soul. Kara says the genie is out of the bottle and she loved it. Paula spends a thousand words, about 995 of which are unnecessary, to say she loved it. Simon says it was the best of the night by a mile so far, and that Alexis is one to watch, like Kelly Clarkson. Ugh. I don't like this girl. Why do they have to pimp her? In the red room they spend more time talking about her daughter and suggesting that Alexis is going to win. Please, no more parent stories!
Brent Keith is ready to go next, but there are some technical difficulties with his intro clip. Ryan chats with Brent as they walk down the stairs to the stage. Gotta love live TV! When they get the tape working, we find out that Brent works in a home improvement warehouse and we relive the fact that the judges' fighting overshadowed his audition. He and his wife are still living paycheck to paycheck. Hey, we've got something in common! He sings Jason Aldean's "Hicktown" because it's a rockin' country song, and does a pretty good job. He's in his comfort zone here. I like both rock and country, but I'm not a big fan of rockin' country. Still, he pulls it off all right. Randy says he has kind of a new edge to country with an old country swagger. Um, Randy, he didn't invent that style. Kara says it was too safe and not rangy enough, a fair point which had actually crossed my mind. Paula says she can see him as a country artist. Simon says it was forgettable and not original. Back in the red room Brent says he was happy with his song choice, because it's the type of music he wants to make as an artist. Good enough for me.
Stevie Wright is next, and I said she was one to watch in my Top 36 preview yesterday. In order to get away from her "old soul" image, she chooses Taylor Swift's "You Belong to Me." Funny. I never pegged Stevie as country-pop. Right away this is awful. The early low notes are too soft and sound off-key. She's totally out of time with the music and her voice is drowned out most of the way. This is a bona fide trainwreck. I feel bad for her, because I know she's a lot more talented than this. Randy says it was really safe and that she's a better singer than the song. Kara says Stevie has an identity crisis. Paula says it wasn't good. Simon says it was terrible, she was nervous, out of her depth and has a 0% chance of making the Top 12. Yikes! I have to agree, though. I can't think of one good think to say about this performance. Back in the red room Stevie's mother says the judges confused Stevie with their feedback, which is probably true. So sad that Stevie dreamed of this when she was a kid and now that she got her one chance she did...that...with it.
Time for Anoop Desai! A lot of people have been waiting for this, so don't let us down, Anoop! He says he wants to sing songs on this show he wishes others had picked. What an awesome statement! Someone else who's sick of the same old retread songs! Anoop's choice? "Angel of Mine" by Monica. A female R&B song? Well, all right. He starts out sounding OK, and he's definitely confident on stage, which helps with the overall presentation. He kind of loses it after a while, and the backing vocals start to overwhelm the song. He sounds out of tune in the middle, and his pronunciation starts getting weird. It's very hard to call this good. Randy says the song was a little sharp and that it wasn't his best, but he's still a huge fan. Kara says he doesn't have the voice to nail that song. Paula says America has already connected with him and that he has a Brian McKnight feel to his voice. Simon says it was too grown up and too serious. It's funny how the judges sort of pimp him despite acknowledging that he wasn't very good. Anoop's parents are there, and it's good to see some diversity in this red room. I'm voting for him despite a subpar performance.
Casey Carlson is going to do "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" because it's a song that makes you feel good. Uh oh! Bad! This was the same song that felled Chris Sligh! She changes the song's female pronouns to male ones. Um, OK. This is more of a man's song to sing, since girls don't usually ask guys to marry them or talk about them in such a fanciful way. Casey's off-key on the big notes, out of time with music, overpronounces the words and does way too much flirting with the camera. This is a terrible song choice and a poor performance. Randy says it wasn't good, weirdly karaoke, and that "The Dog was lost." Hyuk hyuk. Kara says nobody goes near The Police's songs and wants to see her do a girly anthem. Gee, I could've sworn that "Every Breath You Take" has been done successfully before. Casey looks sad for the first time ever. She's usually so smiley. Paula, trying to cheer her up, tells her the guys think she's beautiful, but that the phrasing was weird and she didn't think about what she was singing. Simon says it was atrocious and she couldn't have chosen a worse song. Oh well. At least her mother is proud of her and Casey says she had a blast!
Michael Sarver brings up his family, so he's instant Top 12. His song choice is "I Don't Want to Be" by Gavin DeGraw. Not this old chestnut. Chris Richardson sang this one, and Michael's vocal mannerisms and facial expressions kind of remind me of Chris. Michael stumbles over the lyrics briefly and shouts at times. He looks really exuberant out there, but it's incredibly corny. Randy says it was rough pitch-wise and he didn't perform it well. Kara says it was a good crowd-pleaser, but not his best performance. Paula thought he did a real good job. Simon says he's a likable guy, but that's all he's got going for him, before adding that he hopes America will vote for him anyway. Congratulations, Michael. You are now officially one of the pimped.
Next is Anne Marie Boskovich. It turns out she's a demo singer. That doesn't surprise me, since she has such a clear voice. She sings "A Natural Woman," and tells us she's going to put her own twist on it. The first note is off-key, there are shaky notes throughout, the chorus is a little shouty at times and, quite frankly, Anne Marie doesn't have the soul to pull off this song. What's the unique twist here? That it's the whitest version of an Aretha song ever? Randy says it was a bad song choice and he doesn't understand her as an artist. Kara says she has to kill that song if she's going to do it. Paula says she gave it her all. Simon compares her to a hotel singer and says her voice wasn't good enough for the song. For the third time tonight he adds that she most likely blew her one chance. Ouch.
Stephen Fowler, who promises not to forget the lyrics, gets to relive his Hollywood Fowl-up in the intro clip. Why are we recapping these people's problems that we've heard enough about already? He sings "Rock With You," another semi-overdone song choice. Stephen looks nervous, his pitch is off and he seems to lose his place at one moment. Argh. Well, at least he didn't completely fall apart and walk off the stage! Randy says it was a poor song choice, pitchy and not good. Kara says she got more from him when he forgot the lyrics at the piano, to which Stephen replies that he's not totally comfortable yet without his piano. That's bloody obvious. Apparently they aren't letting them use instruments in the Semifinals. I wonder why? Paula says he should've tried to tackle David Cook's magic rainbow song again just to prove that he could nail it. Simon wishes he'd forgotten the lyrics, because the whole thing was atrocious and corny. Stephen responds by saying he's a corny guy. Hmm. I have yet to see anything maize-esque about him. Poor Stephen's the only one without a friend or family member present to support him. You can tell he's frustrated with himself as he stands there to mug for votes.
Next is the one we've all been wondering about: Tatiana Del Toro. Come on, Tatiana! It may be up to you to keep Alexis out of the Top 12! Her song choice is Whitney Houston's "Saving All My Love For You." Her voice is drowned out by the band at first, but it eventually emerges from behind the wall of sound. This song is boring, but it's kind of funny when she does some hip gyrations on the "making love" line. Tatiana shows flashes of a good voice, but it's somewhat shaky at times. Overall, it's just OK. Randy says he was impressed by certain moments. Kara doesn't know who she is as an artist. Paula says she's the most talked about contestant this year, and that the closing note was beautiful. Simon calls her a drama queen who's desperate to be famous, but says she surprisingly wasn't as bad as he expected. They mention her weird laughing, and Tatiana says her friends told her she never laughed like that before. Really? This girl is just full of surprises! Remember how a psychic supposedly told Tatiana she'd make the Top 12? Ryan tells us there's more to the story, but that we'll have to vote Tatiana through if we want to find out more. Now they're just making it obvious; they want Tatiana to stick around in order to keep people talking about the show.
Finally, the guy we all knew would get the pimp spot before the show even started, Danny Gokey. His song choice is..."Hero" by Mariah Carey? What? Well, I guess David Cook pulled off a Mariah Carey song last year, so it's certainly possible. From the beginning his voice is more powerful than most of the singers we heard tonight. You can tell he's comfortable on stage and he actually makes this girly diva song soulful in a manly way. While Danny's too much of an overdog for me to vote for him, this is legitimately very good. The judges go wild at the panel. Randy, Kara and Paula all rave about it, but Simon says it was good, not fantastic. Danny's still grinning from ear to ear. Nothing's going to ruin his moment. Props to Danny on a job well done.
My performance ranking:
1. Danny (9 out of 10)
2. Jackie (8 out of 10)
3. Brent (7.5 out of 10)
4. Ricky (7 out of 10)
5. Alexis (6 out of 10)
6. Tatiana (5 out of 10)
7. Anoop (4.5 out of 10)
8. Anne Marie (4 out of 10)
9. Michael (3.9 out of 10)
10. Stephen (3 out of 10)
11. Casey (2 out of 10)
12. Stevie (0 out of 10)
Predictions after the performances:
Top male vote-getter: Danny. Too easy.
Top female vote-getter: Alexis. My mother called me while I was writing this recap and said she liked her. Groan.
Third seat: Anoop. I know he wasn't great, but he has a large fanbase and was the only one I got a busy signal for when I voted.
Whom I voted for: Anoop, Jackie, Ricky (gotta get him out of that crappy job), Tatiana (I don't care if you hate her, I think she's cute and talented).
Tomorrow the first three members of our Top 12 are named! See you then!
For the next two hours, 12 singers will each do their best to convince us that they're worth dialing 11 digits for repeatedly. The guy and girl with the most votes will make the Top 12, and the highest vote-getter of either gender after those two will also make it. My initial predictions to make it from this group were Danny Gokey, Tatiana Del Toro and Anoop Desai. Will they prove me right or will they make me look like a moron? I hope not the latter. I do a good enough job of that all by myself.
So we're live! The digital picture coming through my antenna is much better than the picture from last week. There's the usual useless filler where Ryan talks to the judges, and Simon flirts with Ryan by complimenting his hair. Eeeeeeeeeee-yeah.
Ryan tells us there's a Billboard Hot 100 theme tonight. What? I hope that doesn't mean these contestants are going to fall victim to an incredibly limited list of song choices once again. Let these kids be themselves and stop forcing them to rehash the same old crap!
Jackie Tohn is first, with "A Little Less Conversation." Hey, she's following the advice of What Not to Sing! They suggested that a girl try this song! So what's Jackie going to do with it? Make it fun and silly like Jon Peter Lewis did, or make it dead serious like Chris Daughtry did? Come on, this is Jackie freaking Tohn. What do you think she'll do? It starts out as kind of a slow, soulful groove, but then Jackie counts "3! 4!" and the music picks up. She traipses all over the stage while acting sort of mock-sexy. Her nasal, raspy vocals are weird for this song, but occasionally she goes into a clean tone that makes her sound like a totally different person. I tell you, this girl can take you for a ride with her multi-faceted voice. Jackie's more about entertainment than vocals, but she can definitely sing. This performance is unconventional, but I like it. Randy says he wasn't blown away by the vocals, but that Jackie's a good entertainer. Just like last year, Randy echoes my sentiments. Mind stealer! Kara says she has a big personality and showed who she was. Paula says it wasn't perfect, but sometimes perfect is boring. Simon says she played the clown and did herself no favors. Jackie's parents Thelma and Al are there in the red room, and they're proud of their quirky daughter. Al Tohn? It must've been fun living in New York back when the Jets had a certain star receiver. Jackie says she wanted to be a rockin' entertainer so she'd stand out instead of the typical "and you...and you...you're gonna love me" Idol. Thank you! I am so sick of that stinking song on this show! Jackie, you are just too cool.
Next we meet Ricky Braddy, AKA Fodderboy. He tells us he was in a job serving chicken fingers, which drained him because it wasn't what he loved. I feel ya, buddy. He sang Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You" in Hollywood, and the judges apparently loved it so much that the editors didn't want to show it to us. Tonight he's doing, "A Song For You." Argh. Didn't Elliott Yamin pretty much do the definitive version of that song on this show? Somebody do something new here! His voice reminds me of Jason Yeager. Remember him? No? Didn't think so. It's very well-sung, just...too much of the same ol', same ol'. I'd be happy for Ricky if he got out of his crappy job, but that just didn't move me enough to say I loved it. Randy says he's the star of Season 8, and it was unbeliveable. Kara says it was amazing and he killed it. Paula says she's glad his talent is finally being seen, since he didn't get any screentime. Simon says he's not jumping out of his chair, because Ricky has no star quality or charisma. His parents are in the red room with their "Braddy Bunch" t-shirts. I'm amazed the judges pimped him so much considering how little screentime he got. Perhaps he's not fodder after all.
Alexis Grace's turn! Please don't pimp her, judges. She annoys me. She says she's dirtied herself up per the judges' advice, and of course, mentions her daughter. Great. Instant Top 12. She's singing "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You" by Aretha Franklin. What a surprise! We haven't heard her sing anything else but Aretha Franklin on this show. Looking like a cocktail lounge singer, she gives us a performance where the "soul" seems affected and borders on whitebread. I mean, it's not terrible, but come on. This girl's no Aretha. Randy says she found the dirt and the soul. Kara says the genie is out of the bottle and she loved it. Paula spends a thousand words, about 995 of which are unnecessary, to say she loved it. Simon says it was the best of the night by a mile so far, and that Alexis is one to watch, like Kelly Clarkson. Ugh. I don't like this girl. Why do they have to pimp her? In the red room they spend more time talking about her daughter and suggesting that Alexis is going to win. Please, no more parent stories!
Brent Keith is ready to go next, but there are some technical difficulties with his intro clip. Ryan chats with Brent as they walk down the stairs to the stage. Gotta love live TV! When they get the tape working, we find out that Brent works in a home improvement warehouse and we relive the fact that the judges' fighting overshadowed his audition. He and his wife are still living paycheck to paycheck. Hey, we've got something in common! He sings Jason Aldean's "Hicktown" because it's a rockin' country song, and does a pretty good job. He's in his comfort zone here. I like both rock and country, but I'm not a big fan of rockin' country. Still, he pulls it off all right. Randy says he has kind of a new edge to country with an old country swagger. Um, Randy, he didn't invent that style. Kara says it was too safe and not rangy enough, a fair point which had actually crossed my mind. Paula says she can see him as a country artist. Simon says it was forgettable and not original. Back in the red room Brent says he was happy with his song choice, because it's the type of music he wants to make as an artist. Good enough for me.
Stevie Wright is next, and I said she was one to watch in my Top 36 preview yesterday. In order to get away from her "old soul" image, she chooses Taylor Swift's "You Belong to Me." Funny. I never pegged Stevie as country-pop. Right away this is awful. The early low notes are too soft and sound off-key. She's totally out of time with the music and her voice is drowned out most of the way. This is a bona fide trainwreck. I feel bad for her, because I know she's a lot more talented than this. Randy says it was really safe and that she's a better singer than the song. Kara says Stevie has an identity crisis. Paula says it wasn't good. Simon says it was terrible, she was nervous, out of her depth and has a 0% chance of making the Top 12. Yikes! I have to agree, though. I can't think of one good think to say about this performance. Back in the red room Stevie's mother says the judges confused Stevie with their feedback, which is probably true. So sad that Stevie dreamed of this when she was a kid and now that she got her one chance she did...that...with it.
Time for Anoop Desai! A lot of people have been waiting for this, so don't let us down, Anoop! He says he wants to sing songs on this show he wishes others had picked. What an awesome statement! Someone else who's sick of the same old retread songs! Anoop's choice? "Angel of Mine" by Monica. A female R&B song? Well, all right. He starts out sounding OK, and he's definitely confident on stage, which helps with the overall presentation. He kind of loses it after a while, and the backing vocals start to overwhelm the song. He sounds out of tune in the middle, and his pronunciation starts getting weird. It's very hard to call this good. Randy says the song was a little sharp and that it wasn't his best, but he's still a huge fan. Kara says he doesn't have the voice to nail that song. Paula says America has already connected with him and that he has a Brian McKnight feel to his voice. Simon says it was too grown up and too serious. It's funny how the judges sort of pimp him despite acknowledging that he wasn't very good. Anoop's parents are there, and it's good to see some diversity in this red room. I'm voting for him despite a subpar performance.
Casey Carlson is going to do "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" because it's a song that makes you feel good. Uh oh! Bad! This was the same song that felled Chris Sligh! She changes the song's female pronouns to male ones. Um, OK. This is more of a man's song to sing, since girls don't usually ask guys to marry them or talk about them in such a fanciful way. Casey's off-key on the big notes, out of time with music, overpronounces the words and does way too much flirting with the camera. This is a terrible song choice and a poor performance. Randy says it wasn't good, weirdly karaoke, and that "The Dog was lost." Hyuk hyuk. Kara says nobody goes near The Police's songs and wants to see her do a girly anthem. Gee, I could've sworn that "Every Breath You Take" has been done successfully before. Casey looks sad for the first time ever. She's usually so smiley. Paula, trying to cheer her up, tells her the guys think she's beautiful, but that the phrasing was weird and she didn't think about what she was singing. Simon says it was atrocious and she couldn't have chosen a worse song. Oh well. At least her mother is proud of her and Casey says she had a blast!
Michael Sarver brings up his family, so he's instant Top 12. His song choice is "I Don't Want to Be" by Gavin DeGraw. Not this old chestnut. Chris Richardson sang this one, and Michael's vocal mannerisms and facial expressions kind of remind me of Chris. Michael stumbles over the lyrics briefly and shouts at times. He looks really exuberant out there, but it's incredibly corny. Randy says it was rough pitch-wise and he didn't perform it well. Kara says it was a good crowd-pleaser, but not his best performance. Paula thought he did a real good job. Simon says he's a likable guy, but that's all he's got going for him, before adding that he hopes America will vote for him anyway. Congratulations, Michael. You are now officially one of the pimped.
Next is Anne Marie Boskovich. It turns out she's a demo singer. That doesn't surprise me, since she has such a clear voice. She sings "A Natural Woman," and tells us she's going to put her own twist on it. The first note is off-key, there are shaky notes throughout, the chorus is a little shouty at times and, quite frankly, Anne Marie doesn't have the soul to pull off this song. What's the unique twist here? That it's the whitest version of an Aretha song ever? Randy says it was a bad song choice and he doesn't understand her as an artist. Kara says she has to kill that song if she's going to do it. Paula says she gave it her all. Simon compares her to a hotel singer and says her voice wasn't good enough for the song. For the third time tonight he adds that she most likely blew her one chance. Ouch.
Stephen Fowler, who promises not to forget the lyrics, gets to relive his Hollywood Fowl-up in the intro clip. Why are we recapping these people's problems that we've heard enough about already? He sings "Rock With You," another semi-overdone song choice. Stephen looks nervous, his pitch is off and he seems to lose his place at one moment. Argh. Well, at least he didn't completely fall apart and walk off the stage! Randy says it was a poor song choice, pitchy and not good. Kara says she got more from him when he forgot the lyrics at the piano, to which Stephen replies that he's not totally comfortable yet without his piano. That's bloody obvious. Apparently they aren't letting them use instruments in the Semifinals. I wonder why? Paula says he should've tried to tackle David Cook's magic rainbow song again just to prove that he could nail it. Simon wishes he'd forgotten the lyrics, because the whole thing was atrocious and corny. Stephen responds by saying he's a corny guy. Hmm. I have yet to see anything maize-esque about him. Poor Stephen's the only one without a friend or family member present to support him. You can tell he's frustrated with himself as he stands there to mug for votes.
Next is the one we've all been wondering about: Tatiana Del Toro. Come on, Tatiana! It may be up to you to keep Alexis out of the Top 12! Her song choice is Whitney Houston's "Saving All My Love For You." Her voice is drowned out by the band at first, but it eventually emerges from behind the wall of sound. This song is boring, but it's kind of funny when she does some hip gyrations on the "making love" line. Tatiana shows flashes of a good voice, but it's somewhat shaky at times. Overall, it's just OK. Randy says he was impressed by certain moments. Kara doesn't know who she is as an artist. Paula says she's the most talked about contestant this year, and that the closing note was beautiful. Simon calls her a drama queen who's desperate to be famous, but says she surprisingly wasn't as bad as he expected. They mention her weird laughing, and Tatiana says her friends told her she never laughed like that before. Really? This girl is just full of surprises! Remember how a psychic supposedly told Tatiana she'd make the Top 12? Ryan tells us there's more to the story, but that we'll have to vote Tatiana through if we want to find out more. Now they're just making it obvious; they want Tatiana to stick around in order to keep people talking about the show.
Finally, the guy we all knew would get the pimp spot before the show even started, Danny Gokey. His song choice is..."Hero" by Mariah Carey? What? Well, I guess David Cook pulled off a Mariah Carey song last year, so it's certainly possible. From the beginning his voice is more powerful than most of the singers we heard tonight. You can tell he's comfortable on stage and he actually makes this girly diva song soulful in a manly way. While Danny's too much of an overdog for me to vote for him, this is legitimately very good. The judges go wild at the panel. Randy, Kara and Paula all rave about it, but Simon says it was good, not fantastic. Danny's still grinning from ear to ear. Nothing's going to ruin his moment. Props to Danny on a job well done.
My performance ranking:
1. Danny (9 out of 10)
2. Jackie (8 out of 10)
3. Brent (7.5 out of 10)
4. Ricky (7 out of 10)
5. Alexis (6 out of 10)
6. Tatiana (5 out of 10)
7. Anoop (4.5 out of 10)
8. Anne Marie (4 out of 10)
9. Michael (3.9 out of 10)
10. Stephen (3 out of 10)
11. Casey (2 out of 10)
12. Stevie (0 out of 10)
Predictions after the performances:
Top male vote-getter: Danny. Too easy.
Top female vote-getter: Alexis. My mother called me while I was writing this recap and said she liked her. Groan.
Third seat: Anoop. I know he wasn't great, but he has a large fanbase and was the only one I got a busy signal for when I voted.
Whom I voted for: Anoop, Jackie, Ricky (gotta get him out of that crappy job), Tatiana (I don't care if you hate her, I think she's cute and talented).
Tomorrow the first three members of our Top 12 are named! See you then!
Monday, February 16, 2009
The Top 36: An In-Depth Look
We "Idol" fans have been anticipating this for a month. After the never-ending auditions and Hollywood drama, we finally know who we're voting on. Here's my take on each the Top 36. I'm basing these on what I've read about each one on the internet, my impression of each from TV screentime, and the video interviews on the "American Idol" website.
Arianna Afsar
Age: 16
Home: San Diego, CA
She's cute, she's sweet and has a pretty good voice. It's not a great voice, but she probably won't embarrass herself. She's always smiling, so it's hard to dislike her. That said, I can live without her. She says she likes to sing jazz and R&B, but I don't get the impression that she has the chops to give us anything we haven't seen before from either of those genres.
I wouldn't be be shocked if she sneaked into the Top 12, but if she does get there I predict she'll be gone within a few weeks.
Kris Allen
Age: 23
Home: Conway, AR
This guy's gotten some screentime in sporadic snippets, but it's nothing that'll help him build a fanbase. I couldn't even tell you what he sounds like, since I've never heard him long enough to commit it to memory. He seems like a funny guy based on his interviews, but I doubt it'll be enough to overcome his fodder-ness.
What are the chances of him making the Finals? About one in a hundred? I'd say more like one in a million. So you're saying there's a chance! Yes!!!
Felicia Barton
Age: 26
Home: Virginia Beach, VA
It turns out she's...a...a...parent! She's been married seven years and has a young son. My regular readers (both of them) know I've gotten annoyed with all the people on the show this year who have kids. Still, she seems really nice, and judging by her now-famous YouTube clip, she has the talent to excel on this show. My biggest complaint is that that nose piercing has got to go. I know, I know. I'm too picky about little things. Maybe that's why I can't find a girlfriend (of course, I couldn't afford a girlfriend in this economy, but that's another story). Seriously though, I really find those nose studs ugly. Felicia's a pretty woman, and the thing only detracts from her beauty.
Anyway, we all know that Felicia's the girl who replaced Joanna Pacitti in the Top 36. I've already pledged to vote for her because I know someone who knows her. In a way, I think replacing Joanna might give her a boost. The fact that she was nearly cut gives her some underdog appeal. Viewers may become enamored with the possibility of a girl making the Finals after not even originally making the Semifinals. EJay Day, Carmen Rasmusen and George Huff all did it. Why not Felicia?
I already have her as one of my official predictions to make the Top 12 (replacing Joanna, of course). Do I think she could win? I have a feeling this is a guy's year, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Felicia go deep into the competition. Maybe even Top 5 or so.
Kendall Beard
Age: 23
Home: Austin, TX
This girl seems like she could be cute and funny based on her interviews and the "happy dance" they showed her doing, but...there's just something missing. She's momentarily entertaining, but not in a way that leaves me wanting more. I think they showed a brief clip of her singing, but it didn't make an impression with me, since I can't even recall for sure.
She was sort of semi-pimped in a minimalist way, so that leads me to think she could be a dark horse for the Finals. Still, I wouldn't put money on it.
Anne Marie Boskovich
Age: 22
Home: Nashville, TN
She's the all-American girl next door. She's pretty, seems nice, has a voice as clear as a bell and there's not much to complain about. There's just one thing: she doesn't really stand out much. I like her whenever I see her, but there's nothing about her that says "Vote for me! I'll keep you entertained each week!" She's just another pretty girl with a nice voice. OK, OK, she does do a good Britney Spears impression in the interview video, but so did Kady Malloy last year, and we all know how exciting she was.
She's gotten a good deal of screentime, so I could see her making the Top 12. I didn't make her one of my official picks because of the previously-stated problem, though. When the object is to be one of the top vote-getters in a group of 12, you either need to give a great performance or stand out significantly. If Anne Marie does get through it'll likely be for the former reason. I currently don't see her finishing much higher than about 9th Place, though.
Ricky Braddy
Age: 25
Home: Nashville, TN
This guy is about as foddery as they come. He was briefly mentioned when the judges were shuffling the contestants between rooms, but that's about all we saw of him before the "chair" episode. We don't even know what his singing is like, other than an opera singer imitation he does in the interview video.
He seems like he might be a cool guy with a good sense of humor based on the interview videos, but that probably won't be enough. His odds of making the Top 12 are virtually nil. I might vote for him though. He tells us in both interview vids that he quit a restaurant management job he hated to try out for "Idol," and as a fellow guy stuck in a soul-sucking job he hates while constantly dreaming of bigger things, I can empathize.
Matt Breitzke
Age: 27
Home: Bixby, OK
The first burly, white, blue-collar, family man soul singer. He actually says in his interview video that he sings everything, but it seems that soul is his specialty from what we've seen on TV. Like Michael Sarver, it's hard to dislike him, since he's just an average Joe trying to reach for the stars, but I don't think he's a good enough singer or personality that I'd want to vote for him.
I think his likability could get him into the Top 12, but I don't see him as a threat to win. He apparently has the experience as a performer, but for some reason I don't see him as anything better than an early-Finals boot.
Casey Carlson
Age: 20
Home: Minneapolis, MN
She may be the best-looking girl in this year's bunch. I believe she and Jesse Langseth are the first two contestants from Minnesota in "American Idol" history, so that's a noteworthy distinction. Other than that, there's not much about her that stands out. She seems like she has brains to go with her beauty based on the interviews, but her voice doesn't strike me as anything special.
I don't see her making the Top 12. If she does, she probably won't last very long.
Megan Corkrey
Age: 22
Home: Sandy, UT
The judges adored her at her audition. They were having a dull day full of underwhelming singers until Megan came in and lifted their spirits with her quirkiness! I like quirky and different, but I can't get past her annoying arm that's covered with tattoos. It's ugly and reminds me of Carly Smithson. What happened to the lost art of pure, beautiful, unaltered skin? Even without the tattoo, I'm not all that impressed with her.
If the judges still love her as much as they did at her audition, I could see her making the Top 12 based on the judges' response to her. After that I don't think she'd be well-rounded enough to go too far. Her "quirky" vocal stylings will probably get annoying quickly. I say mid-Finals is the farthest she could make it.
Tatiana Del Toro
Age: 23
Home: San Juan, PR
We all know Tatiana. She's the most hated person on "Idol" right now due to her histrionics and at times self-centered attitude. I feel like I'm one of the few viewers who really wants to give her a chance. I'll admit she can be annoying sometimes, but she's an attractive girl who seems like she sincerely wants this. Besides, I find her laugh intoxicating. Seriously though, she might not be as bad a person as we think. We all know about the concept of "creative editing," so it's possible we're only seeing Tatiana the character that's been created by the producers.
Despite her "most hated" status, I predicted she'd make the Top 12 thanks to viewers' familiarity with her. Besides, she can actually sing, lest we forget. It's quite possible she could make it based on talent. There's almost no way she could possibly win though, since too many people are dead-set against her. I'd say the highest she could finish is about 11th Place.
Anoop Desai
Age: 21
Home: Chapel Hill, NC
I like this guy. He's got an incredible voice, he seems humble, and he brings a little bit of geekiness too. As a fellow geek, I'm all for geekiness on "Idol." He shouldn't have trouble standing out, since it'll be hard to forget the Indian guy who likes old-school R&B. I believe he's the second Indian contestant in the history of this show, but I have a hunch he'll end up being a little more highly-regarded than Sanjaya Malakar.
Anoop seems to have a big fanbase, and I've already predicted he'll make the Top 12. Can he win? I think it's possible, but I'm thinking a middle-of-the-Finals elimination seems more likely. Maybe somewhere between 4th and 8th. All I know is that I'm rooting for him and currently plan to give him some votes.
Stephen Fowler
Age: 26
Home: Beachwood, OH
Randy thought he was incredible in Hollywood, and he made the Top 36 despite everything falling apart in his final Hollywood performance. He seems to have some fans based on what I've seen on the internet. I don't think he's as incredible as some others do, but I do think he's good. Black male singers on this show are often generalized as Stevie Wonder/Luther Vandross R&B types, but Stephen seems like a more well-rounded artist who plays the piano and stuff.
I predicted he'd make the Top 12 as a Wild Card. Group 1 is pretty strong, but the judges seem to like him enough to give him a chance without the public vote. If he does make the Finals he might have an outside shot at winning, but if he has another meltdown (AKA Fowl-up) his run might be shorter than it deserves to be based on his talent.
Matt Giraud
Age: 23
Home: Kalamazoo, MI
I've said several times on this blog that I don't like this guy. There's just something about him that bugs me. In every clip he strikes me as smarmy at worst and lacking a personality at best. Simon compared him to Elliott Yamin, but...let's just say better comparisons have been made between "Idol" contestants. Based on his interviews I can't tell if he's gay, one of those white guys who talks like he's black, or if that's just a Michigan accent. The fact that he can muddle each of those ways of speaking is rather impressive.
Matt suddenly gained a ton of fans after a clip of him singing "Georgia" in Hollywood aired, which made me pick him for the Top 12. If he can keep giving performances as good as "Georgia" he may end up getting pretty far, perhaps even win. It'll probably take me some time to warm up to him if he does get that far, but hey, I eventually warmed up to David Cook. Maybe it can happen again. Just don't ask me to vote for him.
Danny Gokey
Age: 28
Home: Milwaukee, WI
This guy has gotten more pimping than anyone else so far. We know that his wife passed away a few months before he auditioned for "Idol," and then there was the ongoing storyline during Hollywood of him and his buddy Jamar taking the "Idol" journey together. He's definitely a talented, likable guy, so it'd be a shocker if he didn't make the Top 12.
While he's currently the early favorite to win, I have a feeling he won't. First of all, there seems to be some backlash setting in from all the people who are tired of the pimping. Second, how would he be marketed if he won? Blue-eyed soul? He auditioned with "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" and has that straining quality to his voice, so I'm just guessing that's how he sees himself artistically. After Taylor Hicks' lack of commercial success I doubt the powers that be are going to want to encourage the voters in that direction. Still, even if he doesn't win he's definitely Top 12, probably even Top 3.
Alexis Grace
Age: 20
Home: Memphis, TN
Another parent who brings out the kid and hopes for a collective "awwwwww" from America. I don't know if that's actually her strategy or if her daughter is just that much of an inspiration to her, but either way it's kind of annoying how much Alexis talks about her. Cute kids always seem to be an instant spike in votes, so she may have an unfair advantage.
I have nothing against her personally, but I find her kind of boring. I guess she's a decent talent, but no one will confuse her with her hero, Aretha Franklin. The constant pimping of her kid might be enough to get her to the Top 12, but I don't think she's good enough to win. I think the main question with her is how far a kid will get you.
Mishavonna Henson
Age: 18
Home: Irvine, CA
I don't have much to say about her except that I wasn't impressed by the clips they've shown of her singing. We know she made it to Hollywood last year, but that's about it. The judges must like her if they put her through twice.
Does she stand out? Well, her name is unusual, and...she says her favorite type of music to sing is "a mix between country, folk and indie," and ...other than that she's just another cute teenage girl who hasn't gotten tons of screentime. It'll probably take a fortuitous set of circumstances for her to make the Top 12.
Allison Iraheta
Age: 16
Home: Los Angeles, CA
She has the same initials as "American Idol"! Is it a sign? Of course, she also has the same initials as Allen Iverson, Andre Iguodala and artificial intelligence, so maybe it's just a coincidence.
From what little we've heard of her singing, I'm not that impressed. She sort of reminds me of Camile Velasco for some reason, though I imagine if I went back and compared them they'd probably be nothing alike. I'm known to make associations that have no rhyme or reason to them. I'm not a big fan of her look, either. Her bright red dyed hair combined with a face reminiscent of David Johansen from the New York Dolls is just...bizarre. She seems like a nice girl, I guess, but nothing about her so far makes me want to vote for her.
We never saw her until the "chair" episode, but the judges seemed pretty high on her "raw natural talent" there. If they really had high hopes for her though, I imagine we would've seen more of her in Hollywood or the auditions. As it stands, I don't think she has much chance of making the Top 12.
Ju'Not Joyner
Age: 26
Home: Bowie, MD
He's gotten a little bit of screentime, but we don't know a whole lot about him other than that he made it to Hollywood last year and that he has a kid. If I were to stereotype based on his race I'd assume he was just another R&B guy, but I won't. As Chikezie showed us last year, those who appear to be just R&B guys can be so much more. If he is just an R&B guy he probably won't make it very far. If he's not, well, he'd better use that Semifinal performance to show us. It's his only hope.
He must be pretty good if he made it all the way to Hollywood twice, so I'd say he has an outside chance of making the Finals right now. Still, he has an uphill battle without the fanbase other contestants have.
Kai Kalama
Age: 26
Home: San Clemente, CA
He takes care of his mother because she has a medical condition, so right away we know he's a good, dutiful son. As far as his singing and personality goes, he's one big bowl of blah. He's good, but nothing about him so far has made me think I'd be missing anything if he were eliminated. He likes "soul-rock," so that could be interesting. I guess I could give him a chance, but right now my expectations aren't particularly high.
If he talks about his mother before his Semifinal performance he's probably guaranteed the sympathy vote and a spot in the Finals. If not, he'll probably have to put his best foot forward. He may have the potential to make it to the second half of the Finals, but we'll have to see how he does on stage with his voice at full strength before we can start talking about him as a potential winner.
Brent Keith
Age: 28
Home: Blanchester, OH
The guy's kind of a country-rocker, which makes him stand out somewhat. We haven't seen much of him since his audition. He was previously a contestant on "Nashville Star," which makes him a plant by some people's standards, but I don't think it's a big deal. They're both shows for amateurs trying to break into the industry, so I don't think it gives him any extra advantages. He seems like a nice guy, but I don't find him all that interesting.
He's a possibility for the Top 12, but he's in Group 1, which has some tough competition. So far he hasn't impressed me enough to think he'll make it as a Wild Card, but the judges (or producers) could decide to select him for demographic purposes. If he makes the Top 12 he'll probably stick around for a few weeks at least.
Adam Lambert
Age: 26
Home: Los Angeles, CA
Vote For the Worst fell in love with him when they discovered he was a flamboyant, campy, makeup-wearing wild man. He was sure to rankle the fans who love their "Idol" simple and non-controversial. Then they showed his audition and we found out that...he was actually a fairly regular dude. There are still several gay aspects to his persona, but they're more subtle and non-threatening. Someone like Nate Marshall, whose gayness is more blatant, is more likely to annoy viewers the way Danny Noriega did last year. Adam comes across as a cool, charismatic guy who, oh by the way, just happens to be gay. Vote For the Worst isn't as high on him as they used to be.
I remember not liking him very much at first, but he's kind of grown on me to the point where I don't mind him sticking around, even if he's not one of my favorites. I've picked him for the Top 12, since he's got the right combination of talent, charisma and screentime to make it. I have a hard time seeing him as a winner, since I don't think his appeal is broad enough, but I can definitely see him making it to the second half of the Finals.
Jesse Langseth
Age: 25
Home: Minneapolis, MN
This girl seems fairly talented, but her personality is also fairly...what's the word? Grating? Not exactly. Odd? Well, that may be a stretch. I don't know. She comes across as someone with a personality that you have to connect with to appreciate, and I guess I just don't connect with it. The weird druggie eyes don't add to her appeal either. We internet fans know she's Jonny Lang's sister, but I guess she hopes to make it on her own merits, since she's never mentioned it. Good for her.
Simon told her she had no chance of winning based on her sing-off, and I agree that there's little chance she will. I do, however, think she's a sleeper to make the Top 12 despite being underpimped. Maybe being the only natural redhead will help her cause. I've proposed a theory that distinctive hair is an advantage on "Idol," so she's got that going for her.
Scott MacIntyre
Age: 23
Home: Scottsdale, AZ
You may know him better as the legally blind guy. "American Idol" has been accused of insensitivity to those with disabilities in the past, so perhaps this is an attempt to atone for it. Not that Scott isn't talented, but I don't think he'd stand out much were it not for his visual impairment. Since most people with disabilities want to be treated the same as anyone else, I'll give Scott an honest assessment: I don't find him that interesting, nor do I plan to vote for him. I've compared him to Theo Tams from "Canadian Idol," as he's another piano-based guy, but I think Theo had a better voice.
I'm guessing Scott's going to make the Top 12. A lot of people will vote for him because they think (wow!) it's so inspiring that a legally blind guy is doing something like this. Of course, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Roy Orbison, etc. were all more compelling for their talent than their lack of vision. Once the novelty of a blind guy wears off, I don't think Scott's going to be all that captivating to most viewers. I say he probably finishes around 6th Place.
Nathaniel Marshall
Age: 18
Home: Malone, NY
He's got piercings all over his face, tattoos all over his arms, wears crazy outfits and is very obviously gay. At the last minute though, he got some pimping. We learned that he's been shuffled between relatives his whole life because his mother was an imprisoned drug addict. I'm not sure if he's being set up as an anti-hero because of how non-mainstream he is or if the producers think he has potential. While the tattoos and piercings are unquestionably nasty, Nathaniel's soul-baring in Hollywood made me at least not hate him. I don't expect to vote for him, but I'm willing to give him a chance.
That said, I think he only has a slim chance of making the Top 12. I wouldn't say he has no chance, as I would with a few of these contestants, but I'd say it's more likely that he doesn't than he does. If he does, I say he's 10th Place, tops.
Kristen McNamara
Age: 22
Home: Napa Valley, CA
Kristen is known mainly for the Hollywood drama she was caught in the middle of. Singing-wise she's remembered for both the big note she hit in the middle of her group performance and her solo performance of "Because of You." That "Because of You" is kind of polarizing. Some people thought she completely butchered it, and others (like me) thought it was incredible. I don't know what it is about Kristen, but I kind of like her. She was on "Nashville Star" like Brent Keith, but as I said above, I don't think that qualifies her as a plant.
I have her as one of my picks for the Top 12. I think she's displayed more talent than any of the other girls they've shown us, and I think she's capable of a Semifinal performance that'll bring the votes. The screentime she's gotten probably won't hurt, either. She only made it to 6th Place on "Nashville Star," but I could see her possibly going farther than that on "Idol." I still think this is a guy's year, but I wouldn't be surprised if she made it to the finale.
Nick Mitchell
Age: 27
Home: Brookfield, CT
Perhaps the most unlikely Semifinalist ever. His audition appeared to be one of the million "joke" auditions we see every year where wannabe comedians attempt to get on TV by acting like fools. It turns out that underneath it all, Nick takes his "Norman Gentle" character very seriously and wants "Idol" to open the door to a career as an entertainer. He's not as bad a singer as you'd expect, either. Joke auditioner makes good? What a story!
I have to admit, there's something devilishly enticing about the idea that this guy could end up winning the whole thing. Winning the whole thing? Well, I've already picked him to make the Top 12 just because he stands out so much. I don't realistically think he will win the whole thing, since it would pretty much require America to stick it to the manipulative producers and judges en masse. The Norman Gentle character will get old after a while, and Nick's singing isn't strong enough by itself to help him advance week after week. Still, he may be good for a few weeks of laughs. I could see him making it as far as mid-Finals. Maybe 7th Place or so.
Jasmine Murray
Age: 16
Home: Starkville, MS
She's only 16 (or "OMG 16!" as anything below 18 has come to be known among AI fans since Jordin Sparks was on the show), and she's pretty good. She's gotten a good deal of screentime, even if she's not showing us anything we haven't seen before. I don't have much else to say about her except that she's a black girl with a white-sounding southern accent. That may be the most distinctive thing about her.
I don't have anything against her, but I don't plan to vote for her. She claims to have a wide range of musical tastes, so perhaps she might be a more interesting performer than she seems, but as of right now I'm not a fan. I think her pimping could get her into the Top 12, since they need someone to appeal to younger voters. I think it'll be either her or Taylor Vaifanua in the Finals.
Jorge Nunez
Age: 20
Home: Carolina, PR
I theorized early on that they could be looking for a Latin Idol this year, and that they're going to pimp Jorge in hopes of getting one. I do think he's a great singer who could probably be successful in that genre, but I honestly don't know how popular "American Idol" is with fans of that style. Three of last year's Top 4 had some sort of Hispanic/Latino heritage, but Jason Castro was the only one who ever sang anything in Spanish.
I didn't pick Jorge to make the Top 12, but I do think he has a good shot. I'm not sure about him winning though. You know they'll push him in a Latin direction if he does make it far, and I don't think that particular style is very popular among those without a Spanish-speaking heritage. Most Americans are fans of specific Latin songs or artists, but not the genre itself. To sum up, I don't think a Latin Idol is something we'll be seeing anytime soon. I could see Jorge making the Top 5, though.
Lil Rounds
Age: 23
Home: Memphis, TN
Another parent to add to the list. She's only 23 and a mom of three. They've pimped her a ton, but I'll probably never cast a single vote for her. She's just this year's token "diva." Yeah, she's a powerful vocalist, but...I mean...zzzzzzzzzz.
Lil seemed really humble at her first audition, and I thought she could possibly be another Melinda Doolittle type, but I don't think so anymore. Melinda had the voice to be considered a "diva," but stylistically she really wasn't. Melinda was a great, well-rounded singer who didn't overdo it or underdo it. She knew the exact treatment each song needed and executed it perfectly. Despite this immense talent, she always seemed sincerely humble about where she was. Lil talks about how she "won't be defeated," and her belting ability is about all we've seen from her. She reminds me more of Fantasia than Melinda. Fantasia's my least favorite winner so...yeah.
She's pretty much a lock for the Top 12, as the powers that be have made it a point to drill into us how great she is. She can do it with someone else's votes though; she doesn't need mine. I think most "Idol" fans have moved on from looking for the next Whitney Houston and now expect this show to produce a true artist. While Lil's talent and backstory will probably carry her deep into the competition, she's too "been there, done that" to win.
Michael Sarver
Age: 27
Home: Jasper, TX
He joins Matt Breitzke as the other burly, white soul singer with a blue-collar job. The judges seem to like him a lot, but I find him kind of boring and don't think his voice is especially great. He's another family man, and he's doing this competition because he wants to make a better life for them. Can't say I blame him there. He doesn't have a very expressive face, so it's hard to connect with him emotionally.
I think he could make the Top 12 because of his family and screentime, but I don't think he has any chance of winning. For some reason he seems like a possible Josh Gracin. He's not talented enough to succeed week after week, but doggone it, he's a family man and a guy whose sensitivity belies his outward appearance. If he makes the Top 12 he could be this year's contestant who sticks around too long.
Von Smith
Age: 22
Home: Kansas City, MO
He's the first contestant in the history of this show that I'd already heard of before tryouts. What's there to say about this guy that I haven't said already? That YouTube video was impressive, since he was singing a song that requires a lot of screaming. Of course, he does that to every song he sings, and Simon (rightfully) called him out as being overindulgent with his performances. The sledgehammer treatment he gives every song and his weird facial expressions make him more entertaining as a sideshow than as a serious contestant.
I think too many people view Von as a joke, but he's gotten enough screentime (and seems like a nice enough fellow to boot) that the Top 12 is a possibility. Still, I don't see him getting very far in the Finals if he makes it there.
Jackie Tohn
Age: 27
Home: Silver Lake, CA
I've liked Jackie since her audition. She's got a fun, quirky personality and a cool, raspy voice. The raspy voice has drawn some comparisons to Amanda Overmyer, but I think she's a much better singer. Amanda was really more of a shouter (in a rockin' way!). Jackie's a Jewish New York girl with a nasal speaking voice who seems to have more of an acoustic pop bent, and she most definitely has a good sense of humor. Heck, she's even kind of cute.
I think her screentime and personality might be enough to get her into the Top 12, but she's not one of my official picks. She seems like she'd be a love-her-or-hate-her type, and that's a sword that can cut both ways. I'm rooting for her though, and I plan to vote accordingly.
Taylor Vaifanua
Age: 16
Home: Hurricane, UT
Vote For the Worst reported a while back that the word out of Hollywood had Taylor as the judges' favorite. When I finally saw her audition I thought she'd be really good but...I wasn't impressed. That's not to say she was bad, just that she was nothing special. Her mannerisms remind me of Jordin Sparks. She's certainly a very pretty girl like Jordin was, but the talent is another story.
I predicted she'd make the Top 12 as a Wild Card due to the previous report of her as the judges' favorite. I don't think she's good enough to rake in the votes with her singing alone, but the producers will probably want someone to appeal to the younger crowd. Jasmine Murray could also possibly fill this role if not Taylor. Taylor seems very proud of her Polynesian heritage, so if there's a large voting bloc of Polynesians who want one of their own to succeed (I have no idea if such a bloc exists) she could make it far if she plays up that angle. She'll have to perform well though, because we saw how far Ramiele Malubay got last year by playing up her ethnic heritage early on and subsequently not singing well enough. I mean, 9th Place isn't bad, but most contestants hope to get a little farther.
Jeanine Vailes
Age: 27
Home: Sherman Oaks, CA
She's one of the few contestants we've never heard sing. In fact, I think it's just her and Ricky Braddy. Ricky's name was briefly mentioned in the "three rooms" episode, and some of the contestants who were introduced in the "chair" episode had clips of them singing to go along with the announcement. Jeanine didn't get any of that, which makes her the least pimped contestant of them all. Translation: She has to give us a show-stopper to have any chance of making the Top 12. Several contestants already have fanbases in their corner, so she needs to get votes based on talent. Hey, it can be done. Look at LaToya London.
Based on the online interviews she seems like a fun person. She reminds me of a non-heavy-set version of Mandisa looks-wise. Although I have some fodder sympathy for her, I get the impression she's another gospel-type singer who I wouldn't want to listen to even if she'd gotten some screentime. I wish her good luck, but I don't think she'll ever be heard from again after her Semifinal performance.
Alex Wagner-Trugman
Age: 19
Home: Studio City, CA
I love this guy. Not so much as a singer, since he's clearly "just OK," but as a personality. He reminds me of myself: a somewhat shy dork with a cheesy sense of humor. Besides that, he says his favorite music to sing is "poppish-rockish stuff" and "music from anybody who has a soul muscle." That sounds similar to what I like! How can I not vote for him? He vicariously represents me!
Sadly, I'd say he has almost no chance of making the Top 12. He's clearly one of the less-talented Semifinalists, and he always seemed to get through each round of the preliminary process by the skin of his teeth. It won't stop me from supporting him, though. Dork power!
Stevie Wright
Age: 16
Home: Phelan, CA
Stevie's an interesting girl. She's only 16, but she comes off as having a maturity beyond her years. She appears very focused and poised, and I thought her audition with "At Last" was one of the most impressive we saw. Of course, she's a huge Jonas Brothers fan too, so I guess she's not completely free of teenage girl-ness.
I didn't pick Stevie for the Top 12, but I think she could surprise us. She has a great voice, and a good song choice and performance could make her an early contender. I can't say right now that I'm interested in voting for her, but I could see her developing a fanbase. She's one to watch. Top 5 doesn't seem unreasonable for her.
Whew! If you actually read all that, you rock. I think I'm comfortable with my picks, but as we all know, dark horses can become favorites and favorites can fall by the wayside, so a lot of these predictions will probably end up being horribly wrong. Still, they'll be fun to look back on. Let's get this competition started!
Arianna Afsar
Age: 16
Home: San Diego, CA
She's cute, she's sweet and has a pretty good voice. It's not a great voice, but she probably won't embarrass herself. She's always smiling, so it's hard to dislike her. That said, I can live without her. She says she likes to sing jazz and R&B, but I don't get the impression that she has the chops to give us anything we haven't seen before from either of those genres.
I wouldn't be be shocked if she sneaked into the Top 12, but if she does get there I predict she'll be gone within a few weeks.
Kris Allen
Age: 23
Home: Conway, AR
This guy's gotten some screentime in sporadic snippets, but it's nothing that'll help him build a fanbase. I couldn't even tell you what he sounds like, since I've never heard him long enough to commit it to memory. He seems like a funny guy based on his interviews, but I doubt it'll be enough to overcome his fodder-ness.
What are the chances of him making the Finals? About one in a hundred? I'd say more like one in a million. So you're saying there's a chance! Yes!!!
Felicia Barton
Age: 26
Home: Virginia Beach, VA
It turns out she's...a...a...parent! She's been married seven years and has a young son. My regular readers (both of them) know I've gotten annoyed with all the people on the show this year who have kids. Still, she seems really nice, and judging by her now-famous YouTube clip, she has the talent to excel on this show. My biggest complaint is that that nose piercing has got to go. I know, I know. I'm too picky about little things. Maybe that's why I can't find a girlfriend (of course, I couldn't afford a girlfriend in this economy, but that's another story). Seriously though, I really find those nose studs ugly. Felicia's a pretty woman, and the thing only detracts from her beauty.
Anyway, we all know that Felicia's the girl who replaced Joanna Pacitti in the Top 36. I've already pledged to vote for her because I know someone who knows her. In a way, I think replacing Joanna might give her a boost. The fact that she was nearly cut gives her some underdog appeal. Viewers may become enamored with the possibility of a girl making the Finals after not even originally making the Semifinals. EJay Day, Carmen Rasmusen and George Huff all did it. Why not Felicia?
I already have her as one of my official predictions to make the Top 12 (replacing Joanna, of course). Do I think she could win? I have a feeling this is a guy's year, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Felicia go deep into the competition. Maybe even Top 5 or so.
Kendall Beard
Age: 23
Home: Austin, TX
This girl seems like she could be cute and funny based on her interviews and the "happy dance" they showed her doing, but...there's just something missing. She's momentarily entertaining, but not in a way that leaves me wanting more. I think they showed a brief clip of her singing, but it didn't make an impression with me, since I can't even recall for sure.
She was sort of semi-pimped in a minimalist way, so that leads me to think she could be a dark horse for the Finals. Still, I wouldn't put money on it.
Anne Marie Boskovich
Age: 22
Home: Nashville, TN
She's the all-American girl next door. She's pretty, seems nice, has a voice as clear as a bell and there's not much to complain about. There's just one thing: she doesn't really stand out much. I like her whenever I see her, but there's nothing about her that says "Vote for me! I'll keep you entertained each week!" She's just another pretty girl with a nice voice. OK, OK, she does do a good Britney Spears impression in the interview video, but so did Kady Malloy last year, and we all know how exciting she was.
She's gotten a good deal of screentime, so I could see her making the Top 12. I didn't make her one of my official picks because of the previously-stated problem, though. When the object is to be one of the top vote-getters in a group of 12, you either need to give a great performance or stand out significantly. If Anne Marie does get through it'll likely be for the former reason. I currently don't see her finishing much higher than about 9th Place, though.
Ricky Braddy
Age: 25
Home: Nashville, TN
This guy is about as foddery as they come. He was briefly mentioned when the judges were shuffling the contestants between rooms, but that's about all we saw of him before the "chair" episode. We don't even know what his singing is like, other than an opera singer imitation he does in the interview video.
He seems like he might be a cool guy with a good sense of humor based on the interview videos, but that probably won't be enough. His odds of making the Top 12 are virtually nil. I might vote for him though. He tells us in both interview vids that he quit a restaurant management job he hated to try out for "Idol," and as a fellow guy stuck in a soul-sucking job he hates while constantly dreaming of bigger things, I can empathize.
Matt Breitzke
Age: 27
Home: Bixby, OK
The first burly, white, blue-collar, family man soul singer. He actually says in his interview video that he sings everything, but it seems that soul is his specialty from what we've seen on TV. Like Michael Sarver, it's hard to dislike him, since he's just an average Joe trying to reach for the stars, but I don't think he's a good enough singer or personality that I'd want to vote for him.
I think his likability could get him into the Top 12, but I don't see him as a threat to win. He apparently has the experience as a performer, but for some reason I don't see him as anything better than an early-Finals boot.
Casey Carlson
Age: 20
Home: Minneapolis, MN
She may be the best-looking girl in this year's bunch. I believe she and Jesse Langseth are the first two contestants from Minnesota in "American Idol" history, so that's a noteworthy distinction. Other than that, there's not much about her that stands out. She seems like she has brains to go with her beauty based on the interviews, but her voice doesn't strike me as anything special.
I don't see her making the Top 12. If she does, she probably won't last very long.
Megan Corkrey
Age: 22
Home: Sandy, UT
The judges adored her at her audition. They were having a dull day full of underwhelming singers until Megan came in and lifted their spirits with her quirkiness! I like quirky and different, but I can't get past her annoying arm that's covered with tattoos. It's ugly and reminds me of Carly Smithson. What happened to the lost art of pure, beautiful, unaltered skin? Even without the tattoo, I'm not all that impressed with her.
If the judges still love her as much as they did at her audition, I could see her making the Top 12 based on the judges' response to her. After that I don't think she'd be well-rounded enough to go too far. Her "quirky" vocal stylings will probably get annoying quickly. I say mid-Finals is the farthest she could make it.
Tatiana Del Toro
Age: 23
Home: San Juan, PR
We all know Tatiana. She's the most hated person on "Idol" right now due to her histrionics and at times self-centered attitude. I feel like I'm one of the few viewers who really wants to give her a chance. I'll admit she can be annoying sometimes, but she's an attractive girl who seems like she sincerely wants this. Besides, I find her laugh intoxicating. Seriously though, she might not be as bad a person as we think. We all know about the concept of "creative editing," so it's possible we're only seeing Tatiana the character that's been created by the producers.
Despite her "most hated" status, I predicted she'd make the Top 12 thanks to viewers' familiarity with her. Besides, she can actually sing, lest we forget. It's quite possible she could make it based on talent. There's almost no way she could possibly win though, since too many people are dead-set against her. I'd say the highest she could finish is about 11th Place.
Anoop Desai
Age: 21
Home: Chapel Hill, NC
I like this guy. He's got an incredible voice, he seems humble, and he brings a little bit of geekiness too. As a fellow geek, I'm all for geekiness on "Idol." He shouldn't have trouble standing out, since it'll be hard to forget the Indian guy who likes old-school R&B. I believe he's the second Indian contestant in the history of this show, but I have a hunch he'll end up being a little more highly-regarded than Sanjaya Malakar.
Anoop seems to have a big fanbase, and I've already predicted he'll make the Top 12. Can he win? I think it's possible, but I'm thinking a middle-of-the-Finals elimination seems more likely. Maybe somewhere between 4th and 8th. All I know is that I'm rooting for him and currently plan to give him some votes.
Stephen Fowler
Age: 26
Home: Beachwood, OH
Randy thought he was incredible in Hollywood, and he made the Top 36 despite everything falling apart in his final Hollywood performance. He seems to have some fans based on what I've seen on the internet. I don't think he's as incredible as some others do, but I do think he's good. Black male singers on this show are often generalized as Stevie Wonder/Luther Vandross R&B types, but Stephen seems like a more well-rounded artist who plays the piano and stuff.
I predicted he'd make the Top 12 as a Wild Card. Group 1 is pretty strong, but the judges seem to like him enough to give him a chance without the public vote. If he does make the Finals he might have an outside shot at winning, but if he has another meltdown (AKA Fowl-up) his run might be shorter than it deserves to be based on his talent.
Matt Giraud
Age: 23
Home: Kalamazoo, MI
I've said several times on this blog that I don't like this guy. There's just something about him that bugs me. In every clip he strikes me as smarmy at worst and lacking a personality at best. Simon compared him to Elliott Yamin, but...let's just say better comparisons have been made between "Idol" contestants. Based on his interviews I can't tell if he's gay, one of those white guys who talks like he's black, or if that's just a Michigan accent. The fact that he can muddle each of those ways of speaking is rather impressive.
Matt suddenly gained a ton of fans after a clip of him singing "Georgia" in Hollywood aired, which made me pick him for the Top 12. If he can keep giving performances as good as "Georgia" he may end up getting pretty far, perhaps even win. It'll probably take me some time to warm up to him if he does get that far, but hey, I eventually warmed up to David Cook. Maybe it can happen again. Just don't ask me to vote for him.
Danny Gokey
Age: 28
Home: Milwaukee, WI
This guy has gotten more pimping than anyone else so far. We know that his wife passed away a few months before he auditioned for "Idol," and then there was the ongoing storyline during Hollywood of him and his buddy Jamar taking the "Idol" journey together. He's definitely a talented, likable guy, so it'd be a shocker if he didn't make the Top 12.
While he's currently the early favorite to win, I have a feeling he won't. First of all, there seems to be some backlash setting in from all the people who are tired of the pimping. Second, how would he be marketed if he won? Blue-eyed soul? He auditioned with "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" and has that straining quality to his voice, so I'm just guessing that's how he sees himself artistically. After Taylor Hicks' lack of commercial success I doubt the powers that be are going to want to encourage the voters in that direction. Still, even if he doesn't win he's definitely Top 12, probably even Top 3.
Alexis Grace
Age: 20
Home: Memphis, TN
Another parent who brings out the kid and hopes for a collective "awwwwww" from America. I don't know if that's actually her strategy or if her daughter is just that much of an inspiration to her, but either way it's kind of annoying how much Alexis talks about her. Cute kids always seem to be an instant spike in votes, so she may have an unfair advantage.
I have nothing against her personally, but I find her kind of boring. I guess she's a decent talent, but no one will confuse her with her hero, Aretha Franklin. The constant pimping of her kid might be enough to get her to the Top 12, but I don't think she's good enough to win. I think the main question with her is how far a kid will get you.
Mishavonna Henson
Age: 18
Home: Irvine, CA
I don't have much to say about her except that I wasn't impressed by the clips they've shown of her singing. We know she made it to Hollywood last year, but that's about it. The judges must like her if they put her through twice.
Does she stand out? Well, her name is unusual, and...she says her favorite type of music to sing is "a mix between country, folk and indie," and ...other than that she's just another cute teenage girl who hasn't gotten tons of screentime. It'll probably take a fortuitous set of circumstances for her to make the Top 12.
Allison Iraheta
Age: 16
Home: Los Angeles, CA
She has the same initials as "American Idol"! Is it a sign? Of course, she also has the same initials as Allen Iverson, Andre Iguodala and artificial intelligence, so maybe it's just a coincidence.
From what little we've heard of her singing, I'm not that impressed. She sort of reminds me of Camile Velasco for some reason, though I imagine if I went back and compared them they'd probably be nothing alike. I'm known to make associations that have no rhyme or reason to them. I'm not a big fan of her look, either. Her bright red dyed hair combined with a face reminiscent of David Johansen from the New York Dolls is just...bizarre. She seems like a nice girl, I guess, but nothing about her so far makes me want to vote for her.
We never saw her until the "chair" episode, but the judges seemed pretty high on her "raw natural talent" there. If they really had high hopes for her though, I imagine we would've seen more of her in Hollywood or the auditions. As it stands, I don't think she has much chance of making the Top 12.
Ju'Not Joyner
Age: 26
Home: Bowie, MD
He's gotten a little bit of screentime, but we don't know a whole lot about him other than that he made it to Hollywood last year and that he has a kid. If I were to stereotype based on his race I'd assume he was just another R&B guy, but I won't. As Chikezie showed us last year, those who appear to be just R&B guys can be so much more. If he is just an R&B guy he probably won't make it very far. If he's not, well, he'd better use that Semifinal performance to show us. It's his only hope.
He must be pretty good if he made it all the way to Hollywood twice, so I'd say he has an outside chance of making the Finals right now. Still, he has an uphill battle without the fanbase other contestants have.
Kai Kalama
Age: 26
Home: San Clemente, CA
He takes care of his mother because she has a medical condition, so right away we know he's a good, dutiful son. As far as his singing and personality goes, he's one big bowl of blah. He's good, but nothing about him so far has made me think I'd be missing anything if he were eliminated. He likes "soul-rock," so that could be interesting. I guess I could give him a chance, but right now my expectations aren't particularly high.
If he talks about his mother before his Semifinal performance he's probably guaranteed the sympathy vote and a spot in the Finals. If not, he'll probably have to put his best foot forward. He may have the potential to make it to the second half of the Finals, but we'll have to see how he does on stage with his voice at full strength before we can start talking about him as a potential winner.
Brent Keith
Age: 28
Home: Blanchester, OH
The guy's kind of a country-rocker, which makes him stand out somewhat. We haven't seen much of him since his audition. He was previously a contestant on "Nashville Star," which makes him a plant by some people's standards, but I don't think it's a big deal. They're both shows for amateurs trying to break into the industry, so I don't think it gives him any extra advantages. He seems like a nice guy, but I don't find him all that interesting.
He's a possibility for the Top 12, but he's in Group 1, which has some tough competition. So far he hasn't impressed me enough to think he'll make it as a Wild Card, but the judges (or producers) could decide to select him for demographic purposes. If he makes the Top 12 he'll probably stick around for a few weeks at least.
Adam Lambert
Age: 26
Home: Los Angeles, CA
Vote For the Worst fell in love with him when they discovered he was a flamboyant, campy, makeup-wearing wild man. He was sure to rankle the fans who love their "Idol" simple and non-controversial. Then they showed his audition and we found out that...he was actually a fairly regular dude. There are still several gay aspects to his persona, but they're more subtle and non-threatening. Someone like Nate Marshall, whose gayness is more blatant, is more likely to annoy viewers the way Danny Noriega did last year. Adam comes across as a cool, charismatic guy who, oh by the way, just happens to be gay. Vote For the Worst isn't as high on him as they used to be.
I remember not liking him very much at first, but he's kind of grown on me to the point where I don't mind him sticking around, even if he's not one of my favorites. I've picked him for the Top 12, since he's got the right combination of talent, charisma and screentime to make it. I have a hard time seeing him as a winner, since I don't think his appeal is broad enough, but I can definitely see him making it to the second half of the Finals.
Jesse Langseth
Age: 25
Home: Minneapolis, MN
This girl seems fairly talented, but her personality is also fairly...what's the word? Grating? Not exactly. Odd? Well, that may be a stretch. I don't know. She comes across as someone with a personality that you have to connect with to appreciate, and I guess I just don't connect with it. The weird druggie eyes don't add to her appeal either. We internet fans know she's Jonny Lang's sister, but I guess she hopes to make it on her own merits, since she's never mentioned it. Good for her.
Simon told her she had no chance of winning based on her sing-off, and I agree that there's little chance she will. I do, however, think she's a sleeper to make the Top 12 despite being underpimped. Maybe being the only natural redhead will help her cause. I've proposed a theory that distinctive hair is an advantage on "Idol," so she's got that going for her.
Scott MacIntyre
Age: 23
Home: Scottsdale, AZ
You may know him better as the legally blind guy. "American Idol" has been accused of insensitivity to those with disabilities in the past, so perhaps this is an attempt to atone for it. Not that Scott isn't talented, but I don't think he'd stand out much were it not for his visual impairment. Since most people with disabilities want to be treated the same as anyone else, I'll give Scott an honest assessment: I don't find him that interesting, nor do I plan to vote for him. I've compared him to Theo Tams from "Canadian Idol," as he's another piano-based guy, but I think Theo had a better voice.
I'm guessing Scott's going to make the Top 12. A lot of people will vote for him because they think (wow!) it's so inspiring that a legally blind guy is doing something like this. Of course, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Roy Orbison, etc. were all more compelling for their talent than their lack of vision. Once the novelty of a blind guy wears off, I don't think Scott's going to be all that captivating to most viewers. I say he probably finishes around 6th Place.
Nathaniel Marshall
Age: 18
Home: Malone, NY
He's got piercings all over his face, tattoos all over his arms, wears crazy outfits and is very obviously gay. At the last minute though, he got some pimping. We learned that he's been shuffled between relatives his whole life because his mother was an imprisoned drug addict. I'm not sure if he's being set up as an anti-hero because of how non-mainstream he is or if the producers think he has potential. While the tattoos and piercings are unquestionably nasty, Nathaniel's soul-baring in Hollywood made me at least not hate him. I don't expect to vote for him, but I'm willing to give him a chance.
That said, I think he only has a slim chance of making the Top 12. I wouldn't say he has no chance, as I would with a few of these contestants, but I'd say it's more likely that he doesn't than he does. If he does, I say he's 10th Place, tops.
Kristen McNamara
Age: 22
Home: Napa Valley, CA
Kristen is known mainly for the Hollywood drama she was caught in the middle of. Singing-wise she's remembered for both the big note she hit in the middle of her group performance and her solo performance of "Because of You." That "Because of You" is kind of polarizing. Some people thought she completely butchered it, and others (like me) thought it was incredible. I don't know what it is about Kristen, but I kind of like her. She was on "Nashville Star" like Brent Keith, but as I said above, I don't think that qualifies her as a plant.
I have her as one of my picks for the Top 12. I think she's displayed more talent than any of the other girls they've shown us, and I think she's capable of a Semifinal performance that'll bring the votes. The screentime she's gotten probably won't hurt, either. She only made it to 6th Place on "Nashville Star," but I could see her possibly going farther than that on "Idol." I still think this is a guy's year, but I wouldn't be surprised if she made it to the finale.
Nick Mitchell
Age: 27
Home: Brookfield, CT
Perhaps the most unlikely Semifinalist ever. His audition appeared to be one of the million "joke" auditions we see every year where wannabe comedians attempt to get on TV by acting like fools. It turns out that underneath it all, Nick takes his "Norman Gentle" character very seriously and wants "Idol" to open the door to a career as an entertainer. He's not as bad a singer as you'd expect, either. Joke auditioner makes good? What a story!
I have to admit, there's something devilishly enticing about the idea that this guy could end up winning the whole thing. Winning the whole thing? Well, I've already picked him to make the Top 12 just because he stands out so much. I don't realistically think he will win the whole thing, since it would pretty much require America to stick it to the manipulative producers and judges en masse. The Norman Gentle character will get old after a while, and Nick's singing isn't strong enough by itself to help him advance week after week. Still, he may be good for a few weeks of laughs. I could see him making it as far as mid-Finals. Maybe 7th Place or so.
Jasmine Murray
Age: 16
Home: Starkville, MS
She's only 16 (or "OMG 16!" as anything below 18 has come to be known among AI fans since Jordin Sparks was on the show), and she's pretty good. She's gotten a good deal of screentime, even if she's not showing us anything we haven't seen before. I don't have much else to say about her except that she's a black girl with a white-sounding southern accent. That may be the most distinctive thing about her.
I don't have anything against her, but I don't plan to vote for her. She claims to have a wide range of musical tastes, so perhaps she might be a more interesting performer than she seems, but as of right now I'm not a fan. I think her pimping could get her into the Top 12, since they need someone to appeal to younger voters. I think it'll be either her or Taylor Vaifanua in the Finals.
Jorge Nunez
Age: 20
Home: Carolina, PR
I theorized early on that they could be looking for a Latin Idol this year, and that they're going to pimp Jorge in hopes of getting one. I do think he's a great singer who could probably be successful in that genre, but I honestly don't know how popular "American Idol" is with fans of that style. Three of last year's Top 4 had some sort of Hispanic/Latino heritage, but Jason Castro was the only one who ever sang anything in Spanish.
I didn't pick Jorge to make the Top 12, but I do think he has a good shot. I'm not sure about him winning though. You know they'll push him in a Latin direction if he does make it far, and I don't think that particular style is very popular among those without a Spanish-speaking heritage. Most Americans are fans of specific Latin songs or artists, but not the genre itself. To sum up, I don't think a Latin Idol is something we'll be seeing anytime soon. I could see Jorge making the Top 5, though.
Lil Rounds
Age: 23
Home: Memphis, TN
Another parent to add to the list. She's only 23 and a mom of three. They've pimped her a ton, but I'll probably never cast a single vote for her. She's just this year's token "diva." Yeah, she's a powerful vocalist, but...I mean...zzzzzzzzzz.
Lil seemed really humble at her first audition, and I thought she could possibly be another Melinda Doolittle type, but I don't think so anymore. Melinda had the voice to be considered a "diva," but stylistically she really wasn't. Melinda was a great, well-rounded singer who didn't overdo it or underdo it. She knew the exact treatment each song needed and executed it perfectly. Despite this immense talent, she always seemed sincerely humble about where she was. Lil talks about how she "won't be defeated," and her belting ability is about all we've seen from her. She reminds me more of Fantasia than Melinda. Fantasia's my least favorite winner so...yeah.
She's pretty much a lock for the Top 12, as the powers that be have made it a point to drill into us how great she is. She can do it with someone else's votes though; she doesn't need mine. I think most "Idol" fans have moved on from looking for the next Whitney Houston and now expect this show to produce a true artist. While Lil's talent and backstory will probably carry her deep into the competition, she's too "been there, done that" to win.
Michael Sarver
Age: 27
Home: Jasper, TX
He joins Matt Breitzke as the other burly, white soul singer with a blue-collar job. The judges seem to like him a lot, but I find him kind of boring and don't think his voice is especially great. He's another family man, and he's doing this competition because he wants to make a better life for them. Can't say I blame him there. He doesn't have a very expressive face, so it's hard to connect with him emotionally.
I think he could make the Top 12 because of his family and screentime, but I don't think he has any chance of winning. For some reason he seems like a possible Josh Gracin. He's not talented enough to succeed week after week, but doggone it, he's a family man and a guy whose sensitivity belies his outward appearance. If he makes the Top 12 he could be this year's contestant who sticks around too long.
Von Smith
Age: 22
Home: Kansas City, MO
He's the first contestant in the history of this show that I'd already heard of before tryouts. What's there to say about this guy that I haven't said already? That YouTube video was impressive, since he was singing a song that requires a lot of screaming. Of course, he does that to every song he sings, and Simon (rightfully) called him out as being overindulgent with his performances. The sledgehammer treatment he gives every song and his weird facial expressions make him more entertaining as a sideshow than as a serious contestant.
I think too many people view Von as a joke, but he's gotten enough screentime (and seems like a nice enough fellow to boot) that the Top 12 is a possibility. Still, I don't see him getting very far in the Finals if he makes it there.
Jackie Tohn
Age: 27
Home: Silver Lake, CA
I've liked Jackie since her audition. She's got a fun, quirky personality and a cool, raspy voice. The raspy voice has drawn some comparisons to Amanda Overmyer, but I think she's a much better singer. Amanda was really more of a shouter (in a rockin' way!). Jackie's a Jewish New York girl with a nasal speaking voice who seems to have more of an acoustic pop bent, and she most definitely has a good sense of humor. Heck, she's even kind of cute.
I think her screentime and personality might be enough to get her into the Top 12, but she's not one of my official picks. She seems like she'd be a love-her-or-hate-her type, and that's a sword that can cut both ways. I'm rooting for her though, and I plan to vote accordingly.
Taylor Vaifanua
Age: 16
Home: Hurricane, UT
Vote For the Worst reported a while back that the word out of Hollywood had Taylor as the judges' favorite. When I finally saw her audition I thought she'd be really good but...I wasn't impressed. That's not to say she was bad, just that she was nothing special. Her mannerisms remind me of Jordin Sparks. She's certainly a very pretty girl like Jordin was, but the talent is another story.
I predicted she'd make the Top 12 as a Wild Card due to the previous report of her as the judges' favorite. I don't think she's good enough to rake in the votes with her singing alone, but the producers will probably want someone to appeal to the younger crowd. Jasmine Murray could also possibly fill this role if not Taylor. Taylor seems very proud of her Polynesian heritage, so if there's a large voting bloc of Polynesians who want one of their own to succeed (I have no idea if such a bloc exists) she could make it far if she plays up that angle. She'll have to perform well though, because we saw how far Ramiele Malubay got last year by playing up her ethnic heritage early on and subsequently not singing well enough. I mean, 9th Place isn't bad, but most contestants hope to get a little farther.
Jeanine Vailes
Age: 27
Home: Sherman Oaks, CA
She's one of the few contestants we've never heard sing. In fact, I think it's just her and Ricky Braddy. Ricky's name was briefly mentioned in the "three rooms" episode, and some of the contestants who were introduced in the "chair" episode had clips of them singing to go along with the announcement. Jeanine didn't get any of that, which makes her the least pimped contestant of them all. Translation: She has to give us a show-stopper to have any chance of making the Top 12. Several contestants already have fanbases in their corner, so she needs to get votes based on talent. Hey, it can be done. Look at LaToya London.
Based on the online interviews she seems like a fun person. She reminds me of a non-heavy-set version of Mandisa looks-wise. Although I have some fodder sympathy for her, I get the impression she's another gospel-type singer who I wouldn't want to listen to even if she'd gotten some screentime. I wish her good luck, but I don't think she'll ever be heard from again after her Semifinal performance.
Alex Wagner-Trugman
Age: 19
Home: Studio City, CA
I love this guy. Not so much as a singer, since he's clearly "just OK," but as a personality. He reminds me of myself: a somewhat shy dork with a cheesy sense of humor. Besides that, he says his favorite music to sing is "poppish-rockish stuff" and "music from anybody who has a soul muscle." That sounds similar to what I like! How can I not vote for him? He vicariously represents me!
Sadly, I'd say he has almost no chance of making the Top 12. He's clearly one of the less-talented Semifinalists, and he always seemed to get through each round of the preliminary process by the skin of his teeth. It won't stop me from supporting him, though. Dork power!
Stevie Wright
Age: 16
Home: Phelan, CA
Stevie's an interesting girl. She's only 16, but she comes off as having a maturity beyond her years. She appears very focused and poised, and I thought her audition with "At Last" was one of the most impressive we saw. Of course, she's a huge Jonas Brothers fan too, so I guess she's not completely free of teenage girl-ness.
I didn't pick Stevie for the Top 12, but I think she could surprise us. She has a great voice, and a good song choice and performance could make her an early contender. I can't say right now that I'm interested in voting for her, but I could see her developing a fanbase. She's one to watch. Top 5 doesn't seem unreasonable for her.
Whew! If you actually read all that, you rock. I think I'm comfortable with my picks, but as we all know, dark horses can become favorites and favorites can fall by the wayside, so a lot of these predictions will probably end up being horribly wrong. Still, they'll be fun to look back on. Let's get this competition started!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Top 36 Update
Well, I just got the news. Joanna Pacitti has been cut from the Top 36 and Felicia Barton is taking her place. All I can say is that THIS IS GREAT NEWS! No more waiting for the mega-plant to die like last season! Her making the Top 36 was waaaaaaay too shady.
On another note, I have to think that "Idol" planned this last-minute switch for publicity purposes. I mean, do you honestly think they didn't know there was any controversy about her until just now? Then they announce the switch immediately after the episode naming the Top 36? If this was all a setup for publicity, I almost feel bad for Joanna. I mean, they used her. Even planty contestants are people too. I'm happy she's gone, but they shouldn't have strung her along like they did. Now she has two claims to fame: missing out on both "American Idol" as well as "Annie."
As I mentioned in last night's post, Felicia Barton seemed to have a decent internet following from what I saw, but she got very little screen time. I'm going to let you in on a little secret: I know someone who knows Felicia. I've never met her or anything, but I'll probably be voting for her just because of that vague connection. Just for the heck of it, I'll replace Joanna with Felicia in my prediction for the Top 12. Go Felicia!
On another note, I have to think that "Idol" planned this last-minute switch for publicity purposes. I mean, do you honestly think they didn't know there was any controversy about her until just now? Then they announce the switch immediately after the episode naming the Top 36? If this was all a setup for publicity, I almost feel bad for Joanna. I mean, they used her. Even planty contestants are people too. I'm happy she's gone, but they shouldn't have strung her along like they did. Now she has two claims to fame: missing out on both "American Idol" as well as "Annie."
As I mentioned in last night's post, Felicia Barton seemed to have a decent internet following from what I saw, but she got very little screen time. I'm going to let you in on a little secret: I know someone who knows Felicia. I've never met her or anything, but I'll probably be voting for her just because of that vague connection. Just for the heck of it, I'll replace Joanna with Felicia in my prediction for the Top 12. Go Felicia!
At Long Last We Have Our Top 36!
...but how did we get there? Let's go through what happened in this episode.
There are 54 contestants left, and they're brought to a mansion to learn whether they've earned a spot in the Top 36 or a plane ticket home. The judges already know most of their fates, but guess what? They're still undecided about a few, and those contestants will have to sing for their survival in the competition! Did they let them know this ahead of time so they could warm up their voices? If not, that's pretty unfair.
Since they have to make this tense and nerve-wracking for the contestants, they set up a long walk to get to the judges. Through the garden, up the stairs, down the hallway, into the luxurious living room, where our quartet of arbiters awaits, holding a future in the business of mass-marketed melodies within their figurative palms.
Moving on from my horrible, failed attempt to sound like Robin Leach, Anoop Desai is up first. He says he's gotten more and more confident as he's gone on, and the judges unanimously say yes. Awesome! Anoop's our first member of ther Top 36! Right now I'm not sure I'd mind if he were the last one standing as well. He's been great in all the Hollywood clips we've seen.
Von Smith is next, and he tells us he's more prepared for a no than a yes. He says singing is "why I'm alive." I wonder what it's like to be alive for something you're not good at? I kid, I kid. Von's got talent, he just needs to tone down his act. Von rambles about how he told his family about his song choice and they didn't like it. According to the clip they show, that song choice was "Sir Duke." Actually, I think that's a good choice for him. It allows him to go for the high notes without them seeming out of place, and the rest he'd have to try pretty hard to butcher with his screaming. After all the blabbering we find out he gets a yes. Hey, and his mother is there to share in his joy! I can't wait to see what Von does in the Semifinals. Will he be screamy-man again, or will he actually try to interpret something with subtlety? Either way, it could be entertaining.
Up next is fem-boy Cody Sheldon. While the judges talk to Cody, Alex Wagner-Trugman is on his way. Cody's going to have to sing a little something for them if he wants to make the Top 36. He chooses "Love Remains the Same," which sounds a bit off-key and breathy. Poor kid. When Alex gets there he realizes that it's him or Cody, and he doesn't want that, since Cody's his buddy. Alex chooses "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" for his sing-off. He doesn't sound great, but it's better than Cody's was. Come on, Alex. Stop sounding so timid! Alex tells Ryan outside that he thought he picked a key that was too high. Now for the moment of truth: Alex is in, Cody is out. So sad! Alex has a hard time being happy because his pal Cody's been cut. They go back to break the news to the rest of the group. Hugs abound. An older man who kind of looks like Alex gives him a kiss on the cheek. I sure hope that's his dad.
Adam Lambert is next. The judges think he's too musical theater, and Simon says they had to decide whether he'd be a good recording artist. The decision was unanimous, and it's not good news...IT'S GREAT NEWS! Didn't your heart stop a second there? Adam's in!
Taylor Vaifanua, AKA Jordin Sparks II, is the first girl whose fate we learn. She sang "If I Ain't Got You" for her final performance. She struggled with her group sing, which they never showed us. She was in Danny and Jamar's group, so perhaps that explains why we didn't see more of that performance. Anyway, she gets through. I was never that impressed with her, but the judges seem to love her.
Jasmine Murray makes it. No shock there.
Arianna Afsar makes it. I'm not terribly surprised.
Casey Carlson makes it. Well, OK.
Megan Corkrey makes it. Ah yes, the quirky divorced mom. I'm glad she hasn't gotten a ton of pimping, since I don't want to look at her tattoo sleeve.
Mishavonna Henson makes it. Mediocre singer we first met yesterday and fodder.
Stevie Wright makes it. That's nice.
Joanna Pacitti is next, and we know she'll get through because she's a plant. She tells us that she thinks she forgot the lyrics to every song she sang in Hollywood. And yet...she's still here. She tells the judges that she didn't think she showed them what she can do. Um, yeah. Forgetting the lyrics does tend to hinder one's display of singing ability. It turns out the judges' decision was unanimous: she's in the Top 36! Hooray! Now she can forget her lyrics on live TV!
OK, let me get this straight: Simon gives the contestants a dire warning every year in Hollywood: forget the lyrics and you're gone. Joanna forgot the lyrics in Hollywood at every turn. Each time she survived the cut. Now the judges unanimously decide to include her in the Top 36? I guess that "don't forget the lyrics" rule doesn't apply when you have more connections than a switchboard.
Like last year's mega-plant Carly Smithson, she's a crier. This is just great. Between tatted up Megan Corkrey and emotional plant Joanna we now have Carly in two people! If they both end up in the Top 12 they're going to feel my wrath. I'm sure they're scared already.
T.K. Hash is a no.
Chris Chatman is a no.
Reggi Beasley is a no.
So sad. Especially those last two who we never saw until now.
Kendall Beard is so nervous now! She apparently sang "Angel" in Hollwood, and the judges tell her she chose too many boring songs. Yeah, "Angel" is kind of boring. But what's the verdict? The answer isn't great...IT'S FANTASTIC! Whoa! What a fakeout! Kendall's in! She hyperventilates all the way back out.
Time for another sing-off, this time between Kristen McNamara and Jenn Korbee. Jenn apparently auditioned with her husband, and both made it to Hollywood. I'm surprised we never saw this oh-so-cute story. Her husband Tom apparently got cut after the group performance. Jenn sings "Not Ready to Make Nice," and her voice is nasal and unfocused. Not very good. Kristen's turn is next, and of course, they replay the Hollywood drama she was involved in for the hundredth time. She sings "I Will Always Love You," and her control is much better than Jenn's. She's no Whitney Houston, but she's clearly the superior singer of the two. When it's time for the decision, the judges tell Jenn that she doesn't emotionally connect and Kristen that she doesn't dress well. Well, which is more important to a singing competition? Isn't that what this allegedly is? The final result is (drumroll please): Kristen gets through. Simon says he disagreed with it, but we all know it's because Simon doesn't like white girls who have a few extra pounds. I've been impressed with Kristen's talent so far, so I'm glad she got through.
Boring old Alexis Grace is next, and she cries thinking about being apart from her daughter. We see a clip of her performing "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" and she makes it through. I really hope she doesn't become a weekly sob story about missing her daughter.
Scott MacIntyre gets through, and Kara tells him it's unanimous that they want to see him again. Just rub it in, why dontcha?
Lil Rounds is an obvious yes with all the pimping she's gotten. Ryan tells us that she now has the chance to make a better life for her family. Pimp!
Felicia Barton, she of the large internet following but little screen time, gets a no.
Ashley Hollister gets a no, and guess what? It was unanimous! I'm sure that's comforting for her to know.
Devon Baldwin gets a no. We're all heartbroken. Two seconds later we're all over it.
Time for another sing-off. Frankie Jordan, the mom from Hollywood with an annoying nose piercing vs. Jessie Langseth, who we've never seen before and sounds horrible in all the clips they show us. Frankie faces the judges first, with Brandi Carlile's "The Story." It's not too impressive. Jesse goes in and sing's Nikka Costa's "Like a Feather." She sounds a lot better, but there's a weird affected-sounding jazziness to it. Simon says it was a horrible song. They both return, and the one who gets through is: Jesse. Simon tells Frankie she wouldn't have won anyway, and says Jesse has no chance of winning either based on her sing-off. Celebrate your fodder status, Jesse! Do something memorable!
I just want to interject that this commercial for BK Burger shots is hilarious!
Shera Lawrence gets cut. I guess there's only room for so many cuties.
Derik Lavers gets cut. Another guy we never saw until now. He's really emotional.
We're introduced to Allison Iraheta, who sang a really poorly overdone "Because of You" in Hollywood. She's kind of scary-looking, with her unnatural bright red hair and the face of Buster Poindexter (wow, that's the second time I've linked that video, and I don't even like it that much). She gets through. The judges make a few comments about her being a dark horse or something. Yeah right. She needs to have the performance of her life just to make the Top 12.
The Danny Gokey and Jamar Rogers storyline continues! "What if one gets cut and the other makes it?" asks Jamar. Yeah, what if?
Danny gets the news first, and he says he thought he did well considering the pressure. He says he knows that a singer should always see room for improvement. The judges ask if he thinks he's different, and he answers "oh yeah!" in sort of an "of course!" type of tone. He gets through (like we all knew he would), and Jamar cries for him outside.
Jamar's up next. Have I ever mentioned how annoying all his facial piercings are? My regular readers probably know I'm kind of an old-fashioned guy, and that I find tattoos, piercings, etc. very unappealing. Seriously, though. If I were Jamar I'd be afraid to fall asleep outside lest there be crows in the vicinity. The judges tell him his risks in Hollywood didn't pay off, and that he's a good singer but it's a no. Awww. Now Danny and Jamar are broken up! Everyone in the holding room is shocked when Jamar breaks the news. Even Jamar himself is shocked. I'm not, and not just because I saw the spoiler list. I've been saying he's too shouty for a long time now.
Ricky Braddy gets through. They briefly mentioned his name on last night's episode when they were switching rooms around, but we don't know anything about him. In other words: fodder with an almost 0% chance of making the Top 12.
Matt Giraud is through. Whoopee.
Ju'not Joyner is through. Par-tay.
Jorge Nunez is through. Hip hip hooray and yay.
Brent Keith is through. Tubular.
Stephen Fowler thought he did excellent until the last day of Hollywood when he forgot the lyrics. He says he's never buckled under pressure like that before. Still, he makes the Top 36 because the judges know his talent.
Nick Mitchell finally gets his turn. Could Norman Gentle actually make the voting rounds? He says he'll do anything, even wear a bikini like Bikini Girl. Wow. She was even known by that name to the other contestants. He says his passions are singing and making people laugh, and he convinces the judges that he really is serious about the whole Norman shtick. They like what they hear, and they tell him he's a yes.
Jackie Tohn is next, and we see her clip of "I Hope You Dance" from Hollywood. Her raspy voice is an interesting touch for that song. She gets a yes and starts wiggling around in excitement. She cries and says that her parents will be proud of her. Jackie's hard to read. She seems very laid-back and self-deprecating most of the time, but when that soft side comes out she's like a different person. I like her.
The infamous Tatiana Del Toro is next, and we get another montage of her crying and wackiness. She says that she's doing this for all the guys who said she had to sleep with them to get an opportunity. If she really did run into guys like that it's pretty sad. That has to be pretty degrading. She's totally giddy when she walks in to meet the judges, and Simon asks her to try not being annoying for once. Paula gives her the ring to some star jewelry set that she apparently came out with because Tatiana's a big fan of the five-pointed bling. Simon has to be cynical about it and says that Paula's just promoting her jewelry on TV. That may be the funniest line of the night. Anyway...it wasn't unanimous, but...she made it through! Tatiana's in the Top 36! She already has legions of haters, but she did prove her ability to sing. Tatiana cries and squeals all the way back to the holding room, where no one except Ryan wants to give her a hug.
Time for another sing-off. Jackie Midkiff sang "Superstition" in Hollywood, and now he sings "When a Man Loves a Woman" in hopes of staying in the competition. Kara's surprised they're undecided about Jackie, since he's so good. Really? He didn't sound that great to me. Jackie's opponent? Drama queen Nathaniel Marshall. Hold on a second there, fella! It's time for Nathaniel's backstory! He's lived with everyone in his family, because his mom is in prison for a drug problem. On that note, could he get cut now? He walks into the judges' room wearing an outfit Simon describes as "John McEnroe on a bad day." Nate says he's being true to himself if this is the last time they see him. He sings "I'm Already There" and sounds the best I think we've heard from him yet. Decison: Nathaniel gets through. Based on the sing-off I think they made the right choice.
Jeanine Vailes gets through. Who? More fodder.
Kai Kalama gets a unanimous yes. Oh boy.
Anne Marie Boskovich gets a yes. OK.
Kris Allen gets a yes. I guess we saw a few brief clips of him. He's still fodder.
Now it's down to one last sing-off. Matt Breitzke vs. Michael Sarver. Two burly white soul singers. Two family men. Two blue-collar workers. First it's Matt. He sings "Satisfied" and sounds just OK. Next is Michael who sings some song that goes: "When I wake up in the morning and I see you next to me I know everything is gonna be alright." He's just OK too. The result? It's a twist! Both get through! Well all righty then! I'm just glad this is finally over.
So now we have our complete Top 36:
Anoop Desai
Von Smith
Alex Wagner-Trugman
Adam Lambert
Taylor Vaifanua
Jasmine Murray
Arianna Afsar
Casey Carlson
Megan Corkrey
Mishavonna Henson
Stevie Wright
Joanna Pacitti
Kendall Beard
Kristen McNamara
Alexis Grace
Scott MacIntyre
Lil Rounds
Jesse Langseth
Allison Iraheta
Danny Gokey
Ricky Braddy
Matt Giraud
Ju'not Joyner
Jorge Nunez
Brent Keith
Stephen Fowler
Nick Mitchell
Jackie Tohn
Tatiana Del Toro
Nathaniel Marshall
Jeanine Vailes
Kai Kalama
Anne Marie Boskovich
Kris Allen
Matt Breitzke
Michael Sarver
The first group of 12 who'll perform next week are:
Casey Carlson
Stephen Fowler
Jackie Tohn
Ricky Braddy
Anne Marie Boskovich
Brent Keith
Alexis Grace
Michael Sarver
Stevie Wright
Danny Gokey
Tatiana Del Toro
Anoop Desai
At this early stage, who am I predicting for the Top 12? Here's my best guess (in no particular order):
1. Danny Gokey. The positive screen time king.
2. Lil Rounds. Pimpety-pimp-pimp-pimp.
3. Nick Mitchell. He's the most entertaining contestant.
4. Tatiana Del Toro. Hey, if her fortune teller says she makes it, that's good enough for me!
5. Anoop Desai. Anoop Dogg! Apparently has a large fanbase as well as one of the best voices.
6. Taylor Vaifanua. They need someone young. I could see her getting in as a Wild Card, since the judges seem to love her.
7. Adam Lambert. Plenty of screen time and talented too.
8. Scott MacIntyre. Isn't the blind (er...visually impaired) guy so inspiring?
9. Kristen McNamara. I think she's possibly the strongest girl we've seen.
10. Joanna Pacitti. Who are we kidding? She's a plant. If she doesn't get voted in the judges will select her as a Wild Card.
11. Matt Giraud. I know I said yesterday he wouldn't make the Top 12, but from what I've seen on the internet, quite a few people have warmed up to him.
12. Stephen Fowler. He's the fourth member of Group 1 on my list, and I think he's most likely to be picked as a Wild Card.
So that's how I see it. If even half of these are right I'll be proud of myself.
I can't wait for next week! Whoo! After that "whoo!" I feel obliged to throw in a "Soul Patrol!"
I'll probably put up another post sometime between then and now looking at the Top 36 in more detail. I'm not sure when I'll have the time, but doggone it, I'll make time!
There are 54 contestants left, and they're brought to a mansion to learn whether they've earned a spot in the Top 36 or a plane ticket home. The judges already know most of their fates, but guess what? They're still undecided about a few, and those contestants will have to sing for their survival in the competition! Did they let them know this ahead of time so they could warm up their voices? If not, that's pretty unfair.
Since they have to make this tense and nerve-wracking for the contestants, they set up a long walk to get to the judges. Through the garden, up the stairs, down the hallway, into the luxurious living room, where our quartet of arbiters awaits, holding a future in the business of mass-marketed melodies within their figurative palms.
Moving on from my horrible, failed attempt to sound like Robin Leach, Anoop Desai is up first. He says he's gotten more and more confident as he's gone on, and the judges unanimously say yes. Awesome! Anoop's our first member of ther Top 36! Right now I'm not sure I'd mind if he were the last one standing as well. He's been great in all the Hollywood clips we've seen.
Von Smith is next, and he tells us he's more prepared for a no than a yes. He says singing is "why I'm alive." I wonder what it's like to be alive for something you're not good at? I kid, I kid. Von's got talent, he just needs to tone down his act. Von rambles about how he told his family about his song choice and they didn't like it. According to the clip they show, that song choice was "Sir Duke." Actually, I think that's a good choice for him. It allows him to go for the high notes without them seeming out of place, and the rest he'd have to try pretty hard to butcher with his screaming. After all the blabbering we find out he gets a yes. Hey, and his mother is there to share in his joy! I can't wait to see what Von does in the Semifinals. Will he be screamy-man again, or will he actually try to interpret something with subtlety? Either way, it could be entertaining.
Up next is fem-boy Cody Sheldon. While the judges talk to Cody, Alex Wagner-Trugman is on his way. Cody's going to have to sing a little something for them if he wants to make the Top 36. He chooses "Love Remains the Same," which sounds a bit off-key and breathy. Poor kid. When Alex gets there he realizes that it's him or Cody, and he doesn't want that, since Cody's his buddy. Alex chooses "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" for his sing-off. He doesn't sound great, but it's better than Cody's was. Come on, Alex. Stop sounding so timid! Alex tells Ryan outside that he thought he picked a key that was too high. Now for the moment of truth: Alex is in, Cody is out. So sad! Alex has a hard time being happy because his pal Cody's been cut. They go back to break the news to the rest of the group. Hugs abound. An older man who kind of looks like Alex gives him a kiss on the cheek. I sure hope that's his dad.
Adam Lambert is next. The judges think he's too musical theater, and Simon says they had to decide whether he'd be a good recording artist. The decision was unanimous, and it's not good news...IT'S GREAT NEWS! Didn't your heart stop a second there? Adam's in!
Taylor Vaifanua, AKA Jordin Sparks II, is the first girl whose fate we learn. She sang "If I Ain't Got You" for her final performance. She struggled with her group sing, which they never showed us. She was in Danny and Jamar's group, so perhaps that explains why we didn't see more of that performance. Anyway, she gets through. I was never that impressed with her, but the judges seem to love her.
Jasmine Murray makes it. No shock there.
Arianna Afsar makes it. I'm not terribly surprised.
Casey Carlson makes it. Well, OK.
Megan Corkrey makes it. Ah yes, the quirky divorced mom. I'm glad she hasn't gotten a ton of pimping, since I don't want to look at her tattoo sleeve.
Mishavonna Henson makes it. Mediocre singer we first met yesterday and fodder.
Stevie Wright makes it. That's nice.
Joanna Pacitti is next, and we know she'll get through because she's a plant. She tells us that she thinks she forgot the lyrics to every song she sang in Hollywood. And yet...she's still here. She tells the judges that she didn't think she showed them what she can do. Um, yeah. Forgetting the lyrics does tend to hinder one's display of singing ability. It turns out the judges' decision was unanimous: she's in the Top 36! Hooray! Now she can forget her lyrics on live TV!
OK, let me get this straight: Simon gives the contestants a dire warning every year in Hollywood: forget the lyrics and you're gone. Joanna forgot the lyrics in Hollywood at every turn. Each time she survived the cut. Now the judges unanimously decide to include her in the Top 36? I guess that "don't forget the lyrics" rule doesn't apply when you have more connections than a switchboard.
Like last year's mega-plant Carly Smithson, she's a crier. This is just great. Between tatted up Megan Corkrey and emotional plant Joanna we now have Carly in two people! If they both end up in the Top 12 they're going to feel my wrath. I'm sure they're scared already.
T.K. Hash is a no.
Chris Chatman is a no.
Reggi Beasley is a no.
So sad. Especially those last two who we never saw until now.
Kendall Beard is so nervous now! She apparently sang "Angel" in Hollwood, and the judges tell her she chose too many boring songs. Yeah, "Angel" is kind of boring. But what's the verdict? The answer isn't great...IT'S FANTASTIC! Whoa! What a fakeout! Kendall's in! She hyperventilates all the way back out.
Time for another sing-off, this time between Kristen McNamara and Jenn Korbee. Jenn apparently auditioned with her husband, and both made it to Hollywood. I'm surprised we never saw this oh-so-cute story. Her husband Tom apparently got cut after the group performance. Jenn sings "Not Ready to Make Nice," and her voice is nasal and unfocused. Not very good. Kristen's turn is next, and of course, they replay the Hollywood drama she was involved in for the hundredth time. She sings "I Will Always Love You," and her control is much better than Jenn's. She's no Whitney Houston, but she's clearly the superior singer of the two. When it's time for the decision, the judges tell Jenn that she doesn't emotionally connect and Kristen that she doesn't dress well. Well, which is more important to a singing competition? Isn't that what this allegedly is? The final result is (drumroll please): Kristen gets through. Simon says he disagreed with it, but we all know it's because Simon doesn't like white girls who have a few extra pounds. I've been impressed with Kristen's talent so far, so I'm glad she got through.
Boring old Alexis Grace is next, and she cries thinking about being apart from her daughter. We see a clip of her performing "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" and she makes it through. I really hope she doesn't become a weekly sob story about missing her daughter.
Scott MacIntyre gets through, and Kara tells him it's unanimous that they want to see him again. Just rub it in, why dontcha?
Lil Rounds is an obvious yes with all the pimping she's gotten. Ryan tells us that she now has the chance to make a better life for her family. Pimp!
Felicia Barton, she of the large internet following but little screen time, gets a no.
Ashley Hollister gets a no, and guess what? It was unanimous! I'm sure that's comforting for her to know.
Devon Baldwin gets a no. We're all heartbroken. Two seconds later we're all over it.
Time for another sing-off. Frankie Jordan, the mom from Hollywood with an annoying nose piercing vs. Jessie Langseth, who we've never seen before and sounds horrible in all the clips they show us. Frankie faces the judges first, with Brandi Carlile's "The Story." It's not too impressive. Jesse goes in and sing's Nikka Costa's "Like a Feather." She sounds a lot better, but there's a weird affected-sounding jazziness to it. Simon says it was a horrible song. They both return, and the one who gets through is: Jesse. Simon tells Frankie she wouldn't have won anyway, and says Jesse has no chance of winning either based on her sing-off. Celebrate your fodder status, Jesse! Do something memorable!
I just want to interject that this commercial for BK Burger shots is hilarious!
Shera Lawrence gets cut. I guess there's only room for so many cuties.
Derik Lavers gets cut. Another guy we never saw until now. He's really emotional.
We're introduced to Allison Iraheta, who sang a really poorly overdone "Because of You" in Hollywood. She's kind of scary-looking, with her unnatural bright red hair and the face of Buster Poindexter (wow, that's the second time I've linked that video, and I don't even like it that much). She gets through. The judges make a few comments about her being a dark horse or something. Yeah right. She needs to have the performance of her life just to make the Top 12.
The Danny Gokey and Jamar Rogers storyline continues! "What if one gets cut and the other makes it?" asks Jamar. Yeah, what if?
Danny gets the news first, and he says he thought he did well considering the pressure. He says he knows that a singer should always see room for improvement. The judges ask if he thinks he's different, and he answers "oh yeah!" in sort of an "of course!" type of tone. He gets through (like we all knew he would), and Jamar cries for him outside.
Jamar's up next. Have I ever mentioned how annoying all his facial piercings are? My regular readers probably know I'm kind of an old-fashioned guy, and that I find tattoos, piercings, etc. very unappealing. Seriously, though. If I were Jamar I'd be afraid to fall asleep outside lest there be crows in the vicinity. The judges tell him his risks in Hollywood didn't pay off, and that he's a good singer but it's a no. Awww. Now Danny and Jamar are broken up! Everyone in the holding room is shocked when Jamar breaks the news. Even Jamar himself is shocked. I'm not, and not just because I saw the spoiler list. I've been saying he's too shouty for a long time now.
Ricky Braddy gets through. They briefly mentioned his name on last night's episode when they were switching rooms around, but we don't know anything about him. In other words: fodder with an almost 0% chance of making the Top 12.
Matt Giraud is through. Whoopee.
Ju'not Joyner is through. Par-tay.
Jorge Nunez is through. Hip hip hooray and yay.
Brent Keith is through. Tubular.
Stephen Fowler thought he did excellent until the last day of Hollywood when he forgot the lyrics. He says he's never buckled under pressure like that before. Still, he makes the Top 36 because the judges know his talent.
Nick Mitchell finally gets his turn. Could Norman Gentle actually make the voting rounds? He says he'll do anything, even wear a bikini like Bikini Girl. Wow. She was even known by that name to the other contestants. He says his passions are singing and making people laugh, and he convinces the judges that he really is serious about the whole Norman shtick. They like what they hear, and they tell him he's a yes.
Jackie Tohn is next, and we see her clip of "I Hope You Dance" from Hollywood. Her raspy voice is an interesting touch for that song. She gets a yes and starts wiggling around in excitement. She cries and says that her parents will be proud of her. Jackie's hard to read. She seems very laid-back and self-deprecating most of the time, but when that soft side comes out she's like a different person. I like her.
The infamous Tatiana Del Toro is next, and we get another montage of her crying and wackiness. She says that she's doing this for all the guys who said she had to sleep with them to get an opportunity. If she really did run into guys like that it's pretty sad. That has to be pretty degrading. She's totally giddy when she walks in to meet the judges, and Simon asks her to try not being annoying for once. Paula gives her the ring to some star jewelry set that she apparently came out with because Tatiana's a big fan of the five-pointed bling. Simon has to be cynical about it and says that Paula's just promoting her jewelry on TV. That may be the funniest line of the night. Anyway...it wasn't unanimous, but...she made it through! Tatiana's in the Top 36! She already has legions of haters, but she did prove her ability to sing. Tatiana cries and squeals all the way back to the holding room, where no one except Ryan wants to give her a hug.
Time for another sing-off. Jackie Midkiff sang "Superstition" in Hollywood, and now he sings "When a Man Loves a Woman" in hopes of staying in the competition. Kara's surprised they're undecided about Jackie, since he's so good. Really? He didn't sound that great to me. Jackie's opponent? Drama queen Nathaniel Marshall. Hold on a second there, fella! It's time for Nathaniel's backstory! He's lived with everyone in his family, because his mom is in prison for a drug problem. On that note, could he get cut now? He walks into the judges' room wearing an outfit Simon describes as "John McEnroe on a bad day." Nate says he's being true to himself if this is the last time they see him. He sings "I'm Already There" and sounds the best I think we've heard from him yet. Decison: Nathaniel gets through. Based on the sing-off I think they made the right choice.
Jeanine Vailes gets through. Who? More fodder.
Kai Kalama gets a unanimous yes. Oh boy.
Anne Marie Boskovich gets a yes. OK.
Kris Allen gets a yes. I guess we saw a few brief clips of him. He's still fodder.
Now it's down to one last sing-off. Matt Breitzke vs. Michael Sarver. Two burly white soul singers. Two family men. Two blue-collar workers. First it's Matt. He sings "Satisfied" and sounds just OK. Next is Michael who sings some song that goes: "When I wake up in the morning and I see you next to me I know everything is gonna be alright." He's just OK too. The result? It's a twist! Both get through! Well all righty then! I'm just glad this is finally over.
So now we have our complete Top 36:
Anoop Desai
Von Smith
Alex Wagner-Trugman
Adam Lambert
Taylor Vaifanua
Jasmine Murray
Arianna Afsar
Casey Carlson
Megan Corkrey
Mishavonna Henson
Stevie Wright
Joanna Pacitti
Kendall Beard
Kristen McNamara
Alexis Grace
Scott MacIntyre
Lil Rounds
Jesse Langseth
Allison Iraheta
Danny Gokey
Ricky Braddy
Matt Giraud
Ju'not Joyner
Jorge Nunez
Brent Keith
Stephen Fowler
Nick Mitchell
Jackie Tohn
Tatiana Del Toro
Nathaniel Marshall
Jeanine Vailes
Kai Kalama
Anne Marie Boskovich
Kris Allen
Matt Breitzke
Michael Sarver
The first group of 12 who'll perform next week are:
Casey Carlson
Stephen Fowler
Jackie Tohn
Ricky Braddy
Anne Marie Boskovich
Brent Keith
Alexis Grace
Michael Sarver
Stevie Wright
Danny Gokey
Tatiana Del Toro
Anoop Desai
At this early stage, who am I predicting for the Top 12? Here's my best guess (in no particular order):
1. Danny Gokey. The positive screen time king.
2. Lil Rounds. Pimpety-pimp-pimp-pimp.
3. Nick Mitchell. He's the most entertaining contestant.
4. Tatiana Del Toro. Hey, if her fortune teller says she makes it, that's good enough for me!
5. Anoop Desai. Anoop Dogg! Apparently has a large fanbase as well as one of the best voices.
6. Taylor Vaifanua. They need someone young. I could see her getting in as a Wild Card, since the judges seem to love her.
7. Adam Lambert. Plenty of screen time and talented too.
8. Scott MacIntyre. Isn't the blind (er...visually impaired) guy so inspiring?
9. Kristen McNamara. I think she's possibly the strongest girl we've seen.
10. Joanna Pacitti. Who are we kidding? She's a plant. If she doesn't get voted in the judges will select her as a Wild Card.
11. Matt Giraud. I know I said yesterday he wouldn't make the Top 12, but from what I've seen on the internet, quite a few people have warmed up to him.
12. Stephen Fowler. He's the fourth member of Group 1 on my list, and I think he's most likely to be picked as a Wild Card.
So that's how I see it. If even half of these are right I'll be proud of myself.
I can't wait for next week! Whoo! After that "whoo!" I feel obliged to throw in a "Soul Patrol!"
I'll probably put up another post sometime between then and now looking at the Top 36 in more detail. I'm not sure when I'll have the time, but doggone it, I'll make time!
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