Here it is: the last show of the season that I have to recap. Not that I don't enjoy writing this blog, it's just that it's a labor of love which can be tiring at times. I'm about burnt out, so it's good to see the end in sight. Whoever is crowned our winner tonight will be worthy of the title, so I can sit back and enjoy it (while rooting for Kris, though).
Ryan tells us there were just under 100 million votes last night, bringing the season total to 624 million. That's crazy. I think it's a sign that more people these days use power-dialers instead of voting by hand. Me? I'm old-school, so I still press redial over and over on my cell phone. Of course, if I were really old-school I'd be using a rotary dial just to hear that comforting busy signal that tells me my favorite contestant has tons of support.
Ryan pays respect to the four who've professionally guided us throughout season. Guided us? You mean dictated their opinions to us in an attempt to make us choose their favorites? Oh, he was being facetious, because there's an accompanying clip poking fun at each judge. Well that's kind of funny. Those four buffoons deserve it.
Mikalah Gordon is dispatched to Kris Allen's hometown of Conway, AR this time, and she tries to talk to a little girl who doesn't know what to say. Mikalah handles it well by improvising "She's speechless!"
Adam Lambert's hometown of San Diego has as its host...Carly Smithson??? What was wrong with Matt Rogers? Attention hog that she is, Carly has to remind us that she couldn't win it for San Diego last year. No one cares about you, you carpetbagger. We want to hear about Adam.
The Top 13 sing "So What?" by Pink. Man, I hate this song. I usually love the group numbers, but I love them much less with crappy songs like this. Allison Iraheta gets to give the audience a karate kick. We missed you in the Top 3, Allison! Wow, Jasmine Murray gets one of the few solo lines. I guess they needed to remind America she existed.
David Cook is back to sing his new song "Permanent," which, if I'm not mistaken, is about his brother who recently passed away's struggle with cancer. This guy and his family have obviously been through a lot in the past two years, so I feel for them. The "mosh pit" has their hands randomly waving to no particular rhythm throughout the slow part of the song. Just listen to the lyrics, kids. This song is supposed to be heartfelt and emotional. David talks about his brother a little afterwards, and he says that this performance is going to be available on iTunes after the show, with proceeds going to ABC Squared. Awesome. I wish both David and ABC Squared the best.
Now they're doing the cheesy "Golden Idol Awards" portion of the finale. Oh brother. Was there ever any demand for this? The "Outstanding Male" nominees are: Wil Kunick, who apparently sang "Mad World" for his audition, Michael Gurr, the guy who was too nervous to enunciate at his audition, Elijah Scarlett, who has the deepest voice known to man, Dean-Anthony Bradford, the warthog who said "the carpet matches the drapes" and of course, Nick Mitchell, the guy who actually made it to the voting rounds. Of course, Nick wins. He claims not to have been prepared, then reveals his "Normund Gentle" outfit underneath his regular clothes and reprises "And I Am Telling You" in his ultra-campy style. Let's be honest, how could they not bring this guy back for the finale? We'll never see anything like his Semifinal performance on this show again.
Our first Idol-and-established-star duet is "Cue the Rain" with Lil Rounds and Queen Latifah. What's the point of this? Lil is boring and not particularly good. Seriously, is anyone interested in this? Is Anoop going to get to duet with anyone? He did finish ahead of Lil, after all. Then again, Carly Smithson and Michael Johns were featured in a duet last year while Kristy Lee Cook, who finished ahead of Michael, got jack squat. There's a lot of favoritism in these finales.
We come back from the commercial to see Anoop Desai singing "I'm Yours." Alexis Grace then joins him and introduces the man himself, Jason Mraz. This is a good song but...I'm freaking sick of it after hearing it on the radio at work over and over. What an odd setup. Anoop and Alexis get center stage with Mr. A-Z while the other Idols serve as the background chorus in the wings. Oh well. Good for Anoop. He deserves some screentime.
Ryan asks all the Kris Allen fans to cheer and rolls a video of Kris' journey on the show. How can you not smile when you see this? I'm so glad we didn't have to see this type of crap with Danny. Now Kris gets to perform "Kiss a Girl" with Keith Urban. Kris fan and upbeat song fan that I am, I love this moment. Well done, sirs.
Once again we come back from the commercial and are violently thrust into a musical number. This one features our five girls singing Fergie's "Glamorous" before Allison introduces the real Fergie. She then sings "Big Girls Don't Cry" before Allison pipes up again to tell us the rest of the Black Eyed Peas are in the house. At this point it's just "screw the Idols, we have big-name guests!" The girls are no longer anywhere to be found. I don't know about you, but I care more about the Idols than this crap. This show is supposed to be about them. Oh well. It gives me time to polish up this recap so I don't have to do it later. Oh wait, there the girls are! On the platform behind the judges! Hooray.
Time for more stupid awards. The nominees for "Best Attitude" are: Bikini Girl Katrina Darrell, who was only put there for drama, Alexis Cohen, who I don't think anyone has ever found funny except the producers of this show, and Tiffany Shedd, the weird spoiled girl with too much makeup. Katrina wins of course, and she's back with her bikini and a bigger bust, which Seacrest jokingly alludes to. She sings "Vision of Love" again and is off-key as expected, but the big twist is when Kara joins her from behind the backdrop and outsings her. At the end Kara reveals a bikini under her dress! And all this time I thought Kara took herself too seriously. Kara says she's only doing it because they agreed to donate to her favorite charity if she did it. Kara DioGuardi in a bikini for a good cause? It's a win-win! As much as I can't stand her fake personality, I have to admit she's a very attractive woman.
Allison gets her duet with Cyndi Lauper on "Time After Time." I'm not sure why they didn't give Allison a more rocking duet partner, but hey, I don't make the big bucks. They're sitting in front of a bunch of TV's with pictures of clocks on them, which I think is obnoxiously literal, but hey, I still don't make the big bucks. It's kind of cute at the end when they both sing "time after..." and Allison just looks confused and smiles. I can't think of anything else to say about this one, which is probably why I don't make the big bucks.
Ryan talks to Kris' and Adam's parents, and both sides give classy statements that honor both contestants. Gotta love that. There's so much goodwill here tonight!
Danny Gokey gets his moment in the spotlight on Lionel Richie's "Hello," which of course, leads to the real Lionel Richie being brought out to sing a few songs. I guess I can tolerate Danny a bit more now that he's in no danger of being our American Idol, and their performance of "All Night Long" is fun. If only Danny sang stuff this enjoyable when he was in the competition instead of always trying to "inspire" us. OK, enough Danny-bashing. He did a good job here.
Ryan asks all the Adam Lambert fans to cheer, and it seems louder in the house than it was for Kris. They roll a recap video of Adam's journey, which isn't quite as touching as Kris', but it's fun to look back on what a great performer he's been. We immediately move to him singing "Beth" by KISS. Now that's an odd choice. I was going to make a joke about how certain lines in this song take on a different connotation with Adam singing, but I'll pass. Of course, we all know what this means. It means KISS is in the house! Adam gets to join them on "Detroit Rock City" and "Rock and Roll All Night." This is both corny and freaking awesome at the same time. Paul Stanley even breaks his guitar at the end while Adam glory-notes in the most appropriate context I've ever heard. Rock on! I think the two best duets we've seen tonight have been with the guys in the Top 2.
Carlos Santana is the next guest. The segment starts with old Carlos soloing before Matt Giraud comes in to sing "Black Magic Woman." All the Idols join in when we hear that familiar riff to "Smooth." Adam, Kris, Danny and Jorge Nunez get the solos on it. This is OK, but very filler-y.
The final Ford video is set to "I Will Remember You," and as the tradition goes, it mainly consists of a montage of clips from this year's Ford videos. As soon as it ends we see a video of David Cook awarding Kris and Adam the keys to two new Ford Fusions. Awesome. I guess now that they've been on "Idol" they can afford insurance on those things.
Next is perhaps the oddest duet: Michael Sarver and Megan Joy backed by Steve Martin on the banjo performing one of his originals called "Pretty Flowers." Whoa, I didn't know Steve Martin could play the banjo. The real question though, is when did Steve Martin start looking so old? You know, I never fully appreciated Michael's voice during the competition, but he sounds pretty good here. Megan, of course, never could sing, so tonight is no different. This is another fun moment. Old Stevo knows how to write a good song. Ryan asks Steve Martin afterward who he thinks will win, and Steve says he's hoping it's him. Good way to avoid the question. Make a joke. I think that leaves Scott MacIntyre as the only finalist who hasn't gotten a solo part tonight.
The next musical number features the guys singing "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" Everytime I hear this song I can only think of Mike Myers in So I Married an Axe Murderer as Charlie's father singing this song with bagpipes. Oh boy! Rod Stewart is here! And singing "Maggie Mae" all by himself! Well, it's better than the five minutes of George Michael singing solo last year. Or the solo Black-Eyed Peas performance just an hour ago. They show a shot of Bo Bice clapping along in the audience, who seems to be aware that the camera just flashed to him and points to the stage in admiration.
Now it's time for the final (thankfully) Golden Idol Award, "Outstanding Female." The nominees are: Chelsea Marquardt, who butchered "Without You" at the auditions, Irene Anguelova who goatily butchered "Over the Rainbow" at the auditions, Dana Moreno, whose upper register sounds like a two-year-old and Tatiana Nicole Del Toro, who totally deserved to be in the Top 13. We all know Tatiana is going to win, and she does. Ryan tells Tatiana to stay seated because they're out of time, but of course, she runs onstage to sing "Saving All My Love." Security tries to take her away while Ruben Studdard sits in the audience looking bewildered. This was obviously staged. I'm just glad to see Tatiana can poke a little fun at herself after the way she was portrayed.
Now it's time for the Top 2 duet, which is "We Are the Champions." Why did I think that this song was going to show up somewhere this season? Bonus! Queen is actually here to back them up! Hey, who are all these random people lining up onstage? The rest of the Top 13 is standing behind the drum set doing backing vocals. At least I recognize someone here. This is cool. Brian May gives Kris and Adam a hug after it's over. I'll bet he wishes Adam were fronting his band right now.
Let's see, the Top 2 duets over the years:
Kelly/Justin: "It Takes Two"
Ruben/Clay: "Ain't No Stopping Us Now"
Fantasia/Diana: "I Knew You Were Waiting For Me"
Carrie/Bo: "Up Where We Belong"
Taylor/Katharine: "(I've Had) The Time of My Life"
Jordin/Blake: "I Saw Her Standing There"
David/David: "Hero"
Kris/Adam: "We Are the Champions"
Yeah, they've been getting cooler in recent years.
Now it's time for the moment of truth. Simon tells them that they both have great futures ahead of them or some such thing. Some British guy who personally certified the results hands Ryan the card. Blah-dee-blah-blah. Let's get to the results!
The winner of American Idol is...KRIS ALLEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did you miss that? American Idol #8 is....
KRIS
ALLEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Whoo!
Even though I predicted it last night I still don't quite believe it! A contestant I voted for every week he was in the competition actually won it? The least-pimped member of the Top 13 ended up finishing ahead of all of them? How is this possible? All I know is that I love it!
Kris looks absolutely shocked to be the winner. Adam, classy guy that he is, steps aside to let Kris have the spotlight. Of course, since Adam is such a good friend to Kris he later runs out to give him a hug and then exhorts the crowd to cheer Kris some more. Kris said in an online interview that each week he advanced in the competition was a surprise to him, so this has to be overwhelming.
He gets the new winner's trophy shaped like an old-school microphone. That's pretty cool.
Kris is absolutely speechless. He almost looks like he thinks there's been a mistake. He keeps motioning to the other contestants as if to say that they're all better than him, but Ryan won't hear it. Ryan asks him what he has to say to the fans who voted for him. He says thanks, and that they're not only the reason he's there, but the reason all the other finalists are there. I could write a cyncial remark about the Wild Card, but I won't. I'm proud of Kris. Against all odds, he pulled off the unthinkable and stayed true to himself the whole time. This isn't just a victory for him, it's a victory for the American Dream.
Simon looks unhappy. Screw him! America loves humble!
He sings that winner's single one more time and the Idols all surround him on the platform. How can you not be happy for this guy?
Kris gets a hug from his wife after it's all over. Oh yeah, congratulations to the first married contestant to win American Idol, too! In fact, I believe he's the first married contestant to make the Top 3 (I believe Bo Bice and Syesha Mercado were both engaged though, and Danny, of course, was widowed).
Wow! So what else to say? This season started on a poor note, with the producers practically rigging the Semifinals and giving contestants who tanked a second chance in the Wild Card over people who'd performed much better. As we got deeper into the Finals though, things got more and more enjoyable. After everything that happened, no ending could've been better than to see Kris Allen, the ultimate underdog, crowned the champion. I don't think he'll end up being ranked among Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and David Cook in the pantheon of "Idol" winners, but within the structure of the show itself he proved his worth. What a great night.
I considered giving up on "Idol" after the way this season began, but now, for better or for worse, I think I have enough reason to be back for Season 9. Kris' victory gives me hope that any attempts the producers make to rig the outcome can be thwarted by an American public that's smarter than Simon and the Brits in charge think they are.
Well, it was a fun ride, but I'm glad to have my Tuesdays and Wednesdays back. Now I can focus on some of my other interests, like sports. Check out my other blog, by the way! It's in the early stages, but it'll be great someday! Maybe it'll eventually generate even more traffic than this one!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Top 2 - Two Great Performers, One Close Call
Before I start this recap I'd like to give a shoutout to my readers in the Philippines! According to Google Analytics it seems I have a few fans there. Thanks for reading, and don't be afraid to leave a comment!
So here we go. After all the manipulation, exploitation and drama we're down to two contestants. We have a guy whose audition was aired in full, who got plenty of attention in Hollwood and who's been one of the most talked-about contestants since day one. On the other side of the coin, we have a guy who was only seen briefly in the preliminary rounds, whose addition to the Finals came as a surprise to many viewers and who made it this far by growing as the competition progressed. The former contestant looked like he had this whole thing wrapped up just a few weeks ago, but the latter contestant has been picking up momentum. At this point, I truly believe it's anyone's game.
Hey, Casey Carlson is in the audience! Anyone besides me remember her? Carly Smithson is shown in the audience as well, and my eyes don't appreciate that one bit, Mr. Director.
As we spoiler-readers all know by now, the contestants are each doing three songs tonight: one reprise from earlier in the season, one chosen by Simon Fuller and the winner's single co-written by Kara.
Adam Lambert is up first, and we see a video where his parents talk about how noisy he was as a kid. Is this leftover footage or something? He's reprising "Mad World," which I think was his most overrated performance, but what do I know? He performs this time wearing a long coat on a dark stage with tons of dry ice surrounding him. Oddly enough, I think I like this better than the first time he performed it. I'm feeling the emotion a little more this time, and he doesn't miss the final note as badly as he did back in the Top 8. The crowd goes wild after he finishes. Randy gives him an A+. Kara says it was great when he performed it the first time and it was just as great the second time. Paula says he gave a theatrical taste of what we're going to see from him. Simon says it was a little overtheatrical. I think that extra theatricality was what made it more interesting to me, so I have no gripes.
We find out that Kris Allen didn't like singing in front of his family when he was a kid and they had to pay him to do it. He even gave his mother coupons for when she wanted him to sing. That Kris is quite the enterprising businessman, isn't he? His reprise is of "Ain't No Sunshine," the one that made him a contender in most people's minds. This is pretty good, but it wasn't one of my favorites of his. Still, I can't knock it. He delivers here just like he did the first time. Randy plugs the Lakers (boo!) and says it was one of his best performances. Kara says something's wrong if a Kris Allen performance doesn't move you. Paula says he puts his trademark on everything he sings. Simon says he wasn't sure Kris deserved to be in the finale last week, but he absolutely believes he does based on that performance. High praise indeed! Go Kris! Ryan asks Simon who won Round 1 (this "round" thing in every finale is getting old), and Simon says Kris by far. Awesome. Of course, I don't think these "rounds" (not to be confused with mediocre contestant Lil) mean much, since Simon declared David Archuleta to have swept each one last season and look what happened there.
Simon Fuller's choice for Adam is "A Change is Gonna Come." Huh? Isn't that one of those songs he sang pre-"Idol" that's been circulating on YouTube? Well, this is odd. You have a bluesy, soulful Adam instead of the theatrical rocker we're used to. Of course, he makes sure to Lambertize it with his trademark shrieking. It's solid, but it feels a little contrived to me. Randy says he showed the real reason he's here is that he can sing his face off. Kara says it may have been his been performance yet. Paula says it was the best she's ever heard him sing. Wow. Exaggerate much? Simon says Adam is 100% back in the game. I feel robbed that he didn't get a chance to do "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" in this competition.
Kris is back and Simon Fuller's choice for him is "What's Going On" I guess old Simon Fuller is a big fan of socially-conscious soul music. Me? I'm a big fan of Kris' acoustic jazz-rock side, and once again he's bringing it here. There's something about that guitar in his hands that makes magic happen, and this time is no exception. All I can say is "wow." I love this performance. It may be one of Kris' best. Randy says it was little bit light for him. Kara says she loves that he's been true to himself and that Kris is exactly the type of person to uplift people with a song like that. Paula says Kris made Marvin Gaye proud (from beyond the grave, apparently). Simon says it was too lightweight and he didn't do enough to make it his own. It's weird. Simon seems to be thinking the opposite of everything I think tonight. Screw him. America does the voting.
They keep showing this little blond girl in the audience. What's the deal there?
Now it's time to hear the winner's single. First to tackle it is Adam. This is odd. He seems to be outside the pocket for most of the first verse, and his voice doesn't seem to fit it very well. It doesn't help that the song is about as mediocre as it gets either. Ugh. The sheer crappiness of this song might be dragging down Adam with it. His voice actually manages annoy me here. This is as rough as "Cryin'" from last week. Randy says he can sing the phonebook, but it was pitchy and just alright for him. Kara says she's proud to hear someone of Adam's talent sing a song she wrote. What's the point of Kara's critique? She probably isn't going to bash a performance of her own song, because it might indirectly reflect poorly on her. Paula says adjectives can't express what Adam's brought to Season 8 and she's a fan forever. Um, OK. Simon says he'll judge Adam instead of the song, and he's been one of the most original contestants they've ever had and that he believes he's going to be a worldwide star. In other words, Adam is the best and deserves to win?
Kris' turn. Can the weaker technical vocalist outshine the better one on this turd of a song? Hmmm. It starts out equally shaky, but once the chorus comes in it sounds much better than Adam's version to my ears. Wow. I think Kris is actually outsinging Adam. I'm hearing a lot more heartfelt passion in his voice too. I'm not saying this'll rank with Kris' best performances, but it's good. Randy says Kris should be very proud of what he did in this competition and agrees with me that the song fit Kris' voice better than Adam's. Kara says he's a compelling artist who's been incredible to watch week after week and she hopes people will vote based on the season. Paula says it's been one of the most compelling finales and Kris deserves to be where he is. Simon says the highlight tonight from Kris was the first song and that he deserves to be standing on the stage. Interesting. Most of their feedback was essentially "you should be happy to be here." Is that a subtle way of pimping Adam? Ryan asks Kris if he thinks he did enough to win, and Kris says that he and Adam aren't competing anymore, they just want to put on a good show. Awesome. These guys are a pair of class acts, I tell you.
Carrie Underwood takes the stage to sing us out with "Home Sweet Home" as a montage of moments from this season plays in the background. Nothing to see here.
So, how do I see this night's performances?
My Performance Ranking:
Kris, "What's Going On" (8.5 out of 10)
Adam, "Mad World" (8 out of 10)
Kris, "No Boundaries" (6 out of 10)
Kris, "Ain't No Sunshine" (5.9 out of 10)
Adam, "A Change is Gonna Come" (5.5 out of 10)
Adam, "No Boundaries" (3.5 out of 10)
So the big question: who do I pick to win? While I preferred Kris' performances tonight to Adam's, Adam got the heavier pimping from the judges. Kris seems to have picked up fans over the course of the competition, while I get the impression that Adam's gotten by with a rabid fanbase that hasn't added many new members. I'm still seeing a little more buzz surrounding Adam, but Kris' understated style might be the reason he doesn't inspire as much discussion. While a lot of people love Adam, he also annoys a lot of people with his over-the-top style. Most people seem to be cool with Kris even if they don't love him.
Prediction:
This is a tough call, but I'm predicting that the name of our 8th American Idol will be...(drumroll please)...Kris Allen.
Tomorrow I have two hours to recap and then all that's left will be some end-of-the-year lists and maybe some other random thoughts I feel inspired to write about during the "Idol" offseason. Season 8 has had its ups and downs, but one thing I'm glad about is that the final two were both deserving of the title. Whoever wins, America will have gotten it right.
What awesome group numbers from the Top 13 are in store? We'll find out tomorrow night!
So here we go. After all the manipulation, exploitation and drama we're down to two contestants. We have a guy whose audition was aired in full, who got plenty of attention in Hollwood and who's been one of the most talked-about contestants since day one. On the other side of the coin, we have a guy who was only seen briefly in the preliminary rounds, whose addition to the Finals came as a surprise to many viewers and who made it this far by growing as the competition progressed. The former contestant looked like he had this whole thing wrapped up just a few weeks ago, but the latter contestant has been picking up momentum. At this point, I truly believe it's anyone's game.
Hey, Casey Carlson is in the audience! Anyone besides me remember her? Carly Smithson is shown in the audience as well, and my eyes don't appreciate that one bit, Mr. Director.
As we spoiler-readers all know by now, the contestants are each doing three songs tonight: one reprise from earlier in the season, one chosen by Simon Fuller and the winner's single co-written by Kara.
Adam Lambert is up first, and we see a video where his parents talk about how noisy he was as a kid. Is this leftover footage or something? He's reprising "Mad World," which I think was his most overrated performance, but what do I know? He performs this time wearing a long coat on a dark stage with tons of dry ice surrounding him. Oddly enough, I think I like this better than the first time he performed it. I'm feeling the emotion a little more this time, and he doesn't miss the final note as badly as he did back in the Top 8. The crowd goes wild after he finishes. Randy gives him an A+. Kara says it was great when he performed it the first time and it was just as great the second time. Paula says he gave a theatrical taste of what we're going to see from him. Simon says it was a little overtheatrical. I think that extra theatricality was what made it more interesting to me, so I have no gripes.
We find out that Kris Allen didn't like singing in front of his family when he was a kid and they had to pay him to do it. He even gave his mother coupons for when she wanted him to sing. That Kris is quite the enterprising businessman, isn't he? His reprise is of "Ain't No Sunshine," the one that made him a contender in most people's minds. This is pretty good, but it wasn't one of my favorites of his. Still, I can't knock it. He delivers here just like he did the first time. Randy plugs the Lakers (boo!) and says it was one of his best performances. Kara says something's wrong if a Kris Allen performance doesn't move you. Paula says he puts his trademark on everything he sings. Simon says he wasn't sure Kris deserved to be in the finale last week, but he absolutely believes he does based on that performance. High praise indeed! Go Kris! Ryan asks Simon who won Round 1 (this "round" thing in every finale is getting old), and Simon says Kris by far. Awesome. Of course, I don't think these "rounds" (not to be confused with mediocre contestant Lil) mean much, since Simon declared David Archuleta to have swept each one last season and look what happened there.
Simon Fuller's choice for Adam is "A Change is Gonna Come." Huh? Isn't that one of those songs he sang pre-"Idol" that's been circulating on YouTube? Well, this is odd. You have a bluesy, soulful Adam instead of the theatrical rocker we're used to. Of course, he makes sure to Lambertize it with his trademark shrieking. It's solid, but it feels a little contrived to me. Randy says he showed the real reason he's here is that he can sing his face off. Kara says it may have been his been performance yet. Paula says it was the best she's ever heard him sing. Wow. Exaggerate much? Simon says Adam is 100% back in the game. I feel robbed that he didn't get a chance to do "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" in this competition.
Kris is back and Simon Fuller's choice for him is "What's Going On" I guess old Simon Fuller is a big fan of socially-conscious soul music. Me? I'm a big fan of Kris' acoustic jazz-rock side, and once again he's bringing it here. There's something about that guitar in his hands that makes magic happen, and this time is no exception. All I can say is "wow." I love this performance. It may be one of Kris' best. Randy says it was little bit light for him. Kara says she loves that he's been true to himself and that Kris is exactly the type of person to uplift people with a song like that. Paula says Kris made Marvin Gaye proud (from beyond the grave, apparently). Simon says it was too lightweight and he didn't do enough to make it his own. It's weird. Simon seems to be thinking the opposite of everything I think tonight. Screw him. America does the voting.
They keep showing this little blond girl in the audience. What's the deal there?
Now it's time to hear the winner's single. First to tackle it is Adam. This is odd. He seems to be outside the pocket for most of the first verse, and his voice doesn't seem to fit it very well. It doesn't help that the song is about as mediocre as it gets either. Ugh. The sheer crappiness of this song might be dragging down Adam with it. His voice actually manages annoy me here. This is as rough as "Cryin'" from last week. Randy says he can sing the phonebook, but it was pitchy and just alright for him. Kara says she's proud to hear someone of Adam's talent sing a song she wrote. What's the point of Kara's critique? She probably isn't going to bash a performance of her own song, because it might indirectly reflect poorly on her. Paula says adjectives can't express what Adam's brought to Season 8 and she's a fan forever. Um, OK. Simon says he'll judge Adam instead of the song, and he's been one of the most original contestants they've ever had and that he believes he's going to be a worldwide star. In other words, Adam is the best and deserves to win?
Kris' turn. Can the weaker technical vocalist outshine the better one on this turd of a song? Hmmm. It starts out equally shaky, but once the chorus comes in it sounds much better than Adam's version to my ears. Wow. I think Kris is actually outsinging Adam. I'm hearing a lot more heartfelt passion in his voice too. I'm not saying this'll rank with Kris' best performances, but it's good. Randy says Kris should be very proud of what he did in this competition and agrees with me that the song fit Kris' voice better than Adam's. Kara says he's a compelling artist who's been incredible to watch week after week and she hopes people will vote based on the season. Paula says it's been one of the most compelling finales and Kris deserves to be where he is. Simon says the highlight tonight from Kris was the first song and that he deserves to be standing on the stage. Interesting. Most of their feedback was essentially "you should be happy to be here." Is that a subtle way of pimping Adam? Ryan asks Kris if he thinks he did enough to win, and Kris says that he and Adam aren't competing anymore, they just want to put on a good show. Awesome. These guys are a pair of class acts, I tell you.
Carrie Underwood takes the stage to sing us out with "Home Sweet Home" as a montage of moments from this season plays in the background. Nothing to see here.
So, how do I see this night's performances?
My Performance Ranking:
Kris, "What's Going On" (8.5 out of 10)
Adam, "Mad World" (8 out of 10)
Kris, "No Boundaries" (6 out of 10)
Kris, "Ain't No Sunshine" (5.9 out of 10)
Adam, "A Change is Gonna Come" (5.5 out of 10)
Adam, "No Boundaries" (3.5 out of 10)
So the big question: who do I pick to win? While I preferred Kris' performances tonight to Adam's, Adam got the heavier pimping from the judges. Kris seems to have picked up fans over the course of the competition, while I get the impression that Adam's gotten by with a rabid fanbase that hasn't added many new members. I'm still seeing a little more buzz surrounding Adam, but Kris' understated style might be the reason he doesn't inspire as much discussion. While a lot of people love Adam, he also annoys a lot of people with his over-the-top style. Most people seem to be cool with Kris even if they don't love him.
Prediction:
This is a tough call, but I'm predicting that the name of our 8th American Idol will be...(drumroll please)...Kris Allen.
Tomorrow I have two hours to recap and then all that's left will be some end-of-the-year lists and maybe some other random thoughts I feel inspired to write about during the "Idol" offseason. Season 8 has had its ups and downs, but one thing I'm glad about is that the final two were both deserving of the title. Whoever wins, America will have gotten it right.
What awesome group numbers from the Top 13 are in store? We'll find out tomorrow night!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Four Months is Longer Than You Think
As we're often reminded, "Idol" is a journey. Most of these contestants are complete unknowns when we first meet them, and before the season is over they become stars in our eyes. At the same time, our opinions of certain contestants can change for the better or for the worse. With the "Idol" finale just around the corner, I thought I'd look through my blog's archives and see what my earlier impressions of these contestants were. Some of my opinions then are vastly different now, and others were surprisingly perceptive (if I do say so myself).
Let's start with the two men still standing. One of them will be American Idol #8, so let's see what I was thinking way back when.
Let's start with Adam Lambert, currently the favorite. Here's what I wrote about his audition:
Adam Lambert from Hollywood, CA is a musical theater type, so he probably fits right in in old San Fran. His song is "Bohemian Rhapsody," which he pulls off well. It's a theatrical song, which is perfect for his style, and he has sort of a rock edge to his voice too. The judges all say yes, and he personally thanks each judge with the kissing or shaking of hands. Good singer, but something about him bothers me. I think I've heard he's somewhat planty, so maybe that's what it is.
It looks like even back then Adam was simultaneously theatrical and rocking. I mentioned the "planty" thing because Vote For the Worst had dug up a ton of stuff on him before the season began and it seemed that he was already something of a local celebrity.
Later, when I previewed the Top 36, here's what my comments were:
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. [...] 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.
Well, it looks like I wanted to get the elephant in the room about Adam's sexuality out of the way early on. It seems I underestimated his chances of winning though, as most people now expect him to take the title.
I don't think it took me too long to get onboard with him as a potential winner though, as I had him at runner-up in my initial post-Wild Card Power Rankings. A few weeks later, after he did "The Tracks of My Tears," I actually titled the post "Is it Too Early to Declare Adam the Winner?"
What about the other guy, Kris Allen? It seems that all I could say about Kris was that he was probably fodder, since he was only shown in passing. In the Top 36 preview my comment was:
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!!!
Now that's funny. There was so little to say about the guy that I resorted to quoting Dumb & Dumber. I immediately liked Kris when I heard him in the Semifinals though:
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!
Wow. Even back then Simon was comparing Kris unfavorably to Danny. He would later say Danny sang better than Kris in their duet and that the finale would be between Danny and Adam because Kris wasn't good enough. Was Simon prescient enough to see that Kris had the talent to upset his dream showdown between Adam and Danny? I'm probably giving Simon too much credit, but you have to wonder.
I had Kris low in my power rankings every week early on, since I figured his lack of screentime would come back to bite him. How happy I was to be proven wrong! At this point, Kris being named the winner on Wednesday would be poetic justice. Simon and Co. have done all they can to manipulate this competition, so how about America sticks it to them and votes for the guy from Arkansas?
And just what about Danny Gokey, that frontrunner-turned-nuisance? I, like most of America, was initially moved by his dead wife story. After his buddy Jamar's audition I wrote:
Next is Jamar's white "brother" Danny Gokey, also from Milwaukee. We see that there's a sob story coming up during the pre-break promos, but this one is actually pretty moving. His wife died four weeks before the audition, and he almost didn't have the strength to try out. Now that's sad. I can only imagine what it's like to lose the love of your life. [...] He sings "I Heard it Through the Grapevine," and it's actually really good. He makes it through, and the judges rave about him, saying he's one of the best they've had all day. Good on him.
I still was OK with him by the time he reached the Top 36. In the Top 36 preview I wrote:
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.
Yep. I called Danny "likable." At the time he hadn't yet turned into the Smuggie, and we could sympathize because he was still dealing with the loss of his wife. I was dead on with the Top 3 prediction, which I later repeated in my first Power Rankings. I guess I just didn't see him in the finale like Paula did.
My own personal backlash toward Danny began the moment he was named to the Top 12. I'd given him a glowing review the night before, but my feelings quickly changed in the midst of that shameful scene. It was down to Danny and Tatiana Del Toro and...well, here's my recap:
And the one who makes it is: Danny. He lets 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?
His elimination wasn't quite "shocking" by the time it happened, but mercifully, it happened before the finale. I got my wish about both Anoop and Tatiana being invited back for the Wild Card show though. Too bad only one of them made it after that.
What about our favorite redhead, Allison Iraheta? Like Kris, she barely had any screentime, and after she was named to the Top 36 I wrote the following:
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 [...]. 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.
In the Top 36 preview I wrote:
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.
Man, I really harped on that David Johansen/Buster Poindexter thing early on. Thank you to all my readers for being nice enough not to point out that the joke couldn't have been less funny. I realized it myself in time. I was wrong about when she was first introduced, since we actually did see a brief clip of her audition, but I'd already forgotten it by the time the "chair" episode aired. What little we saw of her singing in Hollywood didn't sound that good to my ears, so I honestly wasn't expecting much from her. It was refreshing when she turned out to be one of this season's three biggest stars (along with Adam and Kris, of course).
I won't go through the rest of the contestants in as much detail, but here are a few interesting bits I found:
Lil Rounds' audition:
Finally we get Lil Rounds from Memphis, TN. She's a mother of three, and she had to move her family to a motel when a tornado hit their house. [...] She sings "All I Do" by Stevie Wonder, and does an incredible job. Good pitch, good tone, even a cool rasp in there at times. She's a definite yes. The judges smother her with compliments, which overwhelms her. They comment on how she doesn't know she's so great. I believe she's probably sincere, but if she keeps showing this sort of humility she'll probably get bashed by the same cynics who thought Melinda Doolittle was fake. I guess genuinely humble people are so rare these days that nobody believes them when they see them. [...] Lil seems like someone I wouldn't have a problem with.
How ironic that Lil turned into a complete diva with an inflated sense of her own talent shortly afterward.
Megan Joy in the Top 36 preview:
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.
Did I call that one or what?
Matt Giraud's audition:
Next is a dueling piano player from Kalamazoo named Matt Giraud. He sings Gavin DeGraw's "I Don't Want to Be" in a voice that's boring, run-of-the-mill and not even all that powerful. He's not horrible, just uninteresting. With that as my initial reaction, what do the judges think? Paula says he's unique. Huh?? Kara likes him. Well, OK. I like '80s hair metal. Simon says he reminds him of Elliott Yamin. OK, maybe there's a slight similarity in their voices, but I don't think this guy has the same soul that Elliott did. He gets a yes, though I would've said no.
While I would now agree that Matt's a pretty talented guy who had a few good performances in him, I still never quite became a fan of his.
Finally, the audition of the girl who was made into a villain, Tatiana Del Toro:
First up is Tatiana Del Toro from San Juan, Puerto Rico. [...] She's a singer, actress and model, and a psychic told her she was going to make the Top 12. I guess we can pencil her into one of those slots right now! They show a montage of her laughing, then show her giving a Miss America-like speech about why she wants to be the next American Idol. It seems like they're setting her up to be bad. [...] She sings Aretha Franklin's "I Never Loved a Man" and turns out to be pretty good. Well, she's pretty, period, but she's also a decent singer. Simon thinks she's a copycat, but Paula and Randy say yes, and Kara says no to the voice but yes to the vibe. So she's through, and she's extremely excited, because this means soooo much to her. Despite the mocking, I think her nervous laughing is kind of cute...and unless she turned out to be a snob, I could see myself throwing her a few votes. Musically she's not my thing, but she seems likable.
Yep. I liked Tatiana from the beginning, and I defended her until the end. While she may only be remembered by most people as the psycho girl from "American Idol," I hope she's successful at whatever she does.
What a season it's been. Only two more days until the finale!
Let's start with the two men still standing. One of them will be American Idol #8, so let's see what I was thinking way back when.
Let's start with Adam Lambert, currently the favorite. Here's what I wrote about his audition:
Adam Lambert from Hollywood, CA is a musical theater type, so he probably fits right in in old San Fran. His song is "Bohemian Rhapsody," which he pulls off well. It's a theatrical song, which is perfect for his style, and he has sort of a rock edge to his voice too. The judges all say yes, and he personally thanks each judge with the kissing or shaking of hands. Good singer, but something about him bothers me. I think I've heard he's somewhat planty, so maybe that's what it is.
It looks like even back then Adam was simultaneously theatrical and rocking. I mentioned the "planty" thing because Vote For the Worst had dug up a ton of stuff on him before the season began and it seemed that he was already something of a local celebrity.
Later, when I previewed the Top 36, here's what my comments were:
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. [...] 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.
Well, it looks like I wanted to get the elephant in the room about Adam's sexuality out of the way early on. It seems I underestimated his chances of winning though, as most people now expect him to take the title.
I don't think it took me too long to get onboard with him as a potential winner though, as I had him at runner-up in my initial post-Wild Card Power Rankings. A few weeks later, after he did "The Tracks of My Tears," I actually titled the post "Is it Too Early to Declare Adam the Winner?"
What about the other guy, Kris Allen? It seems that all I could say about Kris was that he was probably fodder, since he was only shown in passing. In the Top 36 preview my comment was:
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!!!
Now that's funny. There was so little to say about the guy that I resorted to quoting Dumb & Dumber. I immediately liked Kris when I heard him in the Semifinals though:
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!
Wow. Even back then Simon was comparing Kris unfavorably to Danny. He would later say Danny sang better than Kris in their duet and that the finale would be between Danny and Adam because Kris wasn't good enough. Was Simon prescient enough to see that Kris had the talent to upset his dream showdown between Adam and Danny? I'm probably giving Simon too much credit, but you have to wonder.
I had Kris low in my power rankings every week early on, since I figured his lack of screentime would come back to bite him. How happy I was to be proven wrong! At this point, Kris being named the winner on Wednesday would be poetic justice. Simon and Co. have done all they can to manipulate this competition, so how about America sticks it to them and votes for the guy from Arkansas?
And just what about Danny Gokey, that frontrunner-turned-nuisance? I, like most of America, was initially moved by his dead wife story. After his buddy Jamar's audition I wrote:
Next is Jamar's white "brother" Danny Gokey, also from Milwaukee. We see that there's a sob story coming up during the pre-break promos, but this one is actually pretty moving. His wife died four weeks before the audition, and he almost didn't have the strength to try out. Now that's sad. I can only imagine what it's like to lose the love of your life. [...] He sings "I Heard it Through the Grapevine," and it's actually really good. He makes it through, and the judges rave about him, saying he's one of the best they've had all day. Good on him.
I still was OK with him by the time he reached the Top 36. In the Top 36 preview I wrote:
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.
Yep. I called Danny "likable." At the time he hadn't yet turned into the Smuggie, and we could sympathize because he was still dealing with the loss of his wife. I was dead on with the Top 3 prediction, which I later repeated in my first Power Rankings. I guess I just didn't see him in the finale like Paula did.
My own personal backlash toward Danny began the moment he was named to the Top 12. I'd given him a glowing review the night before, but my feelings quickly changed in the midst of that shameful scene. It was down to Danny and Tatiana Del Toro and...well, here's my recap:
And the one who makes it is: Danny. He lets 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?
His elimination wasn't quite "shocking" by the time it happened, but mercifully, it happened before the finale. I got my wish about both Anoop and Tatiana being invited back for the Wild Card show though. Too bad only one of them made it after that.
What about our favorite redhead, Allison Iraheta? Like Kris, she barely had any screentime, and after she was named to the Top 36 I wrote the following:
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 [...]. 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.
In the Top 36 preview I wrote:
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.
Man, I really harped on that David Johansen/Buster Poindexter thing early on. Thank you to all my readers for being nice enough not to point out that the joke couldn't have been less funny. I realized it myself in time. I was wrong about when she was first introduced, since we actually did see a brief clip of her audition, but I'd already forgotten it by the time the "chair" episode aired. What little we saw of her singing in Hollywood didn't sound that good to my ears, so I honestly wasn't expecting much from her. It was refreshing when she turned out to be one of this season's three biggest stars (along with Adam and Kris, of course).
I won't go through the rest of the contestants in as much detail, but here are a few interesting bits I found:
Lil Rounds' audition:
Finally we get Lil Rounds from Memphis, TN. She's a mother of three, and she had to move her family to a motel when a tornado hit their house. [...] She sings "All I Do" by Stevie Wonder, and does an incredible job. Good pitch, good tone, even a cool rasp in there at times. She's a definite yes. The judges smother her with compliments, which overwhelms her. They comment on how she doesn't know she's so great. I believe she's probably sincere, but if she keeps showing this sort of humility she'll probably get bashed by the same cynics who thought Melinda Doolittle was fake. I guess genuinely humble people are so rare these days that nobody believes them when they see them. [...] Lil seems like someone I wouldn't have a problem with.
How ironic that Lil turned into a complete diva with an inflated sense of her own talent shortly afterward.
Megan Joy in the Top 36 preview:
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.
Did I call that one or what?
Matt Giraud's audition:
Next is a dueling piano player from Kalamazoo named Matt Giraud. He sings Gavin DeGraw's "I Don't Want to Be" in a voice that's boring, run-of-the-mill and not even all that powerful. He's not horrible, just uninteresting. With that as my initial reaction, what do the judges think? Paula says he's unique. Huh?? Kara likes him. Well, OK. I like '80s hair metal. Simon says he reminds him of Elliott Yamin. OK, maybe there's a slight similarity in their voices, but I don't think this guy has the same soul that Elliott did. He gets a yes, though I would've said no.
While I would now agree that Matt's a pretty talented guy who had a few good performances in him, I still never quite became a fan of his.
Finally, the audition of the girl who was made into a villain, Tatiana Del Toro:
First up is Tatiana Del Toro from San Juan, Puerto Rico. [...] She's a singer, actress and model, and a psychic told her she was going to make the Top 12. I guess we can pencil her into one of those slots right now! They show a montage of her laughing, then show her giving a Miss America-like speech about why she wants to be the next American Idol. It seems like they're setting her up to be bad. [...] She sings Aretha Franklin's "I Never Loved a Man" and turns out to be pretty good. Well, she's pretty, period, but she's also a decent singer. Simon thinks she's a copycat, but Paula and Randy say yes, and Kara says no to the voice but yes to the vibe. So she's through, and she's extremely excited, because this means soooo much to her. Despite the mocking, I think her nervous laughing is kind of cute...and unless she turned out to be a snob, I could see myself throwing her a few votes. Musically she's not my thing, but she seems likable.
Yep. I liked Tatiana from the beginning, and I defended her until the end. While she may only be remembered by most people as the psycho girl from "American Idol," I hope she's successful at whatever she does.
What a season it's been. Only two more days until the finale!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Top 3 Results - Nostradamus Abdul is a Fraud
We get a promotional intro with the cast of Night at the Museum where they tell us that the "Idol" desk is going to be displayed in the Smithsonian. I guess that makes sense. I'm sure that in decades, when "American Idol" is long off the air, we'll look back on all the cheesy fun and remember the times it brought the family together. The disgusting manipulation and unlikable contestants will be forgotten, and the singers we fell in love with will still hold a place in our hearts. Love it or hate it, this show has been a phenomenon.
Ryan tells us that 88 million votes came in, and just 1 million votes separated the Top 2. Wow. If Danny is one of those Top 2 this show is officially a joke. There's no way a guy as hated as him could get that much support...is there?
The Ford music video is set to "Break My Stride." Cool song choice, and not a bad video either. We get to see the Top 3 as animated comic book characters.
Alicia Keys is here as a global ambassador for Keep a Child Alive. She gives a robotic speech telling us about kids who have AIDS and how we can support them, or something. She then introduces a kid named Noah who dreams of having a music career. He's getting to perform a song called "I'm the World's Greatest" (or something to that effect, I don't care enough to go back and watch the tape) tonight, which he learned in English in one week. There's something surreal about this whole thing. Here's an African kid playing Americanized music and working the stage R&B-style. American pop culture seems to be taking over the world. Good luck to Noah, I guess, even if I don't see myself buying his music.
Eliminated finalists in the house! Obviously they're all there to rehearse for next week's finale.
Danny Gokey is the first one called up to face the music. Oh, come on. Like they're going to give him the results now. They bring up Danny's friend Jamar who talk-sang his way to Hollywood this season. Danny was finally reunited with him on his trip home to Milwaukee. They show him having fun with the local weathercaster's green screen, poking a picture of Simon. What an ingrate. Simon's pimping is the only reason he made it this far. One of the signs in the crowd says "Scream On." Huh. I guess some people actually liked last week's note from hell. They show him throwing out the first pitch at a Brewers game, and it's obvious that sports aren't his forte. Of course, we also get to hear Danny's reflections on how far he's come since losing his wife and all that. Why am I not that emotionally moved by it? I do genuinely feel bad for Danny's loss, but...I dunno. I guess I just feel like this story has been beaten to death. Once the clip ends Ryan acts like he's about to give Danny the results, but instead he sends him to the couches. We go through this every year. Obviously they're going to save the elimination for the end of the show so you don't tune out.
Kris Allen is next. He went home to Conway, AR, where he got free cheese dip for life from his favorite restaurant. Sounds like a good deal to me! The crowd is filled with young girls, which doesn't do much to dispel the stereotype about us Kris fans. Believe it or not, some of us Kris fans are heterosexual adult men! He gets to see his family, and his father tears up because he's so proud of his son. In a weird way, I'm proud of this guy too. His journey has made a much better story than either Danny's or Adam's. Even though Danny has the dead wife backstory, I'm more touched by Kris' video for some reason. Maybe it's because Kris seems like a regular guy getting to experience something beyond his wildest dreams, and Danny seems like a scripted character. After the clip ends, Kris is sent off to the couches with Danny.
Ms. Jordin Sparks is here to perform her new single "Battlefield," with co-writer Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic is on the piano. Despite the "pitchy" beginning, this song is actually pretty good. It's not exactly what I expected from Jordin stylistically, but I kind of like it. They sure used a lot of dry ice for this segment. I guess that explains why there appeared to be smoke in the room when Ryan was introducing Jordin. After it ends Jordin just stands there bathed in blue lights looking tough and we head to a commercial. Ryan doesn't even chat with her afterwards. What's up with that? I miss the cute, bubbly Jordin from Season 6. This grown-up version isn't as endearing.
Now it's time for Adam Lambert's trip home to San Diego! Ryan brings up the now-famous "streaker" who ran onstage when Adam was performing back home. There's a shot of her in the video too. His limo gets swarmed by screaming tween girls and old ladies. If the females were more in his age range I'd use this as another opportunity to point out how unfair life is. Adam visits a theater group he was part of in his childhood. And he keeps saying theater is just something he does to pay the bills. It's in your blood, Adam. Just admit it. He also sings the national anthem on some stage with a curtain behind him. I don't know what that's about. Finally, Adam gets sent to the couches where he gets a hug from Kris but not Danny.
Quirky pop star Katy Perry is here to perform her latest single, "Waking Up in Vegas." She's dressed like female Elvis with "Adam Lambert" written on her cape. More pimping, huh? Then again, I think I heard she was friends with Adam before he was on this show, so maybe that's the explanation for that. Wow, this girl really can't sing. The song is kind of catchy though. There are backup dancers dressed like showgirls and fake money all over the stage to go with the Vegas theme. I guess the best way to mask a weak voice is with some theatrics.
So after all that it's finally time to get the results. Will the preordained Danny-Adam finale come to pass, or will Kris' fans pull him through? The first person in the finale is...KRIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Once again I'm clapping and shouting "YES!!!!!!!" Wow. This may officially be the best season ever. One of my early favorites has actually made it to the finale! That never happens! And the person joining him in the finale is...Adam!!! Danny's outta here! What a relief! The villain is gone! I can sit back, enjoy the finale and be happy for whoever wins (while rooting and voting for Kris, of course).
As long as I'm excited about Kris, I thought I'd say a few more words about him. Is this unbelievable or what? This guy who got almost no screentime before the Semifinals and only a moderate amount of pimping during the competition is now in the finale! On top of that, there was only a difference of a million votes between him and super-pimped Adam! Heck, for all we know Kris was the leading vote-getter! When he made it out of Semifinal Group 2 with Adam and Allison we kept hearing the same thing: Adam was an incredible performer, unlike anything this show had ever seen, Allison was quirky and interesting, and Kris was boring and lacked a personality. Pretty much everyone thought Kris would be gone within the first few weeks. Now Kris could be the last one standing! For all the crap this season gets, it's been great watching a true underdog live the American dream!
Power Rankings:
2. Adam Lambert
1. Kris Allen
Yep, I'm calling the upset. Adam may be the most pimped and popular, but Kris has grown throughout the competition. I (and it seems many others agree) am starting to feel like Adam's used up his bag of tricks, while Kris has wowed me more than once since the last time Adam did. Not only that, but who do you think is more likely to pick up Danny's votes? The flamboyant guy from Hollywood or the unassuming Midwestern kid? As great an entertainer as Adam is, Kris has all the momentum right now. If Kris does indeed claim victory next week, he'll replace Taylor Hicks as my favorite winner. If Adam wins, well, I'll be happy for him too. He's unquestionably this season's best pure vocalist, and he knows how to put on a show. Either way, I'm excited about next week's finale. As Tony the Tiger would say, it's going to be grrrrrrrrrrrrreat!
Ryan tells us that 88 million votes came in, and just 1 million votes separated the Top 2. Wow. If Danny is one of those Top 2 this show is officially a joke. There's no way a guy as hated as him could get that much support...is there?
The Ford music video is set to "Break My Stride." Cool song choice, and not a bad video either. We get to see the Top 3 as animated comic book characters.
Alicia Keys is here as a global ambassador for Keep a Child Alive. She gives a robotic speech telling us about kids who have AIDS and how we can support them, or something. She then introduces a kid named Noah who dreams of having a music career. He's getting to perform a song called "I'm the World's Greatest" (or something to that effect, I don't care enough to go back and watch the tape) tonight, which he learned in English in one week. There's something surreal about this whole thing. Here's an African kid playing Americanized music and working the stage R&B-style. American pop culture seems to be taking over the world. Good luck to Noah, I guess, even if I don't see myself buying his music.
Eliminated finalists in the house! Obviously they're all there to rehearse for next week's finale.
Danny Gokey is the first one called up to face the music. Oh, come on. Like they're going to give him the results now. They bring up Danny's friend Jamar who talk-sang his way to Hollywood this season. Danny was finally reunited with him on his trip home to Milwaukee. They show him having fun with the local weathercaster's green screen, poking a picture of Simon. What an ingrate. Simon's pimping is the only reason he made it this far. One of the signs in the crowd says "Scream On." Huh. I guess some people actually liked last week's note from hell. They show him throwing out the first pitch at a Brewers game, and it's obvious that sports aren't his forte. Of course, we also get to hear Danny's reflections on how far he's come since losing his wife and all that. Why am I not that emotionally moved by it? I do genuinely feel bad for Danny's loss, but...I dunno. I guess I just feel like this story has been beaten to death. Once the clip ends Ryan acts like he's about to give Danny the results, but instead he sends him to the couches. We go through this every year. Obviously they're going to save the elimination for the end of the show so you don't tune out.
Kris Allen is next. He went home to Conway, AR, where he got free cheese dip for life from his favorite restaurant. Sounds like a good deal to me! The crowd is filled with young girls, which doesn't do much to dispel the stereotype about us Kris fans. Believe it or not, some of us Kris fans are heterosexual adult men! He gets to see his family, and his father tears up because he's so proud of his son. In a weird way, I'm proud of this guy too. His journey has made a much better story than either Danny's or Adam's. Even though Danny has the dead wife backstory, I'm more touched by Kris' video for some reason. Maybe it's because Kris seems like a regular guy getting to experience something beyond his wildest dreams, and Danny seems like a scripted character. After the clip ends, Kris is sent off to the couches with Danny.
Ms. Jordin Sparks is here to perform her new single "Battlefield," with co-writer Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic is on the piano. Despite the "pitchy" beginning, this song is actually pretty good. It's not exactly what I expected from Jordin stylistically, but I kind of like it. They sure used a lot of dry ice for this segment. I guess that explains why there appeared to be smoke in the room when Ryan was introducing Jordin. After it ends Jordin just stands there bathed in blue lights looking tough and we head to a commercial. Ryan doesn't even chat with her afterwards. What's up with that? I miss the cute, bubbly Jordin from Season 6. This grown-up version isn't as endearing.
Now it's time for Adam Lambert's trip home to San Diego! Ryan brings up the now-famous "streaker" who ran onstage when Adam was performing back home. There's a shot of her in the video too. His limo gets swarmed by screaming tween girls and old ladies. If the females were more in his age range I'd use this as another opportunity to point out how unfair life is. Adam visits a theater group he was part of in his childhood. And he keeps saying theater is just something he does to pay the bills. It's in your blood, Adam. Just admit it. He also sings the national anthem on some stage with a curtain behind him. I don't know what that's about. Finally, Adam gets sent to the couches where he gets a hug from Kris but not Danny.
Quirky pop star Katy Perry is here to perform her latest single, "Waking Up in Vegas." She's dressed like female Elvis with "Adam Lambert" written on her cape. More pimping, huh? Then again, I think I heard she was friends with Adam before he was on this show, so maybe that's the explanation for that. Wow, this girl really can't sing. The song is kind of catchy though. There are backup dancers dressed like showgirls and fake money all over the stage to go with the Vegas theme. I guess the best way to mask a weak voice is with some theatrics.
So after all that it's finally time to get the results. Will the preordained Danny-Adam finale come to pass, or will Kris' fans pull him through? The first person in the finale is...KRIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Once again I'm clapping and shouting "YES!!!!!!!" Wow. This may officially be the best season ever. One of my early favorites has actually made it to the finale! That never happens! And the person joining him in the finale is...Adam!!! Danny's outta here! What a relief! The villain is gone! I can sit back, enjoy the finale and be happy for whoever wins (while rooting and voting for Kris, of course).
As long as I'm excited about Kris, I thought I'd say a few more words about him. Is this unbelievable or what? This guy who got almost no screentime before the Semifinals and only a moderate amount of pimping during the competition is now in the finale! On top of that, there was only a difference of a million votes between him and super-pimped Adam! Heck, for all we know Kris was the leading vote-getter! When he made it out of Semifinal Group 2 with Adam and Allison we kept hearing the same thing: Adam was an incredible performer, unlike anything this show had ever seen, Allison was quirky and interesting, and Kris was boring and lacked a personality. Pretty much everyone thought Kris would be gone within the first few weeks. Now Kris could be the last one standing! For all the crap this season gets, it's been great watching a true underdog live the American dream!
Power Rankings:
2. Adam Lambert
1. Kris Allen
Yep, I'm calling the upset. Adam may be the most pimped and popular, but Kris has grown throughout the competition. I (and it seems many others agree) am starting to feel like Adam's used up his bag of tricks, while Kris has wowed me more than once since the last time Adam did. Not only that, but who do you think is more likely to pick up Danny's votes? The flamboyant guy from Hollywood or the unassuming Midwestern kid? As great an entertainer as Adam is, Kris has all the momentum right now. If Kris does indeed claim victory next week, he'll replace Taylor Hicks as my favorite winner. If Adam wins, well, I'll be happy for him too. He's unquestionably this season's best pure vocalist, and he knows how to put on a show. Either way, I'm excited about next week's finale. As Tony the Tiger would say, it's going to be grrrrrrrrrrrrreat!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Top 3 - Welcome to Allentown
I had a really great title for this post, but since I wanted to keep this blog family-friendly I decided not to use it. It was a play on the names of New York City's three outstanding center fielders of the 1950's. Figure it out yourself if that clue helps.
Anyways, it's time for our Top 3 and each contestant is doing two songs tonight: one the judges selected and one they selected themselves. Each of the Top 3 took a trip home this week too, and we'll probably be seeing clips of their trips tomorrow.
Danny Gokey leads off with Paula's song choice, "Dance Little Sister" by Terence Trent D'Arby. He apparently didn't know it before this week. Since I read the spoilers online, I listened to the original last night on YouTube. It's an understandable choice, since Danny has a similar voice to the man initialed T.T.D. The problem is that there's hardly any melody to this song. Danny wisely focuses on the chorus, where the only trace of it resides. He brings a lot of energy to the performance, and his voice admittedly sounds good here. There's even a saxophone break. I still hate Danny, but this wasn't as bad as it could've been. Randy says it was dope. Kara says the dancing was a little too gyrating. Paula says it was really good. Simon says the dancing was a bit desperate, but vocally it was very very good. Yeah yeah. I'll give him credit. I still hope he's leaving.
Kara and Randy give Kris Allen OneRepublic's "Apologize," which means Adam gets the pimp spot for like, the third week in a row. Life is so unfair. In the video clip it appears Kris is wearing blue nail polish on his thumb. That boy's been rooming with Adam too long. Kris sits behind the piano for this one. At first it's hard for me to get into this, since it's one of those songs we've all heard a hundred times, but as it goes on I really start to enjoy it. Kris really seems to be feeling his performance. That's the great thing about Kris. He connects with the music. I'm not going to say it's the most original arrangement or anything, but I liked it. Randy says it showed the type of artist he could be. Kara says it was competent, but he needs to hit it out of the park. She says she wishes he'd rearranged it more. Paula says there was a loud bum note (I guess I missed that), but that all three people left are worthy of the Top 2. Simon scolds Kara for picking the song and complaining about what he did with it, which sets Kara off. Then he basically repeats what she said in her critique. Quit fighting, judges! This is about Kris! I can understand the "not original enough" criticism, but I think we're all familiar with Kris' "guy and a guitar" side. He's never shown this sort of piano-based electronic pop style before. It's something different for him.
Simon's choice for Adam Lambert is "One" by U2. Good choice. It's one of those heartfelt songs with lots of "moment" potential. He reminds me of Clay Aiken for some reason at the subdued beginning. He sings it well, but I feel like I'm just seeing "slow, dramatic Adam" for the hundredth time. He starts out hitting every note perfectly during the verse, and when the music peaks in the chorus he starts freaking out. You know, the usual Adam formula. The last time this guy truly wowed me was with "Born to Be Wild," unless you count his duet with Allison last week. Randy says it was a great song and he's a really talented guy. Kara says he proved that he can rearrange a song and make it believable. Paula pretty much declares him the next American Idol right then and there. Simon says it was brilliant and it'll be a huge upset if he's not in the finale. Yeah, I'd agree with that. Even if his performances are feeling kind of samey, he's still the best vocalist and performer in the competition.
Now it's time for an update about "Idol Gives Back." Apparently Carrie Underwood went to Angola and helped educate the children about insecticide-treated bed nets. Well good for them. Health is a wonderful thing.
Danny's choice for himself is Joe Cocker's "You Are So Beautiful." Ugh. You are not Taylor Hicks, so stop trying to be! The slow part is boring and a few notes sound bad. When the loud part starts up it seems like he's shouting most of the time. Eh. Beautiful song, nice arrangement, not crazy about the way it's sung. Randy says he showed he can really sing. Kara calls it stunning. Paula says he left all of us breathless and he nailed it. I don't know about you, but my respiratory functions stayed just where they were. Simon says it was a vocal masterclass. I guess it wasn't horrible, but I still want Danny gone.
Kris is back and I hope he's ready for the oncoming bus. He's doing..."Heartless" by Kanye West??? Hoo boy, this is a big risk, but...WOW. This is incredible. He does the entire thing with just his acoustic guitar and brings the Kris vibe to it. I hate this song, and Kris just made me enjoy it. Brilliant! This guy deserves some serious votage tonight! Randy says it was better than the original. Not that it's hard to be better than that autotuned piece of garbage, but I agree. He took a bad song and made it good. Kara says she wishes he'd done something like that with "Apologize." Paula says the arrangement made him completely relevant. Simon says he'd written him off after the first song, but with that song he's right back in it. Go Kris!
Finally, the Lambert kid is closing with Aerosmith's "Cryin'." You mean the song Kara recommended for Danny last week? Too funny. This is a great song, but it's so chopped up that there's no dramatic build here like in the original. This may be the most off-key I've ever heard Adam too. He slays it on the big notes and all, but the overall performance doesn't feel very cohesive. Randy calls him one of the best they've ever had and says he should do a rock album. Kara is amazed by the notes he can hit. Paula says we'll be seing him next week. Simon says he wants America to vote for Adam and not assume he's safe. Adam says Kris and Danny were both great tonight and that he's honored to be in their presence. I love how gracious he's been throughout this whole thing. He and Kris so deserve to be in the finale. Danny "Me Me Me" Gokey should be a spectator next week.
My Performance Ranking:
Kris, "Heartless" (8 out of 10)
Kris, "Apologize" (6.5 out of 10)
Adam, "One" (6 out of 10)
Danny, "Dance Little Sister" (5.5 out of 10)
Adam, "Cryin'" (4 out of 10)
Danny, "You Are So Beautiful" (4 out of 10)
Prediction:
Kris is leaving tomorrow, but not if my votes have anything to say about it!
Tomorrow Jordin Sparks is back in the house, which will leave Fantasia as the only former winner not to appear at a results show this season. I guess there'll still be the finale for that. We'll also presumably see the hometown trips, which should be a bundle of goodwill for all involved. Come on America! Let's send Danny home and get it right!
Anyways, it's time for our Top 3 and each contestant is doing two songs tonight: one the judges selected and one they selected themselves. Each of the Top 3 took a trip home this week too, and we'll probably be seeing clips of their trips tomorrow.
Danny Gokey leads off with Paula's song choice, "Dance Little Sister" by Terence Trent D'Arby. He apparently didn't know it before this week. Since I read the spoilers online, I listened to the original last night on YouTube. It's an understandable choice, since Danny has a similar voice to the man initialed T.T.D. The problem is that there's hardly any melody to this song. Danny wisely focuses on the chorus, where the only trace of it resides. He brings a lot of energy to the performance, and his voice admittedly sounds good here. There's even a saxophone break. I still hate Danny, but this wasn't as bad as it could've been. Randy says it was dope. Kara says the dancing was a little too gyrating. Paula says it was really good. Simon says the dancing was a bit desperate, but vocally it was very very good. Yeah yeah. I'll give him credit. I still hope he's leaving.
Kara and Randy give Kris Allen OneRepublic's "Apologize," which means Adam gets the pimp spot for like, the third week in a row. Life is so unfair. In the video clip it appears Kris is wearing blue nail polish on his thumb. That boy's been rooming with Adam too long. Kris sits behind the piano for this one. At first it's hard for me to get into this, since it's one of those songs we've all heard a hundred times, but as it goes on I really start to enjoy it. Kris really seems to be feeling his performance. That's the great thing about Kris. He connects with the music. I'm not going to say it's the most original arrangement or anything, but I liked it. Randy says it showed the type of artist he could be. Kara says it was competent, but he needs to hit it out of the park. She says she wishes he'd rearranged it more. Paula says there was a loud bum note (I guess I missed that), but that all three people left are worthy of the Top 2. Simon scolds Kara for picking the song and complaining about what he did with it, which sets Kara off. Then he basically repeats what she said in her critique. Quit fighting, judges! This is about Kris! I can understand the "not original enough" criticism, but I think we're all familiar with Kris' "guy and a guitar" side. He's never shown this sort of piano-based electronic pop style before. It's something different for him.
Simon's choice for Adam Lambert is "One" by U2. Good choice. It's one of those heartfelt songs with lots of "moment" potential. He reminds me of Clay Aiken for some reason at the subdued beginning. He sings it well, but I feel like I'm just seeing "slow, dramatic Adam" for the hundredth time. He starts out hitting every note perfectly during the verse, and when the music peaks in the chorus he starts freaking out. You know, the usual Adam formula. The last time this guy truly wowed me was with "Born to Be Wild," unless you count his duet with Allison last week. Randy says it was a great song and he's a really talented guy. Kara says he proved that he can rearrange a song and make it believable. Paula pretty much declares him the next American Idol right then and there. Simon says it was brilliant and it'll be a huge upset if he's not in the finale. Yeah, I'd agree with that. Even if his performances are feeling kind of samey, he's still the best vocalist and performer in the competition.
Now it's time for an update about "Idol Gives Back." Apparently Carrie Underwood went to Angola and helped educate the children about insecticide-treated bed nets. Well good for them. Health is a wonderful thing.
Danny's choice for himself is Joe Cocker's "You Are So Beautiful." Ugh. You are not Taylor Hicks, so stop trying to be! The slow part is boring and a few notes sound bad. When the loud part starts up it seems like he's shouting most of the time. Eh. Beautiful song, nice arrangement, not crazy about the way it's sung. Randy says he showed he can really sing. Kara calls it stunning. Paula says he left all of us breathless and he nailed it. I don't know about you, but my respiratory functions stayed just where they were. Simon says it was a vocal masterclass. I guess it wasn't horrible, but I still want Danny gone.
Kris is back and I hope he's ready for the oncoming bus. He's doing..."Heartless" by Kanye West??? Hoo boy, this is a big risk, but...WOW. This is incredible. He does the entire thing with just his acoustic guitar and brings the Kris vibe to it. I hate this song, and Kris just made me enjoy it. Brilliant! This guy deserves some serious votage tonight! Randy says it was better than the original. Not that it's hard to be better than that autotuned piece of garbage, but I agree. He took a bad song and made it good. Kara says she wishes he'd done something like that with "Apologize." Paula says the arrangement made him completely relevant. Simon says he'd written him off after the first song, but with that song he's right back in it. Go Kris!
Finally, the Lambert kid is closing with Aerosmith's "Cryin'." You mean the song Kara recommended for Danny last week? Too funny. This is a great song, but it's so chopped up that there's no dramatic build here like in the original. This may be the most off-key I've ever heard Adam too. He slays it on the big notes and all, but the overall performance doesn't feel very cohesive. Randy calls him one of the best they've ever had and says he should do a rock album. Kara is amazed by the notes he can hit. Paula says we'll be seing him next week. Simon says he wants America to vote for Adam and not assume he's safe. Adam says Kris and Danny were both great tonight and that he's honored to be in their presence. I love how gracious he's been throughout this whole thing. He and Kris so deserve to be in the finale. Danny "Me Me Me" Gokey should be a spectator next week.
My Performance Ranking:
Kris, "Heartless" (8 out of 10)
Kris, "Apologize" (6.5 out of 10)
Adam, "One" (6 out of 10)
Danny, "Dance Little Sister" (5.5 out of 10)
Adam, "Cryin'" (4 out of 10)
Danny, "You Are So Beautiful" (4 out of 10)
Prediction:
Kris is leaving tomorrow, but not if my votes have anything to say about it!
Tomorrow Jordin Sparks is back in the house, which will leave Fantasia as the only former winner not to appear at a results show this season. I guess there'll still be the finale for that. We'll also presumably see the hometown trips, which should be a bundle of goodwill for all involved. Come on America! Let's send Danny home and get it right!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Top 4 Results - Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Love This Season...
I always think I won't get nervous, but somehow I almost always do. That's right, it's results night on "Idol"! The only one I'm confident will be safe is Adam, and I'm hoping I didn't spend a lot of time voting for Kris and Allison last night for nothing.
Ryan tells us there were over 64 million votes last night, the highest ever outside of a finale. For some reason I find that hard to believe, unless it means more people are using automatic dialing programs.
The Ford video is set to The All-American Rejects' "Move Along." It features the Idols as paper cutouts. Not one of my favorites. It seems like they're trying too hard to impress us with bluescreen effects this year. Do something funny or creative for a change!
The group performance is "School's Out" with Slash on lead guitar. Awesome! I never thought I'd hear Alice Cooper on this show. Allison gets a solo on the bridge and gets to push Danny. Lucky girl. Most of America wants to do the same thing. He's lucky Allison's a teenage girl. Adam joins in with her and already we're reminiscing about how good last night's duet between them was. I can safely say Danny's voice rocks the least of these four, and that includes Kris'. It's not one of my favorites of the season, but it's enjoyable.
It's time to chat with the Idols. Kris Allen says he didn't expect to make it to the Top 4 and being there is surreal. Ryan says he should think he deserves to be there and goes to Simon for support. Simon, agrees of course, and tells Kris we don't want humble anymore. Don't listen, Kris! Your humility is part of what makes you a true American Idol! Yes, I know that sentence is incredibly cheesy. I don't care though. I'm supporting Kris until the end! Adam Lambert says it was his favorite week yet and that he loved his outfit. Danny Gokey thinks the horrible final note from last night was hilarious. Whoa. He has a sense of humor about himself? I guess he enjoyed the impersonations the others did of him way back in the Top 9 or whenever. Who cares? I still don't like him. Allison Iraheta says she talked back to Simon last night because he was asking for it. Come on. She really didn't "talk back," she just responded to their criticisms and explained why she chose the song she did. It didn't seem rude or anything. But what do I know?
After eight seasons Paula Abdul is finally going to perform live on this show. I guess those producers were tired of getting flooded with requests for it. It's good to see Paula taking a more active role this year. First she choreographs that number from a few weeks back and now this. The song is called "I'm Just Here For the Music." Oh boy! Autotune! Of course, she's probably lip-synching anyway, so it's not like it's worth making a stink about. This whole routine is set up as sort of a live music video, with visuals emphasized over the music. There's even a cheesy postscript where Paula tells the guys to stop begging her because she's just there for the music. This song might get played in dance clubs or something, but I don't see it making an impact on the charts. Of course, now that Paula's supposedly off her painkillers she's probably thinking clearly enough to know not to expect it.
No Doubt is here to perform their hit from over a decade ago, "Just a Girl." Awesome. Another musical guest who could be outsung by any of the contestants. Gwen Stefani is more about bringing energy to the stage by bouncing around and doing pushups than her vocal ability. She says "I'm just a girl...at American Idol!" in the middle. Interesting. When No Doubt performed at halftime of Super Bowl XXXVII back in 2003 she said "I'm just a girl...at the Super Bowl!" I guess that's one of those things she does with that song at every live performance. It's kind of like how when Cheap Trick performs "Dream Police" live Rick sings "they're right here in [name of city]" during the bridge. I wish I had the opportunity to hear "they're right here on American Idol!" Then again, Cheap Trick ought to be promoting their new albums, not the 30-year-old Dream Police. They aren't just some nostalgia act. They'd blow all these crappy musical guests away. Oh yeah, this is a recap of "American Idol." Moving on...
Now it's time for results and I'm feeling queasy. First we get to see a montage of clips from hometown trips past. Beautiful moments. This is when the Idols get to see how famous they've become in under a year. How poignant. Ryan tells us they're filling three stools in random order to announce the Top 3. In other words, the order they're declared safe isn't indicative of the voting.
The first person to be sent to safety is...KRIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I actually clapped and yelled "YES!!!!!!" when they announced it. I'm seriously happy for this dude. He deserves it as much, if not more so, than anyone here. Oh, what a relief. One down, two to go!
Daughtry time. They remind us of Chris Daughtry's Idol run and show a clip of his shocking elimination. The full clip is hilarious every time I watch it on YouTube. Chris has this really smug look on his face just before Ryan tells him he's going home. Ahhhh, good times. Chris and his band are debuting their new song "No Surprise." Well, it sounds just like every other Daughtry song. Whoop-dee-doo. I'm sure we won't be able to escape this thing in about a month, so all of you who are inclined to enjoy Daughtry better enjoy this now before you get sick of it. Kris ("our other Kris") gets to present them with a platinum record after it's all over. Good on them, I guess. I'm still not a fan.
Time to reveal the second member of the Top 3, and it is...Adam! Well come on, who didn't see that coming?
So we're left with Allison and Danny, and the final person in the Top 3 is...Danny? CRAP!!!! I mean...what? Why? This is...weird. Danny has no business in the Top 3! Urgh. This is wrong. The perfect Top 3 was just sitting right there and America let it get away. What a bummer.
Allison seems totally cool about it at first, but you can see tears in her eyes when she's singing for the last time. Awwww. America loves you, Allison. Just look at What Not to Sing's average contestant ratings and look how far you are ahead of Danny! Speaking of Danny, we get a shot of him watching from the sidelines while Allison sings. Um, why do we care about this jerk right now? This is Allison's moment to be honored.
Well, I guess it was too good to be true. A Top 3 where I liked all of them was too much to ask for, I suppose. Now it's possible the Gokeburger could make it to the finale. Good news, Blake Lewis, Justin Guarini and Katharine McPhee! If Danny makes it to the finale there won't be anymore debates over the worst contestant to make the Top 2! You'll all be able to say that at least you weren't as bad as that Gokey guy. Let's hope it doesn't come to that though. Kris and Adam for the finale!
Allison, you will be missed. You were the only truly good female contestant in the Finals (no I'm not forgetting Alexis Grace), and your fun, quirky personality brightened up our TV screens every week (man, am I in Cheese Mode tonight or what?). When we look back on Season 8 someday, you, Adam and Kris will be remembered as the stars.
Power Rankings:
3. Kris Allen - Watch out for the bus next week. You just know the producers and judges are giving it another tune-up.
2. Danny Gokey - He's like a weed you can't kill.
1. Adam Lambert - Let's face it: he's unstoppable.
Next week, since the producers of this show are incredibly incompetent at timing, we'll only be getting two performances from each contestant instead of the traditional three. Can you believe it? It's taken us until the Final 3 to get a true multi-solo performance episode. They really need to get this show back on track next season. Hey, Fremantle! I could use a higher-paying job!
Ryan tells us there were over 64 million votes last night, the highest ever outside of a finale. For some reason I find that hard to believe, unless it means more people are using automatic dialing programs.
The Ford video is set to The All-American Rejects' "Move Along." It features the Idols as paper cutouts. Not one of my favorites. It seems like they're trying too hard to impress us with bluescreen effects this year. Do something funny or creative for a change!
The group performance is "School's Out" with Slash on lead guitar. Awesome! I never thought I'd hear Alice Cooper on this show. Allison gets a solo on the bridge and gets to push Danny. Lucky girl. Most of America wants to do the same thing. He's lucky Allison's a teenage girl. Adam joins in with her and already we're reminiscing about how good last night's duet between them was. I can safely say Danny's voice rocks the least of these four, and that includes Kris'. It's not one of my favorites of the season, but it's enjoyable.
It's time to chat with the Idols. Kris Allen says he didn't expect to make it to the Top 4 and being there is surreal. Ryan says he should think he deserves to be there and goes to Simon for support. Simon, agrees of course, and tells Kris we don't want humble anymore. Don't listen, Kris! Your humility is part of what makes you a true American Idol! Yes, I know that sentence is incredibly cheesy. I don't care though. I'm supporting Kris until the end! Adam Lambert says it was his favorite week yet and that he loved his outfit. Danny Gokey thinks the horrible final note from last night was hilarious. Whoa. He has a sense of humor about himself? I guess he enjoyed the impersonations the others did of him way back in the Top 9 or whenever. Who cares? I still don't like him. Allison Iraheta says she talked back to Simon last night because he was asking for it. Come on. She really didn't "talk back," she just responded to their criticisms and explained why she chose the song she did. It didn't seem rude or anything. But what do I know?
After eight seasons Paula Abdul is finally going to perform live on this show. I guess those producers were tired of getting flooded with requests for it. It's good to see Paula taking a more active role this year. First she choreographs that number from a few weeks back and now this. The song is called "I'm Just Here For the Music." Oh boy! Autotune! Of course, she's probably lip-synching anyway, so it's not like it's worth making a stink about. This whole routine is set up as sort of a live music video, with visuals emphasized over the music. There's even a cheesy postscript where Paula tells the guys to stop begging her because she's just there for the music. This song might get played in dance clubs or something, but I don't see it making an impact on the charts. Of course, now that Paula's supposedly off her painkillers she's probably thinking clearly enough to know not to expect it.
No Doubt is here to perform their hit from over a decade ago, "Just a Girl." Awesome. Another musical guest who could be outsung by any of the contestants. Gwen Stefani is more about bringing energy to the stage by bouncing around and doing pushups than her vocal ability. She says "I'm just a girl...at American Idol!" in the middle. Interesting. When No Doubt performed at halftime of Super Bowl XXXVII back in 2003 she said "I'm just a girl...at the Super Bowl!" I guess that's one of those things she does with that song at every live performance. It's kind of like how when Cheap Trick performs "Dream Police" live Rick sings "they're right here in [name of city]" during the bridge. I wish I had the opportunity to hear "they're right here on American Idol!" Then again, Cheap Trick ought to be promoting their new albums, not the 30-year-old Dream Police. They aren't just some nostalgia act. They'd blow all these crappy musical guests away. Oh yeah, this is a recap of "American Idol." Moving on...
Now it's time for results and I'm feeling queasy. First we get to see a montage of clips from hometown trips past. Beautiful moments. This is when the Idols get to see how famous they've become in under a year. How poignant. Ryan tells us they're filling three stools in random order to announce the Top 3. In other words, the order they're declared safe isn't indicative of the voting.
The first person to be sent to safety is...KRIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I actually clapped and yelled "YES!!!!!!" when they announced it. I'm seriously happy for this dude. He deserves it as much, if not more so, than anyone here. Oh, what a relief. One down, two to go!
Daughtry time. They remind us of Chris Daughtry's Idol run and show a clip of his shocking elimination. The full clip is hilarious every time I watch it on YouTube. Chris has this really smug look on his face just before Ryan tells him he's going home. Ahhhh, good times. Chris and his band are debuting their new song "No Surprise." Well, it sounds just like every other Daughtry song. Whoop-dee-doo. I'm sure we won't be able to escape this thing in about a month, so all of you who are inclined to enjoy Daughtry better enjoy this now before you get sick of it. Kris ("our other Kris") gets to present them with a platinum record after it's all over. Good on them, I guess. I'm still not a fan.
Time to reveal the second member of the Top 3, and it is...Adam! Well come on, who didn't see that coming?
So we're left with Allison and Danny, and the final person in the Top 3 is...Danny? CRAP!!!! I mean...what? Why? This is...weird. Danny has no business in the Top 3! Urgh. This is wrong. The perfect Top 3 was just sitting right there and America let it get away. What a bummer.
Allison seems totally cool about it at first, but you can see tears in her eyes when she's singing for the last time. Awwww. America loves you, Allison. Just look at What Not to Sing's average contestant ratings and look how far you are ahead of Danny! Speaking of Danny, we get a shot of him watching from the sidelines while Allison sings. Um, why do we care about this jerk right now? This is Allison's moment to be honored.
Well, I guess it was too good to be true. A Top 3 where I liked all of them was too much to ask for, I suppose. Now it's possible the Gokeburger could make it to the finale. Good news, Blake Lewis, Justin Guarini and Katharine McPhee! If Danny makes it to the finale there won't be anymore debates over the worst contestant to make the Top 2! You'll all be able to say that at least you weren't as bad as that Gokey guy. Let's hope it doesn't come to that though. Kris and Adam for the finale!
Allison, you will be missed. You were the only truly good female contestant in the Finals (no I'm not forgetting Alexis Grace), and your fun, quirky personality brightened up our TV screens every week (man, am I in Cheese Mode tonight or what?). When we look back on Season 8 someday, you, Adam and Kris will be remembered as the stars.
Power Rankings:
3. Kris Allen - Watch out for the bus next week. You just know the producers and judges are giving it another tune-up.
2. Danny Gokey - He's like a weed you can't kill.
1. Adam Lambert - Let's face it: he's unstoppable.
Next week, since the producers of this show are incredibly incompetent at timing, we'll only be getting two performances from each contestant instead of the traditional three. Can you believe it? It's taken us until the Final 3 to get a true multi-solo performance episode. They really need to get this show back on track next season. Hey, Fremantle! I could use a higher-paying job!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Top 4 - Life is a Rock (But the Idol Stage Rolled Me)
A lot has gone wrong on this season of "Idol," but unlike last year, where I no longer cared enough to vote for any of the contestants once we reached the Top 4, I currently have two favorites to vote for and another I like but don't vote for. A certain bespectacled cheesehead is the only fly in the ointment. He's clearly the weakest one remaining, so America has an important decision to make tonight.
Ryan starts the show by telling us there was an accident on the set. Apparently one of the sign towers collapsed, which means the contestants haven't had a proper dress rehearsal. Wow. This could be one crazy night. We're also getting four individual performances plus two duets. Slash, of Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver fame, is our mentor, and we learn that he's now recording a solo album. Slash has them hold the mentoring session at the Roxy, because he wants them to get into the spirit of rock. If Slash indeed came up with that idea himself, that's awesome. It's good to see a mentor who really tries.
Adam Lambert leads off with Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." Rockin'! He's got that Robert Plant upper register, so this should be good, right? Well, his vocals sound good as always, but I don't hear a whole lot of originality here. He sings the line "woman" during the breakdown, which is kind of funny given what we know about Adam's life offstage. This is OK. My problem is that it doesn't really go anywhere for me. It's a great song, but I don't think it works as a truncated "Idol" rendition. It doesn't have the same dramatic power as the original. Randy calls him a rock star. Kara says he's not just a rock star, he's a rock god. Paula calls it a whole lotta perfect. Simon says it was one of his favorite performances from Adam. Well, Adam's act has been underwhelming me lately, but I still like him. He's not going anywhere after the Bottom 2 scare from last week.
Allison Iraheta is batting second, and hopefully she won't be laying down a sacrifice bunt to advance Adam to third. We find out she went to Adam's hairdresser to get help for this week. I thought she looked edgier! In the mentor clip she tells Slash it was between "Somebody to Love" and "Cry Baby," and Slash advises her to go with the Joplin. Allison has a similar vocal style, so this should be good. Once again, Allison's right in her comfort zone. She hits every note and holds her own on stage. On a technical level this is very good, but it doesn't quite blow me away like I was hoping. It feels like she could've done more for some reason. Randy says he didn't like the song choice. Kara says it was the right artist choice, but "Piece of My Heart" would've been better. Paula calls her downright fearless and says Allison should play Janis Joplin in a biopic. Simon says she tried too hard to sound like the original and he would've gone with the Queen song. Allison says it was Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody to Love," not Queen's. Funny, that's what I had assumed when she said it to Slash originally. I'm more intuitive than Simon! She also says she didn't want to do "Piece of My Heart" because it's been done several times on the show already. Funny, that didn't stop her from doing "Alone" in the Semifinals. Oh well, the point is that Allison rocks and deserves to get some votes tonight, even if it wasn't her best performance.
Time for the first duet of the evening, with Kris Allen and Danny Gokey. Aw, man! Why did Kris have to get paired up with boring old Danny? I guess with Allison and Adam getting their hair done together it was obvious they were meant to duet. They're doing Styx' "Renegade." Hearing their voices right next to each other makes it obvious how much better Kris' is, but their harmonizing is cool when Danny doesn't sound slightly sharp. Kris actually sounds like a less powerful Chris Daughtry at times here. Not bad, but I don't see Wayne and Garth bowing down and proclaiming their unworthiness either. Randy says they complement each other greatly. Kara says that neither Kris nor Danny individually seems like a renegade, but together they were good. Paula says it was powerful and compelling. Simon says Danny was better than Kris. OK, Cowell. That's it. You're lying to our faces now. Kris was clearly better than Danny, and the side-by-side comparison made it obvious. You just can't stop pimping Danny though. I have to wonder if Danny's blackmailing Simon at this point.
Now Kris gets the stage to himself for The Beatles' "Come Together." Well, hopefully it'll be better than Carly Smithson's crappy version last year. Like everything else tonight, this is just OK. He kind of makes it into a heavy guitar jam. Hey! In the third verse he varies it up and makes it sound almost like a bridge. Well, OK, that's cool. It's not Kris' best performance, but it's solid. Still, the stage has yet to be set on fire tonight. Randy says he did well considering he's not really a rocker. Kara says he was trying too hard. Paula says his signature was all over it. Simon compares it to eating ice for lunch; it leaves him with nothing memorable. Come on, Kris fans! Vote a little harder this week!
As expected, Danny goes last. He's doing Aerosmith's "Dream On." I hope it works as well for him as it did for Michael Johns last year. From the first note I'm already bored. I'm waiting for him to do something new with this song....(looks at watch)...still waiting. Well, he's singing it OK, but it's pretty much a karaoke version with awkward phrasing. Whoa, is there a pterodactyl in the room? Nope, it's just Danny's off-key falsetto screech ending. Now that was bad. Just watch the judges eat this up. Randy says it was just all right, but he'll give him an A+ for a valiant effort. Kara says he took it a little too far. She sees him more early Aerosmith, like "Cryin'" and "Crazy." Ummm, Kara? That's 90's Aerosmith! "Dream On" was from their 1973 debut album! Ugh. This lady has no idea what she's talking about. She does give him credit for taking chances. Yeah, OK. Paula says it wasn't the right song but she's a huge fan. Simon says the last note was like watching a horror movie, but he thinks Danny's going to be safe. Hear that, Danny fans? He's safe! You don't need to vote! Well, judges, I'll give you some credit. At least you knew better than to pimp that disastrous performance. He so deserves to go home now. Could we be that lucky?
Now we get to finish up with an Adam-Allison duet! They're doing Foghat's "Slow Ride." Rock! And! Roll! This is just OK until they start harmonizing. Then it shifts from cool to totally awesome! At long last the stage has been set on fire. Perhaps the contestants should do duets more often! Randy says it was the bomb and that they should do a duet on their albums. Kara says it was good because they pushed each other to be better. Give Kris a break, Kara! He didn't have much to work with! Paula calls them a perfect blend and agrees that they should record a duet. Simon says they won the battle of the duets and that Adam may have helped Allison stay in the competition. Hey, she deserves it!
Wow. In the closing recap montage they show a clip of Danny's awful glory note. Are they throwing him under the bus? Boy, do I hope so! Perhaps at long last they've realized he's the worst one left and has no commercial potential!
My performance ranking:
Adam/Allison duet (9 out of 10)
Allison solo (6 out of 10)
Kris duet (5.9 out of 10)
Kris solo (5.5 out of 10)
Adam solo (5 out of 10)
Danny duet (4.9 out of 10)
Danny solo (3 out of 10)
Predictions:
Adam's fans went crazy when he was in the Bottom 2 last week. There's no doubt they're voting extra hard this week. I have a feeling Kris' fans might be doing the same thing, though perhaps to a lesser extent. Allison didn't bring the "wow" factor for her solo, but I think "Slow Ride" allowed her to show what she's capable of. Danny was clearly the worst, and Simon may have inspired complacency in his fans. This may be the most wishful thinking ever on my part, but here's what I predict:
Bottom 2: Kris, Danny
Going Home: Danny
If this happens tomorrow night I will officially love this season. Stupid changes like the Judges' Save, the overmanipulated Semifinals and the Wild Card show can be forgiven if the Top 3 we're left with on Wednesday night is Kris, Allison and Adam. As an "Idol" fan it's the stuff dreams are made of.
We also get performances from Daughtry and No Doubt, so that should be...well, honestly, I couldn't care less about either, but if Danny goes home it'll be a great night! I shouldn't get ahead of myself though. I need to go cast some more votes for Allison and Kris!
Ryan starts the show by telling us there was an accident on the set. Apparently one of the sign towers collapsed, which means the contestants haven't had a proper dress rehearsal. Wow. This could be one crazy night. We're also getting four individual performances plus two duets. Slash, of Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver fame, is our mentor, and we learn that he's now recording a solo album. Slash has them hold the mentoring session at the Roxy, because he wants them to get into the spirit of rock. If Slash indeed came up with that idea himself, that's awesome. It's good to see a mentor who really tries.
Adam Lambert leads off with Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." Rockin'! He's got that Robert Plant upper register, so this should be good, right? Well, his vocals sound good as always, but I don't hear a whole lot of originality here. He sings the line "woman" during the breakdown, which is kind of funny given what we know about Adam's life offstage. This is OK. My problem is that it doesn't really go anywhere for me. It's a great song, but I don't think it works as a truncated "Idol" rendition. It doesn't have the same dramatic power as the original. Randy calls him a rock star. Kara says he's not just a rock star, he's a rock god. Paula calls it a whole lotta perfect. Simon says it was one of his favorite performances from Adam. Well, Adam's act has been underwhelming me lately, but I still like him. He's not going anywhere after the Bottom 2 scare from last week.
Allison Iraheta is batting second, and hopefully she won't be laying down a sacrifice bunt to advance Adam to third. We find out she went to Adam's hairdresser to get help for this week. I thought she looked edgier! In the mentor clip she tells Slash it was between "Somebody to Love" and "Cry Baby," and Slash advises her to go with the Joplin. Allison has a similar vocal style, so this should be good. Once again, Allison's right in her comfort zone. She hits every note and holds her own on stage. On a technical level this is very good, but it doesn't quite blow me away like I was hoping. It feels like she could've done more for some reason. Randy says he didn't like the song choice. Kara says it was the right artist choice, but "Piece of My Heart" would've been better. Paula calls her downright fearless and says Allison should play Janis Joplin in a biopic. Simon says she tried too hard to sound like the original and he would've gone with the Queen song. Allison says it was Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody to Love," not Queen's. Funny, that's what I had assumed when she said it to Slash originally. I'm more intuitive than Simon! She also says she didn't want to do "Piece of My Heart" because it's been done several times on the show already. Funny, that didn't stop her from doing "Alone" in the Semifinals. Oh well, the point is that Allison rocks and deserves to get some votes tonight, even if it wasn't her best performance.
Time for the first duet of the evening, with Kris Allen and Danny Gokey. Aw, man! Why did Kris have to get paired up with boring old Danny? I guess with Allison and Adam getting their hair done together it was obvious they were meant to duet. They're doing Styx' "Renegade." Hearing their voices right next to each other makes it obvious how much better Kris' is, but their harmonizing is cool when Danny doesn't sound slightly sharp. Kris actually sounds like a less powerful Chris Daughtry at times here. Not bad, but I don't see Wayne and Garth bowing down and proclaiming their unworthiness either. Randy says they complement each other greatly. Kara says that neither Kris nor Danny individually seems like a renegade, but together they were good. Paula says it was powerful and compelling. Simon says Danny was better than Kris. OK, Cowell. That's it. You're lying to our faces now. Kris was clearly better than Danny, and the side-by-side comparison made it obvious. You just can't stop pimping Danny though. I have to wonder if Danny's blackmailing Simon at this point.
Now Kris gets the stage to himself for The Beatles' "Come Together." Well, hopefully it'll be better than Carly Smithson's crappy version last year. Like everything else tonight, this is just OK. He kind of makes it into a heavy guitar jam. Hey! In the third verse he varies it up and makes it sound almost like a bridge. Well, OK, that's cool. It's not Kris' best performance, but it's solid. Still, the stage has yet to be set on fire tonight. Randy says he did well considering he's not really a rocker. Kara says he was trying too hard. Paula says his signature was all over it. Simon compares it to eating ice for lunch; it leaves him with nothing memorable. Come on, Kris fans! Vote a little harder this week!
As expected, Danny goes last. He's doing Aerosmith's "Dream On." I hope it works as well for him as it did for Michael Johns last year. From the first note I'm already bored. I'm waiting for him to do something new with this song....(looks at watch)...still waiting. Well, he's singing it OK, but it's pretty much a karaoke version with awkward phrasing. Whoa, is there a pterodactyl in the room? Nope, it's just Danny's off-key falsetto screech ending. Now that was bad. Just watch the judges eat this up. Randy says it was just all right, but he'll give him an A+ for a valiant effort. Kara says he took it a little too far. She sees him more early Aerosmith, like "Cryin'" and "Crazy." Ummm, Kara? That's 90's Aerosmith! "Dream On" was from their 1973 debut album! Ugh. This lady has no idea what she's talking about. She does give him credit for taking chances. Yeah, OK. Paula says it wasn't the right song but she's a huge fan. Simon says the last note was like watching a horror movie, but he thinks Danny's going to be safe. Hear that, Danny fans? He's safe! You don't need to vote! Well, judges, I'll give you some credit. At least you knew better than to pimp that disastrous performance. He so deserves to go home now. Could we be that lucky?
Now we get to finish up with an Adam-Allison duet! They're doing Foghat's "Slow Ride." Rock! And! Roll! This is just OK until they start harmonizing. Then it shifts from cool to totally awesome! At long last the stage has been set on fire. Perhaps the contestants should do duets more often! Randy says it was the bomb and that they should do a duet on their albums. Kara says it was good because they pushed each other to be better. Give Kris a break, Kara! He didn't have much to work with! Paula calls them a perfect blend and agrees that they should record a duet. Simon says they won the battle of the duets and that Adam may have helped Allison stay in the competition. Hey, she deserves it!
Wow. In the closing recap montage they show a clip of Danny's awful glory note. Are they throwing him under the bus? Boy, do I hope so! Perhaps at long last they've realized he's the worst one left and has no commercial potential!
My performance ranking:
Adam/Allison duet (9 out of 10)
Allison solo (6 out of 10)
Kris duet (5.9 out of 10)
Kris solo (5.5 out of 10)
Adam solo (5 out of 10)
Danny duet (4.9 out of 10)
Danny solo (3 out of 10)
Predictions:
Adam's fans went crazy when he was in the Bottom 2 last week. There's no doubt they're voting extra hard this week. I have a feeling Kris' fans might be doing the same thing, though perhaps to a lesser extent. Allison didn't bring the "wow" factor for her solo, but I think "Slow Ride" allowed her to show what she's capable of. Danny was clearly the worst, and Simon may have inspired complacency in his fans. This may be the most wishful thinking ever on my part, but here's what I predict:
Bottom 2: Kris, Danny
Going Home: Danny
If this happens tomorrow night I will officially love this season. Stupid changes like the Judges' Save, the overmanipulated Semifinals and the Wild Card show can be forgiven if the Top 3 we're left with on Wednesday night is Kris, Allison and Adam. As an "Idol" fan it's the stuff dreams are made of.
We also get performances from Daughtry and No Doubt, so that should be...well, honestly, I couldn't care less about either, but if Danny goes home it'll be a great night! I shouldn't get ahead of myself though. I need to go cast some more votes for Allison and Kris!
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