Thursday, March 31, 2011
2 go home
Well I have a pit in my stomach as Fox tells us...You won't believe who is going home... JLo/STy fashion showdown. Look JLo: Black sequin cap sleeve mini dress with a messy high ponytail. Look STy: Cream sheer (of course) poet blouse with black and white vertical striped skinny jeans. Winner: Ryan again has a different hair style. Why the on-air experimentation? Fantasia, Jamie Foxx and WillIam will perform, but first the contestants perform. Lauren and Scotty do Randy Travis and Carrie Underwood's I Told You So. Beautiful. I told you he'd do some Randy Travis soon. For those who don't know, this is originally Randy's song recently redone by Carrie. Lauren blew it away. Will never understand how belters do that seated. Sweet. Lauren and Scotty head to the center of the stage. Both are safe. Cool. Naima and Jacob sing Solid by Ashford and Simpson - hysterical. I totally think I am watching Solid Gold. Because I totally used to. Oh yeah, Channel 11 on the weekends. Naima and Jacob sent to the center of the stage. Naima is in the bottom 3. I predicted that. Fantasia comes out to sing a song called collard greens and cornbread and she looks like she has been eating a lot of collard greens and corn bread. Yup, I said it. Come on, this is the stupidest song ever. Haley, Thia and Pia come out to sing Teenage Dream by Katy Perry. I really like Haley right now. She needs polish, but she has chutzpah. No solo for Thia. The three head to the center of the stage. Pia is safe, Thia is in the bottom 3, Haley is safe. YES. I just want Thia to go home stat. Kris Allen and his wife are in the audience. A look at the week in the life of the Idols. They got to perform for a Mohamed Ali charity (the Mohamed Ali foundation is owned by XIX, same company that owns Idol). They had to move out of the fantastic house because it was raining in the house. Oh this was last week, not this week. Casey really had a melt down after he got saved. Wow, he is not so stable. Paul, Casey, Stefano and James perform in their own band. Are these real songs? Poor Scotty and Jacob are left out of this boy band. Umm they are too funny. Results. Casey is safe (yes!), James is safe, Paul is in the bottom 3 and Stefano is safe. Wow. I gotta say, Paul was a bit forgettable last night, but he should not be the one to go. Wait, have you seen the commercials for this show Mobbed? A guy wants to propose to his wife and gets to use a flashmob to do it. My dream proposal. YES! Best week ever. Thia and Naima out in one foul swoop. Oh my god, moving forward is going to be really tough decisions because the best are left. Two talented ladies, but they have gone as far as they could. And hey, they get to go on tour! That will be when I go get the drinks. Alright folks, another satisfying week. Need to watch Top Chef finale. Oh and have I told you how much I am loving the Adele 21 album? LOVE. And these last episodes of the Office with Michael Scott have been amazing. Have you seen the proposal episode? Crying! Ahh too many obsessions...
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
It's Elton time
And so we begin with a look back on last week's tumultuous results show. So much energy. And there are still 11. JLo / STy fashion showdown. Look JLo: One shouldered slim deep pink mini dress with sleek straight long hair. Look STy: White jeans, printed shirt and a black blazer. The win would go to JLo, but I am distracted by Ryan's new hair style. Looks good! Contestants get glammed up for an EW photo shoot. Good looking cast this season. 2 of them are going home tomorrow. Scotty does some country song by Elton. He gave a shout out to Grandma in the song. He really knows his genre -- a country crowd would have loved that shout out. And an American flag would have come out behind him. I was not impressed with this performance. Smart to hit the bottom with the end note, all the judges were smiling, but he needs something else. Steven liked it, JLo is wearing the biggest hoop earrings I have ever seen. Randy thinks he has really become comfortable and loved it. Maybe my fever right now is affecting me. B- Naima -- "I'm Still Standing" reggae style. Hate this song and hate reggae so you can imagine where I am headed. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be to be honest, but this girl's road needs to come to an end this week. JLo tried to compliment her while telling her this was a dumb idea. Randy said it was corny. Steven thought it suited her. Whatever. C+ Paul -- He's pretty cute. "Rocket Man" He is wearing his white rose suit again. His voice sounds great. Jimmy has encouraged all of them to speak to the audience. I'm not in to this. I like the build into a jam. A little too calm for me. JLo thinks he is holding back and I agree. B Pia -- "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" She went for the ballad, but she is good at that. They are going to add rock flavor to the ballad. She is rocking a hot sparkly mini, just like Jlo. A whole gaggle of backup singers join her. She soars through the song. Well done. Steven says "it was a complete and full sentence." JLo felt there was more of a connection, agree. Randy says she can sing. A- Stefano -- "Tiny Dancer" Jimmy thinks it is too hard for his voice. Good choice for him. He's still not my cup of tea, but he is not on the bottom for me this week. Cute ending walk over to Jennifer to take her hand. The judges felt the connection. B+ Lauren -- "Candle in the Wind" She has a great look tonight. Absolutely loved this. Felt like Trisha Yearwood crossed with Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks. She sang in this sweet spot in her voice. Fantastic for me. Buying the single. Randy called it one of the best Lauren Alaina performances ever. Steven said "I've loved you since the first time you laid eyes on me." Nice for her to stay in the same spot and focus. A James -- "Saturday Night's Alright" Great song for him. Wow split in the air. Got up on the piano which then lit on fire. Despite all the antics, he kept it going with his voice. Great, really, really great. A- Thia -- "Daniel" Jimmy tells her it is a make or break moment. Why does she not seem real to me? She has a great voice, but I do not connect with her at all. Time to go Thia. Time to go. C+ Casey -- "Your Song" Rodney Jerkins told him to trim the beard and get a haircut. That he was scaring people. He looks great. And his voice is super sweet. He is really singing this week, not growling. Wow this season is so good. So very good. Then he really went for it at the end so we remembered all the facets of his voice. What a great musician. Randy loved it. Steven said he sings differently every time and that that shows a true artist. Randy tried to show his prowess by naming the note Casey hit at the end. A- Jacob -- "Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word" Jacob got to meet Mary J. Blige during his rehearsal. Jimmy says he should not over dramatize it. Umm have you met Jacob? He definitely did the Mary J version of this song. He always sings well but the diva was a bit too much for me tonight. Randy thought he needed to find a Jacob spot and then rambled on about other stuff I didn't pay attention to. B Haley -- Wow she gets the end spot? "Benny and the Jets" Wow, let's see what she does. Fresh sound, great tone in her voice. JLo was really getting into it. I loved it because Haley just went for it. She has spunk and a nice big voice. JLo said that was it! Haley has swagger. Randy said best performance of the night. Steven said she sings sexy. A Scotty B- Naima C Paul B Pia A- Stefano B+ Lauren A James A- Thia C+ Casey A- Jacob B Haley A It is time for Thia and Naima to go home. Wow, need to start voting stat!! Don't be ashamed of your obsessions...and trying a new hair style like Ryan or Casey.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Results and Sugarland!
JLo / STy fashion showdown. First of all need to mention to Randy that the sailor tee with the red hearts applique is a no all around. Look JLo: Sleek black dress with open back and metallic detail and a massive wild ponytail (if only someone could add hair to my head). Look STy: Floral chiffon shirt (this man loves a see through shirt) with a long vest and denim with black leather applique jeans. JLo wins because I should never use the word applique in reference to a man's outfit.
Ryan hints at a surprise result tonight. Accckkk. Contestants come out dressed up in black and white looks. Nice.
Shut the front door, Steve Buscemi was with the contestants yesterday for sound check to give advice to the contestants with the inner ear devices to help them with pitch. Steve Buscemi was actually pretty funny. Hey when did Steve Buscemi become a live musical performer? And marry JLo? Seriously, didn't Marc Anthony look just like Steve Buscemi? He was pretty funny about his help being cheap (yeah cause your wife is making TONS of money).
Top 11 sing Ain't No Mountain High Enough. It was a mess of switching one line to the other and some screams exchanged between Pia and James. Oh and Jacob screamed at the end. Then Stevie Wonder came out which looked like a surprise to Steven Tyler. Stevie Wonder gives a shout out to STy and sings Happy Birthday to ya to him. Cool.
Results. To re-cap, I thought Thia, Stefano and Naima should be bottom 3. Lauren, Pia and Scotty come out. They are through to the tour.
Sugarland comes out with Stuck Like Glue. They should have sang something new, this is not their best single. But love the spring colored denim. They are singing with Rihanna for the upcoming ACMS. Awesome.
Cute segment on James and Paul's love of pro wrestling.
James and Paul center stage. Ryan scares them and me telling them they are not safe. Really not safe. Then Hulk Hogan comes out. James is really freaking out. They are safe and on tour. Hogan goes nuts and punches Ryan and rips off his shirt. That was weird.
Jacob, Thia, Stefano center stage. Jacob is safe, Thia and Stefano in the bottom 3. Can I pick it or what? Naima, Haley and Casey. Naima is safe and Casey is in the bottom 3. That is retarded but no way he is going. He just performed first and is suffering for that.
Jennifer Hudson comes out to sing. Her song is called Where u at? I can't. She is super talented but I am fast forwarding this. Where am I at? The next segment. Okay I saw the end when she started diva'ing where you at. Terrible song, good singing.
WHAT? Thia is safe? For jeez did everyone forget how to vote? Casey is out. Time for the save. No doubt. Stefano lost it. Judges do not make Casey sing through his song. They don't need to hear him. Randy says, "We know who you are Casey, we don't need to hear you sing anymore, do we Steven?" Steven says, "This is crazy wrong, we've made a decision here to keep you on." Casey falls to his knees. I am one hundred per cent behind this. He hugs his parents. JLo tells him to drop the antics (I think she means the hair) and be himself. Agree again.
Wow - what an episode!!
Listen AI fans -- please start voting!! We have to use our power to send home Thia Megia See-ya next week!!
And remember, don't be ashamed of your obsessions...especially for one red headed, curly haired, blues fool named Casey.
Ryan hints at a surprise result tonight. Accckkk. Contestants come out dressed up in black and white looks. Nice.
Shut the front door, Steve Buscemi was with the contestants yesterday for sound check to give advice to the contestants with the inner ear devices to help them with pitch. Steve Buscemi was actually pretty funny. Hey when did Steve Buscemi become a live musical performer? And marry JLo? Seriously, didn't Marc Anthony look just like Steve Buscemi? He was pretty funny about his help being cheap (yeah cause your wife is making TONS of money).
Top 11 sing Ain't No Mountain High Enough. It was a mess of switching one line to the other and some screams exchanged between Pia and James. Oh and Jacob screamed at the end. Then Stevie Wonder came out which looked like a surprise to Steven Tyler. Stevie Wonder gives a shout out to STy and sings Happy Birthday to ya to him. Cool.
Results. To re-cap, I thought Thia, Stefano and Naima should be bottom 3. Lauren, Pia and Scotty come out. They are through to the tour.
Sugarland comes out with Stuck Like Glue. They should have sang something new, this is not their best single. But love the spring colored denim. They are singing with Rihanna for the upcoming ACMS. Awesome.
Cute segment on James and Paul's love of pro wrestling.
James and Paul center stage. Ryan scares them and me telling them they are not safe. Really not safe. Then Hulk Hogan comes out. James is really freaking out. They are safe and on tour. Hogan goes nuts and punches Ryan and rips off his shirt. That was weird.
Jacob, Thia, Stefano center stage. Jacob is safe, Thia and Stefano in the bottom 3. Can I pick it or what? Naima, Haley and Casey. Naima is safe and Casey is in the bottom 3. That is retarded but no way he is going. He just performed first and is suffering for that.
Jennifer Hudson comes out to sing. Her song is called Where u at? I can't. She is super talented but I am fast forwarding this. Where am I at? The next segment. Okay I saw the end when she started diva'ing where you at. Terrible song, good singing.
WHAT? Thia is safe? For jeez did everyone forget how to vote? Casey is out. Time for the save. No doubt. Stefano lost it. Judges do not make Casey sing through his song. They don't need to hear him. Randy says, "We know who you are Casey, we don't need to hear you sing anymore, do we Steven?" Steven says, "This is crazy wrong, we've made a decision here to keep you on." Casey falls to his knees. I am one hundred per cent behind this. He hugs his parents. JLo tells him to drop the antics (I think she means the hair) and be himself. Agree again.
Wow - what an episode!!
Listen AI fans -- please start voting!! We have to use our power to send home Thia Megia See-ya next week!!
And remember, don't be ashamed of your obsessions...especially for one red headed, curly haired, blues fool named Casey.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Motown Philly back again...
Yeah, I wish it was Boyz to Men week all the time.
First of all let me give a shout out to the legendary Elizabeth Taylor. I was honored to be in her presence twice in my lifetime -- once at the CFDA Awards when she was honored as Fashion Icon and once in Cannes at the Victoria's Secret / amfar benefit. What amazing work she did to raise awareness around HIV and AIDS. Phenomenal power and beauty.
And now on to Idol.
JLo / STy Fashion Showdown. Look JLo: Cream pleated miniskirt and a blush sequin long sleeve top - made her a look like an ice skater. Look STy: Animal printed sheer blouse with a black leather vest and of course skin tight pants. STy gets the win because JLo is wearing maybe the craziest eyeshadow ever. It is blue and it goes all the way around her eyes. Seriously.
Shout out to Liv Tyler (and Missy Rayder) in audience.
First up is Casey with "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye. Smart advice to Casey to control the growl. Umm he looks like a serial killer. Very entertaining but was I laughing at him? Yeah, a little. His head is ginormous. Steven called him a "perfect entertainer." He is an original for sure. B+
Thia "Heatwave" This song has definitely been on Idol before (JHud maybe?) She is a gorgeous girl and has got a great voice. Hard to look at her from a fresh perspective - can't shake the robot comparison. If she had started with this song, I would have thought it was genuine, but ummm something is off. B-
Kirsten Dunst in the house.
Jacob "You're All I Need to Get By" I don't think I know this song. Jimmy wants him to control it. Oh, I totally know this song. There is an old guitarist, Bob Babbit on the stage in homage to James Jamerson. Sorry, I had to write that - who are Bob Babbit and James Jamerson? Fantastic performance. This guy is so talented. Steven Tyler got up out of his seat to hug him on stage. Standing O from the judges. Baby Luther! Baby Luther! The voice is like buttah. Why can't he be a Cee Lo? Wowzers. Randy said there was nothing wrong with that performance. A
Julianne Hough aka girlfriend of Ryan is in the house
Ryan invited the audience up for a hug. God, if that happened to me, what would I do? I do not like that much hugging.
Lauren -- Supreme's Keep Me Hanging On. Nice dramatic opening in a zebra print gown. Her voice sounds amazing. Not into moving off the stage with that gown. Very strong, "Well baby you ripped that song another beauty mark, didn't ya?" Umm Steven, run that by me again? The look was great but why didn't she wear the JLo eyeshadow look? A-
Stefano -- So last week's performance I got him and his talent. Now he is doing Hello by Lionel Richie. He never heard it before. Really? He needs to work on the Gaspy eye syndrome -- where is Andrew Lloyd Weber when you need him? God remember David Cook's version? I do and therefore this is a bad choice for me. Why is "my mind" "mah mahnd?" Nasal syndrome big time. He just aged himself with this performance. No, no, no. I could not stand this. He can sing but he just destroyed that song. JLo and Randy said it was the connection that was the problem. I think it was more than that. He doesn't know how to pronounce the word "my" C+
More people in the audience.
Haley -- "You Really Got a Hold on Me" by Smokey Robinson. I love this song. Jimmy worked on her confidence in her stage presence. Why would they make her start on the steps in heels? Super cute outfit. She really got into this. I like the quality of her voice so much and would want her to win if my eyes were closed. But she literally kept her head tilted to one side the whole time and moved around too much. Judges felt she found her place again. "You don't look a day over fabulous," said Steven. JLo said most soulful voice. I want to hear more from her over others FOR SURE. B+
Scotty - "For Once in My Life" by Stevie Wonder. I am so nervous about this. He really looks like the boy from Mad libs. Beginning was very cheesy. Then he stretched his voice and it became earnest and had meaning. So much better than the beginning. Not a winning performance, but I saw what he was trying to do. And he does stick to his style. B
Flashdance lady in the audience.
Pia -- "All in Love is Fair" by Stevie Wonder. Her producer loves her. Jimmy Iovine wants to now help her cement her voice. Love her look. She sounds a little shaky in the beginning. And then she went for it. Something didn't work for me in the arrangement, it felt rushed? but the voice was STELLAR. JLo's advice was smart, she needs to own the stage. WOW, Randy used the word falsetto instead of saying she sang in her false - finally! Randy says no more ballads. "I think that right now you are the closest star in this America Idol universe." Go Steven Tyler, well said.
A-
Paul -- "The Tracks of My Tears" by Smokey Robinson. Paul changes it to a folky rock song. Love it. Love it. Love it. Not dramatic, but so easy and modern. A-
Randy did not say pitchy tonight! What a great group this season.
Naima -- "Dancing in the Streets" Was Geoffrey Rush producing this? It looked like him. Umm Naima is going to do some African dancing. Let's remember, this is a SINGING competition. Remember the David Bowie / Mick Jagger version? I was not a fan of this performance. I can't even talk about it. Her voice was in this weird deep place and the dance was weird. Steven said "It was e to the z to the twiddly dee." B-
You know what is mad crazy about this season? There are so many good people that I am excited to see almost all of them and am not just waiting for my favorite to come on. Love this season.
James -- "Living for the City" Sorry I made fun of this bassist. He must be a legend, my bad. Wow. James is amazing. So smooth. He is rocking out but not screaming. Talk about swagger. I am out of my seat. LOVED this. Loved! JLo turned into a valley girl. James is going a bit too far with taking in the praise. Randy tried to criticize -- take it back Dawg! Steven said "I think sometimes it takes a little bit of being crazy to make a difference in this world and that's what you're about." Agreed. A
Casey B+
Thia B-
Jacob A
Lauren A-
Stefano C+
Haley B+
Scotty B
Pia A-
Paul A-
Naima B-
James A
So James and Jacob rocked it tonight with props to Pia, Paul and Lauren. Bottom three should be Stefano, Thia, Naima with Thia going home. I can't give out an A+ yet, but Jacob was definitely a contender.
Awesome show.
Don't be ashamed of your obsessions..."That would be eto the z to the twiddly dee."
First of all let me give a shout out to the legendary Elizabeth Taylor. I was honored to be in her presence twice in my lifetime -- once at the CFDA Awards when she was honored as Fashion Icon and once in Cannes at the Victoria's Secret / amfar benefit. What amazing work she did to raise awareness around HIV and AIDS. Phenomenal power and beauty.
And now on to Idol.
JLo / STy Fashion Showdown. Look JLo: Cream pleated miniskirt and a blush sequin long sleeve top - made her a look like an ice skater. Look STy: Animal printed sheer blouse with a black leather vest and of course skin tight pants. STy gets the win because JLo is wearing maybe the craziest eyeshadow ever. It is blue and it goes all the way around her eyes. Seriously.
Shout out to Liv Tyler (and Missy Rayder) in audience.
First up is Casey with "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye. Smart advice to Casey to control the growl. Umm he looks like a serial killer. Very entertaining but was I laughing at him? Yeah, a little. His head is ginormous. Steven called him a "perfect entertainer." He is an original for sure. B+
Thia "Heatwave" This song has definitely been on Idol before (JHud maybe?) She is a gorgeous girl and has got a great voice. Hard to look at her from a fresh perspective - can't shake the robot comparison. If she had started with this song, I would have thought it was genuine, but ummm something is off. B-
Kirsten Dunst in the house.
Jacob "You're All I Need to Get By" I don't think I know this song. Jimmy wants him to control it. Oh, I totally know this song. There is an old guitarist, Bob Babbit on the stage in homage to James Jamerson. Sorry, I had to write that - who are Bob Babbit and James Jamerson? Fantastic performance. This guy is so talented. Steven Tyler got up out of his seat to hug him on stage. Standing O from the judges. Baby Luther! Baby Luther! The voice is like buttah. Why can't he be a Cee Lo? Wowzers. Randy said there was nothing wrong with that performance. A
Julianne Hough aka girlfriend of Ryan is in the house
Ryan invited the audience up for a hug. God, if that happened to me, what would I do? I do not like that much hugging.
Lauren -- Supreme's Keep Me Hanging On. Nice dramatic opening in a zebra print gown. Her voice sounds amazing. Not into moving off the stage with that gown. Very strong, "Well baby you ripped that song another beauty mark, didn't ya?" Umm Steven, run that by me again? The look was great but why didn't she wear the JLo eyeshadow look? A-
Stefano -- So last week's performance I got him and his talent. Now he is doing Hello by Lionel Richie. He never heard it before. Really? He needs to work on the Gaspy eye syndrome -- where is Andrew Lloyd Weber when you need him? God remember David Cook's version? I do and therefore this is a bad choice for me. Why is "my mind" "mah mahnd?" Nasal syndrome big time. He just aged himself with this performance. No, no, no. I could not stand this. He can sing but he just destroyed that song. JLo and Randy said it was the connection that was the problem. I think it was more than that. He doesn't know how to pronounce the word "my" C+
More people in the audience.
Haley -- "You Really Got a Hold on Me" by Smokey Robinson. I love this song. Jimmy worked on her confidence in her stage presence. Why would they make her start on the steps in heels? Super cute outfit. She really got into this. I like the quality of her voice so much and would want her to win if my eyes were closed. But she literally kept her head tilted to one side the whole time and moved around too much. Judges felt she found her place again. "You don't look a day over fabulous," said Steven. JLo said most soulful voice. I want to hear more from her over others FOR SURE. B+
Scotty - "For Once in My Life" by Stevie Wonder. I am so nervous about this. He really looks like the boy from Mad libs. Beginning was very cheesy. Then he stretched his voice and it became earnest and had meaning. So much better than the beginning. Not a winning performance, but I saw what he was trying to do. And he does stick to his style. B
Flashdance lady in the audience.
Pia -- "All in Love is Fair" by Stevie Wonder. Her producer loves her. Jimmy Iovine wants to now help her cement her voice. Love her look. She sounds a little shaky in the beginning. And then she went for it. Something didn't work for me in the arrangement, it felt rushed? but the voice was STELLAR. JLo's advice was smart, she needs to own the stage. WOW, Randy used the word falsetto instead of saying she sang in her false - finally! Randy says no more ballads. "I think that right now you are the closest star in this America Idol universe." Go Steven Tyler, well said.
A-
Paul -- "The Tracks of My Tears" by Smokey Robinson. Paul changes it to a folky rock song. Love it. Love it. Love it. Not dramatic, but so easy and modern. A-
Randy did not say pitchy tonight! What a great group this season.
Naima -- "Dancing in the Streets" Was Geoffrey Rush producing this? It looked like him. Umm Naima is going to do some African dancing. Let's remember, this is a SINGING competition. Remember the David Bowie / Mick Jagger version? I was not a fan of this performance. I can't even talk about it. Her voice was in this weird deep place and the dance was weird. Steven said "It was e to the z to the twiddly dee." B-
You know what is mad crazy about this season? There are so many good people that I am excited to see almost all of them and am not just waiting for my favorite to come on. Love this season.
James -- "Living for the City" Sorry I made fun of this bassist. He must be a legend, my bad. Wow. James is amazing. So smooth. He is rocking out but not screaming. Talk about swagger. I am out of my seat. LOVED this. Loved! JLo turned into a valley girl. James is going a bit too far with taking in the praise. Randy tried to criticize -- take it back Dawg! Steven said "I think sometimes it takes a little bit of being crazy to make a difference in this world and that's what you're about." Agreed. A
Casey B+
Thia B-
Jacob A
Lauren A-
Stefano C+
Haley B+
Scotty B
Pia A-
Paul A-
Naima B-
James A
So James and Jacob rocked it tonight with props to Pia, Paul and Lauren. Bottom three should be Stefano, Thia, Naima with Thia going home. I can't give out an A+ yet, but Jacob was definitely a contender.
Awesome show.
Don't be ashamed of your obsessions..."That would be eto the z to the twiddly dee."
Thursday, March 17, 2011
This entry is dedicated to Brian Moss
JLo and STy fashion showdown -- Look JLo: White turtleneck mini dress with embroidered lace long sleeves and high, slick ponytail. Look STy: Purple glitter duster coat with black tank, black pants and green metallic clover necklace. STy gets the win for crazy in purple glitter.
Group number with all songs with the word Born in the title because the theme was the year the contestant was born -- Born to be Wild and Born This Way mixed together. No, too soon to touch Gaga's new song, but was a more exciting medley since it wasn't from 1969. And was not lip synced because Jacob's mic went out.
Okay, re-cap on last night -- Pia and Stefano were great and Karen, Thia and probably Naima are in the bottom. Hopefully Karen.
Another lame Ford commercial and then a great clip reel of the contestants talking about their accents, the languages they speak, their pets. Those are great.
Results: Jacob, Casey and Lauren brought to the center. Love that Ryan asked Randy how contestants can overcome pitch problems. He who does not sing said they have to hear the note and sing it (DUH DUH DUH) while JLo, a kind of singer, explained that sometimes on that stage it is hard to hear the note or if you are singing it correctly over the music and that they are going to work on that (the sound people, I assume) TA DAH! Helpful notes finally after 9 years of "pitchiness."
Jacob is safe, Lauren is safe, Casey is safe.
Hayley and Paul to center. Hayley is in bottom 3, Paul is safe.
Cut to Pitbull, Mark Anthony and a guy who looks like Kenny Rogers in the audience. Lee Dewyze comes out and sings Beautiful Like You. Haven't heard it before. Not a hit song, but I still like his voice and this is the style of music I thought he would make. Props.
Scotty, Pia and James to center. Scotty is safe. I mean every time he is on there is reference to the Josh Turner song -- finale show (where the top 10 sing with other musical stars), obvi Josh needs to sing with him. Pia is safe, James with the Jovi is safe.
Stefano and Naima to center. Naima is in the bottom 3. Stefano is safe and super short by the way.
Karen and Thia to the center. Thia is safe and Karen is in the bottom. Okay, almost my picks. Hayley, Karen and Thia are in the bottom.
Black Eyed Peas dedicate "I Just Can't Get Enough" a dance tune about being addicted to love to Japan -- what? Fergie rocks a Marilynesque halter dress with natural hair look - liked it. Boring. Fergie needs to do a solo album again.
Naima is safe. Good. (Jen I know you wanted her to go!) Karen and Hayley. Karen is out. THANK GOD. Listen people, I know what should happen. I really hope JLo doesn't have to deliver the news to her that she is not safe. Since JLo played Selena and Karen is a Selena stalker, I think this would be dangerous. I give credit to Karen that she can sing and she did sing well to try to save herself, but the judges cannot use the save on her. Not unanimous (Jlo pushed her chair from the table) but Karen is out. JLo went to the stage to hug her. The judges were giving her a lot of support.
Ok, as JayZ says, "on to the next one!"
Don't be ashamed of your obsessions...
Group number with all songs with the word Born in the title because the theme was the year the contestant was born -- Born to be Wild and Born This Way mixed together. No, too soon to touch Gaga's new song, but was a more exciting medley since it wasn't from 1969. And was not lip synced because Jacob's mic went out.
Okay, re-cap on last night -- Pia and Stefano were great and Karen, Thia and probably Naima are in the bottom. Hopefully Karen.
Another lame Ford commercial and then a great clip reel of the contestants talking about their accents, the languages they speak, their pets. Those are great.
Results: Jacob, Casey and Lauren brought to the center. Love that Ryan asked Randy how contestants can overcome pitch problems. He who does not sing said they have to hear the note and sing it (DUH DUH DUH) while JLo, a kind of singer, explained that sometimes on that stage it is hard to hear the note or if you are singing it correctly over the music and that they are going to work on that (the sound people, I assume) TA DAH! Helpful notes finally after 9 years of "pitchiness."
Jacob is safe, Lauren is safe, Casey is safe.
Hayley and Paul to center. Hayley is in bottom 3, Paul is safe.
Cut to Pitbull, Mark Anthony and a guy who looks like Kenny Rogers in the audience. Lee Dewyze comes out and sings Beautiful Like You. Haven't heard it before. Not a hit song, but I still like his voice and this is the style of music I thought he would make. Props.
Scotty, Pia and James to center. Scotty is safe. I mean every time he is on there is reference to the Josh Turner song -- finale show (where the top 10 sing with other musical stars), obvi Josh needs to sing with him. Pia is safe, James with the Jovi is safe.
Stefano and Naima to center. Naima is in the bottom 3. Stefano is safe and super short by the way.
Karen and Thia to the center. Thia is safe and Karen is in the bottom. Okay, almost my picks. Hayley, Karen and Thia are in the bottom.
Black Eyed Peas dedicate "I Just Can't Get Enough" a dance tune about being addicted to love to Japan -- what? Fergie rocks a Marilynesque halter dress with natural hair look - liked it. Boring. Fergie needs to do a solo album again.
Naima is safe. Good. (Jen I know you wanted her to go!) Karen and Hayley. Karen is out. THANK GOD. Listen people, I know what should happen. I really hope JLo doesn't have to deliver the news to her that she is not safe. Since JLo played Selena and Karen is a Selena stalker, I think this would be dangerous. I give credit to Karen that she can sing and she did sing well to try to save herself, but the judges cannot use the save on her. Not unanimous (Jlo pushed her chair from the table) but Karen is out. JLo went to the stage to hug her. The judges were giving her a lot of support.
Ok, as JayZ says, "on to the next one!"
Don't be ashamed of your obsessions...
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Top 12 and I feel Old
Nice opening moment from Idol acknowledging the disaster in Japan and using Idol's power to support the cause with downloads for the Red Cross and a text in for relief number. But then it was down to Idol business.
I feel I should introduce a new segment to the blog -- the JLo / STy fashion showdown. Look STy: Sheer mustard and teal printed lurex and chiffon blouse worn with skinny acid washed jeans and a striped racoon tail earring. Look JLo: Sheer chiffon animal printed floor length gown belted and a fierce mane of curls. JLo gets the win for fierce!
This week's theme: Songs from the year the contestant's were born. Another theme that makes me feel super old as I remember each of these years and songs.
Naima -- Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do With It" Changed up the arrangement but the background vocals made it feel old to me. Still like her energy and the way she keeps things fresh with her vocal style. But she does need to focus more on the pitch and singing quality. They want her to succeed and JLo is giving much more advice than just criticism, I like her style. B
Paul -- Elton John "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" This is my least favorite Elton John song. But it was fun to hear Rod Stewart sing it. Oh, wait, that's Paul? Sounded like Rod to me. Okay, besides the fact that the cameras could barely keep up with his frolicking on the stage, it was entertaining. He had a cold and JLo was really feeling for him "Baby, baby, baby" she said. The judges gave him props for his original style. B
Thia -- born in 1995, my god. Christina Aguilera's Colors of the Wind. Her opening segment made me scared of her. She wrote a song at age 6? I have this weird feeling that someone taught her exactly how to sing and she learned it and her robotic self performs. She has an amazing voice, but I felt no connection to this performance, none. I need to detract points for this. Randy hit it on the head that it felt like a pageant. She needs to make it modern and work on her personality stat. C+
Umm Kate Hudson was in the audience eating Cheetos.
James Durbin -- He gets an A for picking the Jovi. "I'll Be There For You" One of my favorites. Not sure if it showed off his voice til the Bridge. He shows he can sing tons of different styles but it was a little pitchy. JLo was rocking out man, she loved it. Loved that he was bold enough to say he would sing Aerosmith at the finale. And Steven agreed to sing with him if he's there. Agree with Randy that James has not been overdoing the scream. B+
Haley -- Whitney Houston's "I'm Your Baby Tonight" These tidbits of advice from Jimmy -- work ethic means everything. I was very impressed with Haley or with her producer. So fresh, very modern, and her vocal skills were amazing. Umm the judges didn't love it as much as I did. JLo talked about her dance moves, Randy felt like she doesn't know who she is
and Steven told her to dig more into the bluesy side of her voice. Ummm I liked it. A-
Stefano -- Clever opening segment making fun of the bad music of 1989. Simply Red's "If You Don't Know Me by Now" Will always remember hearing this song 55,000 times when my older sister took me on a business trip to Hawaii with her (yup, the plus of having a sister 12 years older than you is going to Hawaii at age 13). He has Gaspy's problem with keeping his eyes closed. Nice strong vocals and he really let go. JLo was singing along. Terrible ending note, but the rest was very, very nice. Steven said "Over the Top, Over the Top, Over the Top" Randy said he slayed it. JLo totally noticed the eyes closing thing (see, I can be a judge). She loves this kid and tonight I did too. A
Pia -- Producer Rodney Jerkins loves her. Dance Beat Whitney's "Where do Broken Hearts Go" I thought it was okay and felt the arrangement was a distraction but then when she started the bridge, ahh there was my diva. Loved it. Steven said she is why this show is called American Idol. JLo was so happy she took it up tempo. Randy said her vocals are great each time and she sets the bar for each contestant. AGREE A
Can we talk about the fact that the producers and Jimmy working with each contestant has removed the weight on each contestant to make each song their own? They have help to do it and it makes for a much more entertaining show for us!!
Scotty -- Oh my god, such a cute kid. Travis Tritt's "Can I Trust You With My Heart" Love that he has decided to stick to country and Jimmy is letting him but pushing him to still grow. Oh my god he needs to sing Randy Travis before he leaves this show. And he could do Rodney Atkins (I know most of you have no idea what I am talking about). He showed a better range but I do think his voice has its limitations. Randy name dropped again - FYI Randy made an album with Travis Tritt. B
Jesus Christ what is on top of Karen's head? Please someone explain this look to me. She auditioned online? She revealed that her sister is a Nick Jonas stalker - great, a family of stalkers. She chose Taylor Dayne's "Love Will Lead You Back" I seriously think JLo once wore this outfit. And...here comes the Spanish. "I Love it when you break into your ethnic whatitisness" says Steven Tyler, but for me, it is a no. I don't even care if she can sing, I can't stand her. C
Casey -- I love his parents. So funny. Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" wow. Super cool. But a bit all over the place vocally in the beginning. Then he settled in and went totally over the top. I don't know what to say. He is fearless. Top marks for performance, slightly off on vocals. FYI Randy is a musician, producer, writer and connoisseur of lots of bands so he can name drop. Also FYI, I said he was fearless before the judges did. B+
Lauren -- Her mother might be younger than me. Or she just dresses like she is 15. Melissa Etheridge's "I'm the Only One" Jimmy puts the pressure on her. And her Dad makes me cry. Love the arrangement. How do these people sing with the flu? I think she did a solid. Umm Steven called her his shining star (and JLo tells Casey he is sexy? these contestants are going to have complexes) B+
Jacob -- Heart's "Alone" Wow, risky choice. His range is amazing, and he definitely pushed his voice, but I did like that he picked more of a rock song -- if he had done what he just did in his usual song style, it would have felt too over the top. Judges loved it. Steven said, "Gospel had a baby and they named it Jacob Lusk." Ummm A-
Naima B
Paul B
Thia C+
James B+
Hayley A-
Stefano A
Pia A
Scotty B
Karen C
Casey B+ (I loved it but he did scream it a lot)
Lauren B+
Jacob A- (He was a little all over the place)
So Pia and Stefano wowed me and Karen, again has to go (bu it might be Haley). Doing the rankings was actually super tough - these contestants are good! So we'll see what happens tomorrow!
Don't be ashamed of your obsessions...especially if they involve chiffon and lurex.
I feel I should introduce a new segment to the blog -- the JLo / STy fashion showdown. Look STy: Sheer mustard and teal printed lurex and chiffon blouse worn with skinny acid washed jeans and a striped racoon tail earring. Look JLo: Sheer chiffon animal printed floor length gown belted and a fierce mane of curls. JLo gets the win for fierce!
This week's theme: Songs from the year the contestant's were born. Another theme that makes me feel super old as I remember each of these years and songs.
Naima -- Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do With It" Changed up the arrangement but the background vocals made it feel old to me. Still like her energy and the way she keeps things fresh with her vocal style. But she does need to focus more on the pitch and singing quality. They want her to succeed and JLo is giving much more advice than just criticism, I like her style. B
Paul -- Elton John "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" This is my least favorite Elton John song. But it was fun to hear Rod Stewart sing it. Oh, wait, that's Paul? Sounded like Rod to me. Okay, besides the fact that the cameras could barely keep up with his frolicking on the stage, it was entertaining. He had a cold and JLo was really feeling for him "Baby, baby, baby" she said. The judges gave him props for his original style. B
Thia -- born in 1995, my god. Christina Aguilera's Colors of the Wind. Her opening segment made me scared of her. She wrote a song at age 6? I have this weird feeling that someone taught her exactly how to sing and she learned it and her robotic self performs. She has an amazing voice, but I felt no connection to this performance, none. I need to detract points for this. Randy hit it on the head that it felt like a pageant. She needs to make it modern and work on her personality stat. C+
Umm Kate Hudson was in the audience eating Cheetos.
James Durbin -- He gets an A for picking the Jovi. "I'll Be There For You" One of my favorites. Not sure if it showed off his voice til the Bridge. He shows he can sing tons of different styles but it was a little pitchy. JLo was rocking out man, she loved it. Loved that he was bold enough to say he would sing Aerosmith at the finale. And Steven agreed to sing with him if he's there. Agree with Randy that James has not been overdoing the scream. B+
Haley -- Whitney Houston's "I'm Your Baby Tonight" These tidbits of advice from Jimmy -- work ethic means everything. I was very impressed with Haley or with her producer. So fresh, very modern, and her vocal skills were amazing. Umm the judges didn't love it as much as I did. JLo talked about her dance moves, Randy felt like she doesn't know who she is
and Steven told her to dig more into the bluesy side of her voice. Ummm I liked it. A-
Stefano -- Clever opening segment making fun of the bad music of 1989. Simply Red's "If You Don't Know Me by Now" Will always remember hearing this song 55,000 times when my older sister took me on a business trip to Hawaii with her (yup, the plus of having a sister 12 years older than you is going to Hawaii at age 13). He has Gaspy's problem with keeping his eyes closed. Nice strong vocals and he really let go. JLo was singing along. Terrible ending note, but the rest was very, very nice. Steven said "Over the Top, Over the Top, Over the Top" Randy said he slayed it. JLo totally noticed the eyes closing thing (see, I can be a judge). She loves this kid and tonight I did too. A
Pia -- Producer Rodney Jerkins loves her. Dance Beat Whitney's "Where do Broken Hearts Go" I thought it was okay and felt the arrangement was a distraction but then when she started the bridge, ahh there was my diva. Loved it. Steven said she is why this show is called American Idol. JLo was so happy she took it up tempo. Randy said her vocals are great each time and she sets the bar for each contestant. AGREE A
Can we talk about the fact that the producers and Jimmy working with each contestant has removed the weight on each contestant to make each song their own? They have help to do it and it makes for a much more entertaining show for us!!
Scotty -- Oh my god, such a cute kid. Travis Tritt's "Can I Trust You With My Heart" Love that he has decided to stick to country and Jimmy is letting him but pushing him to still grow. Oh my god he needs to sing Randy Travis before he leaves this show. And he could do Rodney Atkins (I know most of you have no idea what I am talking about). He showed a better range but I do think his voice has its limitations. Randy name dropped again - FYI Randy made an album with Travis Tritt. B
Jesus Christ what is on top of Karen's head? Please someone explain this look to me. She auditioned online? She revealed that her sister is a Nick Jonas stalker - great, a family of stalkers. She chose Taylor Dayne's "Love Will Lead You Back" I seriously think JLo once wore this outfit. And...here comes the Spanish. "I Love it when you break into your ethnic whatitisness" says Steven Tyler, but for me, it is a no. I don't even care if she can sing, I can't stand her. C
Casey -- I love his parents. So funny. Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" wow. Super cool. But a bit all over the place vocally in the beginning. Then he settled in and went totally over the top. I don't know what to say. He is fearless. Top marks for performance, slightly off on vocals. FYI Randy is a musician, producer, writer and connoisseur of lots of bands so he can name drop. Also FYI, I said he was fearless before the judges did. B+
Lauren -- Her mother might be younger than me. Or she just dresses like she is 15. Melissa Etheridge's "I'm the Only One" Jimmy puts the pressure on her. And her Dad makes me cry. Love the arrangement. How do these people sing with the flu? I think she did a solid. Umm Steven called her his shining star (and JLo tells Casey he is sexy? these contestants are going to have complexes) B+
Jacob -- Heart's "Alone" Wow, risky choice. His range is amazing, and he definitely pushed his voice, but I did like that he picked more of a rock song -- if he had done what he just did in his usual song style, it would have felt too over the top. Judges loved it. Steven said, "Gospel had a baby and they named it Jacob Lusk." Ummm A-
Naima B
Paul B
Thia C+
James B+
Hayley A-
Stefano A
Pia A
Scotty B
Karen C
Casey B+ (I loved it but he did scream it a lot)
Lauren B+
Jacob A- (He was a little all over the place)
So Pia and Stefano wowed me and Karen, again has to go (bu it might be Haley). Doing the rankings was actually super tough - these contestants are good! So we'll see what happens tomorrow!
Don't be ashamed of your obsessions...especially if they involve chiffon and lurex.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
And the first one to go is...
So I had to see how Idol 10 would handle the results show. Basically I have wasted an estimated 10-15 hours per season which means 90-100 hours of my life watching the show that only needed to be watched for 5 minutes total. The last five minutes. Let me now comment on the judges being introduced each episode and walking out together. I like it because we get to see JLo and Steven's full outfits. And Ryan likes it because he gets to walk down a tall flight of stairs.
The results show this week feature Diddy Dirty Money (any interaction with JLo?) and Adam Lambert. I will be fast forwarding to try to retain some of those minutes of my life.
Did I comment yesterday that this top 13 has done well in the makeover category -- they've got good hair, style, make-up already...First news, Casey is sick and in the hospital. Hope he's okay! Ummm the house they are living in is big pimping style. Way to ensure they blow any of the money they end up making.
Group number is lip synced just like the good old days. (really? They couldn't change that?)Michael Jackson medley. Lauren Alaina actually does need a different stylist. Too much fluff for a curvy girl. Pia and Jacob stole the medley for me. Man in The Mirror is the best group karaoke number ever.
Another relic, the Ford Video is back and just as cheesy as ever. The Top 13 on the carpet at Red Riding Hood was actually sweet, especially Nikki Reed hitting on Paul who didn't know who she was.
Jacob, Karen and Stefano are brought out. I can't stand Karen. Karen was sent to bottom 3. Adam Lambert comes out to perform an unplugged version of Aftermath (I've never heard the plugged version). He is natural looking and delivers a nice performance that really shows off his voice. He does have a great voice. And he does his best to show James Durbin that he can kick his a** by doing his own scream.
Umm I don't know what "dougey'ing" is. Someone should teach me how to "dougey."
Lauren, Ashthon and Haley are brought out and Ryan brings Lauren to tears. She is safe and both Ashthon and Haley are in the bottom 3. The judges have christened a new word for the season. "Lane" -- this is how they define the genre of music the contestants should sing, drive, park or bowl in. Find your lane.
No shot of JLo as Diddy is announced. But it was live and JLo claps for him. I clapped when Diddy Dirty money gave the contestants advice. He should tell them to change their names constantly.
Okay, bottom 3. My bottom 3 last night were Karen, Ashthon and Stefano. 2 out of three. Karen is safe - she should give a shout out to Selena. Argggh. Ashthon is sent home. That is a shame. She did pick two boring songs, she gets to sing for the save (again). They should not use it yet. America didn't vote her into the top 10 and now they send her home. She won't make it. Did you see BFF's Karen and Jacob swaying?
"Not this time baby" JLo sent her packing. Good bye sent to David Cook's Don't You Forget About Me. Fine with the result, looking forward to next week!! Now I HAVE to watch Glee!!
The results show this week feature Diddy Dirty Money (any interaction with JLo?) and Adam Lambert. I will be fast forwarding to try to retain some of those minutes of my life.
Did I comment yesterday that this top 13 has done well in the makeover category -- they've got good hair, style, make-up already...First news, Casey is sick and in the hospital. Hope he's okay! Ummm the house they are living in is big pimping style. Way to ensure they blow any of the money they end up making.
Group number is lip synced just like the good old days. (really? They couldn't change that?)Michael Jackson medley. Lauren Alaina actually does need a different stylist. Too much fluff for a curvy girl. Pia and Jacob stole the medley for me. Man in The Mirror is the best group karaoke number ever.
Another relic, the Ford Video is back and just as cheesy as ever. The Top 13 on the carpet at Red Riding Hood was actually sweet, especially Nikki Reed hitting on Paul who didn't know who she was.
Jacob, Karen and Stefano are brought out. I can't stand Karen. Karen was sent to bottom 3. Adam Lambert comes out to perform an unplugged version of Aftermath (I've never heard the plugged version). He is natural looking and delivers a nice performance that really shows off his voice. He does have a great voice. And he does his best to show James Durbin that he can kick his a** by doing his own scream.
Umm I don't know what "dougey'ing" is. Someone should teach me how to "dougey."
Lauren, Ashthon and Haley are brought out and Ryan brings Lauren to tears. She is safe and both Ashthon and Haley are in the bottom 3. The judges have christened a new word for the season. "Lane" -- this is how they define the genre of music the contestants should sing, drive, park or bowl in. Find your lane.
No shot of JLo as Diddy is announced. But it was live and JLo claps for him. I clapped when Diddy Dirty money gave the contestants advice. He should tell them to change their names constantly.
Okay, bottom 3. My bottom 3 last night were Karen, Ashthon and Stefano. 2 out of three. Karen is safe - she should give a shout out to Selena. Argggh. Ashthon is sent home. That is a shame. She did pick two boring songs, she gets to sing for the save (again). They should not use it yet. America didn't vote her into the top 10 and now they send her home. She won't make it. Did you see BFF's Karen and Jacob swaying?
"Not this time baby" JLo sent her packing. Good bye sent to David Cook's Don't You Forget About Me. Fine with the result, looking forward to next week!! Now I HAVE to watch Glee!!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Let the competition begin!
Okay my Idol loving friends, I'm back! First my thoughts as I caught up on last week. A great top 24 but also, getting rid of the whittling down and going straight to a week to get to the top 10 or so is so smart.
Also loved getting rid of the small studio audience and going straight to a larger audience, much better energy and forced the contestants to think bigger. My personal favorites from last week? Guys James Durbin, Scotty McCreery, Jacob Lusk (boring song choice last week but love his voice) and Casey Adams and girls Ashthon Jones, Thia Megia (SHE IS INSANE!), Lauren Alaina and Pia Toscano (where did she come from???)
Also, loved the judges energies. Jennifer gave great criticism and advice, Steven was hysterical yet real. Randy was the only problem by bringing back what made the judges so boring last season by constantly trying to get the contestants to do something different instead of just saying the singing wasn't good enough.
Here are my thoughts on the Top 10
Scotty McCreery -- very genuine, definitely talented, but he is going to need to extend his range.
Lauren Alaina -- I thought she was a contender from Day 1. Still young, but fearless. Love that she kept it country for her performance last night, will help her with fans.
Pia Toscano -- She hit it out of the park last week because she did a ballad, but kept it modern. She is major.
Karen Rodriguez -- there always has to be one that bugs me and she might be it. She is a good singer, but seemed to be about 1000 years old last week. If I hear one more thing about being Latin I am going to lose it. We'll see.
Jacob Lusk -- He is so sweet that I can't say anything bad. He is a bit over the top, but personality is important. And he can definitely sing.
Casey Abrams -- Love his personality and his freshness, worried about him being able to sell it later.
Thia Megia -- This girl is insanely talented. Her voice is so modern and strong but I am nervous that she doesn't have too much personality when she is not singing.
Paul -- This guy has become the best looking guy in the bunch. I thought his Rod Stewart was to mimicky, but I know he is super talented.
Haley -- Great voice, but needs to fine tune the performance style, she is a bit awkward.
James Durbin -- Okay, okay, I have to say the Judas Priest got me. So different and fresh and he sings everything effortlessly but with power. I like that he is going heavy metal route - that will keep me from feeling like he is drama of Adam Lambert.
And from the wildcards --
Ashthon -- Great style, I thought I was at the Apollo with her. Agreed her song choice last week was not great which is why she didn't get voted in.
Stefano -- I don't get it at all. Not at all.
Naima -- I knew her different energy would get her through. She is definitely talented, but
worried about commercial viability.
Okay so now the first week of competition -- the grades need to come back in! The contestants perform songs from their Idols. Introduce us to Jimmy Iovine's role -- he is bringing in a roster of amazing producers like Don Was, Rodney Jerkins etc to work with the contestants on each song.
Lauren Alaina -- Shania Twain's Any Man of Mine. Agreed with Steven that the song wasn't kick-ass enough. She can sing anything, but needs to create a moment. B+
Casey Abrams -- Joe Cocker's Have a Little Help From My Friends. This guy has a great sense of humor. So talented and smooth. A-
Ashthon -- Diana Ross. It may have been too soon to go to the Diva, but she was a wild card, so maybe she needs a big statement. I didn't love this. She sings really well, but I didn't feel a connection. B-
Paul McDonald-- Ryan Adam's Come Pick Me Up. He is so great in the interviews but his dancing is so weird it distracts me. Very modern and unique but I don't know if his appeal is broad enough. Can we discuss Randy's name dropping in his critique? Wilco, Traveling Wilburys etc etc - you is cool dawg! Ryan doing the Paul dance was awesome. B
Pia Toscano -- Celine Dion's All By Myself. Pia is a gorgeous girl. Normally I wouldn't like this pick, but her voice is so rich and she isn't a copycat. Man, big notes. Randy loves to remind us that he has been on the show for 10 years -- we know dawg. Good point though that normally, not a good idea to do Mariah, Whitney, Celine, but if you can do it, you win. She is great. A
James Durbin -- Paul McCartney's Baby I'm Amazed. Smart to pick a McCartney song to get the older audience. But he keeps it fresh, very rocker cool. I realized how much I like his voice in its natural pitch. Much rounder than when he is up high. Randy once again referenced his own experience by reminding us he played in Journey. Steven said "If there was ever a review to be said about you, you just sang it." I have no idea what that means. A-
Haley -- I can't figure this one out. From Alicia Keys to Leann Rimes / Patsy Cline's Blue? She is good at picking songs that show her voice, but for me this one felt distant and boring. Randy was so right on calling that out. B
Jacob Lusk -- R Kelly is his idol. Ummm, he was accused of having sex with an underage girl... Here comes I Can Believe I Can Fly. The gospel choir came out. Something was wrong with the second verse, but amazing talent and performance. Still nervous about where he can fit on the radio... A-
Thia -- So she takes on Michael Jackson's Smile - he can't be a 15 yr old's idol. Man this girl is so talented, but she does seem young in her pieces. Charlie Chapman instead of Chaplin? Sweet, sweet voice and then she transitions it into a much more modern version. It didn't work but she showed she is not a young broadway baby. She has this cool vibe. The judges commentary wasn't great but she literally looked like she was going to cry. And then she was crying backstage. Is she victim of too young too soon? B+
Stefano -- Surprise his idol is Stevie Wonder, he sings Lately. He turned it into a thumping dance remix. HATED IT. JLo loved it and was dancing. HATED IT. I must be missing something. B- because he showed he has a voice, but no style.
Oh my god, Karen's idol is Selena. I can't watch this. She is going to do If I Could Fall In Love. This girl is 75000 years old. Did I put on Telemundo by mistake? Her singing is fine, but she is from another century. I should give it a D because I think she is lame, but will go for the C+ because she sings well. Umm I think she may be Single Latino Female -- she is a Selena and JLo Stalker.
Please let Scotty sing Randy Travis. Please. Oh he went Garth Brooks. The River is a great song. The back-up singers were a little too loud. It can be difficult to understand his words. Great when he sang without the music. See ya in Nashville Scotty. No doubt. B+
Naima - Rihanna's Umbrella. Okay good choice to show me something modern. Jimmy admits he was nervous about her. She broke out some major moves and a reggae rap. Good move for her to get rid of my worries about her place on the radio. B+
Lauren B+
Casey A-
Ashthon B-
Paul B
Pia A
James A-
Haley B
Jacob A-
Thia B+
Stefano B -
Karen C+
Scotty B+
Naima B+
So Pia takes the night and Karen needs to go. Lots of good performances, really good.
So I leave you with the words of Steven Tyler to Scotty:
"You know someone wrote a song and the lyrics go 'The carpet's all paid for, god bless the TV, let's go shoot a hole in the moon.' Roy Rogers riding tonight well you're riding high." WHAT? I had to go back 6 times to even right that down.
Don't be ashamed of your obsessions...even if they are whatever Steven is on.
Also loved getting rid of the small studio audience and going straight to a larger audience, much better energy and forced the contestants to think bigger. My personal favorites from last week? Guys James Durbin, Scotty McCreery, Jacob Lusk (boring song choice last week but love his voice) and Casey Adams and girls Ashthon Jones, Thia Megia (SHE IS INSANE!), Lauren Alaina and Pia Toscano (where did she come from???)
Also, loved the judges energies. Jennifer gave great criticism and advice, Steven was hysterical yet real. Randy was the only problem by bringing back what made the judges so boring last season by constantly trying to get the contestants to do something different instead of just saying the singing wasn't good enough.
Here are my thoughts on the Top 10
Scotty McCreery -- very genuine, definitely talented, but he is going to need to extend his range.
Lauren Alaina -- I thought she was a contender from Day 1. Still young, but fearless. Love that she kept it country for her performance last night, will help her with fans.
Pia Toscano -- She hit it out of the park last week because she did a ballad, but kept it modern. She is major.
Karen Rodriguez -- there always has to be one that bugs me and she might be it. She is a good singer, but seemed to be about 1000 years old last week. If I hear one more thing about being Latin I am going to lose it. We'll see.
Jacob Lusk -- He is so sweet that I can't say anything bad. He is a bit over the top, but personality is important. And he can definitely sing.
Casey Abrams -- Love his personality and his freshness, worried about him being able to sell it later.
Thia Megia -- This girl is insanely talented. Her voice is so modern and strong but I am nervous that she doesn't have too much personality when she is not singing.
Paul -- This guy has become the best looking guy in the bunch. I thought his Rod Stewart was to mimicky, but I know he is super talented.
Haley -- Great voice, but needs to fine tune the performance style, she is a bit awkward.
James Durbin -- Okay, okay, I have to say the Judas Priest got me. So different and fresh and he sings everything effortlessly but with power. I like that he is going heavy metal route - that will keep me from feeling like he is drama of Adam Lambert.
And from the wildcards --
Ashthon -- Great style, I thought I was at the Apollo with her. Agreed her song choice last week was not great which is why she didn't get voted in.
Stefano -- I don't get it at all. Not at all.
Naima -- I knew her different energy would get her through. She is definitely talented, but
worried about commercial viability.
Okay so now the first week of competition -- the grades need to come back in! The contestants perform songs from their Idols. Introduce us to Jimmy Iovine's role -- he is bringing in a roster of amazing producers like Don Was, Rodney Jerkins etc to work with the contestants on each song.
Lauren Alaina -- Shania Twain's Any Man of Mine. Agreed with Steven that the song wasn't kick-ass enough. She can sing anything, but needs to create a moment. B+
Casey Abrams -- Joe Cocker's Have a Little Help From My Friends. This guy has a great sense of humor. So talented and smooth. A-
Ashthon -- Diana Ross. It may have been too soon to go to the Diva, but she was a wild card, so maybe she needs a big statement. I didn't love this. She sings really well, but I didn't feel a connection. B-
Paul McDonald-- Ryan Adam's Come Pick Me Up. He is so great in the interviews but his dancing is so weird it distracts me. Very modern and unique but I don't know if his appeal is broad enough. Can we discuss Randy's name dropping in his critique? Wilco, Traveling Wilburys etc etc - you is cool dawg! Ryan doing the Paul dance was awesome. B
Pia Toscano -- Celine Dion's All By Myself. Pia is a gorgeous girl. Normally I wouldn't like this pick, but her voice is so rich and she isn't a copycat. Man, big notes. Randy loves to remind us that he has been on the show for 10 years -- we know dawg. Good point though that normally, not a good idea to do Mariah, Whitney, Celine, but if you can do it, you win. She is great. A
James Durbin -- Paul McCartney's Baby I'm Amazed. Smart to pick a McCartney song to get the older audience. But he keeps it fresh, very rocker cool. I realized how much I like his voice in its natural pitch. Much rounder than when he is up high. Randy once again referenced his own experience by reminding us he played in Journey. Steven said "If there was ever a review to be said about you, you just sang it." I have no idea what that means. A-
Haley -- I can't figure this one out. From Alicia Keys to Leann Rimes / Patsy Cline's Blue? She is good at picking songs that show her voice, but for me this one felt distant and boring. Randy was so right on calling that out. B
Jacob Lusk -- R Kelly is his idol. Ummm, he was accused of having sex with an underage girl... Here comes I Can Believe I Can Fly. The gospel choir came out. Something was wrong with the second verse, but amazing talent and performance. Still nervous about where he can fit on the radio... A-
Thia -- So she takes on Michael Jackson's Smile - he can't be a 15 yr old's idol. Man this girl is so talented, but she does seem young in her pieces. Charlie Chapman instead of Chaplin? Sweet, sweet voice and then she transitions it into a much more modern version. It didn't work but she showed she is not a young broadway baby. She has this cool vibe. The judges commentary wasn't great but she literally looked like she was going to cry. And then she was crying backstage. Is she victim of too young too soon? B+
Stefano -- Surprise his idol is Stevie Wonder, he sings Lately. He turned it into a thumping dance remix. HATED IT. JLo loved it and was dancing. HATED IT. I must be missing something. B- because he showed he has a voice, but no style.
Oh my god, Karen's idol is Selena. I can't watch this. She is going to do If I Could Fall In Love. This girl is 75000 years old. Did I put on Telemundo by mistake? Her singing is fine, but she is from another century. I should give it a D because I think she is lame, but will go for the C+ because she sings well. Umm I think she may be Single Latino Female -- she is a Selena and JLo Stalker.
Please let Scotty sing Randy Travis. Please. Oh he went Garth Brooks. The River is a great song. The back-up singers were a little too loud. It can be difficult to understand his words. Great when he sang without the music. See ya in Nashville Scotty. No doubt. B+
Naima - Rihanna's Umbrella. Okay good choice to show me something modern. Jimmy admits he was nervous about her. She broke out some major moves and a reggae rap. Good move for her to get rid of my worries about her place on the radio. B+
Lauren B+
Casey A-
Ashthon B-
Paul B
Pia A
James A-
Haley B
Jacob A-
Thia B+
Stefano B -
Karen C+
Scotty B+
Naima B+
So Pia takes the night and Karen needs to go. Lots of good performances, really good.
So I leave you with the words of Steven Tyler to Scotty:
"You know someone wrote a song and the lyrics go 'The carpet's all paid for, god bless the TV, let's go shoot a hole in the moon.' Roy Rogers riding tonight well you're riding high." WHAT? I had to go back 6 times to even right that down.
Don't be ashamed of your obsessions...even if they are whatever Steven is on.
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