Standing Ovations all around tonight...except for poor Janelle...who is clearly the one targeted to go home next by the powers that be. As my interim post disclosed, the powers that be are finally acknowledging there is something wrong with this season and blaming it on lack of judicial *chemistry*. Evidently there is also some lack of contestant chemistry as this is the first season I can recall when contestants are taking pot shots at each other. There was a bit of a twitter scandal when Burnell was eliminated (Angie's twitters *liking* or agreeing with some which trash edLazaro and praised Burnell.) Now Lazaro is speaking up about a *craaazy* girl contestant who *treats this like the hunger games*. He doesn't mention names but his sister has been tweeting some less than nice comments about Angie so you put the pieces together. http://www.mjsbigblog.com/lazaro-arbos-one-of-the-remaining-girls-is-crazy-and-thinks-shes-in-the-hunger-games-poll.htm. See also http://www.votefortheworst.com/. The money is on Angie Miller being the psycho and I'll follow that money to the bank. But you cannot help but wonder if the judges infighting has contaminated the contestants somewhat. Nope, I don't think so. Of course, others have speculated that it could be Candice since she and Burnell were so close and Burnell feels cheated by Lazaro's higher finish. Evidently Lazaro follows everyone on twitter except for Candice and Candice did join in that practical joke on Lazaro. Hmmm....I think Candice is too sure of herself to be playing cutthroat games.
Once again, a feeling of dread came over me as I realized it was Wednesday night and that I *had* to watch Idol. Now I know I don't have to do anything of the sort but I've committed to finishing out this year's blog and I don't want to be a quitter even if everyone else has quit watching the show and reading here. The themes this week are *songs from the year you were born* and *songs from Divas*. Was this the producers way of getting under Nicki's skin because there is no way she is a diva and here sits Mariah who is having 2 of her songs performed tonight? Maybe.
Ryan comes out after the judges and the crowd seems more insanely loud than usual. He has to quiet them down so he can acknowledge the terrorist attack in Boston and send condolences. It was a weird juxtoposition of Hollywood hype and reality.
Candice starts first and sings a song from 1989 *Straight Up* by Paula Abdul. I have never heard this song and have no idea why she chose it but we later learn Janelle helped her pick it out. I think she does a nice job but I'm not in love with the song...although I probably would have liked it a lot less when Paula sang it. The judges loved it but did not stand up. Nicki took a little swipe at the judges from last season who failed to put Candice through...take that you producers who are messing with me by flaunting Mariah's diva hood! Jimmy is not that impressed but I think he just wants Candice to do big ballads and *oversing*.
Janelle sings the song that calmed her when she was a baby, Vince Gill's *When I call Your Name*. She gives it the pure country treatment. Everyone liked it except for Keith who *didn't feel it*. Mariah said it brought tears to her eyes. (I missed the announcement of the year she was born as I had switched over to check out an episode of *Hoarders Buried Alive* and got caught up in the moment there...seriously). Nicki suggests she might be going home this week (or maybe that was on the next song). Anyway, its pretty clear she is next on TPTB's radar to go home but I felt the song even if Keith didn't.
Kree was born in 1990. This seems impossible because it was just 1990 a year or two ago. She sings *She Talks To Angels* and Randy and Nicki loved it. Mariah seemed to think Kree was *performing* too much and Keith thought she looked a bit awkward. Then Nicki and Mariah go back and forth about whether they agree with each other or not which was a waste of our time. I thought Kree did a nice job but I wanted something more. Jimmy agrees with me.
So, here comes Angie, at her piano as I had predicted. She is from Boston so dedicates her performance to the people of her hometown. This is a nice touch and maybe it was actually somewhat sincere, because surely she wouldn't use a tragedy to get votes...would she? Well not unless she thinks this is the Hunger Games She sings *I'll Stand By You* by The Pretenders from 1994 and writhes and grimaces as she plays. It would be completely heartless of me to say that I did not feel some emotion as she sang. I did but I am attributing it to the song and not her performance. The judges of course cannot hate the performance since it was allegedly about Boston and they all tell her how wonderful it was that she dedicated it to Boston and how she is great when she sings at the piano. Nicki, however, also comments that it was *smart* of her to dedicate the song. I think Nicki sees through her. Ryan adds a little statement that the contestants *all like each other*. That he says it standing next to Angie Miller is further proof to me that she is the psycho contestant according to Lazaro and everyone knows it.
Amber takes on Mariah's cover of Harry Nillson's *Without You*. I had not heard Mariah's version. I am only familiar with Harry Nillson's version which I believe was on his album *Nillson in the Night*...which I had lo those many years ago. Nicki throws Mariah some props saying it wasn't as good as Mariah's performance and complains about Amber *feeling it* in the low parts of the song. I thought Amber did great.
So...now part 2 and I am getting more than a little bored already.
Its Diva time and Candice chooses to tackle Mariah AND Whitney with *When You Believe*. I had to look up the movie this song was featured in... it was Prince of Egypt in 1999. Its almost as if Candice was saying to Angie...take that you little phony....this is how an inspirational song is sung. It occurs to me that this is a much better song to inspire people after a terrorist attack than Angie singing about herself standing by someone so that Angie is the star of the song. Once again, Candice shows who is boss and while I would love for Kree to win, I have to honestly admit that Candice is marginally ahead of her. All of the judges stand up for Candice which gave me much pleasure as only 3 stood up for Angie. Nicki tells us how this song inspired her when she was *little*...complimenting Mariah and at the same time dissing her about her age.
Janelle, who idolizes Dolly Parton, proves she is not as smart as Dolly by singing *Dumb Blonde*. It was a cute fun performance but not a showstopper and Keith echoes my thoughts when he says *of all the songs in Dolly's songbook, I don't think this one was one of her standouts*. Janelle needed another tearjerker tonight and I would almost have put up with *And I Will Always Love Youuuuuu* if she had sung it like Dolly wrote it and not like Whitney sang it. Oh well. I suspect Janelle will be going home tomorrow.
I would have never guess that Kree was a Celine Dion fan (I am not particularly but I think its because I heard that Titanic song too much and I hated the movie). I am so not a Celine Dion fan that I didn't write down the name of the song and only can remember it was about If You Are in Love...or something. Kree looks amazing in her little black dress and does a wonderful job with the song. It doesn't sound like Celine at all which as far as I'm concerned is a good thing. The judges loved it and at least 2 or 3 stood up.
Oh crap...here comes Angie talking about how singing this Beyonce song is such a huge risk for her and how she wants to bring passion to it blah blahde blah. She comes out and sings *Halo*...a song I don't know because I don't give a hoot about Beyonce...which appears to be a tender love song. Angie decides that since Beyonce is fierce she is going to pretend to be angry and tough and I think overacts it to death and what her angry gestures and fierce faces have to do with a tender love song, I have no idea...save it for the dorm Angie. The judges lap it up and stand up. Crap. So will America.
Amber takes on Barbra Streisand (take that Angie and stupid Beyonce) and does *What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life*. She gets a full standing O as well. As this song is so retro, I'm not sure the audience is going to appreciate her performance. I would not call it perfect but it was darn good and more heartfelt than Angie's antics.
There is some speculation that the *save* is still in play, even though normally it is not used when only 5 are left. I'm hoping its not in play as this season cannot end soon enough for me. If the save is in play we will get to see all 5 perform again next week. I may have to start drinking again.
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