One of the big topics on several sites after last night's performances was the subject of song choices. People interpreted Nicki's comments to Amber about thinking *why did they make me sing this song?* as proof that the extras really don't have as much song choice as the show would like the audience to believe. And Lazaro stating he had to make a switch in songs at the last minute was also rather revealing. We already knew from prior seasons that when they announce a theme, they give them a list of like 30 songs and they are expected to choose from that list and also from interviews that the extras are given *guidance* from vocal coaches etc. on the production team in their song choice.
This state of affairs obviously called for someone to set the record straight (or do major damage control) and who else but the trusted straight shooter Jimmy Iovine to handle that task. He assured us 1) the contestants choose the songs and Amber chose hers and 2) that Lazaro was *confused or nervous* because he had that song at least 5 days before the performance. More on this topic in a moment.
Jimmy gives his take on the performances, which pretty much mirrored my opinion although he thought better of Amber's performance than I did (but I stand corrected..she did not change the melody). I love how he sees that something is wrong with Angie. He thinks she is over dramatizing the songs. I hope she doesn't listen to him and fix anything but I really think it is impossible for her not to keep doing what she is doing as she is so impressed with herself. And that is what is wrong with her. She poops and smells roses.
This week they are not announcing the order of voting. Whether this is because the show got negative feedback about it or if they just want to keep the audience guessing what they will do next week...who knows? I'm glad they are back to the old way, myself.
Ryan shows Amber having trouble during rehearsal with all the smoke blocking her view of the steps. While this is mildly interesting, it is unclear why it is important that we know about this particular rehearsal glitch as opposed to the many that undoubtedly occur each week, especially since Ryan sends Amber back to the couch to wait for her results and the segment kind of dies there without much of a point. More on this topic in another moment.
Ryan calls Paula Jo to center stage to give him a scroll about Paul Jolley day in his hometown and then tells him he is in the bottom 3. I am not surprised as the judges ran over him with the bus last night, but darn it, I was just starting to like him a little bit.
Casey Abrams performs and doesn't disappoint putting his jazzy style on *I Saw Her Standing There*. Hate the hairdo...what the HECK is it with hair this season...but basically enjoyed the performance although he went a little too over the top on the skatting and grimacing and yowling.
Next to face his fate is Lazaro, who looks like he is about to cry again. He says he learned from the judge's critique that it is important to only sing songs you love and not change your song. So..he is either continuing the big lie or Jimmy was lying or Jimmy did meet with him 5 days before the performance and they worked on *In My Life*, decided to do another song, then at the last minute went back to *In My Life*. Either way...someone wants to leave the wrong impression on the viewers about this matter so it is a minor scandal. He is safe and many viewers are groaning about it as even the biggest Lazaro supporter has to admit he sucked last night.
Jessica Sanchez is back much to my utter disgust and they do a little video where she tells us all about her fabulous life since Idol and how much everyone loves her in the Phillipines (and all over evidently) and about her modeling and acting possibilities. Then she performs with Neo, whom I have never heard of, but he is great so I'm wondering what favor he owed to what producer to force him to sing with Ms. full of herself Sanchez. She is dancing around and dressed to kill. Whether this song will be a big hit or not, I'm not going to judge. Just don't make me watch her again.
More results...Devin is in the bottom 3. He is not catching on with the audience. He needs a moment next week or he is going home.
Then all the girls are safe except for Amber and its just her with Burnell on the couch. Burnell is safe so Amber is in the bottom 3 and now is the time for more damage control as Nicki (having been read the riot act by Nigel)walks back her statement about Amber not wanting to do that song and says it must have been the worry about the lyrics and the smoke that made her seem off last night.
And then Paula Jo sings his swan song and they don't save him. They are saving the save for one of the girls. They will have to use it in the next 3 weeks. Just my luck they will use it on Angie. I was sort of hoping Amber would be in last place because I know they would have saved her leaving no possibility to use it on Angie.
Next week is Motown once again. I have no clue how some of these people will handle it, especially Devin and Angie. Predict that Angie will find a ballad to sing. Lets hope Lazaro finds a song he loves and doesn't become another Sanjaya.
Until next week, stay Idol.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
My Favorite Beatles Song
Jimmy Iovine said it best: The songs of Lennon/McCartney are perfect and there are no gimmicks needed. This is the 3rd or 4th time the Lennon-McCartney song book has been a theme and I have been disappointed in prior years at the outright butchery of their work or the insipid performances. Who can forget Kristy Lee Cook's country version of *Eight Days a Week?* If you can recall a similar debasement of a great L/M song in prior years, feel free to add it to the comments.
The show opens with the judges (Nicki managed to make it on time tonight) and Ryan and then out come the extras. I am excited because it looks like Kree may have the pimp spot.
The Idol fan tour save or whatever they called the contest between Aubrey/Brianna/Adrianna and Charlie Askew is announced before the performances and sadly, Aubrey/Brianna/Adrianna is going on tour. El Boro for the tour audiences as she will be given a shlocky ballad to sing if she even gets a solo...probably the one she sang in the sing off that I cannot remember and I bet you can't either. Oh well, love you Charlie.
To my disappointment, Kree is first and now the best part of the show for me will be over in the first 7 minutes. They talk about her parents dying and I wish they wouldn't dwell on that but if it gets her votes from the less cynical fans, I'm not going to complain. She at least does not seem all maudlin and *feel sorry for me* about it so that is good. She sings one of my favorite Beatle's songs *What Would You Do If I Sang Out of Tune* although I really remember the Joe Cocker version better than the Beatles version. I'm a little worried when she starts that she is putting too much country in it but once she hits the chorus she has me sold. Very very solid performance...that girl can belt it out and I'm glad she did tonight because her song last week was probably a little too tame for those who think good singing requires big glory notes. She does the glory notes but I like to think they are *nuanced* to distinguish her from others who I don't like so well.
Burnell, who I think is underappreciated, sings *Let It Be*. He does not know the song. How can that be? New Orleans is not outer Mongolia! Its a perfect song for him and he doesn't screw it up but he does put in too much melisma for me (can you tell I loathe melisma?). For those of questionable musical taste he probably didn't do enough to *make the song his own* by adding more falshitto and runs.
At this point, I'm a pretty happy viewer because the first two (where they usually put the weaker performances) have done the songs justice if not more and it can only get better...right?
Wrong. Amber, who I usually love, does *She's Leaving Home*. Jimmy thought she was incredible in their session and predicted a big night for her. Well Jimmy, you were wrong. Maybe it was the smoke blowing at her feet which reminded me that the wind blowing her hair and dress last week was cheesy too, or maybe it was because I think she changed the melody on the most poignant part of the chorus, or maybe it was because Whitney Houston sound alikes should stick to Whitney Houston songs, but I was disappointed. I like Amber, I want her to do well, but this was a bust for me. She has a great voice but I didn't like the *choices* she made with the frills, melisma and smoke and I think she completely lost the meaning of the song. So, while the judges were complimentary (except for Nicki's crack about her lipstick), I was disappointed.
Ok...here comes Lazaro. Next to Curtis Finch, Jr., he is the least liked contestant on the AI forum boards. Everyone thinks he is just getting votes because of his backstory and that he is a terrible singer. He is singing *In My Life* which until the TV show Providence aired, was a relatively obscure Beatles song. I wanted it sung at my wedding but in those days there was no You-tube or ability to download songs and you actually had to go to the music store and buy sheet music. My soloist had never heard of the song and I never made it to the music store so...it wasn't sung at my wedding. All of which is to say this probably IS my favorite Beatle's song and poor Lazaro really didn't sing it well. I don't know if he is having trouble hearing the band and that is getting him off-key, if he is starting on the wrong key to begin with like Mariah and Keith think, if his nerves are getting to him or what. When he said he just learned the song yesterday, that he had to change from another one at the last minute, that explains part of the problem. My guess is that he was going to sing *Yesterday* until some bitch took it away from him. So..poor Lazaro.
Candice is just flat awesome no matter what she sings. She has not had a bad performance at all. She sings *Come Together* with its tricky lyrics and I loved it. Carly Smithson did a good job of it in her season, but I think Candice did it better. Sadly, I missed the last part because a pizza was wrongly delivered to my door by a pizza delivery guy who looked like Paul Jolley...I kid you not...and it took me awhile to decide if it was a mass murderer or someone innocent ringing the bell before I answered it.
So, up next is Paula Jo. Now I'm beginning to change my mind about him. Not his talent, but his person. I think he is starting to look like a really nice guy. But man..he has very little charisma and is really only happy when he can oversing! When he tries to downplay it like he did with the first part of Eleanor Rigby, its just sort of painful to watch. You know he is thinking...*let me get to the good part...let me get to the good part* so he can show off his glory notes. He also has smoke billowing at his feet. Some stupid producer evidently thought that billowing smoke was going to make the poignant songs more poignant or else Paula Jo and Amber are just cheesy people. Anyway...his performance is not warmly received by the judges (Nicki called it safe, bland and forgettable) and I'm not sure Jimmy can save him this time. Let me just say that David Cook he is not.
Angie comes out all in black leather with her hair flat ironed so maybe she is reading this blog...or maybe someone finally told her she looked like a Duggar daughter with the old hairdo. Ryan tells us her highschool voted her *The Next American Idol*. She says she wasn't popular in highschool which doesn't surprise me given her *me, me, me* attitude. Jimmy says he was hard on her in the earlier sessions (news to Angie..she thought Jimmy LOVED her). She sings *Yesterday*. I think her voice is high, squeaky, breathy, and pitchy but the judges are in Angie Love Land and think she hung a second moon tonight. She is trying to undersing it and be all sad but she too cannot wait to get to the part where she can belt it out and I think the belting part seemed too obvious and was a corny *choice* to make. I thought it was pageanty at best and if it had been sung at a pageant she would have been named 5th runner up to the winner.
Devin needs a comeback after his bland performance last week and he does *The Long and Winding Road*. This is also one of my favorites (3rd favorite sung tonight...I'm sure I'm forgetting some) and he does well with it but I'm not sure its enough to bring him up in the rankings this week. His military school backround will turn some viewers off. I wonder what they think of his pointy hair at that school? It seemed very pointy tonight and is so distracting to me...and I like the guy...so I suspect it is making those who don't like him even crazier.
Janelle sings *I Will* which has to be an obscure Beatles song because I have never heard it before. Or, maybe I am as stupid about the Beatles oeuvre as I am about Nicki Minaj's work. Anyway, she countrifies it but it seems to suit the song so maybe I will look it up on Youtube and see how it was sung by the Beatles. The judges really liked it and I'm glad for her as she is one sweet patootie.
My predictions are that the bottom will contain Paula Jo and Devin and maybe Paula Jo going home. There is an outside chance Lazaro could be in trouble but I think his fans will stick by him for another week.
I think the top 3 will remain the same but I wouldn't mind seeing Janelle or Burnell replace the Duggar daughter.
If you do not get the Duggar reference, look up Jim Bob and MIchelle Duggar and 19 Kids and Counting. I was going to post a photo of one of the Duggar girls, but when I looked at them I realized that Angie's hair even out Duggars the Duggars! They at least keep it out of their face!
The show opens with the judges (Nicki managed to make it on time tonight) and Ryan and then out come the extras. I am excited because it looks like Kree may have the pimp spot.
The Idol fan tour save or whatever they called the contest between Aubrey/Brianna/Adrianna and Charlie Askew is announced before the performances and sadly, Aubrey/Brianna/Adrianna is going on tour. El Boro for the tour audiences as she will be given a shlocky ballad to sing if she even gets a solo...probably the one she sang in the sing off that I cannot remember and I bet you can't either. Oh well, love you Charlie.
To my disappointment, Kree is first and now the best part of the show for me will be over in the first 7 minutes. They talk about her parents dying and I wish they wouldn't dwell on that but if it gets her votes from the less cynical fans, I'm not going to complain. She at least does not seem all maudlin and *feel sorry for me* about it so that is good. She sings one of my favorite Beatle's songs *What Would You Do If I Sang Out of Tune* although I really remember the Joe Cocker version better than the Beatles version. I'm a little worried when she starts that she is putting too much country in it but once she hits the chorus she has me sold. Very very solid performance...that girl can belt it out and I'm glad she did tonight because her song last week was probably a little too tame for those who think good singing requires big glory notes. She does the glory notes but I like to think they are *nuanced* to distinguish her from others who I don't like so well.
Burnell, who I think is underappreciated, sings *Let It Be*. He does not know the song. How can that be? New Orleans is not outer Mongolia! Its a perfect song for him and he doesn't screw it up but he does put in too much melisma for me (can you tell I loathe melisma?). For those of questionable musical taste he probably didn't do enough to *make the song his own* by adding more falshitto and runs.
At this point, I'm a pretty happy viewer because the first two (where they usually put the weaker performances) have done the songs justice if not more and it can only get better...right?
Wrong. Amber, who I usually love, does *She's Leaving Home*. Jimmy thought she was incredible in their session and predicted a big night for her. Well Jimmy, you were wrong. Maybe it was the smoke blowing at her feet which reminded me that the wind blowing her hair and dress last week was cheesy too, or maybe it was because I think she changed the melody on the most poignant part of the chorus, or maybe it was because Whitney Houston sound alikes should stick to Whitney Houston songs, but I was disappointed. I like Amber, I want her to do well, but this was a bust for me. She has a great voice but I didn't like the *choices* she made with the frills, melisma and smoke and I think she completely lost the meaning of the song. So, while the judges were complimentary (except for Nicki's crack about her lipstick), I was disappointed.
Ok...here comes Lazaro. Next to Curtis Finch, Jr., he is the least liked contestant on the AI forum boards. Everyone thinks he is just getting votes because of his backstory and that he is a terrible singer. He is singing *In My Life* which until the TV show Providence aired, was a relatively obscure Beatles song. I wanted it sung at my wedding but in those days there was no You-tube or ability to download songs and you actually had to go to the music store and buy sheet music. My soloist had never heard of the song and I never made it to the music store so...it wasn't sung at my wedding. All of which is to say this probably IS my favorite Beatle's song and poor Lazaro really didn't sing it well. I don't know if he is having trouble hearing the band and that is getting him off-key, if he is starting on the wrong key to begin with like Mariah and Keith think, if his nerves are getting to him or what. When he said he just learned the song yesterday, that he had to change from another one at the last minute, that explains part of the problem. My guess is that he was going to sing *Yesterday* until some bitch took it away from him. So..poor Lazaro.
Candice is just flat awesome no matter what she sings. She has not had a bad performance at all. She sings *Come Together* with its tricky lyrics and I loved it. Carly Smithson did a good job of it in her season, but I think Candice did it better. Sadly, I missed the last part because a pizza was wrongly delivered to my door by a pizza delivery guy who looked like Paul Jolley...I kid you not...and it took me awhile to decide if it was a mass murderer or someone innocent ringing the bell before I answered it.
So, up next is Paula Jo. Now I'm beginning to change my mind about him. Not his talent, but his person. I think he is starting to look like a really nice guy. But man..he has very little charisma and is really only happy when he can oversing! When he tries to downplay it like he did with the first part of Eleanor Rigby, its just sort of painful to watch. You know he is thinking...*let me get to the good part...let me get to the good part* so he can show off his glory notes. He also has smoke billowing at his feet. Some stupid producer evidently thought that billowing smoke was going to make the poignant songs more poignant or else Paula Jo and Amber are just cheesy people. Anyway...his performance is not warmly received by the judges (Nicki called it safe, bland and forgettable) and I'm not sure Jimmy can save him this time. Let me just say that David Cook he is not.
Angie comes out all in black leather with her hair flat ironed so maybe she is reading this blog...or maybe someone finally told her she looked like a Duggar daughter with the old hairdo. Ryan tells us her highschool voted her *The Next American Idol*. She says she wasn't popular in highschool which doesn't surprise me given her *me, me, me* attitude. Jimmy says he was hard on her in the earlier sessions (news to Angie..she thought Jimmy LOVED her). She sings *Yesterday*. I think her voice is high, squeaky, breathy, and pitchy but the judges are in Angie Love Land and think she hung a second moon tonight. She is trying to undersing it and be all sad but she too cannot wait to get to the part where she can belt it out and I think the belting part seemed too obvious and was a corny *choice* to make. I thought it was pageanty at best and if it had been sung at a pageant she would have been named 5th runner up to the winner.
Devin needs a comeback after his bland performance last week and he does *The Long and Winding Road*. This is also one of my favorites (3rd favorite sung tonight...I'm sure I'm forgetting some) and he does well with it but I'm not sure its enough to bring him up in the rankings this week. His military school backround will turn some viewers off. I wonder what they think of his pointy hair at that school? It seemed very pointy tonight and is so distracting to me...and I like the guy...so I suspect it is making those who don't like him even crazier.
Janelle sings *I Will* which has to be an obscure Beatles song because I have never heard it before. Or, maybe I am as stupid about the Beatles oeuvre as I am about Nicki Minaj's work. Anyway, she countrifies it but it seems to suit the song so maybe I will look it up on Youtube and see how it was sung by the Beatles. The judges really liked it and I'm glad for her as she is one sweet patootie.
My predictions are that the bottom will contain Paula Jo and Devin and maybe Paula Jo going home. There is an outside chance Lazaro could be in trouble but I think his fans will stick by him for another week.
I think the top 3 will remain the same but I wouldn't mind seeing Janelle or Burnell replace the Duggar daughter.
If you do not get the Duggar reference, look up Jim Bob and MIchelle Duggar and 19 Kids and Counting. I was going to post a photo of one of the Duggar girls, but when I looked at them I realized that Angie's hair even out Duggars the Duggars! They at least keep it out of their face!
Thursday, March 14, 2013
I Believe Curtis Finch, Jr. is Gone Gone Gone
The show was packed with action tonight. Curtis is gone, gone gone and I am happy about it. He was just too darn smug for my taste lately...dont' really know what turned me off him so suddenly but I did and so, evidently, did the rest of viewers. Nicki said she would go if he did. Fat chance we could get so lucky!
I'm down on Nicki tonight because she was late yesterday and I'm not so sure she was there for the opening judges walkout tonight. It looks like Keith and maybe Randy were the voices of sanity on the save decision. What a waste if they had used it.
I don't like the new format of announcing the voting order. Evidently this is similar to what was used on the X Factor. It seems like a good reason for people to quit voting if their person is way down low and quit tuning in for the results show. I hope they stop this nonsense.
Lazaro's 4th place finish surprised me. Angela being in the top 3 disgusted me. Paula Jo was probably where he ought to be. The rest in the middle were about right too. Glad to see the men on the bottom but they have rigged this so in favor of the girls it would be strange indeed if they had a much different result. As much as I want a girl to win, it would serve their butts right if America chooses Lazaro or Burnell.
I'm in love with Jimmy Iovine again because I agreed with everything he said tonight about the contestants...except maybe Lazaro. I don't think Jimmy is as in love with Angela as she is with herself. That makes me feel good about my decision to loathe her.
For the sing off we have Charlie, which I think is great because I think he got a raw deal from the judges last time and Aubry...or Audrianna...or Brianna...I'm not sure which...some generic pretty girl who sang a boring boring ballad in a boring way. I would vomit on my keyboard if this were not a laptop. I cannot afford a new motherboard.
I liked Phillips new song although he was sweating profusely and still looked ill. He is still wearing his plaid shirts from Walmart. Good for him. Screw Nicki and her fashion advice.
I was happy for Kree and Candice...they deserved the spots.
And until next week...remain Idol.
I'm down on Nicki tonight because she was late yesterday and I'm not so sure she was there for the opening judges walkout tonight. It looks like Keith and maybe Randy were the voices of sanity on the save decision. What a waste if they had used it.
I don't like the new format of announcing the voting order. Evidently this is similar to what was used on the X Factor. It seems like a good reason for people to quit voting if their person is way down low and quit tuning in for the results show. I hope they stop this nonsense.
Lazaro's 4th place finish surprised me. Angela being in the top 3 disgusted me. Paula Jo was probably where he ought to be. The rest in the middle were about right too. Glad to see the men on the bottom but they have rigged this so in favor of the girls it would be strange indeed if they had a much different result. As much as I want a girl to win, it would serve their butts right if America chooses Lazaro or Burnell.
I'm in love with Jimmy Iovine again because I agreed with everything he said tonight about the contestants...except maybe Lazaro. I don't think Jimmy is as in love with Angela as she is with herself. That makes me feel good about my decision to loathe her.
For the sing off we have Charlie, which I think is great because I think he got a raw deal from the judges last time and Aubry...or Audrianna...or Brianna...I'm not sure which...some generic pretty girl who sang a boring boring ballad in a boring way. I would vomit on my keyboard if this were not a laptop. I cannot afford a new motherboard.
I liked Phillips new song although he was sweating profusely and still looked ill. He is still wearing his plaid shirts from Walmart. Good for him. Screw Nicki and her fashion advice.
I was happy for Kree and Candice...they deserved the spots.
And until next week...remain Idol.
I *Believe* Curtis Finch, Jr. is In Deep Doo Doo
Guess who has an arrest record? Our lovable Curtis Finch, Jr. who has been bugging me this week for some inchoate reason besides his smugness. Yep...according to the National Inquirer, back in 2010, Curtis was arrested for stealing a laptop....from a fellow choir member, pled guilty and paid $1800 in restitution. And he STILL has no real fans on the AI forum boards...a first for a contestant in all the years I've been posting on those boards. I guess if a fan group ever does form, they can choose between calling themselves the Falshittos or the Outlaws or the Jermaine redux...but I think the guy is going home tonight.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
I Am Woman Hear Me Roar
The top 10 take the stage tonight and we have a theme at last! They are to sing songs sung by past winners either competing on the show, the victory song, or songs they have recorded after the show.
I'm relieved because it means I will probably recognize most of them. I know I'm hopelessly uncurrent about music. But, a recent article stated that the median age of the Idol viewer is 46. So, I am surely not alone in not knowing all the latest hits and artists. What is interesting about that statistic is that the median age has gone down since last season when it was 49. *They* credit Nicki Minaj for the loss of older viewers. But the 18-34 year old viewing segment has stayed the same as last year. *They* credit Nicki Minaj for keeping the younger viewers watching. I'm thinking if she was really that big of a deal the younger viewing segment would have grown. Not getting worse seems to be considered a success only when talking about Idol or the economy.
The show starts with the announcer saying : Ladies and Gentlemen yourJudges* but doesn't mention their names and the camera pans them entering so quickly, we don't get a good view of them. Ryan says we are starting *on time* like its a big deal. I'm thinking the producers couldn't decide whether to offend Mariah or Nicki in the order of introduction so mentioned no one....but then we see that our precious Nicki hasn't managed to get her diva butt to the show on time. Ryan blames traffic because as we all know...traffic jams at 5 PM on a weekday in LA are a rare thing and no one could be expected to adjust their departure time accordingly.
So, Nicki isn't there when Curtis makes his entrance in his paisley jacket and sings *I Believe* which was performed by Fantasia. I was not watching her season so I don't have good or bad memories of that song. I will note that Curtis seems constitutionally incapable of choosing a song that doesn't have the word *believe* in it someplace. If he keeps this up he will surpass Danny Gokey's *all my songs are about the same thing* (in Gokey's case...someone dying like his wife) record. Jimmy tells him to careful because he is sounding a little too retro. For awhile I thought Curtis was following Jimmy's advice because he kept the melisma down some but he just couldn't resist that big, predictable, falsetto glory note at the end. I'm going to start calling it falshitto again like the guys do at Vote For the Worst. I'm thinking the performance is so/so and that the judges are incredibly kind to him in their comments. There is quite a lot of Curtis hate on the Idol forum boards. In fact, he may be the only one in the top 10 that doesn't have an official fan following there. The fan groups give themselves nicknames and Curtis doesn't have a group with a nickname yet. I've got an idea for one: The Falshittos! Curtis is losing his appeal to me especially since I was reminded that he made some sort of nasty crack about Charlie in Hollywood Week.
Janelle is up next and she is just the most natural sweet thing. Jimmy basically tells her pretty blonde country singers are a dime a dozen. I'm relieved she is going to sing something besides a ballad. She chooses *Gone* which was sung by Scotty McCreery in his season and I think her voice sounded great (even if she did have cotton mouth). Nicki, Randy, and Mariah wanted her to sing a ballad. Keith was the only one who liked the song choice and the performance, but since he's the only country artist on the panel, his opinion is the only one I care that much about. Nicki arrived in time to tell her she likes her styling but not her song choice. Nicki is wearing dark glasses and a what looks like a hoodie so she should shut up about styling tonight.
Devin is up next and sings *Temporary Home* which I believe is one of Carrie's post-Idol songs. The stylists have lowered the point on his head somewhat but its still too pointy. I thought he undersang the song and the judges agreed. He is one of my favorite guys but I think he is in trouble tonight.
Angela...the early frontrunner is up next. I. do. not. like. her. I thought my aversion was irrational until she starts talking about herself and how much Jimmy likes her and how she can sing the song *I Surrender* as well as Kelly Clarkson. At least pretend to some humility for crying out loud...you know...*blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth*? Of course Jimmy doesn't act like he likes her all that much when he tells her that she performs like a pageant queen but I think Angela is secretly pleased at the comparison. Anyway, she comes out and is pushing so hard at the song I think she is going to deposit something on the stage....a baby or something requiring the production crew to come out with some Clorox. I'm scowling in pain through the whole performance. The judges think she hung the moon. I think she is encroaching on Kristy Lee Cook land. And Nicki, I hated her leather dress and I really don't care if she can walk well in heels. I'm sure the Pia Toscano and Jessica Sanchez fans adored her.
Next on Jimmy's couch is Paula Jo. Jimmy truly does like him and advises him not to oversing so much. Paula Jo is just a complete mess to me. I'm not disliking him so much now that I have Angela to pick on but he is no more a country singer than is Placido Domingo. I think he wants to portray himself as country so he will get some votes from the country crowd but he just cannot stop sounding like a ballady pop singer who wants to cross over to Broadway. Ryan says he is going to show his *sensitve side* with *Amazed* which was sung by Scotty. I'm asking myself...when has Paula Jo shown anything BUT his sensitive side. He's been crying and emoting since his audition. Oh well...the judges think he followed Jimmy's advice and Randy takes credit on the judges behalf for Paul toning it down somewhat even though Keith is the only one who told him to can the drama queen act. Paula Jo does a fair job of holding himself back until the very end and bless his heart...*he just cain't hep hisself*. Women who don't have gaydar will think he is cute and sexy so I don't think he is going anywhere soon and I still think he may make it to the very end on that schlocky stuff. My biggest fear is a Paula Jo/Angela finale.
Finally, a real woman takes the stage. Candice sings *I Who Have Nothing* which was sung by Jordin Sparks. I believe this was the performance after which Simon told Jordin *you may win this thing* or something like that. Candice does it justice and then some. The judges all stand except Mariah whose dress is too tight. (I can see Nicki's silent smirk at that). Candice's family is in the audience and I am thrilled for her and I hope she goes very very far because I have enjoyed every one of her performances so far.
Poor Lazaro has to follow Candice and Jimmy treats him like he is simple, telling him to practice the song a lot. Evidently Jimmy mistook Lazaro ordering the band to change the key last week as a sign of insecurity and not a sign of remarkable composure at an emotionally charged moment. He sings Kelly Clarkson's *Breakaway*. Its a letdown after Candice. He has moments of great voice and moments of not so great voice. If it weren't for his backstory and loveability I would think he would be in trouble this week...and he may be at that.
Kree does Roy Orbison's *Crying* which was sung by Carrie in her season. I love that song...who doesn't love that song? The judges were complimentary. What is Nicki's obsession with food? Frankly, Nicki looked completely bored during the performance so I had no idea where she was going with the waffle comparison. I don't know if the song carried as much *oomph* as Candice's song and right now, Candice is setting the bar for everyone tonight. But I love Kree.
Burnell has ditched the Urkel glasses and I sort of miss them but he is a very handsome young man. He sings *Flying Without Wings*, a Reuben Stoddard song. It was nicely done. I like it that he doesn't do a lot of melisma and no falshitto. I hope he sticks around awhile but I don't want him to win the whole thing.
Amber gets the pimp spot. I'm thinking...how is she going to outdo Candice? She sings *A Moment Like This* which was Kelly Clarkson's victory song. They have the wind machine on her and she is smiling and relaxed and happy and all I could write at the end of the performance was *Wow*. She gets more confident with each performance and that makes her prettier. I was a little miffed when Nicki compared her to Whitney because I was thinking Whitney when she performed and I thought I was the only one astute enough to make that comparison.
So...we will see how it pans out. I think Janelle, Curtis, and Devin are in trouble. Lazaro would be too except for his back story which I think will carry him a week or two more. I think Janelle got a raw deal from the judges, myself. Hers was the only uptempo song of the evening and if all the judges want to hear are ballads its going to be a boring, slow season.
For Sanjaya fans, I wanted to pass along this link. He was spotted busking in the NY City subway system. I suspect Idol won't be pointing to him as one of their exalted alumna any time soon.
http://www.mjsbigblog.com/sanjaya-malakar-spotted-busking-in-a-nyc-subway-station-photo.htm
I'm relieved because it means I will probably recognize most of them. I know I'm hopelessly uncurrent about music. But, a recent article stated that the median age of the Idol viewer is 46. So, I am surely not alone in not knowing all the latest hits and artists. What is interesting about that statistic is that the median age has gone down since last season when it was 49. *They* credit Nicki Minaj for the loss of older viewers. But the 18-34 year old viewing segment has stayed the same as last year. *They* credit Nicki Minaj for keeping the younger viewers watching. I'm thinking if she was really that big of a deal the younger viewing segment would have grown. Not getting worse seems to be considered a success only when talking about Idol or the economy.
The show starts with the announcer saying : Ladies and Gentlemen yourJudges* but doesn't mention their names and the camera pans them entering so quickly, we don't get a good view of them. Ryan says we are starting *on time* like its a big deal. I'm thinking the producers couldn't decide whether to offend Mariah or Nicki in the order of introduction so mentioned no one....but then we see that our precious Nicki hasn't managed to get her diva butt to the show on time. Ryan blames traffic because as we all know...traffic jams at 5 PM on a weekday in LA are a rare thing and no one could be expected to adjust their departure time accordingly.
So, Nicki isn't there when Curtis makes his entrance in his paisley jacket and sings *I Believe* which was performed by Fantasia. I was not watching her season so I don't have good or bad memories of that song. I will note that Curtis seems constitutionally incapable of choosing a song that doesn't have the word *believe* in it someplace. If he keeps this up he will surpass Danny Gokey's *all my songs are about the same thing* (in Gokey's case...someone dying like his wife) record. Jimmy tells him to careful because he is sounding a little too retro. For awhile I thought Curtis was following Jimmy's advice because he kept the melisma down some but he just couldn't resist that big, predictable, falsetto glory note at the end. I'm going to start calling it falshitto again like the guys do at Vote For the Worst. I'm thinking the performance is so/so and that the judges are incredibly kind to him in their comments. There is quite a lot of Curtis hate on the Idol forum boards. In fact, he may be the only one in the top 10 that doesn't have an official fan following there. The fan groups give themselves nicknames and Curtis doesn't have a group with a nickname yet. I've got an idea for one: The Falshittos! Curtis is losing his appeal to me especially since I was reminded that he made some sort of nasty crack about Charlie in Hollywood Week.
Janelle is up next and she is just the most natural sweet thing. Jimmy basically tells her pretty blonde country singers are a dime a dozen. I'm relieved she is going to sing something besides a ballad. She chooses *Gone* which was sung by Scotty McCreery in his season and I think her voice sounded great (even if she did have cotton mouth). Nicki, Randy, and Mariah wanted her to sing a ballad. Keith was the only one who liked the song choice and the performance, but since he's the only country artist on the panel, his opinion is the only one I care that much about. Nicki arrived in time to tell her she likes her styling but not her song choice. Nicki is wearing dark glasses and a what looks like a hoodie so she should shut up about styling tonight.
Devin is up next and sings *Temporary Home* which I believe is one of Carrie's post-Idol songs. The stylists have lowered the point on his head somewhat but its still too pointy. I thought he undersang the song and the judges agreed. He is one of my favorite guys but I think he is in trouble tonight.
Angela...the early frontrunner is up next. I. do. not. like. her. I thought my aversion was irrational until she starts talking about herself and how much Jimmy likes her and how she can sing the song *I Surrender* as well as Kelly Clarkson. At least pretend to some humility for crying out loud...you know...*blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth*? Of course Jimmy doesn't act like he likes her all that much when he tells her that she performs like a pageant queen but I think Angela is secretly pleased at the comparison. Anyway, she comes out and is pushing so hard at the song I think she is going to deposit something on the stage....a baby or something requiring the production crew to come out with some Clorox. I'm scowling in pain through the whole performance. The judges think she hung the moon. I think she is encroaching on Kristy Lee Cook land. And Nicki, I hated her leather dress and I really don't care if she can walk well in heels. I'm sure the Pia Toscano and Jessica Sanchez fans adored her.
Next on Jimmy's couch is Paula Jo. Jimmy truly does like him and advises him not to oversing so much. Paula Jo is just a complete mess to me. I'm not disliking him so much now that I have Angela to pick on but he is no more a country singer than is Placido Domingo. I think he wants to portray himself as country so he will get some votes from the country crowd but he just cannot stop sounding like a ballady pop singer who wants to cross over to Broadway. Ryan says he is going to show his *sensitve side* with *Amazed* which was sung by Scotty. I'm asking myself...when has Paula Jo shown anything BUT his sensitive side. He's been crying and emoting since his audition. Oh well...the judges think he followed Jimmy's advice and Randy takes credit on the judges behalf for Paul toning it down somewhat even though Keith is the only one who told him to can the drama queen act. Paula Jo does a fair job of holding himself back until the very end and bless his heart...*he just cain't hep hisself*. Women who don't have gaydar will think he is cute and sexy so I don't think he is going anywhere soon and I still think he may make it to the very end on that schlocky stuff. My biggest fear is a Paula Jo/Angela finale.
Finally, a real woman takes the stage. Candice sings *I Who Have Nothing* which was sung by Jordin Sparks. I believe this was the performance after which Simon told Jordin *you may win this thing* or something like that. Candice does it justice and then some. The judges all stand except Mariah whose dress is too tight. (I can see Nicki's silent smirk at that). Candice's family is in the audience and I am thrilled for her and I hope she goes very very far because I have enjoyed every one of her performances so far.
Poor Lazaro has to follow Candice and Jimmy treats him like he is simple, telling him to practice the song a lot. Evidently Jimmy mistook Lazaro ordering the band to change the key last week as a sign of insecurity and not a sign of remarkable composure at an emotionally charged moment. He sings Kelly Clarkson's *Breakaway*. Its a letdown after Candice. He has moments of great voice and moments of not so great voice. If it weren't for his backstory and loveability I would think he would be in trouble this week...and he may be at that.
Kree does Roy Orbison's *Crying* which was sung by Carrie in her season. I love that song...who doesn't love that song? The judges were complimentary. What is Nicki's obsession with food? Frankly, Nicki looked completely bored during the performance so I had no idea where she was going with the waffle comparison. I don't know if the song carried as much *oomph* as Candice's song and right now, Candice is setting the bar for everyone tonight. But I love Kree.
Burnell has ditched the Urkel glasses and I sort of miss them but he is a very handsome young man. He sings *Flying Without Wings*, a Reuben Stoddard song. It was nicely done. I like it that he doesn't do a lot of melisma and no falshitto. I hope he sticks around awhile but I don't want him to win the whole thing.
Amber gets the pimp spot. I'm thinking...how is she going to outdo Candice? She sings *A Moment Like This* which was Kelly Clarkson's victory song. They have the wind machine on her and she is smiling and relaxed and happy and all I could write at the end of the performance was *Wow*. She gets more confident with each performance and that makes her prettier. I was a little miffed when Nicki compared her to Whitney because I was thinking Whitney when she performed and I thought I was the only one astute enough to make that comparison.
So...we will see how it pans out. I think Janelle, Curtis, and Devin are in trouble. Lazaro would be too except for his back story which I think will carry him a week or two more. I think Janelle got a raw deal from the judges, myself. Hers was the only uptempo song of the evening and if all the judges want to hear are ballads its going to be a boring, slow season.
For Sanjaya fans, I wanted to pass along this link. He was spotted busking in the NY City subway system. I suspect Idol won't be pointing to him as one of their exalted alumna any time soon.
http://www.mjsbigblog.com/sanjaya-malakar-spotted-busking-in-a-nyc-subway-station-photo.htm
Thursday, March 7, 2013
And Then There Were Ten
A new approach to announcing the top 10 tonight and I sort of liked it. The losers could sit in the back and have a moment to weep and gnash their teeth before facing the audience one last time. And..big surprise..no wild card although they will have a sing off for the 11th place on the tour next week. Despite my complaints about Nicki and Zoanass, I like the way they got to the top 10 this season in that the viewers got to see two full performances from the top 20...first on sudden death night and second going for the viewer's votes. This is a lot better than having the top 20 handed to us without hearing a full song from them and then having one performance to judge before 10 are sent packing. So..I will give credit to the producers for that.
Of course, I'm all happy pappy now that with the exception of two, the top 10 are the people I would have chosen to go through myself. My brief thoughts in order of reveal.
Paula Jo: Crap...next week the guitar comes out.
Burnell: Yay...he doesn't oversing.
Curtis Finch Jr.: Yay... but he is going to get old for me
Devin Velez: Yay...but don't listen to Nicki...your Spanish singing is incredible but don't overdo it or the audience will get bored.
Lazaro: Yay...I guess...cannot think who I would have put in his place.
As for the also rans, here is why I think they didn't get enough votes.
Vincent: couldn't compete with Finch on last performance.
Elijah: the *ladies* hate him.
Cortez: too erratic.
Nick Boddington: its all been done before and better.
Charlie: Well, the breakdown didn't help.
As for the women my reactions were:
Janelle: Yay. Surprised but happy and now worried for Kree.
Angie Miller: Crap. Could have lived with her gone but that wasn't going to happen. She is our Pia this year.
Candace: Yay. Well-deserved
Amber: Yay... surprised but very happy
Kree: Yay...she is getting all of whatever few votes I cast this season.
Those who didn't make it:
Aubry/Brianna/Adrianna: no one could keep their names straight and they all sounded alike
Teena: too harsh looking
Zoanass: self-explanatory
So...the real fun starts now.
Of course, I'm all happy pappy now that with the exception of two, the top 10 are the people I would have chosen to go through myself. My brief thoughts in order of reveal.
Paula Jo: Crap...next week the guitar comes out.
Burnell: Yay...he doesn't oversing.
Curtis Finch Jr.: Yay... but he is going to get old for me
Devin Velez: Yay...but don't listen to Nicki...your Spanish singing is incredible but don't overdo it or the audience will get bored.
Lazaro: Yay...I guess...cannot think who I would have put in his place.
As for the also rans, here is why I think they didn't get enough votes.
Vincent: couldn't compete with Finch on last performance.
Elijah: the *ladies* hate him.
Cortez: too erratic.
Nick Boddington: its all been done before and better.
Charlie: Well, the breakdown didn't help.
As for the women my reactions were:
Janelle: Yay. Surprised but happy and now worried for Kree.
Angie Miller: Crap. Could have lived with her gone but that wasn't going to happen. She is our Pia this year.
Candace: Yay. Well-deserved
Amber: Yay... surprised but very happy
Kree: Yay...she is getting all of whatever few votes I cast this season.
Those who didn't make it:
Aubry/Brianna/Adrianna: no one could keep their names straight and they all sounded alike
Teena: too harsh looking
Zoanass: self-explanatory
So...the real fun starts now.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
No Mama
Tonight was a strange night. I have to admit that this group of guys, with a few exceptions, either leaves me cold or slightly angry. Not at any particular extra, but at the judges (including my ex second husband Jimmy Iovine)who inflicted certain of them upon us And even the ones that don't leave me cold, I can find a lot of faults with so here we go with one of my most brutal assessments yet.
Ryan starts by asking the judges what the guys have to do to surpass the girls' performances last night. Keith makes an interesting observation about not listening to what the judges said to the girls *if it doesn't apply to you* which to me was an acknowledgment of my Kings X theory...what is good for the goose is not good for the gander. They show the lineup and I see that my favorite Charlie is in one of the death spots (2 and 3) and that doesn't bode well for him. No surprise, our *Smurf* Vincent is in the pimp spot as he brought down the house and earned Zoanass's praise last week.
Up first is the Bieber Boy, Elijah Liu. He's talking smack about what a ladies man he is and how he's going to give it all for *his ladies*. Earth to Elijah...you are not a hot name in Idol buzz and if there are any ladies out there who want to throw their panties at you...they should be arrested for extremely bad taste if not preying on a child. It would be like throwing panties at Tatoo on Fantasy Island! Just...too...weird. He is one who makes me angry at the judges because he should have been gone in Hollywood. He sings a Rihanna song which I don't know and don't care to and I'm not even sure what it was about. It had a slow, dirge like arrangement and his voice was nasal on the low notes and weak in the falsetto. The judges tell him how *marketable* he is. All 4 of them use that term and none of them say much about his singing. Idol producers have Bieber fever and are desperate for a Bieber like breakout star. Mariah actually said it best when she said he needed to get with a good production company and producer and he would be really marketable. In other words, you are short on talent but with enough autotune and promotion, maybe tweens will buy your record. I think even tweens are smart enough to see he is just lame.
Cortez come out next and sings Bruno Mars and the band is playing some jarring notes that make him sound off-key or maybe he is off key. I turned down the sound because my ears were starting to hurt. The song seemed a strange choice for him. The critique's focused mainly on his fashion sense and mentioning what he had done in the past but no one really comes out and says *this was not that good*...which they should have.
Then the painful painful sequence with my favorite Charlie Askew. To think that last week I was worried he was getting over-confident and now we see him totally disintegrate before our eyes. To be honest, I didn't think his performance of that Genesis song was so bad. I didn't like the wifebeater/Rambo shirt or the hair in a ponytail and he evidently saw the light and shaved his non-existent mustache before the performance but who knows because it wasn't visible anyway. The performance was over the top and quite dark. I vaguely remembered the song so I went to google and Youtube to see what it was supposed to sound like and it is dark song as performed by Phil Collins who actually cackles evilly in the middle of it so at least Charlie spared us that. I'm thinking the judges were just shocked because they thought they knew this kid and that he was just mildly nerdy and offbeat and would always do mildly nerdy and offbeat music and now he comes out and shows us his dark side and they are taken way aback at it. The moment might have been saved for Charlie if he had not spilled his guts in front of millions about being angry and that he is not a happy guy and almost breaking down in tears. Sad moment because I think its the very end for him. I'm wondering why he is so angry. He was chosen as Vote For the Worst's pick this week and I sincerely hope that wasn't the problem. And I seriously hope he doesn't hurt himself as a result of this because this kid is on the verge of a breakdown.
Up next is Nick Boddington who I liked a lot last year but am liking less this year. He is just generic blah blah piano singer singing an old-fashioned maudlin sort of song. Which I didn't know and cannot remember. I don't know if he did it justice or not. Judges are not harsh with him but not effusive either so I think he is not going to be getting a lot of votes.
Burnell, who is one of my favorites repeats his audition performance of *I'm Here* and I liked it. What they showed of his audition didn't really do him or the song justice and it was nice to hear more of it. I don't think this was a *moment* but he is very likeable and I love how he doesn't succumb to the pressure that seems to be applied to the BGBVs to do all sorts of runs and fancy falsettos in order to make a moment.
Paula Jo says we are gonna have an old fashioned Tennessee shindig with his performance and he comes out and does a slow ballad which he theatrically oversings. I was thinking we would get an upbeat country song...maybe something old-fashioned and cheery that he would just sing without emoting to the 100th degree. At this point Paula Jo, just dye your hair, put on some mascara, and imitate Adam Lambert because this half in half out stuff is just stupid. He wants to be the male Taylor Swift? Huh? Where did that come from? Did he see how much they liked Kree and Janelle last night?
Lazaro, in pink again, sings an old chestnut *Feeling Good* and does a decent job of it. I thought it was a little Holiday Inn loungey but the audience loved it. Hard to know if they loved his singing or loved him. I have no idea what America will do with Lazaro.
Curtis Finch who is about our 50th worship leader extra sings I Believe I Can Fly and I believe he can. I like him. I liked that he didn't overdo the runs and left the vocal gymnastics to the end of the song where they belonged. Everyone loved him and now I'm worried about Mariah because she does a self-reveal about something painful going on in her life and I hope its not marital troubles because I think she and her husband are so cute together!
Devin *Poindexter* Velez...what can I say about him? His hair bugs me and he even wore a Poindexter bow tie tonight (or did I just imagine that?). He sings an oldie, *Impossible* and despite his Poindexter looks this guy can sing! And I think that for me, the measure of how well he can sing came when I got tears in my eyes at the end of the song when he was singing in Spanish! I hope he doesn't do that with every song but it worked tonight because even non-Spanish speakers knew what he was singing and caught the feeling. Or at least this one did.
Ok, now for our Smurf, Vincent. He was OK. He was phenomenal last week so this was a letdown. Also a letdown for the producers who should have put Curtis or Devin in the pimp spot. Oh well.
I have no clue how the voting is going to go with this group but I guess based on the judges (and my) response to tonight's performances I will say I would not be surprised to see the following go through:
Burnell
Curtis
Devin
Vincent
Lazaro
Jolley may slip through because old ladies will vote for him and Charlie might slip through because voters feel bad for him (hard to say if his breakdown was a turn off or not). The others were just pretty forgettable to me.
Poor Charlie.
Ryan starts by asking the judges what the guys have to do to surpass the girls' performances last night. Keith makes an interesting observation about not listening to what the judges said to the girls *if it doesn't apply to you* which to me was an acknowledgment of my Kings X theory...what is good for the goose is not good for the gander. They show the lineup and I see that my favorite Charlie is in one of the death spots (2 and 3) and that doesn't bode well for him. No surprise, our *Smurf* Vincent is in the pimp spot as he brought down the house and earned Zoanass's praise last week.
Up first is the Bieber Boy, Elijah Liu. He's talking smack about what a ladies man he is and how he's going to give it all for *his ladies*. Earth to Elijah...you are not a hot name in Idol buzz and if there are any ladies out there who want to throw their panties at you...they should be arrested for extremely bad taste if not preying on a child. It would be like throwing panties at Tatoo on Fantasy Island! Just...too...weird. He is one who makes me angry at the judges because he should have been gone in Hollywood. He sings a Rihanna song which I don't know and don't care to and I'm not even sure what it was about. It had a slow, dirge like arrangement and his voice was nasal on the low notes and weak in the falsetto. The judges tell him how *marketable* he is. All 4 of them use that term and none of them say much about his singing. Idol producers have Bieber fever and are desperate for a Bieber like breakout star. Mariah actually said it best when she said he needed to get with a good production company and producer and he would be really marketable. In other words, you are short on talent but with enough autotune and promotion, maybe tweens will buy your record. I think even tweens are smart enough to see he is just lame.
Cortez come out next and sings Bruno Mars and the band is playing some jarring notes that make him sound off-key or maybe he is off key. I turned down the sound because my ears were starting to hurt. The song seemed a strange choice for him. The critique's focused mainly on his fashion sense and mentioning what he had done in the past but no one really comes out and says *this was not that good*...which they should have.
Then the painful painful sequence with my favorite Charlie Askew. To think that last week I was worried he was getting over-confident and now we see him totally disintegrate before our eyes. To be honest, I didn't think his performance of that Genesis song was so bad. I didn't like the wifebeater/Rambo shirt or the hair in a ponytail and he evidently saw the light and shaved his non-existent mustache before the performance but who knows because it wasn't visible anyway. The performance was over the top and quite dark. I vaguely remembered the song so I went to google and Youtube to see what it was supposed to sound like and it is dark song as performed by Phil Collins who actually cackles evilly in the middle of it so at least Charlie spared us that. I'm thinking the judges were just shocked because they thought they knew this kid and that he was just mildly nerdy and offbeat and would always do mildly nerdy and offbeat music and now he comes out and shows us his dark side and they are taken way aback at it. The moment might have been saved for Charlie if he had not spilled his guts in front of millions about being angry and that he is not a happy guy and almost breaking down in tears. Sad moment because I think its the very end for him. I'm wondering why he is so angry. He was chosen as Vote For the Worst's pick this week and I sincerely hope that wasn't the problem. And I seriously hope he doesn't hurt himself as a result of this because this kid is on the verge of a breakdown.
Up next is Nick Boddington who I liked a lot last year but am liking less this year. He is just generic blah blah piano singer singing an old-fashioned maudlin sort of song. Which I didn't know and cannot remember. I don't know if he did it justice or not. Judges are not harsh with him but not effusive either so I think he is not going to be getting a lot of votes.
Burnell, who is one of my favorites repeats his audition performance of *I'm Here* and I liked it. What they showed of his audition didn't really do him or the song justice and it was nice to hear more of it. I don't think this was a *moment* but he is very likeable and I love how he doesn't succumb to the pressure that seems to be applied to the BGBVs to do all sorts of runs and fancy falsettos in order to make a moment.
Paula Jo says we are gonna have an old fashioned Tennessee shindig with his performance and he comes out and does a slow ballad which he theatrically oversings. I was thinking we would get an upbeat country song...maybe something old-fashioned and cheery that he would just sing without emoting to the 100th degree. At this point Paula Jo, just dye your hair, put on some mascara, and imitate Adam Lambert because this half in half out stuff is just stupid. He wants to be the male Taylor Swift? Huh? Where did that come from? Did he see how much they liked Kree and Janelle last night?
Lazaro, in pink again, sings an old chestnut *Feeling Good* and does a decent job of it. I thought it was a little Holiday Inn loungey but the audience loved it. Hard to know if they loved his singing or loved him. I have no idea what America will do with Lazaro.
Curtis Finch who is about our 50th worship leader extra sings I Believe I Can Fly and I believe he can. I like him. I liked that he didn't overdo the runs and left the vocal gymnastics to the end of the song where they belonged. Everyone loved him and now I'm worried about Mariah because she does a self-reveal about something painful going on in her life and I hope its not marital troubles because I think she and her husband are so cute together!
Devin *Poindexter* Velez...what can I say about him? His hair bugs me and he even wore a Poindexter bow tie tonight (or did I just imagine that?). He sings an oldie, *Impossible* and despite his Poindexter looks this guy can sing! And I think that for me, the measure of how well he can sing came when I got tears in my eyes at the end of the song when he was singing in Spanish! I hope he doesn't do that with every song but it worked tonight because even non-Spanish speakers knew what he was singing and caught the feeling. Or at least this one did.
Ok, now for our Smurf, Vincent. He was OK. He was phenomenal last week so this was a letdown. Also a letdown for the producers who should have put Curtis or Devin in the pimp spot. Oh well.
I have no clue how the voting is going to go with this group but I guess based on the judges (and my) response to tonight's performances I will say I would not be surprised to see the following go through:
Burnell
Curtis
Devin
Vincent
Lazaro
Jolley may slip through because old ladies will vote for him and Charlie might slip through because voters feel bad for him (hard to say if his breakdown was a turn off or not). The others were just pretty forgettable to me.
Poor Charlie.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
What Would You Do If I Sang Out of Tune?
I was dreading watching tonights show. Things have seemed just so bizarro this season. But, I actually enjoyed watching tonight for reasons that will almost immediately become clear to you, if they are not clear already.
Ryan opens and we learn we are still in Vegas at the Beatles Love theatre...but we are live tonight. He reminds us that now WE can vote for the Idol and then starts his lying when he says all future decisions will be made by us. Yes, our votes will decide UNLESS they want to do a wild card OR they want to save someone who the audience hates. At the end of the show tonight, the word *wild card* was already being thrown around by Randy I believe. Not to mention the very popular belief that the show is rigged and they don't even count the votes!
Ryan questions the judges about tonight's show and they all say they are happy to turn over this decision to the audience so now they are lying too. Then Randy tells a big lie when he says this is the first time in a number of years that the girls have the edge. As I recall they said that last year (and probably the year before) but when the girls start singing with the guys all of the sudden they suck and the guys are wonderful and the audience votes that way (if they weren't inclined to vote for a cute guy anyway). Of course this year they have stacked the deck and have mostly mediocre fodder for the guys but there will be a way for a guy to win this season...I'm almost sure. But...I'm wrong about my predictions about 50% of the time which leads us to the opening number.
I fully expected Zoanass to be close to the end so the show could build up to her awesomeness. I was surprised when she went first. She prances out in her Tina Turner wig and hot pants (mercifully her legs were not bare..at least I don't think so) and proceeds to sing *What's Love Got To Do With It* complete with some Tina moves and booty shakes. I was surprised that I recognized the song after only a few bars...unlike last week when I was only sure what she sang after the judges told us. I was also surprised because it wasn't THAT horrible to me...even though admittedly the song doesn't have a lot of range to it, for me it was better than her prior performances although thats like saying water boarding is better than having your nails pulled out. I believe Zoanass managed to sing some loud and high notes to go along with her low tones and she obviously was having a blast performing. I'm thinking *oh shoot* (but not exactly that word), she is going to get kudos for tackling the great Tina and giving a great *performance.* Imagine my surprise when all four judges panned her. Something made the scales drop from their ears and they noticed Zoanass cannot stay in tune or even sing for that matter. The most revealing comment was one of them..either Randy or Nicki...said *you gotta be on key on this song*. That comment was a tacit acknowledgment that she has never been *on key* this entire competition and that the entire Zoanass phenonomen was either: a) a big publicity stunt to get ratings; or b) Nicki steamrolled her through so far and the producers finally put a stop to Nicki's madness. The fall of Zoanass is either: a) now that she has been selected by Vote For The Worst, the producers don't want to give that site any more credibility by having her stay around; or b) the producers saw some online comments indicating that America thinks the show has become one big clown fest starring Nicki and Zoanass, and since they cannot fire Nicki without paying her huge sums, they can at least get rid of Zoanass. Of course all the judges praised Zoanass's spirit, passion and heart (the new consolation go to when you cannot tell someone they *look beautiful*). So...maybe we have seen the last of Zoanass but America has disappointed me before so I'm not predicting anything.
So now that Zoanass has been dispatched, I can enjoy the rest of the show.
Brianna is the first of the *pretty girls with a pretty voice* (PGPV) up tonight. She got rave reviews last week for her *I Bust The Windows Out Your Car* song and starts singing a song which has a lyric which must be beeped about being horrible in the morning and the b word in the afternoon (I'm guessing) but you love me anyway. I think her voice is pretty but why is she picking mean girl songs. Keith liked her but Nicki did not. I'm thinking she is good but I'm not falling in love with her.
They follow Brianna with Aubrey, the second PGPV tonight who sings an oversung Fergie song (the name I do not know but I've heard it too many times on this show and others) and she really doesn't add much to it. Except she is really pretty and wearing another short, tight shiny dress which shows off her cute figure. She is 16 years old but acts older especially when she starts responding to the judges like a contestant being interviewed in the Miss America pageant by calling them by their first names. You get the feeling she has taken a Dale Carnegie course (do those still exist and does anyone even remember them?) or the modern day equivalent thereto. She leaves me cold.
Janelle, one of our two country girls, is up next and is hoping to have a better performance than last week. She does. She sings a song about dreaming when you have nothing which sort of fits what is happening to her right now and she smiles a whole lot through it and the judges love it and her. I like her too but...I'm not sure she is my favorite country girl and its doubtful there will be more than one in the top 10.
At this point, Randy is starving so they bring him some crab legs to munch on. Mariah, who has gotten some heat for her weight lately, almost visibly recoils at the feast in front of her. They end up putting the mess in front of skinny Keith.
Poor Tenna Torres. Nicki hated her hair last week. Tenna is 29 and looks 35. She sings well and turns a country song about being Lost in Love by Faith Hill into an R&B song. I feel for her, I really do. She even put her hair behind one ear (its all the rage now as evidenced by the 1300 Hollywood women wearing it that way to the awards shows) but it still seems like too much hair for her face. And it still looks like a bad wig and probably is. When she sang the lines *I'm lost forever*, I'm thinking yes you will be lost forever in Idol trivia. You cannot hate her but there is just nothing to love there so I will be shocked if America finds her compelling enough to vote for. The judges were complimentary but not falling at her feet.
Angela, who bugs me almost as much as Zoanass, chooses a Colton Dixon song about God and goes back to the piano. I think she oversings the hell out of it (if I can say that about a song about God) and her facial expressions are alternately ugly and weirdly coyly flirtatious. She wants to match the performance of her original song and the judges are just ecstatic because she almost got there. After those comments, she will not get up from the piano for as long as she is on this show. She has not abandoned her polygamy hair and you cannot see anything of her face but her teeth which are Osmond white. The hair, the teeth, the song about God and the Colton Dixon fandom make me think she is our Christian fundamentalist extra. Which is not why she bugs me. She is just one of those extras I have an irrational aversion to. There is one every season.
Amber Holcomb is the one everyone forgets about until she sings. I was thinking *oh no...another one of the PGPVs is coming up and will bore me to tears* until I remembered that I loved her two weeks ago. I am not usually pleased when someone does a Whitney Houston song. I took not one note while she was singing because I was completely mesmerized and was thrilled to see that the judges agreed with me and gave her a standing ovation. I hope she makes it through but I'm not sure she has a big enough personality (although some of it came through tonight so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for her).
Kree sings next and I'm thinking she has to follow the other country girl Janelle, Angie who can do no wrong, and Amber who was flawless so what the heck can she bring to the party that isn't going to look like she shopped at Target while the others went to Tiffany for their hostess gifts? I was mesmerized all over again and took no notes so am doing this from memory. When she hit some of those high notes I could not believe it. She is funny and clever too...I loved her repartee with Nicki. I'm rooting for her. I want to see her and Amber in the finale.
Ok its time for a lull in the program. Another teenager, Adrianna (who I confuse with Aubry and Brianna) sings a song about standing up for life. I don't know if this is an anti-abortion song or an anti-war song or an income redistribution song but it is very *we are the worldish*. The judges call it pageanty and so I suspect we have seen the last of her. Note to Nicki: I don't think she can *come back next year* once she has made the top 20.
The pimp spot goes to Candace Glover and it is well deserved. She was my third favorite tonight. Like Keith, I'm not a fan of all the melismatic runs in her singing style but boy she can *be on key* and belt it out.
After wrongly predicting that the judges would love Zoanass and hate the country girls, I'm hesitant to tell you who I think America will vote for so I will tell you who I would vote for in this order:
1. Kree
2. Amber
3. Candace
4. Janelle
I don't care about any of the rest but I'm pretty sure Angela will make it through and I'm hoping the 4 listed above are in there with her.
Ryan opens and we learn we are still in Vegas at the Beatles Love theatre...but we are live tonight. He reminds us that now WE can vote for the Idol and then starts his lying when he says all future decisions will be made by us. Yes, our votes will decide UNLESS they want to do a wild card OR they want to save someone who the audience hates. At the end of the show tonight, the word *wild card* was already being thrown around by Randy I believe. Not to mention the very popular belief that the show is rigged and they don't even count the votes!
Ryan questions the judges about tonight's show and they all say they are happy to turn over this decision to the audience so now they are lying too. Then Randy tells a big lie when he says this is the first time in a number of years that the girls have the edge. As I recall they said that last year (and probably the year before) but when the girls start singing with the guys all of the sudden they suck and the guys are wonderful and the audience votes that way (if they weren't inclined to vote for a cute guy anyway). Of course this year they have stacked the deck and have mostly mediocre fodder for the guys but there will be a way for a guy to win this season...I'm almost sure. But...I'm wrong about my predictions about 50% of the time which leads us to the opening number.
I fully expected Zoanass to be close to the end so the show could build up to her awesomeness. I was surprised when she went first. She prances out in her Tina Turner wig and hot pants (mercifully her legs were not bare..at least I don't think so) and proceeds to sing *What's Love Got To Do With It* complete with some Tina moves and booty shakes. I was surprised that I recognized the song after only a few bars...unlike last week when I was only sure what she sang after the judges told us. I was also surprised because it wasn't THAT horrible to me...even though admittedly the song doesn't have a lot of range to it, for me it was better than her prior performances although thats like saying water boarding is better than having your nails pulled out. I believe Zoanass managed to sing some loud and high notes to go along with her low tones and she obviously was having a blast performing. I'm thinking *oh shoot* (but not exactly that word), she is going to get kudos for tackling the great Tina and giving a great *performance.* Imagine my surprise when all four judges panned her. Something made the scales drop from their ears and they noticed Zoanass cannot stay in tune or even sing for that matter. The most revealing comment was one of them..either Randy or Nicki...said *you gotta be on key on this song*. That comment was a tacit acknowledgment that she has never been *on key* this entire competition and that the entire Zoanass phenonomen was either: a) a big publicity stunt to get ratings; or b) Nicki steamrolled her through so far and the producers finally put a stop to Nicki's madness. The fall of Zoanass is either: a) now that she has been selected by Vote For The Worst, the producers don't want to give that site any more credibility by having her stay around; or b) the producers saw some online comments indicating that America thinks the show has become one big clown fest starring Nicki and Zoanass, and since they cannot fire Nicki without paying her huge sums, they can at least get rid of Zoanass. Of course all the judges praised Zoanass's spirit, passion and heart (the new consolation go to when you cannot tell someone they *look beautiful*). So...maybe we have seen the last of Zoanass but America has disappointed me before so I'm not predicting anything.
So now that Zoanass has been dispatched, I can enjoy the rest of the show.
Brianna is the first of the *pretty girls with a pretty voice* (PGPV) up tonight. She got rave reviews last week for her *I Bust The Windows Out Your Car* song and starts singing a song which has a lyric which must be beeped about being horrible in the morning and the b word in the afternoon (I'm guessing) but you love me anyway. I think her voice is pretty but why is she picking mean girl songs. Keith liked her but Nicki did not. I'm thinking she is good but I'm not falling in love with her.
They follow Brianna with Aubrey, the second PGPV tonight who sings an oversung Fergie song (the name I do not know but I've heard it too many times on this show and others) and she really doesn't add much to it. Except she is really pretty and wearing another short, tight shiny dress which shows off her cute figure. She is 16 years old but acts older especially when she starts responding to the judges like a contestant being interviewed in the Miss America pageant by calling them by their first names. You get the feeling she has taken a Dale Carnegie course (do those still exist and does anyone even remember them?) or the modern day equivalent thereto. She leaves me cold.
Janelle, one of our two country girls, is up next and is hoping to have a better performance than last week. She does. She sings a song about dreaming when you have nothing which sort of fits what is happening to her right now and she smiles a whole lot through it and the judges love it and her. I like her too but...I'm not sure she is my favorite country girl and its doubtful there will be more than one in the top 10.
At this point, Randy is starving so they bring him some crab legs to munch on. Mariah, who has gotten some heat for her weight lately, almost visibly recoils at the feast in front of her. They end up putting the mess in front of skinny Keith.
Poor Tenna Torres. Nicki hated her hair last week. Tenna is 29 and looks 35. She sings well and turns a country song about being Lost in Love by Faith Hill into an R&B song. I feel for her, I really do. She even put her hair behind one ear (its all the rage now as evidenced by the 1300 Hollywood women wearing it that way to the awards shows) but it still seems like too much hair for her face. And it still looks like a bad wig and probably is. When she sang the lines *I'm lost forever*, I'm thinking yes you will be lost forever in Idol trivia. You cannot hate her but there is just nothing to love there so I will be shocked if America finds her compelling enough to vote for. The judges were complimentary but not falling at her feet.
Angela, who bugs me almost as much as Zoanass, chooses a Colton Dixon song about God and goes back to the piano. I think she oversings the hell out of it (if I can say that about a song about God) and her facial expressions are alternately ugly and weirdly coyly flirtatious. She wants to match the performance of her original song and the judges are just ecstatic because she almost got there. After those comments, she will not get up from the piano for as long as she is on this show. She has not abandoned her polygamy hair and you cannot see anything of her face but her teeth which are Osmond white. The hair, the teeth, the song about God and the Colton Dixon fandom make me think she is our Christian fundamentalist extra. Which is not why she bugs me. She is just one of those extras I have an irrational aversion to. There is one every season.
Amber Holcomb is the one everyone forgets about until she sings. I was thinking *oh no...another one of the PGPVs is coming up and will bore me to tears* until I remembered that I loved her two weeks ago. I am not usually pleased when someone does a Whitney Houston song. I took not one note while she was singing because I was completely mesmerized and was thrilled to see that the judges agreed with me and gave her a standing ovation. I hope she makes it through but I'm not sure she has a big enough personality (although some of it came through tonight so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for her).
Kree sings next and I'm thinking she has to follow the other country girl Janelle, Angie who can do no wrong, and Amber who was flawless so what the heck can she bring to the party that isn't going to look like she shopped at Target while the others went to Tiffany for their hostess gifts? I was mesmerized all over again and took no notes so am doing this from memory. When she hit some of those high notes I could not believe it. She is funny and clever too...I loved her repartee with Nicki. I'm rooting for her. I want to see her and Amber in the finale.
Ok its time for a lull in the program. Another teenager, Adrianna (who I confuse with Aubry and Brianna) sings a song about standing up for life. I don't know if this is an anti-abortion song or an anti-war song or an income redistribution song but it is very *we are the worldish*. The judges call it pageanty and so I suspect we have seen the last of her. Note to Nicki: I don't think she can *come back next year* once she has made the top 20.
The pimp spot goes to Candace Glover and it is well deserved. She was my third favorite tonight. Like Keith, I'm not a fan of all the melismatic runs in her singing style but boy she can *be on key* and belt it out.
After wrongly predicting that the judges would love Zoanass and hate the country girls, I'm hesitant to tell you who I think America will vote for so I will tell you who I would vote for in this order:
1. Kree
2. Amber
3. Candace
4. Janelle
I don't care about any of the rest but I'm pretty sure Angela will make it through and I'm hoping the 4 listed above are in there with her.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Fishy Fishy
Do you know that McDonald's commercial for Fish McBites where the fish flaps and the wall and sings *Fishy Fishy*? That is how I feel about this whole darn season right now.Well, I know that something is askew (and its not Charlie) because for the first time, writing this blog has become a *chore* for me. I normally love writing it and don't even care (much) if anyone reads it. I wrote something on Thursday night following the *sudden death* moment for 10 guys but Blogger.com is having some issues and everything but the above paragraph was deleted. I just didn't have the energy to retype it all and I still don't. So following is a brief summary of that entry.
I am still trying to recover from the Zoanette performance and the judges reaction thereto. I TOLD you that once she hit the stage the scruples about voice being more important than *performance* would vanish and *performance* would be the paramount factor. I seriously think this is a case of the Empress Without Clothes and I only hope that the mass hysteria which Nicki has induced among the judges to support Zoanass will not spread to the voting public but I am not hopeful as it will now be *uncool* to dislike her *talent*. As we see, Ryan is even asking Zoanass's opinion about other extras (after Vincent's performance) giving her even more face time for the viewers. The love for Zoanass is just one fishy thing.
The other fishy thing is that it appears a certain website (Vote For the Worst) was prescient when it speculated that the producers will do anything to avoid having a WGWG win this season even if it means eliminating all WGWG extras before the public can vote. We are left with 2 WG (or 4 if you count the Latinos) and its not clear than either of them play a guitar but Charlie probably does and Paula Jo is going to get one if he hasn't already. Poor Josh Holliday was the the last obvious WGWG standing and he was summarily dismissed by Nicki despite ditching his guitar and doing an original song on the piano which was at least as good as some of the other songs I've heard over the past 2 weeks. If only he had read my blog last week, he would have known that even though Nicki told Jett she should have stood up in the middle of her piano/vocal performance so she would have a *moment*....it was Kings X for him and he should have stayed sitting at the piano. Actually, Nicki hated him before he sang so he could have been Andrea Bocelli and it wouldn't have mattered. She even hated the black guy who had a guitar (David Oliver Willis) and had to diss his wife to boot (oh...*hi wife*..sneer)! NO guitars for men!
I'm not unhappy with the ones that went through Thursday night actually. I'm as sick of the WGWG winners as anyone else. I would love to see a girl win but so many of them in the top 10 are generically pretty girls with pretty voices and nothing all that special...and the one that is NOT generically pretty with a pretty voice is Zoanass who is just plain awful! Where are the Elise's and Crystals and Haleys of prior years? Left out. Now we have a bunch of Pia's, Jessica Sanchez's, and a couple of country girls who will be trashed by the judges as soon as the voting starts, so they can pimp Zoanass. But my opinion, your opinion, America's opinion and Mariah, Randy, and Keith's opinion don't matter. Its the Nicki and Zoanass show now and you, I, and Nigel Lythgoe better get used to it.
I'm not making any predictions at this point except one. Zoanass will have an *amazing* performance on Wednesday night, get the pimp spot (or close to it) and a standing O from the judges. It won't matter if she farts the song, moons the audience, or takes a dump on the stage. Her *originality* will reign supreme...all hail Queen Zoanass! Get used to worshiping crap!
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Zoanette, Gentille Zoanette
Tempted though I was, I did not view any spoilers before tonight's show. Once I saw the line-up, I knew our fair lark Zoanette was a shoe-in...they gave her the pimp spot. I'm trying to decide if this group of girls had stronger singers than the last group and thus, it was harder to make it through. I sort of think so. I am thinking of Tenna Torres v. Christobel when I say this. But, it is what it is and now we have our top 10 girls.
The shows starts with Melinda Edemi who is a retread from seasons past. I had forgotten her family are refugees from Kosovo. She sang the *I'm Sorry* song that Angela sang last week and frankly, I thought she sang it better than Angela but Nicki did not... so...I was pretty sure she was toast at that point. I thought her voice was nice and clear with a good *tone* although her look was a little Kardashian. Keith (and I) liked her. Nicki hated her, Randy did too, and Mariah was ambivalent which from her means...not impressed.
Candace Glover, also a retread (from last season) is up next and sings one of my all time favorite songs in the world...giving Natural Woman more of the Aretha treatment than the Carole King treatment. I smiled all through the performance. I think she is stellar even though I don't normally like big diva voices. Everyone loved her although Nicki was rather subdued in her praise. I'm not sure why Nicki is being so pissy tonight but I am beginning to get the feeling she is holding out for Zoanette and this is starting to make ME pissy.
Julianne, who is 15, is up next and her guitar is bigger than she is and from the first camera angle it looks like she is holding it horizontally but when they do a frontal shot we see that she is holding it normally. She is only 15 and is a songwriter who has performed at her school with her sister. She gives a quiet, slow performance of a song that I guess is called Skyfall. Her high notes are breathy and even I can hear some of the flat notes... but she is only 15. Keith admires her because she is 15. Nicki comments that she is 15. Randy said for being 15 she did a nice job. Mariah called it *celestial* and she is only 15. So...audience...she is 15 and has another chance so I'm thinking her sky is gonna fall in about 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Jette Hermano from Seattle, who gave up a 4 year academic scholarship to pursue her musical career and thus far has made it to a law firm where she summarizes depositions for a living, plays the piano and sings a Rihanna song which I'm not familiar with but according to Keith she changed it up quite a bit and he is impressed with that. I'm impressed she actually played the piano through her song instead of hitting a note or two and then standing up to do the grand diva belting that Nicki seemed to crave from her performance. Mariah liked her arrangement too, but Randy agreed with Nicki that she needed to do more with the song than playing the piano and making it her own. Given that Nicki hated her, I'm figuring she is gone too even though the people in the Phillipines are all ready to do massive voting to support her. I thought she was a sweet girl, even though in retrospect, she probably should have kept her scholarship.
Christobel is a worship leader, aged 29, and married to the man who fathered her 3 children. This does not bode well for her. She had a panic attack on the plane but then recieved a moment of grace so she was able to face this with confidence. I didn't know the song and so even though the lyrics inspired her, and I wanted to love her because I have in her past performances, I had a feeling that she was not going to get a standing O. Keith really liked her. Nicki had a sour face and wasn't really impressed and neither was Randy. Mariah wishes she had sung a different song and I agree with Mariah. I was going to make a comment about her bad hair but that seems too cruel given what is probably going to be her fate. Also, the cardigan was kind of weird and as Tabatha Coffey (of Tabatha's Salon Makeover and fashion critc fame) would say...*mumsy*. I wonder what Tabatha would say about her hair.
My comments about the cardigan are, in all honesty, prompted by Nicki's reaction to Aubrey Cleland who has has a big voice, and wore a shiny, short, tight dress on her anorexic little body. Now we know why Nicki has been so sour. She wants someone who *looks* like a star and until Aubrey, the contestants have, in Nicki's mind, fallen short in the fashion, hair and makeup department . Aubrey is a really pretty girl with a big voice and uber confidence (she is going to be the last one standing she says) and I am starting to hate her just because Nicki likes her. Because Nicki is *obsessed* with her, I know she is going through.
So Rachel Hale, the smiling girl from Nashville, has a hard act to follow and does her best to bring it with a song about going down to the water to bring her soul to bare (or bear?). Everyone is amazed that she is not a little shy wallflower tonight, and I'm thinking she might have a smidgeon of a chance. She attends Belmont College, the same school attended by Idol Melinda Doolittle (who got robbed in her season by that smarmy Blake with the beat boxing who no one has heard from again and Jordin Sparks...but I digress) and the daughter of a friend of mine.
Following Rachel is Brianna who we haven't seen nor heard thus far (that I can recall). Brianna is going to bust out the windows of a car and acts all tough (she reminds me of defendants on Judge Judy who are sued for doing similar things to boyfriend's cars). I'm not that impressed with her as she is singing. The judges, however, love her. They really love her. She is going through and I see Christobel's chances going down the drain. Nicki hasn't gotten the word from the EEOC that you don't ask a job applicant about race, creed, and national origin (among other things) and we learn that Brianna is a little bit of everything which matters only to Nicki.
As Janelle comes to the stage, I'm thinking *give it up honey...you are cooked*...not even Dolly herself is going to impress those judges after Brianna and Aubrey and you don't have on shoes with red soles and a slinky dress. However, for some reason Nicki has taken a shine to Janelle so at the end of her song (which seemed forced to me) the judges seem willing to give her a pass on this performance and put her through. So..say goodbye Rachel.
Finally, the one we have been waiting for. Zoanette has not performed seriously that we have seen since she started the competition. First there was her horrible audition, then she almost sabotaged the group number and was carried by her group, and then she made up a song on the fly which was a bad song, badly performed, and she got lost in the middle of it. Clearly, the producers realize Zoanette needs some audience rehabilitation or she will be the first one to go come voter time so we learn she helps old sick people and that her family fled Liberia during its civil war (which deserves far more credit than fleeing Kosovo during its civil war). I'm not sure, but I believe she throws in loving God in her interview as well...or maybe she waits until the judging to do that...anyway...our Zoanette is pulling out all the stops tonight. She sings A Circle of Life from the Lion King and forgoes her trademark high notes for a deep alto. As she was singing, I only recognized the song because of the first words. I couldn't understand a single word she sang after that nor did the melody clue me in but clearly she was casting a spell on the judges and perhaps the audience as well. She does a Tebow when she is put through and says she is doing it all for her family (Nicki goes on and on about her struggle and her family too just in case we don't understand how wonderful Zoanette is). Well, she is certainly a force to be reckoned with and we are stuck with her for at least one more performance and maybe more as the judges will pimp her to the final if they can.
As I was heading to the computer to write this, the song Alouette came into my head. I didn't really remember the words (its one of those songs you think you know as a kid but you really don't and besides its in French) nor what it was about. So...I googled it. Perhaps you know all about it but I didn't and I learned that the song is about a lark whose birdsong is so annoying that the child singing the song, awakened by the annoying song, wants to pluck the lark's head, beak, eyes, neck, wings, feet, tail, and back (in that order). A very cruel sentiment, especially for a children's song but...after hearing Zoanette tonight...I completely understand it.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Kings X
The producers really really want a girl to win...or they want us to think they want a girl to win. And if a girl cannot win, then they want a boy who acts like a girl to win...or so it appeared from the guys selected in the top 20. But...its Kings X time. Tonight they want no theatrics, drama, or posing about. In contrast to last night's love fest for all things emotionally over the top, tonight they want to hear *vocals* because its now a singing contest. So, if the guys watched the show last night and decided to amp up the theatrics to impress the judges with their emotional range...too bad for them. Kings X...the rules have changed.
I confess to reading a spoiler so I knew basically who was in and who was out before watching tonight. Even so, there were some confusing critiques and one result that I want to scream about.
First up is my so far least favorite boy...Paul Jolley (hereinafter called *Paula Jo*). We are reminded once again that his grandfather is dead and how Paula Jo wants to bless the world with his talent as a way of *giving back*. I would like to return his gift postage NOT prepaid, but no luck for me. He doesn't even try to disguise his pandering to Keith by singing one of his songs (did he ever sing country before?) and puts in a lot of bells and whistles and glory notes. At least he doesn't cry like he did last time. He does try to disguise the fact that he is gay but the theatrics observed by Nicki in her critique give that secret away. Randy likes his potential because he has a good range and sees him as a country star. I think this guy would rather eat dog dirt than be a country star but he is definitely a panderer so he laps that up.
Second to perform is Johnny Keyser, a repeat from last year. I have been critical of Johnny because he is just too handsome to live and I think he knows it. But his testosterone is refreshing and he doesn't oversing his song. He gets some good remarks and I am sort of not hating him but then...I know what happens at the end so I don't need to waste my time finding fault with him.
Finally, the one we have been waiting for. JDA is what JDA is and don't you forget it (which is also refreshing because he is not trying to fool anyone). He sings a song I don't know about rumors and does his *artistic* take on it by rolling on the floor and then taking his shirt off. I really don't know if he can sing or not because I'm fascinated by his act. Keith thought it was a bit contrived, Nicki admired his integrity, Randy didn't like his vocals, Mariah liked his vocals...and after 5 minutes of back and forth *he's wonderful* *he didn't sing well* *he's an artist*, Ryan ends the judge's rather self-indulgent dissection of JDA and the meaning of life. So we move on.
To Kevin Harris. He has 2 beautiful children but he has fodder written all over him. I really couldn't remember the results when I was watching him but I was not that impressed with his vocals and he didn't do anything but sing so I'm thinking...poor guy...you are toast. Nicki and Keith loved his vocals but Randy thought he was karoake and Mariah is on the fence playing mediator but when she says *you've always been a favorite of mine* you can sense the gig is up for Kevin.
Chris Watson, another glamour guy, with an awesome headband and lots of glitter comes on and sings Dock of the Bay with a lot of melisma and stage action. Nicki wants to marry his vibrato and it seems like the judges are pretty easy on him. Since I know he is going home at the end of the night, I wonder at this soft treatment.
Next up is Devin with the pointy hair. I like Devin except for his hair (what is it with bad hair this season?). He sings a nice enough song pretty well but it wasn't a moment for me...even with the Spanish mixed in. The judges go on and on about his good vocals so we are seeing that *vocals* is the magic word tonight. It would be a good drinking game word for the night but I'm not a big drinker any more so I ended the night completely sober. I hope some of you took advantage of it though!
Sadly, I was sober when the Chinese/Mexican Justin Bieber clone came on and sang a song about taking it to the moon. He's letting it be known that he is a ladies man and hoping the tweens are taking note. I found nothing exciting or memorable about him but the judges (egged on by the producers) see dollar signs on his back (because the world really needs another Justin Bieber especially if he is Chinese and Mexican) and give him rave reviews despite his weak voice and shaky falsetto which could not be heard over the backround singers. He is Nicki's new favorite and she wants to marry him. Ok..Nicki is the new Demi Moore but let him turn 21 at least. His name is Elijah something. I hope he is gone before I have to learn his last name.
Ahh...here comes the only boy I was looking forward to watching tonight..Charlie Askew. Charlie got wardrobe advice from JDA and apparently performing advice too because he is swinging the mike around, going down on one knee and really hamming it up. But I could not take my eyes off of him. I didn't even write any notes while he was singing. I love that song and I loved how he sang the light the fuse part of it and I think he is adorable. HOWEVER, he talked back a little too much to the judges and got a little arrogant so...watch it Charlie. Everyone loved it except Randy who is looking for vocals tonight. I liked Charlie's vocals.
Jimmy Smith is from Tennessee and sings a Keith Urban song and that is about all there is to say about that (except he has bad hair too!).
Curtis Finch is not my favorite yet but he is a strong contender for favorite of mine (until he grows old on me as all the BGBV's do each year). I like that he wore a suit and tie and was all buttoned up. I liked his retro song choice. I have nothing snarky or bad to say about him at all. I even like his hair.
When they announce the results, I am appalled that Elijah the Bieber is one of the 5 chosen. I was also surprised that Paula Jo was on the cusp and needed Jimmy's intervention to stay in the competition. Unfortunately, this means that I will have to take Jimmy off of my list of people I would marry. I would have scratched Paula Jo and put in Johnny Keyser instead but I think they are afraid he is going to grab all the old women's votes and be the next WGWG to win Idol. I would have chosen Chris or JDA over Beiber boy...at least they were somewhat interesting.
Next week we see whether vocals are so important when Zoanass sings like crap but shakes her boobs around. Somehow I think we are looking at a *rules change* moment again.
I confess to reading a spoiler so I knew basically who was in and who was out before watching tonight. Even so, there were some confusing critiques and one result that I want to scream about.
First up is my so far least favorite boy...Paul Jolley (hereinafter called *Paula Jo*). We are reminded once again that his grandfather is dead and how Paula Jo wants to bless the world with his talent as a way of *giving back*. I would like to return his gift postage NOT prepaid, but no luck for me. He doesn't even try to disguise his pandering to Keith by singing one of his songs (did he ever sing country before?) and puts in a lot of bells and whistles and glory notes. At least he doesn't cry like he did last time. He does try to disguise the fact that he is gay but the theatrics observed by Nicki in her critique give that secret away. Randy likes his potential because he has a good range and sees him as a country star. I think this guy would rather eat dog dirt than be a country star but he is definitely a panderer so he laps that up.
Second to perform is Johnny Keyser, a repeat from last year. I have been critical of Johnny because he is just too handsome to live and I think he knows it. But his testosterone is refreshing and he doesn't oversing his song. He gets some good remarks and I am sort of not hating him but then...I know what happens at the end so I don't need to waste my time finding fault with him.
Finally, the one we have been waiting for. JDA is what JDA is and don't you forget it (which is also refreshing because he is not trying to fool anyone). He sings a song I don't know about rumors and does his *artistic* take on it by rolling on the floor and then taking his shirt off. I really don't know if he can sing or not because I'm fascinated by his act. Keith thought it was a bit contrived, Nicki admired his integrity, Randy didn't like his vocals, Mariah liked his vocals...and after 5 minutes of back and forth *he's wonderful* *he didn't sing well* *he's an artist*, Ryan ends the judge's rather self-indulgent dissection of JDA and the meaning of life. So we move on.
To Kevin Harris. He has 2 beautiful children but he has fodder written all over him. I really couldn't remember the results when I was watching him but I was not that impressed with his vocals and he didn't do anything but sing so I'm thinking...poor guy...you are toast. Nicki and Keith loved his vocals but Randy thought he was karoake and Mariah is on the fence playing mediator but when she says *you've always been a favorite of mine* you can sense the gig is up for Kevin.
Chris Watson, another glamour guy, with an awesome headband and lots of glitter comes on and sings Dock of the Bay with a lot of melisma and stage action. Nicki wants to marry his vibrato and it seems like the judges are pretty easy on him. Since I know he is going home at the end of the night, I wonder at this soft treatment.
Next up is Devin with the pointy hair. I like Devin except for his hair (what is it with bad hair this season?). He sings a nice enough song pretty well but it wasn't a moment for me...even with the Spanish mixed in. The judges go on and on about his good vocals so we are seeing that *vocals* is the magic word tonight. It would be a good drinking game word for the night but I'm not a big drinker any more so I ended the night completely sober. I hope some of you took advantage of it though!
Sadly, I was sober when the Chinese/Mexican Justin Bieber clone came on and sang a song about taking it to the moon. He's letting it be known that he is a ladies man and hoping the tweens are taking note. I found nothing exciting or memorable about him but the judges (egged on by the producers) see dollar signs on his back (because the world really needs another Justin Bieber especially if he is Chinese and Mexican) and give him rave reviews despite his weak voice and shaky falsetto which could not be heard over the backround singers. He is Nicki's new favorite and she wants to marry him. Ok..Nicki is the new Demi Moore but let him turn 21 at least. His name is Elijah something. I hope he is gone before I have to learn his last name.
Ahh...here comes the only boy I was looking forward to watching tonight..Charlie Askew. Charlie got wardrobe advice from JDA and apparently performing advice too because he is swinging the mike around, going down on one knee and really hamming it up. But I could not take my eyes off of him. I didn't even write any notes while he was singing. I love that song and I loved how he sang the light the fuse part of it and I think he is adorable. HOWEVER, he talked back a little too much to the judges and got a little arrogant so...watch it Charlie. Everyone loved it except Randy who is looking for vocals tonight. I liked Charlie's vocals.
Jimmy Smith is from Tennessee and sings a Keith Urban song and that is about all there is to say about that (except he has bad hair too!).
Curtis Finch is not my favorite yet but he is a strong contender for favorite of mine (until he grows old on me as all the BGBV's do each year). I like that he wore a suit and tie and was all buttoned up. I liked his retro song choice. I have nothing snarky or bad to say about him at all. I even like his hair.
When they announce the results, I am appalled that Elijah the Bieber is one of the 5 chosen. I was also surprised that Paula Jo was on the cusp and needed Jimmy's intervention to stay in the competition. Unfortunately, this means that I will have to take Jimmy off of my list of people I would marry. I would have scratched Paula Jo and put in Johnny Keyser instead but I think they are afraid he is going to grab all the old women's votes and be the next WGWG to win Idol. I would have chosen Chris or JDA over Beiber boy...at least they were somewhat interesting.
Next week we see whether vocals are so important when Zoanass sings like crap but shakes her boobs around. Somehow I think we are looking at a *rules change* moment again.
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