The first Beatles song to hit the charts in 1964 was I Saw Her Standing There and Blake and Jordin joined forces to open the 2 hour Results Show with a playful performance of it. What a great reminder that the two best finalists were left standing. They are fun and talented and this is just a small taste of what we can look forward to no matter which one earns the crown. Then, in the first of the mega stars in line to entertain the waiting audience, Gwen Stefani appeared live via satellite to debut her latest single.
After Season One Miss American Idol, Kelly Clarkson, won the very first crown, she achieved huge selling and Grammy winning success, but she never came back to the American Idol stage until this year. We just saw her a few weeks ago during the Idol Gives Back celebration, and tonight she pop punk rocked the house with her hot new hit, Never Again. Is the song title an indicator of how long it will be till she comes back to American Idol next time?
Kelly provided a top-notch superstar crowd pleaser, but unfortunately she was followed by a completely dreadful song by this years top six boys: Brandon Rogers, Chris Sligh, Sanjaya Malakar, Phil Stacey and Chris Richardson. From the beginning it was clear that Blake was the only talented one in the bunch and it is still true tonight. Thankfully, Motown legend Smokey Robinson joined them for a medley of his hits including Being With You and the #1 smash from 1970, Tears Of A Clown. Blake was then able to step into the spotlight, where he belongs, to raise the roof with old skool rapper Doug E. Fresh. They ad-libbed and improvised the block rockin beats getting the thousands of fans up on their feets.
The very gifted top six girls then graced the stage with a diva-licious version of I Heard It Through The Grapevine. Before Marvin Gaye took it to #1 in 1968, Gladys Knight peaked at #2 with her rendition in 1967. What an honor for Stephanie Edwards, Gina Glocksen, Haley Scarnato, LaKisha Jones, Melinda Doolittle and Jordin Sparks to have the Legendary Diva herself join them for a medley of her other hits including I Feel A Song In My Heart and the #1 smash from 1973, Midnight Train To Georgia. You can only segue from one legend to another. Tony Bennett called in sick when he worked with the finalists, but tonight he showed up and sang For Once In My Life.
Season Six Miss American Idol Second Runner-Up, Melinda Doolittle used to sing back-up for Bebe and Cece Winans and tonight she was given the chance to share the stage with them equally. They brought church to the Kodak Theater demonstrating that this finalist could very easily score a #1 album on the Gospel charts. Blake and Jordin then scored the keys to their very own Ford Mustangs!
In 1994 the Pretenders were only able to take I'll Stand By You to #16. In the hands of the Supreme Miss American Idol from Season Four, Carrie Underwood, it skyrocketted all the way to #6 after she performed it on Idol Gives Back. It is truly worth a second listen, so we were fortunate that she is here again tonight. In addition to her amazing singing, the one and only legendary music producer Clive Davis awarded Carrie with the certification that her debut album, Some Hearts, has achieved sales of over 6 million. In what must have been an effort to illustrate the difference between the truly amazing and the hideously awful, Carrie was followed by the Season Six Miss American Idol train wreck Sanjaya butchering the Kinks' You Really Got Me. Hopefully it is perfectly clear now: She is talented and he is not.
Green Day took advantage of the huge American Idol audience to sing their new song and then another artist who can benefit from a huge audience made a grand entrance. The feel-good, catchy bass-line of Heaven Knows filled the theater as Season Five Miss American Idol, Taylor Hicks, reminded the crowd of what made millions of people vote for him last year. The energetic, bluesy dance moves and gray hair is all still there just like you remember - SOUL PATROL!!! I've been listening to his album in heavy rotation and it's quite good. Give it a chance. Take note of track 6 - Give Me Tonight - it's hot! (Heaven Knows is track 3)
Season Two Miss American Idol, Ruben Studdard, then made a surprise appearance to sing a duet along with Jordin Sparks. In 1968 Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell took You're All I Need To Get By to the top 10. This was a perfect choice to blend these two soulful voices. From one surprise to another, Legendary Diva, Bette Midler appeared to sing her #1 hit from 1989, the Grammy winning Record of the Year, Wind Beneath My Wings.
Surprises abound! Kelly Clarkson twice in one night! She walked her chubby self out on stage to start a tribute to the Beatles' Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band with the title track. Taylor Hicks performed a rousing version of A Day In The Life, a glamorous Carrie Underwood interpretted She's Leaving Home, Ruben Studdard sang Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds and then the Season Six top 12 finalists gathered for With A Little Help From My Friends. The whole family was here except for Fantasia! She must be performing in the Color Purple tonight in New York.
It's already been over two hours and we are finally getting the results of over 74 million votes. Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis are nervously standing center stage........The newest Miss American Idol is ...... JORDIN SPARKS!!!!!! Dressed in her elegant evening gown, overwhelmed with gratitude and appreciation, she took the microphone and sang This Is My Now. She belted out the big notes and the glitter started to fall around her.
An amazing line-up of musical talent capped by the crowning of the newest teen queen. What a great evening of entertainment! In just a few weeks we'll see if Jordin Sparks can continue the streak of American Idols releasing a #1 hit single.....
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Blake vs. Jordin
My two favorites have made it to the finals. Blake and Jordin have impressed us all season and tonight is their last chance to win us over and choose just one to wear the crown. Here's what they decided to do:
Blake Lewis won the coin toss and being the charming gentleman that he is, he allowed Jordin to select the order. She wanted to go second, so he graciously agreed to sing first. What a sweetheart! He decided to serve up his beat-box Bon Jovi anthem, You Give Love A Bad Name. This song allowed him to showcase everything that brought him here. He's got the moves baby, he's got the motion and when left to his own devices, he causes a commotion. He takes a 20 year old heavy metal jam and it sounds fresh and fun in Blakes hands. He can belt out the big notes and get the crowd clapping on their feet and then effortlessly segue into super hot beats and have them dancing along.
Jordin Sparks chose a song from Christina Aquilera's "Dirrty Era" when the 1999 Grammy winner for Best New Artist wanted to prove herself as a diva with an edge. The song Fighter is a declaration of strength and survival and Jordin used it to display the limitless potential of her youthful range. It was vibrant and energetic - vocally, but the performance style was straightforward and simple. She looked and sounded great.
Maroon 5 is the clearly the American Idol band of the year as Blake decided to perform their top 5 hit from 2004, She Will Be Loved. For those of you who are still counting, this was yet another in the very long list of songs that Blake has performed with absolutely no beat boxing at all. He showcased that pure smooth tenor that effortless glides from his full voice to a light as air falsetto that elevates you to a higher plane. He reaches out and touches the audience and simply makes a connection with his vocals, his rhythmic dance moves, his eyes and his smile.
Jordin already sang her greatest hit last week with I Who Have Nothing, so here in the finals she chose another one of her very good performances, Broken Wing. Once again, the style was standing center stage and letting her wonderful voice command all of the attention. She opens her mouth and the sky is filled with beautiful butterflies fluttering with angels - not a single broken wing among them.
The original song of the evening is called This Is My Now. Two guys from Seattle wrote it and won a competition to have the finalists sing it tonight. It's quite clear that they didn't write it with a dynamic performer like Blake Lewis in mind. It was a standard inspirational and uplifting ballad about how this is the night to believe and be proud to have a moment like this inside your heaven. For the past three months we've seen Blake work wonders with all different genres and take risks at reinventing songs with hip and cool arrangements. Tonight, he played it safe. He didn't make the song his own, so it was simply a basic, run of the mill song. Even with his bright smile, you could tell his heart wasn't in it, as though he wanted to take some risks and re-arrange the song, but he was told it wasn't allowed. So he got up there and made the best of it, clearly having so much of his talent restrained from getting out.
It's hard to believe that it was the same song. Jordin Sparks took her turn to sing This Is My Now and it was quite evident that she is exactly the wonderful voice the song was written for. She started out soft and sweet and then belted out the dramatics notes at the end. But even more than the vocals, it was so heartwarming to see the meaning of the lyrics written all over her face. Standing at the edge of the stage with the huge audience in front of her and the spotlight shining on her, she became overwhelmed with emotion and she genuinely experienced her "now".
As far as I am concerned this is a win-win situation. The two best, most talented contestants made it to the finals and tonight they were both very successful at showing off their strengths. If American Idol is just a singing competition, Jordin wins. Her voice is powerful, with a dramatic range. If American Idol is an all-around performance competition, Blake wins. He can dance, entertain, and sound great through it all. I am not going to make a prediction, though. At this point I am clearly an open book and I will be calling in and voting for Blake. That said, I will be very happy for either one if they get to be named the Season Six Miss American Idol.
Blake Lewis won the coin toss and being the charming gentleman that he is, he allowed Jordin to select the order. She wanted to go second, so he graciously agreed to sing first. What a sweetheart! He decided to serve up his beat-box Bon Jovi anthem, You Give Love A Bad Name. This song allowed him to showcase everything that brought him here. He's got the moves baby, he's got the motion and when left to his own devices, he causes a commotion. He takes a 20 year old heavy metal jam and it sounds fresh and fun in Blakes hands. He can belt out the big notes and get the crowd clapping on their feet and then effortlessly segue into super hot beats and have them dancing along.
Jordin Sparks chose a song from Christina Aquilera's "Dirrty Era" when the 1999 Grammy winner for Best New Artist wanted to prove herself as a diva with an edge. The song Fighter is a declaration of strength and survival and Jordin used it to display the limitless potential of her youthful range. It was vibrant and energetic - vocally, but the performance style was straightforward and simple. She looked and sounded great.
Maroon 5 is the clearly the American Idol band of the year as Blake decided to perform their top 5 hit from 2004, She Will Be Loved. For those of you who are still counting, this was yet another in the very long list of songs that Blake has performed with absolutely no beat boxing at all. He showcased that pure smooth tenor that effortless glides from his full voice to a light as air falsetto that elevates you to a higher plane. He reaches out and touches the audience and simply makes a connection with his vocals, his rhythmic dance moves, his eyes and his smile.
Jordin already sang her greatest hit last week with I Who Have Nothing, so here in the finals she chose another one of her very good performances, Broken Wing. Once again, the style was standing center stage and letting her wonderful voice command all of the attention. She opens her mouth and the sky is filled with beautiful butterflies fluttering with angels - not a single broken wing among them.
The original song of the evening is called This Is My Now. Two guys from Seattle wrote it and won a competition to have the finalists sing it tonight. It's quite clear that they didn't write it with a dynamic performer like Blake Lewis in mind. It was a standard inspirational and uplifting ballad about how this is the night to believe and be proud to have a moment like this inside your heaven. For the past three months we've seen Blake work wonders with all different genres and take risks at reinventing songs with hip and cool arrangements. Tonight, he played it safe. He didn't make the song his own, so it was simply a basic, run of the mill song. Even with his bright smile, you could tell his heart wasn't in it, as though he wanted to take some risks and re-arrange the song, but he was told it wasn't allowed. So he got up there and made the best of it, clearly having so much of his talent restrained from getting out.
It's hard to believe that it was the same song. Jordin Sparks took her turn to sing This Is My Now and it was quite evident that she is exactly the wonderful voice the song was written for. She started out soft and sweet and then belted out the dramatics notes at the end. But even more than the vocals, it was so heartwarming to see the meaning of the lyrics written all over her face. Standing at the edge of the stage with the huge audience in front of her and the spotlight shining on her, she became overwhelmed with emotion and she genuinely experienced her "now".
As far as I am concerned this is a win-win situation. The two best, most talented contestants made it to the finals and tonight they were both very successful at showing off their strengths. If American Idol is just a singing competition, Jordin wins. Her voice is powerful, with a dramatic range. If American Idol is an all-around performance competition, Blake wins. He can dance, entertain, and sound great through it all. I am not going to make a prediction, though. At this point I am clearly an open book and I will be calling in and voting for Blake. That said, I will be very happy for either one if they get to be named the Season Six Miss American Idol.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
The Final Two Revealed
Before we get to find out who will go head to head in the finals next week, we have an hour long results show to get through. Much of the time was spent looking at the home town celebrations the finalists experienced this week. Jordin and Blake attracted huge crowds of fans and had emotional reunions with their friends and families.
It was exactly a year ago when the Season Five Miss American Idol results show named Elliot Yamin as the second runner-up. He was just shy of making it to the finals last year, but it hasn't stopped him from releasing an album and coming back to sing his new song tonight. It's your basic R & B slow jam that demonstrated how on earth this meek little guy managed to go so far in the competition. And then back to the celebrations, Melinda learned what it's like to have your old school name a street after you.
Last night Blake covered the smash hit from Maroon 5, This Love, and tonight the group was live on the American Idol stage to sing their super huge smash, Makes Me Wonder. It's been at the top of the Billboard HOT 100 singles chart for two weeks now and it's easily one of the best pop hits of the year. It's a wonderful uptempo jam that has a great beat, it's easy to dance to and it's fun to sing along with - everything a pop song should be.
Finally we got to the results and immediately learned that Jordin Sparks is in the finals. Ryan then asked Melinda to step forward to break the news to her that she was the lowest vote getter of the week and she is going home. She sang her signature anthem one more time and now we can relish in the news that BLAKE IS IN THE FINALS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Looks like my wishful thinking (and voting) paid off. I'm very excited for the dynamic potential for the final face off between Blake and Jordin next week. They are both very talented young performers and the competition promises to be fun and entertaining. Can't wait!
It was exactly a year ago when the Season Five Miss American Idol results show named Elliot Yamin as the second runner-up. He was just shy of making it to the finals last year, but it hasn't stopped him from releasing an album and coming back to sing his new song tonight. It's your basic R & B slow jam that demonstrated how on earth this meek little guy managed to go so far in the competition. And then back to the celebrations, Melinda learned what it's like to have your old school name a street after you.
Last night Blake covered the smash hit from Maroon 5, This Love, and tonight the group was live on the American Idol stage to sing their super huge smash, Makes Me Wonder. It's been at the top of the Billboard HOT 100 singles chart for two weeks now and it's easily one of the best pop hits of the year. It's a wonderful uptempo jam that has a great beat, it's easy to dance to and it's fun to sing along with - everything a pop song should be.
Finally we got to the results and immediately learned that Jordin Sparks is in the finals. Ryan then asked Melinda to step forward to break the news to her that she was the lowest vote getter of the week and she is going home. She sang her signature anthem one more time and now we can relish in the news that BLAKE IS IN THE FINALS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Looks like my wishful thinking (and voting) paid off. I'm very excited for the dynamic potential for the final face off between Blake and Jordin next week. They are both very talented young performers and the competition promises to be fun and entertaining. Can't wait!
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
The Top 3
Each finalist will sing three songs: One selected by Randy, Paula or Simon, One selected by the American Idol producers, and One self-selected by the finalist.
Jordin Sparks went first with Wishing On A Star selected by Simon Cowell. The Cover Girls took this lush production to the top 10 in 1992. This song is the perfect match for Jordin's impressive vocals, but rather than being true to the opulent arrangement, the band went for a more jazzy feel that seemed to take away some of the drama. She's still cute and fun enough to make it work though.
Blake Lewis then had to show he can interpret the Police classic, Roxanne, selected for him by Paula Abdul. Lesser finalists are no longer in the competition after failing to come close to the standard set by Sting, but Blake doesn't have that problem at all. If you've been counting, this was yet another performance where Blake did not use his beat box talents at all. He let his vocal range and stage presence carry him through and it was a breeze.
We all know Melinda Doolittle has been a back-up singer in the past, and Randy Jackson forced her to take command of the lead vocal on Whitney Houston's I Believe In You & Me from the Preacher's Wife soundtrack that peaked at #4 in 1997. Tonight is the night to show that she can get even better than when she started, but she didn't achieve that goal. It's almost like she's sleepwalking with the lack of emotion she conveys on stage.
Donna Summer proved that she is more than the Queen of Disco when she hit #3 in 1983 with She Works Hard For The Money. This was another great song that Jordin Sparks used to highlight her youthful vibrance and energy coupled with her powerful voice. She has the gift of making these oldies that were recorded long before she was born sound fresh and like they could hit the charts all over again.
Maroon 5 may have the #1 song in the country this week with Makes Me Wonder, but in 2004 they won the Grammy for Best New Artist for making great pop songs like This Love. This is the perfect song that allows Blake to show off all of his many talents. He could belt out with his full voice and slide into his falsetto while skillfully dancing across the stage and flashing his fun personality. And, yes, for those of you who are counting, he slipped into some subtle and completely appropriate beat boxing that fit the song perfectly.
Has Melinda ever worn a shorter dress that showed off her legs? I don't think so, but the producers choice of Tina Turner's Nutbush City Limits would have been her ideal opportunity to mix it up a bit. Very predictably, her voice sounded great, but her performance style was bland and didn't match the song or the energy of the music. She is being given the chance to raise her game and she's just not doing it.
It was the British Invasion theme week when Jordin performed I Who Have Nothing and she blew the competition away. In a group of big voiced divas, she set herself apart by demonstrating that she can set the bar very high and then surpass it. She chose to sing it again tonight and it was even better than the first time.
Rather than reminding us of one of his greatest hits from the competition, Blake selected a completely new and different song that the audience hasn't heard a million times before. This performance could bring some big success to Robin Thicke's When I Get You Alone. It hasn't hit the charts yet, but when you take one part rhythm, two parts dancin, a fifth of Beethoven and 100% Blake you've got whole lot of cool. He's like no one American Idol has seen before.
And then as if she's stuck in a time warp, Melinda serves up more of what we've seen before. She once again sang Because I'm A Woman apparently to showcase that she's perfectly comfortable catering to the retirement communities. It was just more of the same.
I'm not really going to give a prediction this week. It's more like wishful thinking. The judges clearly love Melinda and think she has a lock on a place in the finals. I, on the other hand, find her completely lacking in the star qualities that I want to see in the American Idol. Jordin has an effortless vocal range that soars to the highest heights. She's cute, young, and full of limitless potential. Blake is totally unique, seriously talented, and completely cool. A final face off between Jordin and Blake would be genuinely interesting. Melinda has shown us everything she's going to show us. If she comes back next week, it will be a let-down.
Jordin Sparks went first with Wishing On A Star selected by Simon Cowell. The Cover Girls took this lush production to the top 10 in 1992. This song is the perfect match for Jordin's impressive vocals, but rather than being true to the opulent arrangement, the band went for a more jazzy feel that seemed to take away some of the drama. She's still cute and fun enough to make it work though.
Blake Lewis then had to show he can interpret the Police classic, Roxanne, selected for him by Paula Abdul. Lesser finalists are no longer in the competition after failing to come close to the standard set by Sting, but Blake doesn't have that problem at all. If you've been counting, this was yet another performance where Blake did not use his beat box talents at all. He let his vocal range and stage presence carry him through and it was a breeze.
We all know Melinda Doolittle has been a back-up singer in the past, and Randy Jackson forced her to take command of the lead vocal on Whitney Houston's I Believe In You & Me from the Preacher's Wife soundtrack that peaked at #4 in 1997. Tonight is the night to show that she can get even better than when she started, but she didn't achieve that goal. It's almost like she's sleepwalking with the lack of emotion she conveys on stage.
Donna Summer proved that she is more than the Queen of Disco when she hit #3 in 1983 with She Works Hard For The Money. This was another great song that Jordin Sparks used to highlight her youthful vibrance and energy coupled with her powerful voice. She has the gift of making these oldies that were recorded long before she was born sound fresh and like they could hit the charts all over again.
Maroon 5 may have the #1 song in the country this week with Makes Me Wonder, but in 2004 they won the Grammy for Best New Artist for making great pop songs like This Love. This is the perfect song that allows Blake to show off all of his many talents. He could belt out with his full voice and slide into his falsetto while skillfully dancing across the stage and flashing his fun personality. And, yes, for those of you who are counting, he slipped into some subtle and completely appropriate beat boxing that fit the song perfectly.
Has Melinda ever worn a shorter dress that showed off her legs? I don't think so, but the producers choice of Tina Turner's Nutbush City Limits would have been her ideal opportunity to mix it up a bit. Very predictably, her voice sounded great, but her performance style was bland and didn't match the song or the energy of the music. She is being given the chance to raise her game and she's just not doing it.
It was the British Invasion theme week when Jordin performed I Who Have Nothing and she blew the competition away. In a group of big voiced divas, she set herself apart by demonstrating that she can set the bar very high and then surpass it. She chose to sing it again tonight and it was even better than the first time.
Rather than reminding us of one of his greatest hits from the competition, Blake selected a completely new and different song that the audience hasn't heard a million times before. This performance could bring some big success to Robin Thicke's When I Get You Alone. It hasn't hit the charts yet, but when you take one part rhythm, two parts dancin, a fifth of Beethoven and 100% Blake you've got whole lot of cool. He's like no one American Idol has seen before.
And then as if she's stuck in a time warp, Melinda serves up more of what we've seen before. She once again sang Because I'm A Woman apparently to showcase that she's perfectly comfortable catering to the retirement communities. It was just more of the same.
I'm not really going to give a prediction this week. It's more like wishful thinking. The judges clearly love Melinda and think she has a lock on a place in the finals. I, on the other hand, find her completely lacking in the star qualities that I want to see in the American Idol. Jordin has an effortless vocal range that soars to the highest heights. She's cute, young, and full of limitless potential. Blake is totally unique, seriously talented, and completely cool. A final face off between Jordin and Blake would be genuinely interesting. Melinda has shown us everything she's going to show us. If she comes back next week, it will be a let-down.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
The Results - Barry Gibb
Barry Gibb is one of the most accomplished artists in chart history. He sang lead vocals on nine #1 smash hits by the Bee Gees and he hit the top seven more times as a writer and producer for other artists ranging from Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Frankie Valli, Barbra Streisand, and his younger brother Andy. The idol finalists can only dream of having this kind of success. Hopefully they were listening and learning while Barry worked with them all week.
In order to fill a one hour results show we were served a performance from Pink. She's desperately trying to show the world that she's not dead yet. She had her biggest success with her album from 2001 that was packed with huge hits. She even hit #1 that year along with Mya, Lil' Kim and Christina Aguilera when they collaborated on Lady Marmalade. Since then Pink has been pretty absent from the top of the charts, so she really needs this high profile opportunity to sing Who Knew from her latest release, I'm Not Dead.
Some of the many Barry Gibb productions were then performed by the Final Four: Emotion, Too Much Heaven, Guilty, Islands In The Stream, You Win Again, Chain Reaction. This was a great medley of music that required that the finalists harmonize together in order to bring the productions to life. For the most part, they did a pretty good job of vocally doing them justice, but if this is a sample of what the American Idol Finalists will be bringing on tour, they have a lot more practicing to do. The choreography was very bland. They just sort of stand in line and then change positions and stand in line again. I guess it's just too much to ask that they sing and dance at the same time.
After being treated to a preview of the upcoming summer blockbuster, The Fantastic Four, The Final Four contestants had to face the reality that they are going to be cut down to three. Ryan revealed that Jordin is the first one who is definitely coming back next week. Melinda, LaKisha and Blake had to sit and wait while the man himself, Barry Gibb, took the stage and performed his own version of the song Jordin did so well last night, To Love Somebody.
Immediately back to the results, where Melinda was informed that she can join Jordin in the top three. Blake then got the good news leaving only LaKisha to hear that she is being sent home. Even though she won't be performing again next week, she grabbed the microphone and declared that she is Stayin Alive.
Why didn't anybody tell me that in my prediction yesterday I failed to name who was going home? I picked a bottom two and I only got one of them right. LaKisha was one of them so that has to count for something. We went from a very good Final Four to a very impressive Top Three. Blake, Jordin and Melinda promise to put on a great show for us next week.
In order to fill a one hour results show we were served a performance from Pink. She's desperately trying to show the world that she's not dead yet. She had her biggest success with her album from 2001 that was packed with huge hits. She even hit #1 that year along with Mya, Lil' Kim and Christina Aguilera when they collaborated on Lady Marmalade. Since then Pink has been pretty absent from the top of the charts, so she really needs this high profile opportunity to sing Who Knew from her latest release, I'm Not Dead.
Some of the many Barry Gibb productions were then performed by the Final Four: Emotion, Too Much Heaven, Guilty, Islands In The Stream, You Win Again, Chain Reaction. This was a great medley of music that required that the finalists harmonize together in order to bring the productions to life. For the most part, they did a pretty good job of vocally doing them justice, but if this is a sample of what the American Idol Finalists will be bringing on tour, they have a lot more practicing to do. The choreography was very bland. They just sort of stand in line and then change positions and stand in line again. I guess it's just too much to ask that they sing and dance at the same time.
After being treated to a preview of the upcoming summer blockbuster, The Fantastic Four, The Final Four contestants had to face the reality that they are going to be cut down to three. Ryan revealed that Jordin is the first one who is definitely coming back next week. Melinda, LaKisha and Blake had to sit and wait while the man himself, Barry Gibb, took the stage and performed his own version of the song Jordin did so well last night, To Love Somebody.
Immediately back to the results, where Melinda was informed that she can join Jordin in the top three. Blake then got the good news leaving only LaKisha to hear that she is being sent home. Even though she won't be performing again next week, she grabbed the microphone and declared that she is Stayin Alive.
Why didn't anybody tell me that in my prediction yesterday I failed to name who was going home? I picked a bottom two and I only got one of them right. LaKisha was one of them so that has to count for something. We went from a very good Final Four to a very impressive Top Three. Blake, Jordin and Melinda promise to put on a great show for us next week.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
The Final Four with Barry Gibb
Tonight we have a very talented Final Four who had the honor of working with music legend, Barry Gibb. They will have the chance to sing, not just one, but two of his beautiful productions
Melinda Doolittle set out to prove a point with her first performance of the evening - show that a song originally done in full falsetto can be belted out with a big voice. Love You Inside Out was the last Bee Gees song to hit the top of the charts. It spent just one week at #1 in 1979, but it showcased the signature falsetto style that fans came to know and love. Melinda has never displayed that an impressive falsetto was part of her versatile vocal range. Looks like it probably isn't. Her full voice rendition of this fabulous hit was her weakest showing so far.
The first bit of great news is that Blake Lewis has a blond streak in his hair again. He selected the disco anthem from 1976 that was another of the Bee Gees #1 hits, You Should Be Dancin. Blake is a musical genius who has the most impressive and versatile vocal range in the competition. It was no problem at all for him to shift from his full voice to falsetto. But even more impressive was his ability to vocalize the horn section in the middle of the song! He added some fresh sounding beat box enhancements that made this old classic sound new again. And on top of everything else, he danced across the stage with his usual rhythmic energy.
Stayin Alive is probably the song that most people think of when it comes to the Bee Gees. It spent 4 weeks at #1 at the beginning of 1978 and LaKisha Jones did her best to strut her stuff with her interpretation. It's not necessarily the best match for her voice, but her attempt to make it her own was notable. She made it more of a soulful, gospel number and it worked for her, although she's not even close to the musical genius that Blake is.
The Bee Gees are best known for their 70's disco jams, but they actually started having hits in 1967. One of those early hits was To Love Somebody and Jordin Sparks chose this ballad to set her apart from the crowd. Her voice was allowed to do everything that we hope it will when she takes the stage. Big soaring notes filled with power and strength from beginning to end. She may be young, but she understands the importance of song choice.
Long before there was an era called Disco, the Bee Gees had their first #1 song (four weeks) with How Can You Mend A Broken Heart in 1971. Melinda Doolittle once again stuck to what she knows best. She let her voice be front and center as usual, but when she's competing against a couple of musical dynamos, it's not very captivating. It's a great song that the Brothers Gibb did with intricate layers of texture and she just did a good job. The last note was supposed to be more impressive than it actually was.
Long after the Disco Era, the Bee Gees continued recording and in 2001 they released an album called This Is Where I Came In. Since it failed to become a hit for them, Blake Lewis chose to introduce the world to the title track. He created a musical fusion of reggae, pop and finger snapping beats. He taught the others how to make an unfamiliar song sound interesting with his very strong stage presence and ability to dance. This was easily his strongest vocal performance where he showed us what it sounds like when he belts with his full voice.
Reaching back to 1972, the Bee Gees had a minor hit with the lovely ballad, Run To Me. This song allowed LaKisha Jones to remind the audience of why she became a favorite early in the competition. Except for a very short time at the end of the song where her voice sounded hoarse, she was able to start sweet and build to an impressive crescendo. Add that to the fact that she has learned to dress better and convey more confidence on stage since the beginning and she may be sticking around for another week.
She was brave enough to take on Barbra before and Jordin Sparks has decided to do it again. Barry Gibb produced Ms. Streisand's most successful pop album in 1980 and she spent three weeks at #1 with the first single, Woman In Love. Jordin simply has a wonderful voice and it truly is capable of getting close to living up to the standard set by Barbra. She belted out the big notes and made them sound youthful and vibrant. Jordin has what it to takes.
Simply put: Blake Lewis is a musical instrument. He has vocal range, stage presence, rhythm and the unique ability to create music out of nowhere. He may be lucky to be the only boy left competing against three very similar divas. None of the girls has a striking "something special" to set them apart from the others, although Jordin's youth could be an advantage. I will go out on a limb and predict that LaKisha and Melinda will be the bottom two. At this point they could be competing for the same voters who may end up choosing niether of them.
Melinda Doolittle set out to prove a point with her first performance of the evening - show that a song originally done in full falsetto can be belted out with a big voice. Love You Inside Out was the last Bee Gees song to hit the top of the charts. It spent just one week at #1 in 1979, but it showcased the signature falsetto style that fans came to know and love. Melinda has never displayed that an impressive falsetto was part of her versatile vocal range. Looks like it probably isn't. Her full voice rendition of this fabulous hit was her weakest showing so far.
The first bit of great news is that Blake Lewis has a blond streak in his hair again. He selected the disco anthem from 1976 that was another of the Bee Gees #1 hits, You Should Be Dancin. Blake is a musical genius who has the most impressive and versatile vocal range in the competition. It was no problem at all for him to shift from his full voice to falsetto. But even more impressive was his ability to vocalize the horn section in the middle of the song! He added some fresh sounding beat box enhancements that made this old classic sound new again. And on top of everything else, he danced across the stage with his usual rhythmic energy.
Stayin Alive is probably the song that most people think of when it comes to the Bee Gees. It spent 4 weeks at #1 at the beginning of 1978 and LaKisha Jones did her best to strut her stuff with her interpretation. It's not necessarily the best match for her voice, but her attempt to make it her own was notable. She made it more of a soulful, gospel number and it worked for her, although she's not even close to the musical genius that Blake is.
The Bee Gees are best known for their 70's disco jams, but they actually started having hits in 1967. One of those early hits was To Love Somebody and Jordin Sparks chose this ballad to set her apart from the crowd. Her voice was allowed to do everything that we hope it will when she takes the stage. Big soaring notes filled with power and strength from beginning to end. She may be young, but she understands the importance of song choice.
Long before there was an era called Disco, the Bee Gees had their first #1 song (four weeks) with How Can You Mend A Broken Heart in 1971. Melinda Doolittle once again stuck to what she knows best. She let her voice be front and center as usual, but when she's competing against a couple of musical dynamos, it's not very captivating. It's a great song that the Brothers Gibb did with intricate layers of texture and she just did a good job. The last note was supposed to be more impressive than it actually was.
Long after the Disco Era, the Bee Gees continued recording and in 2001 they released an album called This Is Where I Came In. Since it failed to become a hit for them, Blake Lewis chose to introduce the world to the title track. He created a musical fusion of reggae, pop and finger snapping beats. He taught the others how to make an unfamiliar song sound interesting with his very strong stage presence and ability to dance. This was easily his strongest vocal performance where he showed us what it sounds like when he belts with his full voice.
Reaching back to 1972, the Bee Gees had a minor hit with the lovely ballad, Run To Me. This song allowed LaKisha Jones to remind the audience of why she became a favorite early in the competition. Except for a very short time at the end of the song where her voice sounded hoarse, she was able to start sweet and build to an impressive crescendo. Add that to the fact that she has learned to dress better and convey more confidence on stage since the beginning and she may be sticking around for another week.
She was brave enough to take on Barbra before and Jordin Sparks has decided to do it again. Barry Gibb produced Ms. Streisand's most successful pop album in 1980 and she spent three weeks at #1 with the first single, Woman In Love. Jordin simply has a wonderful voice and it truly is capable of getting close to living up to the standard set by Barbra. She belted out the big notes and made them sound youthful and vibrant. Jordin has what it to takes.
Simply put: Blake Lewis is a musical instrument. He has vocal range, stage presence, rhythm and the unique ability to create music out of nowhere. He may be lucky to be the only boy left competing against three very similar divas. None of the girls has a striking "something special" to set them apart from the others, although Jordin's youth could be an advantage. I will go out on a limb and predict that LaKisha and Melinda will be the bottom two. At this point they could be competing for the same voters who may end up choosing niether of them.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
The Results - Bon Jovi
We heard three of them last night, but in total Bon Jovi managed to rock five jammin anthems to the #1 position on the Billboard HOT 100 singles charts from 1986 to 1990. Even though they haven't hit the top in quite a few years they are still releasing a great blend of rock pop and country music that is all over the charts to this day. Bon Jovi has successfully evolved from 80's hair band to music legends.
Remember the actor who played the dad on Growing Pains, Alan Thicke? Did you know that he has a real life son (not Kirk Cameron) who has had the #1 R&B single for 11 weeks. That's right, the huge smash, Lost Without U by Robin Thicke is showing no signs of losing ground. And as Robin took the American Idol stage and performed this sultry slow jam tonight, it is likely to top the charts for a few more weeks.
Ryan turned to the results that we have been waiting for for the past two weeks. He asked Melinda, Phil and LaKisha to stand center stage and hear their fate. Melinda was the first to find out that she has made the final four. LaKisha will be joining her next week and we are finally, after being in the bottom three every week, sending Phil home. It was a long time coming and he went down with a Blaze of Glory.
The remaining finalists were then asked to stand: Jordin, Blake and Chris. Ryan immediately informed Jordin that she is safe. He didn't want to make her wait after stringing her along last week. That left either Blake or Chris to potentially be going home. They had to wait while Jon Bon Jovi and the band performed their latest song. It's a subtle, accoustic number expressing more of their growth and maturity. Maturity is something that I had a very hard time showing while fidgiting and worrying if America failed to keep Blake safe. Thankfully, Ryan revealed that Chris has gone as far as he could in the competition and his ride has come to an end. It should hold some solace for him to know that his fans still want him, dead or alive.
Just when I wanted it most, I was correct with both of my predictions this week. It simply would have been wrong for either Phil or Chris to remain. We are now left with what could quite possibly be the most impressive Final Four in American Idol history (all six seasons!). We have the whole combination of great voices, stage presence, style and a huge amount of yet to be seen potential in Blake, Jordin, Melinda and LaKisha. The performances next week promise to be a music lover's dream come true. Can't wait!
Remember the actor who played the dad on Growing Pains, Alan Thicke? Did you know that he has a real life son (not Kirk Cameron) who has had the #1 R&B single for 11 weeks. That's right, the huge smash, Lost Without U by Robin Thicke is showing no signs of losing ground. And as Robin took the American Idol stage and performed this sultry slow jam tonight, it is likely to top the charts for a few more weeks.
Ryan turned to the results that we have been waiting for for the past two weeks. He asked Melinda, Phil and LaKisha to stand center stage and hear their fate. Melinda was the first to find out that she has made the final four. LaKisha will be joining her next week and we are finally, after being in the bottom three every week, sending Phil home. It was a long time coming and he went down with a Blaze of Glory.
The remaining finalists were then asked to stand: Jordin, Blake and Chris. Ryan immediately informed Jordin that she is safe. He didn't want to make her wait after stringing her along last week. That left either Blake or Chris to potentially be going home. They had to wait while Jon Bon Jovi and the band performed their latest song. It's a subtle, accoustic number expressing more of their growth and maturity. Maturity is something that I had a very hard time showing while fidgiting and worrying if America failed to keep Blake safe. Thankfully, Ryan revealed that Chris has gone as far as he could in the competition and his ride has come to an end. It should hold some solace for him to know that his fans still want him, dead or alive.
Just when I wanted it most, I was correct with both of my predictions this week. It simply would have been wrong for either Phil or Chris to remain. We are now left with what could quite possibly be the most impressive Final Four in American Idol history (all six seasons!). We have the whole combination of great voices, stage presence, style and a huge amount of yet to be seen potential in Blake, Jordin, Melinda and LaKisha. The performances next week promise to be a music lover's dream come true. Can't wait!
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
The Top 6 - AGAIN! This time with Bon Jovi
Gina Glockson sat in the audience full of envy as the 6 finalists performed the rockin catalog of Bon Jovi. She missed out on the chance to work with front man Jon Bon Jovi and learn from the experience of the last hair band left standing.
It was 1990 and Jon Bon Jovi broke away from the band to have his first solo single with Blaze Of Glory from the Young Guns 2 soundtrack. He took it all the way to the top of the charts. Phil Stacey opened the show with his own version of the song and it was very clear that he genuinely loves it. Normally he sounds like he's yawning through his performance, but tonight he actually had the appropriate amount of energy. Good, but he's still out classed by the competition.
Livin On A Prayer is something that Jordin Sparks has not been doing in this competition. She's proven so far that she's got the vocal talent to be a contender for the finals even though the theme for this week is not something she can face with her usual ease. For tonight she needed to depend on a prayer as she took the stage with her huge teased rock chick hair and she belted out Bon Jovi's biggest hit that spent four weeks at #1 in 1987. She faced the challange head on and managed to do a very respectable rock show.
Rather than trying to interpret a huge smash, LaKisha Jones found This Ain't A Love Song that quitely slipped into the top 20 in 1995. For Bon Jovi it was a standard power ballad, but LaKisha reinvented it as an uplifting and soulful jam. She looked great in a tight black ensamble with her hair long and straight. The look and the song combined showcased some stage presence that she has been lacking all season.
At first glance, I must admit that I am not pleased that Blake Lewis decided to color his hair darker. But he proved there's a lot more to him than those blond tips. After demonstrating his ethereal and dreamy side for the last few weeks he decided to not only rock the house, but bring back the hot shot beat box boy all at once. He conformed to the theme like an eager student while taking it up ten notches with his completely original, exciting and captivating personal style. Blake re-arranged Bon Jovi's first #1 smash from 1986, You Give Love A Bad Name. It was surprising, fun and entertaining. The audience was truly mesmerized to wait and hear what notes were going to come out of him next! By the end of the extravaganza, I was even convinced that the hair choice worked.
Chris Richardson is not Blake. He has failed to demonstrate the ability to even be mildly interesting. Chris is stuck in a rut with his late 90's boy band mannerisms and they were a dreadful match for Wanted Dead Or Alive, that hit the top 10 in 1987. Nothing about it worked, from the members only jacket to the white belt. With no exciting fashion choice or dynamic stage presence there was nothing to hide the weak vocals.
Bon Jovi proved themselves as the last hair band left standing when they hit the charts again in 2005 with Have A Nice Day. It's a classic rocker with all of the energy of their biggest hits in the 80's. Melinda Doolittle did her best to dress the part in a torn t-shirt, but it was very clear that she is not comfortable with the theme. It still didn't prevent her from putting in the accomplished vocal rendition of a seasoned pro.
Since all six finalists were saved last week, the bottom two will be going home tomorrow night. All of the votes from last week will be combined with the ones cast tonight and I am keeping my fingers crossed that the totals will finally be sending Phil and Chris home.
It was 1990 and Jon Bon Jovi broke away from the band to have his first solo single with Blaze Of Glory from the Young Guns 2 soundtrack. He took it all the way to the top of the charts. Phil Stacey opened the show with his own version of the song and it was very clear that he genuinely loves it. Normally he sounds like he's yawning through his performance, but tonight he actually had the appropriate amount of energy. Good, but he's still out classed by the competition.
Livin On A Prayer is something that Jordin Sparks has not been doing in this competition. She's proven so far that she's got the vocal talent to be a contender for the finals even though the theme for this week is not something she can face with her usual ease. For tonight she needed to depend on a prayer as she took the stage with her huge teased rock chick hair and she belted out Bon Jovi's biggest hit that spent four weeks at #1 in 1987. She faced the challange head on and managed to do a very respectable rock show.
Rather than trying to interpret a huge smash, LaKisha Jones found This Ain't A Love Song that quitely slipped into the top 20 in 1995. For Bon Jovi it was a standard power ballad, but LaKisha reinvented it as an uplifting and soulful jam. She looked great in a tight black ensamble with her hair long and straight. The look and the song combined showcased some stage presence that she has been lacking all season.
At first glance, I must admit that I am not pleased that Blake Lewis decided to color his hair darker. But he proved there's a lot more to him than those blond tips. After demonstrating his ethereal and dreamy side for the last few weeks he decided to not only rock the house, but bring back the hot shot beat box boy all at once. He conformed to the theme like an eager student while taking it up ten notches with his completely original, exciting and captivating personal style. Blake re-arranged Bon Jovi's first #1 smash from 1986, You Give Love A Bad Name. It was surprising, fun and entertaining. The audience was truly mesmerized to wait and hear what notes were going to come out of him next! By the end of the extravaganza, I was even convinced that the hair choice worked.
Chris Richardson is not Blake. He has failed to demonstrate the ability to even be mildly interesting. Chris is stuck in a rut with his late 90's boy band mannerisms and they were a dreadful match for Wanted Dead Or Alive, that hit the top 10 in 1987. Nothing about it worked, from the members only jacket to the white belt. With no exciting fashion choice or dynamic stage presence there was nothing to hide the weak vocals.
Bon Jovi proved themselves as the last hair band left standing when they hit the charts again in 2005 with Have A Nice Day. It's a classic rocker with all of the energy of their biggest hits in the 80's. Melinda Doolittle did her best to dress the part in a torn t-shirt, but it was very clear that she is not comfortable with the theme. It still didn't prevent her from putting in the accomplished vocal rendition of a seasoned pro.
Since all six finalists were saved last week, the bottom two will be going home tomorrow night. All of the votes from last week will be combined with the ones cast tonight and I am keeping my fingers crossed that the totals will finally be sending Phil and Chris home.
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