Tonight's results show opened with the finalists getting showered with praise via twitter from the artists whose songs were performed last night. The Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood loved how Hollie sand her song last night and superstar Mariah Carey was very impressed with Joshua. Deandre received the most exciting praise of all, when Eric Benet actually showed up on stage to congratulate him on a job well done.
Elise and Phillip were the first to learn they are safe, while Hollie somehow ended up in the bottom three.
Nicki Minaj took the stage to perform her latest dance/hip-hop hit song, Starships. It's a fun techno infused jam, but it didn't sound like there were any live vocals in there at all.
Colton and Joshua are also safe, putting Heejun in the bottom three with Hollie.
The Season 10 Miss American Idol winner, Scotty McCreery, is the most successful Idol winner of the past few years. His debut album, Clear As Day, hit number one on the Billboard Albums chart and it has been certified platinum. He returned to the Idol stage tonight to sing his latest traditional country single, Water Tower Town.
Jessica and Deandre then learned that they are safe leaving Skylar to complete the bottom three. Hollie and Skylar are both safe which meant that Heejun had to sing for his life and thank goodness the judges did not use the SAVE so we are rid of him for good.
I correctly predicted that both Skylar and Heejun would be in the bottom three and there can be dancing in the streets as we celebrate that I was right about Heejun getting the ax.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
The Top 9 - Sing Heroes
The Top 9 finalists received some professional advice from Stevie Nicks and they were able to select a song from their personal music heroes:
Colton Dixon chose to sing a song by Lifehouse. It was an emotional and heartfelt ballad that allowed him to convey the substance and the meaning of the song. You could tell that this inspirational song of worship truly means something to him.
Skyar Laine chose to sing a song by Miranda Lambert, Gunpowder and Lead. This is the kind of tough girl anthem that is perfect for her. The vocals were strong, but she wasn't quite putting the genuine punch in the lyrics like she knew what she was singing about.
Colton, Elise, and Phillip came together to perform the Fleetwood Mac classic, Landslide with Colton on lead vocals. It was flawless. Elise took the mic to sing Stevie's signature hit Edge of Seventeen. It was a perfect match for her sound and look. Then Phillip took lead vocals on Don't Stop and it was no big surprise that he butchered it.
Heejun Han chose to sing A Song For You by Donnie Hathaway. He claimed he was going to take things more seriously, but he's still a big fake and a phoney. There wasn't a shred of sincerity in a single note that he sang. Boring and forgettable.
Hollie Cavanagh chose to sing the debut single from the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood, Jesus Take The Wheel. Hollie served up the real deal with her outstanding and impressive vocal range along with an emotional connection that was completely convincing and true.
Deandre Brackensick chose to sing Sometimes I Cry by Eric Benet. This was a heartbreaking R&B ballad that was interpreted by Deandre like a seasoned professional. He has a smooth and sultry falsetto that is made to make a man melt! Mmmm Mmmmm Good!
Jessica Sanchez chose to sing Sweet Dreams by Beyonce. AMAZING! Beyonce may be her hero, but Jessica did this song even better than Beyonce ever did! She slowed it down to be a ballad and seriously showcased that could seriously become a bigger star than her hero.
Deandrea, Joshua and Heejun performed a medley of Michael Jackson hits including The Lady in my Life, Rock With You and P.Y.T. This a was perfect fit for Deandre to completely shine and put Joshua and Heejun in the place of back-up singers where they are a better fit.
Phillip Phillips chose to sing a song by Johnny Lang. This allowed him to show the world who is and what he can do. And this is all he can do. He openly admits that he has no range, versatility or ability to appropriately interpret a musical theme or adapt to a different style.
Joshua Ledet chose to sing Without You that was a world wide smash hit for Mariah Carey in 1993. His voice couldn't be more different than Mariah's, so he was totally able to make it his own and he jam-packed it with an over the top emotional punch.
Jessica, Hollie and Skylar performed a medley of Madonna songs including Like A Prayer, Borderline and Express Yourself. These popular hits sounded better with the wonderful voices of these three young girls than Madonna could have ever lip-synced on her own.
Elise Testone chose to sing Whole Lotta Love by Led Zepplin. Elise is an all out ROCK STAR. She exuded some full on credibility as she tore the roof off the place. HOT HOT HOT!
It was a great night of live music entertainment, but it's still easy to make my prediction for the bottom three. It has to be Skylar, Heejun and Phillip. But the one certain to be going home has to be Heejun. That sappy drivel he served us tonight was unbearable and a complete insult to the memory of Donnie Hathaway. It's best to get rid of Heejun now so he won't be disrespectful to anyone else.
Colton Dixon chose to sing a song by Lifehouse. It was an emotional and heartfelt ballad that allowed him to convey the substance and the meaning of the song. You could tell that this inspirational song of worship truly means something to him.
Skyar Laine chose to sing a song by Miranda Lambert, Gunpowder and Lead. This is the kind of tough girl anthem that is perfect for her. The vocals were strong, but she wasn't quite putting the genuine punch in the lyrics like she knew what she was singing about.
Colton, Elise, and Phillip came together to perform the Fleetwood Mac classic, Landslide with Colton on lead vocals. It was flawless. Elise took the mic to sing Stevie's signature hit Edge of Seventeen. It was a perfect match for her sound and look. Then Phillip took lead vocals on Don't Stop and it was no big surprise that he butchered it.
Heejun Han chose to sing A Song For You by Donnie Hathaway. He claimed he was going to take things more seriously, but he's still a big fake and a phoney. There wasn't a shred of sincerity in a single note that he sang. Boring and forgettable.
Hollie Cavanagh chose to sing the debut single from the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood, Jesus Take The Wheel. Hollie served up the real deal with her outstanding and impressive vocal range along with an emotional connection that was completely convincing and true.
Deandre Brackensick chose to sing Sometimes I Cry by Eric Benet. This was a heartbreaking R&B ballad that was interpreted by Deandre like a seasoned professional. He has a smooth and sultry falsetto that is made to make a man melt! Mmmm Mmmmm Good!
Jessica Sanchez chose to sing Sweet Dreams by Beyonce. AMAZING! Beyonce may be her hero, but Jessica did this song even better than Beyonce ever did! She slowed it down to be a ballad and seriously showcased that could seriously become a bigger star than her hero.
Deandrea, Joshua and Heejun performed a medley of Michael Jackson hits including The Lady in my Life, Rock With You and P.Y.T. This a was perfect fit for Deandre to completely shine and put Joshua and Heejun in the place of back-up singers where they are a better fit.
Phillip Phillips chose to sing a song by Johnny Lang. This allowed him to show the world who is and what he can do. And this is all he can do. He openly admits that he has no range, versatility or ability to appropriately interpret a musical theme or adapt to a different style.
Joshua Ledet chose to sing Without You that was a world wide smash hit for Mariah Carey in 1993. His voice couldn't be more different than Mariah's, so he was totally able to make it his own and he jam-packed it with an over the top emotional punch.
Jessica, Hollie and Skylar performed a medley of Madonna songs including Like A Prayer, Borderline and Express Yourself. These popular hits sounded better with the wonderful voices of these three young girls than Madonna could have ever lip-synced on her own.
Elise Testone chose to sing Whole Lotta Love by Led Zepplin. Elise is an all out ROCK STAR. She exuded some full on credibility as she tore the roof off the place. HOT HOT HOT!
It was a great night of live music entertainment, but it's still easy to make my prediction for the bottom three. It has to be Skylar, Heejun and Phillip. But the one certain to be going home has to be Heejun. That sappy drivel he served us tonight was unbearable and a complete insult to the memory of Donnie Hathaway. It's best to get rid of Heejun now so he won't be disrespectful to anyone else.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
The Results - Billy Joel
The Top 10 finalists opened the show with an impressive group performance of Billy Joel's hit, The Longest Time, that peaked at #14 in 1984. This song allowed each of them to get solo vocals in the spotlight and it was very well done.
Hollie, Skylar, and Elise all got the good news that they are safe.
New artist Lana Del Rey then took the stage to perform her single, Video Games. This was basicly an example to all of the finalists of what NOT to do. It was completely boring. Lana has absolutely zero personality or stage presence. Her vocals are totally flat and dreary. The song itself had no hook at all and is not catchy in the least bit.
Joshua and Jessica then heard the news that they are also safe while Deandre was the first to be placed in the bottom three.
Last season's biggest nightmare finalist, Haley Reinhart, came back to the American Idol stage to once again terrorize the crowd with her lack of talent and new single called Free. This young woman has not changed a bit. She is still best suited to be in a comedy sketch about bad singers, but it's amazing that she actually takes herself seriously. No radio station in the world would play this hot mess of song and her styling and performance was completely unintentional comedy.
Colton and Phillip then heard that they are safe, as Heejun and Erika had to round out the bottom three. Deandre was the first sent back to safety followed by Heejun leaving Erika to sing I Believe In You and Me in the hopes that the judges would use their SAVE. They did not, so unfortunately the makeover and her great performance last night didn't do the trick.
I only correctly predicted that Heejun would be in the bottom three and it is scary that he is coming back next week to once again be a rude and insulting jerk.
Hollie, Skylar, and Elise all got the good news that they are safe.
New artist Lana Del Rey then took the stage to perform her single, Video Games. This was basicly an example to all of the finalists of what NOT to do. It was completely boring. Lana has absolutely zero personality or stage presence. Her vocals are totally flat and dreary. The song itself had no hook at all and is not catchy in the least bit.
Joshua and Jessica then heard the news that they are also safe while Deandre was the first to be placed in the bottom three.
Last season's biggest nightmare finalist, Haley Reinhart, came back to the American Idol stage to once again terrorize the crowd with her lack of talent and new single called Free. This young woman has not changed a bit. She is still best suited to be in a comedy sketch about bad singers, but it's amazing that she actually takes herself seriously. No radio station in the world would play this hot mess of song and her styling and performance was completely unintentional comedy.
Colton and Phillip then heard that they are safe, as Heejun and Erika had to round out the bottom three. Deandre was the first sent back to safety followed by Heejun leaving Erika to sing I Believe In You and Me in the hopes that the judges would use their SAVE. They did not, so unfortunately the makeover and her great performance last night didn't do the trick.
I only correctly predicted that Heejun would be in the bottom three and it is scary that he is coming back next week to once again be a rude and insulting jerk.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
The Top 10 sing Billy Joel
The Top 10 Finalists are singing selections from the Billy Joel songbook:
Deandre Brackensick decided to sing Only The Good Die Young that peaked at #24 in 1978. He totally commanded the stage with his high energy performance, and his impressive vocal range continues to set him apart from the other guys.
Erika Van Pelt decided to sing the classic track New York State Of Mind from the 1976 album Turnstiles. She showed off a new short and dark hair cut while also showing off her big voice. She did a great job.
Joshua Ledet decided to sing She's Got A Way that hit #23 in 1982. He took this pop ballad and he transformed it into a gospel anthem. That's just what he does.
Skylar Laine selected the obscure album track Shameless from the 1989 album Stormfront. Her vocals were just as powerful as always as she introduced the crowd to this song. It was vocally good, but not a performance showstopper.
Elise Testone also selected another obscure album track. This time it was Vienna from the 1977 album The Stranger. She blew us away with her hard rocking and raspy vocals, but the song wasn't very catchy.
Phillip Phillips decided to sing Moving Out that peaked at #17 in 1978. He just stood there looking very dreary in gray and even with all of his screaming he still managed to suck all of the life out of the song. He made you really want to hear how great Billy's original version is.
Hollie Cavanagh decided to sing Honesty that hit #24 in 1979. It was quite simply amazing how she completely hit every big note perfectly and even more amazing how she conveyed the depth, maturity and meaning of every single lyric.
Heejun Han decided to sing My Life that peaked all the way up at #3 in 1978. Words cannot accurately describe just how huge of an EPIC FAIL this attempt at musical entertainment was. He could not sing any of the notes accurately and he wasn't funny at all.
Jessica Sanchez also selected another obscure album track from the 1977 album The Stranger. This time it was Everybody Has A Dream. This could very easily be a single on her debut album. She looked and sounded fantastic.
Colton Dixon decided to sing Billy's first hit song - Piano Man - that hit #25 in 1974. Colton transformed himself into his own wonderful version of the piano man as he sat and played at a piano while perfectly interpreting the words. It totally brought the house down.
My prediction for the bottom three this week is Elise Testone, Heejun Han, and Phillip Phillips. After the complete mess that he made on stage it simply has to be Heejun going home.
Deandre Brackensick decided to sing Only The Good Die Young that peaked at #24 in 1978. He totally commanded the stage with his high energy performance, and his impressive vocal range continues to set him apart from the other guys.
Erika Van Pelt decided to sing the classic track New York State Of Mind from the 1976 album Turnstiles. She showed off a new short and dark hair cut while also showing off her big voice. She did a great job.
Joshua Ledet decided to sing She's Got A Way that hit #23 in 1982. He took this pop ballad and he transformed it into a gospel anthem. That's just what he does.
Skylar Laine selected the obscure album track Shameless from the 1989 album Stormfront. Her vocals were just as powerful as always as she introduced the crowd to this song. It was vocally good, but not a performance showstopper.
Elise Testone also selected another obscure album track. This time it was Vienna from the 1977 album The Stranger. She blew us away with her hard rocking and raspy vocals, but the song wasn't very catchy.
Phillip Phillips decided to sing Moving Out that peaked at #17 in 1978. He just stood there looking very dreary in gray and even with all of his screaming he still managed to suck all of the life out of the song. He made you really want to hear how great Billy's original version is.
Hollie Cavanagh decided to sing Honesty that hit #24 in 1979. It was quite simply amazing how she completely hit every big note perfectly and even more amazing how she conveyed the depth, maturity and meaning of every single lyric.
Heejun Han decided to sing My Life that peaked all the way up at #3 in 1978. Words cannot accurately describe just how huge of an EPIC FAIL this attempt at musical entertainment was. He could not sing any of the notes accurately and he wasn't funny at all.
Jessica Sanchez also selected another obscure album track from the 1977 album The Stranger. This time it was Everybody Has A Dream. This could very easily be a single on her debut album. She looked and sounded fantastic.
Colton Dixon decided to sing Billy's first hit song - Piano Man - that hit #25 in 1974. Colton transformed himself into his own wonderful version of the piano man as he sat and played at a piano while perfectly interpreting the words. It totally brought the house down.
My prediction for the bottom three this week is Elise Testone, Heejun Han, and Phillip Phillips. After the complete mess that he made on stage it simply has to be Heejun going home.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
The Results - Beginnings
There was no group performance to open the show this week. Ryan got started with the results immediately informing us that Phillip, Joshua and Skylar were all safe while Elise was once again at risk of elimination.
Teen star Demi Lovato is continuing to pursue a career as a young adult in the music world. After huge success starring in Disney movies and TV shows like Camp Rock, she came to the American Idol stage to perform her latest dance pop single, Give Your Heart A Break. Demi is way better than Miley Cyrus, but not quite as all-around cute, talented and adorable as Selena Gomez.
Colton, Jessica and Deandre are safe leaving Shannon to join Elise in the bottom three.
The season 5 Miss American Idol 3rd Runner-Up, Chris Daughtry, has had very significant platinum selling success with his first two albums, and this performance tonight should give a nice boost to the lagging sales of his third album. The single Outta My Head has a little more bounce and energy than his usual brand of soft rock, so things could turn around.
Hollie and Heejun are also safe putting Erika in the position of completing the bottom three with Shannon and Elise. But thankfully, after her wonderful performance of Let's Stay Together last night, Elise is also safe.
Erika was then also sent back to safety while Shannon had one last chance to sing for her life in the hopes that the judges would save her from elimination. Unfortunately for her, she completely butchered One Sweet Day the same way she did last night and the judges put us all out of our misery.
So Shannon is out of the competition just as I had predicted. But to go along with that good news is the bad news that we are still stuck with the terrible twosome of mean boys, Phillip and Heejun to be rude, arrogant and condescending for another week.
Teen star Demi Lovato is continuing to pursue a career as a young adult in the music world. After huge success starring in Disney movies and TV shows like Camp Rock, she came to the American Idol stage to perform her latest dance pop single, Give Your Heart A Break. Demi is way better than Miley Cyrus, but not quite as all-around cute, talented and adorable as Selena Gomez.
Colton, Jessica and Deandre are safe leaving Shannon to join Elise in the bottom three.
The season 5 Miss American Idol 3rd Runner-Up, Chris Daughtry, has had very significant platinum selling success with his first two albums, and this performance tonight should give a nice boost to the lagging sales of his third album. The single Outta My Head has a little more bounce and energy than his usual brand of soft rock, so things could turn around.
Hollie and Heejun are also safe putting Erika in the position of completing the bottom three with Shannon and Elise. But thankfully, after her wonderful performance of Let's Stay Together last night, Elise is also safe.
Erika was then also sent back to safety while Shannon had one last chance to sing for her life in the hopes that the judges would save her from elimination. Unfortunately for her, she completely butchered One Sweet Day the same way she did last night and the judges put us all out of our misery.
So Shannon is out of the competition just as I had predicted. But to go along with that good news is the bad news that we are still stuck with the terrible twosome of mean boys, Phillip and Heejun to be rude, arrogant and condescending for another week.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
The Top 11 sing their beginnings
Tonight the top 11 finalists will sing a song from the year they were born. That's right, I said 11 and not 12. Jermaine Jones has been disqualified from the competition because he failed to disclose FOUR criminal warrants out for his arrest! it doesn't really matter because he had no chance at getting very far anyway.
1990 is the year the Phillip Phillips was born and also the year that The Black Crowes had a hit with Hard To Handle. Phillip sounded like he was trying to pass a kidney stone while he was screaming out the lyrics to this song.
1995 is the year that Jessica Sanchez was born and also the year that Gloria Estefan had a hit with Turn The Beat Around. Jessica has already proven that her amazing voice sounds pitch perfect on a dramatic ballad, but tonight she wanted to show she can do a disco dance jam as well. While this may not be her ideal style, she was still fantastic. And she looked absolutely fabulous in is sparkly silver pants!
1989 is the year that Heejun Han was born and also the year that Richard Marx spent three weeks at #1 with Right Here Waiting. This performance was completely dreary and boring.
1983 is the year that Elise Testone was born and also the year that Tina Turner started her big comeback with Let's Stay Together. This was a wonderful song choice to showcase her unique voice and really highlight her talents at their best.
1994 is the year that Deandre Brackensick was born and also the year that Mariah Carey and Luther Vandross hit #2 with Endless Love. Deandre's vocal skills can easily handle the multiple layers in this duet all by himself. His range is outstanding and he sounds awesome.
1995 is the year that Shannon Magrane was born and also the year that Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men spent 16 weeks at #1 with One Sweet Day. Shannon is completely out of her league in this competition and with this song. She was totally unable to handle the complex vocal demands of this song because of her limited breath control.
1991 is the year that Colton Dixon was born and also the year that White Lion released Broken Heart. Colton completely made this song his own with his passionate vocals and captivating stage presence.
1985 is the year that Erika Van Pelt was born and also the year that Bryan Adams spent one week at #1 with Heaven. Erika was able to make the power ballad even bigger with her big voice and a big dramatic arrangement.
1994 is the year that Skylar Laine was born and also the year that Bonnie Raitt had a hit with Love Sneaking Up On You. While Skylar has been able to really shine on other songs, tonight she was pretty "by the book", but for her that's still very good.
1992 is the year that Joshua Ledet was born and also the year that Michael Bolton hit #1 for one week with When a Man Loves A Woman. Joshua put out all the stops with his soulful and over the top performance of this R&B classic. He worked the stage and brought the house down.
1993 is the year the Hollie Cavanagh was born and also the year that Celine Dion spent four weeks at #1 with The Power of Love. Hollie was up there in her red carpet ready long gown and made it look easy to sing notes with crystal clear perfection. She was completely lovely on stage as the best was obviously saved for last.
My prediction for the bottom three this week is Phillip, Heejun and Shannon. If any of them went home this week they wouldn't be missed at all, but I think that it's going to be Shannon.
1990 is the year the Phillip Phillips was born and also the year that The Black Crowes had a hit with Hard To Handle. Phillip sounded like he was trying to pass a kidney stone while he was screaming out the lyrics to this song.
1995 is the year that Jessica Sanchez was born and also the year that Gloria Estefan had a hit with Turn The Beat Around. Jessica has already proven that her amazing voice sounds pitch perfect on a dramatic ballad, but tonight she wanted to show she can do a disco dance jam as well. While this may not be her ideal style, she was still fantastic. And she looked absolutely fabulous in is sparkly silver pants!
1989 is the year that Heejun Han was born and also the year that Richard Marx spent three weeks at #1 with Right Here Waiting. This performance was completely dreary and boring.
1983 is the year that Elise Testone was born and also the year that Tina Turner started her big comeback with Let's Stay Together. This was a wonderful song choice to showcase her unique voice and really highlight her talents at their best.
1994 is the year that Deandre Brackensick was born and also the year that Mariah Carey and Luther Vandross hit #2 with Endless Love. Deandre's vocal skills can easily handle the multiple layers in this duet all by himself. His range is outstanding and he sounds awesome.
1995 is the year that Shannon Magrane was born and also the year that Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men spent 16 weeks at #1 with One Sweet Day. Shannon is completely out of her league in this competition and with this song. She was totally unable to handle the complex vocal demands of this song because of her limited breath control.
1991 is the year that Colton Dixon was born and also the year that White Lion released Broken Heart. Colton completely made this song his own with his passionate vocals and captivating stage presence.
1985 is the year that Erika Van Pelt was born and also the year that Bryan Adams spent one week at #1 with Heaven. Erika was able to make the power ballad even bigger with her big voice and a big dramatic arrangement.
1994 is the year that Skylar Laine was born and also the year that Bonnie Raitt had a hit with Love Sneaking Up On You. While Skylar has been able to really shine on other songs, tonight she was pretty "by the book", but for her that's still very good.
1992 is the year that Joshua Ledet was born and also the year that Michael Bolton hit #1 for one week with When a Man Loves A Woman. Joshua put out all the stops with his soulful and over the top performance of this R&B classic. He worked the stage and brought the house down.
1993 is the year the Hollie Cavanagh was born and also the year that Celine Dion spent four weeks at #1 with The Power of Love. Hollie was up there in her red carpet ready long gown and made it look easy to sing notes with crystal clear perfection. She was completely lovely on stage as the best was obviously saved for last.
My prediction for the bottom three this week is Phillip, Heejun and Shannon. If any of them went home this week they wouldn't be missed at all, but I think that it's going to be Shannon.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
The Results - Boys Vs. Girls
The Top 13 opened this very first results show of the competition with a very good arrangement and a well-choreographed performance of Stevie Wonder's hit As that hit #36 in 1977.
Jessica, Elise and Holly were the first to have to stand center stage and hear the news. Jessica and Holly are safe while Elise is the first girl in the bottom three.
Next came Jermaine, Colton and Heejun. The results placed Jermaine as the first boy in the bottom three and Colton and Heejun safely coming back next week.
The Season 10 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up made her return to the stage to perform Georgia Peaches from her debut album Wildflower. It's a pretty fun song, but she was a little over-confident with her performance style. As she tried to be all cool, flirty and casual she lost sight of her monitors and sound equipment. She ended up just pulling it off completely when she tripped on the cord finishing up the song quite messily.
Erika, Shannon and Skylar were next. Skylar is safe leaving both Erika and Shannon to join Elise in the bottom three girls.
Jeremy, Phillip, Joshua and Deandre then had to take their place center stage. Phillip and Deandre are safe placing Joshua and Jeremy into the bottom three boys with Jermaine. Joshua wasn't there for long as Ryan very quickly sent both him and Erika back to safety.
Mary J. Blige has an impressive history of hits dating back to her #7 hit Real Love from 1992. She peaked at #2 twice with Not Gon' Cry from the Waiting To Exhale soundtrack in 1996 and Be Without You in 2006. She hit the #1 position on the Billboard HOT 100 chart in 2001 with Family Affair. Tonight she took the stage to perform her latest single called Why.
Jermaine, Jeremy, Shannon and Elise are the bottom four. With Jermaine and Shannon safe, that means the final Boys Vs. Girls elimination is between Jeremy and Elise.
The judges decided to save Elise, meaning that the nicest and sweetest young man that this competition has ever seen, Jeremy Rosado is going home.
I correctly predicted that Jeremy, Joshua, Elise and Shannon would be among the lowest vote getters, but it really should have been Shannon going home tonight. Let's see how much she messes up next week.....
Jessica, Elise and Holly were the first to have to stand center stage and hear the news. Jessica and Holly are safe while Elise is the first girl in the bottom three.
Next came Jermaine, Colton and Heejun. The results placed Jermaine as the first boy in the bottom three and Colton and Heejun safely coming back next week.
The Season 10 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up made her return to the stage to perform Georgia Peaches from her debut album Wildflower. It's a pretty fun song, but she was a little over-confident with her performance style. As she tried to be all cool, flirty and casual she lost sight of her monitors and sound equipment. She ended up just pulling it off completely when she tripped on the cord finishing up the song quite messily.
Erika, Shannon and Skylar were next. Skylar is safe leaving both Erika and Shannon to join Elise in the bottom three girls.
Jeremy, Phillip, Joshua and Deandre then had to take their place center stage. Phillip and Deandre are safe placing Joshua and Jeremy into the bottom three boys with Jermaine. Joshua wasn't there for long as Ryan very quickly sent both him and Erika back to safety.
Mary J. Blige has an impressive history of hits dating back to her #7 hit Real Love from 1992. She peaked at #2 twice with Not Gon' Cry from the Waiting To Exhale soundtrack in 1996 and Be Without You in 2006. She hit the #1 position on the Billboard HOT 100 chart in 2001 with Family Affair. Tonight she took the stage to perform her latest single called Why.
Jermaine, Jeremy, Shannon and Elise are the bottom four. With Jermaine and Shannon safe, that means the final Boys Vs. Girls elimination is between Jeremy and Elise.
The judges decided to save Elise, meaning that the nicest and sweetest young man that this competition has ever seen, Jeremy Rosado is going home.
I correctly predicted that Jeremy, Joshua, Elise and Shannon would be among the lowest vote getters, but it really should have been Shannon going home tonight. Let's see how much she messes up next week.....
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
The Top 13: Boys Vs. Girls
The top 13 finalists were guided tonight by R&B singer Mary J. Blige. The girls will all sing a Whitney Houston song and the boys will all sing from the Stevie Wonder songbook.
I Wish hit #1 in 1977. Joshua Ledet tried to show off his vocal range and talent by selecting this funky uptempo number rather than another gospel ballad. His voice is very good and that's not the problem. He has to work on channeling his energy into an entertaining performance style.
I'm Your Baby Tonight hit #1 in 1990. Elise Testone was way out of her comfort zone with this dance pop vocal rollercoaster. She rose to the occasion and gave it her best shot even though you could tell her heart wasn't really in it.
Knocks Me Off My Feet was included on the 1976 album Songs In The Key Of Life. Jermaine Jones only has one thing to bring to the party. He has a deep voice, but he has no personality, showmanship or stage presence.
I Believe In You and Me from the Preacher's Wife soundtrack hit #4 in 1997. Erika Van Pelt performed a very respectable rendition in her own personal style.
Lately was included on the 1980 album Hotter Than July. Colton Dixon completely immersed himself in the lyrics of this beautiful song and brought them to life with such passion and vulnerability. He has all the necessary rock star qualities to transform an R&B ballad into an emotional performance that gives the audience chills. Outstanding!
I Have Nothing from the Bodyguard soundtrack hit #4 in 1993. Shannon Magrane should just give up and go home now. This performance exposed her complete lack of breath control and lack of ability to handle the demands of this competition. It was sad.
Master Blaster hit #5 in 1980. Deandre Brackensick is completely overflowing with talent, vocal range, stage presence, showmanship and all the other desirable qualities in an American Idol. He was fun and energetic on stage and it's a shame the song had to end. More, more, more!
Where Do Broken Hearts Go hit #1 in 1988. Skylar Laine has the wonderful ability to take on a new song for herself and simply tell the story in the lyrics with maturity way beyond her years. The vocal interpretation was both dramatic and meaningful.
All In Love Is Fair was included on the 1973 album Innervisions. Heejun Han comes off as a completely insincere phony and he's totally unpleasant to listen to and to watch on stage.
All The Man I Need hit #1 in 1991. Hollie Cavanagh is a lovely young woman with an astoundingly big voice and crystal clear vocal range. She completely nailed this vocal performance and looked sweet, stunning and professional.
Ribbon In The Sky was included on the 1982 album Original Musiquarium. Jeremy Rosado has no problem at all revealing his sensitivity and genuine love of music and performing. He's a completely great kid that it feels good to root for. It's too bad that this song didn't allow him to really show off what he can do with his voice.
I Will Always Love You spent 14 weeks at #1 in 1993. Jessica Sanchez quite simply has an amazingly impressive vocal gift. She sings with such ease and the sound is so pure and natural. The recording industry has a new star!
Superstition hit #1 in 1972. Phillip Phillips does this whole screaming rocker act on stage, but unfortunately it lacks any indication of human emotion or understanding.
After all the votes are counted it's going to be Boys Vs. Girls as the judges will decided if the boy with the lowest number of votes or if the girl with the lowest number of votes is going home.
My prediction for the lowest votes getters is Shannon Magrane, Elise Testone, Jeremy Rosado and Joshua Ledet.
Hopefully the judges will be sending Shannon home.
I Wish hit #1 in 1977. Joshua Ledet tried to show off his vocal range and talent by selecting this funky uptempo number rather than another gospel ballad. His voice is very good and that's not the problem. He has to work on channeling his energy into an entertaining performance style.
I'm Your Baby Tonight hit #1 in 1990. Elise Testone was way out of her comfort zone with this dance pop vocal rollercoaster. She rose to the occasion and gave it her best shot even though you could tell her heart wasn't really in it.
Knocks Me Off My Feet was included on the 1976 album Songs In The Key Of Life. Jermaine Jones only has one thing to bring to the party. He has a deep voice, but he has no personality, showmanship or stage presence.
I Believe In You and Me from the Preacher's Wife soundtrack hit #4 in 1997. Erika Van Pelt performed a very respectable rendition in her own personal style.
Lately was included on the 1980 album Hotter Than July. Colton Dixon completely immersed himself in the lyrics of this beautiful song and brought them to life with such passion and vulnerability. He has all the necessary rock star qualities to transform an R&B ballad into an emotional performance that gives the audience chills. Outstanding!
I Have Nothing from the Bodyguard soundtrack hit #4 in 1993. Shannon Magrane should just give up and go home now. This performance exposed her complete lack of breath control and lack of ability to handle the demands of this competition. It was sad.
Master Blaster hit #5 in 1980. Deandre Brackensick is completely overflowing with talent, vocal range, stage presence, showmanship and all the other desirable qualities in an American Idol. He was fun and energetic on stage and it's a shame the song had to end. More, more, more!
Where Do Broken Hearts Go hit #1 in 1988. Skylar Laine has the wonderful ability to take on a new song for herself and simply tell the story in the lyrics with maturity way beyond her years. The vocal interpretation was both dramatic and meaningful.
All In Love Is Fair was included on the 1973 album Innervisions. Heejun Han comes off as a completely insincere phony and he's totally unpleasant to listen to and to watch on stage.
All The Man I Need hit #1 in 1991. Hollie Cavanagh is a lovely young woman with an astoundingly big voice and crystal clear vocal range. She completely nailed this vocal performance and looked sweet, stunning and professional.
Ribbon In The Sky was included on the 1982 album Original Musiquarium. Jeremy Rosado has no problem at all revealing his sensitivity and genuine love of music and performing. He's a completely great kid that it feels good to root for. It's too bad that this song didn't allow him to really show off what he can do with his voice.
I Will Always Love You spent 14 weeks at #1 in 1993. Jessica Sanchez quite simply has an amazingly impressive vocal gift. She sings with such ease and the sound is so pure and natural. The recording industry has a new star!
Superstition hit #1 in 1972. Phillip Phillips does this whole screaming rocker act on stage, but unfortunately it lacks any indication of human emotion or understanding.
After all the votes are counted it's going to be Boys Vs. Girls as the judges will decided if the boy with the lowest number of votes or if the girl with the lowest number of votes is going home.
My prediction for the lowest votes getters is Shannon Magrane, Elise Testone, Jeremy Rosado and Joshua Ledet.
Hopefully the judges will be sending Shannon home.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
And the Lucky 13 are....
The Top 25 is going to get chopped down to only 13 finalists moving forward in the competition.
Based on the votes from America, this is the Top 10:
Phillip Phillips
Jessica Sanchez
Holly Cavanagh
Joshua Ledet
Heejun Han
Shannon Magone
Skylar Laine
Elise Testone
Colton Dixon
Jermaine Jones
In my opinion, it's a very mixed bag. The best thing is that America got it right by voting for Jessica Sanchez to be moving forward. She is the clear front-runner. It is also very nice to see Jessica joined by Holly, Skylar, Elise, Joshua and Colton. All of these contestants have very good voices combined with fresh, entertaining and fun personalities.
The others, though, are going to have to work very hard to win me over into thinking they belong here still. Heejun should have never even made the Top 24, so I can't figure out at all why people are voting for him. He comes off as rude, insincere, offensive and an all around unpleasant jerk. As for Phillip, Shannon, and Jermaine: they are all very over-rated by the judges. The judges gush over them no matter what they do and it feels like they are force feeding them onto the viewers. The judges can keep repeating that they are the best things ever, but I still haven't seen it from these finalists yet.
So with three more positions to fill the judges asked six of the remaining finalists to sing for their lives!
The first to get another chance was Jen Hirsh who totally squandered this opportunity by serving up a bland and boring vocal performance of a forgettable song.
The next was Jeremy Rosado who served up an emotional rollercoaster rendition of the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood's I Know You Won't. While there's no way anyone will ever be able to match her exception vocal performance, Jeremy tugged on our heartstrings and proved himself once again as the most genuinely likeable young man the Idol stage has ever seen. He hit some of the big notes very well and ended the song in tears just like he surely affected many of the fans in the audience.
For some reason the judges wanted to hear Brielle Von Hugel sing again and she gave her best effort with Adele's recent #1 smash Someone Like You. The few glimmers of good singing were far out numbered by the not so great stuff that we never want to see or hear again.
There is no confusion at all with understanding why the judges next selected Deandre Brackensick to sing for his life. He has a clear and pure vocal range that is effortlessly impressive. He is able to easily transition to every note on the scale unlike anyone else in the competition. He applied his skills and talents to Georgia On My Mind and it was simply musical and vocal perfection.
There is also no confusion regarding the fact that Erika Van Pelt was asked to step back into the ring. She poured every ounce of her heart and soul into her powerful performance of Edge of Glory that Lady Gaga took to the top 10 last year. She is the genuine real deal and it comes through every time the audience is blessed with hearing her sing.
The final opportunity was given to Reed Grimm. He performed Use Me that Bill Withers took to #2 in 1972. While he may not have a future as a recording star, this energetic young man is very talented and dynamic on stage. He has a great sense of showmanship and he's a lot of fun to watch.
I am happy to report that the final three slots were all given to very worthy contestants:
Erika Van Pelt
Jeremy Rosado
Deandre Brackensick
Unfortunately there wasn't room for Creighton Fraker to be included on the Miss American Idol stage one more time and that is a real shame. He is clearly a very talented young man and I wish him the best in his future endeavors.
Based on the votes from America, this is the Top 10:
Phillip Phillips
Jessica Sanchez
Holly Cavanagh
Joshua Ledet
Heejun Han
Shannon Magone
Skylar Laine
Elise Testone
Colton Dixon
Jermaine Jones
In my opinion, it's a very mixed bag. The best thing is that America got it right by voting for Jessica Sanchez to be moving forward. She is the clear front-runner. It is also very nice to see Jessica joined by Holly, Skylar, Elise, Joshua and Colton. All of these contestants have very good voices combined with fresh, entertaining and fun personalities.
The others, though, are going to have to work very hard to win me over into thinking they belong here still. Heejun should have never even made the Top 24, so I can't figure out at all why people are voting for him. He comes off as rude, insincere, offensive and an all around unpleasant jerk. As for Phillip, Shannon, and Jermaine: they are all very over-rated by the judges. The judges gush over them no matter what they do and it feels like they are force feeding them onto the viewers. The judges can keep repeating that they are the best things ever, but I still haven't seen it from these finalists yet.
So with three more positions to fill the judges asked six of the remaining finalists to sing for their lives!
The first to get another chance was Jen Hirsh who totally squandered this opportunity by serving up a bland and boring vocal performance of a forgettable song.
The next was Jeremy Rosado who served up an emotional rollercoaster rendition of the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood's I Know You Won't. While there's no way anyone will ever be able to match her exception vocal performance, Jeremy tugged on our heartstrings and proved himself once again as the most genuinely likeable young man the Idol stage has ever seen. He hit some of the big notes very well and ended the song in tears just like he surely affected many of the fans in the audience.
For some reason the judges wanted to hear Brielle Von Hugel sing again and she gave her best effort with Adele's recent #1 smash Someone Like You. The few glimmers of good singing were far out numbered by the not so great stuff that we never want to see or hear again.
There is no confusion at all with understanding why the judges next selected Deandre Brackensick to sing for his life. He has a clear and pure vocal range that is effortlessly impressive. He is able to easily transition to every note on the scale unlike anyone else in the competition. He applied his skills and talents to Georgia On My Mind and it was simply musical and vocal perfection.
There is also no confusion regarding the fact that Erika Van Pelt was asked to step back into the ring. She poured every ounce of her heart and soul into her powerful performance of Edge of Glory that Lady Gaga took to the top 10 last year. She is the genuine real deal and it comes through every time the audience is blessed with hearing her sing.
The final opportunity was given to Reed Grimm. He performed Use Me that Bill Withers took to #2 in 1972. While he may not have a future as a recording star, this energetic young man is very talented and dynamic on stage. He has a great sense of showmanship and he's a lot of fun to watch.
I am happy to report that the final three slots were all given to very worthy contestants:
Erika Van Pelt
Jeremy Rosado
Deandre Brackensick
Unfortunately there wasn't room for Creighton Fraker to be included on the Miss American Idol stage one more time and that is a real shame. He is clearly a very talented young man and I wish him the best in his future endeavors.
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