Finally, we're back. I was out of town last week and didn't get a chance to watch the show until late Wed night (after Amanda had already been eliminated) so I didn't bother writing a review. But I'm back tonight and ready to go. The last two times they've done this theme I've enjoyed it. We get a variety of songs so it doesn't get boring too quickly. So let's get it started.
Ramiele - "Alone". Whoa, this is going to be a tall order for her. After Carrie and Carly have sang this and rocked it on this stage it'll be tough for Ramiele to match that. We'll see how it goes. Well, right off the bat her voice isn't as strong as the others that have sang it. She doesn't sound very confidant. The chorus isn't as powerful as it should be. She shouting the highest notes and changed it up a little bit to fit her register. I hated the way she ended the song. Not her best. Grade C
PS, what's up with everyone being sick? Ramiele, Randy, and even Paula sounds like she's drugged up from cold medicine.
Jason - "Fragile". Haha, he has no idea what to say in his interviews. His awkwardness is what makes him endearing. And his eyes are definitely beautiful. I have nothing to say really. It sounds alright. It's cool that he's singing in spanish. It definitely has a coffeehouse vibe to it. It was ok I guess. Nothing really bad about it. Grade B-.
Syesha - "If I Was Your Woman". Well she is serving it up tonight. She sounds great and picked a great song for her voice. This actually reminds me of Tamyra from season 1. She's a little pitchy towards the end but overall it's a great performance from her. I really think she needed that tonight. Grade B+
Chikezie - "If Only for One Night". He's pitchy on his first verse. I think he's definitely nervous doing the ballad. His voice keeps dropping out of pitch but he also doesn't have the same type of swagger that he's had the last couple of weeks. It's all pretty boring. Not a good performance from him. Grade C.
Brooke - "Every Breath You Take". Whoa, she messes up right off the bat. Luckily, because she's the only playing she can start over. This is Brooke's comfort zone. When she's sitting there playing an instrument and singing a song she blows us away. The coffeehouse vibe fits her so well. I love the subtle changes she's done with the song and her voice sounds really strong. She really knows how to emote a song. There's a Carly Simon sound to it. I think this was a strong performance for her. Grade B.
Michael - "We Are the Champions". Well, considering her was born in 1978 and pretty everything at that time was disco I don't think it's a surprise that he chose this song. Plus, he might be able to show off some of the magic he found singing Queen during Hollywood Week. Well, right off the bat he's sounds better than he has all season. He's finally showing some of that rocker attitude that I've been waiting for. Interesting to transition from "We Will Rock You" to "We Are the Champions". He sounds good singing Queen song. This is his best performance so far. FINALLY! Grade A-.
Carly - "Total Eclipse of the Heart". This is kind of a crappy song to choose (already been done by Nikki in Season 1 and Jessica Sierra in Season 4) but I am actually very curious to hear her on it. I want to see how much she rocks out. Well, vocally she sounds brilliant. Even the power notes seem like nothing for her. However, I would like her to do something a little more for the performance. She's just standing there. Move around, use the stage, do something. Ouch! Hated that run at the end. Ruined what was a stellar performance. Grade A-
David A. - " ". What song is this? There were some great pop songs in 1990 and he picked something i've never heard. He's shown a weakness in his lower register tonight. It's definitely not as strong and his mid/high range. Well he's definitely having fun performing but his voice
is kinda cracking in parts. His cuteness definitely adds to the performance aspect. Grade B
Kristy Lee - "God Bless the USA". Well, she's definitely sticking to country. I feel like she's just behind the beat but she sounds good. Her voice sounds really strong today. It's all very pagenty for me though. I can see Miss America trying to sing something like this. It's pleasant; not good, not horrible but still her best performance thus far. Grade B-.
David C. - "Billie Jean". Interesting choice. Chris Cornell singing Michael Jackson. So far I'm unimpressed. It's pretty boring. It does get better as the chorus kicks in. David has a really strong voice that lends itself well to these alternative rock type songs. Another good, very smart performance from him. First "Hello" now "Billie Jean". He may have found his niche with random 80s pop that are turned into alternative songs. Grade A.
So there you have it. Tonight is interesting because no one was really bad. There were some that were more memorable than others but no one was horrible. I think the bottom three for this week will be Ramiele, Jason and Chikezi (somehow Kristy had a good enough performance to keep her out of the bottom 3). Jason should be safe since he has such a big fanbase already. I think Chikezi might be the one that goes because Ramiele seems to have a bigger fanbase as well. It's kinda sad because I was just starting to get into him. We'll see what happens tomorrow.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Anthony Gargiula
It's somewhat American Idol-related... so sue me! He is one of the cutest kids I've ever seen and it just made me so happy to watch him interact with Ellen.
Happy Hump Day!
Happy Hump Day!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Top 12 - Beatles Theme
So we finally have a Beatles theme. I'm sure all of the producers were really excited about this because these are all classic songs. I, however, am not the biggest fan of the Beatles. Sure, they have some great songs but they also have a lot of weird, psychdelic stuff that isn't my cup of tea. Listening to a bunch of their songs in a row is a little boring for me so it'll be interesting to see how I feel at the end of the night.
Ooh, new opening. I like it. It makes everything look more futuristic. WHOA! The new stage is monstrous! Having seen the show live a few times I can tell you that this stage is massive (that room isn't too big). I like the mosh pit in front but I'm glad there are still seats in the back.
Syesha - I have never heard this song so I'm not sure what to expect. Well she still has a great voice. Nice and strong. However, it's pitchy in places. It's picking up in the middle and ending well. But it didn't really move me. Syesha really needs to have a great week or she'll be gone sooner than later. Grade B-
Chikezie - oooh! I have never heard this song before but I love this bluegrass opening to the song. I can tell it's going to be a different arrangement (I doubt the Beatles wrote it that way). He sounds great and is having fun with a easy, playful vibe. I love the breakout of the "bluegrass/rock" thing. Wow. This performance is AWESOME! Where the hell did that come from? Finally! The contestants are learning how to make these songs their own. I never would have thought that he would be able to pull something like this off. That was great. Grade A
Ramiele - "In My Life". I love this song. It's so heartfelt. Let's see how she does. Well, it's a pretty rendition. She sounds nice with the softness of her voice. However, it's kind of boring to watch. There's nothing new or special about this performance. Grade C+
Jason - "If I Fell". Again, never heard this song before. Everything he does just comes out so smoothly. It has a lazy vibe to it. He's basically a "Coffeehouse Idol". Again, it sounds great and is a solid performance. I have no idea if he did anything special to it but it was a nice performance. Grade B
Carly - "Come Together". I'm really digging the performance. Carly makes this seem so effortless. I love the hint of gravel in her voice. This is more of the type of voice I was hoping she'd, a little rock behind that powerhouse vocal (much like Kelly). I loved the swagger-type vibe she was giving off. She was having fun and really enjoying every minute of it. That was great. Great A
David Cook - "Elanor Rigby". Hm, right off the bat i can tell that this isn't going to be the same as last week. In fact, I'm not enjoying this at all. I don't know if it's the song or the arrangement but something isn't working for me. Well, it's a little better (but pitchy) towards the end. That was definitely not his best. Grade C
Brooke - "Let It Be". Her coffeehouse vibe should lend itself well to this song. I'm excited to see her interpretation of it. Well, she can play several instruments. Her voice is perfect for this song however, she's getting a little pitchy towards the end of the song. It's emotional and heartfelt (as all her choices thus far have been). The song is good but a little repetative which isn't the most exciting to listen to. But her vibe definitely fits with the song. Grade B
David Hernandez - "I Saw Her Standing There". I love his voice and I think it sound great on this song. He's playful and having fun. However, I don't think he's really making the most out of this song. He could have really rocked it and made it something memorable. Instead, it's a good karaoke performance that started losing it's life about midway through. Grade B-
Amanda - "You Can't Do That". Never heard this song. Let's see what happens (and hope the band doesn't try to cover up her vocals again). You know, half the time Amanda sing I don't understand a word that she says. I can't figure out why that is. This isn't a great performance. I really think she's getting to be out of her league. Towards the end of the song she's starting to zone in on her comfort zone, but the rest of it was a mess. Grade C-
Michael - "Across the Universe". His voice sounds really strong today. It sounds great on this song. I kinda like that he's not trying to do a "rocker" thing on this but really just standing there and singing this song with as much emotion as he can behind it. I feel like, vocally, this is the best we've heard from him since Hollywood Week. Nice job. Grade B
Kristy - "8 Days A Week". Changing it to country. Interesting. We'll see what happens. It's not working. This is not country, it's a hoedown! The song seems to be a little faster than she's used and is falling just behind the beat. Yeesh, this is pretty bad. The worst of the night so far. She's so far off of the beat now that it's not working at all. I'll give her credit for trying something different but it didn't work. Grade D
David Archuleta - "We Can Work It Out". Uh oh, he forgot the lyrics. That's been the kiss of death for the #12 spot the last few years. Will the same happen to David this year? This actually isn't that great of a performance. You can sense his nerves. It's not really until the 2nd half of the song that he really connects and seems to be having a little fun. His vocals aren't as strong and his voice is going in and out throughout the song. Probably the weakest we've seen him all season. Grade C+
So there we have it. The official Top 12 has performed. Overall I think it was a strong night. There were some great performances (Chikezie!?).
Bottom 3 are Ramiele, Kristy and Amanda. I think Kristy will finally be going home tomorrow.
Ooh, new opening. I like it. It makes everything look more futuristic. WHOA! The new stage is monstrous! Having seen the show live a few times I can tell you that this stage is massive (that room isn't too big). I like the mosh pit in front but I'm glad there are still seats in the back.
Syesha - I have never heard this song so I'm not sure what to expect. Well she still has a great voice. Nice and strong. However, it's pitchy in places. It's picking up in the middle and ending well. But it didn't really move me. Syesha really needs to have a great week or she'll be gone sooner than later. Grade B-
Chikezie - oooh! I have never heard this song before but I love this bluegrass opening to the song. I can tell it's going to be a different arrangement (I doubt the Beatles wrote it that way). He sounds great and is having fun with a easy, playful vibe. I love the breakout of the "bluegrass/rock" thing. Wow. This performance is AWESOME! Where the hell did that come from? Finally! The contestants are learning how to make these songs their own. I never would have thought that he would be able to pull something like this off. That was great. Grade A
Ramiele - "In My Life". I love this song. It's so heartfelt. Let's see how she does. Well, it's a pretty rendition. She sounds nice with the softness of her voice. However, it's kind of boring to watch. There's nothing new or special about this performance. Grade C+
Jason - "If I Fell". Again, never heard this song before. Everything he does just comes out so smoothly. It has a lazy vibe to it. He's basically a "Coffeehouse Idol". Again, it sounds great and is a solid performance. I have no idea if he did anything special to it but it was a nice performance. Grade B
Carly - "Come Together". I'm really digging the performance. Carly makes this seem so effortless. I love the hint of gravel in her voice. This is more of the type of voice I was hoping she'd, a little rock behind that powerhouse vocal (much like Kelly). I loved the swagger-type vibe she was giving off. She was having fun and really enjoying every minute of it. That was great. Great A
David Cook - "Elanor Rigby". Hm, right off the bat i can tell that this isn't going to be the same as last week. In fact, I'm not enjoying this at all. I don't know if it's the song or the arrangement but something isn't working for me. Well, it's a little better (but pitchy) towards the end. That was definitely not his best. Grade C
Brooke - "Let It Be". Her coffeehouse vibe should lend itself well to this song. I'm excited to see her interpretation of it. Well, she can play several instruments. Her voice is perfect for this song however, she's getting a little pitchy towards the end of the song. It's emotional and heartfelt (as all her choices thus far have been). The song is good but a little repetative which isn't the most exciting to listen to. But her vibe definitely fits with the song. Grade B
David Hernandez - "I Saw Her Standing There". I love his voice and I think it sound great on this song. He's playful and having fun. However, I don't think he's really making the most out of this song. He could have really rocked it and made it something memorable. Instead, it's a good karaoke performance that started losing it's life about midway through. Grade B-
Amanda - "You Can't Do That". Never heard this song. Let's see what happens (and hope the band doesn't try to cover up her vocals again). You know, half the time Amanda sing I don't understand a word that she says. I can't figure out why that is. This isn't a great performance. I really think she's getting to be out of her league. Towards the end of the song she's starting to zone in on her comfort zone, but the rest of it was a mess. Grade C-
Michael - "Across the Universe". His voice sounds really strong today. It sounds great on this song. I kinda like that he's not trying to do a "rocker" thing on this but really just standing there and singing this song with as much emotion as he can behind it. I feel like, vocally, this is the best we've heard from him since Hollywood Week. Nice job. Grade B
Kristy - "8 Days A Week". Changing it to country. Interesting. We'll see what happens. It's not working. This is not country, it's a hoedown! The song seems to be a little faster than she's used and is falling just behind the beat. Yeesh, this is pretty bad. The worst of the night so far. She's so far off of the beat now that it's not working at all. I'll give her credit for trying something different but it didn't work. Grade D
David Archuleta - "We Can Work It Out". Uh oh, he forgot the lyrics. That's been the kiss of death for the #12 spot the last few years. Will the same happen to David this year? This actually isn't that great of a performance. You can sense his nerves. It's not really until the 2nd half of the song that he really connects and seems to be having a little fun. His vocals aren't as strong and his voice is going in and out throughout the song. Probably the weakest we've seen him all season. Grade C+
So there we have it. The official Top 12 has performed. Overall I think it was a strong night. There were some great performances (Chikezie!?).
Bottom 3 are Ramiele, Kristy and Amanda. I think Kristy will finally be going home tomorrow.
Top 12, cont.
Jesse gets it right for most of the Top 12, I just have a few additional comments:
Brooke: Don't give her too much clout, just yet. Two weeks of folksy/acoustic performances does not an Idol make. Expect Simon to say in the weeks to follow: "You've been out-sung tonight."
Carly: Don't count her out, just yet. If David A. may have peaked too soon, Carly might be playing this competition just right by saving her best performances for when it counts.
Chickezie: Why so tight-lipped and polite lately? Realize that talking back to the judges didn't quite work as well as you'd like? I agree with Jesse, blandy-McBoring.
Michael: Well, I really just wanted an excuse to think about him again. DREAMY. I'm hoping he is also playing this show strategically (a la Carly) and saving his knockout performances for later.
Ramiele: Something is keeping me from getting behind her completely. She IS better than Jasmine and knowing the Phillopino community they will vote her into at least the Top 6 but her voice just seems forced/affected...
Seyesha: Girl, you're not Whitney Houston (who is slated to release a new album before Christmas 2008!) and you don't have the attitude of some of the other divas of Idol past. She's another one that I think has a false sense of her talent. Good but not great.
Good luck to everyone else. The race officially begins tonight. Tune it to see who is a sprinter and who has been training for the marathon that is AMERICAN IDOL!
Brooke: Don't give her too much clout, just yet. Two weeks of folksy/acoustic performances does not an Idol make. Expect Simon to say in the weeks to follow: "You've been out-sung tonight."
Carly: Don't count her out, just yet. If David A. may have peaked too soon, Carly might be playing this competition just right by saving her best performances for when it counts.
Chickezie: Why so tight-lipped and polite lately? Realize that talking back to the judges didn't quite work as well as you'd like? I agree with Jesse, blandy-McBoring.
Michael: Well, I really just wanted an excuse to think about him again. DREAMY. I'm hoping he is also playing this show strategically (a la Carly) and saving his knockout performances for later.
Ramiele: Something is keeping me from getting behind her completely. She IS better than Jasmine and knowing the Phillopino community they will vote her into at least the Top 6 but her voice just seems forced/affected...
Seyesha: Girl, you're not Whitney Houston (who is slated to release a new album before Christmas 2008!) and you don't have the attitude of some of the other divas of Idol past. She's another one that I think has a false sense of her talent. Good but not great.
Good luck to everyone else. The race officially begins tonight. Tune it to see who is a sprinter and who has been training for the marathon that is AMERICAN IDOL!
Monday, March 10, 2008
How do you solve a problem like David?
"He [David Archuleta] is peaking too early, and along with the rest of the country and the media, “American Idol” voters tend to have short attention spans, tiring rapidly of familiarity. The competition is first and foremost a television show, and there's no drama in watching one person dominate for 12 weeks, however talented and charming he may be."Click here to read the rest of the article.
Top 12 Preview
So now that we've finally got out Top 12 and the competition gets intense, I think we should take a moment to discuss each individual performer and find out how they're going to do in the competition. Here's my take on this season's Top 12 (in alphabetical order).
Amanda - This year's resident "rocker chick" has had a rough start on Idol already. She's been in the bottom 2 and hasn't had the best critiques from the judges. I feel like she's a one-trick pony and is going to have a really hard time navigating through the various themes each week (can you imagine her singing Gloria Estefan week?) While she brings something very different to the stage I don' t see that carrying her all the way through to the finals. She's already shown that she's pretty vulnerable so I don't see her lasting too much longer. She might do well with Beatles this week but after that it'll be tough.
Brooke - She has actually surprised me. After seeing all the women that made it I thought Brooke was going to get squeezed out because her vocals just aren't as strong as others'. She's got a really nice voice but there isn't a lot of power behind it. She's definitely more of a folky type singer. However, what has really made her stand out (and move towards the front of the pack) is her risks with the songs. The last two weeks she's shown some creativity in arranging songs that would normally not work for her. However, the new arrangements really worked for her and has won over some new fans (myself included). If she can keep bringing the fresh new "coffee-house" vibe to old songs she might go pretty far.
Carly - She is easily the best female vocalist left in terms of power and ease. There is no question that she can sing. However, she has yet to really connect with a song and/or the audience. She just walks up, sings the song, and walks off. If there was no backstory about her previous appearance on Idol or about her record deal we'd know nothing about Carly and would get nothing out of her performances. Also, this blandness isn't just solely on the show. I have her first album and it's pretty easy to see why it didn't sell. The songs are very generic (they don't even have singable hooks) and her voice carries no emotion on them. I think she's going to need to develop some kind of personality when she sings or she's going to go home sooner than anyone thought (could she be our surprise elimination this year?).
Chikezie - I'll be honest, I don't like Chikezie at all. From the first elimination week I thought he was horrible and was surprised he made past that round. His second week wasn't that much better. His third week bored me. I find myself tuning out everytime he's on screen. He has no charisma, his voice sounds exactly like Ruben's (another one who bored me to tears), and he's trying to show some personality by mouthing off to the judges (but always at the wrong time so it looks awkward). After being so close to being eliminated already, I don't see him staying around much longer.
David A. - What is there to say about David that hasn't been said already? This guy is clearly the one to beat. He has a fantastic voice that shows more maturity than most of the contestants left. Plus, he really knows how to get into the emotion of a song and really make you take notice and listen to what he's saying. And then there's his adorable smile and innocent attitude towards everything in the competition. Maybe it's real, maybe it's all an act but right now he's got America in the palm of his hand and we're all just waiting to see what he does each week. The question people are going to have is has he peaked too early with his rendition of "Imagine" or is there more to come? If he doesn't make it into the finals it'll probably be the biggest shock in Idol history.
David C. - Like Brooke, I think David C. has really grown in the last three weeks. When I first saw him I thought he was good but he was definitely a Chris Daughtry wannabe. Each week he got a little bit better until finally last week he blew everyone away with his emo-rock retelling of "Hello". That made stop and take notice about what he was doing to the song and I loved it (as did everyone else). What we need to find out now was if that was just a fluke or a promise of things to come. If it's the latter then we're in for a great ride.
David H. - I'm so happy that David made it into the Top 12 because I honestly didn't think he would. When I saw him in Hollywood Week I fell in love with his vocals. I wasn't disappointed when he started in the Top 24. When he sang the 2nd week I knew that he had finally made it on the radar and would sail through into the Top 12. He has such a strong voice that he can belt out the power ballads but still show off subtle emotion from verse to verse. I think he's hugely talented and should make pretty far down the stretch.
Jason - He is a complete enigma to me. I don't understand while everyone likes him so much. I thought his first performance was ok but it didn't blow me away. Neither did his 2nd. His third was alright but having never heard the song I wasn't sure why everyone liked it so much. Now that I've heard the original version I do have to give him props because that song really came out of nowhere and he nailed it. I do find him interesting though because I keep getting the sense that he just decided to try out on a whim one day and suddenly found himself on the biggest show on the planet. Sometimes he looks like he's just thinking "how the hell did I get here?". I can really see Jason being the quiet guy that no one notices until the dust suddenly settles and he's in the finals. He's going to be one to keep an eye on.
Kristy - The sole survivor of the "4 Bland Blondes". Initially I thought the 4 Bland Blondes were going to make it into the Top 12 but instead it looks like they all split the votes and took each other out. With Kristy left standing she has a lot on her shoulders to make sure the blondes get further along. Her country voice is pleasant to listen to however, Kristy has turned into a blond robot right in front of our eyes. She has no personality(both when she performs and when she's being interviewed). She really needs to step out of her shell when she's performing or she'll go home pretty quickly as well.
Michael - He has become the most frustrating contestant for me this year. When I saw his initial audition I thought he was fantastic and would bring something new and different to the competition. However, since then I have been completely underwhelmed by him. All of his performances have failed to catch my attention or spark any kind of interest. That's what makes it so frustrating, because we've all seen the potential that he has and know that when he finally nails it, it's going to be awesome. However, wanting that and not delivering each week will get tiresome very quickly. He really needs to pull something out of his hat really soon or he's going to be left behind by the Davids.
Ramiele - I so did not want to like Ramiele because I was scared she was going to be another Jasmine (and we've already been through one). However, this little spitfire has (thankfully) proven me wrong. I think she might be female to beat. She has a great personality, she has great stage presence, and she has a powerful voice. As long as she keeps picking good songs that fit her style I think she will do really well in the competition.
Syesha - She is very hit or miss. Syesha has a fantastic voice and reminds me very much of Nadia Turner from Season 4. However, she has a tendency to pick bad (or overdone) songs. She needs to stay away from Whitney or Celine and really try to bring something new to the double because otherwise people are going to get tired of her really quickly.
So those are my thoughts about this Top 12. I do think they're one of the most talented bunch we've had so far. However, based on the last three weeks, I still think that Season 5 was the best Top 12. It'll be very interesting to see what happens tomorrow night now that we can finally compare them against each other. I'm looking forward to it.
If I was to make a prediction right now, here's how it would shake out for me.
12. Chikezie
11. Kristy
10. Amanda
9. Syesha
8. Michael
7. Jason
6. David C.
5. Brooke
4. David H.
3. Carly
2. Ramiele
1. David A.
Amanda - This year's resident "rocker chick" has had a rough start on Idol already. She's been in the bottom 2 and hasn't had the best critiques from the judges. I feel like she's a one-trick pony and is going to have a really hard time navigating through the various themes each week (can you imagine her singing Gloria Estefan week?) While she brings something very different to the stage I don' t see that carrying her all the way through to the finals. She's already shown that she's pretty vulnerable so I don't see her lasting too much longer. She might do well with Beatles this week but after that it'll be tough.
Brooke - She has actually surprised me. After seeing all the women that made it I thought Brooke was going to get squeezed out because her vocals just aren't as strong as others'. She's got a really nice voice but there isn't a lot of power behind it. She's definitely more of a folky type singer. However, what has really made her stand out (and move towards the front of the pack) is her risks with the songs. The last two weeks she's shown some creativity in arranging songs that would normally not work for her. However, the new arrangements really worked for her and has won over some new fans (myself included). If she can keep bringing the fresh new "coffee-house" vibe to old songs she might go pretty far.
Carly - She is easily the best female vocalist left in terms of power and ease. There is no question that she can sing. However, she has yet to really connect with a song and/or the audience. She just walks up, sings the song, and walks off. If there was no backstory about her previous appearance on Idol or about her record deal we'd know nothing about Carly and would get nothing out of her performances. Also, this blandness isn't just solely on the show. I have her first album and it's pretty easy to see why it didn't sell. The songs are very generic (they don't even have singable hooks) and her voice carries no emotion on them. I think she's going to need to develop some kind of personality when she sings or she's going to go home sooner than anyone thought (could she be our surprise elimination this year?).
Chikezie - I'll be honest, I don't like Chikezie at all. From the first elimination week I thought he was horrible and was surprised he made past that round. His second week wasn't that much better. His third week bored me. I find myself tuning out everytime he's on screen. He has no charisma, his voice sounds exactly like Ruben's (another one who bored me to tears), and he's trying to show some personality by mouthing off to the judges (but always at the wrong time so it looks awkward). After being so close to being eliminated already, I don't see him staying around much longer.
David A. - What is there to say about David that hasn't been said already? This guy is clearly the one to beat. He has a fantastic voice that shows more maturity than most of the contestants left. Plus, he really knows how to get into the emotion of a song and really make you take notice and listen to what he's saying. And then there's his adorable smile and innocent attitude towards everything in the competition. Maybe it's real, maybe it's all an act but right now he's got America in the palm of his hand and we're all just waiting to see what he does each week. The question people are going to have is has he peaked too early with his rendition of "Imagine" or is there more to come? If he doesn't make it into the finals it'll probably be the biggest shock in Idol history.
David C. - Like Brooke, I think David C. has really grown in the last three weeks. When I first saw him I thought he was good but he was definitely a Chris Daughtry wannabe. Each week he got a little bit better until finally last week he blew everyone away with his emo-rock retelling of "Hello". That made stop and take notice about what he was doing to the song and I loved it (as did everyone else). What we need to find out now was if that was just a fluke or a promise of things to come. If it's the latter then we're in for a great ride.
David H. - I'm so happy that David made it into the Top 12 because I honestly didn't think he would. When I saw him in Hollywood Week I fell in love with his vocals. I wasn't disappointed when he started in the Top 24. When he sang the 2nd week I knew that he had finally made it on the radar and would sail through into the Top 12. He has such a strong voice that he can belt out the power ballads but still show off subtle emotion from verse to verse. I think he's hugely talented and should make pretty far down the stretch.
Jason - He is a complete enigma to me. I don't understand while everyone likes him so much. I thought his first performance was ok but it didn't blow me away. Neither did his 2nd. His third was alright but having never heard the song I wasn't sure why everyone liked it so much. Now that I've heard the original version I do have to give him props because that song really came out of nowhere and he nailed it. I do find him interesting though because I keep getting the sense that he just decided to try out on a whim one day and suddenly found himself on the biggest show on the planet. Sometimes he looks like he's just thinking "how the hell did I get here?". I can really see Jason being the quiet guy that no one notices until the dust suddenly settles and he's in the finals. He's going to be one to keep an eye on.
Kristy - The sole survivor of the "4 Bland Blondes". Initially I thought the 4 Bland Blondes were going to make it into the Top 12 but instead it looks like they all split the votes and took each other out. With Kristy left standing she has a lot on her shoulders to make sure the blondes get further along. Her country voice is pleasant to listen to however, Kristy has turned into a blond robot right in front of our eyes. She has no personality(both when she performs and when she's being interviewed). She really needs to step out of her shell when she's performing or she'll go home pretty quickly as well.
Michael - He has become the most frustrating contestant for me this year. When I saw his initial audition I thought he was fantastic and would bring something new and different to the competition. However, since then I have been completely underwhelmed by him. All of his performances have failed to catch my attention or spark any kind of interest. That's what makes it so frustrating, because we've all seen the potential that he has and know that when he finally nails it, it's going to be awesome. However, wanting that and not delivering each week will get tiresome very quickly. He really needs to pull something out of his hat really soon or he's going to be left behind by the Davids.
Ramiele - I so did not want to like Ramiele because I was scared she was going to be another Jasmine (and we've already been through one). However, this little spitfire has (thankfully) proven me wrong. I think she might be female to beat. She has a great personality, she has great stage presence, and she has a powerful voice. As long as she keeps picking good songs that fit her style I think she will do really well in the competition.
Syesha - She is very hit or miss. Syesha has a fantastic voice and reminds me very much of Nadia Turner from Season 4. However, she has a tendency to pick bad (or overdone) songs. She needs to stay away from Whitney or Celine and really try to bring something new to the double because otherwise people are going to get tired of her really quickly.
So those are my thoughts about this Top 12. I do think they're one of the most talented bunch we've had so far. However, based on the last three weeks, I still think that Season 5 was the best Top 12. It'll be very interesting to see what happens tomorrow night now that we can finally compare them against each other. I'm looking forward to it.
If I was to make a prediction right now, here's how it would shake out for me.
12. Chikezie
11. Kristy
10. Amanda
9. Syesha
8. Michael
7. Jason
6. David C.
5. Brooke
4. David H.
3. Carly
2. Ramiele
1. David A.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Top 8 Guys
Hey everyone. Sorry I missed last week but I had to work both nights and didn't get a chance to watch the show until really late at night. Tonight I was watching it at a friend's house so I didn't get to blog live but I'm still going to give my thoughts about tonight's performances.
First up is Luke. I thought this was the perfect song choice for him. Yes, it was a little cheesy, but I think that's pretty much what Luke is....cheesy. There is no way he'll win this competition but I thought tonight was his best performance yet. George Michael is the perfect guy to emulate for his voice. I thought the song worked. Luke was having fun on stage and seemed to be really enjoying himself. I liked it. Grade B.
David A. - It as cool seeing David open up on the piano (just to remind everyone that he's multitalented). I thought the song choice was a little odd for him but it worked. I liked how he changed it up a little bit. In my opinion, this was his weakest performance thus far on the show, but it was still a hell of a lot better than everyone else tonight. It's going to be hard to top last week's performance. I just hope he didn't peak too soon. Grade A-
Danny - *sigh*. I'm over Danny. I hate mugging of the camera. I hate his diva attitude. I hate his new scarf every week. I thought this performance was a mess. Tainted Love isn't really a singer's song since it's pretty repetative. Danny's voice was all over the place as well (I think it's interesting that his voice doesn't fit what you see on the screen. Closing your eyes, you wouldn't picture Danny to be singing it). I just didn't like anything about this performance. Grade C-
David H. - I was worried when I noticed that he was singing a Celine Dion song. But David has a really strong voice that was able to channel the song really well. I loved the different emotions he was conveying through the song and changing his voice up to match them. I thought he did a great job and made it into the Top 12. I'm really happy for him! Grade A-
Michael - this was a perfect song choice for him. He can definitely channel the 80s rock thing. Simple Minds/INXS/early U2 could be good for him to focus on. This was a good performance but once again, I'm not awed by him. I still find him to be pretty blah and I think he's dropped so much ground in the competition (especially after all 3 David's have been performing so well). He needs to really shine on a song or he'll be out around 7th. Grade B
David C. - when the song first started I thought "Lionel Richie?!" But as the song got going into the chorus I found myself to really LOVE what he had done with the arrangement and changing it into more of a rock-type song. By mid performance he was in total command of it and really created a whole new song with new emotions. It reminded me of an REM type of song. I loved it! Best performance of the night. Grade A+
Jason - I don't know this song at all so I have no idea if he was good or not. His voice reminds me of Bright Eyes (which isn't a good or bad thing). I still don't understand the appeal of Jason but it was nice to finally see him without the guitar and really singing a song. It was alright for me but I can't say that it really impressed me. I just get the feeling that Jason keeps thinkig "what am I doing on Idol?!". Grade B
Chikezie - He's singing some Whitney Houston song that I've never heard. His voice was a little pitchy in parts. I'm not a big fan of Chikezie's and he didn't do anything to change my mind tonight. His voice sounds very similar to Ruben and Luther's but for some reason it just bores me (much like Ruben did on season 2). I didn't care for this performance either. Grade C
I feel like tonight is a pretty easy one to predict but watch me get it wrong. The bottom 3 will be Chikezie, Luke and Danny. I think the two going home will be Chikezie and Danny.
So my picks for the Top 6 guys are: David A, David C, David H, Jason, Michael and Luke. I was two off from my initial predictions. I can't wait to see if I get those right.
First up is Luke. I thought this was the perfect song choice for him. Yes, it was a little cheesy, but I think that's pretty much what Luke is....cheesy. There is no way he'll win this competition but I thought tonight was his best performance yet. George Michael is the perfect guy to emulate for his voice. I thought the song worked. Luke was having fun on stage and seemed to be really enjoying himself. I liked it. Grade B.
David A. - It as cool seeing David open up on the piano (just to remind everyone that he's multitalented). I thought the song choice was a little odd for him but it worked. I liked how he changed it up a little bit. In my opinion, this was his weakest performance thus far on the show, but it was still a hell of a lot better than everyone else tonight. It's going to be hard to top last week's performance. I just hope he didn't peak too soon. Grade A-
Danny - *sigh*. I'm over Danny. I hate mugging of the camera. I hate his diva attitude. I hate his new scarf every week. I thought this performance was a mess. Tainted Love isn't really a singer's song since it's pretty repetative. Danny's voice was all over the place as well (I think it's interesting that his voice doesn't fit what you see on the screen. Closing your eyes, you wouldn't picture Danny to be singing it). I just didn't like anything about this performance. Grade C-
David H. - I was worried when I noticed that he was singing a Celine Dion song. But David has a really strong voice that was able to channel the song really well. I loved the different emotions he was conveying through the song and changing his voice up to match them. I thought he did a great job and made it into the Top 12. I'm really happy for him! Grade A-
Michael - this was a perfect song choice for him. He can definitely channel the 80s rock thing. Simple Minds/INXS/early U2 could be good for him to focus on. This was a good performance but once again, I'm not awed by him. I still find him to be pretty blah and I think he's dropped so much ground in the competition (especially after all 3 David's have been performing so well). He needs to really shine on a song or he'll be out around 7th. Grade B
David C. - when the song first started I thought "Lionel Richie?!" But as the song got going into the chorus I found myself to really LOVE what he had done with the arrangement and changing it into more of a rock-type song. By mid performance he was in total command of it and really created a whole new song with new emotions. It reminded me of an REM type of song. I loved it! Best performance of the night. Grade A+
Jason - I don't know this song at all so I have no idea if he was good or not. His voice reminds me of Bright Eyes (which isn't a good or bad thing). I still don't understand the appeal of Jason but it was nice to finally see him without the guitar and really singing a song. It was alright for me but I can't say that it really impressed me. I just get the feeling that Jason keeps thinkig "what am I doing on Idol?!". Grade B
Chikezie - He's singing some Whitney Houston song that I've never heard. His voice was a little pitchy in parts. I'm not a big fan of Chikezie's and he didn't do anything to change my mind tonight. His voice sounds very similar to Ruben and Luther's but for some reason it just bores me (much like Ruben did on season 2). I didn't care for this performance either. Grade C
I feel like tonight is a pretty easy one to predict but watch me get it wrong. The bottom 3 will be Chikezie, Luke and Danny. I think the two going home will be Chikezie and Danny.
So my picks for the Top 6 guys are: David A, David C, David H, Jason, Michael and Luke. I was two off from my initial predictions. I can't wait to see if I get those right.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
