I like tonight's theme - it has potential. Choosing songs from the year they were born will mean that everyone should have plenty of options and nobody should be stuck with a really obscure song that doesn't suit them at all. Tonight should be great.
If everyone's smart.
I also want to say, I'm going to be rating a bit tougher as far as my numbers this week. I think I was not tough enough last week in particular and am going to try to be a little more realistic as far as rating the actual talent displayed. No promises that I'll succeed at that, but I plan to try.
Ramiele Malubay
Alone
6.5
Alright, I'll give her this much. She's improving. She's still not my favorite, but this performance wasn't that bad. She was a bit flat in some sections and oversang others, sounding almost shreikishly tuneless on the hook. But she started out strong enough, and actually had a couple of very nice moments. I think her fan base will carry her through to next week. I do want to see her with a bit more commanding stage presence one of these days though. All we've seen so far is awkward wandering, or awkward standing still. Bleh.
Jason Castro
Fragile
7
Brave man to sing a Sting song while I'm listening. He's put a very different groove on it than Sting , so there's no need to really compare them... I'm good with that. And overall? I liked it. Contrary to what the judges have said, I think he did it very different from Sting. I will agree with Simon that the guitar was a bit uninteresting, and the vocals really could have been stronger, but his pitch was good and the performance was ... nice. Not blow-me-away amazing, but nice.
Syesha Mercado
If I Were Your Woman
9.5
I'm not familiar with the song, but for the first time I'm convinced that Syesha could potentially be in the upper eschalon this season. This was probably her best performance of the season. I thought the performance was strong, sensitive, and believable. It's a record I would buy. The last note was a bit off pitch, but other than that she did a very good job.
Chikezie
If Only
6
I'm not sure the Chik chose right. It's a nice song I guess, but his pitch is off and it's kinda dull. He comes off as a second rate crooner to me. I'm not thrilled. I like his jacket though ... the stenciling is cool. The performance is not a home run though. Too bad.
Brooke White
Every Breath You Take
6.5
Ouch! Bad start. She had to start it over after a single clam. Could have been worse, but that's not good. Her voice is so pretty. But I'm sorry, I'm underwhelmed by the performance. Vocally it was ok if just a hair weak on the bridge. But it was sorta like a Police song set to the piano part from Music Box Dancer. Bleh. Boring. Besides, I'm not sure a stalker song is believable when it's 'pretty'.
Michael Johns
We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions
7.5
Hey - Michael is finally steppin' into that whole rock star vibe that he wants so badly to portray. and I really like how he starts it out... But wait. He bails on a really powerful rendition of We Will Rock You in favor of a somewhat crappy version of We Are the Champions. Maybe his problem is that he only has 16 bars of cool on any given night. It doesn't help that one of the backing vocalists was a bit off during the transition to the chorus... or maybe the mix on their mics was just off. Whatever the problem was, it detracted. Also, he is still hurt by not having an upper range. After listening to it again I didn't hate it, but I also didn't love it. Still, it's much better than he's been the last couple of weeks.
Carly Smithson
Total Eclipse of the Heart
8.5
I like this song. I hope she does well with it. And it's good. This was a really solid performance overall. Not perfect - there were a couple of flat notes and maybe she could have done more with it. But still, it was good and she'll still be around next week for sure. Or at least I hope so.
David Archuleta
You're the Voice
9
K - so we're back to singing the socially conscious songs. But that's OK I guess because it's just who he is. He does a good job with it, but I'm surprised to hear him with a couple of off sounding notes. Like so many others tonight, he didn't quite live up to his demonstrated potential from prior weeks. He is one of the best singers on the show this year, but that was not his best performance. Just to clarify... his not best is still better than most performers' wow. So whatever.
Kristy Lee Cook
God Bless the USA
6
One of my most 'not favorite' songs ever. But it's a a very anthemic country type song so maybe it will work for her. But no - she's boring. Her pitch is all over the place. Her timing is bad. And she still has the personality of a hash brown. Or maybe a scrambled egg, no salt. I was just bored to tears. Yuck.
David Cook
Billy Jean
11
Interesting. A completely different arrangement of a classic. Very alt. Very dangerous. I'm not sure he quite found the pocket at the front end. And I started to worry that it was not going to work at all, but once he hit the bridge it was all different. Perfection. Nobody else in this competition could have pulled it off. There aren't a lot of performers anywhere who could have pulled it off. But David is amazing. He wins. Hands down.
Bottom of the barrel.... Well I've gotta say, I think Chikezie was overall the worst performance of the night. I don't know that he'll be going home because I still think he has great potential as a supah-stah - but he didn't wow me tonight. Joining him on the floor will be Kristy and maybe Ramiele or maybe Jason if his fans forget how to dial the phone. Although, if failing to inspire commentary is the kiss of death, it might actually be Carly on the floor again. She has so much potential, but she has to find her wow factor again quickly or she'll get lost in the shuffle. Still, I think this will finally be Kristy's week to finally hit the street. Country roads, take her home.
Top of the heap.... No doubt in my mind at all... David Cook is probably the best Idol contestant of all time. He proved again tonight why he deserves to win the whole kit and caboodle. Also showing up to play this evening were Syesha, Babyface Archuleta, and even Michael Johns. Everyone else has to step it up or get left behind.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
ANTM - Painted Ladies
OK - so I still like who I like. I like Whitney. I love Claire. I am rooting for Lauryn. I also still don't like who I don't like. Fatima is annoying. Dominique is domineering - and completely full of herself. And I really hate catfights of any kind for any reason. Somehow I expect some of these girls to be all catty and stupid - I don't like that Whitney lowered herself to that level. I know - it probably comes with the whole model territory, but I vote that they should all decide to grow up and act like human beings for the rest of the show. K?
Training Exercise - Fun... they have a posing workshop with Supermodel Vendela and posing coach Benny Ninja. The girls each have to take a turn posing as Catalog, Commercial, or Couture. Interesting... and I must admit it loses me just a little. I'm not sure I know the difference. Good thing I'm not competing.
Live Event - We again have Benny Ninja and Vendela, and now instead of a posing training session it's a competition. The girls are split into two teams, and they have to pose head-to-head against someone from the other team. Whichever team racks up the most points gets a very cool prize - a visit to a swag tent and lots of free goodies. Cool.
Team 1 - Lauren Dominique, Anya, Aimee, and Fatima.
Team 2 - Stacy Ann, Katarzyna, Claire, Marvita, and Whitney
When the dust clears, Team 2 won the free stuff. Claire was the top of her group and won an extra prize - a trip to Bora Bora.
Photoshoot - Now this one is trippy. They are taking head shots with paint dripping on them. The Photographer is Peter Buckingham. This is a surprisingly tough shoot ... and ended up being surprisingly interesting with the colored makeup and the dripping paint.
I think the best pictures is maybe Claire - even though they criticized her neck.
The worst was, without a doubt, Marvita.
The ewww moment was Fatima's armpit, but that's probably very much a cultural thing. Live and learn Fatima.
Eliminated - I'm not surprised that Marvita is going home tonight. She has a pretty face, but she's completely out of her depth as far as the social aspects of the whole modeling thing. She just doesn't know how to make this whole thing work. I hope she finds some confidence, believes in herself and doesn't just get lost in a dead-end life.
Training Exercise - Fun... they have a posing workshop with Supermodel Vendela and posing coach Benny Ninja. The girls each have to take a turn posing as Catalog, Commercial, or Couture. Interesting... and I must admit it loses me just a little. I'm not sure I know the difference. Good thing I'm not competing.
Live Event - We again have Benny Ninja and Vendela, and now instead of a posing training session it's a competition. The girls are split into two teams, and they have to pose head-to-head against someone from the other team. Whichever team racks up the most points gets a very cool prize - a visit to a swag tent and lots of free goodies. Cool.
Team 1 - Lauren Dominique, Anya, Aimee, and Fatima.
Team 2 - Stacy Ann, Katarzyna, Claire, Marvita, and Whitney
When the dust clears, Team 2 won the free stuff. Claire was the top of her group and won an extra prize - a trip to Bora Bora.
Photoshoot - Now this one is trippy. They are taking head shots with paint dripping on them. The Photographer is Peter Buckingham. This is a surprisingly tough shoot ... and ended up being surprisingly interesting with the colored makeup and the dripping paint.
I think the best pictures is maybe Claire - even though they criticized her neck.
The worst was, without a doubt, Marvita.
The ewww moment was Fatima's armpit, but that's probably very much a cultural thing. Live and learn Fatima.
Eliminated - I'm not surprised that Marvita is going home tonight. She has a pretty face, but she's completely out of her depth as far as the social aspects of the whole modeling thing. She just doesn't know how to make this whole thing work. I hope she finds some confidence, believes in herself and doesn't just get lost in a dead-end life.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
AI 7.2 Eliminations - You're Going to Lose That Girl
Tonight's elimination is a watershed moment for the Idols.... Those who move forward are guaranteed at least a mini-career in the music industry. They will each be a part of the Idol tour this summer.
One will not.
So on to the evening so we can see who is getting left behind.
Wait... it has to wait for another sappy group number. Sorry, but While My Guitar Gently Weeps just doesn't work as an ensemble performance. Bleh. OK. Time to fast forward my Tivo past the schlock....................
Brooke White is ... safe.
Carly Smithson is ... in the bottom 3. YIKES!!!
David Archuleta is ... safe.
Michael Johns is ... safe.
Normally I wouldn't comment much on the blah blah between then actual 3 minutes that I've tuned in to watch, but they showed footage from the Idol Ford video from this week and I actually liked Ramiele's comment. She said, "It's like our day off, only with hair and makeup." I'm annoyed to find that I think anything about her is cute. Harrumph.
David Cook is ... safe.
Kristy Lee Cook is ... in the bottom 3.
Jason Castro is ... safe.
Ramiele Malubay is ... safe.
I refuse to listen to the stupid calls. More Tivo fast forward (we call it 'ba-doop-ing' in our house because of the sound it makes, but you probably didn't care about that).
Guest performing tonight is former Idol contestant and rising star in her own right - Kelly Pickler. She is looking cute and sassy in a floaty red dress and spunky new haircut. I think she maybe got Simon's blood pressure up just a tad bit. Ha.
Syesha Mercado is ... safe.
Chickezie is ... safe. This is no surprise.
Amanda is ... in the bottom 3.
So - it's Amanda, Carly and Kristy are on the bottom. I get it with Kristy. I even get it with Amanda since she's good at what she does but really has only limited appeal. But Carly? She's about as ready to go as any Idol contestant has ever been. Good grief people - vote for people who can sing. Or at least vote for people who will sell a lot of records. Carly should easily slide into the top 4 of this competition - it's just wrong that she's on the floor.
At least they had her go sit down. And while I'm mildly disappointed that Amanda got the boot this early, I'll concede that more than anything she's just not right for this competition. She handled the news with aplomb and grace, and is probably just as happy to go back to her bars where everyone in the house gets her and appreciates the whole southern rock vibe.
So, buh bye Amanda. I wish you all luck. Go cut an album and prove them all wrong. :)
One will not.
So on to the evening so we can see who is getting left behind.
Wait... it has to wait for another sappy group number. Sorry, but While My Guitar Gently Weeps just doesn't work as an ensemble performance. Bleh. OK. Time to fast forward my Tivo past the schlock....................
Brooke White is ... safe.
Carly Smithson is ... in the bottom 3. YIKES!!!
David Archuleta is ... safe.
Michael Johns is ... safe.
Normally I wouldn't comment much on the blah blah between then actual 3 minutes that I've tuned in to watch, but they showed footage from the Idol Ford video from this week and I actually liked Ramiele's comment. She said, "It's like our day off, only with hair and makeup." I'm annoyed to find that I think anything about her is cute. Harrumph.
David Cook is ... safe.
Kristy Lee Cook is ... in the bottom 3.
Jason Castro is ... safe.
Ramiele Malubay is ... safe.
I refuse to listen to the stupid calls. More Tivo fast forward (we call it 'ba-doop-ing' in our house because of the sound it makes, but you probably didn't care about that).
Guest performing tonight is former Idol contestant and rising star in her own right - Kelly Pickler. She is looking cute and sassy in a floaty red dress and spunky new haircut. I think she maybe got Simon's blood pressure up just a tad bit. Ha.
Syesha Mercado is ... safe.
Chickezie is ... safe. This is no surprise.
Amanda is ... in the bottom 3.
So - it's Amanda, Carly and Kristy are on the bottom. I get it with Kristy. I even get it with Amanda since she's good at what she does but really has only limited appeal. But Carly? She's about as ready to go as any Idol contestant has ever been. Good grief people - vote for people who can sing. Or at least vote for people who will sell a lot of records. Carly should easily slide into the top 4 of this competition - it's just wrong that she's on the floor.
At least they had her go sit down. And while I'm mildly disappointed that Amanda got the boot this early, I'll concede that more than anything she's just not right for this competition. She handled the news with aplomb and grace, and is probably just as happy to go back to her bars where everyone in the house gets her and appreciates the whole southern rock vibe.
So, buh bye Amanda. I wish you all luck. Go cut an album and prove them all wrong. :)
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
AI 7.2 - Beatles Catalog
For tonight's show they decided to expand on last week's 'Lennon-McCartney Songbook' and go with the Beatles' catalog in general. This makes me happy – I like the Beatles. Then again, I don't love bad covers of the Beatles, so lets hope there's no repeat of Christy Lee Cook or David Archuleta's performances from last week.
Amanda Overmeyer
Back in the USSR
7/10
Hard driving southern rock is promised by Amanda's lead-in video. And she kinda promises. This song is definitely in her roundhouse, but the middle section was all over the place pitch-wise. Overall it was OK, but I'm not blown away. Randy gives her a seven-out-of-ten, and I think I agree.
Christy Lee Cook
You've Got to Hide Your Love Away
7/10
OK. I think she has the IQ of a hashbrown. Her interview with Ryan was inane. But I have to say, the song is working OK for her. I don't like the way she changed the melody on the chorus, but the arrangement is contemporary without being dorky. She still needs to work on her stage presence, but she didn't do too bad with it.
David Archuleta
The Long and Winding Road
10/10
This might be better for him – it's more his style than We Can Work it Out which he butchered last week. And he will win back any lost fans with this rendition. He didn't muck about much with the arrangement, he had really outstanding vocals, and some very good embellishments. Once again he found a song that he could record tomorrow and sell a jillion records to his adoring fans. I just wish he hadn't messed up the ending with the 'yeah, yeah, yeah...' at the end.
Michael Johns
A Day in the Life
5.5/10
He read the news today... it said Michael Johns needs better vocal range to make this whole thing work for him. His lack of a falsetto is really starting to work against him. Straining on the high notes isn't going to win him any girlfriends. This performance was only just sota OK. I didn't love it – in fact it was pretty disappointing. That could be the end of the road for Michael. ... But wait – he'll maybe win a few sympathy votes with his dedication to his dead friend, so maybe he will still be with us next week after all.
Brook White
Here Comes the Sun
7.5/10
There's a definite country spin on this one for Brook. I can hear Christy getting jealous back stage. I'm not sure this is her best performance, but it's still solid, on pitch, and entertaining. And I like her dress.
David Cook
Day Tripper
8.5/10
One of only two Davids left in this competition... and also one of two Cooks. I hope he doesn't disappear just for being redundant. But there's nothing redundant about how he performs. He found a White Snake version of the song that's lettin' him rock out as usual. And... big risk... he did the Peter Framptom squawk box thing. It was interesting and generally entertaining, but not his best performance.
Carly Smithson
Blackbird
10/10
A wee bit of a departure for our Irish lass. And there's not much critique to be done here. She's got an amazing voice – perfect clarity. They keep comparing her to Kelly Clarkson, but I think that was slightly reminiscent of Celine Dion. Simon didn't get it, but I thought it was great.
Jason Castro
Michelle
6.5/10
This might be terrible... I don't have the highest of hopes. He's doing better than the nightmare scenario I was imagining, but it's a little boring. There's nothing really to do with the song that could showcase him as a performer. Tonight he showed how truly average he can be.
Syesha Mercado
Yesterday
8.5/10
She looks fabulous. I am unsure about her performance though. It's not bad, but the high key makes it sound a little brittle. She had a couple of nice moments with it but I' not jumping up and down. It was good, but falls short of legendary.
Chickezie
I've Just Seen a Face
8/10
Singing a song that's a little less well-know could have worked against him. It would have if he's been Michael or Christy. But he did something unique that kinda managed to work in spite of itself. As with a couple of others tonight it was merely good and not great, but he'll definitely be around again next week. I have to agree with Simon though – it came across as gimicky.
Ramiele Malubay
I Should Have Known Better
6.5/10
My first thought is that I want to chop off her arm to keep it from flailing around like that. Her singing is ... OK. I can't say it's bad... it's just ordinary. I know there are a lot of people who are in love with this girl, but I'm just not one of them. Based on other performances tonight she deserves to be around for another week.
I'd say that overall this week was mostly mediocre. Even with a couple of great performances, there is nothing that really stands out in my mind as I think back over the show. The Beatles catalog has so many potential power hits, and there really just wasn't much to hang your hat on tonight.
Top of the heap – No question... it's Carly and Archuleta tonight.
Bottom of the Barrel – Jason and Ramiele were not great tonight, but Michael made a really poor song choice and I think it might finally be his death knell.
I just want to take a moment to remind the Idols of what I told them before this whole thing began. You have to pick great songs that work for you. You have to bring your A game every week. You have to stand out. You have to be memorable... not necessarily great, but memorable.
It's high time this pool of talent shows what it can do, or this might end up being the biggest letdown season ever.
Amanda Overmeyer
Back in the USSR
7/10
Hard driving southern rock is promised by Amanda's lead-in video. And she kinda promises. This song is definitely in her roundhouse, but the middle section was all over the place pitch-wise. Overall it was OK, but I'm not blown away. Randy gives her a seven-out-of-ten, and I think I agree.
Christy Lee Cook
You've Got to Hide Your Love Away
7/10
OK. I think she has the IQ of a hashbrown. Her interview with Ryan was inane. But I have to say, the song is working OK for her. I don't like the way she changed the melody on the chorus, but the arrangement is contemporary without being dorky. She still needs to work on her stage presence, but she didn't do too bad with it.
David Archuleta
The Long and Winding Road
10/10
This might be better for him – it's more his style than We Can Work it Out which he butchered last week. And he will win back any lost fans with this rendition. He didn't muck about much with the arrangement, he had really outstanding vocals, and some very good embellishments. Once again he found a song that he could record tomorrow and sell a jillion records to his adoring fans. I just wish he hadn't messed up the ending with the 'yeah, yeah, yeah...' at the end.
Michael Johns
A Day in the Life
5.5/10
He read the news today... it said Michael Johns needs better vocal range to make this whole thing work for him. His lack of a falsetto is really starting to work against him. Straining on the high notes isn't going to win him any girlfriends. This performance was only just sota OK. I didn't love it – in fact it was pretty disappointing. That could be the end of the road for Michael. ... But wait – he'll maybe win a few sympathy votes with his dedication to his dead friend, so maybe he will still be with us next week after all.
Brook White
Here Comes the Sun
7.5/10
There's a definite country spin on this one for Brook. I can hear Christy getting jealous back stage. I'm not sure this is her best performance, but it's still solid, on pitch, and entertaining. And I like her dress.
David Cook
Day Tripper
8.5/10
One of only two Davids left in this competition... and also one of two Cooks. I hope he doesn't disappear just for being redundant. But there's nothing redundant about how he performs. He found a White Snake version of the song that's lettin' him rock out as usual. And... big risk... he did the Peter Framptom squawk box thing. It was interesting and generally entertaining, but not his best performance.
Carly Smithson
Blackbird
10/10
A wee bit of a departure for our Irish lass. And there's not much critique to be done here. She's got an amazing voice – perfect clarity. They keep comparing her to Kelly Clarkson, but I think that was slightly reminiscent of Celine Dion. Simon didn't get it, but I thought it was great.
Jason Castro
Michelle
6.5/10
This might be terrible... I don't have the highest of hopes. He's doing better than the nightmare scenario I was imagining, but it's a little boring. There's nothing really to do with the song that could showcase him as a performer. Tonight he showed how truly average he can be.
Syesha Mercado
Yesterday
8.5/10
She looks fabulous. I am unsure about her performance though. It's not bad, but the high key makes it sound a little brittle. She had a couple of nice moments with it but I' not jumping up and down. It was good, but falls short of legendary.
Chickezie
I've Just Seen a Face
8/10
Singing a song that's a little less well-know could have worked against him. It would have if he's been Michael or Christy. But he did something unique that kinda managed to work in spite of itself. As with a couple of others tonight it was merely good and not great, but he'll definitely be around again next week. I have to agree with Simon though – it came across as gimicky.
Ramiele Malubay
I Should Have Known Better
6.5/10
My first thought is that I want to chop off her arm to keep it from flailing around like that. Her singing is ... OK. I can't say it's bad... it's just ordinary. I know there are a lot of people who are in love with this girl, but I'm just not one of them. Based on other performances tonight she deserves to be around for another week.
I'd say that overall this week was mostly mediocre. Even with a couple of great performances, there is nothing that really stands out in my mind as I think back over the show. The Beatles catalog has so many potential power hits, and there really just wasn't much to hang your hat on tonight.
Top of the heap – No question... it's Carly and Archuleta tonight.
Bottom of the Barrel – Jason and Ramiele were not great tonight, but Michael made a really poor song choice and I think it might finally be his death knell.
I just want to take a moment to remind the Idols of what I told them before this whole thing began. You have to pick great songs that work for you. You have to bring your A game every week. You have to stand out. You have to be memorable... not necessarily great, but memorable.
It's high time this pool of talent shows what it can do, or this might end up being the biggest letdown season ever.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
AI 7.1 Eliminations - Hello, Goodbye
Here we go. We gots Idols. They be singin' songs like all as a group, yo. Beatles is good junk. Sweet.
Sorry. I just went insane for a moment.
But I will note here that the Lennin-McCartney theme was so popular that the Idols will get another crack at it next week. Cool. For everyone but Archuleta it's cool. Arch needs to start studying his lyrics NOW.
I'm going to cut right to the chase here...
The bottom 3 are:
I'm very pleased to announce that it's Plasticman going home tonight. I'm beyond thrilled. I'm ecstatic. I'm over the moon. I'm downright giddy.
I will not miss this talent-free Ken doll one iota.
And, when all is said and done, I'm even glad that he was eliminated based on talent, and not on any kind of morals issue. There can be no question now that this was the right elimination.
Now, next to go? I'm hoping Ramiele. Tune in next week to find out.
Sorry. I just went insane for a moment.
But I will note here that the Lennin-McCartney theme was so popular that the Idols will get another crack at it next week. Cool. For everyone but Archuleta it's cool. Arch needs to start studying his lyrics NOW.
I'm going to cut right to the chase here...
The bottom 3 are:
- Syesha Mercado
- Kristy Lee Cook
- David Hernandez
I'm very pleased to announce that it's Plasticman going home tonight. I'm beyond thrilled. I'm ecstatic. I'm over the moon. I'm downright giddy.
I will not miss this talent-free Ken doll one iota.
And, when all is said and done, I'm even glad that he was eliminated based on talent, and not on any kind of morals issue. There can be no question now that this was the right elimination.
Now, next to go? I'm hoping Ramiele. Tune in next week to find out.
ANTM - It's a Meat Market
I'm starting to get a sense of the different girls and who I like and who I really dislike a lot. Maybe it's my imagination, but the group overall seems a lot more snarky and irritating than cycle 9. Who knows.
Anyway, I realized as I was watching tonight's episode that I didn't say anything about the training exercises in the previous shows, so I'm adding that info starting now...
Training Exercise - The girls were taken to a fire station to practice their quick changes and runway walks. They had 90 seconds to get changed into a sexy, girly version of fireman duds. Fatima blew it by forgetting the shoes - everyone else did fine. Fatima also blew her walk by stomping just a bit beyond 'fierce' and right on into 'showhorse'. The biggest disaster here was, unsurprisingly, Lauren who is drop-dead gorgeous, but has no idea at all what to do with her body.
Live Event - The models got a chance to put their training into practice by being thrown into another runway situation. They had to quickly don the designer clothes selected for them and make it to the runway in time to go on. There were a few more problems than there were in training. Fatima didn't get her jacket properly buttoned so she looked like a 4-year-old who is just learning how to dress herself. Lauren was a walking disaster again - meaning that her actual walking was a disaster. She's so pretty, but really has to learn how to move. But the most shocking mistake made in the crush of preparation? Whitney's left tata somehow managed to find itself undressed. Oops. Lucky for her she isn't one of the girls with an over-developed sense of modesty. Modesty is a luxury that models really don't get to entertain much.
Katarzyna was fabulous and won the weekly prize fair and square.
Photoshoot - This one is just plain icky.... Meat panties. Meat sweater. Meat halter top. Meat belt. All the girls are wearing meat. I hope nobody is a vegetarian. Aside from the creepy, meat-locker setting, something else is different here. Some of the girls who totally rock on the catwalk, are awkward and uncomfortable in front of the camera. I liked Lauren. I liked Whitney. I liked Dominique. Aimee was terrible. Amis was even worse.
Here's the thing, I know that the kind of woman who has the goods to be a model is, by definition, someone who thinks they are all that and a bag of chips. But wow - do they all have to be such incredible beotches? I want to slap Fatima and Dominique - probably two of the most exotic and interesting looking girls in the house. Aimee and Amis are both just completely uninteresting, but obnoxious.
The best girls overall are those who you don't want to strangle, and who have the looks and the skills to represent themselves well both on the runway and on film. I think that puts Katarzyna, Claire and Whitney at the top of the heap. Anya and Stacy Ann are probably not far behind, but both kind of get lost because they don't have a lot of personality. Too many of the girls will either be annoying and impossible to work with, or jave so much to learn they might not get there in time to win this particular contest.
So who would I like to see go? Probably Aimee or Amis.
Eliminated: Amis. No surprises.
Anyway, I realized as I was watching tonight's episode that I didn't say anything about the training exercises in the previous shows, so I'm adding that info starting now...
Training Exercise - The girls were taken to a fire station to practice their quick changes and runway walks. They had 90 seconds to get changed into a sexy, girly version of fireman duds. Fatima blew it by forgetting the shoes - everyone else did fine. Fatima also blew her walk by stomping just a bit beyond 'fierce' and right on into 'showhorse'. The biggest disaster here was, unsurprisingly, Lauren who is drop-dead gorgeous, but has no idea at all what to do with her body.
Live Event - The models got a chance to put their training into practice by being thrown into another runway situation. They had to quickly don the designer clothes selected for them and make it to the runway in time to go on. There were a few more problems than there were in training. Fatima didn't get her jacket properly buttoned so she looked like a 4-year-old who is just learning how to dress herself. Lauren was a walking disaster again - meaning that her actual walking was a disaster. She's so pretty, but really has to learn how to move. But the most shocking mistake made in the crush of preparation? Whitney's left tata somehow managed to find itself undressed. Oops. Lucky for her she isn't one of the girls with an over-developed sense of modesty. Modesty is a luxury that models really don't get to entertain much.
Katarzyna was fabulous and won the weekly prize fair and square.
Photoshoot - This one is just plain icky.... Meat panties. Meat sweater. Meat halter top. Meat belt. All the girls are wearing meat. I hope nobody is a vegetarian. Aside from the creepy, meat-locker setting, something else is different here. Some of the girls who totally rock on the catwalk, are awkward and uncomfortable in front of the camera. I liked Lauren. I liked Whitney. I liked Dominique. Aimee was terrible. Amis was even worse.
Here's the thing, I know that the kind of woman who has the goods to be a model is, by definition, someone who thinks they are all that and a bag of chips. But wow - do they all have to be such incredible beotches? I want to slap Fatima and Dominique - probably two of the most exotic and interesting looking girls in the house. Aimee and Amis are both just completely uninteresting, but obnoxious.
The best girls overall are those who you don't want to strangle, and who have the looks and the skills to represent themselves well both on the runway and on film. I think that puts Katarzyna, Claire and Whitney at the top of the heap. Anya and Stacy Ann are probably not far behind, but both kind of get lost because they don't have a lot of personality. Too many of the girls will either be annoying and impossible to work with, or jave so much to learn they might not get there in time to win this particular contest.
So who would I like to see go? Probably Aimee or Amis.
Eliminated: Amis. No surprises.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
AI 7.1 - Lennon-McCartney Songbook
It's a brand new Idol stage and a brand new Idol intro. A fitting setting for a brand new crop of Idol hopefuls to display their wares. Everything in the theatre is all fancy-schmancy. The band under the tutelage of Ricky is rarin' to go, and Ryan is a metro as ever. So let's get on with the show.
I'm looking forward to hearing some of the best songs ever in tonight's theme: Lennon-McCartney Songbook.
Syesha Mercado
"Got to Get You Into My Life"
8/10
She was a little flat on the opening phrase, but managed to find her center not too far into the song. I'm not sure I'm in love with the disco take on this, but her performance was decent overall. She could have used more of this new, giant stage, but she had some nice moments in this and I suspect she'll be safe this week.
Chikezie
"She's A Woman"
10/10
Wow. It's a bluegrass version... a very brave choice. But wait, it becomes a hard rock/rockabilly thing after the first pass. An interesting choice. And, lucky for Chik, it totally worked. He's got a great vocal going, great stage presence, and it was overall completely entertaining. I'm a fan.
Ramiele "Jasmine Trias" Malubay
"In My Life"
5.5/10
Before she even starts I'm sure I'll hate it. Maybe that's not fair, but you can't escape your history. And, what a shock, I'm right. She's got lousy pitch. She's got really awful phrasing problems and no support. It's a dippy, sappy arrangement. She might play well at the retirement village or in an amusement park retrospective. Towards the end she had a couple of really nice moments, but "blah" is the best I have to say for Ramiele.
Jason Castro
"If I Fell"
6.5/10
I really like Jason in general, but I'm not sure he did himself any huge favors with this arrangement. It was enough like the original to be poorly compared to it, but different enough to make me wonder what on earth he was thinking. I just didn't love it. The guitar playing was boring. He needed to either take a big risk with the song or be really classic. Instead he was just plain forgettable.
Carly Smithson
"Come Together"
10/10
Carly is probably both the prettiest and most talented of the girls. I love this chick! Her performance was flawless. She really strikes me as being the 'real deal'. I'm ready to run out and buy her album. Awesome job.
David Cook
"Eleanor Rigby"
9.5/10
I love the groove. It's a totally unexpected alt-rock kind of thing. He had a couple of minor pitch problems, but nothing that really affected the overall sense of the song. This is the third performance of the night that's ready to go straight to the studio. Really great.
Brook White
"Let It Be"
9/10
Nice Piano Playing. And I am consistently impressed with her simple but powerful vocals. She's got a country flavor without being a caricature, which is a very good thing. This didn't quite blow me away like a couple fo the other performers tonight, but it was a very strong performance that would make a very listenable recording.
David "Plasticman" Hernandez
"I Saw her Standing There"
5/10
The arrangement is boring. The vocal is mediocre at best. His stage presence is as overly-rehearsed as ever. I just don't find anything likable about him at all. He's smarmy. Actually, I really like Simon's assessment... "corny verging on desperate." I think that's sums it up perfectly.
Amanda "Overdrive" Overmeyer
"You Can't Do That"
8.5/10
Funky pants, babe. I don't like the hair though - it makes you look too young. Here's the thing about Amanda - she does what she does very well. Musically, she isn't trying to be anything she isn't. I know not everyone is in love with her, but for what it is it really works for her. I liked her performance a lot, but I'll admit it's starting to look a little like the same thing every week. I'd love to see some more depth from her, but I also worry that trying to do anything different would make her suck.
Michael Johns
"Across the Universe"
7/10
He's just a solid, straight-ahead singer. Unfortunately for him, that means he doesn't stand out in the crowd this season. Any other year he would have been one of the best. Against this year's group he's just OK. I think he needs to kick it up a notch or he'll be going home sooner rather than later.
Kristy Lee Cook
"Eight Days a Week"
6/10
Not a good start when you're behind the beat. But once she caught up to that country back beat she did OK. Her biggest problem now is a complete lack of stage presence. Singing a unique arrangement badly just doesn't work.
David "Babyface" Archuleta
"We Can Work It Out"
4.5/10
I don't love the groove to the exact extent that I loved David Cook's groove earlier. And, OH CRAP! he forgot the words. Twice. This is the first time he has been really, completely, totally, and in all possible ways, terrible. He almost saved it toward the end with some energy and a couple of interesting runs, but overall this was not a good night for the young'un.
Top Of the Heap: Chikezie and Carly are in a near dead-heat tonight. Both had great breakout performances. David Cook was cooking, but a few pitch issues keep him from joining the top podium this evening.
Pack Your Bags: While Archuleta was surprizingly the weakest overall performance of the night, I think he gets a pass based on his history. For me, the two who should really be most worried are Plasticman Hernandez and JasmineTriasIMeanRamiele. My fear tonight is that both David Hernandez and Ramiele Mal(meaning 'bad')ubay have a fairly deep fanbase to draw on in addition to possible help from Vote For the Worst. It's possible that the solid but forgettable performances from Michael or Syesha won't be enough to garner the votes needed to beat the true riff raff. They need to say their prayers or start shopping for airline tickets. At this point in the competition being unremarkable is possibly a bigger sin than being truly bad.
I'm looking forward to hearing some of the best songs ever in tonight's theme: Lennon-McCartney Songbook.
Syesha Mercado
"Got to Get You Into My Life"
8/10
She was a little flat on the opening phrase, but managed to find her center not too far into the song. I'm not sure I'm in love with the disco take on this, but her performance was decent overall. She could have used more of this new, giant stage, but she had some nice moments in this and I suspect she'll be safe this week.
Chikezie
"She's A Woman"
10/10
Wow. It's a bluegrass version... a very brave choice. But wait, it becomes a hard rock/rockabilly thing after the first pass. An interesting choice. And, lucky for Chik, it totally worked. He's got a great vocal going, great stage presence, and it was overall completely entertaining. I'm a fan.
Ramiele "Jasmine Trias" Malubay
"In My Life"
5.5/10
Before she even starts I'm sure I'll hate it. Maybe that's not fair, but you can't escape your history. And, what a shock, I'm right. She's got lousy pitch. She's got really awful phrasing problems and no support. It's a dippy, sappy arrangement. She might play well at the retirement village or in an amusement park retrospective. Towards the end she had a couple of really nice moments, but "blah" is the best I have to say for Ramiele.
Jason Castro
"If I Fell"
6.5/10
I really like Jason in general, but I'm not sure he did himself any huge favors with this arrangement. It was enough like the original to be poorly compared to it, but different enough to make me wonder what on earth he was thinking. I just didn't love it. The guitar playing was boring. He needed to either take a big risk with the song or be really classic. Instead he was just plain forgettable.
Carly Smithson
"Come Together"
10/10
Carly is probably both the prettiest and most talented of the girls. I love this chick! Her performance was flawless. She really strikes me as being the 'real deal'. I'm ready to run out and buy her album. Awesome job.
David Cook
"Eleanor Rigby"
9.5/10
I love the groove. It's a totally unexpected alt-rock kind of thing. He had a couple of minor pitch problems, but nothing that really affected the overall sense of the song. This is the third performance of the night that's ready to go straight to the studio. Really great.
Brook White
"Let It Be"
9/10
Nice Piano Playing. And I am consistently impressed with her simple but powerful vocals. She's got a country flavor without being a caricature, which is a very good thing. This didn't quite blow me away like a couple fo the other performers tonight, but it was a very strong performance that would make a very listenable recording.
David "Plasticman" Hernandez
"I Saw her Standing There"
5/10
The arrangement is boring. The vocal is mediocre at best. His stage presence is as overly-rehearsed as ever. I just don't find anything likable about him at all. He's smarmy. Actually, I really like Simon's assessment... "corny verging on desperate." I think that's sums it up perfectly.
Amanda "Overdrive" Overmeyer
"You Can't Do That"
8.5/10
Funky pants, babe. I don't like the hair though - it makes you look too young. Here's the thing about Amanda - she does what she does very well. Musically, she isn't trying to be anything she isn't. I know not everyone is in love with her, but for what it is it really works for her. I liked her performance a lot, but I'll admit it's starting to look a little like the same thing every week. I'd love to see some more depth from her, but I also worry that trying to do anything different would make her suck.
Michael Johns
"Across the Universe"
7/10
He's just a solid, straight-ahead singer. Unfortunately for him, that means he doesn't stand out in the crowd this season. Any other year he would have been one of the best. Against this year's group he's just OK. I think he needs to kick it up a notch or he'll be going home sooner rather than later.
Kristy Lee Cook
"Eight Days a Week"
6/10
Not a good start when you're behind the beat. But once she caught up to that country back beat she did OK. Her biggest problem now is a complete lack of stage presence. Singing a unique arrangement badly just doesn't work.
David "Babyface" Archuleta
"We Can Work It Out"
4.5/10
I don't love the groove to the exact extent that I loved David Cook's groove earlier. And, OH CRAP! he forgot the words. Twice. This is the first time he has been really, completely, totally, and in all possible ways, terrible. He almost saved it toward the end with some energy and a couple of interesting runs, but overall this was not a good night for the young'un.
Top Of the Heap: Chikezie and Carly are in a near dead-heat tonight. Both had great breakout performances. David Cook was cooking, but a few pitch issues keep him from joining the top podium this evening.
Pack Your Bags: While Archuleta was surprizingly the weakest overall performance of the night, I think he gets a pass based on his history. For me, the two who should really be most worried are Plasticman Hernandez and JasmineTriasIMeanRamiele. My fear tonight is that both David Hernandez and Ramiele Mal(meaning 'bad')ubay have a fairly deep fanbase to draw on in addition to possible help from Vote For the Worst. It's possible that the solid but forgettable performances from Michael or Syesha won't be enough to garner the votes needed to beat the true riff raff. They need to say their prayers or start shopping for airline tickets. At this point in the competition being unremarkable is possibly a bigger sin than being truly bad.
Monday, March 10, 2008
ANTM - Playing Catchup
OK - I finally got around to watching my recordings of America's Next Top Model, Cycle 10. Here are my thoughts on the first couple of episodes.
Week 1 - Homeless
Something happened and my comments on this episode disappeared - here are the bare bones.
Live event - a surprise runway show in Times Square.
Photo Shoot - a shoot with several girls from a NYC homeless support agency acting as extras.
Eliminated - Atalya
Quit - Kimberly
Week 2 - Top Model Makeovers
This is the week that all the girls get a new look - one that could potentially carry them into a new life.
Live event - casting/makeup challenge at WalMart. The girls have 5 minutes to make themselves up with Cover Girl products. Claire won the challenge, and was rewarded with a photo on the WalMart.com alleged Covergirl page. There doesn't seem to actually be any such page, but Claire must be on it. Wherever it is.
Then on to the makeovers.
Anya - platinum blond
Whitney - blonder and with a weave
Aimee - a weave, bangs and a red wash
Marvita - a horse-mane weave
Lauren - long blond weave with reddish highlights
Katarzyna - dark luxurious hair
Claire - pale blond and extremely short
Fatima - dark brown, weave, and straightening ... and this season's winner as most annoying reaction to a makeover
Allison - medium brown with a weave to fill it out
Dominique - short and sassy
Stacy-Ann - spikey and wild
Amis - A long blond weave
Photo Shoot - a nyc river ferry with Elle McPherson's lingerie line. How overwhelmingly intimidating!
Claire is becoming one of my favorites, especially with the makeover. I also like Whitney, and I still hope Lauren grows into her looks.
Allison is probably my least favorite of the girls - she is arrogant, but without the goods to back it up.
Eliminated - Allison ... and good riddance. Blech.
Week 1 - Homeless
Something happened and my comments on this episode disappeared - here are the bare bones.
Live event - a surprise runway show in Times Square.
Photo Shoot - a shoot with several girls from a NYC homeless support agency acting as extras.
Eliminated - Atalya
Quit - Kimberly
Week 2 - Top Model Makeovers
This is the week that all the girls get a new look - one that could potentially carry them into a new life.
Live event - casting/makeup challenge at WalMart. The girls have 5 minutes to make themselves up with Cover Girl products. Claire won the challenge, and was rewarded with a photo on the WalMart.com alleged Covergirl page. There doesn't seem to actually be any such page, but Claire must be on it. Wherever it is.
Then on to the makeovers.
Anya - platinum blond
Whitney - blonder and with a weave
Aimee - a weave, bangs and a red wash
Marvita - a horse-mane weave
Lauren - long blond weave with reddish highlights
Katarzyna - dark luxurious hair
Claire - pale blond and extremely short
Fatima - dark brown, weave, and straightening ... and this season's winner as most annoying reaction to a makeover
Allison - medium brown with a weave to fill it out
Dominique - short and sassy
Stacy-Ann - spikey and wild
Amis - A long blond weave
Photo Shoot - a nyc river ferry with Elle McPherson's lingerie line. How overwhelmingly intimidating!
Claire is becoming one of my favorites, especially with the makeover. I also like Whitney, and I still hope Lauren grows into her looks.
Allison is probably my least favorite of the girls - she is arrogant, but without the goods to back it up.
Eliminated - Allison ... and good riddance. Blech.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Tainted Forever
Ladies and gentlemen... we have idols.
Generally speaking I think the choices were good even though I disagree vehemently with one of them.
The four eliminated singers tonight were:
Kady Malloy
Luke Menard
Asia'h Epperson and
Danny Noriega
You may recall that I actually made the call on Kady and Luke. Yay me. I didn't make the call on Danny only because I thought he had a following. I must say, I'm thrilled to have been wrong on that one - I think Michael really deserved to stay. Where I'm not so thrilled is with Asia'h going home. I thought she was very good. While I knew that eventually Asia'h and Syesha would be splitting the Whitney-wannabe lovers' vote, I didn't think it would go to Syesha, and I didn't think it would be so soon. It's a disappointment.
Who really should have gone from the girls' side tonight was the cute but talentless Ramiele. I'm sure she will disappear within a few weeks. At least we can hope so. But in the mean while, America, here is your top twelve....
David Cook
David Archuleta
Jason Castro
Brook White
Syesha Mercado
David Hernandez
Michael Johns
Ramiele Malubay
Carly Smithson
Amanda Overmeyer
Kristy Lee Cook and
Chikezie
Next week we start the real competition on a bigger stage with a bigger audience. I wish all the idols good luck - which some will need more than others. For those who don't need the luck because they're just that good, I hope you make the right song choices and remember to drink your tea with honey and lemon.
Celebrate gently, get some rest, and we'll see you all next Tuesday night.
Generally speaking I think the choices were good even though I disagree vehemently with one of them.
The four eliminated singers tonight were:
Kady Malloy
Luke Menard
Asia'h Epperson and
Danny Noriega
You may recall that I actually made the call on Kady and Luke. Yay me. I didn't make the call on Danny only because I thought he had a following. I must say, I'm thrilled to have been wrong on that one - I think Michael really deserved to stay. Where I'm not so thrilled is with Asia'h going home. I thought she was very good. While I knew that eventually Asia'h and Syesha would be splitting the Whitney-wannabe lovers' vote, I didn't think it would go to Syesha, and I didn't think it would be so soon. It's a disappointment.
Who really should have gone from the girls' side tonight was the cute but talentless Ramiele. I'm sure she will disappear within a few weeks. At least we can hope so. But in the mean while, America, here is your top twelve....
David Cook
David Archuleta
Jason Castro
Brook White
Syesha Mercado
David Hernandez
Michael Johns
Ramiele Malubay
Carly Smithson
Amanda Overmeyer
Kristy Lee Cook and
Chikezie
Next week we start the real competition on a bigger stage with a bigger audience. I wish all the idols good luck - which some will need more than others. For those who don't need the luck because they're just that good, I hope you make the right song choices and remember to drink your tea with honey and lemon.
Celebrate gently, get some rest, and we'll see you all next Tuesday night.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
American Idol 7 - Girls3
It's both ladies' night and '80s night on the Idol stage. Lets see if the girls can compete with what the guys did last night.
Asia'h Epperson
"I Want to Dance With Somebody"
Nice job on the song. She had a nice clean vocal and decent stage presence. Asia'h is probably in the top two or three of the girls overall. My one issue with tonight's performance is that the song strikes me as a hair dated since she didn't do anything with the arrangement. It could have been a teeny bit better, but overall this was quite good.
Kady Malloy
"We Can Have Forever"
It was OK I guess. She has nice tone, but I couldn't understand the words. She has the potential to be really good, but she hasn't arrived yet. Her performance was fairly bland and forgettable overall - nothing about it really popped for me. If she's still here next week she'll really need to crank things up a bit or she will go home sooner rather than later.
Amanda Overmeyer
"I Hate Myself for Loving You"
Amanda was more engaging and interesting tonight that she was either of the last two weeks. The vocal was solid. She's back to being a real rocker chick with normal rocker chick hair. I know there are people who don't like her, but I think she's a very good performer. She isn't going to win the big prize, but she'll definitely be around next week.
Carly Smithson
"I Drove All Night"
Carly has a great voice. There's a lot of power to her singing. She looks great. She's fun to watch. But, girl, what were you thinking with those pants? They made her look fat. And Carly ain't fat. I like Carly a lot, but I want the pants to get voted off. Seriously though, Carly (along with Asia'h) is probably one of the top girls this year - maybe the best. She'll be around for many weeks yet.
Kristy Lee Cook
"Faithful"
I like Kristy. I think she started this song out great. But then the nerves started creeping in and her voice started to shake. Eventually it really killed her support and her pitch so she completely blew the big note at the end. I liked the country flavor she gave this song, but she can't let the nerves get to her like they did tonight.
Ramiele Malubay
"Against All Odds"
If this was season one or two, Ramiele might have a chance. It's not. She doesn't. She has an ok voice, but there are pitch problems and a complete lack of vocal power. I think Ramiele staying around for the top twelve goes against all odds.
Brook White
"Love is a Battlefield"
Two kinds of singers can do acoustic arrangements like this. Those who have smaller, quirky, folk-music-type voices (like Jason Castro), and those who can really deliver the goods in a pinch. Brook proved tonight that she has the goods. This ws by far my favorite performance from her yet.
Syesha Mercado
"Saving All My Love for You"
I do like Syesha, but I fear she has a problem - this song is just too big for her voice. I think she's good, but just not good enough. The song got away from her. She'll be back next week, but she really has no chance. She's cannon fodder, not a contestant in the running for the prize.
Top Honors: I think Asia'h and Carly killed tonight. Great job! Brook and Amanda were not far behind.
Pack Your Bags: I think we've found the end of the road for Ramiele and probably Kady. Kristy also should have been better, but she's the only one doing country so she probably has a fairly strong built in fan base in her genre.
I will say this, the girls overall aren't anywhere near the level of the guys. There are a couple that will do very well, but I think it's a guy's year to take home the big prize. But don't be surprised when a couple of the very niche-oriented girls (Amanda) get great offers after they 'lose' on Idol. A bunch of folks who don't hit the top two or three will still be pressing records in the next year or so. Mark my words....
Asia'h Epperson
"I Want to Dance With Somebody"
Nice job on the song. She had a nice clean vocal and decent stage presence. Asia'h is probably in the top two or three of the girls overall. My one issue with tonight's performance is that the song strikes me as a hair dated since she didn't do anything with the arrangement. It could have been a teeny bit better, but overall this was quite good.
Kady Malloy
"We Can Have Forever"
It was OK I guess. She has nice tone, but I couldn't understand the words. She has the potential to be really good, but she hasn't arrived yet. Her performance was fairly bland and forgettable overall - nothing about it really popped for me. If she's still here next week she'll really need to crank things up a bit or she will go home sooner rather than later.
Amanda Overmeyer
"I Hate Myself for Loving You"
Amanda was more engaging and interesting tonight that she was either of the last two weeks. The vocal was solid. She's back to being a real rocker chick with normal rocker chick hair. I know there are people who don't like her, but I think she's a very good performer. She isn't going to win the big prize, but she'll definitely be around next week.
Carly Smithson
"I Drove All Night"
Carly has a great voice. There's a lot of power to her singing. She looks great. She's fun to watch. But, girl, what were you thinking with those pants? They made her look fat. And Carly ain't fat. I like Carly a lot, but I want the pants to get voted off. Seriously though, Carly (along with Asia'h) is probably one of the top girls this year - maybe the best. She'll be around for many weeks yet.
Kristy Lee Cook
"Faithful"
I like Kristy. I think she started this song out great. But then the nerves started creeping in and her voice started to shake. Eventually it really killed her support and her pitch so she completely blew the big note at the end. I liked the country flavor she gave this song, but she can't let the nerves get to her like they did tonight.
Ramiele Malubay
"Against All Odds"
If this was season one or two, Ramiele might have a chance. It's not. She doesn't. She has an ok voice, but there are pitch problems and a complete lack of vocal power. I think Ramiele staying around for the top twelve goes against all odds.
Brook White
"Love is a Battlefield"
Two kinds of singers can do acoustic arrangements like this. Those who have smaller, quirky, folk-music-type voices (like Jason Castro), and those who can really deliver the goods in a pinch. Brook proved tonight that she has the goods. This ws by far my favorite performance from her yet.
Syesha Mercado
"Saving All My Love for You"
I do like Syesha, but I fear she has a problem - this song is just too big for her voice. I think she's good, but just not good enough. The song got away from her. She'll be back next week, but she really has no chance. She's cannon fodder, not a contestant in the running for the prize.
Top Honors: I think Asia'h and Carly killed tonight. Great job! Brook and Amanda were not far behind.
Pack Your Bags: I think we've found the end of the road for Ramiele and probably Kady. Kristy also should have been better, but she's the only one doing country so she probably has a fairly strong built in fan base in her genre.
I will say this, the girls overall aren't anywhere near the level of the guys. There are a couple that will do very well, but I think it's a guy's year to take home the big prize. But don't be surprised when a couple of the very niche-oriented girls (Amanda) get great offers after they 'lose' on Idol. A bunch of folks who don't hit the top two or three will still be pressing records in the next year or so. Mark my words....
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
American Idol 7 - Boys3
It's eighties night on the Idol stage, and we're at the last 'double elimination' night for the guys. Two of the eight remaining dudes will be heading home in just a couple of days. Let's find out who it should be....
Luke Menard
"Wake Me Up Before You Go Go"
This was not great. His pitch was mostly OK. He had nice pure tone on the high note. But other than that I found the whole performance deadly dull. There was no power and very little energy. Luke was definitely not "McSteamy" tonight. Randy's right - this was all just a little too corny.
David Archuleta
"Another Day in Paradise"
Great song choice for David. I liked his piano playing. He was surprising a little pitchy - but I think it was a lack of support for singing while he was sitting down. He'll need to work on that. Overall I think this was a very solid performance, but not as good as last week.
Danny Noriega
"Tainted Love"
Great song. Horrible singing. I hated the arrangement/interpretation. He had terrible stage presence. I think Danny has jumped the shark - he's getting ready to self destruct. Time for him to decide whether he wants to spend his career at Burger King or Wendy's. Vote for the Worst will love him tonight.
David Hernandez
"It's All Coming Back to Me Now"
David has a nice voice. The song started out very good, but got a little overblown later on. His biggest performing problem though is that he over-emotes. Much like Constantine from a couple seasons ago, he has way too many facial expressions. It makes him slightly cartoonish and weird.
Michael Johns
"Don't You Forget About Me"
He had a few minor pitch problems, but overall he's got a nice voice and some good power within his vocal range. His problem comes that his range is really too small to carry a song like this. Without a falsetto to draw on it really limits what he can do well. This particular performance was good but not fabulous.
David Cook
"Hello"
Completely different take on the classic Lionel Ritchie song. And it totally worked. I was a tiny bit concerned when he started because the opening phrase was funky on pitch, but he firmed it up quickly. This was the first really unique and entertaining performance of the night. Great job here.
Jason Castro
"Halleluja"
This was an overall very nice performance with the simple acoustic guitar backing. He had one bad vocal crack at the end, but I really don't think it killed him - especially since he acknowledged it with that crooked smile even as it happened. Jason is just plain likeable. He doesn't have the best voice in the bunch, but I think he stands out as unique because of it. He should definitely still be around for the top 12.
Chikezie
"She Fills Me Up"
This was by far the best performance he's had so far. Nice key change. Beautiful falsetto. Strong vocal overall. He's in the top 3 tonight as far as I'm concerned.
Tonight marks the first night I think the singers lived up to the hype. After a couple of weeks of good-but-not-great performances from most of the contestants, tonight showed that there really is quite a lot of talent in this group of guys. We might well be looking at an all male top 2 - or even top 3. Seriously.
Top Honors: Great week for those who were great. David Cook, David Archuleta, and Chikezie win top marks from me with a virtual dead heat. All three gave outstanding performances that prove they are worthy of the label Idol.
Pack Your Bags: This is a tough call for me tonight. There are a lot of factors to consider. I think it's obvious that Luke Menard has probably sung his last. But who will join him is the question. Hernandez might either be helped or hurt by the controversy that sprang up earlier today. Noriega's performance was truly abysmal. But I think who will probably be singing the swan song on Thursday is Aussie Michael Johns. He has a couple of problems that work against him - he's just OK overall, not fabu but not horrendous; he doesn't have an very distinctive voice despite the accent; and he's solidly in the middle of the pack as far as talent. But the factor that puts the nail in his coffin for me this week is the song he chose.... he sang a goodbye song which is so often the kiss of death on Idol. So, for poor song choice, I think we'll be waving buh-bye to Michael. And I think we will have forgotten him by next week.
Anyway - them's my picks.
Luke Menard
"Wake Me Up Before You Go Go"
This was not great. His pitch was mostly OK. He had nice pure tone on the high note. But other than that I found the whole performance deadly dull. There was no power and very little energy. Luke was definitely not "McSteamy" tonight. Randy's right - this was all just a little too corny.
David Archuleta
"Another Day in Paradise"
Great song choice for David. I liked his piano playing. He was surprising a little pitchy - but I think it was a lack of support for singing while he was sitting down. He'll need to work on that. Overall I think this was a very solid performance, but not as good as last week.
Danny Noriega
"Tainted Love"
Great song. Horrible singing. I hated the arrangement/interpretation. He had terrible stage presence. I think Danny has jumped the shark - he's getting ready to self destruct. Time for him to decide whether he wants to spend his career at Burger King or Wendy's. Vote for the Worst will love him tonight.
David Hernandez
"It's All Coming Back to Me Now"
David has a nice voice. The song started out very good, but got a little overblown later on. His biggest performing problem though is that he over-emotes. Much like Constantine from a couple seasons ago, he has way too many facial expressions. It makes him slightly cartoonish and weird.
Michael Johns
"Don't You Forget About Me"
He had a few minor pitch problems, but overall he's got a nice voice and some good power within his vocal range. His problem comes that his range is really too small to carry a song like this. Without a falsetto to draw on it really limits what he can do well. This particular performance was good but not fabulous.
David Cook
"Hello"
Completely different take on the classic Lionel Ritchie song. And it totally worked. I was a tiny bit concerned when he started because the opening phrase was funky on pitch, but he firmed it up quickly. This was the first really unique and entertaining performance of the night. Great job here.
Jason Castro
"Halleluja"
This was an overall very nice performance with the simple acoustic guitar backing. He had one bad vocal crack at the end, but I really don't think it killed him - especially since he acknowledged it with that crooked smile even as it happened. Jason is just plain likeable. He doesn't have the best voice in the bunch, but I think he stands out as unique because of it. He should definitely still be around for the top 12.
Chikezie
"She Fills Me Up"
This was by far the best performance he's had so far. Nice key change. Beautiful falsetto. Strong vocal overall. He's in the top 3 tonight as far as I'm concerned.
Tonight marks the first night I think the singers lived up to the hype. After a couple of weeks of good-but-not-great performances from most of the contestants, tonight showed that there really is quite a lot of talent in this group of guys. We might well be looking at an all male top 2 - or even top 3. Seriously.
Top Honors: Great week for those who were great. David Cook, David Archuleta, and Chikezie win top marks from me with a virtual dead heat. All three gave outstanding performances that prove they are worthy of the label Idol.
Pack Your Bags: This is a tough call for me tonight. There are a lot of factors to consider. I think it's obvious that Luke Menard has probably sung his last. But who will join him is the question. Hernandez might either be helped or hurt by the controversy that sprang up earlier today. Noriega's performance was truly abysmal. But I think who will probably be singing the swan song on Thursday is Aussie Michael Johns. He has a couple of problems that work against him - he's just OK overall, not fabu but not horrendous; he doesn't have an very distinctive voice despite the accent; and he's solidly in the middle of the pack as far as talent. But the factor that puts the nail in his coffin for me this week is the song he chose.... he sang a goodbye song which is so often the kiss of death on Idol. So, for poor song choice, I think we'll be waving buh-bye to Michael. And I think we will have forgotten him by next week.
Anyway - them's my picks.
American Idol - The Hottie was Naughty
American Idol may have a new problem on their hands. It seems that David Hernandez, the attractive young man who last week claimed that his Papa was a Rolling Stone, was rolling just a little himself in his not-too-distant past.
Sorry ladies, but it seems that David worked for three years as a male stripper at a club catering primarily to gay men.
Check out the news story here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080304/ap_on_en_tv/idol_stripper_2
While the revelation that he may be gay should not be a factor in whether he is qualified to compete, the fact that he worked in the sex industry should be. In 2003 Idol hopeful Frenchie Davis - one of the best singers in that year's competition - was removed from the competition after it was revealed that she had appeared on an adult web site. Performing in a live, nude show - up close and personal with the paying customers - is an even more egregious violation of the Idol trust.
And lest people start their next sentence with, "but Antonella...," remember that Antonella Barba had someone post private pictures of her. She did not authorize their release, nor did she ever get paid for those pictures. By extrapolation, it was not the morality of posing for racy pictures that was the problem for Frenchie - it was the selling of those images.
The bottom line is this - David Hernandez is a good singer. But he should not be considered an American Idol.
Sorry ladies, but it seems that David worked for three years as a male stripper at a club catering primarily to gay men.
Check out the news story here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080304/ap_on_en_tv/idol_stripper_2
While the revelation that he may be gay should not be a factor in whether he is qualified to compete, the fact that he worked in the sex industry should be. In 2003 Idol hopeful Frenchie Davis - one of the best singers in that year's competition - was removed from the competition after it was revealed that she had appeared on an adult web site. Performing in a live, nude show - up close and personal with the paying customers - is an even more egregious violation of the Idol trust.
And lest people start their next sentence with, "but Antonella...," remember that Antonella Barba had someone post private pictures of her. She did not authorize their release, nor did she ever get paid for those pictures. By extrapolation, it was not the morality of posing for racy pictures that was the problem for Frenchie - it was the selling of those images.
The bottom line is this - David Hernandez is a good singer. But he should not be considered an American Idol.
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