American Idol - Week Eleven - 5/22/07- Season Finale

I’ll start off my final American Idol review this year by saying thanks to all my readers. (a lot of whom I actually didn’t know were readers). Without you guys, there would be no point to writing my thoughts about Idol down!

Also, from the zero responses I got to my inquiry about what show you would like me to review once Idol wrapped, I won’t be doing another show review until Idol starts up again next January.

So we have the finale, and it looks as though Paula’s fall made her loopy again, because half the time she spoke she sounded like she was blitzed. (and does anyone really believe she tripped over her DOG?! I mean, her dog is a little Chihuahua! She could sneeze, and it would blow away. My theory is she got sloshed and fell down some stairs. But I digress…)

Both Blake and Jordin gave fine performances, though personal favorite aside, Jordin was the better singer.
The winner comes down to what does America really vote for? Do they want a talented entertainer (Blake) or a nearly flawless singer on par with Kelly Clarkson (Jordin)? Let’s hope America remembers this is a SINGING competition, and votes appropriately. (though if it was a fashion competition, Blake would be in very dangerous waters. Yeesh, those sweater vests kill me! Thanks to tv.squad.com for letting me “borrow” the pics they use in their Idol review!)

So anyway, let’s break down the rounds, shall we? (for the final time this year!)

1) Round One –
BLAKE LEWIS – sung “You Give Love A Bad Name” – I personally thought this was one of Blake’s horrible performances, but again, remember, I was never a fan of beat-boxing in a singing competition. I will say the audience obviously loved it, but I found that Blake’s energy wasn’t quite as exhilarating as he was attempting to be. As the judges said, the vocals were okay and his beat-boxing was flawless. I think it was Simon who said that performance-wise, it was magnificent, but the vocals were mediocre at best.

JORDIN SPARKS – sung “Fighter” –
Granted, she never sung this song before, and I truly believe she has the kind of voice to match Christina Aguilera’s range, but this wasn’t that great of a performance for Jordin. While she did pick a contemporary song, and Simon did applaud that choice, I just don’t think it had the kind of wow factor we need to see in the finale. Though vocally Jordin was the better singer, Blake clearly out-performed her, so I can see why Simon gave the first round win to Blake.

2) Round Two –
BLAKE LEWIS – sung “She Will Be Loved” – It looks as though Blake took Randy’s advice and stuck with a Maroon 5 sound for his second round performance. I thought the vocal was pretty good, and he did put his own little spin on it, without adding the beat-boxing. Was it missing something? Yes, but I don’t think the missing element was beat-boxing. I think it was song-connection. I didn’t feel any emotion or connection to the song and Blake’s vocals. Simon was on the money when he said that his first performance was better, and the song choice was most definitely a safe choice. It didn’t suck, but it didn’t stand out or impress. It was just “meh”.

JORDIN SPARKS – sung “A Broken Wing” – This is obviously Jordin’s favorite from the season, and I thought she sung it better then she did the first time we heard it. (I think I need to disagree with Randy when he said it was better then the original. Geez, Randy, have another glass of rum & coke). What a tremendous vocal build up to a great ending. I was truly impressed, much like I have been all season by Jordin. This one nailed it for me, and she truly shined on this one. Even though the judges didn’t say it outright, by the way they commented on Blake, then Jordin, Jordin was the obvious winner of round two.

2) Round Three –
BLAKE LEWIS – sung “This Is My Now” – First off, “This Is My Now” is the winning song from the songwriting contest Idol was running all season, but to be honest, it’s only slightly better then any of the lame-o songs Idol has churned out for past winners. I know the logic behind the song type is because it’s supposed to be an up-lifting song, but still it’s just not a great tune. Saying that, leads me to why this was unfair to Blake.
Now don’t think I’m suddenly jumping on the Blake bandwagon, I’m just trying to be fair here. There is no way in the world Blake would produce, choose, or attempt to sing this song if the choice was his. My God, he looked so uncomfortable singing this song, no matter how much he tried to cover it up, it was obvious he was wincing while singing this song’s verses.
It was like Marilyn Manson trying to sing a ballad like Celine Dion. (not that I’m comparing Blake to Manson, but the extremes in styles is my point). After seeing Blake’s half-hearted performance, I honestly think he’s better off losing Idol. Why be tied up in Idol’s claws for a few years, singing songs that you don’t wanna sing?! (look how long it took Kelly Clarkson to “breakaway” from her 19 Entertainment contract. --- HA! See what I did there? Moving on… ) Not a good round for poor Blake, though I don’t blame his vocals or performance. He did the best with what he was given.

JORDIN SPARKS – sung “This Is My Now” –
It almost seems like this songs was made for Jordin, but I read somewhere that the song was submitted with a male vocal. She made this song her own, and though vocally, Jordin has always been better then Blake, her emotional connection to the song sold me solid. She broke herself up at the end of this song, which felt genuine, not forced, and made the song a wow factor performance. Truly one of her best vocals, and when Simon said that Jordin wiped the floor with Blake with that performance, was putting it mildly at best. Not only did she wipe the floor with him on that song, she wrung him dry, wiped again, and threw him in the trash.

Who is the Winner?: I can’t believe I’m about to agree with Paula (for the second time this season!) but the final four are all winners. I can see Lakisha on Broadway and I can see Melinda doing just fine churning out a solid CD. The winner of American Idol Season Six?
I think Jordin will take the title this year, and I’m sure Blake fans will agree that for Blake to keep his style and uniqueness, he needs to lose. Only then will he be what he was meant to be, and watch for Jordin to emerge as the next Kelly Clarkson.

To close, thanks again to all my readers this year, and if you do want me to review a different show, give me a quick email (Arkangyl@aol.com) and let me know!
See you all soon!!

American Idol - Week Ten - 5/15/07

I think if you can say anything about last night, it’s that all three contestants proved they deserved to be in the final.

What great performances from all of them, and I honestly have to say only one of them barely gave a slightly better performance then the other two. All three contestants are actually starting to look like stars now, and I love the way Melinda has finally come out of her shell. All three contestants had to perform three songs tonight; one chosen by one of the judges, one chosen by the Idol producers and a favorite song chosen by the contestants themselves.

They all truly out-shined themselves. (Even Blake, who kept his beat-boxing to a minimum, and I have to admit, worked for the songs he sang.)

Before I begin the analysis, I ask you readers again for your help. No one really responded to my inquiry last week, and since we’re in the final two weeks of Idol, I need to know; shall I continue my reviews to give my take on a different TV show once Idol is off the air?
The reason I ask you all, is because even though, YES, I can choose to review whatever I want and post it, what’s the point if no one reads it? So I ask you all again, if I were to continue to review a TV show, what show shall I analyze? I think my reviews work best for a reality show or competition, but I’m open to all suggestions. Even if you’ve never left a comment on my review before, do it now! Let me know!!

Okay, enough of that, time to get to the good stuff:

1) JORDIN SPARKS –
Round One – Simon’s Pick - “Wishing On A Star” – One thing that made me feel ancient all of a sudden is when Jordin said she had never heard of this song before.
Sigh.
I’m not really that old that I can remember hearing this song for the first time back in the 80s?
Anyway, she performed this song very well, despite her claim to never have heard it before. She looked elegant, and definitely older then 17. (in a good way though, because I think it worked to her advantage.) Personally, I don’t think this was the best choice in song for Jordin. I’m surprised at Simon, because I was expecting a much better choice from him. And though I usually agree with Simon, I didn’t understand his comment on how he didn’t like the “jazz” arrangement of the song, making it not one of Jordin’s best performances. I have to disagree, because, (and correct me if I’m wrong), but what control does Jordin have on how a song is musically arranged? But regardless it was a solid enough performance.

Round Two – Idol Producer’s Pick - “She Works Hard For The Money” – This was a better choice of song then Simon’s pick. Jordin looked like she was having fun with it, and her voice suited the song very well. Granted, she is no Donna Summer, but she did this classic hit justice, showing her range as a singer.

Round Three – Jordin’s Favorite - “I Who Have Nothing” – This had to be, hands down, one of the best performances I’ve seen from Jordin all season. I know she did this song once before (during the British Invasion week), but tonight’s version blew it out of the park. Simon says this song was too old-fashioned for a 17 year old to be singing. I agree, if she wasn’t able to pull it off, but not only did she pull it off, she completely took off with it. That is the first time a performance this whole season gave me chills.

All in all, Jordin never faltered, despite what Simon had to say about it.

2. BLAKE LEWIS –
Round One – Paula’s Pick - “Roxanne” – I have to admit, I was dreading this performance, because of the way the original song is imbedded in our heads. But you know what? Blake pulled it off. I was pleasantly surprised at how well he sung this Police classic. He kept the beat-boxing mostly out of it, and stuck to the vocals, which actually were pretty spot on. I do tend to agree with Simon’s point, as it wasn’t a stand out performance, only because no matter who sings this song, you’re ALWAYS gonna compare it to the original. Still though, a definite good performance by Blake.

Round Two – Idol Producer’s Pick - “This Love” – Very good choice for Blake. Blake’s voice and style lends itself perfectly with this song, and it showed in his performance. Heck, he added the beat-boxing and I hardly noticed. Maroon 5’s sound is something I can definitely associate with the Blake vibe. Randy said it perfectly when he said when Blake makes an album, this was the type of music he should be making. I agree. If Blake sticks to this type of style, he’ll do very well. Great performance and truly enjoyable.

Round Three – Blake’s Favorite - “When I Get You Alone” – I’ll be the first to admit I was unfamiliar with this song. I know Robin Thicke’s other song, but this one was uncharted waters for me. (on a side note, how freaky is it that Robin looks so much like his Dad, Alan? But I digress…)
Blake seemed very comfortable, though I think the audience’s unfamiliarity with the song worked against him. Don’t get me wrong, it was a good solid performance, but the audience couldn’t connect. I don’t think it hurt him too much, because despite my opposition to his beat-boxing in a singing competition, I agree with Simon when he told Blake that he admires him for always standing out and taking risks.

All in all, for Blake, not a bad night. He definitely proved he deserved to be where he was.

3. MELINDA DOOLITTLE –
Round One – Randy’s Pick - “I Believe In You And Me” – Remember that rule we’ve heard a hundred times on Idol? You know the one, “Never, EVER, do a Whitney, Celine or Mariah song, unless you know 100% sure you can pull it off”. Looks like Randy’s gamble on Mindy Doo paid off. Not only did Melinda do this song justice, but she even put her own little spin on it. It wasn’t a copycat performance, and I think Melinda makes it a point of it not to be. Not just this song, but every song she performed this whole season, she tried to make it her own. This was a fantastic performance.

Round Two – Idol Producer’s Pick - “Nutbush City Limits” – I absolutely LOVE this side of Melinda. She channeled my girl, Tina Turner, and turned this possible copycat performance into her own, but yet still giving people of flicker of the Tina we love.
Personally, I agree with the producer’s choice of giving Mindy Doo a Tina Turner song, but why “Nutbush City Limits”? I would have loved to see Melinda perform “What You Get Is What You See” or even the classic “Better Be Good To Me”, but alas it was not to be. As one of the judges said though, Melinda could have sung the phone book and it would have been amazing.

Round Three – Melinda’s Favorite - “I Am Woman” – Not the best choice in song, but still, a fantastic performance. I actually saw more of Melinda’s personality, and her interaction with the back-up singers was a welcome surprise. At one point I was thinking, who are those girls coming onto the stage with her? Didn’t realize they were the back-up singers at first. Once Melinda brought out the singers behind her, she really churned it out, making this one of her best performances the whole night.

All in all, for Melinda, I have to agree with Simon. If I had the power, I also would give Melinda a cemented place in the finale next week, for delivering nearly flawless performances week after week.

My Bottom Picks?: We’re down to the semi-finals, so there are no “Bottom Two” or “Bottom Three”…it’s just who goes home.

My Pick to be Eliminated Tonight and Facing Off In The Finale:
I have no idea. It’s too even, which gives you an idea on how well each contestant performed last night. So I’m taking guess here, (and not even educated ones, just going with my top two favorites) I’m gonna go with Melinda as a definite finalist, with her facing off against Jordin. I choose Blake to be eliminated tonight.

But ya know what? It could just as easily be Jordin going, despite being my favorite to win. It’s just that close. Let’s see what happens tonight!!

So what do you guys think? Agree? Disagree? Comments?

American Idol - Week Nine - 5/8/07

What could I say about last night?

I thought this to myself, as I was watching, and I came up with something: they ALL weren't their best last night. (yes, even Jordin, with the exception of her first song)

Maybe it was because it's BeeGee tunes?
Barry Gibb didn't seem like a horrible mentor, I thought he did a decent enough job. (heck he even sang along with the contestants too)

I'm not sure overall what I can say about last night, except that it definately looked (and sounded) as if all the contestants were having an off night. It's come down to the final four, so I don't think any of them are cocky enough to think they can breeze to the final, but at the same time I didn't see them giving their best. At this stage in the competition, I should be seeing knockout performances, not mediocre karoake singing.

Let's get right to the juice of it, since we have 2 performances for each contestant to analyze today:

1. MELINDA DOOLITTLE – sung “Love You Inside and Out” & "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?" - Mindy Doo, for the first time since I started watching her, did not do too well. I think I need to agree on the judges on this, wereas her vocals are flawless, she has yet, even being one of the final four, give me that star sparkle or shine. The first performance to me was bland. Yes, she sang it well, and her pitch was perfect...but there was no excitement. I mean, when you compare her performance to others, she isn't really exciting the audience that well. I think Simon said it best when he said it was like a back-up singer's version of the song, which was harsh...but I think true. Her second performance was a lot better, and she really brought it home in the middle of the song. I don't know about sailing through to the semi-finals though. I mean, granted, her second performance was better then her first, but it still didn't wow me. This may surprise all of you, but I think I may have to pick old Mindy Doo as one of my bottom two picks for tonight. I think last night's performances showed that she's having trouble breaking out to be the star she can be.

2. BLAKE LEWIS – sung “You Should Be Dancing” & "This Is Where I Came In" – FINALLY. Finally someone else has said what I've been saying all along. Randy told him straight out, "you don't have to beat box every single song". What's funny is I was actually enjoying his first performance for a little bit, until he started beat-boxing. I've said it from the start that Blake has a great voice, but that damn beat-boxing ruined the song for me last night. He was actually giving "You Should be Dancing" some justice, but once he added beat-boxing, it became corny, as Randy said. I don't agree with Simon, saying it was horrible, because the vocal part of it was good. The beat-boxing is what did him in though. His second performance, I need to ask off the bat, why in the world would you pick a song that no one has heard of? Heck, they were talking about last night on the radio this morning, and they mentioned how none of them knew this song...including Barry Gibb. Looking back, he did seem kind of surprised he wrote it, didn't he? Regardless, it was sung better then the first, and he did keep the beat-boxing to a minimum, but I think the song's obscurity gave him yet another bad review. Surprisingly, however, I don't think it made too much of a difference. I may not like the beat-boxing in every song, but younger people do...and there lies most of Blake's fan base. Even though his performances were sub-par, and he got bad reviews for both of his songs, guess what? I think he's gonna be SAFE tonight, based on the fact that I think there are more fans of his beat-boxing then non-fans.

3. LaKISHA JONES – sung “Stayin' Alive” & "Run To Me" – Kiki was back last week, with her great rendition of "This Ain't a Love Song". It seems like it was a short visit, because here she was doing the same exact things that put her in the trenches last time. Her first performance, a slower-paced, shouted version of "Stayin' Alive", was horrendous. It was a mess from start to finish, and I'm convinced now that Kiki cannot sing fast paced songs. (this was proven on Latin night too). Kiki is all about the big, voice heavy ballads, where she could belt out high notes and diva herself out. Not so much on the fast-paced songs. Her first performance was all over the place, and everytime you thought the song was gonna pick up the pace, she brought it down again. Her second performance, while definately better then the first, was still shouted I think. I was a little unfamiliar with the song, but that shouldn't matter. Other contestants have performed unknown songs before and they sold them to me. I didn't like her song choices tonight, and though I think she is a fantastic belter, I don't think she can handle other genres. This, coupled with the fact that she's back to her old sucky ways, makes Kiki my second pick for the bottom two tonight.

4. JORDIN SPARKS – sung “To Love Somebody” & "Woman In Love" –  Jordin looked like a star last night. (God, do I sound like Paula now?) But honestly, she looked fantastic, and I can finally really see her winning this year. Her first performance was spot on, and one of the best vocals I've heard from her since the show started. Her voice was controlled and she knew exactly when to open up those pipes and bring the song home. This performance was the ONLY one last night that stood for me. She was elegant, and her performance was mature and magnificent. Her second performance wasn't as bad as the judges made it out to be. I didn't think it was as good as her first (maybe because she chose two ballads?) but it wasn't as bad as they described. YES, she was pitchy, I'll give them that. But I think that her first performance outshined any lackluster reviews on her second. She is most definately SAFE, and though I've already predicted this in my past reviews, I think she is sailing on through as one of the finalists.
 
My Bottom TWO Picks:   Melinda Doolittle (shocking!) and Lakisha Jones.

My Pick to be Eliminated Tonight:   Considering what a phenom Melinda has been up to this point, I doubt one bad night will send her packing. Considering LaKisha is back to shouting her songs, and her mediocre performances, Kiki is gonna leave the competition tonight.  

So what do you guys think? Agree? Disagree? Comments?

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ONE MORE THING - I need all of my readers' help. It seems that more then one person has asked me about this, from a couple of people at work to an unknown stranger who only became a reader this year. They wanted to know if I review anything else after Idol is over. (I guess people like my take on it?)
anyway, to answer, I never really thought about it, as this Idol review started out as a thing I did strictly for my friends. Somehow it got forwarded to many people over that last 3 years, and I actually have no idea who or how many people read these weekly reviews.
Anyway, here's where I could use your help. If I were to continue reviewing something after Idol is over, what suggestions to you guys have? I think my reviews work best for reality shows or contests, so I could tell you I aready am a regular watcher of "So You Think You Can Dance" and "Project Runway". But I'm open to all suggestions.
So ask all my readers, 1) Should I continue to review a show after Idol is over, and 2) what should that show be?
Thanks everyone!!

American Idol - Week Eight - 5/2/07

Did anyone else feel gypped last week?

Don’t get me wrong people, I am thrilled that Idol raised so much money for such a great cause. It’s just that I felt I was duped into watching (well, fast-forwarding too, thanks to Tivo) two hours of Idol last week’s results show, with no pay-off!!
On a side note, what in the world was Paula thinking last week!? On a charity night, she wears a top that is so revealing, my TV became 3D when she flashed her “friends” on-stage. Wow.
Anyway, I understand WHY they didn’t send anyone home last week, but still….argh…..okay, I’m over it.
I guess we get the consolation of sending two contestants home tonight.

Over all, I thought only two contestants stood out, (and one of them wasn’t one of the usual out-standing performers). The performances were about average, and some, downright atrocious. What else can be expected when you’re trying to do justice to some of the most well-known and popular rock songs of the last 20 years?

I thought Bon Jovi offered some sound advice, and I found it amusing how he was almost a tiny fan of the contestants, because of his kids. Still that went away, as the contestants performed their takes on his songs.
For some it paid off, for others…well…see what I thought below.
Lastly, remember, votes from last week’s show will be added to last night’s votes to determine which TWO contestants will be voted off this week. Tension is high.

Enough gabbing, I know you guys want me to get to the juicy stuff. Here goes:

1. PHIL STACY - sung “Blaze of Glory” – Has Gollum found the ring and made a deal with the devil? Because now it’s been yet another week where he wasn’t half bad. I love this song, and not only did Phil do it justice, he was having fun doing it! When he said he used to be the kid singing this song in the mirror with a comb as a microphone, I could SEE it. He was having a blast singing this song, and it showed. He didn’t scream, he didn’t over sing, and most of all, he entertained. Ever since discovering his strength is in a country genre, Phil has taken control of the stage and improved week to week. This song fit perfectly in with a country vibe (heck it’s from one of my favorite guilty pleasures of the last 20 years, Young Guns), and Phil knew it.
Now here’s the question: was it enough? (as Simon so bluntly put it)
I’m not sure, so this week, I’m gonna place Phil as one of my picks for a potential bottom two choice.

2. JORDIN SPARKS – sung “Livin’ On a Prayer” – Dear me. That was really bad. Much as I LOVE LOVE Jordin, and want her to win, that had to be one of the worst versions of this song I’ve ever heard. (that includes the times I’ve heard it in a karaoke bar)
She admitted she was nervous and completely out of her element, which you have to admire. Her honesty is what I think will save her.

And don’t even get me started on what the stylists of the show did to her hair. That thing looked like a rat’s nest, and was teased out so much, it looked as if it was bigger then her whole body. What an awful hairstyle for such a beautiful girl. Her vocals were completely off, and like Simon said, she was screaming, not singing half the time. I think Jordin could have definitely chosen a better song, but I applaud her choice of taking a risk on a song like this.
Despite all that, I think Jordin is quite safe. Every single one of the performers has had an off night up to this point (yes, including Melinda). This was her night to be bad, and boy, did she put on that crown. I don’t think she’s in danger however, considering the show-stopping performance she gave last week. Those votes plus this week’s votes should definitely put her in the safety zone this week, despite her horrendous performance.

3. LaKISHA JONES – sung “This Ain’t A Love Song” – My Kiki is back!! FINALLY, we get to see the Lakisha we remember from the beginning, bringing those pipes to the forefront and making me believe in a song I only had a vague recollection of. (in fact, she made me enjoy the song so much, I downloaded the original version right after the show). She made this song her own, and built it up from the beginning. I don’t agree with Randy when he said it started out a little rough. I thought she started off the song just fine, and slowly built up the song to a fantastic climax at the end. Now this was the girl I liked from the beginning, but unfortunately I think she caught the train back to safety too late. Despite her awesome comeback, and a stand up performance, I think her poor performance last week hurt enough that she is still in danger this week. Even if she get a upswing of votes this week, last week she did so poorly, I need to pick her as my next potential bottom two choice.

4. BLAKE LEWIS – sung “You Give Love A Bad Name” – Remember when we got to Simon’s critique, and he said that Blake took a chance, and half of America is gonna love what he did with this song, and half are gonna hate it. I’m in the latter half. I absolutely despised this performance with a passion. I hated every minute of it. It does no justice to the original, and in my mind it was unlistenable. I do appreciate what Blake was trying to do, and believe me, even though I HATED this performance I will give him his props and say that he accomplished what he set out to do: stand out. I thought he finally strayed away from the whole beat-boxing thing, but apparently he’s back doing it. Again, not to take away that his performance stood out and will sail him into the safety zone, I still can’t help but feel like he “cheated” his way into next week. It’s a SINGING competition, and even Bon Jovi himself questioned his choice of not singing (but beat-boxing) 16 beats of his song. I thought this ruined the original, but if Blake’s strategy was to hook onto the younger MTV audience, mission accomplished. He is definitely safe this week, despite my complete hatred of his version of this classic tune.

5. CHRIS RICHARDSON – sung “Wanted Dead Or Alive” – Ah Chris. You gave it a good shot. It wasn’t horrible, but it didn’t stand out either. Why would you pick a song that had been down several times before, one of which by Chris Daughtry last year? And if you’re gonna do this song, you need to make it your own, and have it stand out from the rest. Chris didn’t do this, and though it was sung fairly well, and he kept his whole R&B runs to a minimum, it wasn’t enough to put this song over the top for me. Chris’ looks and style has kept him safe up to this point, but I think Chris’ time has finally come. Remember, he’s been in the bottom three already a couple of times, and between a good performance last week, and an OK performance this week, I’m left with no choice but declare Chris my pick for a definite bottom two choice. (now before I get emails saying I just picked three people for the bottom TWO, read on before you point out my error)

6. MELINDA DOOLITTLE – sung “Have A Nice Day” – Give it up for a great effort on Mindy Doo’s part. I didn’t think she did horrible, not by a long shot, but I definitely think this was one of her weaker performances. I definitely saw the “young Tina Turner” vibe Randy and Simon were talking about, and I think between that, and her spot on vocals, solidified this performance for her. She was EXTREMELY out of her element, and she adapted the best she could. (she absolutely adapted better to the rock vibe better than Jordin did). I don’t think Melinda is in any danger of going anywhere, and I think she is gonna easily sail into the final at this point. I’m starting to see the finish line to this season, and I can vaguely see Melinda standing next to Jordin as the final two. Melinda is definitely SAFE until next week.

My Bottom TWO Picks: Chris Richardson and Lakisha Jones/Phil Stacy.

My Pick to be Eliminated Tonight: Okay, here’s my explanation for picking three people for the bottom two tonight. First off, Chris is DEFINATELY going home tonight, no question. Secondly, either Lakiska or Phil can be inter-changed as one of the two Bottom two, and go home. It’s not that I can’t pick one, it’s just way too close in the way they performed and their popularity at this point for me to properly make a prediction. We definitely lose Chris, and we either lose Lakisha or Phil with him.

So what do you guys think? Agree? Disagree? Comments?

American Idol - Week Seven - 4/24/07

My God, can this “Idol Gives Back” be any more hyped?

I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s a great cause and all, but if this event doesn’t live up to the hype they’re building it to, it’s gonna be one long snoozefest. (and to be safe, I’m watching tonight’s results show(s) 45 minutes late, that way, thanks to the miracle that is TIVO, I can fast forward through some of the performances)

Two things I need to say, before we get into the contestants’ performances.

For one, could Ryan Seacrest have thanked the sponsors a few more times during the telecast?

I read an Idol review on tvsquad.com, and she said the same thing. Yeesh, talk about hitting you over the head with it.

Secondly, and quite possibly more disturbingly, why the heck was Simon’s shirt practically open? Ryan made a comment to address this, but was brushed off by Simon. But still, I could see Simon’s chest hair peeking out.

Can we saw “ewww”?

Now that Sanjaya is out, all the contestants pulled out all the stops (particularly Jordin) to show that this is indeed a singing competition. I was impressed by everyone, which makes it really hard to pick my bottom two week. (yes, I said bottom two – I think Ryan is gonna pull the old, “I’m gonna separate you guys into groups of two; the top two, middle two, and bottom two.”)

How did each contestant do? Let’s begin my individual judgments:

1. CHRIS RICHARDSON – sung “Change The World” – Chris may have his detractors, but even they have to admit this was one of his best performances. I didn’t think he was too nasally, and he kept his infamous “runs” to a minimum. Don’t get me wrong here, I don’t think Chris is gonna make it to the top, but I think this performance proved he is very talented. I could feel the emotion in the way he sang it, so that made a big difference in the final performance. I wasn’t crazy about his outfit, but that is only minor. Aside from that, despite a great performance, because of the incredible talent he is competing against, I think he’s gonna wind up as one of the bottom two. It has nothing to do with his performance, and all to do with the higher caliber of singers in the competition at this stage. Sorry Chris, but as Randy constantly reminds us, “Just trying to keep it real.”

2. MELINDA DOOLITTLE – sung “There Will Come A Day” – I have to admit, I don’t think I’ve heard this song before, but Melinda really turned it out. And, could it be? Do I really see a more confidant and comfortable Mindy Doo on stage?! Yes! I think someone finally had a pep talk with Melinda and told her, “Hey, you’re in the Top Six, stop acting surprised, graciously say thanks to your praise, and for crying out loud, no more surprised looks!”
It was a great performance, and maybe it was just me, but I wasn’t that blown away as the judges were. Maybe it was the choice of song, but it just didn’t grab me. She sounded amazing, and I think it’s a given that she’s safe for another week, but it just wasn’t my favorite Mindy Doo performance. Part thinks it sounded too “gospel”, which is ironically, a dangerous genre to sing on Idol, since that’s what did Mandisa in. I’m only speculating here, but regardless, I definitely think she’s safe.

3. BLAKE LEWIS – sung “Imagine” – As most of you know, I’ve grown to like Blake a lot since he stopped beat-boxing and stuck to singing. And I’ve been impressed with his last two performances, but tonight just didn’t impress me. (much like Mindy Doo’s performance). I do have to agree with Paula (Dear God, I’m agreeing with Paula?!), in that the song is a simple song, and really doesn’t lend itself to be changed around too much. Which I guess is why Blake perhaps should have picked a different song? I don’t think it showcased his great voice, which is disappointing since his voice has a great sound to it. I had a tough time with deciding on Blake’s placement this week. On the one hand, he was in the bottom three last week, and he had a mediocre performance this week, which normally I would choose him for my bottom picks. But on the other hand, his fans might have seen how dangerously close Blake came to leaving last week, then rallied this week to make sure he wasn’t in the bottom again. Of the two scenarios, I think the latter is what will happen tonight, meaning that Blake should be safe this week.

4. LaKISHA JONES – sung “I Believe” – Sigh.
That’s all I can say. I’m so disappointed in someone who started out so strongly (her performance of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going”) but for the last few weeks (including this one) has progressively remained at mediocre. As last week, this was a weak performance by someone with such a huge voice. Kiki is just not cutting it, and this week’s performance is just another in a growing list of “ok” performances. LaKisha has pretty much lost her way, and I don’t know if it’s the pain of being away from her daughter, or the fact that she just can’t handle the hussle-bussle of the Idol life. Whatever the reason, the point is Lakisha started out as an early favorite (including me!) to win, but that prediction surely did not live up to its own hype.
And as a side note, I think Paula was sipping the vodka too fast out of that coke glass, if she’s comparing Fantasia to Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, or Celine Dion. Can we say, “not even in the same league”?! Yeesh.
So aside from that, I think Kiki is my second choice to be in my bottom two picks this week.

5. PHIL STACY - sung “The Change” – What has gotten into Gollum?! Ever since he got that huge pat on the back last week for a great country performance, he’s actually gotten better. I do tend to agree with Simon (as most times I do) that if Phil added a little country flavor to his song, it would have been a much better performance. But in all though, it wasn’t a bad performance. Apparently, since votefortheworst.com has lost their poster boy in Sanjaya, they said their new pick is old Gollum here. But I honestly think they’re barking up the wrong tree (and really, are there any “bad” singers left in the competition?). If it was weeks ago, and they picked Phil, I would see why they could pick him. He was consistently bad, shouting some songs, and at one performance was off-key.
But since he found his niche last week, he’s actually been pretty good. I think because of them, and the fact he got a primarily positive judge reviews, he’s gonna be safe this week.

6. JORDIN SPARKS – sung “You’ll Never Walk Alone” – My favorite idol turned out a SHOW-STOPPER. This performance took me back to Kelly Clarkson’s Season One performance of “You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman”, which took down the house back then. I’ve compared Jordin to Kelly many times now, because how similar their slow but steady ascension to the top of the idol ranks are. It won Kelly the competition, and Jordin’s incredible vocal performance last night has, in my mind, cemented her spot in the final three (with my prediction of Blake and Melinda as her competitors). Not only is Jordin safe, but I predict last night’s performance has rocketed her to a place in the finale.

My Bottom TWO Picks: Chris Richardson and Lakisha Jones.

My Pick to be Eliminated Tonight: It’s a tough call, and even though I picked Chris as one of the bottom two, any other contestant could be substituted with him. With the exception of Jordin and Melinda, I don’t think anyone truly stuck out enough to be 100% safe.

But regardless, I hate to say it’s time for LaKisha to say good bye. (I hope I’m wrong….truly I am….if I had a choice, it would be Phil going home tonight, next week Chris, then Lakisha, then Blake – final two; Jordin and Melinda)

So what do you guys think? Agree? Disagree? Comments?

American Idol - Week Six- 4/17/07

Did anyone else think that country night on American Idol would go off a lot worse?

I can tell you I sure was expecting a horrendous mess, making Latin night sound like a 5-star musical.
But it wasn’t that bad.

Don’t get me wrong, there were a few clunkers from usually good contestants. But overall? Not so bad.
Then again, I’m not a country fan, so I can’t really judge that much. (my friends Chris and Jenn can probably give you a better idea on how well the Top 7 did on country night, since they are in fact, country fans.)
I can only judge the contestants on their overall performance, sound and vocal ability, and of course their connection to the songs they chose.

We did have a few surprises last night, (Phil finally comes into his own!), and a few disappointments (Kiki & Chris), but over all, was it a good night?

Debatable.
Let’s see how my individual contestant analysis pans out:

1. PHIL STACY - sung “Where The Blacktop Ends” – What the heck had gotten into Gollum? Like Simon said, it took him 10 weeks, but Phil finally steps out and shows us he can actually sing and perform. I think he had the best performance of the night, next to Jordin. (We’ll get to her on a second). I actually saw Phil comfortable onstage, and not only did he not stray off-key at any given point, but he looked confident. I’m not sure he ever mentioned it, but has Phil ever said that country is his genre? I mean, here I thought this year spawned no country singers at all, and it turns out there was one hiding in old Gollum from the get go. Though he’s been in the perpetual bottom three for weeks now, I truly think this week’s performance has put him in the safety zone. For this week at least, Phil is SAFE.

2. JORDIN SPARKS – sung “A Broken Wing” – OUT-standing. I was floored. As most of you know, I’ve been a growing Jordin fan from the start of the competition, but man, last night’s performance won me over to her camp for good. I’m officially hooking onto Jordin for the AI win. I love LaKisha and Melinda too, but Jordin blew them both out of the water last night. Her vocals were spot on, and she was the picture of elegance. (except for that odd pumpkin colored gown – I mean, lord, do these AI stylists even have mirrors back there? – but I digress) I still can’t believe she’s only 17. Dare I say, her vocal talents are almost up there with Kelly Clarkson’s. Just absolutely amazing, and I can guarantee she is safe this week.

3. SANJAYA MALAKAR – sung “Something To Talk About” – This has gotten beyond the ridiculous. Instead of embracing the surprisingly decent performance he gave last week, and actually give a good effort this week, old mop head here went back to pretty much just shouting into the microphone, and performing a horrible version of this Bonnie Raitt classic. As the judges said, this was a VERY bad karaoke performance, and I have to agree. There’s a karaoke night at one of my favorite bars, in which Neil, one of the bar goers, always gets up and sings after downing several drinks. His slurred and sloppy singing was better then Sanjaya’s poor excuse for singing. Simon has finally got serious, and pretty much told America, “Look, joke’s over, now we need to actually pick a good singer”. This could go either way in influencing the voting. It could have either bolstered the fans of the other idols to out vote votefortheworst.com. OR, it just gave more fuel to the Sanjaya fans to keep him in. Personally, I think it’s time for Sanjaya to go. He honestly gave a good performance last week, but this week he was right back to making a mockery of himself. Was it a bad enough performance to put him into the Bottom Three this week? I think so. Sanjaya has the honor of being my first choice for my Bottom Three picks.

4. LaKISHA JONES – sung “Jesus Take The Wheel” – Dear me, what in the world happened to my Kiki? A not-so-good performance last week, followed up this week by yet another not-so-good performance. I will give her this much, this definitely wasn’t her genre of music to sing. I hate to agree with the judges, but they were right. She could have easily spun this song to her own style, yet still retain the elements that made it country. For the first time I have to say, I was bored with Kiki’s performance. I felt no feeling from her like I usually do, and it’s a shame because I think she really could have had a great vocal on this song. Is Kiki starting to suffer from the same ailment that ousted Mandisa off the show last year? (was that last year?) Have we really seen the best Kiki can offer? Was it just the song choice? I don’t think Kiki would have done well this week, regardless of the song she chose. Kiki went into tonight with the odds against her from the start, just because of the fact that it was country music. I hate to say it, but once again, I have to choose Kiki again for the #2 slot of my Bottom Three picks for tonight.

5. CHRIS RICHARDSON – sung “Mayberry” – I was disappointed in Chris. I’m a Chris fan, (though it really doesn’t have a lot to do with his singing), but tonight’s performance was a little disconnected for me. I didn’t get it, and I don’t think he really connected with the audience for this one. Don’t get me wrong, he sung it well. He moved around the stage, and put in the best performance he could, but I just don’t think it was good, compared to the other contestants last night. Personally, I think Chris was distracted last night by the horrible tragedy at Virginia Tech. This was proven later when he said he was a Virginia native, sent out his prayers and teared up. For all we know, he knew some of the poor victims. Now can you imagine, having to put on a face, smile for the camera, and sing after learning some of your old teachers or close friends had been killed? You wouldn’t care about the performance would you? What would your performance look like? Exactly what Chris’ did last night. Unfortunately, I don’t think America will think about that, which I think he’s my final choice for my Bottom three picks.

6. MELINDA DOOLITTLE – sung “Trouble Is A Woman” – I was a little surprised by Mindy Doo’s performance this week. One of the judges (Randy or Simon) commented on how he saw a little bit of Tina Turner in her performance last night. I disagree. I saw a LOT of Tina Turner in Mindy Doo’s performance. I am constantly amazed on how well Melinda does, and this was a shocker for me. I thought this would be the first time Melinda would do badly because of the genre of music. Boy, was I wrong. I had never ever heard of this song, (that could be because I’m not a country fan, as I said before), but man, did she make me listen. “Sassy” is right when they used it to describe Mindy Doo’s performance. Thank GOD, someone (was there any doubt it would be Simon?) has finally told this girl to stop the whole “You really like me?!” shock faces after judgment. It was really becoming silly, and it took away from her being accepted as a real player for the final AI crown. If she can get past the faces, I can see her in the final showdown with Jordin or Blake. Without any question, Mindy Doo is safe this week.

7. BLAKE LEWIS – sung “When The Stars Go Blue” – I am really starting to like Blake, especially since he has stuck to just singing, and staying away from the beat-boxing. His performance this week wasn’t that outstanding, but was still good enough for me to still grow as a possible fan. It was a good vocal, and I definitely am starting to like the style he brings to some songs. (on an off-topic, one of my co-worker friends commented on how Blake sounds like a young Sting. This was whole-heartedly shot down by my close friend Kim, who is one of the biggest Sting fans in existence. Agree? Disagree? – but again, I digress) Blake has shown he has the vocal range and talent to stay in the competition, and though I don’t think this was one of his strongest performances, (again, the whole country genre) it still was solid and good enough to keep him safe another week.)

My Bottom Three Picks: Chris Richardson, Sanjaya Malakar and (though I HATE to say it AGAIN), Lakisha Jones.

My Pick to be Eliminated Tonight: I think Chris will be safe, even if it might be a sympathy vote because of his connection to the tragedy in Virginia. I think Kiki has a good chance of going home tonight, but I’m gonna go out on a limb and say Sanjaya’s journey has finally come to end tonight.

So what do you guys think? Agree? Disagree? Comments?

American Idol - Week Five - 4/10/07

Watching last night’s performances, only one word came to my mind: strange.

That is the only way I can describe the performances last night. Why Nigel Lythgoe (the producer of AI) decided on a Latin-themed night is beyond me. Did he think the results we saw last night were going to be any different? NONE of the contestants are of Hispanic or Latino descent, and, not that that should matter, but none of them proved to show the “passion” Jennifer Lopez was talking about. (yes, including Blake)

Every one of the contestants were “off” tonight, and none of them gave a stellar “wow” performance. I could honestly see why Simon was obviously getting progressively frustrated with each performance. None of them connected to their song choices, and though J-Lo did an okay job in coaching them, I don’t think anything she could have said would have helped the contestants last night.

I was really disappointed with most of the performances, which I think has put one of the previous front running favorites in the danger zone. But we’ll get to that, so I should stop gabbing and go on to the performances:

1. MELINDA DOOLITTLE – sung “Sway” – Melinda really needs to stop her whole “surprised look” faces. It’s really getting tiresome. But I digress….to her performance, which was absolutely….mediocre. It was bound to happen, but this was not at all one of Melinda’s best performances. And her song choice goes on to prove what I have said before; she has an old school quality and voice. On a night where she could have easily picked a more contemporary song, she chooses Pablo Beltran Ruiz’s 1953 classic. How she will connect with a younger audience, I’ll never know. Her vocals were solid, but like Simon said, it was a pretty wooden performance. I felt no passion of emotion from Mindy-Doo this week, but I don’t think she’s in danger. I say she’s safe again.

2. LaKISHA JONES – sung “Conga” – My Kiki did not do well this week. I think that her song choice was poor, and she had absolutely NO Latin flavor. I agree with the judges when they say she was having fun, but “Conga” is the type of song that lends itself well to a group singing and dancing along. Most definitely a safe choice, but because of the fact it wasn’t performed well either, it puts Kiki in a very dangerous position. I hate to say this, but she is my first choice for my Bottom Three picks. I hate doing it, because I love Kiki, but a bad performance is a bad performance. Sorry Kiki, but this week is your first foray into the bottom three.

3. CHRIS RICHARDSON – sung “Smooth” – Chris is surprising me more and more each week. By no means is he the best singer, but his performances have been pretty solid for the past two weeks. My honest opinion is that he started this song a little rough. He was a bit off key at moments, but once he got into it, and finally caught the beat, he was sailing “smooth-ly” to the end. (see what I did there? HA!) Chris even added his runs in the end, which most times are out of place, but it really fit in this song. Plus, he’s using his looks (yes, I still have a crush, sue me) just like Haley. Difference is Chris is a much better singer. I think Chris should be safe once again this week.

4. HALEY SCARNATO – sung “Turn The Beat Around” – I don’t know about anyone else, but I didn’t even hear her singing. All I saw was a pair of very shapely legs walking and prancing around onstage. If Simon is on the money (which I think he is), and Haley is using her looks to overcome her lackluster vocals, then it’s working. I mean, damn, if those shorts were any higher, it would make Britney Spears’ now infamous car exits pale in comparison. Does it matter I didn’t understand a word she was singing when the fast vocals came up? (she could have been saying anything during those vocals and I wouldn’t have known) Regardless of Haley’s clothed striptease, I think the judges comments were spot on, especially Simon’s observation of Haley’s fashion choices. Based on last week’s appearance in the Bottom three, and her poor performance this week, she is my second choice for my Bottom Three picks.

5. PHIL STACY - sung “Maria, Maria” - OFF-KEY. Completely and utterly, almost the whole song. I’m surprised, because though I don’t think Gollum here is horrible, he was doing okay. This was a completely bad song choice, and it showed several times throughout his performance. He started out rough, and the end was excruciating. (was it me, or was he just screaming the words at one point?) What goose bumps was Jennifer Lopez talking about during the mentoring session? Was it cold in that studio or something, J-Lo? Because Gollum’s performance did nothing for me. No passion, no emotion, and a complete lack of in tune vocals. Gollum, I’m afraid you found your way once again into my final choice of my Bottom Three picks.

6. JORDIN SPARKS – sung “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You” – Jordin has gone beyond just “growing on me”. I’m officially a Jordin fan, and I’m pulling for her to make it to the end. Her performance was pretty good, but I found it lacking, just like LaKisha’s performance. It seemed like a safe song choice, and definitely below Jordin’s talents. It was sung well, and her performance was fun and energetic, but it lacked passion, a prevailing problem with ALL of last night’s performances. One of the things that puts Jordin in the safe zone though is the fact that even though there was no passion, she still made it fun, and her vocals were spot on. I have a good gut feeling that Jordin is safe again this week.

7. BLAKE LEWIS – sung “I Need To Know” – By far, the judges were right. Blake definitely had the best performance of the night. (though I don’t think it had quite the connection the judges said it had). I admit I wasn’t a Blake fan when I first started watching, but he has grown on me. Last night I actually saw a bit of that “star quality” that I think gives him a good shot at the finals. It was talked about in the beginning that there was a good chance one of the women was going to win this year, but I think Blake’s performance last night has shown that if anyone will have a shot at being one of the final two, he’s going to be a forerunner. I have no doubts in my mind that he’s safe.

8. SANJAYA MALAKAR – sung “Besame Mucho” – First off, don’t hate me. I’m trying to be as non-biased as possible. (though my favorites are obvious) And though I don’t like some performers per se, I do try to honestly judge each performance fairly. Saying that, and with a complete disdain for what I’m about to say, but….Sanjaya was not horrible this week. I daresay it wasn’t half-bad, which absolutely KILLS me to say. Was it his song choice? Was it his subdued hairstyle and manly goatee, making him look a bit less effeminate? Or was it his bosomy sister’s brief appearance onscreen which distracted from his performance?
(I have to wonder how much better his sister would have done should she had earned a place in the Top 12 instead of him. Each week, her male fans would have had at least 2 good reasons to keep her safe – ahem – but I digress again). It wasn’t a bad performance, and regardless of what you might think of him, he finally showed he had some singing chops. Did he deserve to go home already? YES, weeks ago. Is he going home this week? (do you really wanna know that answer to that?) Look at it this way….if he was safe during his worst performances, do you think he’s going home this week, with a somewhat decent performance? Unfortunately, safe once again.

My Bottom Three Picks: Phil Stacy, Haley Scarnato and (though I HATE to say it), Lakisha Jones.

My Pick to be Eliminated Tonight: Haley’s legs may have saved her once again this week. Phil “Gollum” Stacy is my choice to go home, but why do I have this gut feeling that we have seen LaKisha’s last performance? God, I hope I’m wrong.

So what do you guys think? Agree? Disagree? Comments?

American Idol - Week Four - 4/03/07

Wow, Tony Bennett is old. Okay, so maybe I’m stating the obvious, but to me, it just seemed that he wasn’t that old all this time, until I got a good look at him last night. But I will say this; for a man who’s been singing for as long as he has….he looks damn good.

So the contestants this week were coached by Mr.Bennett, and though I thought he offered some good advice, some contestants amazingly chose to ignore it. (Haley!?)
Overall, though, most contestants did well, because of the fact that these are classic songs that need no work really. The only ones that truly stood out for me this week are Melinda and Chris. That’s not to say the others didn’t do well either, just that those two are the two that stood out for me.

I know, I know, you heard enough from me. You want me to move onto the contestants’ performances. Here ya go:

1. BLAKE LEWIS – sung “Mack The Knife” – Not a bad way to start out the night. I felt it proved once again that Blake does have a great voice, if he refrains from beat-boxing. I’m very happy he pulled back on doing that, because now people can see what a talented singer he is. His fashion choices, however, have a lot to be desired.

Who dressed him last night? Rodney Dangerfield’s ex-stylist? Ugly tie and ensemble aside, though I didn’t think it was his best performance, it was still good enough to keep him safe this week.

2. PHIL STACY - sung “Night and Day” – Simon nailed old Gollum’s performance last night with the exact word I was thinking; gloomy. What a depressing performance, Phil sung it with almost no life whatsoever. With the exception of a few big notes in the middle and towards the end, the song was just sung badly. I love the classic original, and it definitely is sung a bit more…romantically…then Phil’s twist on it. Whether he intended to sing it that way or not, it came off the complete opposite of romantic. I could daresay it sounded creepy, almost as if it was sung by those tragedy loving Goth singers of the 90s. Sorry, but once again, Phil has earned a spot in my Bottom Three picks.

3. MELINDA DOOLITTLE – sung “I've Got Rhythm” – Mindy Doo really was in her element last night, and honestly there is no way she could have done badly. I agree with Simon when he said the beginning of the song sounded cabaret, but the rest of the song was completely out of this world. I have to say, I’ve heard this song a dozen times in my life, and this is the first time I actually listened to the lyrics (so sue me, I was young and didn’t know better), thanks to Melinda’s style of performance. I tend to agree with Simon’s assessment that they really can’t criticize Melinda. Why? Not because she is a sensitive person that can’t take it, but she has given them no reason thus far in the competition to do so. You better believe she is safe this week.

4. CHRIS RICHARDSON – sung “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” – My personal opinion aside about Chris, you have to admit, that was a great performance. I mean, this is a song that was relatively unknown to me, and though it did have that old classic tone to it, he made it hip and new, just like the judges said. I was truly impressed with his performance, and not just because he’s easy on the eyes. I do not in any way think Chris has the talent (compared to some contestants) to win the entire competition, but I see him lasting at least another 3-4 weeks. Total side note here, but has anyone else noticed that for the past 3 weeks, (including this week) ALL of Chris’ song choices began with the word “Don’t”? Two weeks ago he sung “Don’t let the sun catch you crying”, last week he sung “Don’t Speak”, and this week, “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore”.
I have no theory about it, just figured it was interesting. Anyway, I’m pretty sure he’s gonna be safe this week.

5. JORDIN SPARKS – sung “On A Clear Day” – I love Jordin, but I don’t think this was her best performance. That’s not to say it wasn’t good. But just compared to her past performances, this wasn’t up there. She looked great though! (geez, do I sound like Paula or what?) Honestly though, Jordin’s performance was “aight” as Randy would say. Simon was right when he said that Chris’ performance made a classic sound like a hip new song. Jordin’s performance seemed like a regular performance of a classic song. I don’t think she’s in danger however, so count her safe this week.

6. GINA GLOCKSON – sung “Smile” - As I said last week, Gina won me over as a fan last week, so I was rooting for her to do well this week. She definitely chose the right song, but I thought it was a little boring. (Tony Bennett offered her NO advice, and just went on about what he thinks about when he sings the song. Thanks there, Tony) Anyway, even though Gina sung it perfectly, it did come off a bit yawny (is that a word?). But I have to sympathize with her; what else is a rocker girl supposed to do when her choices are the classics? It wasn’t a stand out performance, and though I hate to do this to one of my burgeoning favorites, I have to put her in the second spot of my Bottom three picks.

7. SANJAYA MALAKAR – sung “Dancing Cheek To Cheek” - Okay, don’t start the hate mail for this, but I didn’t think he sounded that badly tonight. Compared to the other performances, Sanjaya definitely didn’t measure up, but compared to his ridiculous past performances so far, this was a nice change of pace. I really resent both Tony Bennett’s and Randy’s comment on how Sanjaya is an “entertainer”. He doesn’t entertain, and I don’t think he’s as talented as he likes to think he is. Anyone can scream lyrics, or use eye-catching hairstyles to entertain. I’ve given up trying to explain why Sanjaya is still around, and unfortunately because of the somewhat positive comments he got this week, expect him to stick around yet another week. Plus, he's getting cocky, and that will definately get on more people's nerves. Heck, maybe Simon’s tactic will work; “Incredible!” (That’s right Simon, use the old opposite of what you think trick!)

8. HALEY SCARNATO – sung “Ain't Misbehavin” – I can already guess what one of my readers is going to say about Haley’s performance. (I’m looking at YOU, tigue). He is going to say how he rewound Haley’s performance over and over again to watch those legs walk around on stage. Too bad it’s supposed to be a singing competition. Why in the world would you not take Tony Bennett’s advice and not change the song as he suggested? The results speak for themselves, as her performance was one of the worst of the evening. Even the judges had nothing to say, though I think they were being a bit pithy because of Haley’s prior comments on how she values Simon’s good critiques more then the other two. Honestly though, at this point, I think Haley knows she’s out-classed by better singers, so she’s relying on her looks to get her by. (Katherine McPhee you are not missy). Her outfit was trashy, and the only think missing from her “come hither” looks to the camera was a stripper pole to dance around. Was Haley’s clothed striptease enough to save her this week? Probably not, which is why I choose her to be the last candidate in my Bottom Three picks.

9. LaKISHA JONES – sung “Stormy Weather” – Just like Haley, Kiki opted to ignore Tony Bennett’s advice, and not hold the note at the end of the song. I tend to agree with Mr. Bennett, that if Kiki did hold that note at the end, it would have made for an amazing ending. It still was a fine performance, and there were really no problems with her singing…it just irks me that it could have been such a bigger ending, and quite possibly the best of the evening. I don’t think LaKisha is in danger, but I’ve been noticing she’s been losing steam a little. I hope we don’t find ourselves in a Mandisa situation this year, whereas we become fans with great expectations, only to find ourselves disappointed when she’s voted off before other less talented singers. (glaring at YOU, Sanjaya)

My Bottom Three Picks: Phil Stacy, Haley Scarnato and Gina Glockson.

My Pick to be Eliminated Tonight: Gina did well enough to stay in, so I think it comes down to Phil and Haley. I think Haley’s legs saved her another week, which means Gollum must go seeking his ring at home.

So what do you guys think? Agree? Disagree? Comments?

American Idol - Week Three - 3/27/07

Only one word came to mind when watching last’s night’s performances: SURPRISE.

Why “surprise” you may ask?
I was “surprised” on how well a lot of the contestants performed and “surprised” how really bad Sanjaya has gotten. It’s gotten to the point of mockery now, and it’s starting to annoy me. Sanjaya is not even trying, and it’s obvious from the judge’s comments to him that it was noticeable. But we’ll get to him in a moment.

I almost didn’t recognize Gwen Stefani without her trademark putanna-red lipstick. (look up “putanna”, it’s an Italian word…but I digress.) It didn’t seem to me like Gwen really “mentored” anyone during this week’s show. I mean, most of her advice was the same to almost every contestant, which was “stay with the melody”. I don’t know, I hope she just wasn’t booked this week for the ratings. (I mean, that NEVER happens on television, right?)

Sigh.
Enough babbling, and onto the contestants’ performances:

1. LaKISHA JONES – sung “Last Dance” – Now Kiki has proven that she’s not just about belting out slow moving ballads. She turned it up this week, doing a nice up tempo song which in my opinion was done very well. I know the judges loved her performance, but something was off about her tonight. Aside from the prostitute boots, (big shock Simon liked them?) I’m not sure what it was. Maybe it was the fact she did an up tempo song? I think I found at times that her voice was bigger then the song. That’s not her fault, but I think that’s what was bothering me about her performance. It doesn’t matter though, because Kiki will be staying on another week.

2. CHRIS SLIGH – sung “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” – Is anyone else disappointed in Chris lately? I sure am. I was expecting better things from him by this stage in the competition, and at the very least he should have “wowed” me by now. But he hasn’t, and it puts him in the dangerous position that Stephanie Edwards was in last week. Now I’m not a die hard Sting/Police fan like some of my friends, but I know the song well enough to know that Simon was right. This performance was a mess, and Chris was definitely not singing with the beat of the song. He got way ahead of the music, and it made what could have been a very decent performance one of his worst. Hate to say it, but Chris will need to take a spot in my Bottom Three picks.

3. GINA GLOCKSON – sung “I’ll Stand By You” - Okay, officially, with last night’s performance, I have turned into a Gina fan. I was always on the borderline with her, because she hadn’t “wowed” me yet. This Pretenders classic is one of my favorite songs, and not only did Gina do it justice, she blew it out of the water. I found she had great voice control, and not only could you understand every word she sang, unlike other performances (COUGH – Sanjaya – COUGH) she showed an amazing tenderness and emotion. Simon was right on the money when he said this was her best performance, because it won me over. She is definitely around another week.

4. SANJAYA MALAKAR – sung “Bathwater” - I’m going to quote Simon right now; “it doesn't matter what we say, you are in your own universe”. That can’t be more true after last night’s debacle. I felt bad for Sanjaya for a while, but now, he’s just making a mockery of his place in the competition. Was I truly supposed to believe that he was trying to give his best performance last night? Come on, the ridiculous mohawk alone was enough to make his performance a joke, but then he pretty much mumbles the entire song (I for one could not understand a word) and though I’m not an avid Gwen/No Doubt fan, one co-worker of mine is, and he pointed out that Sanjaya actually forgot some of the words during the performance. If it was anyone else, he/she would have been called out on that note. But he wasn’t, which could be either blamed on the judges’ unfamiliarity with the song, or the fact of what Simon said that it really doesn’t matter what they say about him anymore. It hurts to even say this again, but expect Sanjaya to stick around yet another week, while another better-talented singer goes home.

5. HALEY SCARNATO – sung “True Colors” – As most of you know, I am a huge Cyndi Lauper fan, and this song is one of my all time favorites. So as a fan of the original artist, I can only say this about Haley’s rendition of this song: Mediocre. I didn’t hate it, but at the same time I didn’t like it. I like the beginning of it (even though Randy said it started off rough for him, I didn’t think it was that bad), but I hated the way it ended. Haley has proven that she did deserve to be in the Top Twelve by this point, but as Simon said, it was forgettable. There wasn’t an outstanding vocal or performance to make her stand out like some of the others this week, which puts her in the precarious position of the second person to occupy the Bottom three tonight.

6. PHIL STACY - sung “Every Breath You Take” - All right, color me impressed. I’m not a big fan of Gollum here, but I have to give him props for a very good performance of one of my favorite Police songs. He paced it really well, and knew exactly when to come in with the big notes. I worry for Phil though, because even though this was one of his better performances, I still don’t think he has thrown down his “wow” performance that will win over fans. Despite Simon’s comment on how he proved he was seriously in the competition, I don’t think we’ll see much better then this. I could always be wrong, but I think this was the best we’ll see Mr.Stacy do. Though I thought his performance was good, I just don’t think he’s made enough of an impact yet, which believe it or not, earned him my last place in my Bottom three picks.

7. MELINDA DOOLITTLE – sung “Heaven Knows” - Melinda looked out of place tonight. And Simon couldn’t have been more right about her outfit. Who dresses the contestants at this point? That was a truly “ghastly” looking outfit, and it made Melinda seem uncomfortable. But I digress, because despite the fashion choices, she truly proved she can sing up tempo songs. (did her and Kiki talk and decide to do up beat songs this week?) Still though, it wasn’t the best performance I’ve seen from her. Vocally, it was stunning, but it didn’t measure up to her past performances. Maybe that’s part of the problem? I come to expect Melinda to out do herself every week, so of course one week is going to seem weaker then the rest. Despite that, you know for a fact Melinda is around next week. Most definitely safe.

8. BLAKE LEWIS – sung “Love Song” - Finally, no beat-boxing, and he sounded great! (is it just me, or did his rendition of this song, sound more like the re-make from a few years ago then the original Cure song?) Regardless of which version he was doing it did sound great, and proved that he doesn’t need to add beat-boxing to every song to make it sound good. Some people said it sounded boring, but I truly don’t think so. It sounded in tune, accurate, and most of all he entertained me. (not to mention the fact he’s becoming easy on the eyes for me). Is he the strongest male performer at this point? I would have to say yes, since Chris S. is not living up to the potential he should. Safe? No question.

9. JORDIN SPARKS – sung “Hey Baby” - What a firecracker this one is. I said it before, and I’ll say it again, she is definitely growing on me. Simon was right when he said her performance was a little “copycattish”, but she sung it magnificently. She has youth, energy, and as the judges said, she’s not afraid to take risks. Because of this, I am really starting to believe she has a better chance of reaching the finals then Melinda or LaKisha. Her rendition of this song was contemporary, and though she really didn’t put too much of her own spin on it, it sounded good enough to definitely keep her safe.

10. CHRIS RICHARDSON – sung “Don’t Speak” - Why was Chris in the bottom two last week? It’s hard to figure out, because he truly gave an outstanding performance. I chalk it up to the “Daughtry factor”. What is the Daughtry factor you may ask? It’s what happened to Chris Daughtry last year when he was voted off. People thought he was so good, that they just assumed he would be safe, without voting. This is what happened to Chris. I truly find it hard to believe that Sanjaya has more teen girl fans then the handsome boy-band look-alike that Chris is. His performance of this well-known No Doubt song was pretty darn good, but not as good as last week’s. I like his spin on it, and thankfully he took Gwen’s advice and just stuck to the song. Even if this wasn’t his best performance, he will not be in the bottom three this week. I think his fans learned their lesson, and their voted their little heads off this week to keep him in. I predict he is safe.

My Bottom Three Picks: Phil Stacy, Haley Scarnato and Chris Sligh.

My Pick to be Eliminated Tonight: I think Phil’s performance was just good enough to keep him in, so I would say it’s between Haley or Chris. Hmm….I’ll say Haley.

So what do you guys think? Agree? Disagree? Comments?

American Idol - Week Two - 3/20/07

Before I begin this week’s review, let me just say thanks to you all for reading my review. I didn’t realize until recently that some of you guys forward this review to other people I don’t know, and that’s really appreciated. If you guys want, forward me their emails, and I’ll just add them to the distribution.

So anyway, in general, last night all of the contestants upped their game, and I have to say I’m impressed. However, that being said, I found myself both agreeing with the judges on some performances, and absolutely thinking they had earplugs in their ears for others. (I’m looking at YOU, Sanjaya)
Peter Noone and Lulu were the guest “advisor/mentors” this week, and I found myself actually loving their little suggestions to the contestants. I honestly think that if some of the contestants would have listened to them last night, they would have done far better then they did. So there’s my two cents overall, so let’s move onto the contestants’ performances:

1. HALEY SCARNATO – sung “Tell Him” – Okay, this was a good start to the whole “British Invasion” theme to the show. She started out strong, and kept it up throughout her performance. I agree when the judges said she picked a good song, and she did look good as well. (I’m not sure I agree with Simon when he said fans would be talking about more then just her singing the next day). Don’t get me wrong, she looked pretty, but not trashy. (Unless I misunderstood what he meant?) Regardless though, I think for all the flack Haley got for beating out Sabrina getting into the Top 12, I think she proved last night she deserves to be there. I think she’ll be around another week.

2. CHRIS RICHARDSON – sung “Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying” - It’s about time this cutie showed he has actual singing talent and not just looks and “runs in the song”. (As a side note, I can’t believe how much this show educates the viewer on different singing terms. I mean I had NO idea what a “run” was 6 months ago! But I digress…) Chris admitted he was holding back doing more runs in the song, and thankfully he took his own advice on that note. Hopefully he noticed he doesn’t have to do that with every single performance, and because he held back, I think (as Simon said) it was one of his best performances to date. It was sexy, and intimate, and definitely sung well. Chris is staying around a bit longer.

3. STEPHANIE EDWARDS – sung “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me” - She lost her edge. I couldn’t put my finger on what it was about Stephanie’s performances last week and this week that I found bad, until Simon pointed it out. He said told Stephanie she lost her edge and she’s just fading into the background, and I have to agree. When I first heard her sing, I thought that she could be a serious contender for the finals. But she lost something along the way, and it showed last night. It was boring, and definitely not an improvement from last week. (and for crying out loud, where the heck did she get that top? It looked like she won it on eBay from a former Solid Gold dancer. ) She is one of my picks for the bottom three, though I do like her, she has not performed up to her potential.

4. BLAKE LEWIS – sung “Time of the Season” - Okay, Blake is starting to grow on me, but dammit, does he HAVE to beat box to every friggin’ song!? I think he has a GREAT voice and a unique style, but he constantly needs to change it up? EVERYtime?
This is where I disagreed with the judges a little. Did I think Blake updated the song for a more contemporary vibe? Yes. Do I think this “modernizing” of every song is gonna get tired out? YES. Blake has a great voice, and he needs to showcase it. Again, I’m really starting to like him, but he needs to cut down the song beat-boxing. It’s a singing competition! (though I find myself agreeing with Peter Noone when he says it’s a “Voting competition”!) Anyway, Blake is definitely safe.

5. LaKISHA JONES – sung “Diamonds Are Forever” - Ah, my Kiki made an error this week. Hopefully, I don’t think it will affect her too much, she should be safe. When Lulu said to her she should sing the other song, “You Are My World” I wasn’t sure which song was right for her, until Lulu sung a few bars of it for her. I was agreeing with Lulu when she predicted that Kiki would OWN that song. But unfortunately, Kiki decided to go with “Diamonds Are Forever”, which, while sung as amazing as ever, was not her best performance to date. I think it was one of her weakest. I don’t think I agree with Simon on this one when he said it was “old fashioned”. (Of course it’s old fashioned Simon, they are singing 60’s songs!) This was definitely one of Lakisha’s weakest performances, but it didn’t affect her over-all appeal. She’s definitely back next week.

6. PHIL STACY - sung “Tobacco Road” - Maybe I’m being too critical here, but I would think that by this point, Phil would have showed me some type of “eye-popping” performance. But I’m yet to be wowed, and I just don’t see the “wow factor” everyone talks about. I like his voice, but his personality is just not happening. At this point I don’t even see him standing out, so most of the other contestants are over-taking him. This song was unknown to me, and instead of “wowing” me, and selling the song to me, I was bored, and found myself fishing around for some chips in my cabinet instead of watching his performance. What does that tell me? It tells me he’s in the bottom three tonight. (again!)

7. JORDIN SPARKS – sung “I Who Have Nothing” - This kid is impressing me every week, and I’m seeing shades of Kelly Clarkson here. I remember Kelly slowly getting better every week, and by the end of the competition, not only did she overtake the other contestants, but she put up a show-stopping number each time. I’m starting to see this with Jordin. Another song I was unfamiliar with, but unlike Mr.Stacy, she SOLD it to me. What a great controlled performance, and a great range. I really really am starting to like this girl and is slowly gaining on Melinda and Lakisha. She is definitely staying around, so she is safe.

8. SANJAYA MALAKAR – sung “You Really Got Me” - I really have to wonder what the judges were hearing last night during Sanjaya’s performance. I heard off-key screaming, no melody and it looked like a high school performance gone wrong. His moves were spastic, and his singing completely out of tune. Sigh. I don’t hate Sanjaya, on the contrary I actually feel like he’s been given a raw deal in the media. It’s not his fault he’s surrounded by better, more talented singers, but the kid tries. (and the little crying girl did not help. I swear, she cried during so many performances last night I thought she had some sort of disorder). Sanjaya friggin’ SCREAMED, not sung some parts of this song, and it was awful. So why the praise from the judges this week? (I think they want to try to keep him in for the Top 10 so he can tour with the rest of the idols. Why? The teeny-boppers equal ticket sales) Hate me for this prediction if you must, but Sanjaya is unfortunately around for at least one more week.

9. GINA GLOCKSON – sung “Paint It Black” - Disappointed. This is the only way I could describe my reaction to her performance of this Rolling Stone classic. When I heard she was choosing this song for her performance, I was excited. Gina is starting to grow on me too, and I love her whole “rocker girl” vibe. I thought this song was a perfect choice, but I suppose I was wrong. She definitely messed up vocally tonight, especially in the low key parts of the song. For one of the few Rolling Stones songs I know, and one of my favorites (yes, I know, sue me for not being a Stones’ fan), I don’t think she did that well, and as much as I like her, Simon was right. Vocally, it just was not good enough. Sorry Gina, but you’re in the bottom three tonight.

10. CHRIS SLIGH – sung “She’s Not There” - Finally, Chris is back the way I like him. No more contacts, and the voice is back. I loved his performance, and thought his coming out of the crowd singing was a perfect way to stand out from the other performances last night. Think about it, even if you don’t remember what Chris sang, you can at least remember he was the one who started his performance walking out of the audience. I thought he really made up for the horrible performance last week, and it gave him a pass to be here another week.

11. MELINDA DOOLITTLE – sung “As Long As He Needs Me” - You would think that singing a 60s tune would make Melinda feel right at home. And you couldn’t be more right. What another great performance, and again, I was sold a song that I didn’t know. Every week, I’m more and more impressed with Melinda’s control, and do I really think she’s that nice in person? I really think so, and both her naïve charm, personality and most of all, voice will get her close to the finals, if not the final four. However, will she win? Debatable. Unless she changes her song choices, and finds a way to connect to a younger audience, she won’t be able to win the competition.

My Bottom Three Picks: Phil Stacy, Gina Glockson and Stephanie Edwards.

My Pick to be Eliminated Tonight: Tough call, but I would say it’s between Stephanie or Phil. I think Gina is safe.

So what do you guys think? Agree? Disagree? Comments?

American Idol - Week One - 3/13/07

Welcome one and all to my (2nd? 3rd?) annual weekly review of the American Idol Final 12!
Thanks to all my returning commenters and readers just curious on my take.

Agree? Disagree? Let me hear you!
Posting comments are free.
So shall we move onto the show?

First off, I have to say first off how I think the girls still lead the boys in performances. Last night they proved it again. Granted, you have to admit, the girls had an advantage singing the music of Diana Ross and The Supremes, what with the "old-fashioned belters" like Lakisha and Melinda in the group. Also, the boys tried too hard to update the Motown classics with hipper, more contemporary singing styles. It didn’t work, in my opinion. I agree with what all the judges said at one point; "let the classics be the classics."

So onto the contestants’ performances:

1. BRANDON ROGERS – sung “You Can’t Hurry Love” - Wow, this was bad. On top of a really awkward performance, he forgets the words? Yikes. I’ll give him a break this week, because not only did he open the show as the first performer, he did it on a new stage. However, that aside, there is no excuse at this stage of the competition for you to forget the words. Brandon’s performance was forgettable, bad, and to be honest, a little boring. Brandon is one of my picks for the bottom three.

2. MELINDA DOOLITTLE – sung “Home” – Now, THIS was a performance. I haven’t heard this song in years, since I first saw “The Wiz” back when I was a wee lad. She made it new again for me, and her voice was absolutely perfect for it. Melinda’s genuine surprise when hearing the judges comments and the audience’s reaction was touching. She still doesn’t know how good she really is yet, which just makes her all the more endearing. I can’t wait to see her during the next couple of months grow with confidence and finally accept how good she is. Simon called her a "young Gladys Knight", and I couldn’t agree with him more.

3. CHRIS SLIGH – sung “Endless Love” - When someone says something like “you butchered that song”, you think that would be enough to describe how bad someone sang a song. That phrase isn’t nearly enough to describe the awful mess Chris made out of this song. Wow. It actually made Brandon’s performance look not as bad in comparison. Now don’t get me wrong here, Chris’ vocals were fine, he definitely can sing well. That wasn’t the problem. The arrangement was horrendous, a true “mess” as Randy described it. I wouldn’t be surprised if Chris isn’t in the bottom three tonight, though I doubt he’s going home. I’m really surprised at him, because I do kind of enjoy his voice. Oh and I agree with Simon when he said Chris should keep his glasses on. I think that’s part of his appeal now, the “glasses and afro” guy.

4. GINA GLOCKSON – sung “Love Child” - Before I get to her performance, has Gina lost weight, or is it just me? I have to admit it. I think Gina is on that borderline right now of either doing well, or bottoming out. Her performance was adequate at best. She seemed to try to gain momentum on an arrangement that was slowed down. Not her best by far, and she is definitely better then the performance she had tonight. I hope she comes back, because I really wanna see what she’s capable of. I’m not a fan yet, but I like her personality. Much as I don’t want her to go home, she is my next pick for the bottom three tonight. (though I hope she’s safe)

5. SANJAYA MALAKAR – sung “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” - Is there really anything I can say at this point? Do I really need to point out the obvious here? Truly one of the WORST renditions of this awesome song I’ve EVER heard. (and I’ve heard some truly awful renditions of songs on AI in the past 6 years) This is a song that uplifts me everytime I hear it, and he just totally ruined it for me. I feel bad in a way, because this kid has no confidence in his vocal ability, and part of that is because he keeps getting horrible feedback from the judges. Is it any wonder why so far he’s been shocked he wasn’t voted off yet?
I don’t blame him though, because it’s his song choices that are killing him. He is simply either picking songs that are either unknown or too big for him. (like this one) I honestly think if he picks the right song, I may actually say “Wow, that wasn’t bad, it was pretty good”. However, am I a fan. Most definitely not, he should have gone home 3-4 weeks ago. Much as I hope he’s in the bottom three, I hate to say he will be safe thanks to the Indian vote. (much like the Hawaiians came to Jasmine Trias’ rescue many times a couple of years ago)

6. HALEY SCARNATO – sung “Missing You” - Okay like you guys, I do not think she deserves to be in the Top 12. The other girl, Sabrina, deserved to be here instead. But I find myself a little impressed with Haley’s performance tonight. I agree with Simon, when he said he thinks she showed real stage presence, despite her nerves getting the best of her. I agree with him, she really stood out. Did she forget the words? Yep. Was her performance pitchy? (OH yes.) But I remember last year, a certain girl named Katharine McPhee was the same way. By far, she definitely sucked tonight, but I don’t think it was enough to get her into the bottom three tonight. I think her heartfelt appreciation of the judges comments won the voting audience over enough to save her. Will she be around until the end? Doubtful, but hey, McPhee had been predicted to be voted off plenty of times before last season before she made it to the final two.

7. PHIL STACY - sung “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” - Vocally, I loved this performance. However, I do agree with Simon (as most of the time I do – Paula is useless and appeared quite plastered last night) that Phil has a tendency to shout his bigger notes. I’m not sure how I feel about Phil yet. I like his personality, and his voice is decent. I just don’t think he has the stage presence yet. I’m actually not sure if he’ll even get stage presence in the coming weeks, but who knows, he may surprise me.

8. LaKISHA JONES – sung “God Bless the Child” - This is MY girl!! I was a fan of "Kiki" when I first heard her belt out her first song during the auditions. I’ll be the first to admit I’m not familiar with Billie Holiday’s songs, but she sold it to me. Man, what a great controlled performance, just like a pro. She looked totally at home on the big stage, and was not intimidated at all by the bigger audience. This is my girl, and hopefully, she’ll make it to at least the final three if not the final two.

9. BLAKE LEWIS – sung “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” - Ah, Blake. Blake, Blake, Blake. Okay, so I’m on the fence with him. I like his voice, I think he has a lot of talent. But dammit, I agree with Randy when he tells Blake that he doesn’t have to "Blake-a-size" every song. And it’s true, because I don’t think every song Blake sings needs his beat-boxing or re-mixing. As I said before, "let the classics be the classics." I want to remind Blake it’s SINGING competition, not a beat-boxing or song remixing competition. You’re a good singer Blake, just stick to it.

10. STEPHANIE EDWARDS – sung “Love Hangover” - I was really disappointed with her tonight. She was one of my early favorites, and the fact that she forget some of the words (the third contestant to do so tonight!) irked me. On top of that, I SOOOO agreed with the judges when they said she teased us with only part of the song, and omitted the up-tempo part of it. I found myself waiting for the familiar part of the song to start up, only for it to not appear at all. It was like getting worked up during foreplay, only to have the person turn over and say they have a headache when the time came to “perform”. I like Stephanie, but I think this performance placed her in the bottom three tonight. I hope she stays, because she really is better then this performance.

11. CHRIS RICHARDSON – sung “The Boss” - Okay, so I admit it. I do have a crush on Chris. His Justin Timberlake-like voice and looks makes me melt. That aside, this was my least favorite performance from him. I loved his take on “Geek In The Pink” from a couple of weeks back, a song that was totally unfamiliar to me, but he sold it. This performance, while not as bad as Simon made it out to be (the vocals weren’t that “dreadful”), he did but in a bit too many runs in the song. Chris definitely tried his best to sell the performance, but it kind of fell flat. I’m rooting for Chris, though I doubt he’ll make it to the final three. I think he’ll be back next week.

12. JORDIN SPARKS – sung “If We Hold On Together” - She impressed me. If I was on the fence about her before, her personality and performance tonight finally made me a fan. She truly was fantastic tonight, and I agree when Randy said she just made it "a three girl race." I was unfamiliar with this song, but Jordin made it for me. I was really digging her elegant vibe, and I still find it hard to believe she’s only 17. I’d love to see this girl get pretty far, and she has the youth factor, which will help her in some respects. Lakisha and Melinda definitely have to contend with her, and she proved that tonight.

My Bottom Three Picks: Brandon Rogers, Gina Glockson and Stephanie Edwards.
My Pick to be Eliminated Tonight: Brandon Rogers

So what do you guys think? Agree? Disagree? Comments?