AI8 - Top 9 Results (4/1/09)

Over 36 million votes this week!

No performance recap - different! Ryan asks Simon who he thinks may go home; Simon says that Anoop, Matt, and Megan are in trouble. (He was close...)

Ford video: "Mixed Up" - fun! Split pane faces/bodies of contestants, with Matt and Kris getting solos.

Group song: "Don't Stop Believing"! This is one of my all-time favorite songs *plus* the contestants finally get solos!! I'm loving it!! Allison & Kris start it off strongly & get the longest solos. Adam gets the shortest & fittingly it's the last 'wail' at the end. Oh and Scott was at the side of the stage playing keyboard for most of the song, then joined the rest at the end. Yay!

Footage from a "typical Idol week," which apparently is mostly photo shoots, or at least that's what they have the most footage of. There's an adorable part where Kris talks about the different faces they have to make, and shows his "sexy face" but then says "it isn't working." Hee. We also see a bit of life at the house with the chef (Scott's favorite perk, I think). Adam says they're all "Fresh princes and princesses of Bel Air" (begging the question, which one would he call himself? ;-)). And apparently Matt does impersonations of other finalists. On the tape we see him doing Danny, then come back to the live show where we learn he's not the only one! The funniest was when Anoop did Kris, complete with crooked mouth for a glory note! Much fun.

Different approach to the results this week as well. Ryan splits the contestants into 3 groups across the stage: Megan/Matt/Kris, Adam/Lil/Allison, and Scott/Danny/Anoop. He doesn't specifically say that one group contains the bottom 3 but alludes to it.

Guest performance: David Cook! Except he's not really there tonight, this was pretaped (last week, I believe). His new single is "Come Back to Me," one of my 2 favorite songs on the album! More yay!! Sounds awesome, and so professional now! Contestants, take note. Afterward Ryan presents him with a Platinum album.

Ok, turns out one from each group on contestants will be safe (I wondered about that!). Kris & Matt are safe; Megan is in the Bottom 3 (and doesn't show any disappointment, she totally expected it). Lil and Adam are safe; Allison is B3. Lastly Danny and Scott are safe, and Anoop is B3.

Guest performance: Lady GaGa, "Poker Face." Did Ryan really say this is #1? Granted I don't listen to Top 40 all the time, but I've never heard it. Good old Midwest, behind the coasts by months once again. The crystal pink piano was rather interesting. At least we got to 'see' that she can actually sing for a bit at the beginning.

Results: Ryan asked Simon if any of the 3 would be worth saving, and he replies that "one" would. 1st safe is Allison. Least votes & in danger of going home is... Megan. As soon as the audience starts to make (disappointed) noises, she says "It's ok." She seems happy, even (maybe she really misses her kid & knows she has no chance of winning...). Earlier Ryan had asked her what she thought of Simon's negative comments last night, and she said that she loves Simon but didn't care. So when Ryan asks Simon - before Megan sings - if they would even consider saving her, Simon in turn replies, "Respectfully, you said you don't care; neither do we; no." So, at least she has no pressure while singing, she can just enjoy it. Which she did, even to the point of forgetting the lyrics/arrangement (she tried to sing the last line too early, there was one more repeat of the previous one). I'm so glad she's leaving!! She did tear up during her video at the first mention of her son, and I'm sure she'll be happy to be reunited (until the tour, anyway).

For many reasons (Lady GaGa excluded), this was one of my favorite results shows ever!! :-)

Next week's theme: Songs from the year you were born. See you then!