Top 5 Results Show (5/3/06)

Yay, group number! But boo, no choreography, and it's a new schmaltzy Idol song instead of a fun, cheesy medley. I'll still take it. The first to get solos are Chris, then Taylor, then Katharine. Then there's some group stuff, and then Elliott & Paris get solos, then more group stuff. So, maybe they're testing Chris & Taylor to see if they can tolerate this if one of them wins and has to sing the coronation song; both are putting up good fronts but look like they're gritting their teeth at times. The others smile and are more into it. I also found it interesting that the order (groupings) of solos coincide with the top/bottom groups of vote-getters, while surely they had been practicing this song before last night's votes. :-)

Car-mercial! More Holly-weird, they drive around looking at interestingly dressed people while singing some song about being in LA, then at they end they come out of the car having morphed into these interesting wardrobes. Taylor's is the best, and it's really beyond description, you'll just have to watch it here if you missed it. Kat actually doesn't look much different than normal, but the rest are a hoot.

In the audience tonight is Melissa Gilbert, along with her daughter and hubby Bruce Boxleitner, though they don't get mentioned. Also not mentioned but shown on camera several times is Justin Guarini (sitting right behind Melissa). And his friend who doesn't break the camera lens either, just sayin'.

Ok, elimination time, and we're looking again just for the bottom 2. Taylor and Chris are safe. Paris is in the bottom 2 (so far, no surprises). Paris sings Kiss again. Back to the couches... where Elliott & Kat remain. And... Kat is safe, putting E in the bottom 2 with Paris. Kat is surprised and saddened, because we all know her 1st song was the worst of the night, but such things motivate voters, so I'm not surprised at all. Anyway, Elliott sings On Broadway. Then we find out... that he is safe, and Paris will be leaving us, as predicted! (That's so weird though - #2 in Top 5 is *not* where you want to be!!) She gets the journey montage, which shows her meeting & hugging all of the famous guest coaches, and being twirled around on Elliott's back during a photo shoot (awww). Then she gets to sing a bit of Be Without You before the credits come & she's cut off. Really she wasn't upset, I think she expected it and was just grateful for the opportunity and had a blast the whole time she was there. I'm sure she'll do fine in the business, it will be interesting to see what comes for her down the road.

Ryan didn't officially announce next week's theme, but he did say that the remaining contestants would soon leave for Graceland, where they would meet the guest coach, but I don't remember who they said. Anyway, I'm assuming Elvis songs for at least one of their choices. Should be another great week!!

Will it be Paris? And why?

Several people have asked me why I think Paris will leave tonight, and since I have several reasons, I thought it warranted a short post. In my opinion:

1) Because her style changes so much from week to week, it's harder to think of her as having one specific style/personality that fans would latch onto and root for. (upside: she can sing anything well!)

2) She is a very, very good singer who also has connections in the music business. Therefore she does not "need" to win in order to succeed (whereas some other contestants would).

3) There is potentially some genre overlap between her and Elliott. Being different genders helps, but they could still split a few votes.

4) She has been fairly consistent throughout the competition and got some positive compliments last night (especially from Simon on her last performance, which is what people remember more). Thus no need for "Save Paris!" votes. (Except for the fact that she was bottom 2 last week.)

5) In the previous 4 seasons, 100% of the contestants who have performed second during the Top 5 week have been voted off. I don't claim to know why that happened, but based purely on statistics, a boot from this position is expected.

6) From several sources that measure it, her lines were the least busy last night. This has also been a fairly accurate prediction of voting results, in as much as I've followed it this season.

In her favor is the fact that she's the only African-American remaining (and we've never had a top 4 without one). We'll see if that and strong performances are enough to help her overcome the negatives!

The Top 5! (5/2/06)

First I realize I never posted on last week's results show. Not sure why; I was pleasantly surprised at the result - yes, Kellie was finally eliminated! - and I guess I felt like the next month doesn't matter as much since everyone left is great and I like them all! ;-) (And am not emotionally attached to anyone in particular.) It was kind-of interesting that they did 3 groups of 2 - so when Kellie & Paris were assigned the same group, I knew that was the bottom! Also they didn't give her (Kellie) time for a sing-out, which was interesting. (Some say she might've had time except she chattered on thanking everyone and their cousin, but I think Ryan let her do that because they didn't have enough time for her to sing.)

Ok, this week! Top 5 - Definitely the best. Top. 5. Ever! :-) Theme: one song from your birth year and one song from any of last week's Billboard Top 10 charts. I had looked through some hit lists by year and actually called a few of the choices!

Elliott (78) "On Broadway" - First time through I didn't like this much because of how he changed it up, though on paper it seems like the perfect (if a bit safe) choice for him. 2nd time through I enjoyed it a lot, though! The scatting wasn't great but at least he went for it. Randy & Paula thought he started a little shaky but ended well; Simon said it was "disjointed" and said it was a good thing there are 2 songs tonight.

Paris (88 - wow, I feel old!) "Kiss" - This was good! Love her hair tonight (short & curly) and the black & white top was nice. She sang with confidence and the right balance of sass & fun, going out to the platform and dancing a bit. Randy liked it but Simon called it "screeching and annoying".

Chris (79) "Renegade" (Styx) - So *that's* what this song is called!! Hee. Ok, when he started all a cappella and dramatic? :thud: This was probably my favorite performance of his. Granted I love Styx, which helps. But he did a great job and the editing was good (end product was nicely balanced). The judges loved it as well.

Katharine (84) "Against All Odds" - Many were complaining that this song has been overdone on Idol, but she changed it up so much I'm not sure it mattered. (It was one of 4 or 5 I thought appropriate for her.) I didn't care for a lot of what she did with/to it, though I was less negative upon rewatch (still didn't love). Oh, Ryan brought up last week's wardrobe malfunction and clarified it was due to a lost button. This week's dress was more barrel-style, sure to prevent a repeat. Oh and I did hear her miss a few notes for once (I usually don't, despite what many others hear), and Randy mentioned she was off-key as well. All the judges were meh on her, and she knew that it wasn't as good as she could've done (though when pushed by Ryan for a reason all she had was nerves).

Taylor (76) "Play That Funky Music"! What a great choice!! This was Taylor being his most entertaining and simply having a blast performing. Fun paisley shirt, tons of dancing, ran into the audience, and finished falling flat on his back on stage! (Later Ryan did the same & gave the voting numbers from there!) Randy & Paula enjoyed it but, predictably, Simon did not.

2nd round...

Elliott: "Home" (Michael Buble) - I don't know this one so I don't know if E changed the arrangement at all, but the style was perfect for him. Sitting, mellow, relaxed & slightly jazzy... very, very nice. Except for singing about "going home," which is an Idol no-no; Simon even mentioned it! Also said he was concerned that the song wasn't "enough" to keep him, though Randy & Paula thought it was great.

Paris: "Be Without You" (Mary J. Blige) - again, very good!! But again a song with which I'm not familiar. I think Paula alluded that Paris didn't change it much from the original, but what she did worked. Randy said it was a risk & pitchy in parts; Simon actually praised it! Oh and I didn't like this outfit at all; shiny balloon-y knickers and a cropped camo jacket. She had some great glory notes toward the end. But really, this girl can sing anything!

Chris: "I Dare You" (Shinedown) - again, I don't know it, but I like it! Awfully repetitive at the end but otherwise a good song and good performance, though you could tell that multiple rehearsals of screaming-rock songs are taking their toll on his pipes (as Randy & Simon mentioned). Oh, and he actually smiled briefly during the performance! ;-) The judges were meh, mainly because of the voice strain I think. I also have to say that the early, lower parts, both musically & vocally, reminded me *very* much of Alex Band & The Calling!! (of whom I'm a huge fan.) I liked!!!

Katharine "Black Horse & the Cherry Tree", which I *so* picked for her! She did not disappoint, although the kneeling on stage had its strange moments. Still, musically, awesome!! Oh the editing of the 1st verse (omitted the 2nd half) rendered the chorus somewhat meaningless, but whatever. She had 2 guys up at the front of the stage with her playing "box drums," as Ryan pointed out. I love this song - got to see KT perform it on Live w/Regis & Kelly this morning, ironically - and she pulled it off. I'm not sure any other finalist of all 5 seasons could have done it as well (Kelly maybe)... ok I'll try to stop gushing now. :-) I will die if she does this live. Oh and all the judges liked it (though Simon agreed the staging was strange.)

Taylor "Something" - yes, the Beatles song. Apparently it's on the "Top Pop Catalog" chart, whatever that means. Regardless, awesome choice for him and he sang it extremely well, very Taylor-ed yet musically spot on as well. All the judges liked this as well, and Simon went so far as to say that with all of Taylor's (theatrics - I can't remember the exact term), it's "very easy to forget... that you're a very good singer!" Taylor liked that! ;-)

Everyone was good, and all the phone lines were fairly busy, though Paris' the least. I predict her to go for several reasons; we'll see if I'm right this week. If they do a bottom 3 I think it'll be Paris, Katharine, and Elliott. I wonder if we get a group song since there's no guest this week?!??

Top 6 (4/25/06)

This week's theme is Greatest Love Songs of All Time (in the Known Universe, tm Randy). The guest artists are Andrea Bocelli (I didn't know he's blind!) and David Foster. They are much, much more interesting than I expected - well, we'll see about the performance tomorrow, but the "coaching" was really good. I try to listen to most performances for a little bit w/my eyes shut to try to just judge the audio, so of course I find myself curious to hear a blind man's opinion. (And David had a fun time asking Andrea what he thought the contestants looked like, because Andrea usually guessed right on! Such as, "What color is Kellie's hair?" "Blonde!" Not that that's a difficult one, but you get the picture.)

But even more than that, I enjoyed David's critiques of the contestants' singing, because he critiqued!! He was very... well, harsh, really, with them, and I think that was good for them. ;-) I think most of them appreciated it.

Also Kat was singing some operatic duet w/Andrea (cool!), and Chris had to lie on the floor on his back to sing (made him use his diaphragm instead of just his throat).

The songs:
1. Katharine- I Have Nothing
2. Elliott- A Song For You*
3. Kellie- Unchained Melody
4. Paris- The Way We Were
5. Taylor- Just Once
6. Chris- Have You Ever Loved A Woman

I didn't take notes. Everyone was good, as they should be at this point, though some weren't very interesting. I need to rewatch Kat's, as I thought it was great but I was running back & forth to the kitchen; Randy & Paula both thought she was bad (off-pitch). Though her dress (or lack thereof in strategic places) will garnish her quite a few (male) votes, regardless of the vocal.

Kellie did much better than I expected her to, and I wasn't bored because I didn't know quite what to expect, but it was a rather boring performance, if that makes sense. (David Foster called her robotic!!)

Elliott and Paris were very, very good, the best 2 performances IMO, though Chris was close behind. I still fear for Paris because while she can sing anything fantastically (Andrea was v. impressed), her style changes so much that her 'self' disappears somewhere in there, and I think having some sort of strong or defining personality is key at this point. (Plus uniqueness, especially in genre, and she & Elliott may split some votes because of that.)

The first half of Taylor's was boring, but it picked up speed & the last third or so was really awesome. I wish he'd used the same power for the whole song.

And Chris was very good; great (though surprising) song choice for him!

My prediction of bottom 3: Elliott, Paris, and Kellie, with Paris leaving. (Kellie was reamed and we know from last week that gets votes, but 2 poor performances in a row usually has some effect.)

*Musician trivia: one of their background singers is Donnie Hathaway's daughter!

My belated recap of the Top 7 Results Show(4/19/06) - Goodbye Ace! *sniff*

We got the normal recap of last night's performances & some of the sessions with Rod; at one point he said "I think they're all bloody marvelous!"

The car-mercial wasn't very exciting; there were billboards advertising concerts with each of the contestants, and then what looked like a photo was the actual contestant who started dancing around... to the song "Kids in America." I think the car was just driving around seeing all the billboards.

Rod Stewart came out & chatted briefly with Ryan on the couch, then performed "The Way You Look Tonight."

And next week's theme was announced to be "Greatest Love Songs of All Time" (so, a change from "Former Idols' Songs", for better or worse). The guest coach & performer will be Andrea Bocelli. On American Idol. Alrighty then.

On to eliminations. We're down to 7, which means there will be two groups of 3 and the 7th person will be forced to choose which is the top and which is the bottom (per George, who just felt horrible about the whole situation, rightfully, and Bo, who just stood in the middle between the two!). So, Elliott is sent to the far side of the stage, and Chris to the near side. Already I'm calling Elliott's group as bottom 3, and when Kellie joins him, I'm certain. However... Paris joins Chris, Ace also joins Chris, and Katharine joins Elliott. I'm uncertain now as the 2 people I thought guaranteed a spot in the bottom 3 (Kellie and Ace) are in different groups. I'm holding my breath hoping that my initial guess was correct. Then Taylor... is told that he's safe! (But he "may or may not have received the most votes.") *Then* Ryan tells him to join the group he thinks is the top 3. He has the commercial break to think about it. When they're back he's standing in the middle with Ryan and walks toward Chris's group, extending his hand to shake Chris'. Ryan starts to tell Taylor he picked the wrong group, but he spoke too soon because as soon as Taylor finished the hand shake he shrugged & went to join Elliott's group! Way to fake Ryan out! So Ryan had to stumble over his words so that what he said made sense...

Anyway, that makes Ace (expected), Paris (the best performance of the night!), and Chris (the Chosen One!) in the bottom 3, while Kellie (the absolutely worst performance of the night, admitted by every human I've seen express an opinion, including Kellie herself) not in the bottom 3. I understand that she has fans. Voting fans. They obviously felt she needed the votes after that performance. But still.

Paris is sent back to the couches and Ryan calls the remaining 2 guys "the Matt Damon and Ben Affleck of American Idol." Hee! So true. Anyway, they've run out of time to make any sort of big deal about Chris' being there, and just announce that Ace is going home. He was prepared and wasn't too emotional about it, entering his sing-out as one last chance to entertain people and brighten their day (or however he worded it on the "Journey" clip, which I thought was sweet, and reminded me of Justin because he always said something similar). Unfortunately the credits started rolling as soon as he started singing and he was cutoff way before the song was done. Sigh. As with Bucky last week though, at least he got to go out on a decent performance. And we might actually get to know him a little bit in his talk show interviews next week!

Top 7 - The Classics (4/18/06)

This will be (relatively) short, as I got home late and (*gasp*!) didn't take notes. ;-) This week's theme was not Rod Stewart. Heh. Rod worked with the contestants, who could choose from some of the songs on Rod's series of 4 albums of American Standards. Here's the list of performances:

1. Chris- What A Wonderful World
2. Paris- These Foolish Things
3. Taylor- You Send Me
4. Elliott- It Had to Be You
5. Kellie- Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered
6. Ace- That's All
7. Katharine- Someone to Watch Over Me

I would say everyone except Kellie was "good" to "very good". Kellie was just ok... no blatant errors, but incredibly boring, and you'd think with a song title like that she should express some emotion in singing the song, rather than just stand still and smile. (She looked great though.) Some of the judges thought Kat blew everyone else away, but I disagree (she was very good & in her element, but several others were too...). Chris was great, just sang for once, and showed that he really does have a nice tone to his voice and can be versatile when he chooses. Paris was awesome, maybe her best since Midnight Train. Taylor was very, very good - mostly just sang straight (the mp3 will be awesome!) & then 'Taylor-ed' it up at the end. One of his top performances as well. Elliott chose a great song and looked smashing in a purple shirt and velvet jacket! Sang very well; his voice & style are perfect for this genre. And Ace... um, he sang? ;-) Just kidding. He wore a dark suit and had his hair slicked back into a pony tail; a very different and rather striking look for him. The song was a great choice for his voice and while there was a segment of falsetto (Randy, please stop telling him to sing a whole song in that!!), overall it was a good mix and he didn't over-melisma (or gesture) it. A very solid performance.

So... "good" isn't enough at this point. I have my fingers crossed that Kellie will finally make an appearance in the bottom 3, but I won't hold my breath. Ace & Elliott are pretty certain to. If Kellie's not the 3rd, it's a toss-up, really, but I'll guess Paris because I think some are tiring of her. I think either Ace or Elliott will be sent home - boo! If I have to choose... I'm afraid it'll be Ace. (I tried to vote for both of them & the lines were mostly busy.)

Rod will be performing on tomorrow's results show. He really had a great sense of humor & seems to be somewhat of a goof-ball, which surprised me a bit. But he enjoyed working w/the contestants and complimented most of them, some to the point of saying he really couldn't offer much advice (Ace included)! And he said he's done w/standards and returning to rock.

Bucky Interview

Creative, title, I know. It's late. ;-) Here's a great interview with Bucky Covington the day after his elimination. He's very smart and savvy about how the show works, as he'd shown somewhat before. Also funny, and rather chatty, also as expected. Such a class act, really, and very sweet guy.

Results

Lots of clips from contestants' families, a miniaturized group number, and emotional bottom three-ers trying to sing comprised tonights results show. I'm not doing a full recap, but the Queen medley was forced into a quarter of the screen while montage clips (a few included finalists, but most did not) ran in another corner. Phooey on them! The song assignments were pretty good though, and Chris & Bucky's voices sound awesome together!

When asked what they missed most from home, I loved Ace & Bucky's answers: the mountains (yes! and I only lived in CO for 2 yrs!) and the pet. :-)

Elliott, Ace, and Bucky were the bottom 3. As Ryan went to each contestant we saw video clips from home and then the contestant was given his or her fate. The whole back row - Taylor, Kat, Chris, and Kellie - were safe. Elliott's the first in the bottom row & the first to the bottom 3. Ryan surprised him by asking him to sing and Elliott thinks he's joking! Then E asks what song and Ryan just says "follow the band"! Poor Elliott. Anyway he still sang well. ;-) Ace was 2nd to be named to the bottom and was, like Elliott, trying to recover from an emotional response to the home clip in order to sing. Last on the couches were Bucky and Paris, who was extremely emotional over her clip (my 2 observations: her mom looks about 20, and the AI audition was like the final 'test' for Paris as to whether she would pursue a singing career, as she'd pretty much decided to give it up!), and Bucky was like the comforting big brother (adorable!). He was expecting to be bottom 3 and he was right - and sang well. Then all 3 bottom guys were brought center stage and told that Bucky was leaving. He had the best attitude possible, kind-of shrugged & said "somebody's gotta go!" I'll miss him, but I agree. Actually I'm not as sad as I expected to be; I was relieved for Ace and Elliott, but I think I was sadder to see Will in the audience (happy to see him, but sad he's not competing) than to see Bucky go. Ah well... condolences to the many fans I know he has. I look forward to hearing more from him in the future. (Here's an original song of Bucky's; it's very good!)

AI5 - Top 8 - Queen (4/11/06)

Bucky: "Fat Bottomed Girls" - the band said Bucky has a good attitude and is a showman and performer. Bucky is great! Seems to be very comfortable and having a lot of fun; pulled the crowd into it and they had fun as well. He even got the rock "treatment," with lighting, appropriately rockin' accompaniment, etc. Great way to start the night!! Randy agreed; Paula said he made it country rock & was great; Simon said it was a good choice but the song was bigger than him & it was just "mediocre."

Ace: "We Will Rock You" - the band called Ace very "interactive," hee! When he gave them his arrangement ideas they were, understandably, hesitant to change their song. Ace was persistent and they came up with a compromise... he started off like the original and made it a bit more R&B/Urban for the last third. Ace rocked! I thought he did an awesome job though admittedly out of his comfort zone; his vocals were awesome, they really can be strong & full at times; he took charge of the stage; and he was, well, hott!! Randy disagreed & said it was just ok, a 5 or 6, karaoke; Paula liked that he took a risk; Simon said it was a "complete & utter mess", that Ace forgot some words, and he hated it. Oh well. Maybe that'll bring in some extra votes.

And yes, the spoiler was correct, Kellie sang "Bohemian Rhapsody." She said her dad listened to Queen when she was a little girl, and that she was taking it as a good sign when the band called her "brave" in song choice. She went all out - Simon called the look "Night of the Living Dead," and I'll agree it was strange - Blondie-style straight hair and a black leather jacket w/jeans. This isn't your grandmother's Kellie Pickler... this is Kellie attempting to be a rock vixen! She came a lot closer to pulling it off than I expected her to. The vocal was only bad in a few spots and she walked out to the platform by the judges. All of the judges said they were nervous hearing her choice - as Simon said, "on paper" it's disastrous (prompting tonight's scripted dumb blonde response of, "On paper? What do you mean?") - but said she did fairly well on it.

Chris: "Innuendo" - the band complimented his voice and his "rock sensibility;" they seemed quite impressed w/him. He performed well I guess; it was pretty much his normal, screamy thing. Randy said he "delivered" and Paula liked it as well. Simon said that while it's the best vocal so far tonight, the song itself is not great and it was again "indulgent" of Chris to choose this instead of a classic that would have better entertained the audience. So, then Ryan tries to spin by asking Randy whether people should vote "for the song, or for him?" To which Randy, of course, answers to vote for Chris. I'll also note here that my husband, a huge Chris fan, called this performance "just ok."

Kat: "Who Wants to Live Forever?" - Excellent choice, as it allows her to just stand & sing, highlighting her vocals. I really think she's the only one at this point who could really pull off a song like this that showcased Freddy's incredibly voice so well. I thought it was very good; definitely the best girl of the night. Randy said spots were pitchy but it was good overall; Paula said it was the right song and she did great; Simon said it was "almost the moment" (um, ok then) & was pitchy though still "one of the strongest" of the night.

Elliott: "Somebody to Love" - shockingly, Elliott had never heard this song before! But as the band explained Freddy wrote it "inspired by Aretha" (& gospel style), he thought it very fitting. He was great!!! Incredible vocally, and added some of his own style as well. Randy said it was the hardest song of the night and somewhat pitchy but that he loved it and thought it was "really, really good;" Paula said it was the best vocal of the night; Simon agreed it was a tough song but said he "probably" pulled it off.

Taylor: "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" - Queen was also impressed with Taylor, and said he has a good voice ("instrument") with a "nice quality." I was a bit nervous about the choice as I thought it could be too gimmicky/comedic, but as soon as he started I knew it would be great! Very, very good; probably the best overall performance of the night. The background vocals were very good (balanced w/him, etc.), and the crowd loved it as well. Randy said "Taylor is back," "kickin' and takin' names," and Paula liked it. Simon asked Taylor if he was drunk and said it was "ridiculous." Ok then; the rest of us loved it!!

Last is Paris with "The Show Must Go On." The band also thought she has a very good voice. I didn't like her look; not incredibly flattering & the Tina Turner-ish hair made her look 17 going on 50. Her vocals were good and she was fairly convincing at the rock thing, but not completely. It's possible I would've liked hers better had she performed earlier, but I was so impressed w/several others that Paris left me wanting. Randy said the start and middle were rough but that she "worked it out" (which apparently isn't as big of a compliment as I thought before tonight); Paula called her a "rock powerhouse;" Simon just said "I found it all a little weird" (me too!!) and then the music cut him off.

My personal bottom 3 tonight are easy, as they're the 3 performances I didn't enjoy: Kellie, Chris, & Paris. However, there are only 3 girls left and 5 guys; also, Paris is the sole remaining African American. So she's not going anywhere this week. I think the bottom 3 is a tough call, as anyone other than Taylor & probably Chris could make an appearance. I'm going to go with Elliott, Bucky, and Kellie, with Elliott leaving. I voted on & off for Elliott, Bucky, and Ace, all 3 lines getting quite a few busy signals but Bucky's cleared up for the last half hour. It may be him instead of Elliott but I'm sticking with wishful thinking for now. And Ace or Paris could take Kellie's spot.

I also wanted to say that the whole night was more "rock" than I was expecting, but I'm glad. Since the frontrunners' preferred genres are rock and country, it's only fitting that they make everyone else sing those as well. There were a few pleasant surprises (mainly Ace) and I thought it was one of the best performance nights this season.

Spoilered Song List

I won't list them here in case anyone doesn't want to know yet, but if you do want to know who's singing which Queen song this week, this article lists them. Personally I'm not too happy about most of the choices; hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised.

Top 9 Results

Ryan still hasn't shaved, but tells us there were almost 35 million votes last night. In the highlight reel, the "country crooners" (Kellie & Bucky) did well; the genre was "a gamble" for Chris & Ace but Keith Urban proved a "good hand to play." Paris "shuffled things up with the judges," but Simon's "nice streak" didn't last long; everyone knows "Simon doesn't like country music."

Kenny Rogers sang what we're told is the debut single from his new album. It's called "I Can't Unlove You," and is catchy in that corny country play-on-words kind of way. ;-) Interestingly the band was too loud for him, too! Making his vocals hard to hear through much of the song.

Commercial time! The song is "Just One Look," and the 'look' is grungy. Which works very, very well for several of our contestants. ;-)

Next week's theme is announced and it's songs by Queen! There's a short video clip of the 'kids' meeting the band - well, there are shots of them jammin' (Bucky's doing some headbanging, look at those locks fly!) interspersed with shots of band members. Whatever, we'll get the real stuff next week. Song choice should be very interesting.

Ryan moves to the contestants and says he'll be splitting the 9 of them into 3 groups of 3 each, and one group will be revealed as the bottom 3. Nigel said this on Ryan's radio show this morning. He also said that the person going home was surprising and someone well-liked by others. The "surprising" part encourages me because, really, neither Ace nor Bucky would be incredibly shocking given their multiple trips to the seal. But we'll see...

The groups are as follows: Group 1 - Taylor, Kellie, Chris. Group 2 - Mandisa, Elliott, Paris. (My picks for the bottom 3, hmm....) Group 3 - Ace, Kat, and Bucky. Unsurprisingly Group 1 is sent to safety first. Now, they're probably thinking people will guess Group 3 for the bottom and be oh so surprised that it is, in fact, Group 2. But given last night's performances, combined with performance order and the fact that fans often vote more following someone's 1st bottom 3 experience (i.e. Kat), there isn't much surprise.

I'm nervous for Elliott, though of course quite happy that Ace & Bucky are both safe. Paris is sent to the couches, leaving Mandisa and Elliott... and, Mandisa is going home. I guessed right this week! Mandisa is a bit emotional and the audience, after an initial hush, raises to give her a standing ovation, which was nice. She composed herself during the "journey" clip and did just fine for her sing-out. The others clapped and bounced along, joining in her 'let's have a little bit more fun while we can' attitude, which was also nice. Several of them also sang along, namely Kellie, but also Bucky, who stopped abruptly soon after he appeared on camera! You know, because he didn't exactly want to be seen singing about "Any Man of Mine...." (bwah!) He is notorious for jammin' to others' songs though and with country I'm sure it was just irresistable!

That's it for this week. Go, Ace & TeaBiscuit!!

Top 9 (4/4/06) - Country Week!

Ryan has a disturbing 10:00 shadow, or something. And he'd been looking so much nicer this season with the less-spiky, shorter hair and actual suits instead of jackets over tees....

On to the show. Kenny Rogers worked with the contestants this week, and he will be the guest performer tomorrow night. His hair and beard are both completely white, and when he walked into the room I didn't even recognize him! In the scenes showing the group practicing, Bucky was shown a couple of times playing guitar. Another guitar player was next to him which I assume was Chris, though he wasn't shown. And Whoopi is in the audience. (As are Chris Rock & Rachel Bilson, shown later. Um, not together though.)

Taylor: "Take Me Home, Country Roads" - Ack! Taylor, Rule #1 of song choice is never, *ever* sing a song about leaving! They usually turn out to be premonitory (just ask Melissa, though you might have to define it first). Other than that, he stood the stillest he ever has, and just sang. The harmony was a bit strange and made him sound off-key; I'm not sure if he really was or not. I wanted it to be better than it was. (Which applies to the first 4 performances tonight.) Randy (wearing a red vest - wha?!) said it was a good choice, though the vocal was "just ok" as it didn't show his personality; Paula agreed that he didn't "shine;" and Simon said it was safe, boring, and lazy (the crowd booed, of course). Several things about this performance & his attitude (during it; he was back to 'normal' after) seem fishy to me given some recent online rumors, but I'll assume they're just that until proven otherwise and withhold judgment. So, good, not great.

Mandisa: "Any Man of Mine" (Shania) - Kenny commented that this song has more words in it than all the rest put together, but that Mandisa does it really well and has a good spirit (no pun intended, I'm sure). It didn't have *that* many words, and I wouldn't go so far as to say she sang *really* well, but it was good. She wore the most unflattering outfit yet, jeans (again) and a crochet-style top. Her background singers were rather pathetic, especially during the semi-a cappella part (as in, you feel like you're supposed to clap, except they sound depressed!). Overall meh. Randy agreed, though he really like the last 4 "bars." Paula went on about Mandisa "can sing," but said "I don't know" about the song. Simon just said it was horrible (and again was booed).

Elliott: "If Tomorrow Never Comes" (Garth) - Kenny said he has a tendency to oversing and encouraged him to sing more "simply" and "make them cry." Well I didn't cry, but he did sing it fairly unadorned (compared to his usual style, anyway) and it was very enjoyable, because it showcased the tone of his voice very well. (I suppose for anyone who hates his voice, it was awful.) Still, it wasn't as good as I'd hoped. Randy said that "finally the competition started," and it was "hot." Paula loves that Elliott is humble and understated and said it was a good song choice for his voice. (Um, yeah, but how was the actual *performance*?) Simon agreed that it was a good choice but then went on to say that it was safe and somewhat hesitant. He didn't think the vocal was great though it was better than the other two that have already sung tonight. (Note: I threw a few votes in for Elliott, and hardly got any busy signals. Could he be in trouble??)

Paris: "How Do I Live?" Kenny said something about how for being so small, Paris sings really "big." I love her hair tonight, it's short & straight. Wish I could say I loved her singing, but it was probably her weakest yet. When she went high it was great & showcased her range, but otherwise just "good" (which for her is weak). Randy said he could tell it was a tough song to sing and thought it was meh; Paula didn't see her connecting with the song and thought she "struggled" to "own the stage" like she normally does; Simon went the other direction and said it was "very good," an "excellent choice," and that it was like "early Dionne Warwick."

Now things start getting better and meeting expectations. Actually, all the guys slowed things down & mellowed out tonight. It worked for most of them, including...

Ace: "I Wanna Cry" (Keith Urban) - Whew! He needed to pull off something different & great to stick around, and I think he did it. Kenny talked about how he is very passionate, and thought his song choice was the best "match" of singer to song of the whole group. With that set-up one wants it to be good... and it was. He sat on a stool for the whole performance, and while he brought his hand to his chest 2 or 3 times (less than normal), he never stretched it out toward the camera once, not even at the end! Someone's listening to fan (&/or non-fan) feedback! Good for him. The light note toward the end was 'pitchy,' but the falsetto was perfect, and not overblown. Randy said he was bored but did like the falsetto at the end; Paula said it was a good choice, contemporary, and a nice "take" on the song, but I think she was also disappointed he didn't do more falsetto (because that's his trademark, or whatever - um, no, not really). Simon said his past few song choices were bad but this week's was good! I tried voting for Ace on & off for the whole 2 hours, and literally did not get through more than two or three times until the last 15 minutes. I'm crossing my fingers that's a good sign.

Kellie: "Fancy" (Reba) - Well, this starts out with Ryan attempting to address the "Is she really that naive?" issue, and he point blank asked her if the naivete was real, and she totally beat around the bush talking about how she saw articles with people making fun of her about the calamari and that she really didn't know what it was. He then asked if what people are seeing is the real her, and she said yes. Heh, I still don't think so. (Exhibit A, for those of you who think she is - according to one newspaper article, she had her hairstylist from home come out to California to do her hair. It's someone she's been using for several years now. The real kicker: his rate is $300/session.) On to the performance... I didn't catch all of Kenny's comments but he did say it was a "perfect" choice for her, and I agree, on several levels. She was really, *really* good! Definitely the best so far. Randy said it was "great," a good song choice, and "her element." Paula agreed that Kellie had "a great night." Simon said he didn't like it personally but acknowledged it was a "good performance."

Chris: "Making Memories of Us" - Kenny says it's a hard song (in general or for Chris? not sure). Chris tells us that his whole family likes country music and in going rock he was "the rebel." He sat for part of the song and was mellow, just singing and focusing on the words. (I believe he sang this song to his wife at their wedding?) It's a very pretty song, and he actually sings country very well! Overall it was awesome. The crowd, Randy & Paula agreed; Simon said it was a bad choice & boring.

Katharine: "Bringing Out the Elvis (In Me)" (Faith Hill I guess; I don't know it) - Kenny said the song fits her personality, and Kat talked about how she didn't know much country so wanted something more "bluesy." I guess this qualifies; it's kind-of sultry and fun all at once, which fits her perfectly. The vocal was great; she's definitely "back"! And the crowd loved it. Randy said it was "very nice"; Paula said "that's your niche"; and Simon was honest, saying "I don't know what to say..." & that the song was strange (his exact wording was more descriptive but that was the idea; I'll get it upon rewatch tomorrow). Kat was like, "Oh, you just don't like country music, that's ok, just say it, it's ok!" which was kind-of cute.

Bucky has the pimp spot?!?!! Ok, cool, I think... he sings "Best I've Ever Had," by Gary Allen, and I don't 'know' it but it sounds a little familiar. He starts back by the band looking up at the overhead camera... and boy does know how to play to the cameras!! I thought it was great; I really enjoyed the beginning where he had a lot of country 'inflections,' more than the later part which was a little thin & rough, though not bad in any way (on key and enunciated better, I think Kenny worked w/him on that too). Randy said it was pitchy at the beginning but he worked it out; Paula didn't say anything worth remembering; Simon said he's "not an expert" (ha!) but it sounded pretty good. Go TeaBiscuit!!!!! (Oh, I voted, he had some busy but not tons.)

I predict Mandisa, Elliott, and Paris for the bottom 3, though Taylor could slip in also. Mandisa will probably go home.

Top 10 Results

Ok, a quick one as I realized I never did this yet! Highlights: Justin Guarini in the audience, and everyone's jaws dropping when it was down to Katharine & Bucky for the "which one is safe & which is in the bottom 3?" game, and Bucky was safe! Also that Lisa was so upbeat despite going home; she had definitely prepared herself for the probability.

Bottom 3: Ace (sent back to couches 1st), Katharine (the "big shocker," except not really), and Lisa, who went home. At least she got a full sing-out, and the others came out on stage with her.

Oh, and the low? Unless you're a big Shakira fan, the guest performance. In keeping with the "21st Century" theme Shakira & Wyclef Jean performed (I was bored). So, no Idol group performance and the commercial wasn't that great either, though Bucky did get shown playing (or at least pretending to play) his guitar. :-)

AI5 - Top 10 (3/28/06)

Tonight's theme is "21st Century" songs... alrighty then. Pretty wide open genre-wise, so everyone should have been able to choose something they could do really well in. Unfortunately it didn't play out that way. Part of the problem is that we're down to 1-hour shows so they're stuck with a really short time frame, and some of the editing is just strange, while others just plain aren't long enough.

Lisa starts off with "Because of You," and though I still love her to death, I didn't really even need to hear her (or the rest) to know that she's going home tonight. She's been in the bottom 3 the past 2 weeks, and goes first with a version that is almost certain to pale next to the original because of the writer/performer's emotional connection. Even if she weren't the 1st Idol winner! It's a weird edit, doing part of a verse & the bridge before the chorus. She does it well until toward the end when there are some pitch problems. Randy thought it was just ok and a weird way to start the night (of course she didn't choose her own performance order, nor find it out before she'd chosen a song). Paula said it was a tough song to do well & needed a twist to give it something original; Simon agreed that it didn't work and said the song was "too big" for her voice. Ryan somewhat condescendingly asked her if she was aware of the risk in her choice and she said that of course she was, but "no guts no glory"! Good for her. ;-)

Kellie chose a Sara Evans song called "Suds in the Bucket." I didn't know it but it's a cute little ountry song & fits her personality; not much to show off vocals except a really long glory note uring which she went off pitch. Randy was "puzzled" by the song choice; he & Paula agreed thatit didn't show her vocal range or talent. Simon concurred that it was a bad choice. Kellie apologizes, twice.

Ace sings "Drops of Jupiter" for several reasons, one of which is just silly because he says he chose it to show a "rock edge"! Hee. But boy does his homework: besides saying Train is one of his favorite groups, he says it's a "Grammy award-winning song that went double platinum"! I loved it; still wish his voice weren't so nasal, and that he'd tone down the stretched out shaky hand and way OTT intense puppy-eyed camera looks, but it was good. Not rock but he did get a bit of a growl in toward the end. Definitely needs to stick to this genre IMO instead of the r&b/hip-hop/obscure Michael Jackson stuff. The crowd seemed to like it, but Randy was disappointed; he said it was a bad choice and he didn't sing it well (I disagree). He missed Ace's usual "soul vibe". (again, huh?) Paula said it was better than the first 2 performances but not her favorite of his. Simon said not a great vocal and "quite karaoke." Oh, I forgot the scar - during the line that mentions a scar he pulls his shirt back a bit to reveal a scar of his own near his collarbone. Strange but whatever; Paula asks if it's "a real scar" & he said yes (from a basketball accident). Ryan asked Ace's opinion on the feedback and he says he's still glad he chose it, he likes the song and felt it. Didn't seem rattled by the comments, which was good (so maybe the shaky performance is just from over-intensity Marty Casey style instead of nerves? hard to tell). Regardless, Kellie, take note; don't apologize!

Taylor looks very nice tonight, maybe his hair is shorter or something? He also gets Idol pimping in that Ryan shows a grey-haired kid in the audience *and* has Taylor explain what "Soul Patrol" means (an online fan group). He sings a song called "Trouble" that I don't know (not Pink's, lol) but is definitely his style. He also stands "still" (for him) at the mic & mostly just sings. He said he wanted to show his "vocal range" but I don't think it was the best song for that; it was good but nothing fantastic. Randy said it wasn't great because it didn't let him "show off," and in reply Taylor reiterated that he just wanted to sing. Paula said she liked that. Simon "quite liked the song" and it had an "excellent vocal," but thought his "styling" was too "pop school" and "very Clay Aiken" (one more time with the huh?!).

GeorgeEEEE! in the audience! Yay! I miss George.

Mandisa sang "Wanna Praise You" by gospel duo Mary Mary and said it means a lot to her because it's a testimony that "there's nothing too hard for God." It's very yelly, but then that's common for that style of music. Also really fast words - of course the whole show seems like it's slightly in fast-forward to me, everything's so rushed because of the time crunch. She's also wearing jeans which are so very not flattering. She sings fairly well and shows a higher range than she has before, but it could be better. Randy doesn't like the song choice; Paula makes a comment that there's a "new religion" and millions have "joined the church of Mandisa," which Mandisa didn't like but she didn't say anything. Paula also says she'd like to see her "color" her performances with "more vulnerability." Simon says it's "indulgent" and he "didn't get it" (obviously). In response Ryan just mentions in giving voting info that it was a "very personal song," which was nice.

Chris is up next and, surprise, surprise, we talk about last week's song. There's been a "stir" online and in the media about the fact that Live (Chris's favorite band) covered "I Walk the Line" in a similar style to Chris' performance, but the judges all praised him for being so original and he didn't say anything to refute that. At least not that was shown; I just assumed it was on purpose as part of his "Chosen One" pimping, but obviously TPTB didn't expect the backlash it caused, so they cleared things up. Ryan asks Chris if he did Live's version of the song, and he says yes. Easy enough. Of course he could have mentioned it in his intro clip last week & it could've been edited out; don't know. Ryan asked him if he actually "worships" Live, and Chris hesitates & then jokes that "we don't need to say that here." Ryan then asks him about potential upcoming themes and how Chris would feel about doing some Celine Dion during a 'romantic song' week, and Chris says sure, "I've got some of that up my sleeve, yeah." Hee! Hope we get to see more of this sense of humor.

Chris sings too. :-) He does Creed's "What If" and prefaces it by saying it's the "hardest" song he's done yet (assumedly referring to style, not difficulty), which proves correct as it's pretty much just a lot of screaming. Oh, he also mentioned how many copies it sold; interesting we get 2 of these tonight & I've never seen anyone do it before, but then Ace & Chris are best buds & roomies so they probably did their research together! Which is kind-of cool. Anyway, I don't care for screaming so I didn't like the song; too bad Creed-loving Mr Pez was out of town so I don't get his opinion. Randy liked the choice but said Chris was sharp for most of the song (wow, a judge admitting he's not perfect?!). Paula said something short & meaningless. Simon started by saying he was going to "be negative for the first time with you," and Chris corrected him, saying it was the 2nd! Hee. Simon said it was "indulgent" and that while this is obviously Chris's preferred style, he needs to remember that "this is American Idol" and do something to show off a different side of him. (This coming from the same person who praised him last week for "refusing to compromise," but Simon has given conflicting advice before.)

Katharine sings Christina Aguilera's "The Voice Within," because she's a fan and because thoughout this entire process" she's learned that "the only person you can really trust is ourself," which sounds somewhat loaded. ;-) She looks great; finally has a flattering outfit! (nice fitted jacket w/jeans) She sang it well and it showed great vocal range; definitely one of her best performances, & that best shows her potential to be "commercial". Randy said it was "a good choice, I guess," but that she sang it "just like the record." Paula agreed that she should have done something to change it up but also said it was her best performance yet. Simon said it was the best of the night and "almost as good as Christina."

Bucky went all-out country and looks mighty fine in his black shirt and hat. He chose Tim McGraw's "Real Good Man" because (I love this) "I just flat out like it." It's obviously a song he's performed before as he does more dancing & 'planned movement' than usual. He had some pitch problems but I thought it was a good performance overall and that country music fans should like it. And boy definitely knows how to play to the camera, yet without being overly dramatic about it. :-) The band covered him up at points but that's certainly not his fault. Randy said it was "the right kind of song" and that he liked it "a lot better." (than the Stevie Wonder he was forced to sing last week? Again, whose fault?) Paula agreed about song choice but cautioned him to watch his diction/enunciation. Simon said it was "unimpressive," "just ok," and that he couldn't understand what he was saying.

Paris says that she chose Beyonce's "Work It Out" so that she can have fun and be a kid, and dance "for the young ones." She then proceeds to sing about having sex on the living room floor and performs dance moves definitely not intended for children. Kind-of like last week's Fever but worse. Does she not realize the inappropriateness of this for her age? (Obviously not.) Vocally it was excellent. Randy loved it, calling her "fearless" and "da bomb," and the best of the night thus far (a nice change from Simon's "best of the night" claims when several contestants remain!). Paula loved it, saying "those weren't kid moves" in a complimentary way. (But then Paula has experience being a young female singer in a genre that requires dancing and knows you gotta shake what you got to be popular, or at least that those who do, are.) Simon disagrees, calling her "precocious" and "a little girl trying to be Beyonce." Ryan called her "Princess P," twice (which was annoying IMO).

Last up is Elliott singing "I Don't Wanna Be." He mentions Bo's cover last season as rock, saying he wants to bring his "soulful vibe" to it. The arrangement is definitely different, more R&B than pop, but feels really rushed to me. The rhythm's different & he seems behind (though he may not be), & trying to dance too much. The vocal improved mid-song & he finished strong; overall good, not great. However, Randy, Paula, & the crowd absolutely loved it. Paula praised the arrangement & said "you are one funky white boy" (he laughed) & that it was "unbelievable; fantastic." Simon disagreed, summarizing "great song, terrible arrangement, good vocal, and dancing was hideous." But how do you really feel, Simon? ;-)

I think Lisa will definitely go (sigh) but I'm having a hard time predicting the rest of the bottom three. Probably Bucky. I'll say Mandisa for the 3rd but that's iffy.

Fly-by

I was out at a concert tonight (The Fray - awesome!!) & won't get to a detailed recap til tomorrow. I enjoyed most of the performances, Ace & Bucky being my favorites & Chris my least favorite. I think Lisa is certain to go but honestly everyone's performance level was close and I don't know who else to predict for the bottom 3; if I have to I'll guess Bucky & Mandisa. More tomorrow!

p.s. I heard there were phone number ID problems again?! Well at least if it's re-run I can vote! ;-)

Top 11 Results (3/22/06)

YES!!!!!!!!!!! :-)

Intro stuff - 35 million votes, recap of last night (country standards; Buddy Holly; classic love songs from the 2 youngest; back on track w/Kat, Paris heated things up & Mandisa was also hot, but Ace "ignited the love fest," hee!), & cheesy Ford 'commercial'. ("We Got the Beat" on the beach, with rather funky camera shots of their faces, kind-of hard to explain, but last week's was more fun).

Barry was there, and we found out that after the contestants came back to Hollywood after working w/Barry over the weekend in Vegas, on Monday Barry came to CA to help them some more! "On his own dime," as Ryan pointed out (twice), to make sure the band got all the arrangements right & such! Awwww. He sang "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing" from his album, and we see Bobby Bennett out in the audience standing & swaying... by the end of Barry's song, they'd brought Bobby up to the stage so he could come out and meet Barry! That was nice. Bobby gave him a big hug & was obviously on cloud 9. ;-)

On to the couches. Back row: Ace, Mandisa, Elliott, Kellie, Chris, and Paris; Front row: Katharine, Kevin, Lisa, Bucky, and Taylor. Going one by one through the back row... everyone is safe! (And Kellie made possibly her most stupid comment yet - and noone laughed - if you really want to know details let me know but it's not really worth the time. ;-) )

Katharine is safe. Taylor is safe. Which leaves the 3 middle folks as the bottom 3: Kevin (woo-hoo!!), Lisa, and Bucky. (2 of my 3 remaining faves.) First safe is... Lisa, yay! So it's one of the guys... honestly based on last night's performances only it's a toss-up, and neither would be surprised to go. But it's... Kevin, and Bucky's safe! Woo-hoo!!!!1!!1!!1!!!!

Sigh, I'm happy. The people I enjoy the most at this point have no shot of winning, but I'll get to see them live on the tour and they'll get to be on the album, so yay! Add that to getting treated to both lunch and dinner, getting a positive performance review at work and seeing my parents for the first time since Christmas, and I'd say I've had a pretty terrific day! :-)

Top 11 (3/21/06)

Another 2-hour show! This week our theme is actually a theme, yay! It's 50's songs. And, since Barry Manilow just released an album of 50's songs, he's our guest star! He will be performing tomorrow night, and the contestants flew to Vegas to work with Barry on their songs. He's so cute... he's such a fan of the show, and such a great arranger; he said if for some reason he had to stop performing tomorrow, that "this" is what he'd do - help other people sing! :-) (Need a fun game while you watch? Count the key changes!!)

Mandisa chooses "I Don't Hurt Anymore," with which I'm not familiar. Barry loves her. I didn't think it was one of her better performances and wouldn't be surprised if she's in the bottom 3. The crowd seemed to love her, as did Randy, saying she was "classy, amazing, great," and that she "set the mark" for the night. Paula said her "performance was flawless," which is not the same as being enjoyable (though I really didn't even think it was flawless). Simon said she's "blossoming" and "sexy."

Bucky sings "Oh Boy!" by Buddy Holly. Great choice!! He had a lot of fun with it, looked confident, showed his vocal range (nice falsetto toward the end), and ended w/a fun little mic twirl (that Randy said he needed to learn, lol). Randy & Paula said it was a great choice for him & was good; Simon gave him a "reality check" and said it was basically "pointless karaoke." Well, karaoke maybe, but certainly not pointless; he & everyone watching (except Simon) had great fun! :) Go, TeaBiscuit, go!!

Paris - "Fever," not surprisingly. Barry was "shocked" by the "depth & power" of her voice, & said she has an "enormous career" ahead of her. Her look is very 50's, very nice. Performance is good, great in points... but something is still lacking. Vulnerability maybe? Not that it's appropriate for these lyrics per se, just she's such the "seasoned performer" that it loses authenticity, which I think she had earlier in the competition (Midnight Train). The audience lovedit, as did Randy and Paula (looks incredible; vocals "impeccable"). Simon said this is what she does best and that she has the perfect voice for that type of song. Which is neither here nor there about her actual performance, mind you.

BTW, we have Ryan Cabrera and Constantine sitting together in the audience! Man, Connie is like the AI5 groupie! Not that I'm complaining or anything.... There was also an ad for Chicken Little on DVD; at least it didn't come on right before or after Kevin's performance!

Chris does "I Walk the Line" for several reasons, including feeling a connection with the lyrics because of his wife [insert programmed "awww" response here]. Barry said Chris has a great "handle" on "who he is and his strength," which lately seems to be mimicking rock covers of songs that fit that week's genre. (I'm told Live did this?) I really liked most of the performance; it was very intense, focusing on his great vocals (though he missed the lowest note); something a bit different, which I think he really needed to show. And the all-black outfit was a nice Cash tie-in (oh, and the stubble was nice). However, he "rocked" the end, turning into every other song he's done so far. Now, prepare to be told what to think: Randy said it wasn't the best vocally, but he loved that he "changed the song to fit" him, and that he's "ready." Paula similarly said it was "true to who you are" and that he grows each week. Simon said he just "loved" it, mainly because Chris is "the first contestant who refuses to compromise." !!!!!! Sigh... no, he's most definitely not. It's just that Simon likes Chris (read, sees dollar signs), whereas he hasn't liked everyone like that in the past, and when *they* don't "compromise" their style, he criticizes them for it. It's unfortunate, because I like Chris, but what they're doing to/with him annoys me so much that I'm starting not to. Oh, Ryan even mentioned how Connie was jammin' along and asked if he's "a fan" of Chris?! Well, of course he's going to say yes!

Katharine needs a new stylist, because I hate the dresses she's choosing. She loved seeing Barry in concert, and said that "now" she understands why he's had such a successful career! Heh. She sings Ella Fitzgerald's "Come Rain or Come Shine," which I'm sure I've heard, but I don't know it well enough to be able to compare it to anything. It's very jazzy, and Kat makes the most of her assets, including playing up the smouldering looks to the camera. The vocal wasn't her best; nothing wrong, just nothing exceptional, until the very end. The audience seemed to love her. Randy also said it wasn't his favorite vocal but it was still strong and that it was a very tough song to sing. Paula didn't say anything worth noting. ;-) Simon said that he thought "tonight, you turned into a star," and he loved it.

Taylor chooses a Buddy Holly tune called "Not Fade Away." When he walked into the room to meet Barry, he was singing "Mandy." He said Barry isn't just a singer, he's a "performer." Barry said Taylor has a great "whisky tenor" voice and that he's one of the best male vocalists on the show. The song itself is very, very, very, very repetitive, and doesn't do much to showcase vocal ability. Taylor focused on some dancing and had fun and entertained the audience well, but it was way too safe & easy for him. Randy acknowledged that it wasn't vocally challenging but he "worked it out." Paula referred to his energy & said someone should film him for an excercise video! Hee. Simon - thank you! - said it was a "complete mess" (ok I wouldn't go that far) and that it was like a "hideous party performance." (To which Randy replied, "that's what the 50's were!") Simon reminds everyone that it's "a singing competition." Heh.

Lisa said as soon as she heard the theme she chose "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" Barry thought that at her age she "shouldn't" know the song as well as she does! He called her "great" and "a powerhouse." :-) I thought her outfit was adorable (from the waist up, anyway), and I liked the arrangement because it/she changed up the melody (both note-wise and rhythmicly) from how I usually hear the song. Randy basically said it was good but not great; Paula liked her "youthfulness" and "energy"; Simon said it was too cutesy & high school-ish, no 'wow'.

Kevin picked "When I Fall in Love," because, as Barry said (calling it a "good song for his age"), he's young & hasn't been in love yet and would like it to be like this when he does [insert 2nd programmed "awww" response here]. In describing Kevin Barry said he's the "sweetest" contestant; hee! Kevin likes to sing ballads strongly (his attempt at belting), but Barry advises him to be more "vulnerable" & sing it more softly; he said Kevin "got it" right away. He starts the song seated and is still vocally way out of his league here, *but* this was probably his best performance yet! Other than a bit much vibrato he sounded pretty good, and did connect to the lyrics emotionally/performance-wise. Randy said that's one of his favorite songs and said that there were pitch problems; however, he still loved it (?!). Paula said he has "moxie." Simon complimented his attitude, starting with "I like you" (to which Kev replied, "I like you too"), & said that Kevin takes things well (Simon seems to admire the confident/snarky comeback Kevin gave him last week, though many people - allegedly including fellow contestants - thought he was cocky and rude). Anyway, Simon said that Kevin knows his audience and that his audience will have enjoyed his performance.

Elliott is almost too honest, telling us that he didn't like Barry's music. However, after working with Barry he feels he's an amazing songwriter, a "genius" at arrangements, and a great "storyteller" from whom he learned a better performance style. Elliott says he's now a "fan-ilow." Ok then. He chose "Teach Me Tonight" ("the Al Jarreau version," which means nothing to me as I don't know the song At. All.). Barry said that Elliott "sings great," but needed to connect more w/the lyrics. The song sounded very "Elliott" (heh) to me, in the phrasing and style (atypical melody/rhythm). He used more gestures than usual (Barry style!) but looked like he was having fun & enjoying the performance more than he has others. It was very good, and he looked great. Randy said it's a tough song to sing & that he did well; Paula said she was "moved;" Simon said the singing was "fantastic."

Lots of ex-Idols in the audience tonight... Jasmine Trias, Lindsey Cardinale, & apparently Carmen Rasmussen though I missed seeing her.

Kellie called her grandfather for song choice advice and when he said Patsy Cline, she chose "Walkin' After Midnight." Barry said she's "a natural" and has "beautiful" voice. He admits he's ignorant about country music though (being from Brooklyn & all) and didn't know the song, he ut likes it and understands why it was popular! Hee. He does, however, give Kellie advice on connecting more w/the lyrics, emoting to tell the story. Ryan introduces her as "*Living* the story...." (Can you get a little *more* obvious, Ryan?) Kellie fittingly "walks" a lot during the song, including on the platform near the judges, & also sings a line or two right to them. Part of me hates to admit it, but I thought she was *really* good tonight! Barry's coaching paid off; definitely one of her best, if not the best. Randy says it was a good choice & she's "back"; Paula calles her "authentic" and a "tigress" (in contrast to the previous "mink/mynx"); Simon said she was great, did what she does best, and was "ballsy" and "sexy." Which dissipates as soon as she stops singing and begins hopping around in excitement, pointing out her own signs (one is pickle-shaped), and not knowing how to answer Ryan's questions. Oh well.

Ace is last, which means they really liked his rehearsal! ;-) He chose "In the Still of the Night," but says he wants to sing in an "urbanized, jazzy" style. Barry is skeptical! But listens... and likes it! I think this is notable though the show didn't play it up, that after showing just about everyone else taking the song to Barry and having him arrange it, Ace suggests an arrangement/style himself (and admits he's never heard anyone else sing it that way)! Barry does say that he "asked" Ace to end with falsetto, saying he thinks "the audience - we all - melt a little" when he does the falsetto! Hee. Ace does a great job; exactly what he needed to do, a recognizable song w/his own twist on it (which I loved), strong vocals over a large range, and had an awesome glory note in there! Ends with just one word in falsetto (and gets the spinning camera treatment which is kind-of annoying, but whatever). The audience loved it; Randy said "Ace is his best vocal tonight but definitely one of his stronger ones, & that he won't be in the bottom 3 tonight. Oh, there was an adorable 8-year old girl in the audience that Ryan called his assistant & he had her toward the beginning of the show & now again before Ace since he's her favorite. That was kind-of cute, in a 'stop wasting my time with fluff and get to the singing' kind of way. ;-)

Overall a good night, and my favorites did well. Too much obvious pimping of *their* favorites, but I can't help that. And no one was terrible. I voted a few times for Bucky, Lisa, & Ace. I expect the bottom 3 to be Kevin, Mandisa, and Paris, with Kevin leaving (*crosses fingers*!!!). Ok I admit that's a bit idealistic. Bottom 3 will probably be Mandisa, Bucky, and ... Kevin, please?!? I don't know. But Mandisa & Bucky both went early, had mistakes, & got good comments from the judges, which means most of their fans won't be in "save ___" mode, so they're likely in trouble. The 3rd really could be Lisa, Paris, Elliott, or Kevin.

Top 12 Results (3/15/06)

Ryan opens the show out in the audience standing next to someone holding a sign for... Ryan! Heh. Says there were 32.5 million votes last night. Short recap, nothing surprising.

Our first Ford commercial of the season, whee! The song is "All I Want" (Toad the Wet Sprocket) and it starts w/Chris on guitar, then Bucky peeks out the back of the... truck? I have no clue what the vehicle actually looked like, lol! Anyway they all appear & start singing... around a campfire... and one is wearing a monster suit, then Katharine shows up dressed like a cop and the suited person takes of the head to reveal himself, & it's Ace. Whatever - cheesy commercial, yay!

Before Stevie Wonder's guest performance he mentions trying to give objective opinions to the contestants in their time together, as well as constructive criticism. Interesting how the only ones we're shown receiving this criticism are Bucky and Melissa. Not sure what he sang, didn't keep my attention.

On to the results: we're looking for the "3 people with the lowest number of votes," however you want to interpret that (what, me, cynical?). First up are Kevin & Ace and Ryan says one is safe, the other's in the bottom 3, and that's Ace! Poor thing, 1st one up there always has to wait forever all by their lonesome, & he always looks so nervous anyway... oh well. Are the judges surprised? Yes, no, usual answers. Next several people are safe: Paris, Kellie, Taylor, and I totally forget the order but Melissa is in the bottom 3 (no surprise) and Chris, Elliott, Mandisa and Katharine are safe. Which leaves Lisa and Bucky... and Bucky is safe, woo-hoo! ;-) Honestly I expected Lisa to be in the bottom 3 but she won't leave yet; Melissa's a sure thing. The others are a sign that early favorites are losing fans as their performances don't stand out so much around other good-to-great contestants &/or sound the same every week, plus some who weren't shown early on (Elliott, Bucky) are replacing them as viewers' favorites.

First safe & back to the couches: Ace, who is mighty relieved & bows w/hands together all Asian-style grateful to the audience/viewers at home. So it's Melissa or Lisa, and as almost everyone predicted, including Melissa herself, she is the first finalist to leave. The judges' reverse pimping was successful! I do love her voice, but you really can't afford to mess up lyrics at this stage, and really, she wasn't expected to get this far, so I'm content. Now if only we could get rid of Kevin next week so all the others are on tour....

She was cute, watching the video clip which included a line saying how music was her passion, & she's kind-of swaying or dancing along to the background music! Unfortunately her sing-out was cut off after about 3 lines, but at least she got to do it for the studio audience.

The Top 12! (3/14/06)

Intro stuff - 'How they got here' montage, predictable comments from the judges, and "theme" announcement: Stevie Wonder songs. Video clips are mostly about how overwhelmed the contestants were meeting & singing for Stevie.

Ace: "Do I Do" - One of several songs tonight with which I'm not familiar. I remember Mario did it last year but that's about it. So, Ace starts his song running down one of the side entrances, gets the audience clapping, & proceeds to cover almost every inch of the new, larger stage (and the platform by the judges, making him the only one to use it tonight). It's good I guess; hard to say since I don't know the song, & there's a bunch of words crammed into that middle part & it sounded like he might've been behind the tempo?? I liked it better than last week's but "Father Figure" is still my favorite of his. I think sometimes he tries to hard, he should relax & enjoy it more. Randy is meh; Paula loved it; Simon said the vocal wasn't great & it was "a bit manic." Oh, and he danced - not too much, but enough to add some flavor... of course, that's assuming one could actually see anything below his torso, because the cameramen/producers tend not to show full-body shots whenever people dance! (boo!)

Kellie: "Blame It on the Sun" - Ok, a slower one so safer for her. She's wearing a fancy, tight black dress & her hair is curlier; if it were a little shorter she could seriously pass for Carrie's sister, if not her twin. Randy said it was a "non-event" & that the key was too low; Paula & Simon both said it was boring & she was out of her comfort zone. Simon didn't like her outfit (too old?), and said it was her worst performance yet, to which she replied, "I'm sorry." Continuing the conversation Ryan asked about her make-up and she says her eyelashes resemble tarantulas. Alrighty then. At least she knew how to say "genre."

Elliott: "Knocks Me Off my Feet" - which didn't. Elliott's done Stevie songs 2 of the past 3 weeks, and this is his style/genre, so I expected a lot, and was disappointed. He's still got an awesome voice and did a good job, it just didn't really entertain me; I kept waiting for something that never happened. Randy said it was good, not his best; Paula said nothing related to this particular performance; and Simon said it lacked a "'Wow' factor," though it was better than the 1st 2 tonight.

Mandisa: "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" - Another one I don't know, and another one that started out boring. Picked up speed though & the high parts the ending were awesome. Oh, previously Ryan was chatting w/her in the Red Room & she said her feet hurt, so he asked if she wanted him to take off her shoes, and he did! So she performed barefoot. In her clip Stevie said she was "right on the pitch" and that he was "really impressed." Randy said it's the best so far tonight but not as good as she was last week; Paula said she "can sing anything"; Simon said "Now we have a competition."

Bucky: "Superstition" - Great choice!! He said while he wasn't familiar w/Stevie's work previously, he fell in love w/this song & now wants to get some of Stevie's albums. Also said he appreciated the constructive criticism Stevie gave him, that when he gets excited he tends to go sharp; so Bucky said "now I know what to work on." He did a great job; as Randy said, better than we expected! Still too shouty for me, I prefer his softer voice, but the audience & judges liked it. Randy said he could tell Bucky was having fun; Paula said it was somewhat of a safe choice but it was good; Simon said it was his best performance yet! (I wouldn't go that far.) He said the performance was fine, but the "Jessica Simpson hair" had to go - I agree (too curly) & I think Bucky did too, as he made sure to point out that it wasn't his idea!

Melissa: "Lately" - Ok, the judges are being really strange tonight. They're almost reverse pimping; playing down everyone they've lathered w/compliments in the past (except Chris who can apparently do no wrong) and building up the people they've seemed to hate. So, we see Melissa messing up the lyrics *while practicing with Stevie,* and she does it again during her performance!! Yowch. Though Randy & Paula mention it, they don't criticize her for it, and the clip in the recap at the end of the show has the correct lyrics; so either she got them right 1 of the 3 times that phrase is in the song - I only remember it twice - or they used a clip from the dress rehearsal, which I think they often do anyway as then they have more time to edit. Ryan also brought up before she went out that her voice was strained, and it showed during the performance. However, the judges didn't think so! Weirdness. Randy said she did have some problems (pitch-wise) but ended well; Paula said she looks beautiful (Melissa had said it's the first time she'd worn a dress) and that she likes her unique voice; Simon said it was "edgy" and "contemporary" and that it was her best performance so far! This is definitely one of those nights where I wonder if I'm hearing the same thing the judges are. Or maybe they realized these folks' fans having been voting in "Save Bucky/Melissa" campaigns and think if they praise them they'll be seen as safe & not get as many votes? Who knows at this point.

Lisa: "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" - Well, I wanted her to do something more up-tempo, but she added too much 'performance' to it instead of just having fun, IMO. She said Stevie had encouraged her to take the feelings she has when singing (her preferred genre) ballads and infuse them into this, & there were definitely moments when you could tell she was. Still too many 'act out the lyrics' gestures & a lot of switching back & forth between light & serious moods during the song. Randy said he liked the end (especially the stops w/the band as more of her personality came out); Paula acknowledged her nerves but said she "shined" when she was "outside the melody" (um, ok); Simon loved it because she really "took control" of the stage and has "the It Factor" (take note, Gedeon)! He said it was one of the best of the night.

There was a quick shot of JPL (Jon Peter Lewis, Season 3) in the audience!

Kevin: "Part-time Lover" - Ok, who told a 16-year old geeky looking kid that he could sing this song convincingly?!? Sigh. Pre-performance chat w/Ryan includes having 2 girls come up on stage to actually give Kevin a sign they made. We see Stevie saying Kevin has an "interesting" voice (bwah!) and that he brought "a sense of fun" to the song. Kev also played up his "sex symbol" status & said he tried to make his voice/the song sound sexy. I thought he looked really nervous, was behind the tempo for much of the song, & had way too much makeup on. Randy said it was better than expected & that he loves Kevin; Paula & Simon both said that he sang "in tune" (#1 - I disagree, I don't think he was; #2 - if the best compliment you can give a contestant is that he sang in tune, I'm thinking he's not really finalist material in a SINGING CONTEST, now, is he?!). Paula mentioned his "strange dance steps" but still praised him. Simon brought things back down to earth, saying it was "appalling." Kevin replied that he didn't expect much from Simon anyway. :-) Ryan came up & read another sign which said "Kevin is my heaven," and then said, "Simon is my hell." Hee!

Katharine: "Until You Come Back to Me" - Good but not amazing; the high parts were the best. She said that if anyone had asked her to name the one person in the biz that she'd like to work with, she'd have said Stevie! Also mentioned the "emotional moment" that the contestants shared when they all met him. Stevie said he thought she has a "lot of potential." I thought her eye makeup was way too heavy, & I really don't understand her wardrobe choices (the pregnancy rumor? not doing tons to dispel it visually & she certainly has the figure if she chose to highlight all of it; though my guy friends think she's doing just fine on that account!). Anyway, Randy said the Katharine he fell in love with initially is back, that she was "hot" & "unbelievable"; Paula said her voice "pierces to the heart" & it was her best so far; Simon just said, "You're good!" & then added that at times she reminds him vocally of Kelly Clarkson (at "this stage" of the competition).

Taylor: "Living for the City" - Good job! Possibly my favorite performance of his; great song choice for his voice & not too OTT performance-wise. The crowd loved it as well. He'd mentioned in his clip that as a child he "tried to play" the harmonica like Stevie. Stevie said he heard the feeling & soul in Taylor's voice. The judges loved it: Randy said "hot" and "fearless"; Paula said it was fun & the band were all smiling; Simon said it was "like every dad who's ever got drunk at a wedding (& took the mic to sing); the difference is, you can sing!"

Paris: "All I Do" - As a few others, she was moved to tears by working with Stevie. She appreciated that he told her it was ok to express her emotions in her singing, & he said her "excitement" reminded him of Fantasia. She sang very well, & connects well w/the audience on faster tunes. Randy said she was "hot"; Paula said she's a "seasoned performer"; Simon said it was like 2 different competitions tonight, with the 1st half 'ok' & the 2nd half being great.

Chris: "Higher Ground" - This was the speculated choice for him, & he admitted he was very nervous about this week before learning that this song (covered by The Red Hot Chili Peppers) was by Stevie! He said he was trying to combine the versions, and I'm not sure it worked. I don't know, maybe it was just that the whole rock thing (complete w/psychedelic lighting) didn't fit w/the rest of the night's performances. But to me he seemed really off pitch several times, & I just didn't enjoy it much (another song I didn't know though, which is one factor). Chris has hit a rut for me but I've still thought he was a great singer; I didn't even get that tonight. However... judges' pimping of him is still full on. Randy said he loved how Chris "made it his own" like he does every week; I didn't get Paula's response, but Simon said it was the best of the night (Not by far IMO!) and the only "real world" performance of the night, meaning he could see him having this song as a hit right now. Wow. Oh, and Stevie had said he liked the tone of Chris' voice & that he "sounds sincere." I will say I loved how he went over & stood by the backup singers & the band for part of the song.

And that's our first week of finals. Overall disappointing, but mainly due to the limited song choices. And I know several of the contestants were more nervous w/the different stage & larger audience. (I threw Bucky & Lisa a few votes each, but no one wowed me enough to be craxy about, since Will's gone....) So hopefully next week will be better. Stevie is performing on tomorrow night's results show, so I'm guessing there won't be a group number. But, I forgot to mention - Bucky did a little choreography during his song & totally ended w/a pointy pose! Yay, pointy pose!!! :-)

Top 16 Results Show (3/9/06)

This week there were 46 million votes cast. Ryan shows us 12 empty seats waiting to be filled with Finalists. Who, starting next week, will have a bigger stage, bigger studio audience, bigger band... and a stylist!

First this week's recap. Some contestants stuck to "what they know best": Bucky did country, Chris did rock, Mandisa belted, & Taylor was "all soul." Others tried something different (Paris & Elliott). And Will split the panel. For the other young contestants age played a major part (Lisa, Gedeon), though not all were positive (Ayla, Kevin). Katharine "attempted" Aretha; Ace "tried his hand at Michael Jackson"; Kellie "broke her country ties & rocked out." Melissa "tried to rock," and Simon made a prediction (that she'd go). Kinnik was last & I missed what they said, but probably mentioned that Simon also predicted she would go.

Bo Bice is here! Ryan chats with him a bit, about his career, & about his infant son (already a Skynard fan!). Ryan asks Bo what he's going to sing, and I found Bo's wording interesting: "The single." Not, "the first single," or even "the current single," just "the single." Hopefully I'm just reading too much into it, though it certainly didn't get much airplay here & has already dropped off our Top 40 station's playlist. Anyway, Bo sings "The Real Thing." He starts out fine though he's changing up the chorus melody & singing much of it lower, which is fine, but then I start to wonder because he goes for some other high notes and, really, is not hitting them, which is unusual for him. Maybe he just has a cold or something. It is fun to watch him, & he seems to make eye contact with several different people in the audience, waving & laughing quite a bit at one point.

Moving on to the eliminations... The girls are up first, and we're looking for the contestant with the lowest number of votes. Lisa - safe (yay!). Melissa - safe. Ayla - safe. Kinnik - has the lowest number of votes. She takes it very well, has a great attitude & is grateful for the experience, saying she feels she's "full-fledge a winner." She sings.

Next the guys. Ryan chats with a couple of them a bit - asks Ace what they all said to each other before coming out. He says that out of 42,000 who auditioned, they made it this far & should be proud of that. Asks Kevin if he's nervous, which of course he is. And mentions Gedeon's smile. He starts with the back row, beginning with Kevin - safe (sigh). Gedeon - safe. That leaves Bucky and Elliott, and I'm worried (my ideal boots would have been Kevin and Gedeon, so I know I'm losing someone I like & consider better than them...). Bucky - safe! (whew) Elliott - also safe! Below him on the end of the first row is Will - who has the lowest number of votes.

I'm really surprised, because I thought he had a number of (voting) fans & would have also picked up some of David's fans' votes. Oh well. He doesn't look shocked and manages to smile as he stands up with Ryan, who asks him if he's ok, and he says, "yeah, I'm fine." He's very mature & classy about it, great experience for anyone "getting to sing for these 3" (the judges). Ryan says, encouragingly, "you're still young," & Will says yeah, he's just 17 (I guess his birthday was last week?). He says he's learned so much (from fellow contestants) and feels he's improved already between his initial audition and now. Ryan asks the judges to give him some advice/feedback, and they're all very positive & supportive, even Simon, saying he has a good attitude & determination & should succeed in whatever he does, & several of them compliment his maturity. He gets to sing out and is great, dancing a little more at the beginning and truly looks like he's enjoying himself, not just 'making it through.' There's a great shot of the Goofy Girls, roommates Kellie & Katharine, doing some choreography in the balcony (arms out for "Stop," etc.). As he finishes Ryan invites the other guys to come up & "show him some love." Elliott comes up behind & pats his shoulders, while Ace gives him a big long hug; Bucky is also right there looking all sympathetic and big-brotherly. Seems like he'll really be missed (not just by me, lol). Aaaand that's all of the details I can think of, so I guess I have to say good-bye and move on.... *sniff*

Ok, back to the girls! Paris is the first named to the Top 12 and does a Happy Dance across the stage. Katharine is also through. As is Kellie... of course when each one gets over there they all have a big hugfest, but Kat & Kellie are especially excited the other is through. Mandisa is safe and Ryan says that Simon will get his wish of seeing her on a bigger stage! ;-) Lisa also makes it through - yay! (Not sure I could've taken losing both my youngsters on the same night!) So Melissa and Ayla are left standing, and after the break, and after the judges are asked who'll go, we find out that Melissa is safe (YAY!!), and Ayla is leaving (boo). She is really surprised & emotional such that she can't really talk yet, and Ryan gets all comforting & says lots of encouraging stuff that doesn't really help but is all he can do. The judges are nice & complimentary, calling her "a winner" & again acknowledging her hard work. I feel really bad for her during her sing-out; it's always killer when they pick songs about either leaving or about having promising future, to then sing those lyrics knowing you're out! She does ok once she gets into it. I will miss her, but now she can take the basketball scholarship & she'll be fine.

On to the guys. Taylor is the first male to make the Top 12. Ace is also through (yay!). As is Chris, who of course practically runs into Ace's arms for a big hug once he gets across the stage since they're best buds! Next is Kevin... and he's through. Ok, fine. Elliott - is safe! So that leaves Gedeon and Bucky. Well, knowing that a "surprise" was predicted (by Nigel on a talk show), I feel fairly confident, and am soon relieved to hear that Bucky is through and Gedeon is the one leaving. Ryan asks him if he's surprised and he admits that he is, but has a good attitude & is fine for his sing-out. There was a shot of Paris looking really upset, not sure if just over Gedeon or all 4 at this point; that's gotta be hard for them too as I'm sure most of them have gotten very close.

At the end we again get a montage set to "Bad Day" (I used to love this song, not sure if I still will, lol!) of clips of the 4 who are going home. Gedeon had much shorter hair in his earliest audition! And one clip has Will saying, "Don't mess with Texas!" Hee.

I'm really glad that we'll only have to lose one person a week from now on. On the one hand I like the extra focus on the whole Top 24 this year, but then we get more attached to people sooner which is good if they stay but hard if they don't. Well, we're again shown the funky/dorky dance clips as the Finalists are "introduced," and told that the first week's theme will be Stevie Wonder songs (which isn't so much a theme as a specific song choice catalog, but whatever). Should bode very well for Elliott, Taylor, Ace, Paris, & Mandisa, but will be interesting to see what the others do. I'm expecting it'll be a challenge for Kellie, Melissa, Chris & Bucky. ;-) Can't wait!!

A Time for Mourning...

Ok maybe that's a bit extreme, but for any Idol addict, when your favorite goes, that's all you can do.

I'll do a full recap tomorrow. The basics: booted were Kinnik, Ayla, Gedeon, and my Will.

Sorrow.

Top 8 Guys (3/8/06)

Gedeon starts things off, and again we're learning something new & surprising from everyone in the video clips. Gedeon paints, and shows a picture of a globe combined with a record, because "Music makes the world go 'round." Gedeon sings "When a Man Loves a Woman." It's very good, not overdone but does show his vocal talent. I'm just not sure about the rest of his 'package,' with the strange enunciation & over-the-top ("OTT" - I have a feeling I'll be using that a lot tonight) personality. He said he chose the song because of "all the women" in his life and he "knows how to love them," though he mentioned his mom & grandma so it wasn't quite the direction Ryan was trying to take it. Randy likes how he's an "old soul" and while the song had weak spots, the "end note saved it." Simon said it was too cabaret/OTT, but he's interesting & growing on him.

Chris talked about his old hairstyle ("like Ryan") & we got to see 2 photos. He said when his hairline started receding he shaved it all off, & likes it & plans to keep it that way. He sings Seether's "Broken," which (the original) for me is made by Amy Lee's vocals & how the two blend & contrast. Chris obviously doesn't have that. His background singers are too loud, to start with, but they sing the wrong type of harmony for this song, more traditional instead of the current angsty-rock minor-sounding style, for lack of better words. Chris was also flat in parts toward the end; overall I don't think it was a good song choice & probably his worst performance. However, Randy & Paula loved it. Simon called it "boring" and too "indulgent," said he shouldn't take himself/everything so seriously & should do more variety; I agree!

Kevin's disclosure is that he likes & is inspired by Kanye West, and has been known to rap along with his album. And now for something completely different, he sings Don McLean's "Vincent"! Now, I have to preface this by saying that I adore this song. I think it's beautiful both musically and lyrically. While Kevin doesn't have the greatest vocals in the world, I though he did this song justice. He really conveyed the emotion & message of the song, which is powerful. Especially for a 16-year old who likes rap, lol! He has a great future - he's so smart, self-assured, has a great sense of humor... I think he'll be a successful performer of some sort a few years down the road. But of course I totally expect him to get voted off tomorrow. Randy said it was a weird choice but he "can sing" & it was a "good performance." Paula linked his sincerity. Simon however said it was "juvenile" (by which I'm assuming he meant amateurish, because he was very serious during the song).

Heh. Just like last night, we now have extra screen time for one of the favored contestants, happening right before the performance of someone they (TPTB) would like to see go home this week. Poor Bucky. Anyway Ryan talks to Taylor in the Red Room about how his life has changed already. Taylor said he got to meet Christopher Cross and really enjoyed that. Ryan also mentions how "at home" Taylor performs almost every night, & asks if it's been hard not doing that. Taylor responds that he just takes the energy from 6 nights of shows & condenses it into 5 minutes - so now we understand his spastic movements, lol!!

Ok, back to Bucky - Yay, we finally get to hear about Rocky, his twin brother! He says Rocky also sings and "is almost as pretty as me (hee!), but there's only room for one of us in this competition." Rocky sings a country song I don't know, called "Wave on Wave." Just as last week, I prefer the soft verse to the shoutier, rougher chorus, but he seems on key and more confident. His stage presence overall is improving; I think he's getting used to not having his guitar in his hands. It wasn't outstanding, but I think it was good enough for any country fans to want to keep him around. (I hope!) Randy & Paula liked it; Simon was meh, said it was average bar music. Ryan had Rocky come up on stage at the end which was cute.

Will tells us that he's learning Japanese! And in reference to Simon's previous comment, proceeds to say what we're told in subtitles is, "11-year old girls of the world, unite!" Hee. Will sings "How Sweet It Is," and while Ryan introduced it & it's widely known as a James Taylor song, he did a jazzier version, similar to one I'm told Michael Buble does. I loved it (though at this point I admit I'm beyond being able to form objective opinions on this one!) and the audience seemed into it. He had a good 'glory note,' and crooned a bit more than I'd like but I'm sure he'll pick up some of David's fans' votes. Overall a great performance IMO. Randy, however, said it was "below average," & Simon agreed. Paula loved it & said she thought all the guys were "stepping it up tonight." She said he has a distinctive voice & is a good performer, as reasons why he should make the Top 12 (when asked by Ryan). Which is cool, because she wasn't a fan in the beginning & said no to Hollywood, but he's won her over, as I think he is doing & could do to many, many viewers should he stay on & make wise song choices.

Taylor is wearing an Easter Bunny costume in his video clip & tells us that was his first job, in a mall. He has the audience clap as he starts to sing "Takin' It to the Streets," and he sounds almost exactly like Michael McDonald! So it's a pretty good song choice. I'm impressed that he actually stands still at the mic & sings the verse... but he let loose at the chorus and literally looked like a wind-up toy that had just been let go! Especially at the end it was way OTT; I know he was really into the song, but for me it went past "entertaining" to almost scary, with his angry face & the way he was pulling the mic stand & jumping around.... Paula & much of the rest of the audience loved it. Simon said he could "singlehandedly kill the music video industry," but he liked that he had fun and said he's a good performer, and that's what this is about.

Elliott reveals that he has 90% hearing loss in his right ear. I have to comment on this because I don't think we've heard Elliott sing even one syllable off key, and that shows incredible skill. He sings Bryan Adams' "Heaven" and is, of course, great! I like that he did a different style of song, to show his versatility, and he nailed all the vocals. Added a bit of his own r&b stylings toward the end, which was nice. Seriously I think this guy is easily the best vocalist of the group. Randy & Paula loved it, and they both mentioned the hearing loss backstory. Simon said it was a "cop-out," a bad song choice, and that he looked uncomfortable. I'd actually agree w/that a little bit for the verse, but he was very strong/confident for the chorus.

Ace is last & has the least interesting clip - he did odd jobs when he first came to Hollywood (because "it was hard"- maybe that surprised him?) and has become somewhat of a handyman. He sings a Michael Jackson song called "Butterflies" that I don't know. He does a lot of singing in falsetto, very high, & stays on key, & transitions well back to full voice (which Paula mentions later). I think it was a good performance for the type of song that it is, but I'm just not into that style of music. Oh well, I can always "watch it back" muted. ;-) He also seemed more confident than he has in the past for most of it, but then toward the end looked a bit shaky to me. Probably over-perfomed it a bit IMO, but was definitely good enough to advance him. Randy loved it; Paula said it was better than the original (!) & that he has great vocal talent. Simon said the middle was weak, but he "made it work."

I also noticed at the end, like last week, two of the three contestants I think TPTB would most like to go home are flanking Ryan in the line-up as the show closes (Bucky & Will). I didn't pay attention last night which girls had that position but will rewatch & see. I think Kevin should definitely go, but the next one's tricky, like w/the girls; I think it could be Gedeon, Will, or Bucky. I hope it's Gedeon because I really like Will & Bucky (in case you couldn't tell!). Which... probably means at least one of them will be going home. :-(