AI7 Semifinals - Top 12 Men (2/19/08)

This year we have themes already in the semifinals (a necessary tie-in to the new offering of everyone's audio & video performances being sold on iTunes); this week it's the 60's!

Fortunately everyone gets video intro clips, & for the guys who've had basically no screentime thus far, we finally get to see some of their earlier singing! Thank you, show.

Now, for the past 2 years, I've had a fairly strong favorite coming into the Top 24. They've been ballad-ish singers who unfortunately chose rock songs to show "versatility" which hurt them because they really hadn't had tons of screen time yet and much of the audience didn't know how they 'normally' sound. And they had the dreaded first spot. And they left on the very. first. night. (Well, in S5 I did like Will Makar more, but I liked Patrick Hall an awful lot!) With that said, it's only fitting that tonight the first spot goes to...

David Hernandez! At least he made a decent song choice with "In the Midnight Hour," which started out all gospel-y and then got a faster r&b-ish feel for most of the song. I thought it did a pretty good job of showing David's strong vocals while containing a little variety of style. The judges like it. (I gave him 50 votes. Last year's 100 weren't enough to save Rudy but I think David has a little stronger positioning coming in... and I think there are more likely cannon fodder later, at least for this week.)

Chikieze sang "I Love You More than Yesterday" and it was just ok other than a couple of glory notes. Simon hated it but R & P liked it. Chickieze talked back way too much but hey, he's the only black guy in the top 12 so I doubt he's going anywhere.

David Cook surprised everyone by singing "So Happy Together" and he definitely put his own twist on it! (And what was that short clip of his Hollywood song? Loved it!) Judges liked it. I did have to laugh when he did the requisite 'rocker carrying mic stand' bit.

Jason Yeager sang "Moon River" and it was nice. Um, yeah. Cannon fodder, sorry.

Robbie Carrico sang "One (Is the Loneliest Number)." To his credit he gave full disclosure in his intro clip (was in boy/girl-band that opened for Britney). We got a tiny clip of the Fuel song he did in Hollywood (cool!). This song was decent except for the high notes. The judges liked it well enough.

David Archuleta sang "Shop Around." Interesting song choice; he's obviously not old or experienced enough to make the lyrics believable, but the vocals were (of course) very good (except for a few low notes). All the judges love him, and Simon said it was the best in the first half of the show. Ryan really egged on his cuteness but I doubt many viewers minded.

Danny Noriega talked in his clip about how he wanted to really bring his personality and attitude to his performance. He sang "Jailhouse Rock" and definitely did just that! It didn't showcase his vocals, but it was a good performance. He didn't get great comments from R & P and Simon really laid into him & the judges went back & forth for a while. To Danny's credit he held it together but you could tell it hurt. Honestly I still think he has one of the best voices in the competition & has great versatility. Hopefully he's already built a strong enough fan base to stick around a while.

Luke Menard did "Everybody's Talkin'" and wow, was that pretty! Um, yeah, the song too. ;) It wasn't groundbreaking or anything, but it was a very good performance and I love his voice (reminds me a bit of Kenny Loggins- *swoon*!). However... Randy called it pitchy, Paula said it was a poor song choice, & Simon said it wasn't memorable (well, to a blind person, maybe). We shall see.

Colton Berry sang "Suspicious Minds." I love this song, and surely someone else could have done it better, but really no one jumps out from this group as having the perfect voice & style for it (ah, if only Bucky were back...). Colton did a good job and though his voice was mostly soft he showed a little power at the end. Judges were mixed; Simon said it wasn't relevant (ie current) or recordable. In other words, cannon fodder.

Speaking of cannon fodder... Garrett Haley is definitely not a rocker, despite the Leif Garrett/Peter Frampton-like hair. He sings "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" and does a decent job, considering he's probably never sung in front of a crowd this big before. He told us in his video clip that he auditioned on a whim when he & his family were vacationing in San Diego & heard about the auditions. His lack of experience showed and the judges said it was boring. He had a good attitude though about taking the constructive criticism & learning from it. If only he were going to be around more than a week so he could actually do that. ;)

Jason Castro, yay! Well, I wasn't quite so excited as I thought I'd be (here I was building him up to everybody after watching the YouTubes, but tonight? notsomuch). He hasn't had much performing experience either, at least not singing (he was a drummer for his band). He played guitar while singing "Daydream" and did an ok job; I think he definitely has potential. Rather quirky/goofy looking though (like a Muppet??); I could only imagine how many ways Simon would say that he hated it. Randy said he was pitchy, and then Simon gave me the biggest shock of the night... he loved it!! He called it 2nd best of the night & said he has charisma, among other things. Well, hopefully people don't assume from this that he's safe & think they don't have to vote!

Last is Michael Yawns, I mean Johns. Seriously, I'm so over this guy already. He sang "Light My Fire" - again! And wasn't that great. (Plus it's super repetitive, so it's not like he had much to remember.) However, the judges are still in love. Simon said he's the most consistent and Randy actually compared him to Michael Hutchens (who's now rolling in his grave, even if he hasn't heard the song-stealing story yet).

An interesting start!! Several surprised me; I'll have to say my favorites were David C. and Luke, while my least favorites were Chikieze and Michael. I put lots of votes in for local boy Luke and several for David H (come on, break the pattern!!), plus a few to bolster Danny as I'd really hate to see him leave on that sour note (the judges' comments, not his singing!).

My prediction to go home: Jason Yeager and Colton. But I don't expect Garrett to be far behind.

Top 24 Announced / The Chair Episode (2/13/08)

There is a weird opening with Ryan & Hayden Christensen (promoting his new movie Jumper). Otherwise the drill is the same: judges deliberate. Room full of nervous contestants. All day they go one by one up the elevator ride and take the long walk to sit in front of the judges and find out their fate. Turns out the Spoiler list was right on the ball, but it's fun to see everyone's reactions. And I'm really, really hoping we finally get to hear some singing from the 4 semifinal guys yet to be shown!!

First are several no's: Ronald Hodge, Nina Shaw, Mycale G., and Lisa Aukerman. (I remember Nina but not the others.)

Carly Smithson - she's shown singing "I'm Every Woman" from her initial audition and "I Need You" from Hollywood week (a new clip, one of the few we get tonight and it's of someone already being pushed down our throats...). She is, of course, through unanimously.

David Cook also advances. Outside, leaving, he says to friends or family "Now I don't have to go get a job!" Hee.

Amanda advances.

There are a couple of short singing clips and then some more no's: Brandon Green, Amanda Hawkins, and Buck Smith.

David Archuleta is shown singing "Heaven" again and advances, of course.

Kristy Lee Cook - she got a no on Day 1 of Hollywood, & then repeated her initial audition song "Amazing Grace." She advances.

Brooke says she messed up during her song ("Beautiful") while playing keyboard on Day 1 and is very nervous, but she advances.

Danny is preening a bit in the elevator (LOVE him!). We get a longer clip of his Hollywood performance of "When I Need You," which is still awesome. Of course he advances.

Jason Castro advances.
Luke Menard advances.
Alexandrea advances.

And I am so MAD at this show!! That's it for Jason and Luke - we see them in the chair, we're told they're in the Top 24. That's it!!! No singing whatsoever. Jason was even featured in a promo, playing guitar... but nothing, nada, zip. These guys are talented, y'all!! Sigh. Ok, sometime between now & Monday (when these guys will be up for votes) I'll post video links, assuming they're still available....

Ok, moving on....

Ramiele has part of her Hollywood clip shown again and she advances. She's so adorable!

More no's: Shaun Barrowes, Lorena Pinot (looking gorgeous), farmer Drew P ("well, one good thing about this, I won't miss turkey season!" bwah!), and Natashia.

Michael Johns is shown singing "Bohemian Rhapsody" yet again. How many times have we seen this, now? Yes, it's good. As are, I'm sure, Jason's and Luke's & all the other performances we haven't seen from people who make the Top 24. He's needlessly very nervous as he obviously advances.

Syesha gets a bit of her HW clip repeated and advances.

Robbie gets a longer clip of his "Everything I Do" in HW. He gets a word wrong but the vocal is great. Simon at first said they weren't unanimous about the decision but then I think he rescinded it at said they really were. Of all the fake-outs that was the only one that confused *me*! ;-)

Garrett Haley (1st time we've seen him) just gets a quick yes.
Kady is through.
Chikezie
Amy Davis
Alaina W.
and Jason Yeager (also hasn't been seen before) - are all through.

Asia'h is up; Paula mentions her 1st audition & immediately we're shown part of her HW clip again (um, ok, not great editing there). She advances.

David Hernandez gets some of his HW clip again as well. He's told the decision is not unanimous, but Randy says they "fought hard" for him and he is through. Simon says he was the dissenter and that David will have to work a lot hard to have "even a remote chance of winning." He is very emotional & respectfully says he will.

It's down to 3 guys and Josiah heads up the elevator. So they kept the suspense almost the whole day, but not quite; I figured he'd be one of the last 2 "fighting" for the last spot. Since he's not, it's obvious he won't advance. He admits his last performance wasn't good & that he'd been overconfident; still, he thinks he'll be in the Top 24. When told he isn't he's unsurprisingly emotional but holds it together better than I expected. The worst was when Ryan kept talking to him afterward asking stupid questions like "how will you go on?", & of course he didn't have any family there to console him or anything. Several other contestants were shown later consoling & encouraging him, which was nice & all, but he really just wanted to get away (understandably). I'm still frustrated the stupid show has wasted so much of my time on him. I do like his music (it's available for purchase from his MySpace page), but given what I've seen of his personality I don't have any interest in following his career or anything, at least not at this point. I know some people will, so good for him. But... sooooooo much time on all the Josiah drama, and there are 4 GUYS IN THE TOP 24 WE HAVEN'T EVEN HEARD SING YET!!!!!!!!!!!!! Grr.

Ok, the last 2 guys are Kyle Ensley (aspiring politician) and Colton Berry (unseen until last night), both teens. We get a new clip of Colton singing "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" in HW and Ryan says that his voice is "professional and polished." I'm not sure I'd go that far, but it is nice. We get more of Kyle's "You Raise Me Up," which was his best that we've seen, and the description says his "style is uplifting." Apparently neither decision was unanimous, but Colton advances, while Kyle does not. Kyle takes it very well, saying he really didn't expect to get as far as he did. Now the big surprise: *Simon* is the one who wanted him in the Top 24!! We see an earlier clip of Simon saying "There are a lot of people who will like you; I wish I had what you have." (!!) He really is the new & improved Simon this year! So he tells Kyle that he really thinks there's something special about him, he's likable and talented, etc. Paula tells him to come back & try again (wait, I thought if they made Top 50 they were forever ineligible to come back? She also tells Cardin the same thing later!). Colton is nice also & says he really wanted Kyle there "with" him.

Lastly we have Cardin and JoAnn. I'm not sure what Cardin was singing in the HW clip we see, but it wasn't nearly as good as the other 2 times we've seen her (though she's still gorgeous!). We get a new clip of JoAnn from HW, singing "When I Need You," and it is excellent. She said she "re-fell in love with singing" this week after having some discouraging experiences (due to her size) in the industry previously. Anyway, JoAnn advances, and Cardin is sent home. They are very sweet to each other, especially Cardin (I so love her!!), who says "I'm so proud of you" and holds JoAnn's hand as they walk away to go back downstairs. Paula comments about how hard this part is and Simon agrees (again, strange but nice), even going so far as to say (after they've walked away) "This is the part where I change my mind."

Lastly we get little blurbs of a few more being cut, though Colton Swon is the only one I recognize that we hadn't seen yet tonight. There were 9 not shown at all of the 26 who got cut.

So that's our Top 24. They do the usual goofy dancing intros at the end and we're all psyched for next week. Because then, we might actually get to hear some of these people SING!! ;-)

Hollywood (2/12/08)

It's Hollywood Week!! The New, and possibly Improved, version! This year we find out that no one will be cut at all in the first two days. Also, contestants are allowed to play instruments. Also, unfortunately, there will be no group round. :-( I understand that part was less relevant to the competition, but it was always one of my favorite parts, so I'll miss it.

The first round will be solos - no standing on stage in lines & stepping forward to sing (until Day 3, anyway). If you're really good and get at least 2 "Yesses" from the judges, you have an automatic pass to Day 4. Otherwise you come back on Day 3 for your "2nd chance." It wasn't obvious which result everyone got, but I'll list what we did see... Also I'll just do names and songs for those we've seen before, but if you want more info (audition city, etc.) lmk in the comments. (Bold indicates supposed Top 24.)

Brooke White sings "Beautiful" and plays piano. Despite her admitted lack of confidence, she's through.

Lorena sings Shania - no.
Amy Flynn - no
Leo Marlowe - no
Alisha Dixon - "Unwritten" with guitar; not good, a no.
Michael Sanflippo - "When I Need You" on guitar. I liked it, but Simon called it dreadful. Not through.
Alyssa Coco played keyboard & it's a no.
Shaun Barrowes plays Billy Joel on keyboard - no.

I think Jake Mellema is new (20, from MI). He's the lead singer and drummer for a band so chooses to sing and play drums here... for "Hooked on a Feeling"?! Um, whatever. He's just ok, & doesn't advance.

Ok, this is what I've been waiting for: finally one of the T24 guys we haven't been shown yet! It's David Hernandez, 24, AZ (4713). Now they show us his initial audition from San Diego (wow they found a lot of talent there!): "Ain't Too Proud to Beg." Very good. Today he's doing "Love the One You're With," and I put my pen down to watch. Randy later says his attention was also drawn from the very first note. This is great - he's confident, he moves around the stage (& has potential for dancing, lol), he shows a wide range of vocal styles (great song choice for that)... and is a very good singer. I love when somebody 'sneaks up' on me like this... and of course I don't want to get too excited about anyone yet, but this is the best reaction I've had to anyone yet (Robbie being 2nd, though I'm not proud to admit it!). We shall see, there are more to come!

Quick glimpse of Chikieze advancing; also a black gal with short hair, maybe Melanie?

Amanda Overmeyer was unfortunately in a pretty bad car accident the week before this was taped. She had some staples in her head & some cracked ribs, plus her car was totalled! Ick. She's in good spirits though, and her "Light My Fire" is a bit much for me but pleases the judges enough for her to advance. Simon does warn her that she'll need to develop a bit of variety in her vocals.

Ah, forgotten words. We see several... new guy Buck Smith (really long hair) singing "Stuck in the Middle with You"; Cardin, unfortunately (though her vocals are still awesome!!); and Natashia Blach singing "Sway" (and the song title is part the lyrics she forgets; not good!).

Ghaleb gets a long clip about being a ladies' man or something, though most of it is with one girl (Cardin). Whatever. He plays guitar & sings Bryan Adams' "Everything I Do" very poorly.

The total for Day 1 was 84 people: 54 no's, so 30 yesses. On to Day 2!

Josiah is up first. He plays keyboard for what I assume is another original, and is very good. Judges love him and he's through to the last day, despite his big teary scene they keep showing in the promo's. Yet to come then.

Danny sings "When I Need You" and is a.mazing. He's through. Man, I hope he makes it to the top 10! The clip was way too short. ;-)

Ramiele - "Till You Come Back to Me"; yes.

Carly - "When I Need You"; yes. I thought it was iffy but he judges still adore her.

Michael Johns - "Light My Fire"; yes.

David Cook plays guitar with "Everything I Do" & is very good. Also yes though only 2/3 (Simon said no).

Robbie also does "Everything I Do" (heh, 2 "rockers" in a row doing Bryan Adams; that will definitely get flack on the message boards!) and also advances. Another way too short clip, but what we heard of his voice was very nice.

Jessica Brown, Perrie, and Syesha all do "Everything I Do" but do not advance.

Colton Berry, 17, VA (55501) finally gets some screen time, though still not very much. He sings "Everything I Do" and has a soft but nice voice. I think he's through.

Kyle is last and does something upbeat I don't recognize. He gets some intro stuff and there's a mix-up with his hotel room assignment (there are already 2 women in 'his' room), & then there's something about his pick-up lines and you hear him asking a girl if she's ever had deer jerky. ;-) Poor guy. He does an upbeat song I don't recognize and it's really not good vocally and really *bad* presentation wise. Paula admits it was "a little corny" but Simon says "abyssmal" (and for once, I mostly agree). Paula beats around the bush and Simon gets annoyed w/her and walks out. If that's as much as they 'fight' this season, I'll be happy, as I usually find it a waste of screentime. Anyway, Kyle sticks around to try to redeem himself.

18 of the 80 advance for a total of 48 so far.

Day Three looks familiar: on stage in groups (lines) of 10 people, step forward & sing, then wait for results. Simon warns it will be "brutal."

Suzanne (single mom from Miami, now with straight hair) and Perrie (single dad) are in the 1st group. She does a blah version of "Summertime," & he does some R&B pretty well, but both are cut.

Amy Flynn gets a lot of footage with her "voice coach" Angel (who made it to Hollywood herself in Season 4). They made a point of saying Amy didn't know the song ahead of time, but she sings "Love Will Bring You Back" pretty well (though she's too belty). Alas, she is cut.

Of the first 40, only 4 went through. I caught glimpses of Chris Watson (black guy from Philly) being cut, and we're told Kayla Hatfield and Angelica Puente are also cut.

The last group includes Kristy Lee Cook, who sings "Amazing Grace" again; Jeffrey Lampkin, Kyle, and Angela Martin (Philly single mom of girl with Retts Syndrome) who sings "Lovely Day." Angela is cut but the rest advance.

It's Day 4! Time to pick the Top 50. The contestants get one last solo, with the band and (new this year) 3 background singers. Just like they'll have in the Top 24 next week, which is nice. The previous evening everyone was to rehearse with the band, which meant many were up very, very late. We're also told they can "pick any song," but later one contestant mentions choosing from a song list. So I'm guessing it's a very extensive list (unlike Day 2 with only When I Need You, Light My Fire, Everything I Do, and Till You Come Back to Me! There may have been a few more, but these were the only 4 we saw).

David Archuleta gets an appearance for the first time this episode. We see his first round performance on keyboard but don't get to hear any of the song. He advanced straight to today though. He does Bryan Adams' "Heaven" and is very, very good. The judges love him, and he stays.

Kyle sings "You Raise Me Up" and *does* totally redeem himself from Day 2's fiasco with a great vocal performance. Simon actually apologized for his behavior that day. Paula (surprisingly) called this performance "safe," but it was good enough & he stays. I really think he needs to 'update' his look if he's to stick around.

Jeffrey, despite having been very entertaining and encouraging to all of the contestants this week, does himself in with a very poor rendition of "A Whole New World" and is cut.

Joey, after suffering from a migraine all day, sings a decent "Ribbon in the Sky" but is also cut.

Syesha has been hoarse all week so has been resting her voice, and it pays off. She sings "Chain of Fools" & still belts too much but she stays.

Michael Johns sings "Bohemian Rhapsody." He does very, very well, and knows his range well enough not to go for the highest notes. The judges all love him and Simon says he's the best of the day! Michael surprises me with his humility, seeming almost surprised that they like it. He should be around for a while. :-)

Carly gets more background footage about how amazing they thought she was 2 years ago but her confidence & voice were lacking in San Diego this year. She says she found out she developed an allergy to her dog & has been wearing a face mask and her voice has recovered. She sings (rather, belts) "How Do I Get You Alone?" and the judges are back to loving her. I don't know, something about her personality &/or singing style just rubs me the wrong way.

Asia'h makes her first appearance this show and I don't know what she sings but it's awesome! Her hair is straight & pulled up & she looks really cute. She stays.

Brooke H. (beauty queen from Atlanta) sings "Unchained Melody" and does well until she gets to a certain spot. She asks if she can sing it over and they judges say no, but then she starts singing anyway (I hate it when they do that!). She's gotten one yes & one no and it's up to Paula to decide. She's on the fence and the disrespectful response sends her to the No side (good for you, Paula!). Brooke continues to go on about how she should be able to sing it over and that she didn't get a "fair chance like everyone else." Um, nobody else got re-do's either. Good riddance to that attitude.

Last up is Josiah. Apparently he had a hard time choosing a song (he's gotten by on originals so far), and once he did, imagined a certain arrangement in his head but wasn't able to clearly communicate that to the band. So at something like 5 am he gave up (ah, *now* we get the teary scene). Then we see he ran into (AI vocal coach) Byrd in the hallway & she said he wouldn't "sing through" the song with them (despite being asked 5 times) so they couldn't practice it with him... or something. Anyway, it boils down to the fact that he never really did rehearse the song with the band. So he's very nervous, and decides once he gets on stage to sing a cappella: after complimenting the band he politely 'dismisses' them, which the judges immediately criticize. He sings "Stand By Me" and isn't great, largely due to lack of sleep (his voice cracked) and stress (plus lack of instrumentation, I think, because his rhythm was off, etc.). He admits it wasn't great. However, the judges are very lenient and based on his previous strong performances, all 3 say yes, and he's in the Top 50.

Knowing that the spoilers *don't* put Josiah in the Top 24, I wonder why we have 'wasted' all of this time on a huge backstory (living in car) and stressful-Hollywood-week story on someone who won't matter at all after tomorrow night. Meanwhile there are 4 guys in the Top 24 we have yet to hear sing At. All.

I'm pleased with the talent shown tonight. I just hope those with equal talent (which would be at least Jason C and Luke, from past work I've sampled online) are given some screen time tomorrow so that they don't have to enter audience voting on such an uneven playing field vs. those we've seen several times by now. I know they did that for a few last year so we shall see. Overall still a good show; I still love Hollywood Week!!

Best of the Rest (2/6/08)

First up is the 2nd Hoosier in the Top 24, Amy Davis, 25 (20828, auditioned in Dallas). She says her family is "lower than lower middle class" and she would use earnings from any success she receives to help her struggling single mom. The judges ask about her ethnic background as they sense a 'little' something, and we're told her maternal grandmother is Japanese. She sings "Blue Bayou" and is just ok IMO.

Next we finally get to see the puppy (named Panda; awwww!)! Unfortunately we also have to see 3 bad singers: Panda's owner, Ashley, and the twin brothers Chris (whom she used to date) and Cory (whom she currently dates). But the puppy is adorable!

Cardin Lee McKinney, 20, TN (43501) is T50. She's a waitress. She sings "One Night Only" from "Dreamgirls" and is FABULOUS! And somehow Simon doesn't like her?! He says her voice isn't contemporary & she's too theatrical (um, the song's from a musical!). No matter; she advances. And I *LOVE* her!!

JoAnn Borgella, 25, NJ (82653, auditioned in Philly) is also T24. She's a plus-size model and has sung The National Anthem at Madison Square Gardens (which majorly impresses Randy). She sings a Celine song I'm not familiar with called "I Love You" and is good enough to advance, though she doesn't have the 'big voice' one has come to expect from plus-size black women. Simon says no but she gets 2 votes and is through.

Alesha Stelzl, 18, CA (3032) is yet another long-haired blond girl. She sings Celine's "Surrender" and has a nice tone to her voice but it's all wrong for that song. Paula says she sounds like Dolly Parton & the judges end up telling her to come back later to sing one of Dolly's songs for them. Of course she doesn't know any, and a surprised Ryan tries to sing several for her expecting her to recognize them, but she doesn't (and, thankfully, he stops). She ends up learning "Islands in the Stream" from the internet and sings most of the chorus correctly. She still makes some weird facial expressions while singing and Simon sticks to his earlier no, but Randy & Paula say yes. After she leaves Simon admits to the others that they were right and her voice did work for that song.

There's a mostly-funny montage of Simon mispronouncing a bunch of contestants' names, some intentionally. Which segues perfectly into...

Chikezie Eze (yes, that's really his name!), 22, CA (613, San Diego), who also auditioned last year but makes it to T24 this year. He sings Luther's "All the Woman I Need" and, as the previews hinted, is very, very good!

Lastly we have Danny Noriega, 17, CA (1356, also San Diego), also T24 & also auditioned last year. He says he has his nerves more under control and is being more "himself" this year (which explains itself when you see him, trust me). He sings "Proud Mary." Oh, this one is going to be entertaining!! He does have a good voice, but he's so OTT (and Simon didn't call him theatrical?!), overly confident, and sure to grate. He advances easily and could definitely be our "I can't wait to see what he does this week" finalist this year! :-)

And that's a wrap! We're told 164 advanced to Hollywood and there's a long promo, showing several people playing instruments (cool!), including Jason C & Colton B on guitar (2 of the T24 guys we haven't gotten to see/hear yet), and Brooke and David A on keyboard. Ryan promises "some of the greatest performances to ever grace our Hollywood stage." Bring it on!!

AI7 Atlanta Auditions (2/5/08)

Over 12,000 contestants are hoping to be the next Clay Aiken or Jennifer Hudson (both of whom were 'found' in Atlanta). Ryan's parents also visit!

First through is Joshua Jones, 26, GA (47503). Josh works with glass and sings Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" fairly well, despite facing the wall as the judges were distracted by his eye expressions while singing. Simon said it was too karaoke but he gets through with 2 votes.

Asia'h Epperson, 18, MO (50641) is in the Top 24. She tells us her father died 2 days ago in a car accident - rough! She changes her audition song to "How Do I Live" and gets through most of it, though I'm curious to hear her sing when she's less emotional (her voice cracked on higher notes & was very breathy). The judges are sympathetic but I think she would've made it through anyway. Paula takes a Kleenex break. ;-)

Brooke Helvie, 18, FL (40592) is a pageant girl hoping to prove Simon wrong & show him that she has genuine talent. Her "Who's Loving You?" is very good. Simon gets a hug after putting her through (though admits after she left the room that she annoyed him).

Alexandrea Lushington, 16, GA (41800) is another T24. She sings "My Funny Valentine" and is decent. Her 93-year old grandmother (there at the auditions with her) is cute.

Our 3rd Atlanta auditioner in T24 is Amanda Overmeyer, 22, IN (didn't get her # but Yay, Indiana!!). Her early nickname is 'rock & roll nurse' as she's a respiratory nurse (who does home visits helping people learn to use their equipment) who rides a motorcycle & has streaked hair. She sings some Janis & then, at the judges' prompting to do something else, "Traveling Band." Has a husky voice but seems to have potential. And there's a cool chick from my normally-perceived-as-hick-filled state, so another yay!

The last contestant shown is Josiah Leming, 18, TN (46069), T50. He's a high school dropout living in his car and sings one of his own songs, "To Run." Having visited his MySpace, I'll say I was a bit disappointed. I didn't hear the vibrato on his recorded stuff, though maybe it's partially nerves. Anyway I really liked his songs and vocally he reminds me of Howie Day. The judges marvel that the southern teen sings with a bit of a British accent, mate. (Simon is pleased.)

Altogether 20 advance to Hollywood; we saw 6 of them. One more night of auditions and then it's time for the Hollywood rounds!!

AI7 Auditions - Miami (1/30/08)

Miami had over 10,000 auditioners; that seems to be the 'magic' number this year. Miami has fewer people advance to Hollywood than Omaha did, but the talent is more impressive, IMO anyway....

Robbie Carrico, 25, FL (73070) is Top 24. I knew his backstory from spoilers and was actually surprised Ryan tells the audience in narration, at least part of it: Robbie the Rocker used to be in a boy band! (He also dated Britney, but I understand why that wasn't mentioned!) The guy's already hated online by many as a poser, and I wasn't prepared to like him... but I do. Potentially a lot. ;-) He sings "Simple Man" and is very good. Seems to have a nice (polite, mature) personality. And definitely a sense of humor, shared by his family who cover him in Silly String when he emerges with the coveted Golden Ticket.

Ghaleb Emachah, 27, FL (71352) is originally from Venezuela. He plays guitar, piano, and harmonica and sings "gypsy music." I thought he was ok; Simon said he'd like him if he (Simon) were drunk. Randy & Paula put him through.

Next are BFF's Brittany Wescott (76599) and Corliss Smith (75918), both 20 & from FL. Corliss is first and sings "Take 5" to Randy. Brittany follows with "My Guy," to Simon per the judges' suggestion. I think Brittany has a very pretty voice, though Corliss is maybe a better singer? Anyway both are advanced and there is a hugfest.

Suzanne Toon, 21, FL (76501) attended a performing arts school. She also got pregnant at 18 and had her daughter Madison at 19 (Madison's father did not stay so Suzanne is a single mom). Suzanne says she hasn't sung in 3 years. "I Can't Make You Love Me" - she's good, and her voice has an interesting/different tone.

Next we get a clip of Jasmine Trias (of whom we had more than enough during her own season, "thank you") and are told that her album went Platinum in the Philippines. Our next contestant is also Filipino: Ramiele Malubay, 19, FL (74854) & T24. Sings (ok, belts) "Natural Woman" and has potential though the high notes stretch her. Simon says she doesn't sound contemporary enough and thinks Randy & Paula only like her because she's short & cute (which she is), and she advances. End of Day 1.

First on Day 2 is Syesha Mercado, 20, FL (67235) - another T24. Syesha was a finalist on the (too short-lived) competition show "The One" so we know she can sing... she does "Think (Freedom)" and is belty but good. We also get family clippage of her w/her father who just got out of rehab after struggling with drugs & alcohol "for years."

Natashia Blach, 29, CO (68639) sings "At Last." She is very good also.

Our last good singer in Miami is Ilsy Lorena Pinot, 29, FL, RT50. I don't know the song she sang but she's good enough.

There are very short clips of 3 guys who advance. Then several folks who don't.

Not advancing but worth mentioning is Julie Dubela, 16, who was in the Top 20 on American Juniors several years ago. She has a good voice which comes out in parts of "Me & Bobby McGee," but she also over-performs and is annoying. When Simon tells her she's precocious, she haughtily asks, "what does that mean?" and the judges giggle. Simon encouraged her (honestly) to pursue acting and she got upset. The judges labeled her over-indulged, which is probably true, though not her fault.

Last is another annoying no (this one a guy all in white). In total 17 advance from Miami. We were shown auditions of 9, which is over half - wow! Plus we were shown 1/8 of the Top 24! Ending with the usual end montage (though it has more repeats of those we've already seen than normal)... and next stop, Atlanta!

AI7 Omaha Auditions (1/29/08)

For the first ever Omaha auditions, we have 10,000 people. Paula's plane is delayed so we start with just Simon & Randy (she arrives between Jason & Rachel). (I'm still just listing the people who advance, though I also have notes on some who didn't so if you have questions, please ask!)

Jason Rich, 21, IA (35192) works part-time on his girlfriend's father's farm. He sings "When You Say Nothing At All," or, rather, tries to, but keeps saying nothing at all because he forgets the words. They are *very* generous in giving him several tries & he eventually gets enough out to judge. He has a nice, somewhat country sounding voice.

Rachel Wicker, 23, MO (25548) is an arm-wrestling tomboy. Simon doesn't accept her challenge, nor does he care for her song "Don't Tell Me to Stop Loving You," but Randy & Paula do.

For some reason Ryan and Paula switch places for one audition, though they switch back before all the judges give their answers. Samantha Sidley, 22, CA (37491) is RT50. She is shy or lacks self-confidence (fidgets while singing, which Ryan points out but Paula says it doesn't matter because - all together, now - "It's a Singing Contest") but sings "Don't Know Why" very well and advance with 4 yesses.

Elizabeth Erkert, 19, IL (36166) sings "I Heard It Through the Grapevine." We don't see her full audition, but we do see her later saying she'll prove Simon wrong; she *will* be "America's Next Top Model...oops!" ;-)

Denise Jackson, 17, WI (36387?) sings a song I don't know but I love her voice & presentation.

Michael Sanflippo, 19, IL (28505) has shaggy blond hair and sings a Stevie Wonder song. Love his voice!!

Angelica Puente, 17, WI (33642) has a sob story about being estranged from her overly strict father. After she sings "Power of Love" and advances, Ryan calls her dad and he's all, "She's always been my Idol... I love you." Awwwww (not really).

Now they show clips of Chris Daughtry singing and talk about how wonderfully successful he is. And how that success has caused lots of other rockers to come audition (right, because before Season 5 Idol didn't have rockers. None at all. Especially not 2 in the top 8 of the same season or anything!). And they show clips of said rockers, but we know that some are from other cities because we've already seen them. However, there is at least one here in Omaha...

David Cook, 24, OK (36214) is RT24. He says he watched Chris's audition hoping to find some strategy he can use. It wasn't fashion-wise, because he has a multi-colored mohawk and wears an argyle sweater vest. Regardless, he sings "Living on a Prayer" 100 times better than Jordin, and easily advances. I could like this guy! He describes himself as vocally "versatile" and "personable."

Last shown is Leo Marlowe, 23, IA (35790) who tells us his mom always says, "I raised the perfect homecoming queen, it just wasn't one of my daughters." Interesting intro; the judges laugh. He sings "A Song for You" and is much better than the set-up led me to expect.

That was 9 of the 19 total we're told advanced to Hollywood. I counted 9 more in the end montage so there's one who didn't get shown at. all. (Unless it was the dude yelling "Goodbye" at the very end, but I doubt it.) Also out of these 18 we were shown, there were 3 blacks and maybe 1 more minority, but by far the majority are Caucasian. This is Omaha, but still, seems a bit lopsided.

Oh well - next up, Miami!!

AI7 Charleston Auditions (1/23/08)

Over 10,000 audition, and 23 advance. We are shown a whopping 4 of those 23. (They're getting worse at this as the shows air!)

First shown, and last shown, is Oliver, whose wife went into labor so they went to the hospital and baby Emma Grace was born. Oliver came back on Day 2 & auditioned at the end of the day with "Get Here," but wasn't quite good enough. The judges got to meet the baby though.

Siblings Michelle (26, #54204) and Jeffery (24, 54203) Lampkin, SC, are the first to go through. They sing a duet of "I'm Your Angel." Jeffery is very good, and a riot! Michelle got a no from Randy but both advance.

Amy Flynn, 16, TN (56598) is captain of her dance team and in STARS, a group that teaches abstinence. She proceeds to give a speech to Simon. She sings "Reflection" and is good, but her personality will grate (and Simon tells her this, to her utter surprise!). Paula loved her (not a surprise).

Last on Day 1, and the last good audition we're shown, is London Weidberg, 24, SC (56662), whose father died of cancer 3 years ago. She sings "Good Morning, Heartache" and is decent. Simon said she doesn't have anything unique, and we never actually see whether he said yes or no, but the other 2 say yes so she's in.

RT50 who auditioned in Charleston: Well, I guess Lisa Aukerman is the only one we know for sure. And that puppy they showed in last night's preview was nowhere to be seen! :-(

AI7 San Diego Auditions (1/22/08)

Over 12,000 people auditioned in San Diego. 31 advanced. Of those, we were only shown 6!

Tetiana Ostapowych, 24, CA (9535) sang "Someone to Watch Over Me." Another blond with a decent voice.

Perrie Cataldo, 27, AZ (9764) is a single dad whose son is pretty adorable. Sang "I'll Make Love to You" and the judges loved him.

Michael Johns, 28, CA (474) is on the RT50 and it's clear why! Sings an Otis Redding song called "I've Been Loving You Too Long" and is definitely the best male singer we've heard so far. He also has an Australian accent (moved to the US 10 yrs ago) and isn't hard on the eyes. If he makes it to the top 24 I'll be very surprised if he's not voted into the finals.

Last on Day 1 is Samanta Musa, 20, CA (7848). She & her sister both think Simon is hot; I'll try not to hold that against her, as I *adore* her voice! She sings "Until You Come Back to Me" and I get a bit of a country/southern rock vibe (a la Wynonna or Bonnie Raitt). LOVE.

The one I kind-of wish would've been put through is Blake Bushnack, 22, on his 11th audition! Best remembered for wearing a Statue of Liberty costume in S5, Blake's mother is obsessed with the show and probably much of the reason for his obsession. However, he can actually sing! His "Stand By Me" isn't mindblowing, but it's at least as good as several other contestants they've put through (and better than a couple, like Kayla Hatfield, IMO). Oh well... there's always next year!

Now the much promoted David Archuleta, 16, UT (11394), RT50. We learn that he suffered from vocal paralysis (one of his vocal cords was partially paralyzed) and didn't want to risk surgery but has mostly recovered. We don't learn (at least not yet, and maybe not ever from the show itself) that he's a former Star Search winner. He sings "Waiting for the World to Change" and there are glimpses of greatness, with a side of nerves (he flubbed some words). The judges love him (as do many young female fans, rumored to already be starting the "Arch Angels" fan group!). A shoe-in for the finals if he makes Top 24.

Lastly we have Carly (Hennessy) Smithson, 23, CA (175), also RT50. Carly & her hubby own a tattoo shop, and it shows (though more on him than her). She is from Ireland and after she advanced to Hollywood in Season 5 she found out her Visa wasn't coming soon enough so she was disqualified. For some reason she's very nervous, and Simon said she actually sounded better 2 years ago. She over-embellished "I'm Every Woman" and I haven't dug up her previous audition but I might just agree (not that it was aired). Anyway, she's in easily.

AI7 Dallas Auditions (1/16/08)

Dallas saw over 13,000 try out, with a total of 24 advancing to Hollywood. There hasn't been an audition stop in Dallas since Season 1 (where they found Kelly). And one hopeful didn't make it to her audition because she went into labor! She named the baby - a boy - "Idol."

First up is Jessica Brown, 24, TX (24576). She basically says she was a meth addict in college and heard "Jesus, Take the Wheel" as she was starting rehab so it was a very important & special song to her. Now she's a wife and SAHM of 2. She sang "I'll Stand by You" and was pretty good. Simon said she made the song interesting. Advances with 3 yesses.

Alaina Whitaker, 16, OK (12709) sings Faith Hill's "Stronger." She has a great voice and IMO is the best we've seen so far! She has long blond hair & looks a little bit like Carrie Underwood (are we sensing a theme here?). She's Rumored Top 50.

One I kind-of wish had gotten through is 19-year old Bruce Dickson, who made a promise with his dad's encouragement to wait for "the one" and not even kiss a girl until his wedding day. He's built up as one you expect to be really bad, but I thought he was pretty good (on "Ain't No Sunshine") except for some strange phrasing & being a bit shouty. Oh well; I'm sure he would've gotten much ridicule.

Pia "Zpia" Easley, 24, IL (19948): "I've Got to Use My Imagination" Pia is a black gal with very short hair (& a mini mohawk) who says she's a model and background singer. She sings confidently and has a good, soulful voice. Simon likes her a lot.

Up next is Brandon Green, 21, MS (19450), another RT50. He has collected his fingernails (that he "peels" off) in a Ziploc bag for years and shows them to Ryan. Alrighty then. He wants to be a positive influence on others if he wins. He sings "Rich Girl," an interesting choice. He's decent; Simon thinks he's forgettable so he advances with 2 votes.

Kayla (or Kayla Dawn) Hatfield, 24, TX (24697) lives on a horse farm and has 2 children. When she was 18 she was in a serious car accident and her face was severely scarred, though it has healed well. She has an incredibly positive outlook on life and is so "happy" that Simon says he wants to be her for one hour a day. She shouts & growls her way through "Piece of My Heart" but there are glimpses of a good voice in there. Simon says yes right away; Paula says no but Randy puts her through.

Last on Day 1 is Kady Malloy, 18, TX (16874), yet another blond. She does vocal impersonations & demonstrates a spot-on Britney. She starts "Before He Cheats" but the judges stop her in favor of doing something to show her own voice better. She chooses "Unchained Melody" so of course Simon loves her; he says she's the best they've seen so far (I think this was the first audition city).

Ryan says Kady & "11 others" made it through on Day 1. The montage shows the remaining 6 of these 11.

Day 2 starts with the Bad, and seems to continue with more bad, until...

Kyle Ensley, 21, OK (20929) is presented as a political candidate (with some cute editing stuff). A junior at Oklahoma State, he's double majoring in International Business and Political Science. Kyle is wearing a light yellow shirt with a red tie and has curly hair and glasses. He lists qualities that a good candidate should possess and says he wants to be a good role model - "Elect Me as your next American Idol!" - and we're all classifying him as the typical nerd who thinks he can sing. When he starts Queen's "Somebody to Love" we find out that he's right! He has a good voice with decent control & confidence. Simon asks him to promise he won't do what Clay did in doing "weird things" with his hair and wearing a red jacket, and he promises. Randy says no but Kyle advances as Paula gives in and says yes. I like this one and look forward to seeing what else he has up his sleeve!

Next through is one of my favorites from RT50, Colton Swon, 18, OK (21757). He's in a band w/his brother and plays guitar (pronounced "git-tar"), drums, and bass. He could be a tween favorite with his cute face and spiky hair. He sings "Boondocks" by Little Big Town (I hadn't heard of them before this week) and has a good Southern Rock sound. He tries to fool his parents that he didn't get through & even got the judges to say mean things as he was walking back into the hallway.

Another guy from the RT50, Drew Poppelreiter, 24, MS (16216) is a farmer who gets a big background clip w/his family. He sings "Check Yes or No" and has a deep country voice. Simon says no (because "it's not my thing" - yet he *adored* the blond female country singer!!) but he advances with the other two judges' votes.

The last to advance is Nina Shaw, 24, from Kelly's hometown of Burleson, TX (19679). She's a tall black gal wearing a yellow flower in her hair. She sings "Run to You" which is just ok & then part of another, jazzier song. Simon says too cabaret but she advances with 2/3.

The last auditioner gets a lot of airtime. Renaldo Capuz is a 44-year old Asian man wearing a white, feathery hat and cape-like jacket. His hat has Simon's name and he praises Simon before, during and after his song ("You're a great person, Simon"). He sings an original called "We're Brothers Forever" and Randy and Simon encourage him to repeat the chorus about 10 times. He's not a terrible singer but is very shouty. Still, could have a little William Hung style popularity potential.

The ending montage shows another 5 who advance, including a white guy w/very long dreadlocks who has to be Jason Castro from RT50. But that leaves 3 of the 24 that we were never shown at all, even briefly. One may be Michael Preston, listed in RT50 as auditioning here. Aaron Sanders is also listed and I believe he may be the tall black guy in the post-Day 1 montage who said "I'm a Star."

And in the preview for next Tuesday's San Diego stop we see David Archuleta, one of the rumored frontrunners.

So far I'm happy with the audition shows and excited for what the season may hold. I'm also ready for a break for a few days though!

Idol Season 7 Premiere - Philly Auditions (1/15/08)

And we're off! Again this year over 100,000 people auditioned. First up is Philadelphia, where we're told the "biggest crowd ever" showed up.

I will say that, at least for the first half hour, Idol did much better than last year at showing decent singers. In fact, of the first 10 shown, half made it through! I'll only list those that got through, though I have detailed notes (as usual) so if you have questions/comments about anyone else let me know!

*I'll also post a warning that if you don't want to know who's rumored to be in the Top 50, stop reading! I will mention them as they are shown auditioning (tonight there are a few...).

Joey Catalono, 19, NJ (#82270) has lost over 200 pounds. He sings Maroon 5's "Sunday Morning" and is decent. Yesses from all 3 judges.

Melanie Nyema, 26, CA (87970) sang backup for Taylor Hicks. "Unwritten" is ok. She gets through with 2 votes.

Junot Joyner (a guy), 25, MD (89586): "I Guess that's Why They Call It the Blues."

Jose Candelaria, 23, NJ (81135) sings "Unbreak My Heart" in Spanish.

Jonathan Baines, 17, DE (81879) sings a song I don't know but he's good. I'm told it's "A Little More You" by Little Big Town. He's also extremely tall.

During a segment on "family support," we get very short clips of 5 people advancing (& several others that don't). Among these 5 is a girl I recognize from the rumored Top 50 list (which I'll be abbreviating "RTop50"): Amy Davis, from Indiana! She has a guitar so I'm assuming she played it for her audition. I really hope we get to see her audition, maybe in something like last year's "The Best of the Rest" audition show.

Last to advance on Day 1 is Angela Martin, 26, IL (87531). She has a little girl with Retts Syndrome and wants to make enough money performing so that she can get her the best medical care possible (yes, our first sob story, of many, I'm sure). Fortunately she can sing; she does "Signed, Sealed, Delivered." Simon tells her to lose her wedding band singer habits & she'll do well.

He also says, after hearing her family/friends screaming in joy w/her outside the door, that he doesn't understand the US custom of celebrating for someone you know when they get good news. He says he couldn't be happy for someone else in this way, and he's completely serious. Which seems strange, and sad.

Moving on to Day 2...

Kristy Lee Cook, 23, OR (77610) gets a long background clip which meshes w/her being in the RTop50! She lives in a log cabin & does lots of sports; she also buys & trains horses, one of which she sold for the $ to travel to audition. She sings "Amazing Grace" excellently; she has nice control and a country tone to her voice. (edited to add: there is some controversy surrounding a music video of hers with a Confederate flag in the background.)

Beth Stalker, 28, MI (84173) is a SAHM who sings in clubs at night and recorded an album of "Sunday school songs" when she was 4. "Bewitched, Bothered, & Bewildered." Simon says no because he doesn't think she'll stand out enough so she advances w/2 votes.

Chris Watson, 20, DE (86697) has big dreams: he wants to be a "legend" whose albums are around for 30 or 40 years. He sings Uncle Kracker's "Follow Me" and is good; he also has a good look (Simon agrees). Simon also said he has a good recording voice, and Randy told him not to be afraid to take chances because he can "really sing."

Lastly we have Brooke White, 24, CA (88122) who's another RTop50. She works as a nanny, is married, and admits to never having seen an R-rated movie. She sings Corrine Bailey Ray's "Like A Star" and is good (I like her MySpace music even better - and strangely I'm as excited that she apparantly knows Clay's former backup Jacob Luttrell as that she knows James Taylor [whom it says it currently online also; how bizarre is that?! Gotta love the internet!]). The judges really like her and Simon jokes that they'll "bring her over to the dark side."

At the end we get the normal ultra-short clips of the rest of the 29 total who advance (though somehow I count 30, so I must have someone in twice). I like to make notes of these folk for later when there are people in the Top 24, for instance, that have never been mentioned or featured on the show before, so we can go back & say Yep, they really were there!

Tomorrow - Dallas!

If anyone knows what Jonathan sang please let me know. :)

More AI7 Spoilers

Apparently VotefortheWorst.com has branched out into Idol news. ;-) They've got a great run-down on the large number of 'quarterfinalists' (my term for those rumored to be in the Top 50) who are "professional singers" &/or have major industry contacts/experience. Like Melinda and Brandon from last season, or even Paris Bennett whose Grandma was famous... or even last year's winner Jordin, some might say (though surprisingly I've not seen her name mentioned alongside Melinda & Brandon), since she toured with Michael W. Smith. I don't care... I just want good talent!

Current Media from Past Idols

A few recent things from the Idol world I've been enjoying, holiday and other...

George and Mandisa sing Christmas music (thanks mj for the videos!!).

Elliott's 8-track CD "Sounds of the Season." Includes a great version of "This Christmas" which I adore (and which Ruben did waaaaaay too slowly, but then that's Ruben for ya). I can't find clips on Amazon, etc., but I got mine for $6.99 at Target.

Constantine's independently produced album. Soooooo good!! And a good mix style-wise. My favorite (as it really highlights his vocals) is So Long.

And a final congrats to Chris Daughtry for having the #1 selling album of 2007! So much for needing to win to succeed...

Season 7 Spoilers

Hey there everyone! Only 14 more days, so in the meantime if you're as anxious for new Idol contestants as I am, check out some spoilers! (Stop reading now if you don't want to know!)

As "Hollywood Week" has already taken place, there are names floating around of the supposed Top 50. With photos and music samples for several. Here's the latest from mj's blog! (She also has weekly Billboard #'s, Idol Headlines, and Appearances for Idol alums if you're interested.)

There will be some familiar faces (those who've tried out before, and a gal named Syesha who was on the too short-lived "The One") as well as relatives of past Idols, like Fantasia's brother. Supposedly the contestants are allowed to play instruments this year - yay! But rumor also has it that the beloved group numbers are no longer - that was always my very favorite part of Hollywood Week, so I'm majorly bummed there! Who could forget (or top?) last year's Quartet of Awesomeness (Blake, Chris S, Rudy Cardenas [*sniff*], and Tom Lowe doing "How Deep Is Your Love")? It's always fun to see how several of the finalists seem to hook up for these groups.

Also Fox has preview photos up from each audition city. Look closely & see if you can spot a former Idol finalist! ;-)

Not Dead Yet!

I'm not dead, though my blog appears to be. Just thought I should let anyone know who happens to pass by. ;-) I'm fine, just not blogging these days! I may come back next AI season... we'll see. Feel free to email me or visit the message boards where you may've first found me.

AI - Top 11

This week is extra-exciting as it will determine the Top 10, which is the group that will get to go on the tour (and guaranteed to be on the album, though sometimes it includes more). Our theme is the British Invasion, and special guests are Peter Noone (from Herman's Hermits) and Lulu. They've both obviously watched the show & know a bit about some of the contestants. And Lulu gives incredibly helpful vocal coaching to the girls!

Haley chooses "Tell Him" and performs ok; keep in mind that's a female opinion. She was wearing shorts and high heels, showing off her legs, and a backless top, the front of which highlighted some other assets as she danced & pranced her way out into the audience and in front of the judges (it wasn't lowcut, just allowed for a lot of... jiggling). With that in mind, here are the male judges' comments: Randy said it was the perfect choice for her & her best performance yet. Simon said "You naughty thing," called it/her fun and young, and predicted that people would be talking about more than her singing today. Finally he gets one right.

Chris R. - "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" In the intro we see Peter saying there "may be more to his voice" than the rather thin, nasal side we're all used to; at least he was tactful about it. Chris started out sitting on a stool on the stage w/just a guitarist on another stool. Another 'ok' for me, just wasn't very interesting. The audience seemed to love it though. Randy said it was a great performance & every note was in tune (aside: is it just me, or is it sad they have to mention this as a compliment rather than something that's a given for the supposed top 11 singers out of around 100,000?!!); Paula said it was a good choice & arrangement. Simon said it was his best yet, he had good control & it didn't sound old-fashioned.

Stephanie sings "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me," and I really, really hope she does something like Nadia did w/this song because that was awesome. Unfortunately, she doesn't, she just sings it softly and prettily, but it doesn't entertain me (rather, it makes me want to run to my computer and listen to Nadia's version!!). Randy & Paula call her on pitch; Paula also said she needs to have more fun. Simon said she's losing her edge/soul.

And now the real competition begins... Blake has chosen "Time of the Season" and Blake-izes it. Peter liked the arrangement but warned him not to change it too much... and he didn't, it was just right. A bit of beatboxing here & there, enough of his smooth moonwalk/dancing to show that off, but vocals - especially on the verses - that were spot on, intense, and almost sultry. (Too bad he dresses so unattractively; he was wearing another pair of plaid pants and a jacket over shirt & vest on top.) Randy called it brilliant; Paula said she felt as if she were at a concert. Simon said it was a million times better than last week; it was a good choice & he made it contemporary without messing up the melody. IMO this is the 2nd best performance of the night.

Lakisha admits to not being familiar w/any music from the British Invasion (!), and is torn between "You're My World" and "Diamonds Are Forever." She picks the latter and gets to wear about a million dollars' worth of them along with a very unflattering green dress (Paula's main comment is that she was smart in choosing this song because of the jewelry!). The song is good but different for her; didn't hold my attention other than a couple glory notes. Randy said he "didn't feel enough Lakisha in it"; Simon says it felt too old, both vocally and visually. I agree.

Phil sings "Tobacco Road" and I'm excited he finally gets to show his rock side. I can easily picture him doing 'power ballad' type songs, and I'm a big fan of the genre. Anyway, Peter likes his performance & said it's a great choice for his voice. I agree; not only does it show off his higher range, it shows that he can sing low as well! I mean really low... and really well. Do more of that, please! Randy said it was pitchy in spots but good/enjoyable overall; Paula said it was a good choice for him. Simon didn't like it & said it wasn't believable because he didn't have enough grit. Well, I kind-of agree, but it was still one of his best & will hopefully propel him into the Top 10 where he can sing me a pretty power ballad on tour.

Jordin is up and sings "I Who Have Nothing," another song I don't know. Lulu loves Jordin and says this kind of "dramatic" song will be good for her. Amen, sister! Wow. Jordin really knocks this one out of the park and I soooo hope she gets to do it live because it would be awesome. The song has soft, almost chilling parts, as well as louder sections... she nails them all. The crowd loved it, of course. Randy said she chose a tough song but gave a great performance; Simon said she sang beautifully but the song was depressing.

Sanjaya is also torn between 2 songs; he acknowledges that he's not the best singer in the competition so wants to choose whatever he can do the best. He decides to rock out to "You Really Got Me" and is actually pretty good! When he's singing at full voice rather than softly, he shows off the nice tone we heard from him early on. He was wearing era-appropriate (but not unflattering) clothing, came out to the platform, and generally had himself a blast. I was entertained and am now sure that I want him on the tour, as well as sticking around on my tv for a while. Randy is shocked (pleasantly) & said it was his best yet, and Paula also loved it. The only annoying thing was that there was this girl in the audience so excited to be there that she cried during every performance, and they showed her about 7 times during Sanjaya's song! Well, Simon said "the little girl's face says it all," not understanding that she was actually enjoying it!

Gina picks "Paint it Black" and disappoints me this week. It's not a belt-rock song like the Evanescence, and aside from a few interesting vocals toward the end it just didn't entertain me. Randy said it was pitchy & not her best; Paula said it was way better than last week & could tell that she had fun. Simon said she was so off-key that there were "moments of complete torture" (ouch!), and that she is "style over content." Unfortunately this week I have to agree; I hope the negative comments propel her fans to vote her into the top 10.

Chris S. does "She's Not There," but first we see him showing Peter that he's a guy who does his homework (asking him about some 'sexiest' magazine issue he was in, for example). Chris says he loves this era of music and this is one of his favorite songs. He starts out in the audience and works his way up to the stage. Overall it was good but didn't showcase his vocals enough for me. Randy said he started rough but he liked it overall; Simon said it wasn't the best vocal of the night, but it was better than last week & was fun and showed his personality.

Melinda closes us out with "As Long As He Needs Me" (-wow, no one did "To Sir w/Love"!). She says the theme is out of her "comfort zone," and I agree that it shows in her performance. The ending & a few other parts were really good, but overall it was my least favorite of her performances. She did have a cute new haircut though! Randy said it was the best vocal of the night, stunning, & she's a pro; Paula says she's in her own league. Simon asks if she's really as nice as she seems and said it started out boring but that she made the 2nd half "sensational" with her impeccable vocals.

Whew! Ok, overall Jordin was the best, and the first 3 were the worst. I'm predicting Haley, Phil, and Stephanie in the bottom 3 with Stephanie (I hope!) leaving. Let me know your thoughts!

Grease - Finals

Tonight 3 become 2, and we vote to pick the winner! This is the last competition show, and next week is the last show.

to be continued...

AI Top 12 Results

There were almost 28 million votes this week. After the recap we get a group medley (Diana Ross songs of course) - yay! And the girls are having reverse hair day - the ones who normally have curly hair have it straightened, and vice versa. And the Ford-mercial! I'd actually forgotten about those. It's to "Float On" and features Chris S. fairly prominently (hmm...). The funniest thing is that when they're in 60's/70's outfits and everyone has wigs on, Sanjaya doesn't because he already has the right hair!

For the eliminations Ryan has each contestant stand up right at the couches & announces their fate.

Lakisha - safe
Gina - safe (yay!)
Brandon - bottom 3
Jordin - safe
Chris R. - safe
Melinda - safe
Phil - bottom 3
Chris S. - safe
Stephanie - safe (wow!)
Blake - safe

which leaves Haley & Sanjaya. I'd have bet money that of these 2 Sanjaya would be the safe one, but he's not!! Haley is safe and Sanjaya finishes out the bottom 3.

Diana performs "More Today than Yesterday," and, well, the quality of her singing was higher yesteryear than today. Her red flowy dress makes her look like a phoenix when she raises her arms. It was sweet when she was performing, that she went over to the couches to sing with & lightly hug the contestants on the end! (Who just happened to be Melinda - sure - and Chris R.)

Afterward Ryan asked her to predict who's going home. She wouldn't; she said "I am!"

Phil is the first sent back to safety, so it's down to Sanjaya & Brandon. Brandon knows that he's the one going home, and he's right. Unfortunately there's no time after the montage & Ryan's introduction to air his sing-out; the credits start rolling & the show cuts off before he even sings one word! Oh well, at least he got to sing for the studio audience.

So, one more week to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak, and then we'll know who's on the tour & the album.

AI Finals - Top 12

It's finally the finals! We're back to the bigger stage, band, theater, & live audience, which will be a factor for good or bad in some of the performances. Tonight we are "celebrating" the music & career of Diana Ross, the "most successful female recording artist" ever. She says she enjoyed mentoring the contestants & we see her telling them that she wants all of them to have career longevity.

Brandon is up first with "You Can't Hurry Love." Well, he needs to hurry some up from voters after this performance. Not only was the song not great to showcase his vocal ability, he totally forgot some words in the middle when he paused for a dance move. He didn't cover well, either. Randy said it was boring & he seemed like just a background singer. Simon said it was a complete let-down, a predictable performance and that he showed no star quality.

Melinda sings "Home" and is also predictable IMO: 'predictably' awesome! I always enjoy watching her perform and the crowd absolutely loved it, making Melinda rather emotional as she faced the judges. Paula was also emotional as she knew how much moments like that mean. Simon said she made a boring song good and that she reminds him of a young Gladys Knight.

Chris S. sang "Endless Love." He tried to modernize it by "changing some chords," he explains. We see Diana cautioning him in rehearsal to just focus on singing the melody. The judges said the same thing after hearing his arrangement (which sounded strangely like a Coldplay song). While it was good, it perhaps wasn't as necessary as Chris (& his gut) thought. He also decided to leave the glasses off, which was also a poor decision (he looks like Hurley on Lost!). I feel a bit sad for him because Simon keeps telling people to do something original & stand out, but he got criticized for doing that. He pays close attention to the judges' comments but sticks to his decision when Ryan asks if he regrets doing it that way (standing up for himself in a humble way as opposed to a cocky way, IMO).

Gina sings "Love Child" and was telling "Miss Ross" about how she liked to sing this as a child despite not understanding the story at that time. Diana kept encouraging Gina to "pronunciate" the lyrics so to best convey the story (apparently that is a real word, just used rarely). I thought Gina performed well. Randy said it was pitchy & boring; Paula agreed that it wasn't her best. Simon said there wasn't "much to say" and then kept on talking, lol, saying he did think it was a good song choice for her & it wasn't bad but nor was it great enough to wow him.

Sanjaya's hair is protesting the flat-iron treatment last week by being ultra-curly this week! It's a bit much, but he certainly brings the charisma tonight! And a touch of vocal talent. Despite singing done-to-death-and-then-some-on-AI "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," he projects, embellishes, & creatively enhances several sections of the song. The rest he sings softly & uninterestingly (except for aforementioned charisma; boy was workin' it!), but it's definitely better than the past 2 weeks & shows a touch of why he was in the top 24 to begin with. Randy pretty much hated the performance (said he was "speechless"), though he liked the creativity of hairstyle that he's showing. Paula said he needs to "let go" more, vocally, and Simon (after a few boos) ended by "being positive" and saying that Sanjaya is "brave."

Haley chooses "Missing You" and tells Miss Ross that it makes her think of her fiance. Diana explains she wrote it after Marvin Gaye's death (music trivia!). She also says Haley has a good studio recording voice but doesn't project well enough for a live stage performance. For much of the song this is true, and she is also off-key. However, toward the end there was a strong, high part that showed better vocals than I've ever heard from Haley before, including a glory note or two. Unfortunately, right as she entered that section she botched the words. She'd spoken to Ryan earlier about being more nervous this week so she was very upset after the performance. Randy & Paula focused on the negative but again Simon was complimentary! He started by saying "I didn't think it was that bad," which made Haley totally lose her composure & start crying (partially from relief & gratitude!). He said he was impressed w/her stage presence and some of her vocals. She said that she felt terribly about the performance but wanted the judges to know that she really appreciated the positive comments.

Phil sings "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" and for some reason is much more confident and comfortable on stage than he has been. He commented before that he hasn't started off well and that he'd do better this week, and he did! Showed he can sing in the lower range as well as the high stuff; I think this was his best performance yet. I need to listen again, as it's bugging me who his voice reminds me of...? Randy says it's the best male vocal of the night (so far; he's 4th out of 6) but that the song seemed lacking. Simon said it was a good choice but that he shouted the big notes. He said it was still better than last week's. Phil made rawkhands while Ryan was giving his voting number (I read in TV Guide that Phil likes/wants to do rock but doesn't want to be compared to last year's bald rocker!)

Lakisha had never sung "God Bless the Child" before but did a great job! The crowd really loved it, too. She purposefully held back the belting and Randy appropriately complimented her on not overdoing it. He said it was "sensational" & the perfect song choice for her. Simon said, "You either have it or you don't... and you have it!" He said that she & Melinda are in a different class talent-wise than everyone else.

Blake sings "You Keep Me Hanging On," apparently unaware of the song's reputation for getting Idol contestants kicked off! Maybe his changing the arrangement will break the curse, as he made it somewhat electronica). It was interesting that Diana enjoyed his arrangement (unlike with Chris). It was good; I don't think he's necessarily the best male vocalist, but I think he's definitely the most musically talented (and experienced performance-wise). And I don't know why, but he really, really looks like Robin Williams to me tonight! Randy didn't like the arrangement & said his vocals are better than this showed. Paula liked it & said his arr. was better than Chris S.'s. Simon said "I didn't get it" and that you don't need to change classics.

Stephanie sings "Love Hangover" in an Asian-style dress that I don't think flatters her at all. She's good, but she doesn't make me care (I miss Sabrina!). I didn't notice it, but Randy & Paula mention that she forgot some of the words. They also said that she sang well but they were very disappointed she didn't include the upbeat, disco-style part of the song (Simon said it was as if she just sang an introduction). Stephanie replied that this showed her vocals better. Simon said it was a poor choice & she was outsung by several others.

Chris R. sings "The Boss," yet another I don't know. He was cutely starstruck with Diana. It's an uptempo song & she suggested he really "work" the stage & audience, so he started with even more bobbing than usual (stop channeling Elliot!) & went out to the platform for part of the song. Overall it was a good performance & possibly his best vocal yet. Randy said he overdid the runs but he still enjoyed it; Paula said he best (of the guys) nailed the mix of classic & contemporary (I don't know the song & rearrangement wasn't specifically mentioned, but he could have.) Simon disagreed & said based on singing alone - without his charm & personality - that it was terrible.

Jordin is last with "If We Hold On Together," a very Disney-sounding song. Diana said she's beautiful & has star quality, and she told Jordan to focus on her projection (of the lyrics/story). She started seated on the stage & really looks gorgeous. The song was great, she really showed her range vocally and stylistically (belting to soft). Randy was impressed & said she just "made it a 3 girl race." Simon said it was "a little gooey" (hee! and yes!) but "very, very good vocal."

Whew! In summary Melinda was, as usual, the best. I think Brandon or Stephanie will go home & that Haley will round out the bottom three.

Grease Semifinals

Tonight we will see the top 6 contestants perform, and next week will be the Finals! I'm assuming this means of the top 3 in each gender, the winner will be announced in one final episode next Sunday. So, it's the last night to vote!

The group opens with "Grease is the Word" using a row of lockers as props (and stage entrances!).

Tonight's guest panelist is Rob Marshal, nominated for 6 Tony Awards, director of Chicago, and brother of Kathleen!

The two guys who will be in the sing-off later are... Austin and Chad. Austin has the lowest number of viewer votes.

In tonight's performances the girls are to show the emotions of Sandy, while the guys are doing Elvis songs to show certain qualities of Danny... I missed the exact wording, but you get the idea.

Allie sings "Natural Woman" and before I comment I have a disclaimer. I'm currently watching Idol Rewind and this week had Kelly's "Natural Woman" performance. Now, for most people, "Stuff Like That There" was her breakout. For me it was "Natural Woman." Rewatching it I still thought it was amazing, and I even got a little choked up thinking about how she was 'making her mark' at the time & how successful she is now & all that. So... back to Grease. It's possible Laura could've done a version that compared to Kelly's, but Allie cannot. Every time Allie sings "You" (...make me feel) I cringe because she just doesn't hit it. The rest wasn't bad, it just wasn't great.

Derek sings "Look Like an Angel" and it's his best vocal performance in weeks. Which makes me nervous for Max & Austin since I want them to be the top 2. I still don't love Derek (but I know people who do! You know who you are!) but this was a good performance.

After each pair sings we get video clips from their friends & family at home! Fun and Idol-ish. Derek gets all teary & Billy's trying to be all supportive, saying "real men cry" & such. Hee!

Laura is up and she sings "Don't Leave Me This Way." I'm not familiar w/this but it's upbeat & has a lot of high parts and she does very, very well! Since Kate left Laura is easily the best female vocalist remaining.

Max... gets "Suspicious Minds." I start to swoon just thinking about it... ;-) He does a great job, totally acting all of the story & emotions of the song. I still wish he would project more but the band was rather loud too & maybe that was part of it. I wish I could put his look & style with Austin's vocals; that would be the ideal Danny!!

Max's 6-year old brother was the highlight of his video clip. The kid totally knows all the moves from Max's "Summer of '69" routine!! Too cute.

Jim was asked to comment on these two performances and just said he was "speechless."

Next we have a group performance of "All That Jazz" in honor of Rob. It's really, really good! He was impressed as well. (Seriously, I think all of the remaining contestants could get jobs on Broadway after this, not leads yet, but definitely work.)

The sing-off is "Rock & Roll Party Queen," and Austin says backstage that he's ready to "fight." The song doesn't allow a wide range, but he shows what he can, as does Chad. The panel says they've decided to keep the best all-around triple threat, the better dancer, singer, and actor, which is Austin. Yay! Billy asks Chad to say which guy he'd pick to win of the 3 left, and he says Max.

Now for the last 2 performances.

Ashley sings "You Keep Me Hanging On," known for getting contestants kicked off of Idol. She does a very good job w/the acting.

Austin gets "I Can't Help Falling in Love" and is just... wow. This is the perfect song to showcase his voice in his best range. Knowing the contestants don't pick their own songs, it makes me wonder if the panel want him to win (or at least get more votes) by giving him this. No choreography to allow him the chance to go over-the-top; just singing and walking around.

I think it's a tough call, but I still prefer Max to win. Any of the girls could do Sandy, but I guess I'd pick Ashley.

The panel give their favorites of the night: All 3 regulars choose Laura (Rob refuses to say!), and for the guys Kathleen picks Max and Jim & David pick Austin (they were the ones complaining he was too OTT before, so you know they really liked tonight's!). I've heard speculation that if Austin doesn't win he'll be asked to play Kenicky & understudy Danny. Either way I think he & Max will have plenty of opportunities in the future. For selfish reasons I'd prefer to see them in a touring show or on tv, since I'm not in NYC!

AI - Top 16 Results

This week there were almost 37 million votes cast over the two nights. We start off with a fun group performance of "Stuck in the Middle with You." Almost everyone gets solos, except for Sabrina & Sanjaya who have a duet... foreshadowing perhaps??

I'll try to do this in order; some were brought down onto the stage in pairs, others singly, to be given their fate of either advancing to one of the chairs for the Top 12 or performing their sing-out and going home.

Lakisha and Blake - both safe
Chris S - safe
Jordin - safe
Phil - safe (he was very emotional!)

Jared - out (boo!). He was surprised; he embellished the vocals more in his sing-out like Paula had suggested, & it was very good!

Melinda & Brandon - both safe
Gina & Chris R. - both safe

At this point Carrie Underwood performed her current single "Wasted." Her vocals are great, as always, and her stage presence has improved quite a bit (of course she's more relaxed not having to compete!).

There was also a big announcement about a new charity program called "Idol Gives Back," in which international and US children will be helped. There was footage of Ryan & Simon in Africa, and Randy will be taking Paula to (his homestate) Louisiana. April 24th & 25th will be the main focus as sponsors will donate based on votes and viewers will be able to donate as well. There will be many guests such as Borat, Pink, Josh Groban, Michael Buble, Annie Lennox, Gwen Stefani, and Bono. Quincy Jones is also writing a special song for the top 6 to perform & record.

Back to the results...

Antonella & Stephanie - Stephanie is safe and Antonella is out. (She mixed up some of the lyrics in her sing-out, solidifying the justice of her fate, in case anyone was still wondering!)

The last 2 girls are Haley & Sabrina. Haley, I'm guessing because she's the only contestant who's remotely country this year, is safe, and Sabrina is out. Personally I liked Sabrina better than Stephanie, but many say Sabrina holds no interest for them despite being a good singer (like LaToya London in S3). The judges were surprised & disappointed, Randy outright saying that she should be in the finals. She did her sing-out.

And the last two guys are Sundance & Sanjaya. Really neither 'deserves' to advance, but, not surprisingly, Sanjaya is safe and Sundance is out. The judges aren't just surprised but really make it seem like Sanjaya should not be advancing; he handles it well though. Sundance quips "Somebody give me a job!" before his sing-out, and we get a montage of the 4 leaving.

No big intro's for the Top 12, guess that's just for the Top 24 now. Next week's theme and guest artist is Diana Ross. I think Haley & Phil will need really great performances in order to make it past next week.

AI Semifinals - Top 8 Girls

Jordin is up first. Her video shows that she's a big football fan, the kind that wears face paint. She sings "Heartbreaker" and is very good. Randy says tonight is like a different show & that she's better than any of the guys. Paula loved her energy; Simon said it wasn't her best but she'll be around next week.

Sabrina worked as a reporter for her high school tv show & wanted to be the next Katie Couric, but is happy she discovered singing because she's better at it. She sings En Vogue's "Don't Let Go" and is great, as usual! Randy called it solid but his favorite; Paula said she can sing and is consistent; Simon agreed w/Randy & said [her performance] lacks emotion and personality.

Antonella plays and teaches the violin! She sings "Let Your Hair Down" by Corrine Bailey-Ray; it's a good musical style for her. She also seems more confident, and she sounds pretty good. Randy says it's pitchy & was "just ok;" she's been better. Simon said she's gone as far as she can (in the competition). He did mention the recent media "attacks" & said she's held up well.

Haley was a serious gymnast until she amassed too many injuries to continue (around age 15). She sings an upbeat, country song called "If My Heart Had Wings." It's ok; doesn't hold my interest. Randy agreed (it didn't have a "yo" factor). Paula said she sang well & looks great. Simon said it was horrible & admitted he doesn't remember her name.

Stephanie used to be so shy she wouldn't sing for anyone other than her parents. She sings a Chaka Khan song I don't know and is very good, though it wasn't her best. Randy said parts were pitchy & he can't help but compare her to the original. Paula said she needs to watch the beat but it was "near flawless;" Simon said it was one of her best but that she tends to copycat the original singers.

Lakisha is scared of all animals! She sings "I Have Nothing" and is great; she emotionally connect w/the song which enhances her already awesome vocals. She also straightened her hair & has a nice black dress on; she looks very pretty! The judges loved it; Simon said she brought passion & believability, plus (unlike last week) she looked beautiful. That of course made her very happy! We also get Ryan over with Lakisha's mom & aunt who are exuberantly excited (she says she asked them not to 'act up'!).

Gina shows us her lucky charms: a mini troll she keeps in her pocket, a stuffed pickle, and a pillow from her niece & nephews (w/their photo on it). She rocks out to "Call Me When You're Sober." It's hard for the diva-wannabe contestants to take on famous divas, and it's hard for a rocker-wannabe to take on Evanescence's Amy Lee, but Gina pulls it off! The last note was off-key but the rest of the song was awesome! Definitely my favorite of the night. Randy said she had pitch problems but he loved the vibe; it was definitely back to what they liked about her earlier in the competition; Paula agreed. Simon said it looked like she was comfortable & enjoyed herself. He said that was what they wanted from her, and he hopes she makes it through because she's a "breath of fresh air." She replied, "That's the Simon I love!"

Melinda is last and tells us about some of her quirks, that her friends liken to OCD, such as having to chew equally on both sides of her mouth or touch something cold with her left hand if she touched it with her right hand. Um, ok. She sings "I'm a Woman" and is fabulous! I so love her. The audience does too. Randy said she was the best of the night and is ready to walk into a recording studio; Paula said it was phenomenal & she's very likable. Simon said "You little tiger!" He loved it & said he's glad she's enjoying herself.

The last two were the best of the night & easily my favorites. Jordin, Sabrina, Stephanie, and Lakisha were also very good. Which leaves Antonella and Haley, but I don't think both of them will leave. I predict Haley and Sabrina (but Antonella or Lakisha could be in trouble...?); we'll see!

AI Semifinals - Top 8 Guys

The last week of Semifinals! Tonight's video clips will reveal some secret thing we don't know about each contestant.

First is Blake, and we learn he loves improv. comedy. He demonstrates one of the characters he does. He sings "All Mixed Up" by 311. I don't recognize it, nor do any of the judges, but it's good, a bit reggae-ish, & he beats a little. The judges enjoyed it & like that he's "current" and different.

Sanjaya apparently lived in Hawaii for a few years and expects us to be surprised that he can hula dance. They straightened his hair tonight and I really, really don't like it. He sings "Waiting for the World to Change" which I also really, really don't like (the song in general). He's better than last week but still the song choices don't showcase his voice. The judges agree.

Sundance says (seriously/dryly) that he's skinny in real life and wears a fat suit for the show... so we don't get to hear a secret from him. He sings Pearl Jam's "Jeremy" and I can't give much of an opinion since I don't care for Pearl Jam (Mr. Pez is a fan, but he didn't see it). Randy said it was pitchy but he liked the combination of Sundance's Southern rock style with Pearl Jam. Paula loved it; Simon said last week was better.

Chris R. reveals that he used to be "chunky" and has lost 40 pounds. Good for him! He sings "Tonight I Just Wanna Cry" and makes me miss Ace. ;-) It was just ok, til the end/chorus which was really good. The judges liked it; Simon said it was a safe choice but he sold it.

Jared tells us he played college basketball. Um, he's a fit, really tall black guy; this is supposed to be surprising? Hee. He sings "If You Really Love Me" and reminds me of Ryan Starr who was recently shown singing this (better) on Idol Rewind. He's good, on key at least. The judges agree, and Paula actually tells him he should add more embellishment to his vocals.

Brandon plays classical piano & we get to hear a little (good night for piano players on Fox!). He sings "I Just Want to Celebrate" which is a strange choice. He's better than he has been with something upbeat like this, but I know he can do better. Paula loved it but Randy & Simon weren't wowed (Simon so much that he called him by the wrong name!).

Phil tells us that he used to have long hair. When he was 'forced' to wear it short (I'm guessing ROTC) he didn't like it so just shaved it all off. He sings LeAnn Rimes' "I Need You," which starts out (like 2 weeks ago) horribly but improves with the strong, high notes. Judges agreed. I really think he could, and definitely should, go home this week; he just doesn't have consistency.

Chris S. is like the anti-Phil and says he always had short hair until about 2 years ago when he shaved it & then grew it out. He says the curls are all natural. He sings "We All Want to be Loved" (DC Talk - cool!!) and is very good; easily the best vocal of the night, though that's not tough to do this week. For some strange reason that she doesn't give, Paula didn't like it at all. Randy says it's the best of the night; Simon says he was shouting in the middle (Simon really doesn't like anything remotely shouty, does he? Did he criticize Chris Daughtry for this last year? I really don't remember his doing that & was definitely shouty!).

My predictions to go: Phil and Jared. Brandon could be in trouble but I think he has a big enough fan base due to more air time than Jared that he'll make it to the finals.

Grease - Guys' Night (3/4/07)

Tonight, other than sending one potential Sandy home, is all about the guys. We start off with the 4 of them doing "Greased Lightning" with the fitting prop of an actual car on stage.

Each of the guys has some footage from a special 'field trip' designed to help them in their perceived area of weakness.

Austin is up first. He needs to work on his looseness and sense of humor on stage, so he goes to a comedy workshop. Unfortunately he mostly interprets this as, he needs to show that he can "act funny," instead of the real issue which is that he just needs to relax & stop trying so hard at everything. During "Fun, Fun, Fun" he is accompanied by 3 of the girls (making it difficult for David and especially Jim to pay enough attention to Austin to have intelligible comments). About half way through when the goofy 'choreography' subsides, Austin does actually relax and do really well. Most of the vocals are great too; I'd never realized what a range this song calls for. Anyway, David says it's better but is still disappointed; Jim mostly agrees but is still distracted; and Kathleen disagrees and says she appreciates the "energy and attack" Austin brings to the stage & that she thinks he's a great musical theater talent.

Derek is next. He met with a "vocal therapist," whatever that is, but it's different than the vocal coach they all work with every week. He has us all convinced he won't crack again, even mostly through his song "Heaven," but then he does, pretty much sealing his fate. Bummer, as I was finally starting to kind-of like him and think he could be a decent Danny.

Max is told he needs to work on his "physicality" to be able to convince people he's a "gang" leader. Gang in the sense of Danny in Grease, anyway. So he goes to learn to box! Fun. Takes him a while but looks like he gets it. He's assigned "Hard to Handle" and for the first time I can actually understand all the lyrics to this song! Wow, that's some good enunciation. Oh yeah, he gets the stagger & macho attitude down fine too. All the girls in the audience think he's dreamy and though the judges insist on reiterating that he doesn't have typical Danny look (why, because he's somewhat short? Seriously...), they admire his Talent and have enjoyed seeing him improve over the course of the show.

Chad is last and needs to learn to project "energy and emotion" throughout a theater instead of just connecting w/those in front. He does some Shakespearian acting one-on-one with a guy who sits in the last row of the theater, and Chad still has a hard time understanding what he's supposed to do, because he thinks he's the best actor there. (on the show; he's the only actor in the theater so that wouldn't be that hard.) He performs "Don't Stop Me Now," a Queen song I've never heard before that's kind-of hard to follow. It's difficult to sing and Chad's vocal weakness shows; I'm not sure about the projecting. The judges have issues as well but say that they still like him.

Time for the girls' sing-off: Laura and Ashley are safe and run backstage to work on designer prints (get it? Laura Ashley?). Kathleen and Allie are made to sing "It's Raining on Prom Night," but I don't know why they even do the sing-off as the decision obviously has nothing to do with their performance thereof. Regardless, the judges give their decision, and David makes it clear that they were not unanimous. While Allie got the lowest number of votes (really?), she's also the one judgeKathleen & Jim are saving, leaving contestantKathleen to go home the third time the viewers voted her into the bottom 2. Whew!

Lastly the panel members are asked for their favorite Danny of the night, and all 3 pick Max. As do I. I think at this point it's his to lose, we just have to figure out which Sandy he'll work best with.

AI - Top 20 Results

This week there were over 32 million votes cast (and none of them were mine!).

The group song is "Joy to the World" & is very fun!

Guys up for 1st elimination: Phil, Chris S, Sundance, Blake, & Jared are safe; Nick is out.

Girls: Stephanie, Gina, Sabrina, and Melinda are safe; Alaina is out. (She was too emotional to sing, so the rest of the girls came out on stage w/her to 'help'. Shots to the guys showed several of them teary as well!)

Kellie Pickler is here! With a few changes... her hair has aged about 40 years (it's shorter & curly, like a 60's do) and she's almost certainly had some 'enhancements'. Ryan was hilarious, asking her what she'd been spending her money on. She said "shoes," and he asked if there was anything else, & she said no. He said, "Really? Just shoes?!" But then left it at that.

She sang "I Wonder," which she (obviously) cowrote, as it talks about her mom not being around as she was growing up and wondering if she wonders about her. It wasn't bad. Apparently her album is gold already & she's touring as an opener for Brad Paisley!

Back to the guys: Chris R and Brandon are safe. Ryan brings Sanjaya & AJ down onto the stage and then tells AJ that he's been cut. I've seen extremely shocked faces at eliminations before, but Sanjaya's is right up there. He knows AJ was so much better than him... but that's not what it's about, at least not the way the producers edit (i.e. Sanjaya got tons of backstory and early screen time, whereas AJ? Absolutely nothing.). Paula echoes this, saying it's supposed to be a singing competition & tonight doesn't reflect that. Oh well... AJ sings, and is even better than he was Tuesday, which was pretty awesome. Definitely the best vocal performance of the week. Sure, let's vote him off! Makes sense to me.

Girls: Lakisha & Haley are immediately told they're safe & Ryan brings Antonella, Jordin, and Leslie down next to him. Jordin is safe, but unfortunately so in Antonella, leaving Leslie to go home. (Jordin & Gina cry.) We get the montage of all 4 so then Leslie's sing-out is cut-off around the middle. After starting the scat she sings, "Why did I just scat on American Idol? America don't care for jazz...."

AI Semifinals - Top 10 Girls

I'm behind on the recaps (and is anyone even reading??), so I'll keep it brief:

Gina (dedicated to boyfriend Joe) "Alone" - very good! R&P loved; S said he's confused as to who she is (why?).

Alaina (mom) "Not Ready to Make Nice" (? - Dixie Chicks) - not great.

Lakisha (grandma) "Midnight Train to GA" - Paris' was better; this was good but almost boring throughout most of it.

Melinda (2 friends, her "Gails") "My Funny Valentine" - awesome!!! Judges agreed.

Antonella (her brother) "Because You Loved Me" - girl has serious song selection issues. She was better than I expected & better than last week, but still not great.

Jordin (younger brother) "Reflection" - Decent. She was very emotional & I think that hurt her vocals.

Stephanie (parents) "Dangerously In Love" - her dress was gorgeous, the last note was fantastic, and the rest was very, very good.

Leslie (late grandma) "Feeling Good" - great at the beginning when it was all soft & smoky, but did a big scat section in the middle & the end was just meh.

Haley (fiance) "Queen of the Night" - ok.

Sabrina (grandma) "All the Man I Need" - great!


The best of the night & easily my favorite was Melinda.
I predict Leslie & Alaina will go home.