You Take The Good, You Take The Bad

There is a lot of talk going around about how bad this week's show (songs from the 21st Century) was and although I am guilty of the same, I have to remind you of this:

In the end, this is a television show. It's about ratings and number of viewers. So, much like the contestants are coached to select good songs/arrangements/clothing, I can't but help and wonder if these "bad weeks" are encouraged by the producers...I don't believe they outright tell the contestants what's going on. But a little nudge here (Katharine, dress like a toy soldier from The Nutcracker), a faint whispered suggestion there (Ace, be more literal: touch your hair when you sing 'hair', touch your scar when you sing 'scar') and a bad performance is born.

Would the show be as talked about if every week was stellar? No, because that is boring. American Idol is, and always will be, about the controversy, the upset, the heartbreak and the bad performances. Why do we endure weeks of auditions at the beginning of the season? Because millions of people love and sometimes even *gasp* prefer those performances! Don't get me wrong, we love seeing our favorite knock it out of the park, but much like real life relationships, our love affair with Idol wouldn't be as compelling (and we certainly wouldn't have remained monogomous this long) if it weren't for the craptastic show like we just endured.

In conclusion: do not fret. We have been setup to see some great performances ahead. Who knows if Country Week will deliver said knockouts, but they are there, just on the horizon.

And personally, I can't wait for all the ups AND downs.

The Most Under- and Overrated Performers

Entertainment Weekly has listed their top 5 Underrated and Overrated performers from the past seasons of AI. I agree with all of their underrated performers and only agree with some of the overrated (#4 and #2).

From Justin to Carrie
[http://www.ew.com/ew/article/commentary/0,6115,1168457_3_0_,00.html]

Poll Results (21st Century Week)

Poll Results (50's Week)

Let's Pick the Shittiest Songs of the 21st Century

Wow! Tonite had to have been the worst Idol episode of all time. No one was good. NO ONE! I didn't like a single performance tonite. The only one that was mildly entertaining was Paris. But I didn't like her song choice at all so I wasn't all that into it. Actually, I take that back. I enjoyed Taylor a little as well. It was nice to see him just sing a song and not be all Tourette's like he normally is.

Let's talk about Lisa. I figure we might as well because she's going home tomorrow. Seriously, just because you like a song doesn't mean that you can get up on stage and sing it; even if you do have a good voice. And if the song you love and are attempting to sing is Kelly Clarkson then you better sing the hell out of it because you know everyone is going to be comparing you to her. Sorry, but I think people are now thinking of Kelly as one of the untouchables (like Whitney, Celine and Mariah). Lisa was nowhere even close to being able to tackle that song. She was flat on most of the notes and although she tried to show emotion it still came off boring. All that added to the fact that she went first and has been in the bottom 3 the last weeks means you're going home. Bye.

The rest are lucky because they just got a free pass to next week but I dont' think any of them should feel safe because they were all equally bad. It really is going to be tough to pick the bottom 3. I actually think there will be surprises tomorrow.

Lisa for sure. I think Ace will most likely be the 2nd. He just wasn't good. Like I said a long time ago, he's strictly a balladeer. Once he starts doing fast stuff he sucks. The last spot is a tough one. Kellie was pretty horrendous and deserves to be in the bottom but i have a feeling her fans will keep her in. Bucky was pretty bad as normal but I do think that this was one of his better performances and might squeak by. Mandisa was all over the place and it sounded as if she was shouting her song more than anything else. Plus, I think it may be a little too "Jesusy" for tv and might turn off voters. Paris, Chris, Elliot and Katharine were all just ok.

So out of those I am going to go with Kellie or Mandisa for the last spot. I think it will end up being Mandisa, Ace, and Lisa.

And really, I don't care who it is. They all sucked. I didn't even bother voting this week.

Songs Of The 21st Sucky

I'm not going to even post my thoughts about the show tonight, because it was all boring. But I will say that it feels like reality is eating it's own tail when Idol finalists sing songs by former Idols (Lisa sings "Because of You" by Kelly Clarkson).

Bottom 3: Lisa, Ace & Bucky
Eliminated: Lisa

Here's something more interesting: Idol Curse?

I Walk the Line

So there is a lot of talk over the fact that Chris Daughtry is "claiming" that his arrangement of "I Walk the Line" was orginal, when in he fact he did the cover version from the band Live. On the show, the judges all said he was original and his arrangement was great and really played to his style. He didn't correct them, but yes, that arrangement DID play to his style and he sounded great on it. However, he didn't do Johnny Cash's version (as everyone thought) he did the Live version that sounds more like his style. So just because he didn't correct the judges he's somehow taking credit for it being his own arrangment? I don't think so! I guess everyone getting pissed off because Chris is running away with this competition and their precious Kellie Pickler is getting on everyone's nerves with her stupidity. How can people claim that Chris is cheating because he's picking songs that fit his style? He's still within the genre of the week, just finding covers that fit him. And besides, the entire competition is about singing cover songs people! The point is to sing a song that everyone knows but add your own twist to it. I remember last year when Carrie Underwood sang "Piece of My Heart". No one was upset that she chose to sing the country version of it rather than the original Janis Joplin version. Chris is doing the exact same thing. Get over it.

50's Night

Tonite was a great show! There was a good variety of music and everyone sounded amazing. At first, I wasn't all that thrilled that Barry Manilow was the guest of the week. But everyone seemed excited because he had done wonders for the contestants in Season 3. I couldn't really remember any of that except that no one knew who he was and that pissed him off. But this time, I was totally able to see how he helped each contestant find their niche in the song. That man is a genius! If he can make Kevin Cobais sound good then you know he's doing something right. I think he and Byrd should work together every week, each season and really make the contestants shine. That would add a whole new level to the show.

Highlights:
Chris!! Man, oh man. I loved his rendition of "I Walk the Line". I'm not the biggest Johnny Cash fan and I vaguely know the song but I thought Chris' version was amazing. He made the song sound so much more haunting. Now, he actually did the band Live's cover of the song, but still it was amazing. By far, the best performance of the night.

Paris was also really really good. This is the type of stuff she needs to be doing. I loved the tribute she did to Peggy Lee in the first half of the song and then really belted out and made it her own in the 2nd half. That should definitely put her back up into the top half of the field.

Katharine was beautiful, elegant and sexy. I loved her performance. She just keeps getting better each week. I can't wait to see her in the finals.

Lowlights:
Bucky. That was a really underwhelming performance. I think it's about time for him to go. He doesn't really have that great of a voice and I can only see him struggling through most of themes.

Lisa. While she sounded great again, the song just didn't connect with her and the audience. That seems to be her problem. No one is connecting with her at all. Even this attempt to be youthful and fun didn't really work. And red high heels with white capri pants? Yeesh!

Taylor is just boring. People seem to really like him because he's interesting to watch but I just don't get it. His song was average, showed no range, and his performance was pretty bland. You can tell he loves singing and being on stage but I get the feeling that he's doing everything for himself, not really trying to connect with the audience at all. He deserves to be in the Bottom 3 tonite but I don't think he will be.

Bottom 3:
Bucky
Lisa
who knows. It could be Kevin but I think his fans will keep him safe for two more weeks. It should be Taylor but he's staying around for a long time. And people are now talking about Elliot so maybe it's him. I don't really think anyone else did horribly that they should be there. It's going to be intersting.

I think Bucky is finally gone (but would not be shocked if it was Lisa).

Poll Results (Stevie Wonder Week)

It looks like everyone expected Bucky & Kevin to be joining Melissa center stage, but Jesse pegged it with a vote for Lisa & Ace. It just goes to remind you that you have to be memorable and although Ace wasn't bad, you have to be REALLY good to be remembered if you were the first performer. Also, Lisa was at the beginning of a string of fantastic performances...again, not memorable.

As for the elimination, I would remind everyone to vote how America will vote (consider the middle of the country and who they root for) instead of just picking who you WANT to go home.

Now I give this rant almost every year, but for anyone who hasn't heard it, here is my take on American Idol and specifically this season, thus far:

American Idol is a show about singing, vocal talent and discovering an up-and-coming star. For me (and judging from past season winners, I'd say America feels the same) I want to vote for someone that starts the show with a raw talent and develops over the season. I want them to come into their own, but you know all along that they have something great to showcase. Performers that are polished and perfected before the Top 2 or 3 are to me, in a way...boring.

This season, Chris, Taylor and Mandisa already seemed too seasoned for me. Sure they will give some fantastic performances and I will enjoy hearing them, but I won't get excited to see how they will interpret the song.

Enter my girl, Katharine.


As I said (even before Simon), she is Joss Stone + Kelly Clarkson. She is very unique and each week I am excited to hear her soulful and powerful version of a song. Now, I wanted a guy to win just as much as the producers and I thought Ace might just be that guy, but I am dedicating myself to another girl American Idol: Kathrine McPhee.

Stevie Wonder Night

Rather than going over everyone's performances I will just quickly cut to the chase and bitch about what I think........Kellie Pickler sucks balls! (and not in that good way either). Seriously, that bitch needs to go. She has no business being in the Top 12 now. There are so many things about her that pissed me off last night but the biggest was her "this is hard because I'm just a country girl and only sing country music" attitude. No shit dumbass! That's the whole point of the show. You're supposed to go out of your comfort zone and see if you can handle whatever they throw at you. If you can only sing country music then you have no versatility and shouldn't be on the show anymore. So go home! Man, I'm sick of her. I hope she's in the bottom 3 tonite and possibly even goes home!

And, as much as Chicken Little sucks, he killed me last night! That was by far the most entertaining performance of the night (but not necessarily in a good way). He's really funny to watch and at least he's playing along. He'll probably stick around for another week or so.

Melissa is actually starting to grow on me. I think she's really pretty and has a good voice. She definitely won't win but I would love to see her last a little longer. I thought she did well last night. And before people start commenting on how she forgot the lyrics, Kelly, Clay, and Carrie also forgot their lyrics during various performances. It's just part of being a performer. Even singers forget the lyrics to their own songs sometimes. I've been to Pearl Jam and Indigo Girls concerts where they needed to ask the audience what they lyrics were.

Chris was the best of the night. With Katharine next. The two of them are definitely the best of the bunch. It's going to be a great top 2. All the rest were just average (with some really bad).

I think the bottom 3 tonite are going to be Ace, Kellie and either Lisa or Kevin.

Poll Results

It was bye bye for Kinnik (and rightfully so) but it was an unexpected leave for Ayla Brown (except for Jesse who correctly predicted the upset). I do think it is appropriate for us to remember that America, in general, loves their ladies very young (or at least young looking) yet there is no room for such youth with the guys. Clay Aiken could be considered an exception to this rule, but notice that he did not win...

We were all ready for Gedeon to depart but due to his strong performances we were expecting him to stay around a bit. Will would have done better on Season 1 and am I the only one who saw a little homo in him? ;) Kevin, Kevin, Kevin. He IS this season's mystery.

So as far as the claim that Jesse is the better American Idol fan, I'd like you all to consider that aside from a few minutes here and there on a friend's computer (my computer has been in the repair shop), I have had not had the luxury of perusing thousands of articles, websites, discussion forums, etc. and getting the inside scoop from bookies as my fellow Blogger has. Just going off the pulse of America and my own TV viewings I was able to correctly identify only one less eliminated contestant than Jesse. :)

TOP 5: Chris, Mandisa, Katharine, Taylor, Ace

The Chosen Ones

So we finally have our final 12 to compete for the title of American Idol. There were a couple of surprises along that way. Before we get to that though, I just want to point out that I picked 9 of the correct 12. Ryan picked 8 of the 12. It's safe to say that I'm the better Idol fan. :) Sorry Ryan, it's true.

So let's talk about the shocks of last night. First of all, I was a little surprised that Will got knocked off. I wasn't really expecting him to do very well in the final 12 but I definitely thought he was better than both Bucky and Kevin. So that surprised me. I wasn't suprised (in fact, I was very happy) that Gedeon got knocked off. I think his overconfidant (cocky) attitude, plus his over-enunciation of words were too much for people to handle. However, he did have a better voice than Bucky and Kevin. So I think the real shock was that Bucky and Kevin actually made it in. I am predicting that Chicken Little will be the first person to leave next week.

On the women's side, it was no surprise that Kinnik left. She was horrible on Tues night. What was surprising was how great she sounded last night. I guess once you're kicked off and have nothing to lose anymore you can let everything go and just sing the song. She sounded great last night. If she would have sounded like that on Tues she would've definitely still been in the competition.

And I'm really proud that I called the Melissa/Ayla upset. But not really. When Ayla ended up being the one kicked off I was actually a little sad. I didn't realize how much I liked Ayla. I'm going to miss seeing her in the final 12 and not having her on the CD at the end. Melissa definitely deserves her spot though as she has only grown each week. But I predict her leaving in 3 weeks (after Chicken Little and Bucktooth). Melissa is going to be this year's Jessica Sierra.

I'm so excited that we're really in the competition now. It's going to be intense. I already hate the first theme (Stevie Wonder) because ever song will probably be a ballad but it'll be interesting to see what everyone picks. I'm really curious to see what Chris does.

My top 3 picks are Katharine, Chris and Mandisa.

The Top 8 Women

Finally! Now that Bitch (I mean Brenna) is off the show we can actually have a good competition going. I'm excited to watch everyone because I think they're all fairly equal in talent.

First up was Paris. First of all, did she (or anyone else) not learn during Season 3 that Gloria Estefan is just about the worst song choice ever? You never sound any better than what you get on a cruise ship. But Paris was able to pull it off. She didn't sound amazing vocally (because the song sucked so much ass) but her personality definitely made it better.

Lisa. She has a great voice but I think she's a boring performer. She keeps picking boring songs as well. She'll easily make it into the finals but I really don't see her getting very far (maybe to #8). She really needs to start singing some current, upbeat songs or she's gone.

Melissa. I thought she was great last night. That was the perfect song choice for her. I really think that if someone stumbles she could sneak into the finals. She reminds me a lot of Jessica Sierra. She's got a great voice but can't seem to find a fan base. Unfortunately, if she does make it into the finals she'll probably be out first or second.

Kinnik. That was pretty bad. If you're gonna sing Alicia Keys then you better have a great soulful voice. Kinnik has a good voice but she definitely have lower tones that dont really sound great when singing something like this. I think this is definitely her last night.

Katharine. WOW! She sang "Think" so easily. She sounded amazing, had good power and control, and had a lot of fun while singing it. The whole thing was, as Simon said, effortless. If she keeps performing like that she'll easily skate into the final 2. I think she realized how much having fun and connecting to a song really matters in a performance so hopefully her song selection will be consistant like that from here on out.

Ayla. This was an ok performance. I'm glad that she tried something a little uptempo but it wasn't the best song choice. I think Ayla has a great voice and really needs to sell it each week. Unfortunately she didn't this time. This could be the one performance that Melissa needed to move into the finals. While Ayla wasn't horrible, it wasn't amazing either. Plus, some people might be getting tired of Ayla being so perfect in everything she does so I can see her "accidentally" getting left behind and Melissa taking her spot in the finals.

Mandisa. HOORAY FOR MANDISA! Now that was a performance! She has an amazing voice, tons of personality and picked the perfect song for her. If she doesn't make it into the top 5 I'd be very surprised. It's between Mandisa and Katharine for being the top woman in this field. Awesome.

Kellie. Ugh. I'm so tired of Kellie and how retarded she is. I can't believe that she's really that naive. If so, then how the hell is she still alive? I'm tired of her cutesy "I ate Sal-mon" and "I'm a mink" sayings. Vocally, the performance was just ok. She has the weakest out of everyone that's left now and I think it should last night. When she goes for the higher notes her votes tends to lose it's fullness and starts to sound a tiny bit strained. It was a good song choice for her but it's getting hard to compete with others that have better voices. Right now, she's skating on her looks and "personality" (which has to be fake. No one can be that dumb.)

So who is going home? Definitely Kinnik. Most likely Melissa. But if there's an upset then I think Melissa is in and Ayla is probably going home. But I don't think that's going to happen.

I can't wait for the men tonite!

Poll Results

Not surprisingly, you correctly guessed Brenna and Heather to be booted last week. (I do have to admit that I didn't remove the poll once the results were shown so some of you might have submitted your "guess" once you already knew who was going home...shame on you and your family!)

The guys' poll was a little bit closer of a race. I think you, however, that you are accurately predicting this week's results as well. Jose & David left us last week. And next up to leave American Idol Season 5: Bucky, Gedeon or Kevin. Bucky could either find support from country lovers or a lack of interest due to Carrie Underwood's win last year. Gedeon had a very strong vocal performance but might be turning people off due to his ego (myself included). Poor Kevin...

But don't be surprised if he makes it through! Every season there is one contestant who makes it farther than anyone expects, and usually displaces a much better and more deserving contestant:

•Season 1 = Nikki McKibbin
•Season 2 = Josh Gracin (or in my opinion, Ruben Studdard)
•Season 3 = Jasmine Trias
•Season 4 = Scott Savol

Keep on voting and we'll see who truly understand this wonderful beast we call, American Idol!

Long Time Gone

Due to travel (see my other blog [ryanaceto]) I will be unable to post regarding this week's vital round of performances and subsequent eliminations.

Jesse, who is more than adequately prepared will provide you with recaps and hopefully humor.

:)

Bring On the Men

Aaaah, we get the boys singing again and, like last week, they outsang the women by a mile. This was definitely huge pick up from last night but once again we got an ecclectic list of song choices. So let's jump right in and see what I thought.

Taylor Hicks. Once again, I found him to be completely average. I know a lot of people really like this guy but I think he's going to quickly start losing fan support. He's got a good voice but doesn't do anything with it. Plus, I don't like his "woos" that come out of nowhere. This performance was completely forgettable. Aside from the fact that he has gray hair I don't think there was anything distinctive about his singing today.

Elliott Yamin. Wow, once again he comes out with a great song and sings the hell out of it. We saw one of the crooners from last season sing this in his audition but I think Elliott really sang it a lot better. I loved the jazzy stuff he added to it and his tone was amazing. This guy is a definite contender!

Ace Young. Wow. A big difference from last week. I've never heard this song before but I didn't like it. Ace really struggled with most of the song but sounded great on his falsettos. I think he's going to have some problems during theme weeks, especially if he has to start singing faster songs. I really think he's just a balladeer. That being said, he has no risk of leaving this week but I think he did get knocked down a few pegs in possibly being in the finale.

Gedeon. I hate this guy. I really do. His smile bugs. His speaking voice bugs. I hate the way enunciates every single thing he says. And then he opened his mouth to sing and I was like "damn". He was really good tonite. I was really impressed and I think he'll stay until next week. But I would really hate to see him make the finals because that means I have to keep seeing him on tv. And dude, he's only 17/18? He looks like he's 25 or so. Again, creepy.

Kevin Covais. OMG, I loved the whole interview. I was cracking up throughout the whole thing. This little kid is gonna get so much action throughout Idol. I bet he'll get the most out of the guys. LOL. I actually really liked his performance. Vocally, I thought it was great. But his dancing looks very much like William Hung. He's a cute kid and I think he'll make it to next week. I loved the Chicken Little reference as well. The whole performance put a smile on my face.

Sway. UGH! If last week wasn't bad enough we had another horrible performance from Sway. At least he wasn't in falsetto the whole time but he was flat. This was abysmal. It's gonna be tough to see if he makes it out of this week.

Will Makar. This kid surprised me tonite. I was like "Lady? That's such a boring song." but I think he sounded great on it. I loved the fullness of his voice tonite. Really good job. That should propel him into next week.

Bucky Covington. I really don't know how much more I can handle of the whole "I'm from the south and don't know a damn thing about anything" routine that we keep hearing from him and Kellie. It's getting really old. He busts out with Garth Brooks. I love Garth Brooks! And "Thunder Rolls" is one of my favorite songs of his! I hated this version! I thought Bucky was all over the place vocally on it. His voice wasn't strong enough to carry the emotion of the song on it. I think this may be Bucky's last week with us.

David Radford. I really like this kid. I think he has a great voice. I just wish it wasn't in that crooner style. It was an ok performance but I dont' think people are going to vote crooners in anymore after John Stevens (thanks John, you ruined an entire genre with your bowel-inducing performances). He's a cute kid but I'm not sure how far that will get him. And he didn't look pleased with the judges comments at all.

Chris Daughtry. OMG Chris Daughtry! I love me some Chris Daughtry. Like Bo last year, this guy knows exactly who he is and what he should be doing to showcase himself. Like Bo, he's on a whole different level. If this guy isn't one of the final 2 then America is fucked up. This was such a great performance. His vocals would fit perfectly on the radio right now. I cannot wait to see what he does next week. And i'm really anxious to see how he handles all of the theme weeks.

So here's my rankings.

Chris
Elliott
Gedeon (damn, I can't believe I put him so high)
Ace
Will
Taylor
Kevin
David
Bucky
Sway

As for who is going home. I really don't know. I think it's between David, Bucky and Sway but I can't nail who will be leaving. Tonite is a hard one and I think there may be some surprises tomorrow. It's gonna be a good one.

The Girls: a completely UNDERWHELMING experience

For fuck's sake! Tonite was just plain painful to watch. Seriously, do these people want to win or not? Tonite's craptastic episode really makes me long for the amazing stage presence of Carrie Underwood (sarcasm) and the vocal prowess of Kelly. I don't see any of these women even coming close to what the previous Idols have done. Anyways, here's what I thought. They're in reverse order from last week.

Katharine McPhee. After that lame "we're dorks but I love her" montage we get some song that I've never heard of it. She's ok. She sounds a little flat on most of the notes. Her performance is boring. And what the hell is she wearing? Pants? Shorts? A skirt? Luckily she had an amazing week last week. She's still the best vocalist in the competition but this was an awful performance.

Kinnik Sky. I love Gretchen Wilson but this was no where near good. Kinnik's voice is too low. She looked like she was having fun on stage but it didn't sound all that great. I think she might struggle getting past this round.

Lisa Tucker. I actually saw her perform in the Lion King back in the day and thought "that kid has an amazing voice". Now, I still think she's got an amazing voice but damnit stop picking such boring ass songs! This is going to be her problem because she's going to be seen as a boring performer that no one can get behind because of the songs she picks. She really needs to come out with a contemporary song next week or she's really going to have problems.

Melissa McGhee. I wasn't really expecting anything out of Melissa but she actually impressed me tonite. She looked great, she sang in tune and had fun with the song. I like the husky voice she has. She reminds me of Lindsay Cardinale but better. Good for her, I think she earned herself a spot in next week's show. If she does well next week and someone stumbles I can see Melissa sneaking into the Top 12.

Heather Cox. Oh wow. She's taking on Mariah with that voice? That's such a bad choice. She doesn't sound bad (necessarily) but it doesn't sound good either. I think she really needed to knock it out of the park this week to stay in. She's hanging by a thread and this didn't really help her cause at all.

Brenna Gethers. UGH! I can't stand this bitch and all of the mugging to the camera is getting so old. God, she sounds horrible. Please vote for others so Vote for the Worst doesn't keep her in! I can't stand the thought of seeing her again next week.

Paris Bennett. I was hoping we'd have another performance like last week but alas, we get a slow song. She sounds great on it but I think people are really going to want to see her perform like she did last week. This would have been a good "movie song" for that theme week. Oh well. She can redeem herself next week.

Ayla Brown. I thought this was one of the best performances of the night. It was a good song choice for her and she was able to hit all of the notes in it (her voice kinda reminds me of Jessica Sierra's). She showed a lot of confidence as well. She's definitely around for next week and into the finals.

Kellie Pickler. First of all, I'm already tired of her "I'm a stupid country bumpkin" story. "I don't know what cal-u-maree is." I was wondering if anyone still liked her because it suddenly became all about Ace and Katharine last week. Unfortunately Kellie does have the likability factor that will keep her in but I honestly don't think she'll get very far into the finals. That being said, she did have a great performance tonite. She was having fun and sounded good. I think she needed to prove that to herself and her fans after last week.

Mandisa. This was by far the best performance of the night. She sounded amazing, looked great, and had a good time singing it. She is going to sail straight into the finals. I can't imagine the finals without her in it.

So, to rank everyone here is my order...

Mandisa
Ayla
Paris
Kellie
Melissa
Katharine
Lisa
Kinnik
Heather
Brenna

As for who is going home, I really don't know. I feel like Brenna for sure but can't decide if it's going to be Heather or Kinnik. Right now I'm leaning towards Heather.