Category: American Idol (Page 42 of 56)

So tonight’s “American Idol” results show featured a group performance that was slightly better than last week, but still typically annoying. The group did “Joy To the World” and all I could think is that Sundance Head is one big bullfrog.

Then the guys were lined up and as always, Ryan Seacrest sent them back to the pack one by one:
Phil, Chris Sligh, Sundance (ugg), Blake and Jared all were safe. The first to go? Nick Pedro. Looks like America didn’t “Vote for Pedro” as he had pleaded for them to. Simon reiterated that Nick is a good singer but lacked charisma, and in the end that’s what did him in.

Then the girls were up. Staying in Hollywood: Stephanie, Gina, Sabrina, and Melinda (duh!). Then Alaina was sent packing. This wasn’t a huge surprise to most people, but it was somewhat humorous to watch Alaina try to sing her way out while crying. She literally could not get the words out.

Then we were treated to a performance by one of last season’s finalists, Kellie Pickler. Kellie has been turned into a country star and announced that she was going to be touring in support of her gold album, supporting Brad Paisley. Also in attendance were Kellie’s new boobs…..I mean, how could you miss those things? I don’t remember them last season, so either they are a gift from her record label or she was just pushing them out from the inside. Also, her dress and hairstyle made her look ten years older than she is. Maybe fifteen. It’s like Nashville decided they wanted to turn Kellie into a Brentwood soccer mom. (those of you who don’t live in Nashville, insert some ritzy suburb in for Brentwood). And her performance made me think that her and Carrie Underwood would both be completely outclassed by at least four of this season’s females.

Then it was back to business. Chris Richardson and Brandon were safe, leaving Sunjaya and AJ. Judging by Tuesday’s performances, everyone was pretty sure Sunjaya would be going home, most of all Sunjaya. But it was AJ. I’m almost sure Sunjaya bought a non-refundable plane ticket home yesterday and he was thinking of how he was going to get the show to reimburse him. Randy and Paula thought the voters were wrong, and I don’t disagree completely, but I do think Sunjaya was way worse than AJ and Nick.

Then it was the girls’ turn again. Lakisha and Haley were safe, and Ryan asked Antonella, Leslie and Jordin to come out front. Antonella was sent back, surprising pretty much everyone in the world. But once that happened, you had to know it would be Leslie. And it was. I mean, Jordin is too loveable to be sent home this early. So Leslie sang and right as the credits were rolling she changed her lyrics to “I knew I shouldn’t have done the scat thing”….pretty funny Leslie, now enjoy the rest of your career. Seriously, she’s not that bad, just kind of weird.

So Nick, AJ, Alaina and Leslie all went home tonight. We all know that despite their awful vocal ability, Sunjaya and Antonella keep getting votes, but at the end of the day no one should be surprised at the outcome tonight. Everyone that went home was vulnerable.

Another week, and now we’re down to 16. After next week we’re down to the final 12. Where is the time going? We’re all having way too much fun, aren’t we? Well, not nearly as much fun as Kellie Pickler’s boobs. See y’all next week!

Last night the girls had a chance to show their stuff again on “American Idol.” With the guys improving just a bit it was going to be interesting to see how they responded. Some of them did respond, but most were off the mark from last week, mainly because they set the bar extremely high for themselves.

Here is the recap….

THE VERY GOOD

Melinda Doolittle is REALLY REALLY good. If anyone took it up a notch last night, it was her, and she established herself as a frontrunner. Singing “My Funny Valentine,” Melinda proved that she is in a completely different league than just about everyone else in this competition. I’m getting goose bumps just thinking about that performance. Randy said Melinda is “in it to win it,” Paula said it was “astounding,” and Simon said that it was incredible and that he doesn’t think Melinda knows how good she is. Amen to that. Not only is she awesome, she’s humble.

THE GOOD

Since Melinda kind of blurred the line this week, it was slightly harder to judge the 3 categories. But here were the other good performances…

Lakisha Jones did Gladys Knight’s “Midnight Train to Georgia” and it wasn’t as good as last week’s effort, but still near the top of all of them last night. Randy said Lakisha seemed nervous, Paula loved it and Simon said she is a phenonmenal singer but didn’t act like it this week.

Stephanie Edwards did Beyonce’s “Dangerously In Love” and it was a bit dangerous of an attempt. I mean, this is Beyonce we’re talking about. Randy said it was like “Beyonce lite” and I kind of agreed with him, but Paula and Simon both thought it was great. Stephanie isn’t going anywhere.

Sabrina took on a Whitney Houston song and while she wasn’t quite as good as last week either, she was still awesome. Randy said Sabrina has a “big voice,” Paula labeled her a “contender,” and Simon said it was very good but that Sabrina was almost shouting the song. She is also not going anywhere soon either.

THE IN-BETWEEN

Gina Glockson was stuffed into this red dress like a sausage, and sang Heart’s “Alone” kind of pitchy and all over the place. She has a strong voice, but she’s really getting on my nerves. Randy said it was a good song choice but pitchy, and Simon said it sounded forced and that we’re not really sure who the “real” Gina is yet. We might not have a chance to find out, either. But here’s the kicker….after Gina dedicated her performance to her boyfriend, Ryan Seacrest asked how long they had been dating and she said two years. So Seacrest shouts out to Gina’s boyfriend on national TV, “Dude, time for the ring.”
Ryan, you can’t do something like that on national TV…..there’s got to be a man-law about it! I feel so bad for that poor guy, and not just because of who he’s dating.

Haley Scarnato sang Whitney’s “Queen of the Night” and it was way better than last week, but still not enough to inch her toward the top. Randy thought the band drowned Haley out and wondered if it was on purpose, Paula said it was better than last week, and Simon said she got an “A” for effort but that she is vulnerable this week.

Jordin Sparks was also pretty good but not as good as last week. Randy said she had pitchy moments but he was still impressed. Paula called her “infectious,” and Simon said Jordin has “massive potential.” I mean, she’s only 17. Jordin will likely stick around a bit. And may I please shout out to her dad, Phillippi Sparks, who was in the audience? Dude was a New York Football Giant!

THE BAD

Alaina Alexander sang the Dixie Chicks’ “Not Ready To Make Nice” and she was kind of pitchy and shouting. Randy said as much, and Paula said Alaina picked a hard song. Simon likened it to Randy Jackson running a 100-meter spring, that she kind of ran out of gas and was straining throughout the song. Alaina is in real danger of going home this week.

Antonella took on Celine Dion and was, like everyone would expect, all over the place. She just doesn’t measure up in this competition and her looks and Internet photos will only get her so far. Hell, the latter may just get her kicked off this week. Randy said Antonella is gorgeous but picked the wrong song, Paula said it was better than last week and Simon said he thought it was worse than last week. This girl has got to be going home, though nothing surprises me.

Leslie, the dog walker, has a lot of potential but I can’t help but think that something is missing with her. Randy said her performance was pitchy, and Simon summed it up best when he said that Leslie is good but that she’d been “whacked” by three or four big voices that sang before her. I think Leslie sticks around one more week but she is in danger of getting the boot, too.

So my picks to go home are, for the guys: Sunjaya and Brandon. For the girls, Alaina and Antonella.
Tonight there will be a performance by last season finalist Kellie Pickler. Will she say anything dumb? Stay tuned! There should also be another horrible group performance. Can’t wait, how about you?

Last night on “American Idol” the 10 remaining guys performed, and you could tell that most of them were terrified of the fact that the ladies pretty much blew them away last week. They would have to step up their game or face elimination, if not in the next two weeks, then surely when it’s just six and six left.

It’s always refreshing when the contestants take the judges’ advice and try to improve. Last night several of these guys came out of the gate and tried to wow America the same way that Lakisha, Stephanie and Sabrina did last Wednesday. Did they succeed? Some did, some were way off the mark, but most were somewhere in the middle.

Here is how it went down…..

THE GOOD

Phil Stacy kicked things off with John Waite’s “Missing You” and showed everyone that he has one of the best voices out of the remaining guys. It wasn’t flashy, but in a singing competition it was a good vocal performance. Randy said it was hot, Paula said Phil had great tone, and Simon said it was unoriginal but that Phil would sail through because he’s popular. My take? I think Simon secretly wishes he could sport the chrome dome the same way Phil and Chris Daughtry do.

Chris Sligh sang Ray LaMontagne’s “Trouble” and for my money this kid is THE best male singer of the group. His awesome performance wasn’t a surprise, but the fact that dude has a cute wife probably threw America for a loop. Randy said Chris has a “big voice,” Paula said she liked it, and Simon said that Chris is a “very good singer.” This dude is going nowhere anytime soon.

Chris Richardson also came in prepared. He sang Jason Mraz’ “Geek in the Pink,” and quite honestly, he was better than Jason Mraz. Randy put it best, saying Chris was “in it to win it.” Simon even said it was the best performance of the night “by a mile.” Yeah, dude was entertaining, and did just enough vocally. Label this kid another dark horse.

THE IN-BETWEEN

AJ was off-key a bit and had this kind of feminine quality that I think just didn’t work. But again, this is a singing competition and dude did way better than last week. Randy admitted as much, and Simon said it was “nearly very good.” That’s about right.

Nick Pedro did a version of “Fever,” and it was more his style than what he sang last week. It was a little pitchy in spots, and Randy even said so, but it wasn’t too bad. Paula said she loves Nick’s tone, and Simon said it was a good vocal performance but that Nick lacked charisma.

Blake Lewis added his beat box/scat thing back into his performance this week, taking on Jamiroquai.
Randy said it was cool that Blake returned to his form, Paula said it was a good song choice, but Simon said it was off key in spots and not really original. He wasn’t bad, but Blake can do much better and everyone knows it.

Sundance Head brought down the house last night with his rendition of “Mustang Sally.” Dude showed why he made it this far, because he really does have a big voice. Randy and Paula said something to the effect of “Sundance is back,” but Simon admitted that he thinks Sundance can do even better. I don’t know what it is, but I can’t get on this guy’s bandwagon. Plus, that song is one of the most played out in wedding band/hotel lounge history.

THE BAD

Jared Cotter wasn’t the worst of the bunch, but two of these guys have to go home on Thursday. He sang Marvin Gaye and was slightly boring and really just okay. Paula said Jared is a good looking kid, and that might keep him around, but Simon summed it up by saying it was like a “Love Boat” performance.

Sunjaya dressed like Michael Jackson and sang “All Dressed Up.” I think it may have been one of the worst performances ever on this show, period. Randy said Sunjaya is a nice kid, but that this was like a bad high school talent show. Simon said it was “ghastly” and used the words “weak” and “weird.” If this kid doesn’t go home this week, then our great nation has a serious problem evaluating talent.

Brandon Rogers, I thought you would go far in this competition. But I can’t give you props for that very mediocre version of “Time After Time.” I mean, that song is almost as played out as “Mustang Sally” and it sure as hell didn’t show your vocal range. The judges said as much, and Simon said he needs to come out and “wow” everyone if he wants to stick around. I have a feeling he may not.

So that’s it, the ladies sing tonight and, surprisingly, Antonella is still in this competition even though all kinds of naughty photos of her are circulating around the Internet. She must have a good attorney.
But she won’t last long with that vocal ability or lack thereof anyway.

As for the guys, I’m going with Sunjaya and Brandon to exit on Thursday…I don’t think Brandon should go but he may have done just poorly enough last night. Other possibilities are Jared, AJ and Nick.

See you all tomorrow….

Last night’s results show for “American Idol” sent four contestants packing, and there were a few surprises and a few not-so-surprises. The night started off with host Ryan Seacrest announcing some of the stars that will take part in the show during the season, including Diana Ross, Jon Bon Jovi, Jennifer Lopez, Gwen Stefani, Tony Bennett, Martina McBride and Barry Gibb. Can you say “Big Budget?”

Then we had to witness one of the most disturbing Idol moments ever–a group performance of Tears for Fears’ “Sowing the Seeds of Love.” Not only can I never listen to this song the same way again, I’m pretty sure that performance of it has scarred my inner being, causing a few of my brain cells to drop to the floor like sawdust from a workbench.

Then they took the first row of guys, most of which were awful on Tuesday night, and one by one Ryan let them know they were safe….Brandon, Sundance (are you kidding me?), Chris R, Nick, and Blake. Then when he got to the barefoot wonder, Paul Kim, Ryan was quick to say adios…none of that “after the break” crap, just “Paul, you are going home.” Then we had to endure Kim singing that Wham song again, and it was even worse last night. Maybe it’s because he was wearing shoes.

Then the girls went, and with six of them lined up and Antonella on the end, you had to know what was coming, right? Well, these producers are sneaky. All safe–Jordin, Stephanie, Sabrina, Leslie, Melinda and Antonella. Then Ryan went to the first girl in the front row, Amy Krebs, and sent her packing. Amy isn’t the worst singer this competition has ever seen, but you can’t say she was one of the better performers on Wednesday when she sang Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me.”

Then we were treated to a performance by Season 3 champ Fantasia. Damn, I forgot how that girl could wail. She put on a clinic for some of those other girls last night and even got a standing O from all three judges.

Back to reality…..five girls left, and Haley, Lakisha and Gina were all sent back to the pack. So it was between Nicole Tranquillo and Alaina Alexander. I was sure it would be Alaina but was wrong. Nicole and that Erykah Badu song in which you could barely make out the lyrics earned her a ticket back to Philly.

Finally, one more dude had to get a pink slip. All safe–Chris Sligh, Bald Phil, Jared, and AJ. Then it was between Sunjaya and Rudy. Ryan said that one of them had the lowest number of votes while the other was in the top 4. What??? Surely there were some forces of nature at work here that we weren’t aware of, or it’s those idiots who vote for the worst every week. Yeah, Sunjaya was safe….I mean, come on…that dude in the top 4? The other theory is he’s got that likeability factor that Kevin Covais had….just a good, humble kid. So Rudy got the heave-ho, and when he did that horrible Latin-inspired version of “Free Ride” to close out the show, I kind of felt like it was deserved.

We’re now down to 20. My favorites are Stephanie, Melinda, Sabrina, Jordin, Lakisha, Brandon, Chris S, Chris R, and Blake. And actually I’m going to say this right now….watch for Chris Sligh, he is my darkest of dark horses for winning the whole thing. Are you all on the phone to Vegas right now?

See you next week, when they will likely torture us with a group version of Squeeze’s “Pulling Mussels from a Shell.” I cringe in advance.

Adios!