Well, it must be getting near the end of the season for American Idol when I start slacking off on my recaps. We are about an hour away from the start of the elimination show tonight and next week is the huge finale. I'm running into some motivation problems in completing tonight's blog (I run into this problem from time to time), so it if ends up being shorter than my usual recaps, blame it on that. This week, the contestants had three songs to sing. One was chosen by one of the judges, another was chosen by the producers of American Idol, and the last was chosen by the contestant themselves. Here's the recap from the top 3...
I completely forgot about American Idol and totally missed Jordin's first performance. By the time I turned it on, Ryan was telling Jordin that she would be back in just a short amount of time singing her next song. Drat. It was a song that Simon chose Jordin to sing, and from what I understood, Jordin did a good job with the song but did not blow anyone away by it. Pretty consistent for Jordin the past few weeks, I must say. So, we'll move onto Blake going next.
Paula chose the song "Roxanne" originally covered by The Police for Blake. I didn't really understand Paula for choosing this song for Blake - but he handled it pretty well. I must say, though, that he did sound awkward singing it at times, as if he was singing it with an accent like Sting has. Overall, I thought Blake performed it quite solidly and stayed away from the beat boxing which was a good decision on his part.
Randy had the pleasure of picking a Whitney Houston song for Melinda, "I Believe in You and Me." Randy always chides a contestant for picking Whitney songs, especially if they don't sing them very well. He wanted to throw out a difficult song for Melinda to sing, and it doesn't get very easy singing a Whitney song. I wasn't blown away by it, but it was another near-flawless performance from Melinda. I think she had a few pitch problems, especially in the beginning, and the song wasn't exactly upbeat for me. But, Melinda still did well with it.
Now I get to see Jordin perform for the first time tonight. It's time for the producers to choose songs for the contestants (where is Clive Davis, anyways?), and I think they chose a real odd-ball for Jordin to sing. It's the Donna Summer classic, "She Works Hard for her Money." It's actually a great, upbeat song for her and I think she does a good job with it. I enjoy listening to her sing it and these kind of songs do well for her.
The producers picked an absolute perfect song for Blake, as he sang Maroon 5's "This Love." Maroon 5 is one of my favorite bands so of course I'm gonna love this. I thought it was a very fun song and it's also very recognizable; something that has been released within the past five years. Blake does well when he stays current, so the producers didn't hurt Blake here. And the little bit of beat boxing that he did worked very well.
Throughout the competition, Melinda has sung songs that made her sound like Tina Turner - at least that is what the judges have commented from time to time. One such example was when Melinda sang Bon Jovi's "Have a Nice Day." So the producers followed up on that when they selected an Ike and Tina Turner Song, "Nutbush City Limits." Nutbush? Okay, I have never heard of this song myself and it seems like another goofy choice. Certainly there's a lot better Tina Turner songs they could've picked. It's a very upbeat, rock 'n roll kind of song and I enjoy it when Melinda rocks out. I don't necessarily believe the producers did any favors to Melinda when they chose this song for her, but she did not flail and it ended up being a good performance.
Now it's time for the contestants to pick their own songs and Jordin sang "I Who Have Nothing." I wasn't sure if I had heard this song by Jordin before (how quickly I forget), but then I did some research and sure enough, she sung it during the British Invasion week. An interesting choice, considering she had a couple other songs that she blew wide open throughout the competition, but this wasn't bad. She sang it exceptionally well and included a lot of power and emotion to her voice. It was nicely controlled and who cares if it's an old song, as Simon pointed out. You've gotta have some variety.
Blake chooses a Robin Thicke song, "When I Get You Alone." Blake stays contemporary going with a current song and that doesn't hurt him the least bit. It will definitely attract the younger voters. Personally, I didn't know the song, so I cannot compare it to the original, but I thought he did a fine job with it. Once again, he used the beat boxing in limited fashion which was perfectly executed. Last week I think he went a bit overboard with it and he learned a lesson. Blake did a nice job this week.
Finally, Melinda wraps things up doing the same as Jordin did, choosing a song she had success with earlier in the competition, "Woman." The first time she performed this, I was blown away by it; it was that good. This time around, even though it was on a larger stage, I just didn't like it as much. Yes, it was still good and consistent like Melinda has been throughout the competition, but it didn't live up to her earlier rendition.
And now the all important pick as to who goes home this week. I think this season is about as wide open as ever as to who will end up being in the final three. I think Melinda is a definite shoo-in for the finale, and Jordin will also make her way through to next week. That means Blake ends up being the odd man out. I really like Blake and I hate to see him go, but at this stage of the competition, there are a lot of good performers. I think the two ladies are just a small notch ahead of him.
Soon enough, we will know for sure who the final two will be. Enjoy the results show!
Showing posts with label season 6. Show all posts
Showing posts with label season 6. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
American Idol Top 4
So, were you wondering where my American Idol recap was last night? Yep, it's a bit later than usual due to traveling back to Marquette after spending the weekend at my parents once the show concluded last night. So I didn't have any time to write the recap until I got home from work this afternoon. But enough about that (and I'm sure you're all bored to tears), let's get to the recap!
Ahh, I absolutely love this week's theme. The Bee Gees are one of my all-time favorite bands. I know many of their songs, including all from their most recent album several years ago. My mom got me hooked on listening to them and they've produced an amazing amount of music during the past 50 years. Probably one of the saddest days was when Maurice Gibb, one of the three Bee Gees passed away a few years ago. I knew then that the Bee Gees would never be the same. They haven't even produced a new album since - and I don't think they ever will under the name "Bee Gees." However, they have nothing to be ashamed of, considering the critical success they've endured over all these years.
The evening starts off with Melinda singing "Inside Out," a song very unfamiliar to me (why pick a song that's completely obscure). Gosh, I wasn't even paying attention to it much as I was looking at pictures from my parents trip to Las Vegas that my dad was showing me. I caught the tail end and I thought the performance was boring and lacked any sort of originality. She could've picked a much better song from the Bee Gees and really brought it home, but instead performed a very safe song.
Blake steps to the mic next and sings "You Should be Dancing." Blake did such an amazing job last week making Bon Jovi's song sound contemporary and new that I was hoping he'd blow me away again. But this week didn't live up to those expectations and I was left disappointed. He sang the song in falsetto like the Bee Gees sang it and I did not like it at all. The falsetto just sounded so awkward coming from Blake. It probably wasn't the best song for him, and then you add the beatboxing which really didn't work well this week. Blake just wasn't up to par on this song.
Going third was Lakisha, and she sings "Stayin' Alive," the 70's classic from the Bee Gees. I am just not impressed with Lakisha anymore. It seemed to me that Barry Gibb wanted Lakisha to sing the song at a higher octave than what she wanted, yet she did not follow his advice. I think it might've worked better for her if she would've listened to him. I didn't think it was a very good performance. She did tend to shriek at times, especially during the runs of the song. She went backwards this week (compared to last).
Jordin is up next singing, "To Love Somebody." Definitely the best performance of the night, thus far. In fact, she was in a league of her own compared to the other singers. Barry Gibb gave Jordin amazing praise for her performance of this song in rehearsals, saying it was the best he'd ever heard from the countless numbers of singers that have covered it. I don't know if it was necessarily as good as he said, but Jordin definitely did a nice job with it. The one thing I love about Jordin is that she sings a song the way it's supposed to be sung, and she proved that with this song.
Oh were not done folks, as all of the singers come back again and try to redeem themselves with a second song. Melinda steps to the plate and performs "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart." I thought it was much better than her first song of the night and wasn't nearly as boring (maybe because it's one of the Bee Gees more recongnizable songs prior to the disco era). It's such a great song and Melinda did a nice job with it. I think she does better with more up-tempo songs rather than the ballads. I enjoy it when she really blasts a song with her amazing vocals.
Going next was Blake singing, "This is Where I Came In." I am overjoyed when I hear he picked this song. I know it well and it's one of my favorites from the Bee Gees most recent album. That's probably why nobody is all that familiar with it, because their last album did not do as well. It's the cover song from that album and the Bee Gees did such a great job with it. As for Blake's rendition, I didn't care for it as much. I think he deviated from the original melody way too much and made it sound awkward. I thought the arrangement was excellent, though, and he made it sound edgier, up-beat, and more current. The judges didn't seem to think that highly of it, however.
Lakisha is next singing "Run to Me." Another song I am not that familiar with and I end up being bored by her. I think she puts herself in a very vulnerable position this week - something to which she may not recover from. Not including last week, Lakisha has really taken a slide ever since the very start of season six. She has gone from good, mediocre, bad, and now to worse. The little run at the end of the song was nice, but that is about all I can compliment her on with this performance.
Last but not least, Jordin Sparks. She sings "Woman in Love." Yet another song I really do not know all that well. Despite that, I thought she did a nice job with it. Probably not quite as good as her previous song, but she proved to be the most consistent performer of the night. She definitely belongs this far into the competition and should have very little trouble reaching the finale. And make it two weeks in a row that Randy did not mention Jordin's age. I think he's finally over it!
Now I bet you all want to know who I think will be voted off this week. Alright, here goes. I think it's going to be really close between Blake and Lakisha. Judging the performances from these two last night, I'll say Blake goes home tonight. Neither one of his songs really "wowed" the judges and they at least had some good things to say about Lakisha's second song. I would much prefer that Lakisha goes first before Blake and that very well may happen. But I have a gut feeling Blake will be given the axe tonight. He had a nice ride, I must say.
Ahh, I absolutely love this week's theme. The Bee Gees are one of my all-time favorite bands. I know many of their songs, including all from their most recent album several years ago. My mom got me hooked on listening to them and they've produced an amazing amount of music during the past 50 years. Probably one of the saddest days was when Maurice Gibb, one of the three Bee Gees passed away a few years ago. I knew then that the Bee Gees would never be the same. They haven't even produced a new album since - and I don't think they ever will under the name "Bee Gees." However, they have nothing to be ashamed of, considering the critical success they've endured over all these years.
The evening starts off with Melinda singing "Inside Out," a song very unfamiliar to me (why pick a song that's completely obscure). Gosh, I wasn't even paying attention to it much as I was looking at pictures from my parents trip to Las Vegas that my dad was showing me. I caught the tail end and I thought the performance was boring and lacked any sort of originality. She could've picked a much better song from the Bee Gees and really brought it home, but instead performed a very safe song.
Blake steps to the mic next and sings "You Should be Dancing." Blake did such an amazing job last week making Bon Jovi's song sound contemporary and new that I was hoping he'd blow me away again. But this week didn't live up to those expectations and I was left disappointed. He sang the song in falsetto like the Bee Gees sang it and I did not like it at all. The falsetto just sounded so awkward coming from Blake. It probably wasn't the best song for him, and then you add the beatboxing which really didn't work well this week. Blake just wasn't up to par on this song.
Going third was Lakisha, and she sings "Stayin' Alive," the 70's classic from the Bee Gees. I am just not impressed with Lakisha anymore. It seemed to me that Barry Gibb wanted Lakisha to sing the song at a higher octave than what she wanted, yet she did not follow his advice. I think it might've worked better for her if she would've listened to him. I didn't think it was a very good performance. She did tend to shriek at times, especially during the runs of the song. She went backwards this week (compared to last).
Jordin is up next singing, "To Love Somebody." Definitely the best performance of the night, thus far. In fact, she was in a league of her own compared to the other singers. Barry Gibb gave Jordin amazing praise for her performance of this song in rehearsals, saying it was the best he'd ever heard from the countless numbers of singers that have covered it. I don't know if it was necessarily as good as he said, but Jordin definitely did a nice job with it. The one thing I love about Jordin is that she sings a song the way it's supposed to be sung, and she proved that with this song.
Oh were not done folks, as all of the singers come back again and try to redeem themselves with a second song. Melinda steps to the plate and performs "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart." I thought it was much better than her first song of the night and wasn't nearly as boring (maybe because it's one of the Bee Gees more recongnizable songs prior to the disco era). It's such a great song and Melinda did a nice job with it. I think she does better with more up-tempo songs rather than the ballads. I enjoy it when she really blasts a song with her amazing vocals.
Going next was Blake singing, "This is Where I Came In." I am overjoyed when I hear he picked this song. I know it well and it's one of my favorites from the Bee Gees most recent album. That's probably why nobody is all that familiar with it, because their last album did not do as well. It's the cover song from that album and the Bee Gees did such a great job with it. As for Blake's rendition, I didn't care for it as much. I think he deviated from the original melody way too much and made it sound awkward. I thought the arrangement was excellent, though, and he made it sound edgier, up-beat, and more current. The judges didn't seem to think that highly of it, however.
Lakisha is next singing "Run to Me." Another song I am not that familiar with and I end up being bored by her. I think she puts herself in a very vulnerable position this week - something to which she may not recover from. Not including last week, Lakisha has really taken a slide ever since the very start of season six. She has gone from good, mediocre, bad, and now to worse. The little run at the end of the song was nice, but that is about all I can compliment her on with this performance.
Last but not least, Jordin Sparks. She sings "Woman in Love." Yet another song I really do not know all that well. Despite that, I thought she did a nice job with it. Probably not quite as good as her previous song, but she proved to be the most consistent performer of the night. She definitely belongs this far into the competition and should have very little trouble reaching the finale. And make it two weeks in a row that Randy did not mention Jordin's age. I think he's finally over it!
Now I bet you all want to know who I think will be voted off this week. Alright, here goes. I think it's going to be really close between Blake and Lakisha. Judging the performances from these two last night, I'll say Blake goes home tonight. Neither one of his songs really "wowed" the judges and they at least had some good things to say about Lakisha's second song. I would much prefer that Lakisha goes first before Blake and that very well may happen. But I have a gut feeling Blake will be given the axe tonight. He had a nice ride, I must say.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
American Idol Top 6
It's a new week, and that means another American Idol recap! This week it's inspirational song, all leading up to American Idol's big "Idol Gives Back" campaign and two-hour show tomorrow night. A bunch of high-caliber singers will be performing tomorrow night and Ryan Seacrest promises a huge "shocker" in the history of the show. We'll see how big it ends up being. All that is tomorrow, so let's get started with the performances!
Chris Richardson leads off tonight, singing one of my favorite Eric Clapton songs "Change the World." To use a term uttered by Randy or Paula, Chris started off pitchy with the song, but I think he quickly rebounded. I thought it was a great song choice for him and recovered nicely after stumbling a bit in the beginning. The key question is, will it be a performance that saves him from being eliminated? We are getting down to the nitty gritty and I honestly believe Chris ends up in the bottom three this week, but not without trying.
Melinda is next singing a Faith Hill song, one that I'm not familiar with. Despite that, I think she did a fantastic job with the song, as usual. Some of my comments are like a broken record because she's such a flawless singer. A few weeks back she had a hicup but so far, is one contestant that has yet to be in the bottom three. It probably wasn't my all-time favorite performance from her, but I still think she did a great job with it. And despite her never being in the bottom three yet, I think it will remain that way this week. She's safe.
Going third tonight was Blake and he took a huge risk when he chose John Lennon's "Imagine." Just as Simon said, it's one of the greatest songs of all-time and how can you not compare Blake's to the original? I didn't think it was a spectacular performance, but I still thought it was quite good. I think Blake handles lower-key songs pretty well, but I think his forte is more with the more up-tempo songs. Usually when he goes that route, he gets favorable comments from the judges. Still, he should be safe this week.
Another risk-taker this evening was Lakisha. I thought she learned a valuable lesson from previous weeks that it's hard to take on songs originally performed by Ameircan Idol winners (such as the Carrie Underwood song Lakisha sang before). But she takes on a Fantasia song and it just did not live up to the original. I thought Lakisha had the weakest performance of the night. I especially thought the beginning was rather awkward and the remainder of the song wasn't much better (she started shouting again). Lakisha has really fallen on hard times and I think it may be the end for her this week. Bottom three.
Phil Stacey goes fifth and after an exceptional performance last week, Phil really built up on that momentum from country week. He went with a Garth Brooks song and although it didn't sound the least bit like a country song, he had another great week vocally. I realized this week that there are times when Phil sounds a lot like Michael Bolton during certain melodies. Not that that fact is ever going to hurt him because he seems to be really charging at the end of this competition and making a name for himself. Earlier on in the top-12, he had some performances that really made him look like a laughingstock. I think Phil will land in the bottom three, but he will not be eliminated.
And last but not least for this week is Jordin. What a way to end this week. At first, I wasn't sure if she picked the right song, but I was quickly proved wrong. I love the emotion she expresses in her face when she's singing the more serious parts of her songs. She has tremendous compasion when it comes to singing and week after week she has been stepping up and making a name for herself. After this week's performance, I think Jordin is the favorite to win it all. I think Melinda is growing a little stale with the fans and if Jordin keeps this up, she'll be this year's American Idol winner. Safe.
It's getting extremely difficult in this stage of the game as to who will wind up in the bottom three. I think it's safe to say who the likely candidate for elimination will be this week. But for a recap, I believe Phil will end up in the bottom three but will be sent back to safety. The bottom two will be Chris and Lakisha, and Lakisha will be eliminated from American Idol. Although I think you could pick Blake as a wild-card to the bottom three, since he was there last week. Needless to say, I think things will get very interesting week after week as we head towards the Idol finale in May.
Chris Richardson leads off tonight, singing one of my favorite Eric Clapton songs "Change the World." To use a term uttered by Randy or Paula, Chris started off pitchy with the song, but I think he quickly rebounded. I thought it was a great song choice for him and recovered nicely after stumbling a bit in the beginning. The key question is, will it be a performance that saves him from being eliminated? We are getting down to the nitty gritty and I honestly believe Chris ends up in the bottom three this week, but not without trying.
Melinda is next singing a Faith Hill song, one that I'm not familiar with. Despite that, I think she did a fantastic job with the song, as usual. Some of my comments are like a broken record because she's such a flawless singer. A few weeks back she had a hicup but so far, is one contestant that has yet to be in the bottom three. It probably wasn't my all-time favorite performance from her, but I still think she did a great job with it. And despite her never being in the bottom three yet, I think it will remain that way this week. She's safe.
Going third tonight was Blake and he took a huge risk when he chose John Lennon's "Imagine." Just as Simon said, it's one of the greatest songs of all-time and how can you not compare Blake's to the original? I didn't think it was a spectacular performance, but I still thought it was quite good. I think Blake handles lower-key songs pretty well, but I think his forte is more with the more up-tempo songs. Usually when he goes that route, he gets favorable comments from the judges. Still, he should be safe this week.
Another risk-taker this evening was Lakisha. I thought she learned a valuable lesson from previous weeks that it's hard to take on songs originally performed by Ameircan Idol winners (such as the Carrie Underwood song Lakisha sang before). But she takes on a Fantasia song and it just did not live up to the original. I thought Lakisha had the weakest performance of the night. I especially thought the beginning was rather awkward and the remainder of the song wasn't much better (she started shouting again). Lakisha has really fallen on hard times and I think it may be the end for her this week. Bottom three.
Phil Stacey goes fifth and after an exceptional performance last week, Phil really built up on that momentum from country week. He went with a Garth Brooks song and although it didn't sound the least bit like a country song, he had another great week vocally. I realized this week that there are times when Phil sounds a lot like Michael Bolton during certain melodies. Not that that fact is ever going to hurt him because he seems to be really charging at the end of this competition and making a name for himself. Earlier on in the top-12, he had some performances that really made him look like a laughingstock. I think Phil will land in the bottom three, but he will not be eliminated.
And last but not least for this week is Jordin. What a way to end this week. At first, I wasn't sure if she picked the right song, but I was quickly proved wrong. I love the emotion she expresses in her face when she's singing the more serious parts of her songs. She has tremendous compasion when it comes to singing and week after week she has been stepping up and making a name for herself. After this week's performance, I think Jordin is the favorite to win it all. I think Melinda is growing a little stale with the fans and if Jordin keeps this up, she'll be this year's American Idol winner. Safe.
It's getting extremely difficult in this stage of the game as to who will wind up in the bottom three. I think it's safe to say who the likely candidate for elimination will be this week. But for a recap, I believe Phil will end up in the bottom three but will be sent back to safety. The bottom two will be Chris and Lakisha, and Lakisha will be eliminated from American Idol. Although I think you could pick Blake as a wild-card to the bottom three, since he was there last week. Needless to say, I think things will get very interesting week after week as we head towards the Idol finale in May.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
American Idol - Top 7
It's country week on American Idol, which proved very interesting for some contestants tonight. I thought many would struggle but all in all, most everyone gave a decent performance. I am not very big on country, but there are a few songs I know thanks to cross-overs. Definitely not my favorite genre week that American Idol does, but it's not my least favorite, either. Let's get on with the critiques!
Phil started the show off first tonight. Maybe the producers put him up first so they could get through the misery right away. We all know that Phil is not going to be the American Idol. But I was rather surprised how well he did this week. He actually was decent with his song and did a nice job of leading the show off tonight. Maybe he'd do well with country afterall. SAFE
Jordin was up next and one thing you can expect with her is consistency. Week after week, she has been consistent no matter what the genre is. Tonight was no exception, in fact, I think she had the best vocal of the night. She did an AMAZING job with the song and you could really tell her performance was excellent when the crowd cheered and cheered when she was done. I really enjoyed the emotion she portrayed in the song, from very serious in the beginning to a glowing smile in the end. It's like she portrayed the emotion of the song from her facial expressions. Excellent performance. SAFE
Going third was Sanjaya and he is certainly NEVER consistent week after week. I thought maybe, just maybe he'd build on the momentum from last week where he actually sang half-way decent. Boy, was I wrong. Just as Randy desrcibed it, it was absolutely karaoke. He lacked confidence, it was very flat, and it was as if he had trouble staying on tune. I don't know why Sanjaya just can't sing decent for two weeks straight or at all. BOTTOM THREE
Lakisha was the performer that marked the mid-way point of the top seven. I thought she took a big risk when she picked Carrie Underwood's "Jesus Takes the Wheel," a former American Idol. And unfortunately, it did not work well for her at all. It was the wrong country song for her and I agreed with the judges whole heartedly in their remarks. After starting out very strong in this competition, she has struggled in recent weeks and she runs the risk of being eliminated here soon. BOTTOM THREE
Up next was Chris and once again, I was not blown away by his performance. I thought last week was better for him and this week's song started off with some pitch problems. I think Chris always does a decent job but never has the performance that really "wows" a person. This week was no difference, and it was probably one of his weakest in awhile. It wasn't a performance to remember, that's for sure. BOTTOM THREE
Melinda was up next and after an 0ff-week last time around, she does a much better job during country week. She picked the perfect song for her, which was an upbeat, happy song, and really delievered it well. A definite improvement over last week and it was a performance I enjoyed listening to. I had to agree with Simon's comments about her surprised reaction once her singing has concluded. Yes Melinda, you really are that good. Time to get over it. SAFE
Last but not least is Blake Lewis. What a way to end the night. Blake is another performer that has been rather consistent week after week no matter what the genre is. He sang a song that was even recognizable to me, "Where the Stars go Blue" sung by Tim McGraw on the country side, but also covered by the Corrs. A near flawless performance from Blake who solidified his place as one the top performers of this season. SAFE
So this week, Sanjaya, Lakisha, and Chris run the risk of being eliminated. When it comes down to it, I believe it will be Chris' week to leave. I don't believe he has done enough in recent weeks to strengthen his position in this year's competition. Don't get me wrong, I'd be more than thrilled to see Sanjaya go this week, but I think he'll stick around one more time before finally getting the boot next week. As we get closer and closer to the finale, Sanjaya's chances of sticking around get slimmer and slimmer.
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As a side note, I feel it's an appropriate time to discuss the horrific shooting incident at Virginia Tech University yesterday. I probably would not have discussed it in a blog posting until I made a sad discovery earlier today. I frequently visit a sports message board called motownsports.com. Although I am not an official member there, I visit it often to get caught up regarding the latest news on the Detroit Tigers. This forum covers all of the major sporting teams in the Detroit area. The most popular section of the forum is for the Tigers. One of the active members of this forum went by the name of estrepe1. His real name was Brian Bluhm, and happened to be one of the victims from this tragedy. He was 25 and a graduate student at VT and only needed a couple of weeks before he officially received his graduate's degree. But it was all for naught thanks to a senseless idiot who went on a rampage. Brian racked up over 35,000 posts on motownsports.com and was well known throughtout the Detroit Tigers on-line community. He sported an avatar of Hobbes from the old newspaper comic "Calvin and Hobbes" and always posted an animated image of Hobbes jumping up and down when the Tigers won during a game day thread on motownsports.com. Even though I did not directly know Brian and only knew him from his appearance at motownsports, I find myself connected to the tragedy in Virginia in some way. He didn't know me, but I knew of him which made it shocking to find out that he was one of the 32 victims of this tragedy. He had such an amazing future ahead of him and wound up being in the wrong place at the wrong time. RIP Brian. You will be missed for your excellent Tigers insight.
Phil started the show off first tonight. Maybe the producers put him up first so they could get through the misery right away. We all know that Phil is not going to be the American Idol. But I was rather surprised how well he did this week. He actually was decent with his song and did a nice job of leading the show off tonight. Maybe he'd do well with country afterall. SAFE
Jordin was up next and one thing you can expect with her is consistency. Week after week, she has been consistent no matter what the genre is. Tonight was no exception, in fact, I think she had the best vocal of the night. She did an AMAZING job with the song and you could really tell her performance was excellent when the crowd cheered and cheered when she was done. I really enjoyed the emotion she portrayed in the song, from very serious in the beginning to a glowing smile in the end. It's like she portrayed the emotion of the song from her facial expressions. Excellent performance. SAFE
Going third was Sanjaya and he is certainly NEVER consistent week after week. I thought maybe, just maybe he'd build on the momentum from last week where he actually sang half-way decent. Boy, was I wrong. Just as Randy desrcibed it, it was absolutely karaoke. He lacked confidence, it was very flat, and it was as if he had trouble staying on tune. I don't know why Sanjaya just can't sing decent for two weeks straight or at all. BOTTOM THREE
Lakisha was the performer that marked the mid-way point of the top seven. I thought she took a big risk when she picked Carrie Underwood's "Jesus Takes the Wheel," a former American Idol. And unfortunately, it did not work well for her at all. It was the wrong country song for her and I agreed with the judges whole heartedly in their remarks. After starting out very strong in this competition, she has struggled in recent weeks and she runs the risk of being eliminated here soon. BOTTOM THREE
Up next was Chris and once again, I was not blown away by his performance. I thought last week was better for him and this week's song started off with some pitch problems. I think Chris always does a decent job but never has the performance that really "wows" a person. This week was no difference, and it was probably one of his weakest in awhile. It wasn't a performance to remember, that's for sure. BOTTOM THREE
Melinda was up next and after an 0ff-week last time around, she does a much better job during country week. She picked the perfect song for her, which was an upbeat, happy song, and really delievered it well. A definite improvement over last week and it was a performance I enjoyed listening to. I had to agree with Simon's comments about her surprised reaction once her singing has concluded. Yes Melinda, you really are that good. Time to get over it. SAFE
Last but not least is Blake Lewis. What a way to end the night. Blake is another performer that has been rather consistent week after week no matter what the genre is. He sang a song that was even recognizable to me, "Where the Stars go Blue" sung by Tim McGraw on the country side, but also covered by the Corrs. A near flawless performance from Blake who solidified his place as one the top performers of this season. SAFE
So this week, Sanjaya, Lakisha, and Chris run the risk of being eliminated. When it comes down to it, I believe it will be Chris' week to leave. I don't believe he has done enough in recent weeks to strengthen his position in this year's competition. Don't get me wrong, I'd be more than thrilled to see Sanjaya go this week, but I think he'll stick around one more time before finally getting the boot next week. As we get closer and closer to the finale, Sanjaya's chances of sticking around get slimmer and slimmer.
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As a side note, I feel it's an appropriate time to discuss the horrific shooting incident at Virginia Tech University yesterday. I probably would not have discussed it in a blog posting until I made a sad discovery earlier today. I frequently visit a sports message board called motownsports.com. Although I am not an official member there, I visit it often to get caught up regarding the latest news on the Detroit Tigers. This forum covers all of the major sporting teams in the Detroit area. The most popular section of the forum is for the Tigers. One of the active members of this forum went by the name of estrepe1. His real name was Brian Bluhm, and happened to be one of the victims from this tragedy. He was 25 and a graduate student at VT and only needed a couple of weeks before he officially received his graduate's degree. But it was all for naught thanks to a senseless idiot who went on a rampage. Brian racked up over 35,000 posts on motownsports.com and was well known throughtout the Detroit Tigers on-line community. He sported an avatar of Hobbes from the old newspaper comic "Calvin and Hobbes" and always posted an animated image of Hobbes jumping up and down when the Tigers won during a game day thread on motownsports.com. Even though I did not directly know Brian and only knew him from his appearance at motownsports, I find myself connected to the tragedy in Virginia in some way. He didn't know me, but I knew of him which made it shocking to find out that he was one of the 32 victims of this tragedy. He had such an amazing future ahead of him and wound up being in the wrong place at the wrong time. RIP Brian. You will be missed for your excellent Tigers insight.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
American Idol Top 8
We are getting closer and closer to the American Idol finale. Yes, we are still several weeks away, but it's amazing that this show began in January and it is now nearly the middle of April. Just goes to show you how quickly time passes. And so we begin this week's re-cap of American Idol's Top 8 from Season 6!
This week's theme is Latin music with guest mentor Jennifer Lopez. Yes...THE Jennifer Lopez. You know American Idol is HUGE when it starts drawing some of the biggest names in music and film.
Melinda starts it off this week with a decent performance. It wasn't anything over powering and she sang it well, as usual. Overall, I did have to agree with Simon in that it lacked personality. To be honest, though, I think anything Melinda sings is good. However, I think the last two weeks haven't lived up to her potential. I do think she's safe, however.
Lakisha goes next (two of the top three performers in this season's competition goes first) and in my opinion, it's an improvement over the past three weeks for Lakisha. She finally went with a more up-beat song and you could tell that she enjoyed singing it. The crowed enjoyed it and overall, I thought she did a nice job with it. Lakisha will be safe.
Chris goes third this week and sings a more contemporary/recent Latin song. I thought the very beginning was a bit too low of an octive for Chris. But he raised it up not long afterward and really did a nice job with the song. Contemporary songs really seem to do well for the contestants that sing them and this week, Chris should not land in the bottom three. He'll be safe.
Next up is Haley and although I liked her song selection, I just did not think she executed it all that well. I thought it may have been a little too fast for her and she seemed to get jumbled up in the lyrics at one point in the beginning. Had to love Simon's comment about her dressing with the least amount of clothing on to keep her in the competition. I think she'll land in this week's bottom three.
Phil was in this week's five spot and I thought it was an improvement over last week. You can tell he is not a favorite of the judge's and can't really do much to please them. Personally, I thought he over-sung the ending of the song and it was a little too over the top. He chose a contemporary song which may help him - but it won't be enough and he'll wind up in this week's bottom three.
Jordin was up next and I had to agree with Simon on his comments regarding the performances thus far. Jordin did a nice job with the song and she's proving to be one of season six's elite. However, I was not blown away by her performance - especially the beginning. Even though it may not have been her best week, she has proven to be a very authentic singer and can sing just about any kind of genre. Safe.
Up next was Blake and he was far and away the best performer of the night. He chose an excellent Latin song for himself - in fact a hit by J Lo's husband Marc Anthony. He made it very cool and contemporary and is also another one of season six's elite. I whole heartedly agree that he's the top male performer - a comment said earlier by Simon. Blake will be safe this week.
Last but not least is Sanjaya. You never know what you're gonna get with Sanjaya - wait, actually you do. Crap. The way he started it, I thought it was going to be a similar performance we're used to hearing from him. But then he picked it up and made it worth listening to. Maybe he found a genre that he's actually half-decent with. I think beginning this week, he'll start losing some steam with the voters, though - Howard Stern or not. Bottom three.
So in this week's bottom three, I have Haley, Phil and Sanjaya. They should be used to this position by now, particularly Phil and Haley. I don't think Sanjaya will go this week but will be eliminated within the next two or three weeks. We are coming upon the very elite of the competition and Sanjaya just doesn't stand out. Eventually, America will get it right.
I was sad to see Gina eliminated last week because I genuinely liked her. However, I don't think she would've lasted much longer beyond this week. She always was one of those middle-0f-the-pack singers but hey, at least she'll be in this year's American Idol tour.
That does it for this week. Check back in a week for the Top 7 recap.
This week's theme is Latin music with guest mentor Jennifer Lopez. Yes...THE Jennifer Lopez. You know American Idol is HUGE when it starts drawing some of the biggest names in music and film.
Melinda starts it off this week with a decent performance. It wasn't anything over powering and she sang it well, as usual. Overall, I did have to agree with Simon in that it lacked personality. To be honest, though, I think anything Melinda sings is good. However, I think the last two weeks haven't lived up to her potential. I do think she's safe, however.
Lakisha goes next (two of the top three performers in this season's competition goes first) and in my opinion, it's an improvement over the past three weeks for Lakisha. She finally went with a more up-beat song and you could tell that she enjoyed singing it. The crowed enjoyed it and overall, I thought she did a nice job with it. Lakisha will be safe.
Chris goes third this week and sings a more contemporary/recent Latin song. I thought the very beginning was a bit too low of an octive for Chris. But he raised it up not long afterward and really did a nice job with the song. Contemporary songs really seem to do well for the contestants that sing them and this week, Chris should not land in the bottom three. He'll be safe.
Next up is Haley and although I liked her song selection, I just did not think she executed it all that well. I thought it may have been a little too fast for her and she seemed to get jumbled up in the lyrics at one point in the beginning. Had to love Simon's comment about her dressing with the least amount of clothing on to keep her in the competition. I think she'll land in this week's bottom three.
Phil was in this week's five spot and I thought it was an improvement over last week. You can tell he is not a favorite of the judge's and can't really do much to please them. Personally, I thought he over-sung the ending of the song and it was a little too over the top. He chose a contemporary song which may help him - but it won't be enough and he'll wind up in this week's bottom three.
Jordin was up next and I had to agree with Simon on his comments regarding the performances thus far. Jordin did a nice job with the song and she's proving to be one of season six's elite. However, I was not blown away by her performance - especially the beginning. Even though it may not have been her best week, she has proven to be a very authentic singer and can sing just about any kind of genre. Safe.
Up next was Blake and he was far and away the best performer of the night. He chose an excellent Latin song for himself - in fact a hit by J Lo's husband Marc Anthony. He made it very cool and contemporary and is also another one of season six's elite. I whole heartedly agree that he's the top male performer - a comment said earlier by Simon. Blake will be safe this week.
Last but not least is Sanjaya. You never know what you're gonna get with Sanjaya - wait, actually you do. Crap. The way he started it, I thought it was going to be a similar performance we're used to hearing from him. But then he picked it up and made it worth listening to. Maybe he found a genre that he's actually half-decent with. I think beginning this week, he'll start losing some steam with the voters, though - Howard Stern or not. Bottom three.
So in this week's bottom three, I have Haley, Phil and Sanjaya. They should be used to this position by now, particularly Phil and Haley. I don't think Sanjaya will go this week but will be eliminated within the next two or three weeks. We are coming upon the very elite of the competition and Sanjaya just doesn't stand out. Eventually, America will get it right.
I was sad to see Gina eliminated last week because I genuinely liked her. However, I don't think she would've lasted much longer beyond this week. She always was one of those middle-0f-the-pack singers but hey, at least she'll be in this year's American Idol tour.
That does it for this week. Check back in a week for the Top 7 recap.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
American Idol Top 12
Tonight is the launch of my first ever American Idol review! Every week, I will be posting recaps of the songs that the contestants sang and give my own personal review. Tonight's recap is going to be rather short because I am battling a nasty cold and I am not feeling 100 percent. So here in a nutshell; my favorite performances from tonight:
Melinda Doolittle: This woman can sing. She has to be my favorite performer thus far during season 6 and to be frank, this is her competition to win. As long as she keeps doing what she does, she'll have no trouble reaching the finals.
Lakisha Jones: Such a strong voice and she can really belt it out. She's got a real powerful instrument and just as the judges commented, she held back a bit in the song which really worked to her advantage.
Jordin Sparks: This girl has a totally infectious personality and it is evident in her singing. She has a strong stage presence for someone only 17 years old. Having her sing the final song proved to be a great way to end the show tonight.
And now, my least favorite performances from tonight:
Sanjaya Malakar: I really don't understand what's keeping him in this competition. His singing is horrible; in fact, there are many times when you can hardly hear him. His stage presence is clearly lacking and he may be just a bit too young for this competition (hey, some people do well at young ages, others not, like Sanjaya). And honestly, what is with his hair??
Brandon Rogers: He has been a total disappointment for a few weeks now. Supposedly he's been a background singer before but thus far has not done well enough to take the stage as a solo act. He is in serious danger of being eliminated.
Stephanie Edwards: She just did not 'wow' me like in previous weeks. I thought her song choice could've been better and forgetting the lyrics to the song seems to be an unforgettable instance, especially at this stage of the competition. I would not be surprised if she gets the boot, judging how things have gone for 'AI' the previous couple weeks.
Well, that wraps it up for this week's American Idol recap. Next time around, it should be more extensive with recaps for each of the contestants. I am going to head to bed early and try to recoup in time for work in the morning.
Melinda Doolittle: This woman can sing. She has to be my favorite performer thus far during season 6 and to be frank, this is her competition to win. As long as she keeps doing what she does, she'll have no trouble reaching the finals.
Lakisha Jones: Such a strong voice and she can really belt it out. She's got a real powerful instrument and just as the judges commented, she held back a bit in the song which really worked to her advantage.
Jordin Sparks: This girl has a totally infectious personality and it is evident in her singing. She has a strong stage presence for someone only 17 years old. Having her sing the final song proved to be a great way to end the show tonight.
And now, my least favorite performances from tonight:
Sanjaya Malakar: I really don't understand what's keeping him in this competition. His singing is horrible; in fact, there are many times when you can hardly hear him. His stage presence is clearly lacking and he may be just a bit too young for this competition (hey, some people do well at young ages, others not, like Sanjaya). And honestly, what is with his hair??
Brandon Rogers: He has been a total disappointment for a few weeks now. Supposedly he's been a background singer before but thus far has not done well enough to take the stage as a solo act. He is in serious danger of being eliminated.
Stephanie Edwards: She just did not 'wow' me like in previous weeks. I thought her song choice could've been better and forgetting the lyrics to the song seems to be an unforgettable instance, especially at this stage of the competition. I would not be surprised if she gets the boot, judging how things have gone for 'AI' the previous couple weeks.
Well, that wraps it up for this week's American Idol recap. Next time around, it should be more extensive with recaps for each of the contestants. I am going to head to bed early and try to recoup in time for work in the morning.
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