I barely have enough time to finish writing this week's top 13 American Idol performance recap before the night is over - in fact, the results show has already been over for almost an hour! Well anyways, I finally got it completed. You know, it takes a lot of time recapping all 13 contestants. I try to keep my comments fairly short, but some need longer recaps than others. Nevertheless, here is this week's recap. It's featuring songs from each contestant's musical idols, and some have some interesting choices for idols. Here's how it all went down...
Lauren Alaina - "Any Man of Mine" by Shania Twain : One of the proverbial favorites goes first tonight with another country tune. I wasn't aware she was a big country fan, so color me surprised two weeks in a row. Yes, the song is a fun one to sing, particularly in a karaoke bar. But by no means do I think it's a smart song to sing on American Idol. It was just an okay performance by Lauren. I mean sure, she sang it fine but it's not a performance I find to be all that memorable. She seemed rather surprised by the negative critiques she got from the judges. Lauren must not be lazy with her song selections from here on out, otherwise she'll be in for a rude awakening and an even quicker departure from the show.
Casey Abrams - "With a Little Help from My Friends" version from Joe Cocker : Casey is one of this season's eclectic performers, who you cannot help but root for. He has a comedic side to him, yet he's a pretty good singer, too. I wasn't sure if this was going to be the right song for Casey, but he was absolutely stellar. He infused a lot of energy into the performance and gave it all he got. It's not a song that really shows off a singer's vocals per se, yet it suited Casey quite well. He really got the crowd into his performance and it was one of the most energetic of the night.
Ashthon Jones - "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" by Diana Ross : Ashthon is one performer with big potential; she just needs to know how to use it and in the perfect moment. She could even be this season's diva; that is if she can stay in the competition long enough. She barely made it through last week, so we'll see if she's able to capitalize on another opportunity. All in all, I didn't think it was too bad of a performance. It was slightly boring and not all that memorable, but I did like the fact that she was able to turn the song into something current. It had a contemporary feel to it and the song didn't over power her. It was a decent performance, but there's definitely room for improvement.
Paul McDonald - "Come Pick Me Up" by Ryan Adams : Paul is up next and his song choice has me scratching my head a little bit. I know of Ryan Adams and I am familiar with a couple of his songs, but is he that mainstream nation-wide? Is enough of America going to recognize the song to connect with Paul's interpretation? I do rather enjoy his shout-outs to America before he sings - like he is so comfortable being out there. Yep, my earlier fears as to whether this song will work for Paul are confirmed. It started out rather slow and pretty low for Paul's range. Then as the tempo picked up, so did his pitchiness. Although I do enjoy his random movements on stage most of the time, I think it kind of threw him off during this performance. Certainly not his strongest night on the Idol stage.
Pia Toscano - "All By Myself" by Celine Dion : Here is one of last week's brightest stars - a memorable rendition of "I'll Stand By You" that had everyone on their feet after she had concluded singing. She has raised the bar quite high for herself so it will be interesting to see if she's able to keep that momentum going. I would like to see her experiment a bit and go away from the ballads, but there is no denying that she excels at performing the slower-tempo songs. And again, it's another strong performance by Pia. She even hits higher notes with such ease. She is quickly becoming one of this season's front runners with her vocal prowess.
James Durbin - "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney : As James performed this song, I think back to last season and remember Crystal Bowersox singing this song, hitting it out of the park. Let's see if James will have similar success. Despite some of his unfortunate comments during Hollywood week, I think James changed a lot of people's opinions of himself last week. And I think even more people are becoming Durbin fans after this week's performance. James picked a very smart song by one of the world's most enduring singers. I really enjoyed his look this week and I enjoyed his performance even more. His vocals were spot on, he didn't overdue it with his rocker-esque screech, and he presented himself quite well. Another strong week for James.
Haley Rinehart - "Blue" by LeAnn Rimes : Haley is one contestant who has sort of flown under the radar, but she has a unique sound to her voice that is unforgettable. However, she has to know when to use that uniqueness, otherwise it sounds off. Whether it was nerves or what-have-you, she's pitchy right from the get-go. She almost sounds like a strangled hound dog at times with her howl. Needless to say, I am not a fan of this performance and this song just not suit Haley all that well. She thinks she did well and had fun, but it did not translate well on the Idol stage. I think she could find herself in trouble during result's night.
Jacob Lusk - "I Believe I Can Fly" by R. Kelly : Here's one song that should be permanently banned from being performed on the Idol stage from here on out - because it's been performed too darn much, and to mixed results, too. However, I'm not upset that Jacob is performing it because maybe he'll be able to work his magic on it. It seems that thus far, everything he's performed has turned into a gospel affair, which is definitely not a bad thing. But tonight, it did not work. I actually thought the second half of the song was better than the first and I wasn't a huge fan of the falsetto-portion of the song, but he did seem to get things together at the end. Unfortunately it wasn't enough to save his performance this week. However, he's in no danger of going home anytime soon.
Thia Megia - "Smile" version by Michael Jackson : I don't entirely get Thia yet - and I understand that's how many people feel about her at this stage of the competition. A lot of people are wondering about her personality, because at this point it looks as if she doesn't have one. Yes, it's obvious she loves to sing and she is totally passionate about it. But we don't know much else about her, do we? What other hobbies does she enjoy, does she like school, etc? I mean there's no question she's an excellent singer. However I don't think she is connected to the American audience like she could be. Tonight's performance was great again, albeit not too memorable and kind of sleepy. Let's see if she's able to pick up the pace a little bit more one of these weeks.
Stefano Langone - "Lately" by Stevie Wonder : I have really been finding myself enjoying Stefano as a performer lately. I did not get a chance to comment on the wildcard performances of last week, but my god, the passion and soul he poured into that wildcard performance that solidified his spot in the top 13. It was well-deserved and so I am looking forward to more awesome performances by Stefano, now that I know that he is capable of such. Now this week wasn't quite as memorable as last for Stefano, but I did find his performance of this Stevie Wonder song to be enjoyable. I liked how the tempo picked up, although it was a tad-bit corny. However, he sang it well and every note was spot on. Now THIS is how you perform an up-tempo song.
Karen Rodriguez - "If I Could Fall In Love" by Selena : There is something very intriguing about Karen and I think it could be her bubbly personality. I enjoy her smile and she appears to be a very positive person. Now Karen is an example of someone who's personality we can connect to. Let's see if she's able to connect to the audience with her singing this week. All in all, I wouldn't say it was too bad. It certainly wasn't her best vocal. She seemed to struggle with the lower-end notes in the song, particularly in the beginning. It was a bit of an underwhelming performance from Karen and I know she is capable of much more.
Scotty McCreery - "The River" by Garth Brooks : Another one of this season's proverbial favorites, who had a bit of a rocky road, particularly during Hollywood week, but now seems to be hitting his stride. You know what would really surprise me one week, if he did anything but a country number. I am sure later on that could happen, especially if there are more specific themes. But Scotty is in a league of his own and totally excels on any country song he sings (except when he doesn't know the lyrics). I'm not a huge country fan but I've always enjoyed Garth Brooks' songs. So needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed Scotty's performance this week. It was a song that virtually everybody knows and he performed it splendidly.
Naima Adedapo - "Umbrella" by Rihanna : There have been a few contestants who have picked questionable song choices this week and Naima can be included in that bunch. It reminds me of Jordan Dorsey singing "OMG" and Ta-Tynisa Wilson singing "Only Girl" last week. These are not songs that caters to an individual's vocals. And Naima's performance was all over the place. However, she did something different with the song with the infusion of reggae into it and the little bit of rapping. And her dance moves were pretty cool. No, it wasn't the best vocal this season, but she made it very entertaining and it proved to be a nice way to cap off the night. I think Naima will be around for a few more weeks, at least.
Top 13 Performance Rankings:
1: Casey Abrams
2: James Durbin
3: Pia Toscano
4: Scotty McCreery
5: Naima Adedapo
6: Thia Megia
7: Stefano Langone
8: Lauren Alaina
9: Jacob Lusk
10: Paul McDonald
11: Karen Rodriguez
12: Ashthon Jones
13: Haley Rinehart
UPDATE: Ashthon Jones is sent home during tonight's results show. The judge's do not invoke the save.
Showing posts with label top 13. Show all posts
Showing posts with label top 13. Show all posts
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
American Idol 8 - Top 13
And let the real show begin! We have now advanced to the final round of American Idol and I've got to say, I am excited! Despite the fact that I don't have the same buzz like I did with last season, I still have good feelings that season eight will end up being just as great. There is a lot of good talent in this year's pool; I just think we haven't seen the contestants live up to their potential. Hopefully everyone will be able to step it up as tonight they sing the songs of Michael Jackson. I believe that MJ has a vast collection of songs that are touchable; however, there are a few that shouldn't be attempted. Did any of tonight's contestants dare to cover some of those songs? We shall see. On with the review!
Lil Rounds - "The Way You Make Me Feel" : This is a very high energy song. She really looks good on stage; wearing a slimming outfit with nice, light colors. Lil appears comfortable being on stage and is not showing any nerves. Not sure if the song really shows off Lil's great vocal abilities but she definitely had fun with it. I believe she's absolutely perfect for this competition. Nice way to start the show.
Scott MacIntyre - "Keep the Faith" : Scott, as promised, playing the piano; exactly what I was looking forward to. I don't really believe he will be known for his vocal abilities in this competition because in my opinion, his singing is just average. But you have to admit he's one heck of a musician. The way he plays the piano is phenominal. I wasn't familiar with the song he chose this week so I was surprised the tempo picked up part-way through. I thought the end of the song was better than the beginning but overall, it was a very good effort from Scott.
Danny Gokey - "PYT (Pretty Young Thing)" : Danny is one of the most talked about contestants of season eight; either you love him or hate him. I thought his song choice was very odd and it started off really weird. But the tempo quickly picked up and suddenly it's one big party in the studio. Danny is full of energy and very likable. There's no doubt about his vocal abilities. He was very fun tonight and his singing wasn't half-bad either.
Michael Sarver - "You Are Not Alone" : I think this was a million times better than his semi-final performance singing "I Don't Wanna Be." This is more of a sound suited for Michael and he may be more comfortable singing ballads. The performance was just a bit boring for me when it started, but I really began to feel Michael's passion and soul. It was definitely a well-controlled performance.
Jasmine Murray - "I'll Be There" : A very predictable song choice from Jasmine. I wouldn't call it a pitch-perfect performance by no means. It was an admirable effort, however. She struggles with the lower notes in the song but I have to say the ending was better than the beginning. With the way she's dressed and picked songs the past couple of weeks, I can't get the "Princess Jasime" allusion out of my mind when I think of her. It's time she mixes things up and does something a little more edgy.
Kris Allen - "Remember the Time" : I really enjoyed how this started out. He injected a lot of soul into it and it didn't hurt with him playing the guitar. He showed a ton of confidence on stage and had lots of fun. Miles better than his semi-final song where he sang "Man in the Mirror." However, he did get a bit clumsy towards the end of the song when he may have gotten caught up in the moment and started over-singing and becoming off-tune. Still, much better than I was expecting.
Allison Iraheta - "Give it to Me" : She is certainly the bona-fide rocker chick in season eight and she's playing it off extremely well. I think it falls just a tad bit short of her semi-final performance where she sang "Alone," but it was still very good. She has no trouble hitting the right notes; even the higher ones in this song. She is definitely one of my favorites of this season so far.
Anoop Desai - "Beat it" : What a tremendously risky song for Anoop to sing. I have a feeling Simon will rip his performance to shreds; which he does. Actually the whole panel does! I didn't think it was terrible, but it wasn't great either. You could tell he was having a lot of fun with it, as he moved across the stage with ease; even interacting some with the audience. Still, a bit indulgent and over-the-top. I feel bad because Anoop is so likable. He really looks disappointed.
Jorge Nunez - "Never Can Say Goodbye" : I am really liking Jorge's sound with this song; has a very Latin-American feel and is very soulful. He even sounds like Marc Anthony at times. He was off on a few notes but overall I found the performance to be very enjoyable. I think he's a breath of fresh air for this show, especially if they are looking for a singer in the Latin American market. I'm still rather puzzled why the judges panned it so terribly.
Megan Joy Corkrey - "Rockin' Robin" : A very fun, quirky song for Megan - seems to fit her nicely. She looks absolutely stunning tonight in that red dress. I love her personality; she seems very bubbly. I'll admit, I wasn't blown away by her vocals but she is a very pleasant and likable person. It is an older song; maybe that's why it seems so old-fashioned. I was a bit taken aback by Simon calling her song choice "stupid." This is practically his girl!
Adam Lambert - "Black or White" : The start of the song seemed a bit sub-dued, more restrained. Things really start picking up towards the middle and end. I thought we were going to see a different side of Adam with the way the song started, but I should've known better. In my opinion, it's a bit over-the-top at times and shouty, but there's no question he's an amazing performer. He's so confident on that stage it's not even funny.
Matt Giraud - "Human Nature" : I am so totally digging the arrangement of this song. It almost has a naturistic-sound to it and it's enhanced even more with Matt playing on the piano. Loved the overall feel of the song. Probably not quite as good of a performance like his Wild Card song and I'd even characterize it as being a bit safe. But I believe we'll be seeing lots of Matt in the weeks to come.
Alexis Grace - "Dirty Diana" : I am really enjoying the start of this song. She really turned herself into this edgy, rocker-style performer. She has to be careful not to over-do it, however. Don't think it was pitch-perfect, but still, very nicely done. She appears to be very confident being on that big Idol stage. There's no question she's in her element while singing on this show and I look forward to her performing with her guitar in the weeks to come.
With the recap out of the way, how do I think the contestants performed tonight? Ask and you shall receive! Here are tonight's rankings:
1.) Danny Gokey
2.) Adam Lambert
3.) Lil Rounds
4.) Matt Giraud
5.) Allison Iraheta
6.) Michael Sarver
7.) Kris Allen
8.) Alexis Grace
9.) Jorge Nunez (actual eliminee 3/11/09)
10.) Scott MacIntyre
11.) Megan Joy Corkrey
12.) Jasmine Murray (actual eliminee 3/11/09)
13.) Anoop Desai
My prediction: Jasmine Murray and Jorge Nunez will go home. Jorge is a very memorable contestant but I don't think he did enough with his song tonight. And it doesn't help when he gets absolutely sand-bagged by the judges! I still don't get why they thought it was so horrible. Jorge is a very happy and likable guy. Obviously it will be very disappointing to see him go home at this stage of the competition. Meanwhile, Jasmine has "cannon fodder" written across her profile in big, bold lettering. Honestly, I don't understand why she was even chosen as a wild card because in my opinion (and many others), Jesse Langseth was a much stronger contestant at this stage of the competition. I just don't see a whole lot of star potential in Jasmine, so it would not surprise me at all to see her get the boot this week.
Still, don't be surprised if there's a huge, shocking elimination during the next couple of weeks. That is, if the fan votes still count after the anticipated rule change that will take effect on tonight's results show. The speculation on the internet is that the judges will get a one-time veto of the fans' votes where they can bring back a deserving contestant who's on the brink of being eliminated far too early. If this is the new rule that will take effect, will they be hesitant to save a contestant like Allison, Matt, or Michael? Honestly, the three I believe are untouchable are Danny, Adam, and Lil. I think those three have a clear path right down to the top three so long as either one don't seriously mess up. As for the others, it's probably only a matter of time before they get voted off.
Be sure to enjoy the results on Wednesday. Kelly Clarkson will be peforming her hit song, "My Life Would Suck Without You." Really looking forward to that!
(After the results show, I picked both contestants sent home. Whoot! First time this season.)
Lil Rounds - "The Way You Make Me Feel" : This is a very high energy song. She really looks good on stage; wearing a slimming outfit with nice, light colors. Lil appears comfortable being on stage and is not showing any nerves. Not sure if the song really shows off Lil's great vocal abilities but she definitely had fun with it. I believe she's absolutely perfect for this competition. Nice way to start the show.
Scott MacIntyre - "Keep the Faith" : Scott, as promised, playing the piano; exactly what I was looking forward to. I don't really believe he will be known for his vocal abilities in this competition because in my opinion, his singing is just average. But you have to admit he's one heck of a musician. The way he plays the piano is phenominal. I wasn't familiar with the song he chose this week so I was surprised the tempo picked up part-way through. I thought the end of the song was better than the beginning but overall, it was a very good effort from Scott.
Danny Gokey - "PYT (Pretty Young Thing)" : Danny is one of the most talked about contestants of season eight; either you love him or hate him. I thought his song choice was very odd and it started off really weird. But the tempo quickly picked up and suddenly it's one big party in the studio. Danny is full of energy and very likable. There's no doubt about his vocal abilities. He was very fun tonight and his singing wasn't half-bad either.
Michael Sarver - "You Are Not Alone" : I think this was a million times better than his semi-final performance singing "I Don't Wanna Be." This is more of a sound suited for Michael and he may be more comfortable singing ballads. The performance was just a bit boring for me when it started, but I really began to feel Michael's passion and soul. It was definitely a well-controlled performance.
Jasmine Murray - "I'll Be There" : A very predictable song choice from Jasmine. I wouldn't call it a pitch-perfect performance by no means. It was an admirable effort, however. She struggles with the lower notes in the song but I have to say the ending was better than the beginning. With the way she's dressed and picked songs the past couple of weeks, I can't get the "Princess Jasime" allusion out of my mind when I think of her. It's time she mixes things up and does something a little more edgy.
Kris Allen - "Remember the Time" : I really enjoyed how this started out. He injected a lot of soul into it and it didn't hurt with him playing the guitar. He showed a ton of confidence on stage and had lots of fun. Miles better than his semi-final song where he sang "Man in the Mirror." However, he did get a bit clumsy towards the end of the song when he may have gotten caught up in the moment and started over-singing and becoming off-tune. Still, much better than I was expecting.
Allison Iraheta - "Give it to Me" : She is certainly the bona-fide rocker chick in season eight and she's playing it off extremely well. I think it falls just a tad bit short of her semi-final performance where she sang "Alone," but it was still very good. She has no trouble hitting the right notes; even the higher ones in this song. She is definitely one of my favorites of this season so far.
Anoop Desai - "Beat it" : What a tremendously risky song for Anoop to sing. I have a feeling Simon will rip his performance to shreds; which he does. Actually the whole panel does! I didn't think it was terrible, but it wasn't great either. You could tell he was having a lot of fun with it, as he moved across the stage with ease; even interacting some with the audience. Still, a bit indulgent and over-the-top. I feel bad because Anoop is so likable. He really looks disappointed.
Jorge Nunez - "Never Can Say Goodbye" : I am really liking Jorge's sound with this song; has a very Latin-American feel and is very soulful. He even sounds like Marc Anthony at times. He was off on a few notes but overall I found the performance to be very enjoyable. I think he's a breath of fresh air for this show, especially if they are looking for a singer in the Latin American market. I'm still rather puzzled why the judges panned it so terribly.
Megan Joy Corkrey - "Rockin' Robin" : A very fun, quirky song for Megan - seems to fit her nicely. She looks absolutely stunning tonight in that red dress. I love her personality; she seems very bubbly. I'll admit, I wasn't blown away by her vocals but she is a very pleasant and likable person. It is an older song; maybe that's why it seems so old-fashioned. I was a bit taken aback by Simon calling her song choice "stupid." This is practically his girl!
Adam Lambert - "Black or White" : The start of the song seemed a bit sub-dued, more restrained. Things really start picking up towards the middle and end. I thought we were going to see a different side of Adam with the way the song started, but I should've known better. In my opinion, it's a bit over-the-top at times and shouty, but there's no question he's an amazing performer. He's so confident on that stage it's not even funny.
Matt Giraud - "Human Nature" : I am so totally digging the arrangement of this song. It almost has a naturistic-sound to it and it's enhanced even more with Matt playing on the piano. Loved the overall feel of the song. Probably not quite as good of a performance like his Wild Card song and I'd even characterize it as being a bit safe. But I believe we'll be seeing lots of Matt in the weeks to come.
Alexis Grace - "Dirty Diana" : I am really enjoying the start of this song. She really turned herself into this edgy, rocker-style performer. She has to be careful not to over-do it, however. Don't think it was pitch-perfect, but still, very nicely done. She appears to be very confident being on that big Idol stage. There's no question she's in her element while singing on this show and I look forward to her performing with her guitar in the weeks to come.
With the recap out of the way, how do I think the contestants performed tonight? Ask and you shall receive! Here are tonight's rankings:
1.) Danny Gokey
2.) Adam Lambert
3.) Lil Rounds
4.) Matt Giraud
5.) Allison Iraheta
6.) Michael Sarver
7.) Kris Allen
8.) Alexis Grace
9.) Jorge Nunez (actual eliminee 3/11/09)
10.) Scott MacIntyre
11.) Megan Joy Corkrey
12.) Jasmine Murray (actual eliminee 3/11/09)
13.) Anoop Desai
My prediction: Jasmine Murray and Jorge Nunez will go home. Jorge is a very memorable contestant but I don't think he did enough with his song tonight. And it doesn't help when he gets absolutely sand-bagged by the judges! I still don't get why they thought it was so horrible. Jorge is a very happy and likable guy. Obviously it will be very disappointing to see him go home at this stage of the competition. Meanwhile, Jasmine has "cannon fodder" written across her profile in big, bold lettering. Honestly, I don't understand why she was even chosen as a wild card because in my opinion (and many others), Jesse Langseth was a much stronger contestant at this stage of the competition. I just don't see a whole lot of star potential in Jasmine, so it would not surprise me at all to see her get the boot this week.
Still, don't be surprised if there's a huge, shocking elimination during the next couple of weeks. That is, if the fan votes still count after the anticipated rule change that will take effect on tonight's results show. The speculation on the internet is that the judges will get a one-time veto of the fans' votes where they can bring back a deserving contestant who's on the brink of being eliminated far too early. If this is the new rule that will take effect, will they be hesitant to save a contestant like Allison, Matt, or Michael? Honestly, the three I believe are untouchable are Danny, Adam, and Lil. I think those three have a clear path right down to the top three so long as either one don't seriously mess up. As for the others, it's probably only a matter of time before they get voted off.
Be sure to enjoy the results on Wednesday. Kelly Clarkson will be peforming her hit song, "My Life Would Suck Without You." Really looking forward to that!
(After the results show, I picked both contestants sent home. Whoot! First time this season.)
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