An End of an Era

Yes indeed it was a Simon love fest tonight on the final results show, and why not? The man made American Idol, and now the show will certainly decline without the two original star judges at the helm. I was happy to see the usual cadre of stars, and the getting together every previous Idol except David Cook was a nice touch too. Paul Abdul still cannot put together a coherent sentence, which is just sad. And speaking of sad, the results were clear from DialIdol that I was mistaken and the underdog had overtaken the longtime favorite. The only justification I can think of is that Lee had done nearly as well as Crystal in the 3-4 weeks leading up to the final, so she could not turn the momentum of him overachieving and her being just OK the past few weeks. She's way better than he is, but the best one never seems to win this contest. When they do, you get a blockbuster star like Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood. When they don't, you get Taylor Hicks and Fantasia.

So I fell beneath .500 for the season, which stinks but what can you do? With the exception of trying to send Casey and Tim home too soon, I was pretty much spot on in the finals until tonight. Here;s the final tally.

THIS WEEK: 0/1
FINALS: 7/12
OVERALL: 11/24

Also, I hate to make this announcement, but with the exit of Simon, I will also be taking an exit stage right. It has been a blast following Idol weekly the past three seasons, but every season has shown the decline of the show and I just do not see that changing anytime soon. There's still a lot of talent out there and a show like this is good, but I'm not going to religiously follow it and blog it anymore. For my two readers out there, I'll try to pitch in some insight a couple times next season, but there will not be weekly entries and I won't be keeping score anymore. In Season 7 I was rewarded with a David Cook upset, and I'll never forget the days of Archuleta, Glambert, and Momma Sox. So thanks for reading and check me out on my other blogs if they interest you. Until the next great thing comes along, safe journeys.

American Idol 9 - The Finale of Lee vs. Crystal

So we come down to a rising star by the merits of this competition, as Lee went from outside shot at the title to a 50/50 chance, outlasting Casey, Mike, and Aaron unexpectedly. However, the soft rock type of guy has done well recently with David Cook taking the title and Kris Allen pretty much hitting a close genre last year. Meanwhile, Crystal has been the frontrunner since the finals started thanks to really outshining all the girls (Siobhan was the second girl at 6th!) and then never letting up. So let's see if the first woman in the finals since Jordan Sparks will win it.

Lee - The Boxer - Lee goes with his inspirational week song, which was when the judges started loving him way too much. Again, he gives a decent performance of the song but nothing earth-shattering. Good performance for him but he will likely need to do better than this to win the final. He definitely did it better this time than the first time, so kudos there. And we're off...
GRADE: B

Crystal - Me and Bobby McGee - Crystal starts off a little weak in this one but she builds up to the crescendo that is the chorus of this song. A little cheesy but she did OK and at least matched Lee. I think the ending basically saved it for her despite the slow start. Not a legendary start to the finale.
GRADE: B

Lee - Everybody Hurts - The producer decides he wants to hear Lee crone on with many long notes with this one, which actually worked out better than I thought for him. The angelic choir is up to 20 since 8 did not work for him last week. For a song I do not like that well, he did a nice job with it. However, he had no control over the song choice so I'll bump him up half a grade from what I've thought.
GRADE: B-

Crystal - Black Velvet - This was a lot more rock than her usual vibe, and I suppose the producers are slightly stretching the abilities of both our finalists. However, when given a challenge, Crystal comes up roses. She gets a little breathless and a little shouty, but it was not Siobhan shouty so it turned out OK. And it's song appropriate. I cannot give this a full A, but I enjoyed it enough to grade it better than Lee.
GRADE: B+

Lee - Beautiful Day - This song is surprising only because I really did not expect them to do covers for their first song. That's a new wrinkle, but I suppose it fits the show since we're all just watching karaoke anymore. Lee's take on the U2 song is a not very interesting one, as the minor stuff he changes does not sound any better. He's also back to not looking like a star, which hurts him. Another mediocre performance here and I think the finals will be decided by the lack of going for it by the pain seller.
GRADE: B-

Crystal - Up To The Mountain - While this is not exactly what I had in mind for her first single, she does a nice job with the song. Shows off her true vocal talent and how she blows Lee out of the woodwork with her voice. This locked up the finals as a nearly perfect performance. I don't think there should be any doubt in America's mind, whether or not Crystal makes it big time (the odds are in her favor as woman winners have done tons better than the guys).
GRADE: A

So that's the finale, and not a shocker as really only big Mike had the pipes to compete with Crystal in a three song show. Unless there's a real surprise, and I don't read one this time, Crystal will be your next American Idol. So we'll see you tomorrow night.

YOUR AMERICAN IDOL IS - Crystal
CONDOLANCES TO - Lee

American Idol 9 - The Cut to 2

And in this penultimate results episode, we lose Casey. Which is no surprise, considering he's been due to go the last two weeks and has been saved by a good vote following (and congratulations to Idol voters to having some taste). However, the Lee and Crystal final was predetermined by the idol fix weeks ago and now we have it. You still have to handicap Crystal as the favorite but the judges will love Lee more to make it close.

THIS WEEK: 1/1
FINALS: 7/11
OVERALL: 11/23

American Idol 9 - The Top 3

Now that one of the legitimate title contenders has gone home in Mike, it's time to decide who is the American Idol this year. The three contestants who have the highest likelihood of success outside Idol according to USA Today 3 weeks ago have survived and now will duke it out to see if anybody can knock off the Momma Sox. Tonight they get their own choice and a judge's pick. Good luck on the judge's pick.

PERSONAL SELECTIONS

Casey - OK It's Alright With Me - Casey picks a bluesy little strumming number instead of a rocking song with an electric guitar, which surprised me after he's been away from the electric for a good few weeks. The vocal was kind of boring for a Top 3 performance even though it was a good performance. Based on what Lee does, this could be trouble because this will not beat what Crystal does.
GRADE: C

Crystal - Come To My Window - Crystal lays the harmonica back on America after 10 weeks without it, and picks a song right in her wheelhouse (which is an understatement). She changes it up a bit and makes it her own despite keeping it memorable and within her range. This is the look of a winner and this is what made her the frontrunner to begin with. Solid performance and despite the judges wanting "a moment", she's all good.
GRADE: A

Lee - Simple Man - There's a reach on the chorus of this song and Lee just does not have the voice for it. He basically flatlined his way through the song, and while it was a nice song to choose, I really don't think it was the right choice if you were going to sing it like that. The judges are absolutely in love with him, perhaps more so than Crystal which is a surprising dynamic. It's looking like Lee and Crystal are going to make it really tough for Casey to dig out.
GRADE: B-

JUDGE'S SELECTION

Casey - Daughters - Casey gets out the electric guitar on a song where he can't show it off. Sad. I have one problem with this song and that is the arrangement was apparently even slower than the original. For a cute soft song, you don't need to slow it down any more. This is the nail in the coffin, bro. I love this guy but he is not going to make the finals. This was a good performance but the judges did him no favor here.
GRADE: C+

Crystal - Maybe I'm Amazed - This was a very interesting choice for Ellen's first judge pick. I don't know that I get it, but Crystal has a solid voice to perform nearly anything and she knocks this one out of the park. Crystal is here to win the competition and she showed off some vocal range she did not show before, as the judges correctly noted. Not her best performance, but close.
GRADE: B+

Lee - Hallelujah - You know what's sad about this song choice from Simon: he wants a moment from Lee and he got one...a terrible one. This was the worst performance of the night despite being in the money slot and Idol doing everything to pimp him out with 8 backup singers and an orchestra accompaniment. He was pitchy, missed notes, and to top it off, HE WAS WORSE THAN TEFLON TIM WHO DID THE SAME DAMN SONG THIS SEASON. Of course the judges lapped it up because they aren't listening anymore. This was suck suck suck. So disappointed, and this actually should open the door for Casey even though it won't.
GRADE: D-

So a shocking finish to the night, and American Idol hopefully will not pull this favortism bullshit in the finals that they are so used to. It's a knockout for Archuleta? Wait for it...next week it will be Dewise Dewise Dewise. Eff that, Crystal is the only person here worth listening to in the long term unless these two guys improve dramatically. (Although Casey could play a guitar solo set anytime for me).

TOP PERFORMER - Crystal
GOING HOME - Casey

America Idol 9 - The Cut to 3

This week we will have the Idols coming to their hometowns, which means somewhere near me Crystal will return home. Perhaps I should go watch the spectacle? In any event, tonight we lose a truly good contestant for the first time all year, but at this point, someone had to go. And that someone, surprisingly, was Mike. Making the save actually worth it this year, Michael definitely deserved to be in the top 4 and just caught a bad break of not having good voter support throughout. Well wishes Michael, I highly doubt you'll need to rely on the personal trainer gig anymore.

THIS WEEK: 0/1
FINALS: 6/10
OVERALL: 10/22

American Idol Final Four at the movies

So Jamie Foxx is back as guest mentor. I still don't see him as all that great of an artist, but his mentoring last season was decent. We'll see how the duos break out this season, as I recall Adam and Allison not getting any credit for beating the crap out of Gokey and Allen.

Lee - Kiss From A Rose - Lee picks a cheesy Seal song, and he kicks it off with a way too weak falsetto note. Instead of having soul, he just gravel-voices his way through it and it sounds odd. This was totally not the right song choice. This guy is definitely good by Idol standards, but this performance was not up to top 4 level snuff. The judges actually called him out on his singing out of tune, so perhaps people will listen and know that this was not that good.
GRADE: C-

Michael - Will You Be There - Michael takes on a soulful MJ song, which I couldn't remember the artist of until Kelley reminded me. Unlike Lee, this was a brilliant song choice and may get pity votes for being a Jackson song. In any event, the performance was solid. The judges were kind of harsh on Michael, but I think the choice of the choir was a solid one.
GRADE: B+

Lee and Crystal - Lee and Crystal turns out to be a cute match with the two acoustic guitars, and they actually sing this pretty well when they sing together. Lee tries a bit hard when he's on his own, and Crystal maybe does too but she can pull it off better. This was one of the best performances of the season and way better than anything the duets did last year.
GRADE: A-

Casey - Mrs. Robinson - You can tell Casey breathed a sigh of relief when this song list came out as Sinatra week was somehow survived. This is an interesting song choice...not as good as Michael but not as weird as Lee. Casey does a nice different sounding rendition of the song, makes it more personal. However, the believability was a little off I thought. Considering how popular Lee has gotten, this could be a swan song.
GRADE: C

Crystal - I'm Alright - After hearing her perform this for Jamie Foxx, the fact that she arranged it with a bongo player was a real surprise. She definitely changed the song up a bit and made it totally memorable. I don't think this was her best performance but it will be the one people remember for good reasons. Considering how well Crystal did with Lee, there's no doubt she will be in the Final 3, barring a catastrophe of silly voting.
GRADE: B+

Michael and Casey - These guys can't have the cute moment Crystal and Lee had, and it was a weird choice being completely solo for the first two verses of the song. When they sing together it sounded good until Casey tried to hit a high note with Michael, and then it just sounded bad to me. Overall a good try, but they were outclassed earlier. Nevertheless, this performance can only help Casey, who will need it to overcome the other two guys.
GRADE: C

At this point, I'll be honest. I'm just guessing. This is a very close season although you can pencil in Crystal for the championship at this point. So here goes.

TOP PERFORMER - Crystal (thanks to the duet)
BOTTOM TWO - Lee, Casey
GOING HOME - Casey

American Idol 9 - The Cut to 4

And the final four is here. Aaron is out and Lee is in, but really this was the top 4 we have expected with just one simple substitution for an overachiever. Casey was surprisingly saved, so hopefully he reminds us why he was so good and plays a guitar in the Final Four. I'm cheering for him to come in second at this point, as there's no denying Crystal should win. So mu streak is over, ahh well. Still got a good finals going.

THIS WEEK: 0/1
FINALS: 6/9
OVERALL: 10/21

American Idol 9 - Top 5 Takes on Frank

Sinatra, that is. This was a theme week that flopped last year despite being put late enough to where the contestants should have been good enough to handle the songbook. We will see if this year's generally weak crop can come up with a surprise. Although Lee and Aaron are the weakest singers remaining, Mike and Casey have flirted with disaster recently and Crystal looked mortal last week. So on to it.

Aaron - Fly Me To The Moon - Aaron gives a decent rendition for someone who is terribly underdeveloped vocally compared to the original. I thought he put too much emphasis and oversold at some points. Technically it was a good performance, but it was definitely not memorable and that's the key when you go first and you are on the edge of elimination talent-wise. This certainly does not make him safe.
GRADE: C

Casey - Blue Skies - Casey is forced away from his guitar a second week by Connick, which turns out OK. Aaron tried to be generic while Casey can put some soul like usual and make it work. Even though I know this is unfair, it was a little to lounge singer-esque, as he could have done a bit more with it. Nevertheless, this was better than Aaron I thought. The judges ripped him to death though which could be a serious issue.
GRADE: C

Crystal - Summer Wind - Crystal does make this sound like a strong-voiced version of one of her own songs, which makes it actually somewhat better than two weeks ago when the judges loved her. This is an improvement over last week, which is all that matters as a frontrunner does not want to stay down at this point in the competition. This was the usual solid performance, even if not perfect.
GRADE: A-

Mike - The Way You Look Tonight - Mike plays in a 12 piece band, which means he knows his Sinatra, which should come as no surprise. Actually what is surprising is that he had not dipped into a Sinatra tune before now unless he was prevented from doing so. Mike knocks this one out of the park as well as he can, and it is the best performance of the night. As well it should be in his wheelhouse.
GRADE: A

Lee - That's Life - Lee does his usual raspy talk-through-a-verse at the beginning of this song. This performance was a whole lot of boring and a big out of place glory note at the end. I have no idea what he was thinking but this was not nearly as good as he thought it was. Of course the judges loved it because they always love Aaron and Lee to make it interesting (or maybe they are that tone deaf).
GRADE: C-

So overall we have the usual passing grades with this late part of the season, but I really think someone will go home who maybe does not deserve it. However, there was one performance which the judges ripped and will push Aaron into the safe category for another week. Too bad too, as he really does not deserve it. But theme week is a killer for someone like Casey.

TOP PERFORMER - Mike
BOTTOM TWO - Casey, Aaron
GOING HOME - Casey

American Idol 9 - The Cut to 5

So lots of performances and one of the better serious ford music videos ever done on Idol results night. I don't know about the Shakira and Rascal Flatts combo, but at least it was not atrocious like some of the other superstar performances this year. And totally shocked Shania Twain did not perform or appear after being such a focal point Tuesday night. Ahh well. The results were not too surprising, except Aaron being in the top 3. At this point everyone is in jeopardy because we are down to the predictable top 4 in the finals and Lee, who has impressed overall. Other than calling Tim going home way earlier than he did, I'm keeping my nice finals streak alive. It will like get tougher from here though.

THIS WEEK: 1/1
FINALS: 6/8
OVERALL: 10/20

American Idol Top 6 - Going Country

We might be going country this week, but with a pop overture. Shania Twain opens her songbook after judging the rejects earlier this season. Without John Cho, will it be as magical? One can dare to dream. Without Teflon Tim around, the competition should finally heat up now. Fingers crossed.

Lee - Still The One - Lee goes way back to the beginning of the songbook and picks one of the songs that made Shania famous. He mumbles through the song again and he does make it his own. He was kind of off pitch or maybe he was trying to blaze his own trail. He had one good set of lines in the chorus but the rest of this was total crap. Going first, Lee is definitely in serious trouble although the judges love him for some inexplicable reason. Oh and the facial expressions have got to clean up.
GRADE: D

Mike - It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing - I knew Mike would find the cheesy slow song to sing in this catalogue and here it is. Mike gives a very solid performance though and reminds us why we loved him as a top four for sure contestant. He should have kept the falsetto for the end, but other than that, there's not much to complain about. I do not know if he can win without going over the top with his strong voice, but he should be safe for another week.
GRADE: B+

Casey - Don't - Casey plays right to the judges finally by going with more emphasis on his voice than his amazing guitar skills. If this were a talent contest, Casey would win, but it is a singing contest. Casey gives the first truly country type performance of the night, and his voice fits it actually. I think this was a solid song choice even if the performance was not perfect. Nice awkward moment at the end when he tried to go in for the kiss on Shania. But he should be safe unless the final two sing incredibly.
GRADE: B

Crystal - No One Needs To Know - Crystal also actually plays along with a country version of a country song, so kudos to that. I'm actually surprised to see her show off a bit of country twang despite being from the same part of Ohio as I am. She was solid as usual but I did not think this was a good song choice for her. She did not quite sell it as well as usual.
GRADE: B

Aaron - Know Me - Aaron shows his weakness on this song despite trying to play to his strengths. His glory note at the end was OK, but nothing special. The rest of the song was noticeably pitchy. This was forgettable and terrible and may send him home early. The judges loved what they heard and Randy showed his idiot face by calling him the true country artist in the competition. What exactly they are hearing is beyond me. Sounds like they need him for tween-tard viewers.
GRADE: D

Siobhan - Any Man of Mine - I'll give Siobhan credit, she's got serious balls taking on this song. Siobhan doesn't have the country twang that made this song memorable the first time around and she just kind of half shouted through it. The fast parts of the song she did not keep up with and she was terribly pitchy. Even her scream at the end was not up to her usual snuff. She could be only the second contestant ever to go home from the money slot outside the top 2.
GRADE: FAIL

TOP PERFORMER - Mike
BOTTOM 2 - Aaron, Siobhan
GOING HOME - Siobhan

American Idol 9 - The Cut to 6

After tonight, we've cut the chaff from the finals and gotten down to a solid six. Yes indeed, that means the true chaff of the semifinals and finals is gone in Tim. I do have to congratulate him for going out much much later than he deserved to, but it will be nice to have him gone from performance nights before it becomes awkward to have him paired with someone like Casey or Crystal in a duet in a couple weeks. I will not opine on the two-hour waste of time, but I hope they make a lot of money to do something other than line the producers pockets.

THIS WEEK: 1/1
FINALS: 5/7
OVERALL: 9/19

American Idol Top 7 - Inspirational Week Fails to Inspire

Well if this is a week to miss Idol live, this is it. No offense to good charity efforts, but Idol Gives Back just makes me want to yawn. Especially when the Idol producers you cannot get enough of a good thing and makes the Idols pick from a cheesy song list. After the double elimination, there are a couple of contestants who still do not quite match up as frontrunners, but anything could happen. Teflon Tim is still around AND getting good comments from the judges (kiss of death in all likelihood), so anything is possible. Oh and we're quickly down from two hours two weeks ago to one hour shows now. So that's one plus!

Casey - Don't Stop - Casey actually finds a decent song in the songlist for his musical tastes, and is able to throw a little electric guitar in there to remind us why he will likely have a better future than former Idol David Cook. Casey still kind of strikes me as a Huey Lewis kind of artist, which may be sellable again now that the 80's are long in the rearview mirror. Casey gives a soulful rendition with not a lot of challenge in my opinion. Solid start to the show, but nothing new.
GRADE: C+

Lee - The Boxer - Lee played to the camera for the first time I think in his long stay here on Idol, as he's usually off in space. This song is one of the classics and I don't remember anybody else taking it on in recent years. Lee does OK with the verses and very good with the chorus, if you can call the wordless chorus a chorus. I think Lee will be safe with this performance, but this is not the kind of performance that wins Idol down the home stretch.
GRADE: B

Tim - Better Days - Teflon Tim was a late addition to the Top 24 and has made the most of it all the way to the Top 7 after having a disastrous first week. This was literally boring and a step back for someone who has admittedly shown improvement. however, Tim is way out of his league now compared to the other six. Goo Goo Dolls are not a band to move you on, and Tim is in legitimate trouble.
GRADE: D

Aaron - I Believe I Can Fly - Aaron picks something from his lifetime, and definitely one of the cheesiest songs of my lifetime. This is the kind of song choice that Aaron needs to use to knock teen-favorite Tim out of the spotlight and take his place as a co-frontrunner, in my humble opinion. Oh and for the record, it's nice to see an Idol actually wear blue jeans...it's more normal. Aaron does not have the chops of other young Idol contestants, but he was solid on this song and picked well, despite the cheese. He's for sure safe.
GRADE: B+

Siobhan - When You Believe - Ahh Siobhan brings the weird outfit flavor we've been missing most of the season thanks to it being a guy-dominated season again. This song is strong but it starts off at a low register and Siobhan honestly needs to stay away from that as much as possible because she's nasal and annoying. Once the song picks up she has a nice glory note that is not quite shouting, and this was actually one of her least offensive performances for someone who hates shouting singers. Zero star power tonight.
GRADE: C

Mike - Hero - Mike picks a good contemporary song by the lead singers of Nickelback and Saliva, totally not what I expected from him which is a good thing after he bored me to tears playing it safe last week. This was a nice take on a song originally sung my people with a southern type of twang. I thought he could've actually gone more dramatic at the end, but it was a nice change of pace and perhaps puts him back into the top 4 again. Solid job.
GRADE: B

Crystal - People Get Ready - Crystal takes her first opportunity to go instrument-free this week, which could be risky for the Janis Joplin type of singer. She left the instrument behind but she put her voice on massive display singing a stronger song than usual for her. This just proved what we suspected all along. Crystal knows what she does well and she can do well with songs outside her comfort zone. And then at the end of the song she broke down crying which ruined what was a solid A performance. Nevertheless, in the money slot this was how it is done.
GRADE: A-

So actually it was better than I originally expected, and the top 4 from my semifinals take on the top 12 appear to be coming true as Crystal, Casey, Aaron, and Mike separate themselves a bit. It will be interesting to see if Lee and Siobhan, or even Teflon Tim can break the stronghold this season. For the final time, your bottom 3 (goes to 2 this week or next week).

TOP PERFORMER - Crystal (making a habit of it)
BOTTOM 3 - Casey, Time, Siobhan
GOING HOME - Tim

American Idol 9 - The Cut To 7

Well tonight we remembered what makes this season so much more disappointing when Glambert took the stage. He puts on quite a show even if his single is kind of crap. I nabbed a two for two finish on double elimination week for the second straight year, which makes me happy. The first mid-range contestant goes home in Andrew, which leaves us with 4 frontrunners, 1 mid-range contestant, and 2 longshots. Although the longer it goes, I'm beginning to think Lee is stronger than both Aaron and Mike. Nevertheless, if this season does nto come down to Casey and Crystal we got robbed.

THIS WEEK: 2/2
FINALS: 4/6
OVERALL: 8/18

American Idol 9 - The Top 9 Redux

Well this is a great week because two people go home, which is a nice brutal cut. I may hate the save, but I believe it was properly used this season instead of wasted on a Giraud. Plus we do get some drama the following week. The biggest star catalogue ever keeps on going with Elvis following the Beatles and the Stones. Let's see how the Idols go way way back before their parents were born. Oh and Glambert is back! Woo!

Crystal - Saved - Usually the opening slot of the night is really in jeopardy, especially on double elimination week, but Crystal knocks another song out of the park by using her distinctive style. She went a little different with an electric guitar and some backup singers this week, but was still solid.
GRADE: A-

Andrew - Hound Dog - Glambert is fantastic. Honestly. I think he's going to tell everyone to put a big slap of different on it. At least with Andrew, this is like workign with Glambert lite. Andrew ends up slowing down the song to a jazzy tune, and it's not bad. However, it's not memorable either. Andrew was in the bottom two last week, but this crazy season lord only knows.
GRADE: C

Tim - Can't Help Falling In Love - Tim sings a terribly boring and sweet little version of this song. He ditches the advice to go falsetto at the end, which was probably a good choice because he does not need to risk anything at this point. This was a better performance but even when he sings a flat song he still seems to have weird notes. This should save him, which means he'll probably go home /eyeroll
GRADE: C+

Lee - A Little Less Conversation - Lee takes out the high note runs in the original song and it kind of takes away from the song to be honest, although he does a decent job with the song. I think it was better than the last two but not by much. Everyone is definitely bringing their A game so far, so it will be interesting to see if anyone stumbles.
GRADE: B-

Aaron - Blue Suede Shoes - Aaron pops the collar, which was inevitable when Idols do elvis, but it looks so silly from someone who's grandfather might have been young when Elvis had this as a hit. This performance had some weird moments and seemed a little overconfident. I like that he tried to do something different, but he might still be in trouble.
GRADE: C

Siobhan - Suspicious Minds - During the first time through the chorus she does not seem to speed it up as much as Glambert said she should have, and then she tries to over-dramatize the rest of the song. Her voice is better and not odd when she oversings, but it's annoying. This could put her in trouble, which I feel like I am saying a lot but when nobody has dipped to a D tonight, it's hard to tell.
GRADE: C-

Mike - In The Ghetto - somehow I can't get Cartman singing this song out of my head, so thanks South Park. This was a plain jane performance and it seems like a bad week to play it safe. People liked your theatrical strong voice Mike, not the boring love melodies. A good performance and he should stick around despite being a bore fest.
GRADE: C

Katie - Baby What Do You Want Me To Do - So Katie wants to sing an angry song to the judges for criticizing her. Well baby, you've deserved it most weeks. This performance was fun to watch but despite the passion, I don't know if it will fly with America. I would have given it a B had it not been for the cheese factor of trying to show up the judges.
GRADE: C

Casey - Naughty is Claudy - This performance had a Dave Matthews feel to it, and while I do not like DMB, I think it worked for Casey here. A frontrunner gets the money slot and does not disappoint on a night full of very good and some mediocre but no bad performances. Solid should work with Casey.
GRADE: B

TOP PERFORMER - Crystal
BOTTOM 3 - Katie, Andrew, Aaron
GOING HOME - Andrew
GOING HOME - Katie

American Idol 9 - The Cut to 8 (or not)

Well this was a shocking week of results. Not only did Katie and Tim escape the bottom three, but the man with the lowest amount of votes was a near lock for the top 3. Big Mike took a big hit and somehow ended up at the bottom below Andrew (also surprising) and Aaron. But this was the most predictable save ever, and now we will cut from 9 to 7 next week. Normally that would be death knell for sure for the only terrible contestant left, but Tim was not even in the bottom three! Only time will tell if the season will continue to shock like this week did. Total change from the finals up to this point and apparently everyone is vulnerable.

THIS WEEK: 0/1
FINALS: 2/4
OVERALL: 6/16

American Idol 9 - Top 9

And this week, we take on the Beatles for the first time since the Top 12 and Top 11 of season 7 butchered the poor greatest band of all time. This year they have gotten the Stones for one week and the Beatles now. You cannot go wrong with these song choices, as you can make an epic blunder beyond belief. Given that we haven't had any massive upsets thus far, Tim and Katie should be fearful this week unless one of the mid-range contestants like Siobhan or Andrew lays an egg. And here we go...

Aaron - The Long and Winding Road - Aaron picks a sappy slow song that's not too powerful. He may not be missing the notes he intends to hit, but it sounds weird at certain points in the song. This is the type of performance that will make the judges beg him to go contemporary. This was an absolute yawn-fest and considering he leads off with it, it may have sent him home if there were not more buffer crap people.
GRADE: D

Katie - Let It Be - So both the 17 year old contestants decide to take the sappy slow songs and not change anything up to make themselves stand out. It's safe and it's not going to win this race. Katie at least does slightly more with her voice to show off than Aaron. She may surprise and stick around longer than we initially thought. This was good for her but still mediocre no matter what the judges say.
GRADE: C

Andrew - Can't Buy Me Love - Well bad news for the fringe contestants hoping this middle guy falls. This is not going to happen tonight. A good redone arrangement to update the song for his voice and a very well done performance. This is the kind of performance that may get him back in the mix against the heavy hitters.
GRADE: B

Mike - Eleanor Rigby - Mike picks a very good song because he loves it, but his voice does not fit the runs of the song to be frankly honest. And when he tries to do his soulful shouting at the end of the song, it feels overly forced. This is quite possibly Mike's worst performance of the competition. He will not go home by any means, but it is a chink in his armor. Kudos to Simon for being the voice of reason in judges infatuated with Mike.
GRADE: C

Crystal - Come Together - Wow, Crystal pulls out the diddgerido...cool choice if a bit weird. This is one of the hardest songs to do well because it requires a lot of range and an ability to change pace quickly. Crystal makes this song fit for her, which is what may distinguish her from big Mike at the end of the day. Easily the best performance of the night.
GRADE: A-

Teflon Tim - All My Loving - Well Tim is finally way out of his league and although I sent him home a week ago, I think the right time is now. His closest competition is Katie who did moderately well tonight. Randy says he is in his own category, which means he shouldn't be here anymore. At least he's enjoyable to watch. Bleh performance.
GRADE: D

Casey - Jealous Guy - Casey breaks it down from the electric guitar, which is his strength and goes acoustic tonight. This was not his best performance but it showed a good soft side to him. No better no worse after tonight, although Mike may have moved behind him tonight. Not a perfect performance though.
GRADE: B

Siobhan - Across The Universe - Siobhan goes with slow and sappy, but that's not something she has done a lot like some other contestants. She gives a very good performance and will avoid the bottom 3, perhaps sending Katie back to a quick in and out of the bottom 3. This was a nice change of pace, and no scream thank goodness.
GRADE: B

Lee - Hey Jude - Well the last time Lee had the pimp slot I thought he deserved to go home with a crap performance of a Hinder song. Getting the close-out spot was a good thing this week even though Tim is basically a buffer for all these mediocre contestants. But this may save Lee from the bottom three. As for the performance, it was pretty mediocre. The bagpipes were a bit over the top like Crystal was. In any event, the performance was good enough to keep him safe for now.
GRADE: C-

So they killed the Beatles again, but it's better when they wait for the top 8 rather than the chaff of a top 12 or top 11. We'll see what comes next week, but I suspect Tim will go tomorrow and the heat will turn right on Katie, Lee, Siobhan, and Andrew.

TOP PERFORMER - Crystal
BOTTOM 3 - Tim, Katie, Aaron
GOING HOME - Teflon Tim

American Idol 9 - The Cut To 9

Now that the tour is set and chock full of losers, it is time to take some hacks out of the competition. Nobody in the bottom three was a huge surprise or would have been much of a loss, as Katie I did not have but has been consistently worse than Siobhan. It was clearly between Teflon Tim and Didi, and I tried to take out Tim a week too soon. So Didi gave a good save performance, but it will never be used on a fringe contestant this early because she would just go home next week.

THIS WEEK: 0/1
FINALS: 2/3
OVERALL: 6/15

American Idol 9 - The Top 10

The theme week of the Top 10 is R&B and Soul with Usher. Hey it's actually a legitimate top of the game musical genius for a mentor, so maybe they will get some better advice than last week. So let's see who bends the soul into their own genre in an interesting way and who kills a Mary J. Blige song.

Siobhan - Street of Fire - It's funny that Usher of all people tells Siobhan to cut out the crazy clothes, but maybe it will sink in. The scream in this song was totally unnecessary and forced, which brought the performance down. Siobhan has a good voice and she is distinctive, but this was one of her weaker performances and she was off key for much of the song.
GRADE: D

Casey - Hold On I'm Coming - Someone must have told Casey a joke right before going on because he had the biggest grin on his face. Casey does what will probably be my favorite song choice of the night and jazzes it up with his guitar skills intro and a blues quartet. I think he will have a future in a rock band, maybe even more than David Cook. This performance not his best but very good.
GRADE: B

Mike - Ready For Love - Mike picks a soft quiet love song, what a shock. This is his wheelhouse, so he should knock it out of the park. This song choice bored me to tears even with the heavy strong note at the end. He needs to do more, although the performance was technically sound. Frontrunners are sticking around this week.
GRADE: B-

Didi - What Becomes of the Brokenhearted - Didi wears the most formal dress of the night and then lays a Siobhan scream (as much as she can) near the end of the song. I thought this was her strongest non-nervous performance but the song did not quite fit her. I think this will keep her around knowing who is coming up later, but minor improvements are not enough for a fringe contestant.
GRADE: C-

Tim - Sweet Love - Teflon Tim indeed, he is the proud worster contestant. When Tim tries to look through the camera and sings this chorus, he seems like a creepy head-lolled-to-the-side stalker. One of the lyrics to this song is I feel ashamed, and Simon should rip on that. Although I'm about to bust the Idol producers for not being able to keep a solid tape going. Tim gets past the FAIL on effort alone because this song was full of fail. He might go home this week.
GRADE: D

Andrew - Forever - Andrew takes a cheesy slow love song and makes it somewhat better, so kudos to that. Andrew does have a pretty good voice for the theme although I did not think so in the abstract. The performance was better than his last few, but it will not move him back into the frontrunners quite yet. This puts him back on the radar.
GRADE: B-

Katie - Chain of Fools - Katie is the girl who inevitably steps up and does Aretha, which shows how much she wants to stay in the competition or how delusional she is after being in the Bottom 3. As this performance went on, I saw the brilliance in the song choice. yes it was ballsy and yes she's not Aretha (who is?), but she was able to show off her strong voice the whole way through. This was a drastic improvement in my mind.
GRADE: B

Lee - Treat Her Like A Lady - Lee does the stereotypical take a soul song and put it right in his wheelhouse genre instead. This was not the most sparkling performance but it was good enough to be in the upper range tonight because he gave a good show by his standards. Judges loved it though so he's more than safe.
GRADE: B-

Crystal - Midnight Train to Georgia - So Crystal moves over to the piano, something we've only seen once this season and by Didi. Wow hard to remember that. The piano was kind of mediocre, but when Crystal stood up to do the second chorus she knocked it out. She has the most distinctive good voice in the competition, and this was another solid performance.
GRADE: B+

Aaron - Ain't No Sunshine - Aaron was supposed to add feeling and distinctiveness to the I Know I Know I Know I Know I Know I Know....line. And yet he found a way not to. This may have not been his strong suit, and he did not do much with it. He will barely avoid the bottom three in grades this week. He will not be in jeopardy but this is an overdone song and he did not knock it out.
GRADE: C-

TOP PERFORMER - Crystal
BOTTOM 3 - Didi, Tim, Siobhan
GOING HOME - Tim

American Idol 9 - The Cut To 10

Well today is all about cutting to the tour top 10. The loser in this round joins the likes of Amanda Overmyer, who also just missed out on the tour. However, this year we have some real baddies so it does not matter who goes home, as the tour will be full of suckiness. Miley Cyrus is just not that good a singer, all things considered. Which makes it even better for her to be a mentor on this season of all seasons.

No real surprises in the results. Katie instead of Didi in the bottom 3, but clearly Paige and Tim were the no-brainer bottom two. And I am now two for two in the finals thanks to America voting the worst singing girl in the top 11 home. Adios Paige, you have sucked it up ever since the shows went live.

THIS WEEK: 1/1
FINALS: 2/2
OVERALL: 6/14

American Idol 9 - Top 11

Will we finally lose a bad contestant this week? Or will all the baddies make the tour of the Top 10 finalists this summer? We shall see as the mentor is the most ridiculous in Idol history in all likelihood. Miley Cyrus. What exactly does she have for musical expertise, and she's younger most of the contestants. Ludicrous!

Lee - The Letter - This is an interesting song choice, because Lee has not shown off a guitar-free soulful side in this competition. This was a very entertaining performance to start the night and a good take on the song. By far his best performance in the competition. Kudos, this is impressive for someone who I thought might go home soon.
GRADE: B

Paige - Against All Odds - So Miley Cyrus tells you that you are pitchy, and you know you are pitchy, and then you come out and give such pitchyness that it looks like you don't really know you are pitchy. As Randy ended up saying, that was honestly terrible. She picks a god-awful song by an overrated artist that doesn't fit her voice. This should send her home.
GRADE: FAIL

Tim - Crazy Little Thing Called Love - The baseball slide across the stage was a nice touch, but clearly Time is forcing the angle a bit after telling us so in the video. Tim does not give a bad performance, but he almost goes too low in the chorus. He probably sounds much better than he is thanks to Paige. Wow to this guy making the tour.
GRADE: C-

Aaron - I Don't Want To Miss A Thing - I don't like how he moves his mouth away from the microphone on the big notes and makes it a cutoff rather than hitting them. This came off as whiny and not a good fit because he was not quite as strong as the original and he changed nothing about the song. He's safe and let's hope the laryngitis and tonsilitis go away.
GRADE: C

Crystal - Me and Bobby McGee - Crystal goes back to the safety net or the sweet spot with a Joplin song this week. Her voice is basically set to be the next in the Joplin-Morseitte line of singers. This performance is safe, but the best of the finals so far and deserving of an A. Perfect performance really and the favorite continues to shine.
GRADE: A

Mike - When A Man Loves A Woman - Mike drops the Michael Bolton on us. Ouch. Nonetheless, the favorites are taking advantage of this chance to remind us where their wheelhouse is and what may carry them to the finals. In Mike's case, it will be the strong love songs, and he performs this very well. But the Bolton is a little heavy.
GRADE: B+

Andrew - Heard It Through The Grapevine - When Marvin Gaye sings this song he throws in falsettos and Andrew doesn't make the mistake of falling into those traps. It may make him look more safe, but he doesn't miss notes he can't hope to hit. The dancing without the guitar shows why he uses the guitar. To hide his active hands. The performance was solid but the movements drop this from a B.
GRADE: C+

Katie - Big Girls Don't Cry - It's cute that the older contestants are picking older legendary songs and the younguns are picking cheesy crap from their lifetimes. This song from Fergie annoys me on the radio because it is incredibly whiny. I'll give Katie credit for knowing her voice matches Fergie's on the verses, but she changes the chorus and makes it awful. Too contemporary and makes her pale in comparison to a crappy original.
GRADE: D+

Casey - The Power of Love - This would be our third favorite and the third favorite to go right into his wheelhouse with an upbeat rock song with a great guitar riff. I was mildly surprised that he skipped out on the guitar solo, and he was not quite as perfect as he has been in the past. Nevertheless, he's clearly safe.
GRADE: B-

Didi - You're No Good - Speaking of old-fashioned sounding songs, Didi dusts off this old record and does nothing with the arrangement. Didi was not full of uncomfortable vibrato tonight the whole way through, which indicates that she cannot control it when she's nervous. This performance was very forgettable. Yawn.
GRADE: D

Siobhan - Superstition - I love the fact that Siobhan wears the dorkiest glasses and is totally like a real life version of She's All That, and then she comes out on stage with such a different set of looks. Tonight the look is crazy, but whatever. Siobhan did not pick an overdramatic song like last week and she was a little shouty but this was the female version of Adam Lambert all over again.
GRADE: B-

TOP PERFORMER - Crystal
BOTTOM 3 - Paige, Tim, Didi
GOING HOME - Paige

American Idol 9 - The Cut to 11

Well I'd speak more about tonight's episode, but I hit it right on the head. This never seems to happen this season, but I was dead on both with each of the bottom three and Lacey going home. No save, but no surprise other than the contestant picks a song of choice to sing for the save rather than the poor song that got them booted. David Cook is awesome, the rocker chic was OK, but the last star performer was terribad and god-awful. Ick if that's music now.

THIS WEEK: 1/1
FINALS: 1/1
OVERALL: 5/13

American Idol 9 - Top 12

Let the finals begin! For this weird transition season between the Ellen years and the Simon and Paula years, American Idol hits their stride with the beginning of the stretch run. Only one goes home at a time now, which means there is room for a mistake, but only if you get bigger mistakes from someone else. Given the field, I will not be surprised to see some mediocrity leading right up until mid-May. Idol did the Beatles two years ago, and now they take on the other legendary band from the time The Rolling Stones. Let's see if they can ruin a rock legend!

Michael - Miss You - This is not a theme that favors Michael, but he throws some soul into this song and works with his falsetto to add some weird emphasis points. He ends up a bit out of breath with the fast pace at the end, but he hits some solid notes in the chorus. I think overall this is one of his weaker performances but not too bad. He's still better than half the field.
GRADE: C+

Didi - Play With Fire - Didi is looking sharp tonight, but she makes some serious faces to fit the words of the song and it makes her look incredibly overwrought and funny. This song was kind of a slow song to start with but she slows the pace a bit more I think. This turns into a serious ballad and the performance is good for her. If she keeps improving, she may have a chance to keep moving up the ladder.
GRADE: B

Casey - It's All Over Now - Casey is one of the few contestants who has the balls to do the Rolling Stones version of the song, and I don't think that's a mistake with this catalog. A solid performance and Casey can pull off the rocker look and vibe, plus he plays sweet guitar. This again was not his best but very good from a frontrunner. I do like the little bluesy feel towards the end of the song.
GRADE: B

Lacey - Ruby Tuesday - Lacey finally dings the fail outfit department, which is not a surprise honestly. Lacey has a weird kind of vibrato that comes off weak in this song. Plus racing through the last line of the chorus was the wrong choice for quirky. Lacey could be headed to the bottom three with this one.
GRADE: D

Andrew - Gimme Shelter - He dropped the guitar thankfully this week, which is a smart move. Mr. Garcia looks very sharp in the suit jacket and jeans. His glory note kind of faltered in the middle when I thought he would redeem the song. All in all this again was not terrible but not earth-shattering.
GRADE: C-

Katie - Wild Horses - The spotlight from behind is not a real good look for most people, including Katie. I don't know that she has any control over that though. She picked this song because the lyrics spoke to her...bullshit...she picked it because it is as melodramatic as the Stones get. This was a plain jane performance that was not terrible by any means but not moving her up either. I disagree with the judges, the changes to the song were not good.
GRADE: C-

Tim - Under My Thumb - Tim makes an interesting choice with a very jamaican sort of melody. I'm usually not a fan of reggae wannabes on Idol, but this was not too bad. Tim continues to improve but this was a very poor choice. However, he did not show off his vocals at all in a singing competition.
GRADE: D

Siobhan - Paint It Black - I am incredibly surprised by this song choice because anything on guitar hero is usually outside the realm of Idol. However, Siobhan makes the first verse a little dramatic, and the whole song goes from nasal to whiny. the screech at the end did not help, and I think this could put her in jeopardy no matter what the judges say. A good try but it kind of flopped. The judges lapped it up which is no surprise.
GRADE: D+

Lee - Beast of Burden - I think I realize why Lee is so unpalatable to me, and it's because he is a weaksauce version of Danny Gokey's voice. He kind of slurs through a lot of the liens and does not enunciate, making him sound poor. He did his thing and he did not make any terrible noises like other contestants, but he is the king of mediocrity.
GRADE: C

Paige - Honky Tonk Forever - Paige does not have a country voice or a rocker voice, and so this song comes off really cheesy from her. She sounds like a bad Mary J. Blige singing a country karaoke. She is squeaky and weak in places. I could not detect any real bad pitch, but I do not think this is what will bring her back from the brink.
GRADE: D

Aaron - Angie - Aaron picks a song right in his wheelhouse, at least as close as he can get. Aaron actually has good stage presence for his age, much better than The Archulator if we're comparing teen idols. This performance was just mediocre and safe. He's not going home, but he's not winning with these performances.
GRADE: C

Crystal - You Can't Always Get What You Want - Crystal put this song into her box, which is a Janis Joplin meets Alanis Morseitte (hence her song choices before the finals). She gave a good performance as usual but it doesn't send me shouting home for next week. We'll see what she does with a different theme.
GRADE: B

So we make it through week one and everyone moves toward the middle. Surprisingly, Casey moves back up to the leaderboard but Crystal and Mike are still right there. Kind of a hard call on who is going home, considering the only true flop of the night universally is the VFTW champion Tim. So we'll say they keep him around since the VFTW voting block is incredibly strong until the top 8.

TOP PERFORMER - Casey
BOTTOM 3 - Paige, Tim, Lacey
GOING HOME - Lacey

Handicapping the "Top" 12 in American Idol 9

Well we've taken out lumps in the predictions and we've collated all the grades together thus far. Let's see who should be lasting much longer, and who is lucky to still be here (a bunch). From worst to my pick for champion, here's the handicapped Top 12 of American Idol 9.

12. Tim - F/D/C
Can't fault a former reject for making the most of his opportunity, and he has been improving. However, he was left out for a reason and is only really riding on his likeability plus VFTW, which is a strong voting block that may have him around another month.

11. Didi - D/F/C
Didi and Todrick were the two I thought were going home going into the Top 16, but both rocked and it saved Didi. However, she's been consistently bad and boring and probably is a favorite to go home in the first week of the finals.

10. Lee - C/D/D
The judges say he's got the best voice in the guys, but I'm not buying it. Have they heard Michael? This guy is so overrated and should be headed home before the tour unless he improves drastically.

9. Paige - C/C/F
Hovering around mediocre until last week, Paige is not impressing despite her clear vocal chops. But this is not a potential contest, it's a singing contest. And she's not doing well in that department.

8. Katie - B/C/D
Another person who should have gone home because she's not improving. However, someone will get a long reprieve and I feel like jamming the fact that's she's 16 down our throats will make people vote for her.

7. Lacey - C/D/C
Yes the girls are clearly better as they fight for the bottom six spots again in the top 12. Lacey may go a lot sooner than this assuming the no talent buttclowns beneath her on the list get some pity votes like they have so far.

6. Andrew - B/B/C
Another guy who may go home a little earlier than I put him on the list, but he's in the middle because he was the early leader of the pack and perhaps can recapture the magic. He should be safe for a little while longer, but once we get down to 7-8 he will need to be on his game every week and I do not think he can be. Minimal chance of a winner here, but that's better than the last six. (1%)

5. Siobhan - B/B/B
The girl with the nosering and the interesting faces should land right here. She is clearly better than the bottom six on this list, but does not compare to the top 4. So if fate has any justice, she will end up here in all likelihood as a good outside the box contestant. Very very outside shot she makes it to the top. (3%)

4. Aaron - B/D/C
Let's face it, this kid is Archuleta. I don't like him, but he's one of four people with a real shot to take home the crown. Just like Kris Allen and David Archuleta knocked out truly talented artists out, Aaron has the tweentard favorite feel and that could pump him to the final 2 and maybe the championship. However, he is the least deserving of the top 4. (10%)

3. Casey - A/B/B
Now we get to the interesting trio of true frontrunners. I've been a little too generous in looking back on these grades, although Casey has had the best performance of anybody still here. Nevertheless, Casey is kind of fading a bit compared to the other two and I just think he's a bit too rocker and a bit too slick to ride the heels of David Cook. He is probably the most marketable of the lot, but I'll give him a 20% chance of win.

2. Michael - B/B/B
Now I suspect this will likely be the favorite of most of America, but when has the favorite going into the semifinals or finals ever actually won? Second place is usually where the Archulators and Glamberts end up. So we'll play it safe and say while he's probably a 80% chance for the finals, he is less likely to win (25%).

1. Crystal - C/B/B
I've graded her harshly, and I do not like her look. However, she was clearly head and shoulders above the girls, which has helped her stand out while the top guys have been fighting for attention. I think this will give her the boost she needs to be our most likely winner, although there's no doubt the three better-looking contestants beneath her could drop her as low as fourth. (40%)

So there you go. It will not work out this way, but I suspect the top 4 is pretty solid to be 3/4 right at a minimum. Lots of slackers in this top 12.

American Idol 9 - The Cut To 12

The vicious cuts come and go. And what do we have here, but both worsters are through. Paige going through was a huge shock as I thought she's sucked ever since she stepped into Hollywood. So we lose Katelyn, which is not a massive loss but still surprising. I was hoping my Lee pick proved America follows good logic, but unfortunately Todrick (who got one of only two A grades in the entire semifinals this week) goes home. Casey James was the other who got an A, so watch out now.

In the second half of the show, no surprises as Alex and Katie made their way out the door. I loved when after THREE WEEKS of major exposure, apparently we haven't seen all The Mullet can do. Ahh, goodbye Mullet. We'll miss you, but not much. OH WAIT...no no no, I wrote that last line too early. As America shocked even more than saving Paige by saving Katie. Are you serious America? Is this who you want to listen to every week? Good lord, we have at least six-eight weeks left of getting rid of chaff, and that's if everything goes right. Adieu creepy homeless chick and todrick the dancer, you did not deserve your fate.

THIS WEEK: 1/4
SEMIFINALS: 4/12
OVERALL: 4/12

American Idol 9 - Top 8 Guys

Lee - Firefly - Lee does have a distinctive voice, but he obviously has a crutch with the guitar. The performance seemed a little weird at the beginning and then got really off kilter in the chorus. Lee probably deserves to be in the final, but not because he has earned it tonight. In the opening slot, this could be trouble.
GRADE: D+

Alex - Trouble - Was there a memo to do the most contemporary songs in the world this week? I'm not saying you have to do the Beatles, but do something I may have forgotten how good the original was! Alex is not quite as good at mocking up the original but he's not bad except for the strong notes. I don't like him because he cannot hit the strong notes and he is weak. The mullet makes it through on likeability.
GRADE: C

Tim - Hallelujah - Tim picks one of the biggest songs in recent memory, but a good one. The problem is he has not shown any indication of being able to have the proper range for this song. However, he picks the verses that do not have a major range and he really does not miss any notes. This was surprisingly good for the perennial VFTW. The reject is actually going to make the finals by all appearances.
GRADE: C+

Andrew - Genie in a Bottle - Andrew picks a song off the same record I was thinking (What A Girl Wants), but this may be even more of a cheesy choice to fit his Paula Abdul magic. This song just had me guffawing at the screen because while he performed it decently well, it is just not right for a guy. The end of the song redeemed it a bit.
GRADE: C

Casey - You'll Think Of Me - Casey slows it down this week and does a decent country song. Casey was not perfect tonight, but he's still better than the pack I think. We'll see if anyone can grab the opportunity to one-up him tonight. Nevertheless, safe will get a frontrunner through on a night like tonight.
GRADE: B-

Aaron - Already There - And now for country hour to continue...I think Aaron picked this song because he believes his missed big notes will just sound like putting his own country twang on it. However, I'm not buying it. This guy will make it through on the judges who love him almost every week. However, the lady judges were harsh on him and perhaps he will not last much longer.
GRADE: C-

Todrick - Somebody to Love - Usually a sing-along song is not a good choice, but Freddy Mercury always was the star of the show and this is a good choice for Todrick. This was a great vocal, and while he will never live up to the original, this was surprisingly good in his own soulful tone. This is clearly the best performance of the night and perhaps he will come back from the brink to be a player. Very surprising tonight from the two I would have pegged to go home in Tim and Todrick.
GRADE: A

Mike - This Woman's Work - I know it is stereotypical, but when Mike the bodybuilder hits a falsetto to start a song, it just shocks you. Mike moves around stage in a herky-jerky style a bit in the middle of the song that was distracting. However, he finished very strong with a good glory note for once and another falsetto. Interesting performance and certainly safe another week.
GRADE: B

This makes for a very hard pick because for the first time, the guys who are not as good performed very well and will make it hard to pick correct. At leas the girls seem predictable. Well here goes...

TOP PERFORMER - Todrick
BOTTOM 3 - Lee, Aaron, Alex
GOING HOME - Lee, Alex

American Idol 9 - Top 8 Girls

It will certainly be said over and over this week, but the cuts are brutal in the final semifinal week. Not so much because we'll lose favorites as it is just numbers. One out of every 4 left is going home Thursday, and those cuts are as rough as pretty much anything before late May. So let's jump right in and see if Crystal can continue her domination on this side of the competition going into the merge. Oh and can Idol fit 8 songs into an hour? I doubt it.

Katie - Break Away - Katie kind of has a low monotone through the verses. Then in the chorus the strong notes made her misses stand out more. This performance was nothing more than a karaoke special and could very well send her home.
GRADE: D

Siobhan - House of the Rising Sun - Siobhan has had some weak moments but she's kept in the middle of the pack. She starts this song off slow and accapella which is boring and weak, but then she really nails the rest of it. She has come to play and these performances will keep her around long into the Top 12. I believe we have our first sure-fire finalist.
GRADE: B

Lacey - The House Made For You - Apparently this is slow song week at Idol. Lacey does a little weird vibrato thing and on some songs it works and others it kind of flops. In this song it just flops and the performance is too short for her to redeem herself. The judges liked it though so maybe she will survive with flying colors.
GRADE: C-

Katelyn - I Feel The Earth Move - Katelyn goes in between by not playing at the piano but at the keyboard this week. It makes her stand out in a good way this year I think. The original song had a little more definition between the high and low notes, but Katelyn does not fall on her face by any means. Another sure-fire finalist.
GRADE: B

Didi - Will You Ever Win - Did plucks out a very simple version of the song on acoustic guitar. This is not a particularly great Fleetwood Mac song, but she does indeed need to play it safe to stick around. I think this will be a questionable call, but she did not make any huge mistakes.
GRADE: C

Paige - Smile - Paige laughs at everyone and one-ups the somber night of graveyard melodies with a real drudgry of 1.5 minutes. Paige may not have been really pitchy, but she does not sound like she's hitting the intended notes. Her range is not shown off on this song and she seems very monotone with a mediocre vibrato here and there.
GRADE: FAIL

Crystal - Give Me One Reason - Crystal has a perfect voice for Tracy Chapman and can still show off her own skills. This was not one of her most exciting performances, but so far she is the only consistently good contestant. A weird note at the end puts her back down off the A this week, but good job.
GRADE: B+

Lily - I Fall To Pieces - Wow does this feel incredibly cheesy with the very little mandolin there. Lily is really grinding the country angle which will get her through this round in all likelihood, but she needs to pick up the pace in the finals. This song does not really fit her voice and she doesn't move it into her range into halfway through the song. Mediocre but safe.
GRADE: C+

TOP PERFORMER - Crystal (again)
BOTTOM 3 - Paige, Lacey, Katie
GOING HOME - Paige, Katie

American Idol 9 - The Cut to 16

Well tonight we got the shocker out of the way first with Tim staying, but then I was immediately vindicated by John Park going home. Sorry dude, you just have to do better. But have fun with Purple Haze. Jermaine went home, so I really should take half a point for that cal in the bottom 3. I guess Tim is too cute for people, which sends Jermaine home a week early.

On the girl side, the first elimination went exactly as I thought with Didi and Michelle duking it out. I made the right call, and it was all about like-ability because they were pretty equal in performance. In the second elimination it was again two weaklings with Haeley and Lacey, and the right girl finally went home. So I'll claim 3.5 out of 4, and really nailed the picks this week. Whew, it's back to normal on Idol (except for the good talent).

THIS WEEK: 3/4
SEMIFINALS: 3/8
OVERALL: 3/8

American Idol 9 - Top 10 Girls

And now that Crystal is back to OK according to the doctors, we can continue with the girl half of this competition. After the guys laid a big egg outside of Michael and Casey, this is an opportunity to do much better. A few of the guys jumped in quality a huge amount and you would expect the same from the girls. So here we go.

Crystal Bowersox - Long As I Can See The Light - Crystal manages to look less offensive this week, which is hard to do with dreads on a girl. She also picks a song and a band that may never have been played before on Idol, which is a solid way to distinguish yourself when the band is as famous as CCR. The performance was very good if a little slow, and I think she will not be cursed by the opening slot.
GRADE: B+

Haeley Vaughn - The Climb - What exactly were the judges listening to when she made the top 24 over the girls with the funny face. Haeley sings another VTFW performance by not being anywhere near the pitch of the song but at least she did not hit any terrible hurt your head notes this week. This is certainly one of the worst semifinalists ever in Idol history, and I'm not afraid to say it. Keep making flowers to wear and smile, honey, because you got nothing going for you.
GRADE: FAIL

Lacey Brown - Kiss Me - Lacey is wearing a lot of necklaces...kind of like flava flav. Lacey takes what is already a nicely paced song and slows it down to emphasize the boring verses more? Who knows. This sounded like a poor lounge singer version of Sixpence None the Richer, which is hard to do. Definitely never listen to the judges. That's the lesson to learn.
GRADE: D+

Katie Stevens - Put Your Records On - Katie actually has a more solid voice than this song needs, which makes it kind of weird when she tries to hit the awkward weak notes toward the end of the chorus. She puts on a pretty mediocre performance overall but it was good for this group to date. I think she's Top 12 material at this point despite the minor problems.
GRADE: C+

Didi Benami - Lean On Me - Didi comes across kind of whiny in a soul song rather than soulful. Depending on how the judges grill her, this could put her in trouble because this was flop-city. Didi has proven one thing, and that is she is not a soul singer. Go back to the indulgant stuff, if you get another chance. Another karaoke singer in this night that's going downhill rapidly.
GRADE: FAIL

Michelle Delamor - With Arms Wide Open - This is totally swinging something different again as she is not Scott Stapp, and I'm guessing she thanks god every day for that. Anyway, she is wearing some white dress with a black jacket and gloves and the white dress looks ridiculous. Michelle gives a good attempt, but she is a little pitchy even by my ears and the reinvent of the song just does not work. The glory note at the end made it worse. Plop.
GRADE: D+

Lily Scott - A Change Is Gonna Come - Lily wears some feathers in her hair which is a nice splash of color compared to normal but just adds to the homeless look of her. Randy might think she's an indie artist, but I just think she does not measure up and is doomed to that destiny if she makes it at all. There were no real bad notes or anything hit tonight, so she'll get a middling grade. However, I do not think she is anywhere close to a contender.
GRADE: C

Katelyn Epperly - The Scientist - Coldplay is way too popular for their own good, but their quiet ballads are very well written. Katelyn plays the piano which makes her stand out in this season of too much guitar. This version was a bit too slow like a graveyard ballad and finished on a bad note with the glory note. If she had done nothing with the arrangement this would have been awesome, but she did so it falls back to mediocre.
GRADE: C+

Paige Miles - Walk Away - I am not buying the best female voice in the competition vibe this week because this song probably does not sound perfect performed live by Kelly Clarkson. It has the feel of a record song, meaning it only sounds great in the studio. Her voice does not fit and she tries to make it fit in the first half, the second half was more like her which saved the performance from a worse grade. This is hopefully just a bump in the road, but she needs to do something different next week.
GRADE: C-

Siobhan Magnus - Think - Thankfully she got the mohawk out of her system because she is actually a very marketable good looking artist compared to some of her competition. She takes a huge risk on this song and redeems the night to some extent although she gets a bit rushed and breathless in this big song. Nobody will ever live up to Aretha but she did well for this night.
GRADE: B

not much to speak of. The girls had a chance to truly outshine the guys and they did not do so. This season is rapidly making me disgusted with AI, but we drag on and hope that the chaff get culled this week.

TOP PERFORMER - Crystal
BOTTOM 3 - Didi, Michelle, Haeley
GOING HOME - Haeley, Michelle

American Idol 9 - Top 10 Guys

Well last week we had some surprises, and we get to listen to wonderful little Haeley for a second straight week. One can only hope she sings something monotone tomorrow night. tonight we get the return of once-reject Tim. Woo! I also would hope after two seasons where I nailed about 65% accuracy, I can get on a hot streak to overcome this 0/4 prediction start. With this group, I don't blame America. I blame the judges for picking a shitty group.

Michael Lynche - This is a Man's World - Michael probably doesn't have any outfits that look bad since he is the dual threat personal trainer and theater geek. Lynche tries to go way away from his Maroon 5 song last week to show he is a frontman with a James Brown song. This song has a lot of gaps and musical interludes despite the strong singing when it is there. Unlike last week, he gave a much more solid performance although he does not have great chops. This was fantastic for the semifinals.
GRADE: B

John Park - Gravity - John picked a god-awful song last night, so even though he picked Mayer, this is a more palatable choice. The problem with the performance is that there's not much to show off in this song and when he hit a couple strong notes in the song, he missed terribly. There was nothing really bad overall, but he did not challenge himself and could be in jeopardy. Surprising because he looked like a favorite in Hollywood.
GRADE: D+

Casey James - I Don't Wanna Be - Casey took the role of frontrunner last week and he throws down an incredible little guitar solo in a pretty rocking version of this song. He had a couple weak moments it seemed in the chorus, but he's got a very enjoyable voice and showed off some real ax-grinding skills tonight on the biggest stage. A C+ performance gets bumped up by the solid overall performance.
GRADE: B

Alex Lambert - Everybody Knows - Alex wears our first atrocious garment of the week with the plaid jacket and light blue shirt. I'm sure Alex is very good on the guitar, but wow does he suck compared to Casey tonight, and that stands out as a stroke of bad luck. Alex sings a good performance, but the song is boring and does not seem too challenging overall. Playing it safe might keep him around, but it will not take him to the top.
GRADE: C-

Todrick Hall - What's Love Got To Do With It - Todrick finds a way to make a suit and tie look bad, with a shiny silver jacket. Ugh, dude...tell the fashionistas behind the scenes to screw off. Todrick spends his whole video telling us why Simon was wrong about the dancer singing critique and then caters right to him by standing at a mic stand. Todrick slows this song down and may have made a better rendition than the original, but his falsetto stuff was kind of iffy. Overall a mediocre performance but a good arrangement.
GRADE: C

Jermaine Sellers - What's Going On - Jermaine pimps the bowtie and V-neck sweater tonight, which just screams Carlton. This after revealing he wears an adult onesie. Oh boy. Jermaine has an easy listening kind of voice and he only missed a couple of times. This was just his wheelhouse and I again, do not think he is set to be a real contender. A nice singer and deserves to be here, but may not relate to America.
GRADE: C-

Andrew Garcia - ??? - So Andrew is a break dancer, which is kind of unexpected honestly. this guy has some weird angles for sure, but not like his girl's hair if you recall. Andrew does a sit down performance which usually comes out boring unless someone knocks it out, but the tempo picks up halfway through. Andrew comes off a little whiny at times, but the performance is decent enough to keep him near the top of the leaderboard.
GRADE: B-

Aaron Kelly - My Girl - Aaron plays right up to tween-tard fan base with this song. Aaron does like a vibrato thing with his voice when he should be more solid, and it just sounds odd. Aaron also ends up being a little bit pitchy. This performance would send a normal contestant home, but Aaron will likely make it through until the competition gets better. Cheesy crap is cheesy crap.
GRADE: D

Tim Urban - Come On Get Higher - Tim kind of sings out of the side of his voice, which may only be noticeable because of the girl who should not have been cut in Hollywood week. Tim slows down the chorus which is annoying fast but it just makes it sound like he can't handle it, which is not the right vibe. Tim doesn't have a falsetto but he turns it into a good glory note. Nevertheless, Tim is sadly outclassed despite having a performance that was leagues better than last week.
GRADE: D

Lee Dewyze - Lips Of An Angel - Lee sounds too much like the lead singer of Hinder, so when he tries to switch it up it sounds terrible. Even when he gets to the more rocking chorus, he was pitchy even by my ears. This may be one time when the money slot does not save someone because wow this was bad. He's in trouble if this keeps up if not now.
GRADE: D-

So overall the night ends with plop plop plop. Makes you kind of forget the night and I disagree with VFTW...this week was full of fail. Last week was great compared to this even though over half the field improved. So again this is a hard decision but here we go.

TOP PERFORMER - Michael
BOTTOM 3 - Tim, John, Jermaine
GOING HOME - Tim, John

American Idol 9 - The Cut to 20

A brutal first week overall comes to a close with 4 of our top 24 going home. The Vote For The Worst crowd had their choices clear-cut for them, and while it was not a huge shock Haeley went through, I cannot fathom why Tim made it through. Allison Iraheta turned out to be nothing special with her hit and man is she annoying, but she's still a tween-tard when she's not using her voice. Then Kris Allen came on and sang let it be for haiti, which is so bleh...sorry Idol you missed the boat on that tragedy and now it just looks bad. We'll have to endure another Idol Gives Back sometime this year, which is an excuse to not tune in. Thanks Ryan for the week off in advance.

What this show tells us is two things: first, the voters were so unpredictable they made me go an unprecedented 4 for 4. However, I'll blame it on the fact that any one of about 8 girls and 8 guys deserved to go home, so I'll just be happy that 4 terrible singers are gone and maybe someone will emerge as good. Too bad Adam Lambert or David Archuleta were not in this season. Second, America hates Latino singers. How else can you explain Joe and Ashley going home on the first elimination week? Ahh well at least Andrew made it. All in all, as usual this hour of television is so worthless.

THIS WEEK: 0/4
SEMIFINALS: 0/4
OVERALL: 0/4

American Idol 9 - Top 24 (the guys)

How about another big night of Idol? One can only hope that the sound bytes improve from last night. Although the judges kept saying that the girls were much better than usual this year, I think yet again some of the biggest favorites to win are in this group. And we're off...

Todrick Hall - Since You Been Gone - Todrick comes out looking good with the black jeans and leather jacket. Todrick lays down a very interesting choice of re-arrangement for the Kelly Clarkson hit. He turned it from pop rock into a soulful version with a little rap beat to it. I do not think it showed off his voice but it was interesting enough to keep him around I would think. In fact, the singing was pretty mediocre at best. Judges ripped him for obliterating the song, but that's the idea when being creative.
GRADE: C+

Aaron Kelly - Here Comes Goodbye - Aaron did not strike me as someone who sounds like Rascal Flatts, but he tries to fit his voice to the previous singer by the sounds of it during the first verse. This kid will get a lot of votes for being the Archuleta or Kris Allen of the season. He does a little weird stuff with the hands and the microphone that distracts from the song. However, he gives a good performance and hits a decent glory note at the end. He just should not try to be someone he is not.
GRADE: B

Jermaine Sellers - Get Here - Other than the cheesy black rose in the lapel, Jermaine wears the classiest looking outfit of the night with a jacket and his signature hat. I did not realize until tonight that he also has a neck tattoo, but it's not as painfully obvious as Neck Tattoo himself coming up later. Jermaine does a quiet soulful song and he misses the strongest note in the song badly as well as the soft high note at the end. This performance was very iffy and will put him in jeopardy.
GRADE: D-

Tim Urban - Apologize - Definitely a contemporary theme tonight, and Tim does not change the arrangement much which I disagree with. Every time he hit one of those falsettos in the verses he just went into soft whisper singing because he probably could not hit the notes. The chorus was a disaster of pitchy proportions, and wow this guy just does not have it. The reject will go back on the pile of rejects before the Top 12, and maybe even this week.
GRADE: F

Joe Munoz - You and I Both Hear It - Joe wears this atrocious scarf, but we won't be too distracted by that. Joe picked a very safe song that doesn't have much glory notes at all and just sort of meanders along at a safe pace. When the chorus picked up he missed a bit of notes, but this performance was safe and solid enough to move on. Simon was dead on in that this was forgettable and safe performance. We'll split the grade difference on this one.
GRADE: C

Tyler Grady - American Woman - No surprise, the 70's rocker rebirth of Jim Morrison picks a 70's hit. He starts the song with a little solo without the band which was a ncie contrast from the funky rock tune portion. Tyler will be delivering this every week and while it may not win the competition, he should stick around for a while. No real terrible notes in this one, but the performance was not completely polished. Put Tyler in the needs to improve pile.
GRADE: C+

Lee Dewyze - Chasing Cars - I'm totally into the Hot Topic t-shirts, so this guy looks pretty much how I would look and I like it. Lee has one of the strongest voices of the guys but he was all over the place in the chorus which made it sound very off. Good guitar player but I hope it does not become his crutch as he did not need it on this song. Good enough to move on.
GRADE: C-

John Park - God Bless The Child - John has looked very good every time he's been on camera but the hairstyle they sent him out with was stupid tonight covering his eyes and all. John picks a soulful song that gives him a chance to put his voice through its paces and while it may not be the most memorable performance ever, it was good enough to keep on going. Simon ripped him but I think he was decent. Not good enough to win but the runs were good.
GRADE: B-

Michael Lynche - This Love - This song choice floored the everloving crap out of me. Really Michael? The guitar was completely useless and distracting, but I'm not going to make fun of his outfit because he's big enough to pummel us. This kind of reminded me of the gay guy from Modern Family if he was doing karaoke at the beginning of the song. Towards the end of the song it got better but this was just another OK performance on a night full of nothing special. I'll grade it well because it ended well.
GRADE: B-

Alex Lambert - Wonderful World - Alex has a serious mullet, and everyone should rejoice in redneck country for this dude. Definitely won't be confused with Adam Lambert. Alex is a very nasal singer on this song and I don't know that he hit any falsetto or strong note all that well. This was completely forgettable in my mind and may put him at jeopardy. Like Simon said, good voice but no stage presence.
GRADE: D

Casey James - Heaven - Casey has a very distinctive look ever since he let his hair down as Kara and victoria ordered. I don't know how he could keep a straight performance going with the silliness Randy and Kara were doing at the beginning. Casey took this song down a notch and made it a sweet little diddy. I could see that being a hit with some more polish, as you could tell he was nervous. But this was clearly the best performance of the first 23 singers this week.
GRADE: A-

Andrew Garcia - Sugar We're Going Down - Call him frontrunner (although Casey might steal that) or Neck Tattoo, but this guy has the right vibe coming into the Top 24. Andrew slowed this contemporary song down a bit and made it sound almost better than the original, which is hard to do. Other than throwing in an unnecessary glory note (which he was OK on), this was a very solid performance. As expected he put down a good performance.
GRADE: B+

So on the whole, the night ended well after a whole hell of a lot of mediocrity. Some very bad song choices again and way too much contemporary stuff, but then again they rip the poor Jim Morrison wannabe for doing a classic. Hard to tell what the judges want but we'll see what America wants tomorrow night. Better than the girls this week, surprise surprise.

Top Performer: Casey
Bottom 3: Tim, Alex, Todrick (first slot curse)
Going Home: Tim and Todrick

American Idol Season 9 - Top 24 (The Girls)

We're back for another season of American Idol live, and let's just say the audition shows and Hollywood Week were interesting. The interplay between incoming Ellen and outgoing Simon should be interesting, and Ellen definitely is a nice judge to fill the shoes of Paula. I still cannot wait to see what crumudgeon they find to replace Simon, but let's enjoy Simon while we've got his great insight. The only real mistake in Hollywod Week in my opinion was dropping the girl with the funny face, but oh well. We move on, despite lacking any superstar talent favorites from Season 8. This could make for a better overall season. With 4 going home this week, let's begin the dream-wrecking!

Paige Miles - All Right Now - Paige has great stage presence and appears to be highly confident, but her voice seemed a little low for this song. She goes to a scream-jam session halfway through the song and tries to show her skills with a glory note at the end that was nothing spectacular. A good start, but not a real contender to make the top 12 if she continues at this point. You should definitely not be doing a song with a "sing-along chorus" as Randy put it. She'll make it through to another week, but it might be dicey with going first.
GRADE: C

Ashley Rodriguez - Happy - Ashley finds the bling from the J-Lo starter closet and looks a little too shiny in a silver jacket. Nevertheless, the performance was pretty decent despite a highly boring song choice. The only offense other than the song choice was spending the first 30 seconds being quiet and a little unimpressive. The chorus was solid, but this is also a perfect example of why you should not pick a contemporary artist because if you cannot measure up, the judges will rip you a new one. And they did just that.
GRADE: C-

Janell Wheeler - What About Love - For some reason, this song follows the same pattern that Ashley's song did but is far more interesting because the focus is properly on the start and Janell does very well in that spotlight. However, once the chorus starts and she gets moving, the voice was a little shaky for this song. I'll be stunned if anyone is great tonight, but this is a decent start for a dark horse contender.
GRADE: B

Lilly Scott - Fixin A Hole - Lilly makes me cringe with the too bright bleach blonde hair and dark eyeshadow, but whatever...she's from the street. The scrunched up faces during the song were laughable. It is sad that she picked an interesting song choice and then did absolutely nothing with it. The vocal was nothing special as this girl is outclassed by the shouters sadly. The judges lapped it up because she was "different." I don't know if they are right.
GRADE: D+

Katelyn Epperly - Oh Darling - Katelyn rocks a little leather dress that looks pretty solid, although from the neck up the perm makes me think country girl went a little too city. Classy old school song choice that complemented her voice and I really think she nailed the vocal more than the other girls so far tonight. No doubt she should be back next week because this is a singing competition and she has "it."
GRADE: B+

Haeley Vaughn - I Wanna Hold Your Hand - Good thing we don't need a Beatles week this season as we jump right into it with half the girls doing the classic band. Haeley got on this show too soon I think as she does not know how to moderate her voice. her high notes make me hurt in the cerebellum and the rest of her performance when she's not shouting she misses the notes. She tried to jazz it up with a blittle bit of a reggae tone, but she just lisps through and sounds awful. This is a disaster.
GRADE: F (Congrats on the first one of the season)

Lacey Brown - Landslide - Surprisingly the bright red hair fits her and doesn't make her look awful. I don't know about the song choice although it does give you an opportunity to show off your vocals. The problem is that the backup singer is also all over the vocals, which is distracting. Lacey can hit the strong notes so I really do not know why she did not go with something better, as she gets very medicore in the middle of the song. Lacey wins the award for getting Simon to say INDULGANT.
GRADE: C-

Michelle Delamor - Fallin - You know I will disagree with this song choice, not only one of the best contemporary singers of our time but her signature tune! At least Michelle swapped up some of the arrangement to make it a bit different and her own. The backup singers were on the original track at times or she was off her timing because they were a bit out of sync. This was a better than average performance on a very risky song.
GRADE: B

Didi Benami - The Way I Am - Another contemporary song, but not a good one to show off your voice. Kelley reminded me that Megan Joy slaughtered this song last year and this performance is only moderately better. You have to pick a better song, honestly. The rainbow vest was a disaster. She will probably make it to next week but she will not make the finals if she continues on this path.
GRADE: D+

Siobhan Magnus - Wicked Game - I think we have a new Megan Joy with the showing off the hideous arm tattoo, but not quite to the same extent. Siobhan has an intriguing voice because she really goes down to a bass type of level but then just brings it back up for a high note. Her range will serve her well, and this was one of the more clean vocals of the night. Take the flower out of the hair though, ffs.
GRADE: B-

Crystal Bowersox - Hand in my Pocket - Wow the girl with the nasty dreadlocks picks an Alanis Morseitte song, how shocking. She is the female version of Jason Castro, which got him far enough. However he was kind of a pretty boy and Crystal is kind of scary looking. The vocal was a little whiny but within her range which was a smart choice because I don't think she's got staying power chops. The Harmonica is a nice choice in any event and I'd be shocked if she leaves this week.
GRADE: C

Katie Stevens - The money slot goes to someone who probably will be a lock for Top 12 anyways. The song choice was a good one and even though she's shouty, it's not as annoying as Carly Smithson or this season's dreadful Haeley. She was one of the best of the night and the little black dress is always a safe bet. Judges hated on her for being pitchy, but she's got one of the most talented voices in the competition.
GRADE: B+

So we will try to improve on last year's prognostications, but this week has me stumped on the second person going home. At least one is clear, unless VFTW puts her through which is entirely possible. Unlike the funny bad contestants, she is just bad and not worth hearing ever again.

Head of the Class - Katelyn
Bottom Three - Haeley, Lilly, Didi
Going Home - Haeley, Lilly

American Idol 9 - Welcome Back!

Well American Idol is back, and while I do not blog during the initial episodes, there is one thing about this season worth grabbing a mention while we watch the Boston best and baddies. The show is changing forever, and we will really see a transformation from what may have been the absolute peak in Season 7 when I started this blog to losing Paula this year and Simon next year. It appears we will be staying with four judges, so hopefully they have learned how to be more brief in their analysis this season. Without Paula, the audition season has 8 guest judges for the 8 cities, which should make for some interesting times in the first few weeks of the show. Then Ellen Degeneres takes over for Paula permanently.

It appears that Kara is being groomed to be a Simon replacement, as she is getting very catty but she speaks a lot of truth all of a sudden. Ellen will likely be like Paula in that she is a moral booster, but perhaps she will be different than we all expect. As usual, Randy will have his own unusual taste and Simon will be the most honest and correct judge of the bunch while pulling no punches. I hope the replacement for Simon has just as much talent and flair as Simon, but that's neither here nor there. Season 9 should be better than Season 8 simply on the loss of Paula Abdul. No offense, but she brought nothing but some humorous dialogue to the show after the first couple seasons. So unlike many calling this the demise of Idol, I believe we won't know that until Seasons 10 and 11 without Simon.

For now, welcome Ellen to the bunch and we'll see you at the semifinals, where I will try to improve on my 65% success rate in picks from Season 8.

Cheer! Rejoice! American Idol is back!