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
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
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
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
Thursday, April 22, 2010
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
THIS WEEK: 1/1
FINALS: 5/7
OVERALL: 9/19
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
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
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
Thursday, April 15, 2010
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
THIS WEEK: 2/2
FINALS: 4/6
OVERALL: 8/18
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
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
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
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
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
THIS WEEK: 0/1
FINALS: 2/4
OVERALL: 6/16
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
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
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
Thursday, April 1, 2010
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
THIS WEEK: 0/1
FINALS: 2/3
OVERALL: 6/15
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