First of all, I’m going to pat myself on the back for getting the “American Idol” Bottom 3 and eliminated contestant exactly right two weeks in a row. Let’s see how long I can keep accurately prognosticating. Aside from that exciting news, Thursday’s results show was as boring as last week.
(Note: This is a chronological recap. If you want to find out immediately who was eliminated, see Matt’s earlier Top 12 elimination results post.)
The show opened with the Idols singing completely live a mash-up of “Born to Be Wild” and Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way.” And boy do I wish it was pre-recorded. It was awful. Not only the singing, but everything else. Who is the sound guy for this show? Do they not even know how to turn mics on? Almost every time someone new started to sing, the mic wasn’t on. Terrible. That performance gets a big fat F.
Then we get the Ford fluff commercial. And that’s terrible. That gets a D. Are they ever going to figure out how to make the results shows entertaining? Why can’t they just make it 30 minutes and do all elimination stuff? It’s so frustrating.
More filler: The audience, in the style of Oprah, gets a free 10-year anniversary CD. Yay.
Even more filler: Contestant interviews. Now, I don’t mind these. I kind of like getting to know the contestants, but then they ask them dumb questions about accents and foreign languages. And why why why did they bleep out Pia saying “shih tzu”? That’s not a curse word! It’s a dog breed! Ridiculous.
More lame: The St. Patrick’s Day lighting gag.
Finally, it’s time to build the Bottom 3. Ryan brings Jacob Lusk , Lauren Alaina and Casey Abrams to center stage. Gee, I wonder if this is just like last week and they’re all safe? Of course. They’re all safe.
Then he calls up Haley Reinhart and Paul McDonald. Paul is sent to safety and Haley is in the Bottom 3. For the second week in a row.
Then it’s time for more filler in the form of Lee DeWyze. Oh how I missed those Lee spit strings. Then commercial.
When the show returns Ryan calls Scotty McCreery, Pia Toscano and James Durbin to the center of the stage. Ryan, you’re not fooling me. I know they’re all safe. Stop with the lame Bottom 3 assembly this season. They’re all safe. Duh.
Next up we get Stefano Langone and Naima Adedapo. Stefano is safe and Naima is back in the bottom. Ryan immediately brings Thia Megia and Karen Rodriguez up. Thia is safe, Karen is not.
So the Bottom 3 is named: Haley Reinhart, Naima Adedapo and Karen Rodriquez.
Haley: Safe
Naima: Safe
Karen: Not safe. She sings for a chance to get the judges’ save. She pulls out her version of “Hero” by Mariah Carey. She gives about a B+ performance. I wouldn’t save her. And while Jennifer Lopez clearly wanted her to stay (and probably Steven too) Randy most likely said no, so Karen is sent packing. And once again, I was correct. I predicted the Bottom 3 and that Karen would go home. I’m not one to brag, of course. Haha.
What are your thoughts on the Bottom 3 and the eliminated contestant?
next week is Naima's turn
Naima should have been gone already. I agree with you. Her pitch is all over the place. These girls need to break out of the ballad songs and rock it.
I believe that Naima needs to figure out the right song to sing or she is out of there. I don't understand why people do not like Hailey, I think is a great and has lots of potential. She does need to figure out which direction she is going to go to make it.
I like Haley and think she is extremely talented. She is lacking a fan base for some reason. I would love to see her do a Janis Joplin song.
Next week is Motown Classics. I wonder if Scotty will do a Barry White song to complement his deep voice but I can't see him singing sex type songs. This will be interesting. I love Thia but her ballads are so boring. Tired of all the ballads already! She promised no more ballads…we'll see.
I totally agree with you, Naima should have left WAY before this.
Naima is horrible, Karen, while not even being close to my favorite is much better than her. It's a joke! I can't understand how Naima is still here either.
Yep it should have been Niama. Doesn't matter unless she suddenly learns how to stay in key she'll go next week.
niama should have gone I agree. She was the worst of the three. I love Haley but she needs some serious help on song choices and wardrobe.
Well you guys are all wrong. First the judges were being blamed for keeping Naima in and most people said she would be out the following week…well guess what the people kept her in and guess what the people have chosen again and she is still in…so obviously she is still in cos she's good duh!
I hate the Niama "look". That cheap flower or butterfly in hair has gotta go but at least she is not as boring as some of the other girls.
Naima, minus the last two performances, has stayed in key better than majority of contestants (coughjamescough) and Karen doesn't have the range to sing in any key she's attempted to. Naima will go soon, I'm sure, but Karen was the right one to go.
She should not even be in the competition at all!! She was soo much worse than Karen and even though she doesnt even belong in american idol she should have been booted last nite—I couldnt beleive it
Stefano should get more pimping from Idol! He sings so well among all other contestants but his followers are not as massive as other contestants'.
But he's slowly pacing up to the competition! Very much like David Cook and Kris Allen history. Underdogs turned Idols!
I know that Karen was the one going home…
Thia's performance was just like Adele's or like in the Grammys…so what's with the vibrato comment Jlo?come on…
yeah i agree and i don't know what the hell JLO is talking about..
Zephyr, did you see the good skit I wrote under another post? I was totally ragging on JLo for the vibrato thing. You're so right!
Oooops. Meant to say "Goofy" skit.
Yes I did and I enjoyed reading it…lol…
Thia and Pia are so boring….The voices are not bad. They have zero chrisma, and I almost fall asleep during their songs. Pia may win because this is Idol, but she will never sell cd's. Thia OMG can you say wedding singer?? James, Haley, Paul, and Casey are the only people I'd pay money to see….
Yes I agree Stephen.. Diva days are over.. noone buys them anymore and I find Pia a bit monotonous .. you know she's just suddenly going to yell out notes that you have to listen to for ten seconds before she gets on with the song. There is no personality to the notes either.. they are just held and neutral. If I wanted to listen to that I'd buy an old Whitney or Celine DVD.
I would def pay to see Scotty also–hes very good-
Nice prediction Branden, two weeks in a row that you are right 😀 another week for Thia>bring it on 😀
Thank you Vince!
Yes, when I was watching last night, I was like WOW he was right on the nose. Very cool! You rock it!! Great Choices…
Does anyone know the theme for next week?
I don't know yet. Matt? You out there? You know the theme yet?
next theme should be: out of the box. something like jacob should sing country, scotty to sing rock song, naima should sing ballad… etc. that would be fun to watch! currently, all their song choices really bore me – soo predictable..
You probably already saw this, but it looks like it's Motown next week. Even USA Today reported it.
Whoever wrote this article gets a BIG A+ since were grading performances haha 🙂 this is exactly how I see the show going when I do sit down to watch. I think reading this was more entertaining than the actual show!! Haha I laughed thru the whole thing. I do have to admit I kind liked Karen.. but she wasn't gonna win we all knew that.
Thank you, Melody. That's very nice of you. Please come back often! I'm here every week. haha!
i'm always here everyday just to read your articles and other's comments. i find it very entertaining. youre great Branden!
Branden, I have to heartily Disagree with you on this one. Karen can sing much, much better than Naima. I cannot believe that Naima even made it to the top 13. She is really awful and should have gone home instead of Karen.
Jennifer and Stephen would save everybody! Especially JLo saving a Hispanic sister. Boy! She was pi%#&d!
But guess what guys–IT IS TOO EARLY IN THE COMPETITION TO SAVE ANYONE.
Wait, what are you disagreeing with me on? I didn't send Karen home, I only predicted she'd go. LOL. I didn't say she deserved to go home! I, too, if it were up to me, would've sent Naima home.
@ Branden…feel the love…lol Thank you for the recap…A+…:-)
JLO is a spoiled diva. You could tell she was mad that she didn't get her way. Get over it Lopez, the viewers voted. Save your save for someone who deserves it. JLO is getting more and more annoying.
Why does that make her spoiled? She is mad because Karen is talented. The viewers voted? The voting in this contest is a laughing stock. Time to change the rules. This was not an " American Idol Vote"! It was a cell phone, a computer, a face book, a twatter, (oh, yea!) Did I forget any thing else? Apologies, tad pi—- off.
tishe, if you knew JLO's history of being mean, nasty and demanding, you wouldn't ask the question of why is she spoiled.
oh so exciting… what is their music theme next week Branden? Any idea? Will there be a music mentor already?
karen's grovelling wo is me at end was way too much and killed it for me.
next week i sincerely hope haley is safe and naima goes packing. she's had too many chnaces and lets be frank she will never be american idol with pitch problems like tht….
she's more recording artist material… her live performances are really lacking in vocal strength (tho will admit i do like her stage presence and she's diff)…but that's not enough and she just hasnt got it all together yet
I like James Durbin voice but I hate everytime he come out he always have a tail on his back. That really annoying me.
LOL. yeah, that tail is kind of annoying.
The tail is annoying. He is trying to copy Steven Tyler. Steven used to tie something like that on his microphone.
Everything about James' appearance is annoying. I thought I saw a glimmer of hope for him last week, but this week he totally lost any territory he had claimed.
Paul was SO terrible both last week and this week – so off key I had to turn the volume down. Seriously. He got a pass for having a cold? I think he needs to go. Quirky I like, but his (ahem) "dancing" and sad Rod Stewart impersonation can't hide the fact that he just can't sing. Why is he such a judge's darling anyway?
I think he is great! I can see how he isn't everyone's cup of tea but he is a talent for sure. He sounds a lot like Ray LaMontagne who is an amazing artist. Maybe a bit of James Blunt and Bob Schneider. He has a band called, the grand magnolias and their music is GREAT!! He's a judge's darling because he has a great voice but it isn't going to be mainstream pop or country. He isn't a ballad singer.
Paul is the best, I would go to his concert today!!! He isn't boring like most of the contestants this year!!!
I agree Paul is cute and talented. I like him a lot and I think some people just don't get it when it comes to Paul. I love his voice and he does not bore me like most of the others.
AMEN Rita!!!
Yeh… Thia was not even in bottom 3. I am so shocked how most of the sites always put her in bottom 3.. Common she's better than most of them in the bunch. She needs to step up a bit. I saw her first audition and she was way more comfortable. We want to see that Thia again!
yeah! Definitely agree on that! 🙂
Ok Branden, so I missed the call this week. But I still think I was right, lol. Simply based on Last night's performance, Naima should have went home. But over all, yes, Karen should go. BUT, I am not looking forward to hearing Jacob do more screaming next week. I am SOOOOOOO over that.
Oh I agree that Naima should've gone. I only predict what the vote outcome will be. Those predictions by no means reflect my personal preference.
I will be shocked if any of the girls go far. The men are much better this year. Karen was always terrible. Singing Spanish on an AMERICAN show is just wrong!
Fudg, all the producers care about is Lauren going far. I think Pia has surprised them, but they've wanted Lauren to take it all since day one. And if they pull a Jordin Sparks on us, they'll get what they want. (Not that I think Lauren wouldn't be deserving of the win. I think she's very marketable and talented). But I agree America will once again go with a guy.
Casey, James & Scotty are top 3, Pia is the only female that is ok, she can sing, but she's boring.
Karen sang beautifully tonight. Laurent way to immature to win. Watch that attitude!!!
By watching it looks like Pia is trying to get a modeling job not singing career- She acts like her sh88 dont stink- stuck up-spoiled little type girl. Not cute at all on American Idol that is all I ahve to say She will not win the competition its a guy this year- Most likely Scotty But thats fine too he is remarkable
vocally, i think thia can compete with the rest of the best. but she doesn't seem too comfortable when 'performing'. she's got to up the ante if she wants to be in the top 5 at least!
It is going to be tough but I think that Thia can win the Idol. Like a "veteran" she is doing the "middleground" songs to get by over the last 2 weeks. I expect her to bust it wide open starting next week to the finals to showcase to America her amazing voice, charming personality and arsenal of talents.
You know what? I'm glad you said that. After seeing her stand up to the judges (and stand up for that vocal coach) last night, I started thinking that maybe she actually has a strategy behind this. Like Muhammad Ali's rope-a-dope. She knows she'll be safe for a few weeks. So lay low…like a long distance runner. Then turn it on and blow by everyone when it counts. But I hope next week she backs up what she said tonight. I love everything she sings. But that would kind of suck if she sings another ballad after getting in everyone's face about having so much more. I know she can do it. I hope she does.
Wow, Branden you got it right 2 wks in a row.
All of the guys this year are amazingly strong. America's down on Karen, Haley and Naima. Pity on Karen who cried as she goes home today and Haley and Naima dodged the bullet again to live another week.
BRANDEN!! This is getting spooky dude! That’s two weeks in a row you got it exactly right! You da man!
I thought Naima and her festive tropical fruit wardrobe were gone for sure. Karen is not top 5 material but WAY better than Naima. As a matter of fact I’d rate her ahead of Paul, Jacob and maybe Stefano as well.
I have to wonder if Karen’s insistence on mixing Spanish and English in her performances affected her votes. It shouldn’t matter, but with the whole anti immigration sentiment in this country, America might not be so supportive of a contestant displaying strong hispanic identity. That would be sad, but I think it is reasonable to wonder if it might not have been a factor with the voting public. It is not a perfect world out there and intangibles matter where public opinion is concerned.
Haha, thanks Primo.
And sadly, I kind of thought the same thing about Karen. I think a lot of Americans are still silently racist. Unfortunately. Some people don't even realize they are.
You are right guys, as a proof
"fudg says: Singing Spanish on an AMERICAN show is just wrong!" haaa
I admire Karen for being proud that she is a Latina and singing in English and Spanish. She was probably aware tht she was taking a risk, but she remained true to herself. She will go far. She has a good voice and with some more training, she'll have a successful career. The only issue that I had with Karen was that she kept dressing like Selena or Jennifer López. It was cute when that she dressed like her favorite singers when she was a little girl, but if she wants to go pro, she needs needs a unique look.
Primo,
you took the words right out of my mouth
Karen is much more talented than Naima but I agree with you 100%
Hopefully she'll be marketable in the latin genre I hope she doesn't give up on the music business
Good job Branden. I agree that the show should be half an hour long. I thought Naima was going home for sure. At least I did pick the bottom three.
Thanks Alicia!
Branden, you're doing a GRRREATTT job. Keep us posted! 🙂
Thanks, Joey! Will do. Keep coming back!
Brsnden, expert on prediction of the bottom 3. From the Philippines, I ask Can they show the result of votes of the Top 11?
I have to say it's American Idol. it's susposed to be about the best vocals but that changed a long time ago when america picked there favorite person. If anyone knew what they were doing we all know that Pia had this from the start. Not 1 bad review ever!! And everyone else atleast has 1. Pia has the best vocals out of all of them. And Lauren, come on how many country singers has idol produced allready. Make it to the top 3 and your allready a star. Only so many my wife left, took the truck, house, and dog songs can be made.
Pia sucks….ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ It's idiots like you who let these boring people win, then they disappear like ghosts after a few months. That's exactly what will happen if Pia wins.
Totally agree!! Maybe her model dream can come true then Go priss your butt somewhere else & bat your eyes-You dont do nothin for me girl-
beachbum agree with you
pia acts like a spoiled diva and she is common i agree with you also with scotty he will be a megastar he has
talent and charisma my prediction:
he'll be as big george!!
I think we are going to see all the women going home one after the other. This looks like a men competition they are way better than the girls.
I think you will see a couple of guys go before Pia. Paul, Jacob and Casey come to mind right away.
Jacob is a gospel singer and I dislike gospel music. I don't see a gospel singer winning American Idol but that is just my opinion. I think he is overdoing every song.
it looks that way but I think overall the girls have been performing much better than the guys. AI voters must be predominantly girls…
Yes Branden you got it right, but hmmph, I disagree with y'all about Naima. So she had a bad week!; I don't understand why she had to go home before Karen or Jacob or even Paul. They had a worse week! I'm glad the majority of voters got it right.
and…….I couldn't believe my ears either when the "powers that be" bleeped the shis tzu!! Snort. How stupid is that?
should read….Yes Branden you got it right, good on ya!, but hmmph……….
Didn't mean to take away your triumph! Sorry.
Additionally, I totally agree that the results show should be only 30 minutes.
The reason why the show takes more than 30 minutes to finish is because of the ads. American Idol need ads to keep going otherwise there is no funding to keep the show lol
I just have to say 'You Rock Branden'….not only do I totally agree with everything you say but you are an amazing writer. You are why I keep coming back to this site (no offense Matt). You make me laugh every time with your hilarious (and true) commentary. You are refreshing with an edge and I thank you and everyone else on this site for your contribution.:) Btw, is this the only place you blog?
Thank you very much, Barbie! That's very sweet. I also blog at two of AIN's sister sites: hwhills.com and realityrewind.com. But I've been spending all my time here since American Idol started.
One of Karen's fans asked me to do one of those skits I did for Thia & Haley's reviews last night, and I said I would post it after the results show (I didn't want to come here and spoil the results for me on the west coast). I feel funny posting it now since she was sent home. But, in good fun, here it is anyway:
Randy: Yo! You were kind of rough in the beginning. But you came around. I liked how you pulled it together. I mean, I wasn’t doing jumping jacks or back flips or whatever. You know, I wasn’t high-fiving you the way I like to do when contestants walk by me singing. But welcome back.
Karen: {Smiles} Thank you.
Steven: I love it when you’re seduce-a-licious.
Steven: You know…when you break into your ethnic-what-it-is-ness.
Randy: What on earth are you talking about?
Steven: I don’t know. But Hola. Agradable. Como se? Donde esta el tarro de galletas?
Karen: I speak English you know.
JLo: I’m so glad you fought your nervousness like that.
Karen: I wasn’t nervous. I was kind of having fun.
JLo: No. You were nervous baby.
Karen: No. I was just trying to add some sex appeal to it.
JLo: I like the way you fought that nervousness off. {Darts head around} You were like Uhm! Ahh! Ooof! Ruff! And that’s why I loved you.
Karen: While you’re doing that, can I give a shout out to Nick?
JLo: Listen baby. When you’re feeling all scared like you just were, you don’t even have to sing.
Karen: I wasn’t scared.
JLo: Just do what you want to do with the notes. It doesn’t matter. You can sing it however you want. Professionals don’t sing those notes if they’re not able to.
Karen: Ok. Are you sure? Because I thought this was a singing competition.
JLo: No baby. Just throw us some attitude and that’s all you need to do.
Karen: Ok thanks. And Ryan, don’t forget to hook my sister up with Nick.
ahaha… you're the best… i love the way you make this funny skit…
cool lol 😀
dope! hahaha! =))
I think Paul needs to go. He annoys me. He can't sing nor dance.
What Karen gone!!! That should not have happened. Naima is terrible!! She may look good but can't sing. i have never voted but I realize more then ever how important it is to vote. Jennifer was totally pissed and she should be. They should have used their wild card !! Karen deserves another chance. I was totally gobsmaced to see Karen in the bottom 3.
Think "Idol", not child star Thia, not Haley who really has no stage skill, not one-dimensional Jacob, think someone who you would pay to watch at concert or buy a CD to listen to. I'd watch Naima sing any day, I'd buy a CD of Stefano, Pia, Paul or Scotty. Casey & James are good but appeal to a young special audience.
I'd pay good cash to buy a Thia CD, and I'd pay good cash to watch her in a show. She's a classy artist.
I will definitely buy Thia's CD! Among other contestants she has the best vocal.
i agree 😉 because among the contestant she has given a unique flavor none of the existing artist would have..laurin (she eats her lyrics) ,haley (the growling is too off only steven likes it),naima (so out of tune whatever they call pitch problem)way off. Pia is in competition but at lot of artist is already like pia, no different flavours at all.. when the judges made standing ovation woah why oh why.. she's too sharp.. she's overrated by randy.
I think Thia's biggest female competitor is Pia. People can easily mix their names up. lol. But seriously, I don't like Pia…I think she just does a lot of controlled screaming (and she's no Bono, an amazing singer who can get away with that because he writes brilliant music that supports it). Thia belts out the notes effortlessly and clearly. But for whatever reason, the judges (JLo in particular) stopped liking Thia. They want to see the jumping around the stage, regardless of talent. But I'm proud of her for pushing back against the judges…and she does it in such a respectable way, which is so mature for someone her age.
Thia not ready yet, maybe in another year or two with some training, Naima has style but need a vocal coach and 6months to stop her from singing the way she talks or keeping in pitch will always be a problem for her.
Pia has the best trained voice, while Lauren and Scotty the strongest natural voices which will sell records at some point, while James will need a good band behind him to make it big.
Well, this is just proof that we all have a different ear for music. In my opinion, Pia just does a lot of controlled screaming. She can't use her voice anything like Thia can. Pia is getting way too much credit from the judges. She will likely have no future beyond AI. Scotty definitely will, Lauren probably. But of all of them, I predict that Thia will go the furthest in her music career. Also, it's not that Thia is not yet ready. It's that she has her own style and it's not about getting in people's faces. You can tell she's getting sick of the unfair comments about her range. She's trying to do her music. I agree that her style is not going to win the competition. But it will put her way past the others in her career.
AYY. I don't think ALL the girls are all bad. Thia, Pia? One of them is going to come from out of nowhere and snatch the spot! Remember, I called it 😉 That's if the racial card isn't holding back their votes.
I 100% agree with you Tom!
I can NOT agree with the decision tonight. I agree with the fact that Karen wasn't going to win the show but she wasn't the worst this week. Naima on the other hand… well lets start with that she can NOT sing.. three weeks in a row that she was in the bottom.. wild card that should NOT have made it in the first place.. second she can NOT dance.. she is horrible… my guess is she is pulling in the NAACP votes: cause she should be sitting at home with her kids pulling in her wellfare check.. she SUCKS!!! Horible day for AI tonight.
Troll! (did not work) do not try to guess at anything, you kinda suck at it.
Walks like a duck.. talks like a duck.. Naima suck… even that sounded better then her singing come on.. In all it was a bad week for idol contestants. But 3 strikes you are out!!! America better pull it together before next week or I am walking from this show like Simon.
Well then, walk like a duck and waddle outta here. The talent this year is awesome. You do not like it? (troll somewhere else) There are a lot of other sites that will gladly knock you down. ( done with ya )
You may be good at predicting bottom threes etc but you obviously don't know much about singing or dancing. Naima is a unique singer and I would rather listen to the opinions of Jennifer,Steven and Randy who have made it in the music and performing arts world then some amature who is only well known for his blogs. GRRR! Naima Rocks like a star!!!!
KAREN!!! Please don't confuse this commenter BRANDON with me BRANDEN. Please pay closer attention to spelling and rather or not names are blue or black.
My sincere apologies Branden and thanks for pointing this out. I retract my comments made above in reference to you and sorry for the confusion.
ATTENTION!!!! Please readers, do not be as quickly confused as KAREN and think this commenter is me. Please notice my name spelling and the fact that my name is in BLUE NOT BLACK because I'm logged into the site.
Thanks for the clarification! xD
I agree with most comments. Thia has an amazing voice. The judges probably want her to sing an upbeat number or sing a song that is more diva like. This is in idol for the long haul.
Can someone explain how Karen was voted off and Naima wasn't? And how did you know it was going to happen? I don't get it. Obviously it wasn't singing talent? I agree that Karen wasn't going to make the top 5 but she can certainly stay on key much better than Naima.
Nah, I think naima shouldn't be voted off. She just chose the wrong song. Like paris tassin
I loved Naima initially- She was nailin' it with the old standards/jazz angle- I agree that her latest presentations have been uninspired. She might try a little Sarah Vaughn and redeem herself- The judges weren't wrong in bringing her to the fore- She just has to be made to focus her strengths…And I like her wardrobe- kinda tropical Boy George ca 1983
Having a good voice and being able to sing a song w/feeling & emotion are 2 different things. Naima can sing a song. Karen is better when she sings in Spanish because it has more feeling. I like James, but I hate that tail. He has an amazing voice.
yes initially I dont like James, he over sings.. but lately yep is good ..among the boys
i would say james, stefano and paul are great..
scotty was cool and good looking but his not in total package as performer.. he sings only one type.. so i wonder why judges keep on giving criticism on girls singing same ballad thing however on boys its ok .. Yo Yo..whatever.. 🙂
I don't agree that Paul is great, I know he has a unique voice but over all i feel like he is boring. His voice is weird lol I don't enjoy listening to him..
Naima and Haley should be next.Pia ,laurin and Haley are steven's favorite..Karen should go here accent "someday" sounds somedey.. Laurin also eats her words on the lyrics.. Thia should bring something different and upbeat..she has tone and doesnt swallow the lyrics at all..
Yep I dont agree with vibrato "goofy script" of JLo. The what? Again? 🙂
Comment deleted per Commenting Rules. No ALL-CAPS allowed. – Admin
So far, I totally agree with Pia all the way.
I'll put money on Scotty to take it out… he's middle of the road.. he'll just keep sliding on through to the final and he'll pull out a couple of belters and nail the Idol song and Stefano will finish second and probably go on to release more radio hits whilst Scotty churns out the Country No. 1's… and that's a wrap 🙂
Scotty is the good he will go a longgggg way not because judges like him, not because producers like him its because he can sing. And for those who say he can only sing country-Afraid you're wrong- Ive seen him compete in town competitions and he won both- THEY WERE NOT COUNTRY The boy can sing anything Guess you'll have to wait to see- be surprised Be real surprised-
I totally agree re Scotty/ He is the best of the whole shabang. Nothing phony about him in his presentation, his attitude ala James, Paul or Casey. James, Paul and Casey are scruffy and they are not as cute or sexy as they think they are
Well, I also thought that Karen and Naima were the obvious bottom two, and I also thought that Karen would go. I think that tons of people were on target this week with their predictions — a clearer consensus on this group than in most groups over the years. (I'm not detracting from your picks, Branden, LOL, and I love your posts, but I think that so far, ranking the bottom performers has been easy.)
I also thought that the third person would either be Haley or Paul. I hope that Haley really shines next week. I don't think that she has gotten credit from the judges for her great voice. I think that they've gone out of their way to bash her, in fact, saying after two mere weeks that she "doesn't know what she wants to be." As I posted before, what's wrong with variety? Everything she sings is good. Her voice control and her ability to be soft, powerful or gravelly WHILE STAYING ON KEY is unrivaled by most of this group. The judges are right that she doesn't seem comfortable with her movements on stage, but that can come. Let's concentrate on getting rid of the worst SINGERS, ok?
Jacob better pick his game back up. I thought he was horribly off key last week, and he was straining to reach notes. He made my ears bleed, and yet the judges were as infatuated with him as ever.
totally agree!!
is it true??? they will sing Motown next week??
Ive bee a Naima fan from the very beginning but this week, she really was not good… If she does't get any better, she'll be going home soon but I will always love her…
The entire show should be eliminated. It is one big terrible mess.
Yep have to admit I don't bother watching the eliminations, they are dragged out and really false .. Much easier to just watch it the next week to see who's still standing.. I mean that's what matters isn't it? .. once the voting is done it's done.. watching it won't change the result.. so they could easily get it all over and done with in ten minutes.. Announce the bottom three, token advert break… tell two to sit down, let one sing (and hope they sing a really good song, not one they have just been voted out on .. ?? ) .. saved?? heck no.. hug hug, don't worry you'll still make records and roll credits.. I think that would work much better.
I wish Naima would just go home. Karen might be at the bottom but at least her voice is better than Naima's.
I also think that Jennifer Lopez gave better comments this week, not quite there yet but better than last week. At least she didn't go "You Are Great!" to every single performance anymore.
I think over all, Steven and JLO are better judge
I was also much hapier with jen's comments this week. I'm kinda surprised at how much jlo bashing there is. Honestly I used to detest her but watching her as a judge this season I've come to realize she's a really kind hearted caring woman
(I'm sure I'll get a lot of negative feedback on this comment lol)
Don't let JLO fool you. JLO is different when the cameras are on her. George Clooney hated working with her and called her the B word. There are numerous others who have said the same thing. JLO is a fake.
My favourite is Casey. I think he is talented, has an incredible voice, he is funny and show he is happy to singon stage . But I must say last night with his nirvana songs i could not connect to him, there was like a sudden black-out. He was dull, he appeared ill, stressed completely and doomed. The yellow light was strange on his head and gave a global impression that it was a confined karaoke room with a kind of comedian dangling with a guitar. He was the only one to get that yellowish dull light. Somebody should advise him now about how to win this thing. He needs to stay jazzy+melodic+funny and show that he is having fun when he sings. This is what people likes in him. Casey wake up, its this american Idol is yours to lose!
this forum is way too cool! I look forward to reading branden's comments as much as i look forward to the show itself. I have only three comments:
1. The judges stink (except for Tyler). I'm getting the impression they are forcing their own persona biases instead of giving out fair and useful comments. I miss Simon. Randy is a trying hard Simon-to-be!
2. I have lost all admiration for Jacob Lusk. He has only one music style and its getting to be annoying.
3. There were two arrogant contestants last night: James and Cassey. I can swallow James' arrogance when he said he might make to to the finals.. it might have been adrenalin rush due to the crowd. Cassey was arrogantly condescending. The way he handled the song was just disrespectful to Cobain and the Idol viewers.
Thia was classy and beyond her age in answering the judges' comments. Not to mention the pitch perfrct song. So yes, EVEN if this were a pageant contest (as the judges commented), Thia would smash the competition.
I think the only judge who truly stinks is JLO. I like Tyler the best and Randy is ok. Would like to have Simon back and get rid of that spoiled Diva.
WOW – What lame votes on so many levels. Karen needed to go, but Naima had to go even more. As for the boys, Paul should not even be on this show – he is awful and why do the judges love him so? And Jacob – I am tired of having to leave the room whenever he performs; I'll be so relieved when he's sent home.
In general, the judges need to be more honest and tell some of the lame performers just how lame they are.
Good Post, totally agree.
I totally agree more, Paul is boring and he dance so weird and that hand thing when he finish his song what's up with that? they should sing the song according to their emotions and feelings.
THIA'S IS THE TOTAL PERFORMER.
SHE HAS THE PITCH,THE TONE ,THE CHARM,THE VIBRATO,AND OH THE VOICE AND IT IS ALL natural,coming from within.
not fake like the rest who resorts to screaming.
Go Thia prove them all wrong andbe america's next idol.
you are young but mature .Keep your poise and wits about you.
more power america loves you.!!!!!
Love your post man! Go Thia! The next American Idol!
Absolutely! Yes JLo, she said Thia HAS THE VIBRATO. I love how Thia has copped a respectful amount of attitude about the judges unfair and inaccurate comments. She's respectfully telling them, "You guys don't get me. I'm not a copy cat like everyone else here. But if it's something different you want, then it's something different you will get. Because I've got it all."
I couldnt agree more… Thia is the ONLY one who has a true, pure and rare voice quality. All of them are just mess. Casey? ftw? Jacob? htw? Pia? Zzz..
lemme know how to vote online for her. I couldnt stand seeing those performers who doesnt even have a TALENT!!!
There's THIA and there's the rest… 🙂
thia is the best! couldnt agree more.
Hopefully, they get a new and better music producer who will bring out the best in every finalist with exceptional arrangements and good music choices. Glorified whatshisname (with the baseball cap on)is not helping them at all. Every arrangement since the top 13 is crappy and does not blend well with the idols' styles. Stop messing with the contestants!
maybe less producers and more mentors to the contestants. but then again it's all about raking money, so wth.
Thia has the quality of a good singer, no one among the finalists can match the quality of the tone and the clarity of Thia's words everytime she sings…She just need to get out of her shell to shine more and emerge as the new Idol for this season….America votes Thia….
I Agree!
Totally agree… Wait & see what she's capable of
I think the right person went, as much as I agree Karen can sing she just doesn't have it..I believe the reason Naima has made it another week is that she has potential to be such a great artist and it's such a shame she doesn't have the chops to do it and America are holding onto the fact that maybe she will come out and surprise..but her time will be up soon
I'd like to add Casey disappointed me last night…don't touch a Nirvana song if you are not going to express the pain..instead of looking like a scary movie parody..
and I can't believe there is so much hating on Paul…the judges love him because he's an artist, he has it..and they know it..he may not hit every note but not needed with his indie rockability
I think Haley or Niama should have gone before Karen… I wanted her to get another chance, but i knew she couldnt win this thing…so, why dont people like jacob??? i think hes awesome. Casey is soooooo creepy!
Shundreya I believe Jacob hasn't channelled his voice right yet, absolutely amazing!!! but his power just needs to be directed properly so people can enjoy the melody and the journey…that's just my opinion..check out antony from antony and the johnsons..and only a select few a blessed with that talent and sometimes Jacob hits those notes..I wish he'd head down that direction
as with Haley …I don't think she realises what she could do with her voice ..her voice is made for the blues but I don't think herself connects with it…which is sad because i think that's whats Steven's talking about ..his waiting for it
When I head Jacob sing on the show, I immediately thought of Antony, too. Has a very similar quality in his voice. But…..I don't like what Jacob is doing with his. I <3 Antony & the Johnsons.
Yeh that's true …I think I was just excited to hear it coz I love antony and the johnsons too =).
I definitely think Naima should have been the one sent home, but why doesn't anyone mention Jacob? He has never been in the bottom three and he is always "pitchy". He sings all around a note, but never hits it right on.
OK I will say it again….American Idol should not give any contestant such an edge, by saying Steven Tyler will sing with James Durbin that is UNFAIR! This has given him the in for the finals because people are going to keep him just to see He and Steven Tyler sing just for ratings, not right American Idol this should be a fair competition and now not fair.
I totally agree The solution would be get rif of Durbin. He is an egotist,self admirer, not as cute as he thinks he is. His wife needs to have him fitted for glasses
James has Tourette's Syndrome. One of the symptoms of this disability is tics. One of James' tics happens to be blinking/squinting, so no glasses are needed.
oops spelled tourettes wrong…he sings from the heart…i feel he'd be in the finals anyhow without tyler saying that
Thank you Pam, Takes someone that has a great dream to go infront of Millions with that condition and does it well.
James has several of my votes. And that was not an edge. Wow, everyone forgets how this show goes. Making it into the Top 10 he will be able to sing with Steven Tyler, not necessarily the top 2. So many people took that so wrong.
Branden, Kudos on your predictions.
Lee- that is so very rude of you. Durbin has Tourettes syndrome.If you are a fan of American Idol, then you would have seen his story!guess your not.He cant help it.dont be a bully.He was made fun of alot growing up, and now you? I do agree not to fair, singing with Steven Tyler. but thats show biz for you. I doubt he relized saying that would be unfair. with all the adrenaline going on after singing, he prob just said it. Who wouldnt sing with Steven Tyler if they had the voice to do so? i know i would!
let me tell you lee..durbin has highly functional autism plus turrets…he has broken all odds to be on stage..how dare you say those things about him…he’s american hero who doesn’t let this get in his way…and on top of it…he’s really good..shame on you lee…get your facts straight before you say any negative about someone..
James is sooo good. Any discussion about him must include that fact. He sings with skill and emotion…he is totally into it, as is Casey. And yes, the boy announcer did egg the situation on regarding Steven performing on AI and yes, Randy has performed with a contestant before.
We have a long way to go in this thing. James will stay on his own merit. If they want to sing togrther, they will do it anytime in the future – even if James gets kicked off.
The issue is that so many comments here are about this crap. Or they like them because of their "nice family" or they are polite. THIS IS A SINGING COMPETETION. When I buy a CD I hear the music and the vocal. Lets stay focussed on that and forget all this other rubbish.
I agree with you there 100%
not with voting off Durbin, the Tyler promise..that was unfair……I like Durbin…….He brought Judas Priest to Idol!
I totally agree that Tyler's comment was unfair. And Idol should make him retract it on the air. I like Durbin, though he's not my favorite. But these judges need to learn what they are there for. For Idol to let Tyler get away with doing that is totally unacceptable. I can easily see this being my first and only season watching this show.
I agree with you about losing respect for Idol because of this Steven Tyler comment and they are allowing it for ratings, the judges can have their favorites (we all do) but they should not be allowed to help promote a specific contestant. Definitly needs to be retracted live to America and an apology to the other contestants. I understand he has a handicap but all the contestants have overcome issues and made sacrifices to be there and he should not be given an advantage.
To my understanding…after James performed, Steven T. said "let's not get too poppy…does anyone even know what poppy means???…I don't…unless Steven T. was referring to a style of music, i.e. "Pop" as in a Brittany Spears type of performance…I honestly do not know. Anyway, James replied…" I am gonna do some Aerosmith later on and maybe in the finale you could come up and sing with me"…Steven replied, yea, sure and they shook hands on it. Big whoopie Doo…I do not see how that would be considered favoritism… All the judges keep saying things like.."you're one of my favorites", "you just layed the gauntlet down", "best performance of the night", " you truly sing like an angel"…How is that any different. I really think this Steven T. and James D. thing has blown way out of proportion.~!!! JMHO. 🙂
Rose A. I totally agree. People are just out with their thinking…..That little episode did not make for an American Idol…….but I sure do hope he makes the finale and wins…..and we get to see him perform with Steven T…..Frankly I wish Adam would come back and do a duet with James…….JMHO
It's one thing to say, "you really nailed that." That's what the judges are there for (assuming the performer really nailed it). But saying something (whether you intend to honor it or not) that essentially means "I, Steven Tyler, a rock and roll legend, am going to do something special if the voters keep you through the finale" is definitely an unfair advantage. He's a judge. Not a fan.
Miss Rose A. … I very much agree with you. So many people in this country are foolish, twits that need drama and conspiracy theories, to make their day complete. Again, you are absolutely right, when you stated judges are always saying “You are one of my favorites” this season. All 3 of the judges have said that at some point. How is that not showing favoritism, yet nothing is said. But, Steven just nods his head and says sure … and smoke start blowing out people American Idol fans ears. Unreal.
Look at the clip again. I'm not so sure that Steven Tyler just nodded his head. He flat out said he would sing with him in the finale. That's basically challenging voters to put him there. Much different than saying, "you're my favorite."
I don't think Steven could have said no on national television; he would have come off an ass. Anyway, during the finale, the contestants (not just the top 2) get to sing with celebrity singers, so the producers can make Steven and James sing together if they think it would boost the ratings. No need to overreact.
IURQAL, thanks for that clarification of the show. This is my first season watching it. So I don't know about all of those extra things. And I never thought that Steven Tyler did anything intentional to help James. I just think that the situation ended up being unfair to the remaining contestants. But if the duet can happen win or lose, then I guess no biggie. I've had an ongoing problem with the judges. I pretty much like them personally, but they're awful judges…especially JLo.
I agree with what Iurqal stated. James Dubin very much put Steven Tyler on the spot by asking Steven to sing a duet with him. Mr. Tyler thought about, nodded his head and said one word … "sure". If he responded by saying no, he would have come across as being the biggest ass in A.I. History. That simple response is good enough for me. But, I do not need to invent drama, where there is none. Some do.
Didn't Ryan put him on the spot too by forcing the issue? I vaguely recall that.
Everyone talks about how Steven Tyler said he will sing with James ..some are upset saying its playing favorites but I haven't read anything about how in the beginning he was all about Lauren Alaina..She had him sing in the try outs and he said..we have our winner…and on several of the shows she was singing more to him..also saying "I'm sorry Steven" when she didn't do as well one week..I like her but am just saying…each seem to have a judge they turn to more then others..focus on the talent..thats what we as the ones who vote need to do.
JT3594 & Lee…..Shame on both of you….James has overcome so many obstacles to be there and he deserves to be there….If you are idol fans you know that at the finale the top 10 get to sing, usually with their idols soooooo with that said even if James is not a finalist (pray tell he is)he can still sing with Steven….
If it wasn't for James, this show would be boring as hell this season, not for lack of talent, but for all those ballads….
Did i actually say James did not deserve to be there, No I did not. I was just staing that the competition should be fair to ALL the contestants and not swayed toward one. Nor did I say anything negative about his disabilities, so your "shame on me" comment is a bit uncalled for. I said nothing that was bashing him at all.
JT3594….My apologies, you did not say that he should go, it was Lee that said it…..Sorry……
The bottom line is we are the voters not Steven. I think he really meant that IF (I say WHEN) James gets to the finale he would sing with him….
Sorry again……
:o)
James is the BEST. PERIOD.
Love Jacob and James, Pia and Thia. Can;t understnad the obsession with Casey (who did nothing but scream that Nirvana song) and Paul. Lots of pitch problems this year. Also think the back up singers have been horrible as has the musical accompaniment. And Jimmy who ever he is adds nothing to the show. Lots of talent but since so many are off key I wonder if it's the band and the other singers who are throwing off the Idols??
Brooke, whoever you are:
Jimmy Iovine is one of the top producers in the US, having worked with Springsteen, U2, Raspberries, John Lennon, Mary J Blige and also discovered Lady Gaga amongst others. And yes, it's the band that throws off the amateurs singing (yawn). Of course. Go back to your cave, lady.
Often people accuse American Idol singers that hit the high notes as screaming. If the high notes are sung loud. No matter how perfect it is sung … Some call it sceaming. I think my Grandpa said that about every group I ever liked when I was a teenager, because my music did not sound at all like what he grew up too. But, in this case, I agree with Brooke. If ever there was a poster child of a scream, sung horriblly wrong on American Idol … That prize would have to go to Casy.
They shouldn't even have backup singers. It's a singing competition to judge the contestant. Notice Thia doesn't need backups. She carries her own weight and doesn't rely on anyone to help her.
I like Casey… but think he's over rated!
I actually like a lot of them, but I think most of them are over rated, and the judges are hyping them up to be something their not. That's why Thia is my favorite…she seems the most real and the most talented to me.
Am I the only one who hated the way Pia's song was arranged? So annoying.
Isabella: I find that to be the case with so many of the songs – who is doing these arrangements? Think they're trying to make the song the "Idols own" but they're killing the original and also making the song unsingable!
Yea I agree with you, it was cheesy, not a fan of her or her song choices. Too many ballads, and glad one of them got voted off. Anyone know what the theme is next week?
That my be a valid point, Brooke. Apparently the sound folks are amateurs, not even having the mics on for the Top Twelve's GA-GA routine. I hated the green lights too. They must have spent their time on that useless stuff instead of checking the mics!America sent the right person home. Not sure how Paul has survived. It must the the tween votes.
go home naima go home!!!
JB i agree! i think naima a great dancer though. and so much energy, shes really fun to watch.I think this is def not her gig though.I think the bottom three was correct.
I love Naima, but I agree this isn't the venue for her. Her studio versions of the songs are amazing, btw. Everyone should def. check them out.
JB and Kellie, I totally disagree with your comments. Naimi is a great entertainer and if Abrams/Mcdonald/Haillie are still in the competition, so should Naimi. Branden appears to be overly harsh with the non caucasion performers!
Naima should have went home NOT lovable Karen!
Naima is a nice girl. but she can't sing.. How did she make it to top 13.. They would have given that chance to Lauren Turner..
YES. Lauren Turner was WAYYYYY better than Naima, Jacob, Ashthon, and YIKES PAUL>>>> (WHO the EFF is voting for Paul) Paul reminds me of an elf dancing on a hot cast iron skillet bare-footed. YUK.
AGREE!!!
I totally agree!!!!!! Karen should have stayed.Naima needs to be sent home ASAP!!!
Am I the only one who thought Jacob is way over rated. Ann Wilson he is not, that was a very bad try at a Heart song
Cannot say I agree with you. They ask singers on this show to find their niche and stay true to themselves, but then critique them for singing the same "type: of song. Jacob has a phenomenal voice but he's a gospel singer thru and thru. He can out sing Paul and Casey any day – then again, it's only an opinion and we all have one
I agree Brooke – first the judges criticize the contestants b/c they "don't know who they are" song-wise – they keep changing the type of songs that they sing. But then, they cheer on contestants who "get out of their comfort zone" and sing something risky ! No wonder some of those poor contestants don't know what to sing … wishy-washy guidance from the judges !
I am so with you, Jacob is not that good. Honestly, I taped the show and when he started singing, I fast forwarded because I could not stand listening to him. I think he should go home and leave the best ones up there to make it a real competion. I also agres that naima needs to go home, what are they thinking, too out there for me…
I agree, Jacob is like nails on a chalk board, I can't stand to listen to the screaming, every song is the same screaming. If he is Gospel he needs to stick with something that suits his voice and style.
Brooke said that Jacob can "out-sing Casy and Paul any day". I think that is understating it a bit, Brook. In my viewpoint, Jacob brings more energy and can out-sing most every performer on the stage this year. And on top of that, he has been the most consistant.
Naima sucks very performance. Karen did not deserve to go before Naima.
i think she did deserve to go.Mabey naima should have gone home before karen,but def karen needed to go home!!!! she has a nice spanish voice, but in her english singing voice, she seems so uncomfortable. I am not racist, But i have flipped through channels and the spanish ch. does have an Idol show in spanish. this is American Idol. why did they even let her sing all those songs in spanish? shes good dont get me wrong, but if she wanted to win she would have left out the spanish!always talking about, this is for the Latins out there, and we need a latina idol winner. give me a break.more americans watch the show cause its in elglish!honestlly it makes me mad. im glad shes gone already!Spanish people cant even vote for her cause they dont know how to understand the show,its in english!!! every single person i know that watches the show, agrees.they need to make it a rule next yr. when they try out fine, sing what you want. once your in, english only!! and im surprised knowbody working with her advised her, she will lose if she pulls that. !!!!
These comments seem racist, i.e. one can be latina and american at the same time. Also Spanish people can understand the show, it's not that complicated. Finally even Americans can tell when someone has a beautiful voice no matter what language they are singing in. Isn't much opera in Italian?
Hmm…thinkin that American means a whole lot more than just speaking english. There's a reason we don't have an official language in the United States.
That being said, Naima is amazing in her own right. I don't think she's proven that she deserves he wildcard spot, though. I hope she steps it up this next week.
I agree Kat! Karen was a beautiful and very talented singer. Being latina has nothing to do with "AMERICAN" Idol. American Idol means they will be a new US singer. I knew with all my heart she was not going to win but she could've stayed until the Top 7, maybe Top 6. I miss her so much!!</3
There are a lot of latinos in this country than speak english perfectly. I don't understand why "americans" are so closed minded about the languajes. We need to say to spanish speaker in other countries not to listen the music in English because is not their music
I can definetly understand people are saying James, Scotty and Pia as being the best. But, Holly Molly … a couple people put Casey in that group as well. Maybe it's just me … But, that don't make sense at all.
I thought Naima had a bad performance, but she is charming and entertaining. She'll never win, but she is very likeable. I'm afraid I just don't get Karen. I dont get her outfit, her hair last night, her spanish-english thing, etc.
I think Naima and Haley will be the next to go, then Thia who hasn't seemed to wake up yet and start competing. She may be great, but I'm not seeing it yet–maybe she just needs a few more years. After last night, I think the only girls that have any chance of making it into the Top 5 are Pia and Lauren, and the guys are still stronger. IMHO, the final 3, in order will be James, Scotty and Casey. For any of the rest, you could pretty much toss a coin.
Hope you are wrong this time and make it SCOTTY and get rid of James and Casey
AGREED! his amazing voice seems like it has the power to make real-country appeal to so crowds it hadn't always appealed to before.
I like James and Casey..Scotty and Paul too. But I agree Lauren or Pia are the only girls that are good, but I give a slight edge to Lauren b/c she stays true to herself and it is more exciting than Pia.
We are voting for Lauren. shes is amazing,sweet, polite.just everything an American Idol should be! you have to look at the media to. the media ripps and tears people apart. I think shes great,and has a wonderfull family behind her, so when she wins she wont follow the crowd. she will make many cds and will stay true to herself.
I agree, Scotty has the voice and the control. he was born with talent.
I don't understand why everyone loves James. Sure he's gone through a lot, so have many other contestants. Did you guys even listen to his performance on Wednesday? He didn't hit a single note, his 'screaming' is so off key it's like fingernails on a chalk board. I was a huge Casey fan until he butchered one of my favorite Nirvana songs. I'm glad he has a chance to redeem himself. I seriously doubt Paul will make it to the top3. The only one that's pretty much guaranteed top 3 is Scotty for some reason. (I'm not a Scotty hater, just wish he would stretch himself a bit).
I missed last night's episode, thank god for DVR.
Anyways, Pia has an amazing voice & is gorgeous. BUT–i agree with some comments on here saying she is just ZZZZZ. I don't know how excited I would be to go to her shows, or watch her videos, or buy her CDs (which is what MATTERS.) Basically, there is no WOW factor in her, as a whole package. Singing ability–definitely, looks–definetely, personality–NONE. Sorry Pia.
Karen went home, good luck charlie. SHe was cute & seemed very nice, but imo, we know she's latina, we can tell, and the singing in spanish was beautiful. However, c'mon guys, really? What does she bring to the table? Her singing is average, in comparison to Pia & Thia. I know you're supposed to use whatever you can as an advantage, but the whole spanish in EVERY song, was getting a bit old, annoying, and frankly outdated.
Naima– go home. she's different, beautiful face, vocals? not so much. She's always either a hit or a miss, not very consistent. and lately, her performance have been miss- miss- miss. She's next.
Haley has an amazing voice. She gets the same criticisms EVERY time. Randy hates her. She needs more stage presence since she looks like small petite girl. HEr voice is interesting and i would definitly listen to it, but as for her performances–boring. shes stiff, moves exactly the same way about the stage, EVERY time. turns her back to the judges + audience too much. I like her tho, she should stay and try to liven up her performances.
Lauren- so cute, and talented, but haven't we gotten an influx of country-pop female singers? YES.
Pia–too young, go to school. AMAZING voice, but hey imo i think the American Idol title should go to a talented someone who also needs it. Hi Pia, you're 15, you have school to finish, and parents to pay for every move you make… not so much the older contestants with families of their own now, or so it seems.
SCOTTY- MY FAVORITE. might call it a crush. His voice–i would listen to it him day and night. Im surprised you guys have not mentioned him more. How can you pass such talent off… BUT im sure there are labels waiting for him to be voted off in Texas, etc etc, to sign him. I LOVE HIM.
James is amazing–steven comment was totally unfair.
i think the fans love him though, nonetheless.
Jacob amazing– BUT.. gospel is NOT american idols favey. boo.
Casey, go home.
Paul seems fun, and boy does he got some eyes and smiles on him.. but imo america will vote him off as soon as they get rid of the other waste- of -timers (ie naima)
Stefano definitly appeals to the tween-teen-girl crowd, but isn't bruno mars already a pop-star?
does he require a double, america?
It's interesting that you seem tired of "country-pop female singers" when talking about Lauren, yet Scotty (your favorite) is just a "country-pop male singer" – which we also have a lot of. I'm not saying Scotty is not good, but you should look at Lauren differently. I think she did a good rendition of Melissa Etheridge's song on Wednesday.
I totally understand how that comes off hypocritical, since Scotty & Lauren are the 2 country people. I might be underestimating Lauren, is my thing, and I keep noticing that. But I feel when it comes to vocals, ONLY– Scotty just has more of an edge in the way he sings. There's something about when he sings, every time, that just makes you want more. And of course I speak only for myself.
Lauren is great, and I agree with her "slaying" the Melissa Etheridge song, but if Pia tried, do you think she'd also "slay" that song? MAYBE.. with the right vocal coaches.
I couldn't pick any other contestant in the competition now that can be vocally trained to do a song like Scotty, although he might be a little 1-dimensional, sometimes.
My point is– I feel like Lauren's a bit more replace-able.
Scotty is just county-pop male singer ? I agree with that until I watched him singing pieces of Elvis Presley's "Blue suede shoe" and getting known that he has been impersonating Elvis since he was a little young boy. That facts mean that Scotty's genre is not only country, but also rock'n roll.
Hey Tinks, do you mean Pia is too young? Or Thia? I'm confused. I'm pretty sure Pia is more than 15 years old.
@Mystery– Not Pia!! Thia! my mistake.
Your opinion is almost the same as mine, I agree with almost every comment. Except, Lauren is a bit immature, she needs to stop acting so childish on stage and a bit more mature and a lot less flirty. The sad thing is she is from the same area I am and a few of my friends went as saw where she sings and they thought she was more where she should be she is not made for the big time. I should vote for her to support my area but I just can't. As for James…oh the yelling has to stop!! He does the same in every song. And Scotty…oh Scotty what a voice…he has my vote but I do hope he picks it up a bit. The judges tell him to stay true and continue with his deep voice songs then tell him after he sings to do something different. But he should go far he has talent a lot of talent, very impressive.
totally agree. She is highly over rated – a nice girl who sings – but not a singer. She does act immature – and her age is no excuse – remember Jordan Sparks? She comes across as whiny and spoiled. Its a chaotic year for the show. The judges are fun though – wish they would quit ragging on Haley
OOPS!! As I stated above….I ment to say Jacog not James.
OOOPS again!!! JACOB!
Long week..TGIF!!
I'm glad she was sent home. I for one was EXTREMELY tired of hearing her sing in spanish and constantly bring up Latin this & that. She even was quoted as saying "it's time America needs a Latin Idol" – This is AMERICAN IDOL!
haha. like i said– annoying & outdated.
I agree!!!
I didn't like Karen that much either, but WOW — out of Hitler's mouth…!
It seems to me dat dat reggae girl be not in da class wid da ress of em. I personally think she has been saved – twice now – for show business reasons unrelated to her talent. If that's the case, shame on all those purty judges. Not that it would matter to her, and she has to be a dairy farmer there, but if she had good gumption she would see the judges are bringing her purely for carnival barker purposes.
all you from randy when haley sings is pic something.the girl is only 15 let her sing what she wants.judge her on her singing.why does randy not tell jacob this,he sounds the same every time
Word is that next week's theme is Motown with performances on the results show by Jennifer Hudson and Sugarland.
Since when is Sugarland Motown?
Since when did the Black Eyed Peas have a portfolio of songs that could have been sung by the contestants during "birth year" week? Their first CD didn't come out until 3 years after Thia was born.
Who sang black eyed peas? >.>
Hmmm. I'm trying to think what my favorite, Thia, could do from Motown to satisfy the judges this week. She should do something like Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City." Something totally different for her. And the audience would be into it because of the undeniable beginning to that song.
Love that song but Randy often holds a higher standard when the contestant is singing a Stevie Wonder song. Clint Jun Gamboa got a good review from him when he sang "Superstition" in the top 24 round. I think this may have too much downside potential for Thia.
Oh yeh, it definitely would all come down to if she's able to do a song like that. But if she is able to, that's the type of song that would make her point about having so much more to show. And not specifically that song, but something as intense (or at least intense for Motown).
it seems to me…in order to "satisfy" the judges thia will need to come up with a motown number and make it sound adele (where in my opinion she sounds nothing like her, she just sang a bloody adele song in tht audition)…and now they have pigeon holed her in what they think she should be like as an artist.
nk, Thia is already on her way (to stardom I mean). She knows who she is and won't let the judges change that, as was evident from her standing up to them this week. She may give them what they want just to get them off her back. But she knows who she is and where she's going.
We've seen before in previous seasons where they sent home contestants who the judges and Simon thought should have stayed. With a talented group as this, I doubt they would NOT follow the votes. I look at this as a reflection of the audience (i.e. – us). I think she provides what the younger audience likes to see. I liked her performance the previous week and I hope she's good enough to stick around for a while.
This needs to decide what she wants from this competition. If you haven't noticed from my other comments, I love Thia…she's absolutely my favorite. And I say this not in an insulting way. She really needs to decide what she wants, and whatever her answer is sits perfectly fine with me. Or maybe she already has decided long ago (after all, she is way smarter and wiser musically beyond her years). If she is there to simply win the competition, then she needs to go against the grain of who she is as an artist. Her strategy needs to be to get the judges to promote her the way they do some of the lesser talented contestants. She needs to do something over the edge to get them to scream, "We woke the sleeping giant!" (By the way, I'm not so sure I would like this as her fan.) That's *IF* her goal is to win. This does not necessarily have to be her goal. She already is going to likely have the brightest future of this entire group no matter how she places in the show. So if she just wants to show the country who she is and what she's about, then she should keep doing what she's doing. It won't win the competition, but she will be around for awhile to show the country. And she will gain more respect for pushing back against the judges, who just want her to be a bee-bopper like some of their favorites. Selfishly, I want her to give them what they want, because I want to be able to keep downloading her performance songs. I'm too impatient to wait until she lands her first big contract in a couple years.
I hate my stupid typos! I of course meant "Thia" and not "This."
Thia is so adorable. Angelic, delicate, gorgeous. She's probably not the next American idol but she's got a beautiful gift and is going to be ultra successful cos her beauty shines from within.
@ Chris…Thank you for your direct and accurate response to Lee…Being ignorant because one doesn't really know is one thing; but staying ignorant after one does know is inexcusable…Not only does James have an incredible talent, he is a remarkable young man. Enough said. 🙂
So because James has highly functional autism and tourettes he is more deserving for peoples' votes than the other contestants? This isn't special olympics american idol. And as hateful as that sounds, I really think that it's terrible people vote for him because he has some disabilities. Should we support him? Sure, should we frame false reality and hold it up and say James is the bestest contestant on american idol ever? Absolutely not. He rode his story to the top 13 and beyond, now it's time he shows us he can do more.
No one was saying that at all. It boggles my mind how people can take things…it is like playing the game "Operator" on a global scale! I did not hear anyone saying James deserves anything more. And the way everyone took his handshake deal with Steven Tyler is way overblown as well. He deserves on his talent, period. But I guess that is also why so many compare James to Adam, when I think they have completely different styles.
But that is what makes the world go around. That's why we can all watch and listen to the same show and hear all the contestants completely differently. I like several of the contestants this year for varied reasons, they all bring something different to the table and since I listen to a wide variety of music styles, I can appreciate the role each one can bring to a particular genre.
The 3 I particularly liked this past week were Stefano, James and Lauren. Although Casey has been a standout favorite, I just didn't get his performance of Smells Like Teen Spirit, so I did not vote for him. I vote based on their performance that night, not how well I like their past performances.
T..I think the handshake thing was overblown too only in relation to the votes.. if people don't wnat him there he'll go …in my head it's more the fact that it's Steven Tyler!!..to think this young lad would get to sing on the same stage as one of the best vocalists and the legend himself is unbelievable..I just hope he knows how lucky he is..if that opportunity arises as there would be plenty of people who would love to be in his shoes! and rightfully deserve it more..no disrespect to James but I am hoping Steven was humouring him with some inspiration. But good on him he has a good voice he's just nowhere near Steven!
@ David…with all due respect, please re-read what I wrote. Your interpetation of what I wrote is way off base. Thank you "-)
Branden…I must say that your comments are so refreshing….You make me laugh……Don't want to burst your bubble but the majority of the world knew that Karen was going home….LOL…..No bragging rights there……
Once we filter out the rest of the bottom two the competition should get better…..although I do hope that Haley steps up….
But Phyllis, everyone predicted Naima would go… but thanks for the underhanded compliment. LOL
Branden…..I complimented your comments. They are fun and I love them.
All these blog that I read, I thought that Karen was the front runner to go home (and she did)……Frankly I like Naima so I was hoping it was Karen….
I hope Haley steps it up, too. I think she's awesome in her interpretation and she has a very unique style that she brings to everything she sings. She'll most likely be in the bottom 3 again next week with Naima going home and then we'll have to say good bye miss Haley 🙁
ok can someone tell me why Karen is out and thia is in, I mean come on Randy..you said she sounds like Michael Jackson? come on, thats the biggest insult to Michael in his grave and to black people. Thia sounds like a 5 year old doing an audition when shes on stage..the girl cant even move when shes on stage so how can she move the crowd. An american idol winner should be someone who can do anything including any song and move the audience, thia makes the audience want to sleep.I am sorry, but she needs to be out asap and stop keeping her in to promote ur show by promoting 15 yr olds..i dont agree and everyone sees that you guys are only keeping thia in just for ratings because the majority of ppl that watches the show are 15 and 16 yr olds.
too bad for your favorite she is OUT! that means, your opinion DONT matter anymore. go home with your idol sweetie. BYE! =P
yes, bye karen.
yah ! how pity you are zara lol 😀
ur nothing compared to Thia :p
Thia has genuine clear voice… An edge for a 15 year old contestant… I can say Thia is popular and talented. She is indeed charming even without doing bothering moves whatsoever. She ROCKS!!
ooops…why would u question a 'randy jackson' who is one of america's greatest contemporary producers just because he favors thia's beautiful tone?
It's simple: Karen is out because the least number of people wanted her to stay. If you are going to be honest with yourself, you would know that Thia is a far better singer than Karen. And Karen turned a lot of people off by sucking up to JLo and to the Spanish voting bloc.
There is great talent and some talent. What a mix of different styles. Remember Taylor Hicks? Highly liked but failed. All the judges have their fav's remember Paula and her gogo eyes. Jen is pulling for Stefano.. what gives…. but America will decide at the end… will be a fun road to travel
I really don't think America really decides,this is a huge misconception. It is all about ratings. They will keep who gets the best ratings regardless of who America picks. It is all business, we all know that.
Next week they are doing Motown Hits! That should be fun…
My initial thoughts are:
1. Thia – I'll Be There (Jacksons)
2. Casey – War – Edwin Starr
3. Scotty – Get Ready – The Temps(Country Style)
4. Pia – Ooh Baby Baby (Smokey Robinson)
5. Haley – Cruisin (Smokey Robinson)
6. Lauren – Heatwave – Martha and Vandellas
7. James – Super Freak (Rick James)
8. Jacob – Ain't no Mountain High Enough (Diana Ross)
9. Paul – I Can't Help Myself (4 Tops)
10. Naima – You Keep Me Hanging On (Supremes)
11. Stefano – You Are the Sunshine of My Life (Stevie Wonder)
Thia (my favorite) can't do another slow song, though I bet she would do an awesome version of that song. Unfortunately, I don't know what Motown song she could do that will give the judges what they want. I mentioned in a different post that she should do something totally unexpected like Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City." The crowd would be into it from its recognizable beginning. Or maybe just a popular disco song that would get people clapping and moving in their seats, even if that's not who she is. I guess it doesn't matter. Even if she does another slow song, assuming she sings with her usual high quality voice, voters will keep her this week regardless of what the judges might say (fortunately).
oh yeah.. i hope Thia will do something up tempo… Ill be there is another sleepy song…
I don't know. I think she got it. You could kind of tell from her attitude.
Baloo, I really like your song choices for each Idol performer. Maybe you should hire yourself out as a song selector for these kids. As sometimes there own choices are less than perfect.
What song would you choose for Scotty at the theme of Rock'n roll or Elvis Presley ? I myself would choose Elvis's "Blue suede shoe" for him. Scotty would switch his country style to full rock'n roll style.
Jailhouse Rock
Heatwave feels really overdone to me. Sitting duck for being called karaoke.
I think all of Motown sounds karaoke. I wish they wouldn't do it.
Many would love to see David Archuleta as a guest singer this season.
Yes! 🙂
I would like to see JLo say she will perform with one of the girls…You know why she doesn't? Because none of them are worthy! James is a true rocker! If any of you have seen the show over the years, Randy has Jammed his talents playing live on Idol, as one of the contestants sang! No biggie, possible AeroSmith is looking for the next crop of jammers to carry the "brand', James is more than suited as any to lead sing for them! Just a thought! Tyler is no dummy and all are getting "old"
I disagree..that's an insult to Steven!..you cannot even remotely compare James..and he definitely does not fit into Aerosmith's mould..Aerosmith is groove, feeling and blues infused ..not even close
Yeh, I agree. You can't compare the two at all (though I like James, he's my #2). Let's not forget about the song writing aspect of it. Has James even written any of his own songs yet? (I have no idea.) Some of Steven Tyler's songs are forever classic. And when he sang them, he sang them the way he intended them to be when he wrote them. James may be able to sing them with a reasonable level of respect, but he would just be imitating Tyler. And I doubt very much that James could ever write music like Tyler.
Thanks KL….exactly what I meant =)
Stayed in topic about the unfair advantage of Mr. Tyler's suggestion that he would sing with James (at the Finals should he make it that far), would have on the voting going forward. Not sure at any point I remotely suggested James's young career to that of Mr. Tyler's
Jlo wont sing with any of the girls because they are all better singers than her! Pia would put a lot better singers than Jlo to shame!
Most of those girls left would give an arm (and possibly both legs) to sing along side with JLo. Big boost in voting, particularly from the male FAN BASE! Just a thought guys
JLO isn't as good as any of the remaining females with the exception of Naima. JLO is an overated diva and a royal pain in the arse.
Did anyone hear Jennifer say that Marc would be out to talk to her?… If she was talking about Marc Anthony does this mean that she is going to get offered something even though she didn't make the top 10?
Yes Sharon! I told my husband, who had missed the remark — JLo said to Karen, "Listen, Marc is out there in the audience tonight, and….? then it faded off. It sure sounded like she was telling her not to worry. Glad you heard it..that would be ridiculous, Karen R just isn't that good.
I think Steven Tyler & Charlie Sheen are in happy land together.
I also believe Thia has one of the top 5 voices of the competition if not the top voice. However, she doesn’t have a personality, and if there is one thing we all know about American Idol this is not a singing competition it is a popularity contest.
Can her personality win over enough voters to give her a shot at the title? Right now, I have my doubts.
Right now, I believe the clear top three are James Durbin, Pia and Scott McCreary. These three all have talent and personalities and charisma.
But if this were a pure voice competition and only the best voices made it to the finals, Thia would be right there.
I don't think Pia has any personality at all. She's totally riding the coattail of the judges' praises. I would love to see how she would respond if she were getting the unfair shakes from the judges that Thia has been getting. James and Scotty, yeh, they obviously have big personalities.
Sure, James has personality so big it blinds people to the fact that he can't sing at all. He's a self-admittted Adam Lambert wannabe with a fugly tail.
I think Stefano had the better performance this week, followed by Pia.
It's interesting… I really want to like Stefano's performances, but for some reason I don't that much (although I'm sure he'll be around for a while). I agree 100% with in regards to Pia!
I really like the group this season. I find a couple of the contestants a bit too limited in terms of what they can (or want) to do on stage, but it has been a while ever since I found so many good options. All and all, I really like Pia and Jacob, and for this year I hope the title goes to someone that breaks away from the winners in the last few seasons. This week I also enjoyed Paul a lot! 🙂
I really like the group this season. I find a couple of the contestants a bit too limited in terms of what they can (or want) to do on stage, but it has been a while ever since I find so many good options. All and all, I really like Pia and Jacob, and for this year I hope the title goes to someone that breaks away from the winners in the last few seasons. This week I also enjoyed Paul a lot! 😉
Go Haley! Go do your thing!
Thia vs. JLo. Here's something ironic. I had never watched American Idol until this season, and the only reason I started to watch it was because of JLo. I never really thought she was a good singer, but I always thought she was an awesome actress in her romantic comedies (plus I also thought she was really hot in those movies). On top of that, I loved her every time she was on Letterman. So I was like, "Cool, now I can catch her every week." Then, when I first started watching the show, I immediately noticed Thia. At first it was because she was so cute, up there singing at age 15…and now 16. But then I started watching videos of her singing on YouTube. As soon as I saw the one of her performing her own song ("As I Do"), I was hooked. What an awesome song, so mature for having written it at age 12. As I continued watching Idol, it became all about watching it for Thia. And now I'm at the point where I've lost so much respect for JLo. The clincher was this week when she started in on Thia with all that vibrato nonsense. Thia's voice is undeniably at the top of the pack. Better than Stefano's. Better than Pia's. And I could go on and on. To say something like "fix your vibrato" after a near perfect singing performance is just flat out ridiculous. Especially when JLo in recent weeks said to one performer (I think it was Paul) that their pitch was off but it didn't matter (I'm glad Randy diferred with her on that one). It's seems somewhat obvious to me that, in the same manner that JLo has fallen in love with Stefano, she has begun to dislike Thia. JLo is just reaching for anything now. She lets performers get away with screaming their songs and then praises them, but yet gets on Thia about vibrato? Really, JLo? You're really going to be that person? At least with Randy, you can tell that he's offering his criticism (even if I think he is wrong) because he thinks Thia is among the best and wants to cheer for her. Steven too (who was actually the most profound with her this week). Kind of like when the home team boo's their pitcher because they want to be able to cheer for him. Thia is only 16 years old, yet I believe she is more musically mature than JLo. I would put them head to head any day…leave out all that phony studio manipulation of the song…and I guarantee that Thia would sound better and more mature. JLo's success is because she has worked with artists and producers who knew how to help her sell records. Thia is doing it on pure talent. And, as Forrest Gump says, "That's all I have to say about that."
" Life is like a bunch of chocolates, (Forrest), you'll never know which one yall get. Your memo is good, a little to long to read, but good!! Thia, is a good singer!! Better then some that are still there. I love arm chair quarterbacks!! That is what we are. I, for one, have no clue. I like what I like! (Go Paul!)
Ha ha. Yeh, I knew it was going to end up being long as soon as I started writing it!
@KL very well said! Well done!
Thanks Mathieu…sorry it was such a long read. lol.
totally agree……
Alright KL, I am finally agreeing with you. J-lo is awsome to look at every week. Though I think her and all three judges need to give stronger critism when needed, each week. Yearning for the days of mean old Simon right about now. As for Thia … An amazing look (for a 15 year old) and a crystal clear voice. But, for some reason, I have a hard time feeling a songs intensity with her stand in one place style of singing. But, when you consider her age … she is incredible.
I agree with that Steve. I always thought Thia's biggest handicap could be her lack of emotional experience. Not a knock on her of course, as she is obviously my favorite. But she hasn't been alive for a very long time and not enough emotional experiences to project into her music. That's why I don't necessarily mind Randy and Steven coaching her about coming out of her shell and feeling who she is (but JLo's vibrato comment really got to me!) If I were someone close to Thia, I would try to push her to doing something like acting lessons or hip hop dance lessons. Not that I want her to come out all showy and doing hip hop moves. Just something that will help her get more comfortable moving around on stage. As far as the recording studio…she's perfect.
JLO is a joke! You are right on with your comment. I too use to like JLO, now I can't stand the sight of her.
THIA is still the best among all of them
Her being young should not be detriment.
is that all most of you can say (she is young)
youth has nothing to do with it.
she is the pitch per pitch singing champion.
with a best tone,control,and wow what a voice.
the rest are using all kinds of tricks and are not genuine singers.
Thia just do what you do best.Dont worry about what people who think negatively about you because their choices are not so good.
SLAY IT AND SLAY IT WELL
WAKE UP THAT GIANT SLEEPING WITHIN YOU,
GO GO THIA!!!!
winnbond, not sure who your message is directed at. But as for myself, I bring Thia's age into it only to emphasize how great she is.
Thia is great but Pia is the best, just being real here!
I'm excited for next week. My song choices for them.
Thia Megia- Who's loving you
Pia Toscano- I'll be there
James Durbin- The Tracks of my tears
Casey Abrams- Hello
Scotty McCreery- Let's get it on
Stefano Langone- Part-time lover
Lauren Alaina- You just keep me hanging on
Haley Reinhart- Papa was a rolling stone
Paul McDonald- How sweet it is (to be love by you)
Jacob Lusk- Back at one
Naima Adedapo- For once in my life
Thia could knock a song like that out of the ball park. Unfortunately, if she does another slow song, the judges will be all over her regardless how good she does. I think she has to do one that has people dancing in their seats.
Thanks for not contradicting… I'm pretty sure that she would choose this song and i hope the rest of the contestants, choose there songs well.
To me Motown just seems too difficult for performers to do well, which might be the point of it since it is a competition after all. I guess we'll all see in a few more days.
HP says:
March 19, 2011 at 3:03 AM
I am going to plunge ahead and pick some Motown songs for the 11 remaining contestants (if, indeed, that is the theme for the coming week, that is).
Some suggestions for contestants, listed in alphabetical order by their first names:
Casey:
“Shop Around” – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles or “Higher Ground” – Stevie Wonder
“I’m A Road Runner” – Junior Walker
Haley:
“You Really Got A Hold On Me” – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, or
“Nowhere To Run, Nowhere To Hide” – Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, or
“What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted” – Jimmy Ruffin
Jacob:
“Reach Out” – The Four Tops, or
“Can’t Get Next to You” – The Temptations, or
“Bernadette” – The Four Tops
James:
“Money (That’s What I Want)” – Barrett Strong, or
“Signed, Sealed Delivered I’m Yours” – Stevie Wonder, or
“Hello” – Lionel Richie (this would be interesting)
Lauren:
“My Guy” – Mary Wells or
“You Can’t Hurry Love” – The Supremes, or
“You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” – Brenda Holloway
Naima:
“I Heard It Through the Grapevine” – Gladys Knight, or
“Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing, Baby” – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell or
“Living For The City” – Stevie Wonder
Paul:
“You Are The Sunshine of My Life” Stevie Wonder or “Tracks of My Tears” – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles or
“Cruisin’” – Smokey Robinson
Pia:
“Stop in the Name of Love” – The Supremes or
“Where Did Our Love Go?” – The Supremes
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
Scotty:
“Papa Was A Rolling Stone” – The Temptations, or
“War”- Edwin Starr, or
“Superstition” – Stevie Wonder
Stefano:
“Baby, I Need Your Lovin’” – The Four Tops or
“Uptight” – Stevie Wonder (actually like to hear him handle this one), or
“It’s The Same Old Song” – The Four Tops
Thia:
“Baby Love” – The Supremes or
“Please Mr. Postman” – The Marvelettes, or
“ABC”- Jackson Five
Thia needs to do something way more powerful than those to get the judges off her back. In another post I suggested Stevie Wonder's "Living in the City." If she can pull it off, she would bring the roof down.
I love that song "Living in the City" but I think it is too somber for her, given the ballad trio she has performed. I really think she needs something incredibly lively and upbeat.
Oops, "Living FOR the City"
Plus there's the believability/fit factor with that song.
How about: "Jimmy Mack" – Martha & The Vandellas?
I got it: "The Way You Do The Things You Do" – The Temptations! (Despite that it is written for a guy to sing)
Right…Living FOR the City. Sorry about that. You don't think that would be upbeat? It's a pretty powerful song and has a cool beat. Plus some riffs that she could really nail and get a big applause. But it's a long shot that she would do this song. I hope she does something spectacular. I want her to blow past the others.
Upbeat? No. It is STRONG, though, and if delivered well, could be a blockbuster for that person. I just can't imagine Thia singing that song–it's actually more talky than sing-y, if you follow. Suits Naima perfectly, I think.
What we need for Thia is a blockbuster but one that suits her. I still liked her in the tryout better than at any other time since–because she was not only good, but DISTINCTIVE. That's what she has to be.
I just think all of the Motown songs I've looked at as being too light. I can't really think of one that would work for her. I hope she's able to find one. Yeh, I could see Naima doing the Stevie Wonder song too. But I guess for Thia, I think the judges want to see her do something different for her, just to see if she's willing to step out of her comfort zone and take a chance. Honestly, though, I'm not sure she's ever going to make JLo happy again. Even if she nails it. I don't know, maybe I'm too hard on JLo.
How about for Thia – Rockwell's "Somebody's Watchin Me!"?
There are definitely 4 amazing young singers this year… James, Pia, Scotty and Lauren… and I love Paul and Stefano also… the rest of the ladies have been very weak this season… and somebody please send Casey home… he wrecks every song he "sings"… I agree with those who want to see James sing with Adam and Steven Tyler… wouldn't that be awesome!!!
I don't think you saw every song Casey did because I saw one he "niled" – I think it was when there were 24 contestants. I believe that is the reason he is still in the competition. If he finds his "comfort zone" he easily can make the final four.
I am surprised that Casey does not have more fans. A true music lover (like me) would have been blown away by the Screaming Jay Hawkins song, I Put a Spell On You. He is fresh, different and talented. I expect James, Casey and Pia to make the final 3. I like Scotty but I don't think AI is looking for a country singer. He will get a deal immediately though.
I have read just about every review on this page. Seems like we all see things different. The funny thing is if you take a little bit of almost all these 2011 you could roll it to be a Legend named- Joe Cocker. He was the mixed bag he screamed, waddled on the stage, kept his eyes closed and had passion. and Man.. he made you want more ! Amen…
except that Joe Cocker is not particularly popular these days. I USED to like some of his songs, but hearing him sing now is like listening to nails on a chalkboard…
Most of these singers are very good and given the right song any one might win, however I ask myself which one of these artists would I really be willing to download to my iPod and listen to regularly, which one would I be willing to pay money to go see or buy their CD, which one has a distinctive sounding voice and delivery, and the "it" factor for stardom. Regardless of age, looks, personal history, or stage presence, it all comes down to vocal dynamics and delivery. From this foundation I think Jacob and Haley possess the most potential for success. This is not to say anything against the others, but simply, "who really stands out against the rest?" Who in your opinion is the strongest,dynamically diverse,most marketable male and female voices and why? Which artists and song have you been unable to get out of your head?
But I think this is the basic premise for everyone cheering on their favorite, right? I mean, for me personally, I would never download anything I've heard so far from Jacob or Haley. They just don't do it for me. So far (with the exception of the recent entire iTunes album because they said it was all going to charity) I have only had an interest in purchasing Thia (though I came close to buying James when he covered Paul McCartney). I would likely buy everything from Thia because her voice just resonates with me like almost no artist does (including most professional singers). I could listen to her for hours. But I'm sure every fan would say the same thing about their favorite performers. That's why we all follow and support them. But even if I try to put aside my personal opinion, I still think Thia is poised for the most success. Not only does she have the vocal talent, but she has a natural ability to write music (I wished they played the entire song she wrote when she was 6 years old). I could easily see Disney getting her to sing on a soundtrack, which would immediately launch her career…with or without an American Idol title.
DB – That's an excellent question, who has the "it" quality? To gauge the "it" quality, let's define it a bit first.
I believe you have to possess a quality that makes you unique. It could be the best voice, the best dancer, the best musician, unique personality, or all of these qualities. Bottom line, you don't "have" to have the best vocals.
Even though I like Pia and James a lot. Probably the person that has "it" to me is Scotty McCreery. He has an very distinct voice and I believe could be successful at Country right now. He also seems to have a very solid stage presence. Would I vote for him? Probably not, he just isn't my style. But he seems to be so totally different from all the other contestants.
Is Pia or any of the other female vocalists in the class of Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Rihanna, etc. What can separate these entertainers and include them with some of the best talent in the music industy?
So, my list of best possible success from this years idol are:
1. Scotty McCreery
2. James Durbin
3. Pia Toscano
4. Jacob Lusk
5. Casey Abrams
After that, it's a toss up. Can there be some surprises in coming weeks? Absolutely, that's why we keep watching. But right now, the top three of this list are nearly there already with Scotty the closest to "it".
BTW – I still really like Thia's vocals, I just don't know if she has anything else to garner votes from fans. If she develops solid dance moves, and more of a personality she could easily make the top 5.
Can any of those 5 even write music? I think that's an important part that everyone seems to leave out. Or are they just going to have someone else write all their stuff for their entire career? I really don't know which of them has written their own stuff or how good it might be. I only know of Thia. She wrote an awesome song at age 12 and has been writing music since age 6. I agree to win this particular competition, though, there is a certain personality trait that has to be present. I never thought Thia could win the whole thing (though I want her too), but I think she is poised for the most professional success.
I'm not sure what they can do. Which of the contestants can play an instrument? Nigel Lithgow has taken that away from them.
Usually they have to pick from existing songs, so which of them has written their own songs? I don't know that either. I would guess they have all dabbled with writing their own music, but is it any good? Not sure. Now, the ten thousand dollar question… Does it matter? If it does, maybe they should all sing songs they wrote.
I don't know the show very well (first season for me), but I think they definitely should have a week where they must perform their own song. And if they never wrote their own song before, then they have a lot of work to do that week. It would probably have to wait until the top 5.
I dont understand that a great singer has to be able to write music. Does a great car driver have to make his race car..Does a great actor have to direct and produce his own movie Writers are writers and singers are singers …they may cross over but it is not a requsite
@js I agree that writing your own music isn't a must but finding success after AI could require them to have a skill other than outstanding vocals. Writing your own music would be a real plus.
Does everyone write their own music??? No! But those that can do it successfully have a leg up on those that don't.
BTW – American Idol has never really rewarded or required anyone to sing their own songs. But when someone has the artistry to mix it up or write their own lyrics they separate themselves from the other competitors.
I do hope the contestants get to perfom an original or even just one they co-wrote/co-produced with. I really like Thia and I hope she gets a chance to showcase her songwriting talent in AI. She can play the guitar as delicately as she sings too.
Elvis never wrote any of his music, just sayin!
Honestly speaking, Pia is in a same class as Beyonce witch means she is better singer than all others you mentioned!
I know i was thinking the same thing, Pia is much stronger vocal than any of those girls! I`m not her fan but the girl can SING!
Pia is incredible. She has the vocals and the looks.
Taylor Swift wouldn't even make the top 40 in American Idol.
Song choices for my favorites:
James – ""Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" by The Temptations
Scotty – "Ben" by Michael Jackson
Casey – "Sir Duke" by Stevie Wonder
Lauren – "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Thelma Houston
Jacob – "Three Times a Lady" by The Commodores
Pia – "Theme from Mahogany" by Diana Ross
Thia – "Got to Give It Up" by Marvin Gaye
Paul – "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" by Stevie Wonder
Stefano – "My Girl" by The Temptations
I'll speak to the choice for Thia, since she is my favorite. My fear with this song choice is that I see it being just like her jazzy version of "Smile" where, it's more upbeat, but the judges still see it as sleepy. But I'm really not sure what she'll be able to pull off from Motown and give the judges what they want. I still want something more intense like Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City" (yeh, I know I've said this a hundred times already, lol).
Thinking Commodores — I could see Casey doing "Brick House" — and I always liked "Oh No" if you need a Ballad (but not for Casey — Pia maybe)
Ok Thia fans. I've got it. For this week's Motown song, what if Thia does Diana Ross, "I'm Coming Out." Think of what the judges want from her (to come out of her shell), so it's poetic. Think of how the audience will respond to a classic disco song, they will all be on their feet dancing. And then she could also show her versatility and break into the rap "Mo Money, Mo Problems" (which is based on the same background music)! Ok, I'm just kidding about that last one. But if Thia can find the right riffs in that song to showcase her voice, I think it could work.
KL I know a great song for thia….how about son of a preacher man but the sarah connor version in youtube or the sign sealed and delivered just fantasia's version or chain of fool….what do you think?
See the version of Chain of Fools by Soraya Arnelas in You Tube, this will be a nice version for Thia to sing on Motown Theme
I just checked out that Sarah Connor version on YouTube. That could work. But she'd definitely have to build it up to be really intense as the song progresses, and then end the last 30 seconds with the entire audience clapping to the beat while she really jams with that powerful jazzy voice she has. Get the judges moving to it too. You know what I mean? And that would get Steven Tyler really into it too (I can't see him getting into a disco song). I'm on board.
yah…..i think this would work too….just got to have the attitude though and shes got to work the crowd…….
can somebody tweet this to thia…i dont think she is reading this….dont have a tweeter account…..
@zephyr78 please create a twitter account to support Thia! I think they are using this to measure the contestant's popularity.
"Chain of Fools" by Aretha Franklin would be perfect for Thia to sing next week for the Motown Theme.
As long as it's something powerful with a little attitude to show the judges she's got it!
Haley has the most unique voice in my opinion. She has just been picking horrible songs for it…
I agree with you completely. She has looks, presence, style, and tone.Really unique and refreshing in raido today, I hope she does well.
I won't do an entire wish list, but I'd like to hear:
Jacob – Yesterme, Yesteryou, Yesterday -Stevie Wonder
James – Shout – Iseley Bros.
Thia – Dancin' In The Street – Martha & The Vandellas
Thia would have to do Dancin' in the Street in the style of Van Halen. lol.
hahahahahaha thats funny….cant imagine thia doing the van halen style……hahahahahaha……
my favorite:
1.Jacob Lusk
2.Casey Abrams
3.Pia Toscano…
I dont really like james 🙁
It's funny how we all have such a different taste for all this. These three are probably my bottom three.
Same here KL. Actually, I think Scotty has the best chance for a viable career.
Casey doing Nirvana was the worst Idol top 12 performance…EVER. IT WAS EAR_BLEEDING EYE BLEEDING (IN OTHER WORDS: HORRIFIC)
If he weren't so popular leading up to this, and if he wasn't getting the sympathy vote from being hospitalized, Casey would have been voted off.
Let us all forgive Casey for doing some damage (bleeding ears,eyes,etc)..he too was hospitalized right?.lol..btw KL my thumbs up for you! am for THIA tooo.
Casey needs to go. There are so many people who can do what he does, scream.
Ive read you responses and I can agree with your conclusions to a point. It's true we all see something special in "our" singer of choice, but if you were a record producer with millions to win or lose who do you think has the best chance for commercial success? We've all seen past "winners" fade from view and "losers" go on to actually make a name for themselves inspite of a fickle public. Looks are definately a big help, (like Constentine and McPhee) but even that doesn't guarentee a successful carrer outside of music much less in it. No, I tend to agree with KL a little in regards to Scotty, he may actually be an artist that might sell….not sure yet. I DO like Thia, Pia, Stefano and Paul, but Im not sure they stand out eneough against the singers on the radio right now. They're not bad, but are they GREAT? That where Im coming from. If it were your time and money, WHO would lay it on the line for? Just askin'
haley's voice in studio version so great :X
but i like casey's studio version :X
Sorry KL, it was Ron who said Scotty had the "it" factor I should consider, sorry about that.
Let me explain why I think Scotty has the "it" factor. First of all, he has a very unique voice, raspy voice. Some people may not like a raspy voice, but I think it is very unique. Second, he is already picked out his genre (He is a Country/Western singer, period.). Third, he has a pretty decent stage presence, and he isn't afraid of the stage.
Maybe we need to have a conversation about what a record label would be looking for. Here are my ideas:
1. Great voice – Not just great, but unique. Do they have range? Are they talented enough you don't have to worry about them being pitchy or flat?
2. Unique look – They don't have to be J-Lo esque gorgeous, but it doesn't hurt to be pleasing to the eyes.
3. Have they truly decided which genre they are good at and want to pursue? In two or three months some of the contestants will be offered a recording contract, they have to know what they like.
4. Do they put their heart and soul into the song? Can you feel the emotion in their music, or are they just singing the words. We want to hear singers connect to the lyrics.
5. Other intangibles… Do they play an instrument? Do they write their own music?
Personally, I don't like country but I do like listening to Scotty sing. So, that's why I thought Scotty had "it". Plus, he's consistent and gives a good performance every week.
BTW – My favorite vocal is Thia. But she doesn't connect with most of her song choices. It could have something to do with the fact that she is only 16.
Anyone have their own ideas on what makes a singer successful?
I like this list of criteria. Though, I wouldn't bury "write their own music" as an intangible. I would make that a number 6 on its own. Otherwsie they will have to really on other songwriters, which would certainly wash away who they are as an artist. I think we would all put our personal favorites in most of those categories. But this is how my voting would go:
1. Thia. Though I see how this could be debated. For example, I can't see Thia doing country, while Scotty has a great country voice. But I can't see Scotty singing anything else.
2. Depends on what you mean by "unique." You used JLo's beauty as an example. So if it's beauty, then again Thia. If you mean "different" then Naima.
3. Scotty. Though the judges seem to be telling us that Thia is focused on one genre. But Scotty could do country today and be instantly successful.
4. Casey. Not sure there's much more to add to that one.
5. I think most of them play instruments, but we haven't seen enough to know how well.
6. (My addition for song writing) Thia. From what I have seen, including the 5 seconds they showed of the song she wrote at age 6.
@KL –
I like this list of criteria. Though, I wouldn’t bury “write their own music” as an intangible. I would make that a number 6 on its own. Otherwsie they will have to really on other songwriters, which would certainly wash away who they are as an artist. I think we would all put our personal favorites in most of those categories. But this is how my voting would go:
1. Thia. Though I see how this could be debated. For example, I can’t see Thia doing country, while Scotty has a great country voice. But I can’t see Scotty singing anything else.
Ron>>> I agree! Scotty is only a Country star and Thia is still discovering herself.
2. Depends on what you mean by “unique.” You used JLo’s beauty as an example. So if it’s beauty, then again Thia. If you mean “different” then Naima.
Ron>>> I absolutely hate to use appearance as a criteria. But look at some of the young talent they will be competing against.
Beyonce
Katy Perry
Rihanna
Taylor Swift
Lady Gaga
Even the middle aged singers like Christina are attractive. You have to somewhat pleasant on the eyes. The more attractive and talented the more you will have a chance at success. Susan Boyle is about the only person that this would not apply.
3. Scotty. Though the judges seem to be telling us that Thia is focused on one genre. But Scotty could do country today and be instantly successful.
Ron>>> I agree! He's 17 and already has this voice and confidence. Amazing! I would like to know or see more. Can he do anything other that country? Can he play an instrument? Has he written any of his own songs?
5. I think most of them play instruments, but we haven’t seen enough to know how well.
Ron>>> I want to know more as well. Who has more talent than just vocals. Can they play the Piano or guitar? Are there otehr instruments the could "wow" us with. I do want to see this at some point.
6. (My addition for song writing) Thia. From what I have seen, including the 5 seconds they showed of the song she wrote at age 6.
Ron>>> Some of the other greats out there now like Taylor, Katy and Lady Gaga are talented writers. So, I agree this should probably be a point by itself. If they can write their own music, it is defintely a plus for future success.
So, here is my updated list:
1. Great voice
2. Attractive – I don't believe there is a really unattractive person in this group, but there are soem that are more blessed than others.
3. Know your genre but show flexibility
4. Show emotion when singing. Show the audience your connection to the song.
5. Playing an instrument
6. Writing your own music
@ Ron…Great criteria. I would think a major factor to be included in "criteria of what a record Label would be looking for" would be "Can this Artist sell him/herself? There are a few contestants this year that, yes, I would perhaps buy their CD..but would I pay money to see them in concert…NO. The only one that I would buy their CD AND pay to see them in concert would be James…I like to be entertained…and not just listen to someone stand their and sing. JMHO
@Rose I agree that working the crowd or the stage (whichever you prefer) is important and should be a consideration.
When I think of the best concerts I have attended, the ability to connect to the crowd was paramount. If you don't have that charisma on stage, your chances of being successful are significantly decreased. Even more so, since AI is stage based selling yourself to the Kodak crowd and TV audience is necessary to get votes to win American Idol. For example, even though Thia has great vocals, she hasn't learned to connect to her audience yet. Again; Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and even Miley Cyrus connect to the audience.
Is it necessary to have this quality? I don't think so, but it doesn't hurt.
JLO is not pretty! See her before makeup and everything they do to her face. She is average looking at best.
i think at the top 12 perform, jacob has sung a more upbeat song …so i dunno why there're a lot of people who say "boring" when they hear him sing…
i think so,too
Jacob can sing and he will probably win it, but last week was a real choke in my opinion. I hope he does better next time. Ive come to expect powerful vocals and remarkable deliveries from him and that may not be fair of me. His singing is a bit over the top, but I can certainly see him on the raido, dont you?
How do you "see" someone on the radio?
Templar, really?
thats it,i cant stand it anymore,this is startin to piss me off. ALL OF YOU,READ MY COMMENT!!!!
1# Naima : pleaseeee train ur pitch!!!i know u like R & B n dancing but let me tell u… ur not up for it if u dont start to train ur melodic sensibility even if u have the move!!! so train w/h a jazz song to polish ur melodic sensibility!!!
2# Paul : dont u know what ur real talent is??!!! ur talent is not ur move, ITS UR VOICE FOR CRY'N OUT LOUD!!! Remember the Las Vegas round!!! Sing a song with a lighter background (Accoustic f.e)!!! u should let the people hear ur real voice,ur move comes last!!! Pick a song like Iris(make it into acc vers),or Bryan Adams (have u really love a woman) or etc stupid!!!
3# Thia : u have a beautiful voice n power,so why is it like ur afraid to let it out??!!ur voice is not suitable for quiet ballad!!! if u dont believe it,try whitney n celine song or even a rock song and let out ur voice,im 100% sure it will be amazing!!! Dont be afraid to take a risk cause u have what it takes to become a star!!!
4# James : just have 1 advice…use ur high pitch wisely like in Judas Priset,that was perfect…
5# Hailey: dont overuse ur sighing voice mariah carey wannabe too much!!! if u want try alicia keys song n change ur appearance into more gracefully,not cristina aguilera wannabe!!!
6# Stefano: OPEN UR EYES!!! RELAX UR SHOULDER & THE WAY YOU MOVE FOR GOD SAKE!!! u've been singing a touching song but ur body performance act like a rockstar!!! u sang if u dont know me by now but the way u dress like hip-hop star with ur snickers,thats weirdd!!! Watch & learn Michael Buble stage performance!!! Try to move with ease posture like that!!!
7# Pia : REMEMBER!!! UR NOT IN THE STUDIO BUT IN THE STAGE!!! move around a bit & make eye contact to everybody not just to the judge!!! are raising ur hand the only move u can??!!
8# Scotty: Just do what u do till now,dont change it ever…ignore all the trash talk about ur a 1-trick man. Ignore all those idiot people. Its like their askin Celine Dion sang a rock song or Kurt Cobain sang a R & B song LMAO. u should consider sing Elvis song, im sure people will get goosebumps 🙂
9# Karen : ur out,bye… ><
10#Casey : people negative reaction at casey performance for singing Smells Like Teen Spirit is the reason why im sooo angry!!! Are u people dont get it the true meaning of Casey performance??!! Even the judges dont get it (J-Lo im not surprised,except Steven who i think gets it) n MTV!!! To make it worse,the Nirvana fans dont get what the true meaning of why Casey choose that song??!! u should be ashamed to call urself a Nirvana fans n still dont gets it. its a fact that these days music industry is mostly about pop,R & B n Hip-Hop respectfully. These r the genres that dominate nowadays. Grunge is easily been forgotten from young people nowadays. Thats why Casey sing that song to remind people (young people especially) of a music that he explained very clearly "it defines a generation". "He butchered that song"??!! Are ur ears fine??!! Tell me precisely when or where he done wrong with the song??!! He choose not to change it much because he want to represent the song as it was,dont u idiot people gets it??!! is Jimmy the producer the only 1 who gets it??!! u call urself MTV,music tv that record a footage of music history but u act like amateur!!! and of all of the people u Nirvana fan…shouldnt u be proud & thankful for Casey performance??!! cause of him grunge wont be forgotten??!! he know the risk n it can probably cost an elimination n he still do it for a greater cause, dont u think u should give more credit for him??!! "Screamy n Screechy"…thats just his voice personality u idiots!!!… GO CASEY!!! JUST DO WHAT UR HEARTS TELLS U TO DO because im sure its the right thing to do…
11#Lauren: more of a country rock song Lauren!!! practice more of ur lung capacity cause its like u easily run-out of breath n cant take a long range songs.
12#Jacob : DONT MESS A SONG TOO MUCH!!! IT HURTS WHEN PEOPLE HEAR IT!!! Dont u remember what Jimmy says in Vegas Round??!!
Wow, I thought my posts were long. lol (just teasing). I guess you're a Casey fan. You certainly can't be a grunge fan if you thought Casey gave that song justice. I don't read every single post on here, but I've yet to see one that thought Casey's performance was actually a good one. He's lucky he's still here…having already built up a lot of popularity certainly pulled him through. By the way, if no one "got it," then he didn't do a good job selling it. And Jimmy the producer tells everyone that the song they are doing is awesome.
I understand where you're coming from and can see your point, however we must remember that these are basically immature/amature singers. Most have had little or no stage and/or studio work, but over the next few weeks they will grow and mature into , hopefully, something marketable. Many have pitch problems, lack presence, and overcompensate with screams, bad dancing, and drama. I try my best to go back to their performance, watch it again and again, looking past all that "stuff" and see if there is real uniquiness there worth promoting. I look for tonal quality and delivery, range, pitch, presence, and song choice, and that elusive "it-ness". Again, an artist must have something really special to offer to make it in music today because the competition is just too great. Next week will be interesting though, what do you think?
@KL : well,my point of Casey performance is even if he's not doing the song any justice (cause Kurt Cobain is a big shoes to fill-i totally agree with that) but just try askin out of 10 teenagers how many of them who knew Nirvana song,probably 2 or 3 out of 10 of them who knew. Thats just SADDDD!!! its a very3x courageous way to introduce Nirvana again to American people n the world on the big stage such as AI. dont forget that he doesnt have much time to prepare due to his hospitalization.
@DB : yes,i really hope they can mature n overcome their problems of being an artist. Hope next week we can see their improvement 🙂
I can see why the ratings dropped last week. In the past one of the most appealing aspects of the show has been the "Cinderella Story" of the contestants…or seeing the "Dark Horse" win. It used to be Simon's harsh criticism that would bring some to tears, and it would make them better next time around while trying to prove him wrong. With Simon gone, it is left up to Randy to be the hard one to please and lets face it, its just not the same. Also, most of the contestants, already look like models (well a couple may need dental work) and sing like stars so there is not much to improve on. We should want to see the less polished improve and ultimately fight their way to the top. That makes for real entertainment, not predictability, and thats what will make AI's ratings soar.
Branden – I read the articles from time to time, enjoy it. I watch the show with my wife for the last couple years. I pay a lot of attention to the singing and performances. So.. with that said, first have to say the judges are not being clear, constructive or tough enough overall. Judges – Please give them the blunt truth, and provide advisement on song choice please!
If you don’t mind, here is my brief as can be view of last week. The bottom three should have been Karen, Naima and Casey, based on performances honestly.
Karen simply wasn’t great the last two weeks and needed to go. The music and performance was poor, the hairdo, the changing languages, just seemed all fake. She didn’t sing anything that jumped out or could be connected to.
Naima – I think she chose that song as she feels connected to a Tina Turner type artist, and it just didn’t’ work. It was hard to listen to; she didn’t sing it well, same as the previous week. Maybe Motown will be good for her.
James – that disappointed me, he didn’t sound very good. I thought it was a poor choice of song. Weak actually, given 1989 had a ton of excellent songs. I liked the glimpse the soft control the prior week, so we’ll see.
Scotty – for some reason is just solid, nailed it. I don’t prefer the country music, but it seems he has a lot of what it takes, the voice, the looks and the gentleman swagger. Like to seem him take on more variety of rock music and craft a new blend for him.
Thia – My wife’s first comment, wow what a smart song choice, a Disney song. I have to agree, and I thought she sang it well also, yes a bit sleepy, but a known song. Watch out for her, something is in there.
Paul – Just not enough range to make it far, unique yes, but he needs to do something way bigger than flash that smile.
Stefano – He is a decent signer, did ok with that song, even though I thought it was overly fast and sped up. He sang it well, but appears to be about all what he can do is that style.
Haley – she can sing, she isn’t terrible, but needs to find her own style and show it quickly. Enough of the weirdness and trying to sing odd songs! Last week all I was doing was trying to figure out what red stiff was all over her face!
Casey – ok, he is a likable performer, unique voice, but that was probably one of the top 5 worse performances on Idol. It was not well done at all, and I wanted to like it but just couldn’t. I love Nirvana and that really didn’t work in the least, not even close. Poor song choice, he needs to dial it in a bit personally.
Jacob – Was ok, I guess, I’m starting to not get him. He has great range and is passionate in his performances, but that’s all he does, is the same stuff in that vertical. I want to see him do a non Luther type song.
Lauren – I really liked her taking on that song, changed it up, and thought overall it sounded pretty good, but I just want her to let it rip instead of typing to be another country pop clone.
Pia – She can sing, that’s clear, and does have a zone of style songs she does well, but again, I want to see a uniqueness that isn’t a typical screaming over dramatic Idol. She needs a connection to the audience type song.
Overall – I was originally thinking this group would be killing the songs and doing amazing, but have not so far, they have been average for the most part. However, I forget, most are in their teens and just starting to grow and figure this all out. My advice to the Idols, please pick challenging vocal songs but not ones that are so classic that they can’t be re-done without doing them justice. You know which ones those are! Limit the background singers a bit, unless you can sing over them. So I wait with muted anticipation of greatness. We’ll see! This week, bottom 3, my guess will be Jacob, Haley, & Namia is my guess. Sorry Namia, it’s your time, the stronger singers will stand out. Best of luck.
I agree with all of the above comments from Dan. AI this year did show a lot of promise because the singers really knocked it out of the box in Hollywood week. However the regular part of the show now has terrible performances, styling, and song choices in many cases. I have enjoyed some of the contestants,but as pointed out many of these contestants are veey young. Many of the songs that the youngeer contestants sing are not even recognizable to them. So it would be good advice to tell future AI contestants to submerge themselves in classic music of many different eras. Too late for this group however.
As for the results show 30 minutes would be great which is why we tape our AI. Another suggestion that I have is to include the judges more in the final decisions with a portion of their vote counting for 50% and America's 50%. Though it's good to hear the critique, a vote from the judges would also be good.
One final thought about the judges. We really enjoy them and they have brought new perspectives to the show, but still need more say in who moves on. All in all American Idol is entertaining, but just not in big doses at times.
I wouldn't give the judges 50% because of JLO. She doesn't know what the heck is going on and is way too emotional.
According to artical from Hollywood reporter, when commercial is aired and that is what is shown on TV, Jlos husband comes to where she is, gives her tips on what to say and do. He is being called the Fourth Judge
I could swear I have heard a recording of The Swan Sivertones doing "If You Don't HIM By Now" on an LP from the sixties, pre-dating the non-gospel version of 1971 that Stefano sang. Randy?
Know who was "sleepy?" Lee Dewyze! Was glad, tho, to see Adam lambert in conservative mode again — get to hear his voice.
Now here's what I think: Yes, Casey is very talented musically, and Yes, he is diverse. But he sounded like a kid PLAYING at blues when he did "I Put a Spell On You!" I don't believe he has a real bluesy bone in his body. He sounds like he's IMITATING metal, too! The only time he sounds authentic is when he does jazz. Know wa'I'mean? Well done, good, but NOT REAL!! If there's ANYONE who hasn't decided who they are, it's Casey!!!
And here's my point: How come diversity shows musical skill for Casey, but a lack of identity for Haley??!! HELLOOOO!! I have seen this exact same inequity before — fantastically gifted women brushed off with "Go find yourself" while the men get praise for "bravery!" Wish I had written down all the times American Idol has done this! Jennifer — don't be part of it!
And it seems to me too that the women SO OFTEN have more skill than the guys — I mean, I LOVE Scotty and he'll go far, but he doesn't have HALF the ability of Haley, Pia or Thia! DUUHH! Wake up America! My guess as to why the great women get voted off and a so-so guy wins: the voters are mostly FEMALE TEENYBOPPERS! They are voting by their hormones, and know very little about musical skill and talent. SO sad for these gifted singers who have worked so hard to get here. Judges — give the women a break — they are better than most of the guys.
About Stefano's "IF You Don't Know Me:" I didn't like it (LOVE him tho — great presence, great voice/skill); BECAUSE he sings in a classical Latino way, ON the beat, no syncopation… no "soul." Ruined that song: "…neverr.. neverr.. neverr know me…" Ugh. Best I can do to explain it. That song HAS to have soul. As Simon would say, "Sorry."
Randy, in what possible way is Thia like Michael Jackson?? HUH??!! Explain, please! She LOST a week with that comment.
There is nothing wrong with the way Haley moves! The INEQUITY again — why is Paul "quirky" and "fun," an "individual," but Haley is awkward? No way, guys! She DOES need to get back the attitude, though — it's part of why we love her. And Paul, I'm sorry to say, is a one trick pony; if he recorded an album I could never listen all the through — I'd get bored.
I wonder why I bother. But those kids are so talented, they deserve a fair shot. C'mon America, open your ears! Don't just vote for the cutest guy! DUUUHHH!!!!
her voice being clear, and being able to hit the right notes with no rifts,nuances,or loops.
The cutest boy is the only one with talant,he combs his hair, dresses nice and doesnt need to screech when singing as James. Paul or Casey need to do. You never heard any Motown screaming and they were all neat. That leaves Scotty the best.
Almost forgot — Jacob: through the roof. He just needs to get control of all that passion. Whoever heard of TOO much passion? Amazing.
In conclusion, I agree with the comment, "Poor song choices." As usual. What is it with great singers and terrible songs?! HELLOO!! I believe it's this: they are looking for vehicles that will make their own qualities shine; but if they choose songs they can get passionate about, their voices WILL shine! S I M P L E .