...which is one reason I've been in no hurry to update. Also, I've been watching the Olympics. Women's figure skating overlapped with the results show, so I didn't record it and still haven't watched it. I have, however, checked up on Entertainment Weekly for the results, and I am feeling very discouraged about this season of American Idol. You have to wonder what goes on behind the scenes.
Well, I don't want to linger on the results; it's too depressing to realize that I'll have to endure another week of Lacey Brown and Tim Urban. Here's what went down:
Girls eliminated: Ashley Rodriguez and Janell Wheeler.
Okay, neither of them sang very well, and I was never sure Janell belonged in the Top 24. But Lacey Brown's contribution to the evening couldn't even be called singing. Although, come to think about it, Stevie Nicks probably had to endure worse when she sang with Taylor Swift on the Grammies...Ashley fell victim to a poor song choice, "Happy" by Leona Lewis. I have no idea what possessed her to do that song. There are a lot of songs I like, too, that I'd never sing in public. Take "Landslide", for example. But enough about Lacey Brown...
Boys eliminated: Tyler Grady and Joe Muñoz.
Joe got the first smile out of me all evening when I listened to the boys' performances. How could they send him home? I can't come up with any rationale for that except some kind of prejudice against Mexicans. I am completely baffled by this extremely stupid and cruel turn of events.
And as for 70s Boy? We were going to be bidding adieu to him soon enough. I won't miss him. But I'd far rather endure more of his odd wardrobe choices than another set of Jermaine Sellers' bizarre outfits.
This season had better shape up fast. Right now, I'd rather watch curling on the Olympics.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
American Idol Season 9, Top 12 Boys
I'm glad this is going to be the girls' year, because it was hard to find anything to like about the boys' performances yesterday. One bad song choice after another. What can I say about a night in which Bryan Adams' "Heaven" turned out to be the best song of the evening?
It all started with the likable Todrick Hall's almost unrecognizable performance of Kelly Clarkson's hit song "Since U Been Gone". There's a lot to like about the original song, but Todrick funked it up badly. (No, that's not a typo, although come to think of it...) He changed the rhythm, he changed the melody, he even spoke part of it. Nothing about his performance worked. Todrick is a charming guy with a good voice, and I think that will get him through, but I hope next time he does something we can recognize.
16-year-old Aaron Kelly chose a Rascal Flatts song, "Here Comes Goodbye." I'm not a fan of country music (hell, I thought Rascal Flatts was a person's name). He's got a good voice for somebody so young, but he could use a little more seasoning, a little more experience. A lot of rough edges, but a lot of nice moments, too. The judges all liked him.
Jermaine Sellers describes himself as a church singer. He chose “Get Here” by Oleta Adams. When he came out on stage, I wondered, what is he dressed as? He was wearing a kind of fedora and there was a tacky black fabric rose boutonniere on his gray jacket - which had tails, believe it or not. His singing was horrible. I don't like his upper register; he kind of shrieks rather than singing. I hope he's gone soon. Ellen thought he pushed a little too much. (I think she's referring to the shrieking.) She thought he was trying too hard. A weird choice for Randy because it's such an old song. He tried to do too much vocally with it. “Sing the melody, it's good, the melody actually works, that's why it was a hit.” Simon thinks it's the kind of song somebody in their 50s would ask for in a cocktail bar. He thinks he's totally blown his opportunity with this performance. I think he'll be eliminated tonight.
And speaking of singers who should be eliminated and who should never have been here in the first place... we have Tim Urban. He totally murdered "Apologize" by OneRepublic. His upper register is weak and unpleasant-sounding. I hate his hair. Simon said they made the right decision the first time, when they cut him. Kara said the music swallowed him up. She thought he did better when he used his guitar (which he didn't last night). Randy said it was the wrong song; he doesn't have the falsetto for it. Tim said the song was a last-minute switch; he thought it was a lot of fun. The song he was going to do, would have had to be cut down too much. (he didn't say what it was.)
The first performance of the night that didn't make me wince (much) was Joe Muñoz. He sang a Jason Mraz song, "You and I Both." He has a nice voice. Not every note was on key, but I enjoyed listening to him and watching him smile. Ellen thought he felt comfortable on stage. Randy didn't think it was the perfect song choice “for me for you”, but he thought he did a good job with it. Simon thought it was okay, safe and forgettable.
Tyler Grady is a throwback to the 1970s - his hair, his clothes, his singing. He chose "American Woman" by the Guess Who. He started out with a bluesy introduction that I really liked, then he segued into the rock part, and it deteriorated. I think he's got potential, though. Kara suggested he do something like "1901" by Phoenix. I'd really like to hear that. The judges tore into him a little for his fixation on the 70s. He made a remark about visiting a mall for new clothes. It'll be interesting to see what he wears next week. This week he wore a horrible purple shirt with some kind of loosely tied scarf dangling down his front.
Lee Dewyze did "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol, accompanying himself on the guitar (at least at the beginning). I thought it was a good choice for him. He has a husky voice that he can use effectively, but he has a lot of pitch problems. Simon thought this was the best performance of the evening by a mile. Obviously the off-key parts didn't bother him the way they bothered me.
They introduced John Park by showing his audition in Chicago with Shania Twain telling him he had a nice "bottom end". It wasn't what it sounds like - well, maybe that, too, but she liked his lower register. He sang "God Bless the Child", an old jazz standard people remember as being sung by Billie Holliday. His "bottom end" didn't do him any favors during the performance, which was kind of emotionless. It got better when he went into his higher register. He has a nice voice, but I don't think the song was a good choice for him. The judges didn't really like it, either. Kara made a good comment: "It got a bit loungy at times."
And now for one of the two best performances of the evening: Michael Lynche, the big personal trainer, did one of my favorite songs, "This Love" by Maroon 5. I loved it. He's got so much energy and charisma, he had me singing along, and I never sing along with American Idol performances! His voice gets too nasal, but he's so charming I'll forgive him for that.
The best thing I can say about Alex Lambert is that he survived being in a group with the queen bitch Mary Powers! He sang "Wonderful World" by James Morrison with a deer-in-the-headlights expression on his face. He sang in a weak and scratchy voice that I don't remember from his Hollywood Week performances. The kid was scared to death. The judges think he's got all the right elements, but they just haven't quite jelled yet. Ellen put it best: she compared him to an unripe banana.
And now for the best performance of the evening: Casey James singing Bryan Adams' "Heaven", a song I usually dislike. It was a great choice for him, even if he bleated a few notes. But the judges almost blew it for him. All they could do was joke about Kara's crush on him. (She had him take off his shirt at his audition.) Kara said he's eye candy, but he's also ear candy. Simon said he and Casey are both cursed with good looks. He chose the right song, it came over as honest and sincere.
And what EW's Michael Slezak calls the "pimp spot" (the last spot of the evening) was given to Andrew Garcia. He chose one of my favorite songs, "Sugar We're Going Down" by Fall Out Boy, and he didn't do it justice. It was a bad choice for him. I like Andrew's voice and his originality, and this song didn't show off either of those. He accompanied himself on the guitar, and this probably wasn't the best choice. Simon said it was too serious, too indulgent and not original enough.
My choices for elimination are Tim Urban and Jermaine Sellers. The top honors of the evening go to Casey James and Michael Lynche. I'll update this when I find out how it went.
It all started with the likable Todrick Hall's almost unrecognizable performance of Kelly Clarkson's hit song "Since U Been Gone". There's a lot to like about the original song, but Todrick funked it up badly. (No, that's not a typo, although come to think of it...) He changed the rhythm, he changed the melody, he even spoke part of it. Nothing about his performance worked. Todrick is a charming guy with a good voice, and I think that will get him through, but I hope next time he does something we can recognize.
16-year-old Aaron Kelly chose a Rascal Flatts song, "Here Comes Goodbye." I'm not a fan of country music (hell, I thought Rascal Flatts was a person's name). He's got a good voice for somebody so young, but he could use a little more seasoning, a little more experience. A lot of rough edges, but a lot of nice moments, too. The judges all liked him.
Jermaine Sellers describes himself as a church singer. He chose “Get Here” by Oleta Adams. When he came out on stage, I wondered, what is he dressed as? He was wearing a kind of fedora and there was a tacky black fabric rose boutonniere on his gray jacket - which had tails, believe it or not. His singing was horrible. I don't like his upper register; he kind of shrieks rather than singing. I hope he's gone soon. Ellen thought he pushed a little too much. (I think she's referring to the shrieking.) She thought he was trying too hard. A weird choice for Randy because it's such an old song. He tried to do too much vocally with it. “Sing the melody, it's good, the melody actually works, that's why it was a hit.” Simon thinks it's the kind of song somebody in their 50s would ask for in a cocktail bar. He thinks he's totally blown his opportunity with this performance. I think he'll be eliminated tonight.
And speaking of singers who should be eliminated and who should never have been here in the first place... we have Tim Urban. He totally murdered "Apologize" by OneRepublic. His upper register is weak and unpleasant-sounding. I hate his hair. Simon said they made the right decision the first time, when they cut him. Kara said the music swallowed him up. She thought he did better when he used his guitar (which he didn't last night). Randy said it was the wrong song; he doesn't have the falsetto for it. Tim said the song was a last-minute switch; he thought it was a lot of fun. The song he was going to do, would have had to be cut down too much. (he didn't say what it was.)
The first performance of the night that didn't make me wince (much) was Joe Muñoz. He sang a Jason Mraz song, "You and I Both." He has a nice voice. Not every note was on key, but I enjoyed listening to him and watching him smile. Ellen thought he felt comfortable on stage. Randy didn't think it was the perfect song choice “for me for you”, but he thought he did a good job with it. Simon thought it was okay, safe and forgettable.
Tyler Grady is a throwback to the 1970s - his hair, his clothes, his singing. He chose "American Woman" by the Guess Who. He started out with a bluesy introduction that I really liked, then he segued into the rock part, and it deteriorated. I think he's got potential, though. Kara suggested he do something like "1901" by Phoenix. I'd really like to hear that. The judges tore into him a little for his fixation on the 70s. He made a remark about visiting a mall for new clothes. It'll be interesting to see what he wears next week. This week he wore a horrible purple shirt with some kind of loosely tied scarf dangling down his front.
Lee Dewyze did "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol, accompanying himself on the guitar (at least at the beginning). I thought it was a good choice for him. He has a husky voice that he can use effectively, but he has a lot of pitch problems. Simon thought this was the best performance of the evening by a mile. Obviously the off-key parts didn't bother him the way they bothered me.
They introduced John Park by showing his audition in Chicago with Shania Twain telling him he had a nice "bottom end". It wasn't what it sounds like - well, maybe that, too, but she liked his lower register. He sang "God Bless the Child", an old jazz standard people remember as being sung by Billie Holliday. His "bottom end" didn't do him any favors during the performance, which was kind of emotionless. It got better when he went into his higher register. He has a nice voice, but I don't think the song was a good choice for him. The judges didn't really like it, either. Kara made a good comment: "It got a bit loungy at times."
And now for one of the two best performances of the evening: Michael Lynche, the big personal trainer, did one of my favorite songs, "This Love" by Maroon 5. I loved it. He's got so much energy and charisma, he had me singing along, and I never sing along with American Idol performances! His voice gets too nasal, but he's so charming I'll forgive him for that.
The best thing I can say about Alex Lambert is that he survived being in a group with the queen bitch Mary Powers! He sang "Wonderful World" by James Morrison with a deer-in-the-headlights expression on his face. He sang in a weak and scratchy voice that I don't remember from his Hollywood Week performances. The kid was scared to death. The judges think he's got all the right elements, but they just haven't quite jelled yet. Ellen put it best: she compared him to an unripe banana.
And now for the best performance of the evening: Casey James singing Bryan Adams' "Heaven", a song I usually dislike. It was a great choice for him, even if he bleated a few notes. But the judges almost blew it for him. All they could do was joke about Kara's crush on him. (She had him take off his shirt at his audition.) Kara said he's eye candy, but he's also ear candy. Simon said he and Casey are both cursed with good looks. He chose the right song, it came over as honest and sincere.
And what EW's Michael Slezak calls the "pimp spot" (the last spot of the evening) was given to Andrew Garcia. He chose one of my favorite songs, "Sugar We're Going Down" by Fall Out Boy, and he didn't do it justice. It was a bad choice for him. I like Andrew's voice and his originality, and this song didn't show off either of those. He accompanied himself on the guitar, and this probably wasn't the best choice. Simon said it was too serious, too indulgent and not original enough.
My choices for elimination are Tim Urban and Jermaine Sellers. The top honors of the evening go to Casey James and Michael Lynche. I'll update this when I find out how it went.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
American Idol Season 9, Top 12 Girls
I've been a fan of American Idol since it began. This is the kind of competition I dreamed of when I was a teenager - a place where I could go and sing and be heard, be noticed, maybe even be encouraged and nurtured. Or maybe I'd be mocked until I cringed home with my proverbial tail between my legs, I don't know. I think I fall into the category of the talented fat chick; usually she gets put through to Hollywood, but doesn't make it into the top (pick a number) 10, 12, 24, 36 because she "just doesn't look like an American Idol".
Unless they do a Senior Idol, which I firmly believe should be done - only contestants over (pick a number) 40, 50, or 55, those of us who missed our chance when we were younger and would just like another chance to dream - I won't be able to audition. I don't have the audacity of 62-year-old General Larry Platt, who treated us to "Pants on the Ground" during the Atlanta auditions this year, even throwing in a few dance moves. Simon said "I have a horrible feeling that song could be a hit." He was right, too; the song is a viral sensation.
In any case, I love the show. I love watching the contestants grow as the season goes on. I love making fun of the bad auditions. I love the pageantry, the fashions, the misguided comments of the judges (when are they going to get rid of Kara?!). I love the songs the contestants choose, many of which are new to me. I've downloaded some of the best - my favorites are David Archuleta's cover of John Farnham's "You're the Voice" and David Cook's cover of Our Lady Peace's song "Innocent". I'm singling these out because I'd never heard them before and may have never heard them at all without their exposure on American Idol.
And now the preliminaries are over, and the judges have arrived at a Top 24 among the contestants, even though I don't agree with all of their choices. Last night the top 12 girls sang, and today I start my unofficial blog of the proceedings.
Simon thinks this year will be the girls' year. I tend to agree.
Last night's song choices were from some loose category like "Hits from the Billboard Charts", which pretty much means anything you want it to. I have a tendency to run down the performances in order. I think it may limit my writing style, but it's the way my thoughts organize themselves, so that's what I'm going to do.
Paige Miles was up first. I don't remember her from the tryouts and Hollywood Week at all. Apparently she likes to wear loose knit caps - she has one on in the clip of her Hollywood Week performance and in her interview. But she didn't wear one last night. (Later she commented that she'd been sewn into her dress and had been waiting to pee for about five hours.) She sang “All Right Now” by Free, which according to my notes, David Cook did a couple of years ago. Her voice is raw, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. She had some good moments, but at other times she was off-key and weak. I don't think she'll make the top 12.
Simon thinks out of all the girls, she has the best voice, but he wouldn't have chosen that song because it's a wedding-singer type of song. Kara disagreed, though; she thinks she put her soul into it. Randy agreed it was the wrong song. I don't think it's the wrong song - it suits her style - but she definitely needs a lot more polish.
Ashley Rodriguez, our Chelsea, MA girl, chose Leona Lewis' song “Happy”. That's gutsy, to do a song by Simon's protegee. It didn't show off her voice very well. She was somewhat stronger on the chorus, but all in all, it was a weak performance, one that might put her in danger of elimination, which she doesn't deserve.
The judges didn't think the song was a good choice for her, either. They'd like her to do something more original, a little riskier. Simon thought it was clumsy, and he didn't like the arrangement. He thinks she could be in trouble. I don't want her to go home so soon – she's got potential.
Janell Wheeler sang “What about love” by Heart, one of those songs that shows up on those “nobody should ever do this song on American Idol again” lists. It wasn't a very polished performance, and her pitch was horribly off in spots. In fact, it was pretty awkward all told. Randy says it wasn't his favorite song choice for her. It didn't work for her, but he still likes her voice. Ellen liked it, but even she noticed the off-key parts, and she's not a musician. Simon commented on the off-key problems, but said that at times in the song she sounded good, which is true. Kara said the song is too big for her. I have mixed feelings about Janell. At first I thought they'd put her through because she's blonde and pretty, but then I listened to her clips again and decided she had some talent. It didn't show last night.
Lilly Scott commented that she's been living out of her car and playing on the street. She chose the Beatles song, “Fixing a Hole” Interesting choice. She definitely puts her stamp on it. There were some very nice moments. Also some weak ones, but I think the strong ones dominate. That's what I like about Lilly; she's unique, she's distinctive. Ellen said pretty much the same thing I just did. Simon said she was the best so far last night, but he's not feeling much star power. Odd – of all the singers on this season, I think she's got the most star power. Kara said everyone is going to remember her. Randy loves her honesty.
I wasn't sure Katelyn Epperly. should be in the top 12 girls, but she gave a creditable performance of “Oh Darling” by the Beatles, a song I don't remember at all. Ryan said it was from 1969; I was in college then, deep into my classical music period. She was dressed in a kind of night-club style, her curly hair accented with a feathery barrette, and wearing bright red lipstick. Simon thought her song choice was interesting and brave, and he liked her a lot. Kara criticized her makeover – the red lipstick and the feathery barrette thing. I liked it, actually. Oh, well, after the criticism was over, Kara called herself a bitch...
16-year-old Haeley Vaughn chose “I want to hold your hand”, one of the earliest Beatles hits. She slowed it down into a semi-ballad, actually a good arrangement. I don't know who has covered this song; I suppose this could be somebody else's arrangement. She's doing great for a kid her age. I like Haeley, she's so charming and natural and just makes people feel good. Ellen said she just shines. Simon, however, thought it was a mess. I don't think Haeley's in any danger, though.
Lacey Brown chose “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac (I always think of it as just a Stevie Nicks song). I can't do this song because the range is so low. It doesn't fit Lacey's voice, either, and she raised the key a little. It was a terrible song choice for her. I understand why she wants to do it; it's a wonderful song when Stevie is singing it, but she was off-key and it was painful to listen to. None of the judges had anything good to say about it, either. Ellen thinks she's better than that. Simon thought it was quite depressing and kind of indulgent. But he tried to fill the Paula role; he told Lacey she has nice eyes.
Later, Lacey said she chose the song because she loves it. I'm pretty sure that's what Simon meant by it being “indulgent.” I predict Lacey will be eliminated this week.
Michelle Delamor is another one I don't remember from the tryouts. She chose “Falling” by Alicia Keys, one of those songs too many people do. She's brave to attempt it – or stupid, I don't know. She sounds okay, but I think she could have chosen a better song. Ellen thinks it was safe because it seems so easy for her. Simon thought she sounded professional. Not one moment that made him say “wow”, but she's done enough to get through to the next round. Randy said she should take some risks.
Didi Benami chose “The Way I Am” by Ingrid Michaelson. I thought this would be a good choice for her, but she's a little pitchy. But it suits her style well, and the song is definitely not done to death. Whoa, she blew the last note badly. She's got to develop a better ear. Simon thought the song was dreary and indulgent. He's missing a spark. “Where's the star factor?” Randy said. “It was so sleepy for me.” She wore a vest that looked like her grandmother crocheted it out of scraps of yarn. I'm surprised they didn't tear into her about it; it's so not stylish. The hokey outfit and the way off-key singing will put her at risk for elimination this week.
Siobhan Magnus, a glass-blower's apprentice from Marstons Mills, MA, chose “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak. I've never heard anybody else do this on American Idol. She sounded gorgeous on the low notes, and sounds good on the high ones, too. It was kind of all the same, though, too soft and not heart-rending enough. Simon said “You really are a funny little thing, aren't you?” She should be safe from elimination, although I think she could do better.
Crystal Bowersox, who in my opinion is The Next American Idol, chose “Hand in my Pocket”, by Alanis Morisette, which I thought was a great song for her. She put her own spin on it, too. She even used a harmonica! I have nothing but good things to say about this performance. Randy said she's one of his favorites. He's not sure it was the right song for her, but he liked her honesty. He's a fan. Simon thinks that she chose a song that's too much like her. She should have chosen somebody like David Bowie. But he really likes her and thinks she'll do well.
Katie Stevens did “Feelin' Good,” by Michael Bublé. She's got a very mature style, like a nightclub singer. Her voice isn't always true, but she's still better than a lot of them were tonight. Ellen thought it was too conservative, too old for her. Simon agreed with Ellen. He thought it started to become annoying. Randy thought it was too old for her, too.
The best three performances last night were by Crystal Bowersox, Lilly Scott and Siobhan Magnus. The worst three? That's harder; there were so many of them. Lacey Brown was definitely the worst, but Ashley Rodriguez was pretty terrible, too, and so was Didi Benami. We'll see.
Tonight the top 12 boys sing. I think eliminations for both are on Thursday.
Unless they do a Senior Idol, which I firmly believe should be done - only contestants over (pick a number) 40, 50, or 55, those of us who missed our chance when we were younger and would just like another chance to dream - I won't be able to audition. I don't have the audacity of 62-year-old General Larry Platt, who treated us to "Pants on the Ground" during the Atlanta auditions this year, even throwing in a few dance moves. Simon said "I have a horrible feeling that song could be a hit." He was right, too; the song is a viral sensation.
In any case, I love the show. I love watching the contestants grow as the season goes on. I love making fun of the bad auditions. I love the pageantry, the fashions, the misguided comments of the judges (when are they going to get rid of Kara?!). I love the songs the contestants choose, many of which are new to me. I've downloaded some of the best - my favorites are David Archuleta's cover of John Farnham's "You're the Voice" and David Cook's cover of Our Lady Peace's song "Innocent". I'm singling these out because I'd never heard them before and may have never heard them at all without their exposure on American Idol.
And now the preliminaries are over, and the judges have arrived at a Top 24 among the contestants, even though I don't agree with all of their choices. Last night the top 12 girls sang, and today I start my unofficial blog of the proceedings.
Simon thinks this year will be the girls' year. I tend to agree.
Last night's song choices were from some loose category like "Hits from the Billboard Charts", which pretty much means anything you want it to. I have a tendency to run down the performances in order. I think it may limit my writing style, but it's the way my thoughts organize themselves, so that's what I'm going to do.
Paige Miles was up first. I don't remember her from the tryouts and Hollywood Week at all. Apparently she likes to wear loose knit caps - she has one on in the clip of her Hollywood Week performance and in her interview. But she didn't wear one last night. (Later she commented that she'd been sewn into her dress and had been waiting to pee for about five hours.) She sang “All Right Now” by Free, which according to my notes, David Cook did a couple of years ago. Her voice is raw, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. She had some good moments, but at other times she was off-key and weak. I don't think she'll make the top 12.
Simon thinks out of all the girls, she has the best voice, but he wouldn't have chosen that song because it's a wedding-singer type of song. Kara disagreed, though; she thinks she put her soul into it. Randy agreed it was the wrong song. I don't think it's the wrong song - it suits her style - but she definitely needs a lot more polish.
Ashley Rodriguez, our Chelsea, MA girl, chose Leona Lewis' song “Happy”. That's gutsy, to do a song by Simon's protegee. It didn't show off her voice very well. She was somewhat stronger on the chorus, but all in all, it was a weak performance, one that might put her in danger of elimination, which she doesn't deserve.
The judges didn't think the song was a good choice for her, either. They'd like her to do something more original, a little riskier. Simon thought it was clumsy, and he didn't like the arrangement. He thinks she could be in trouble. I don't want her to go home so soon – she's got potential.
Janell Wheeler sang “What about love” by Heart, one of those songs that shows up on those “nobody should ever do this song on American Idol again” lists. It wasn't a very polished performance, and her pitch was horribly off in spots. In fact, it was pretty awkward all told. Randy says it wasn't his favorite song choice for her. It didn't work for her, but he still likes her voice. Ellen liked it, but even she noticed the off-key parts, and she's not a musician. Simon commented on the off-key problems, but said that at times in the song she sounded good, which is true. Kara said the song is too big for her. I have mixed feelings about Janell. At first I thought they'd put her through because she's blonde and pretty, but then I listened to her clips again and decided she had some talent. It didn't show last night.
Lilly Scott commented that she's been living out of her car and playing on the street. She chose the Beatles song, “Fixing a Hole” Interesting choice. She definitely puts her stamp on it. There were some very nice moments. Also some weak ones, but I think the strong ones dominate. That's what I like about Lilly; she's unique, she's distinctive. Ellen said pretty much the same thing I just did. Simon said she was the best so far last night, but he's not feeling much star power. Odd – of all the singers on this season, I think she's got the most star power. Kara said everyone is going to remember her. Randy loves her honesty.
I wasn't sure Katelyn Epperly. should be in the top 12 girls, but she gave a creditable performance of “Oh Darling” by the Beatles, a song I don't remember at all. Ryan said it was from 1969; I was in college then, deep into my classical music period. She was dressed in a kind of night-club style, her curly hair accented with a feathery barrette, and wearing bright red lipstick. Simon thought her song choice was interesting and brave, and he liked her a lot. Kara criticized her makeover – the red lipstick and the feathery barrette thing. I liked it, actually. Oh, well, after the criticism was over, Kara called herself a bitch...
16-year-old Haeley Vaughn chose “I want to hold your hand”, one of the earliest Beatles hits. She slowed it down into a semi-ballad, actually a good arrangement. I don't know who has covered this song; I suppose this could be somebody else's arrangement. She's doing great for a kid her age. I like Haeley, she's so charming and natural and just makes people feel good. Ellen said she just shines. Simon, however, thought it was a mess. I don't think Haeley's in any danger, though.
Lacey Brown chose “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac (I always think of it as just a Stevie Nicks song). I can't do this song because the range is so low. It doesn't fit Lacey's voice, either, and she raised the key a little. It was a terrible song choice for her. I understand why she wants to do it; it's a wonderful song when Stevie is singing it, but she was off-key and it was painful to listen to. None of the judges had anything good to say about it, either. Ellen thinks she's better than that. Simon thought it was quite depressing and kind of indulgent. But he tried to fill the Paula role; he told Lacey she has nice eyes.
Later, Lacey said she chose the song because she loves it. I'm pretty sure that's what Simon meant by it being “indulgent.” I predict Lacey will be eliminated this week.
Michelle Delamor is another one I don't remember from the tryouts. She chose “Falling” by Alicia Keys, one of those songs too many people do. She's brave to attempt it – or stupid, I don't know. She sounds okay, but I think she could have chosen a better song. Ellen thinks it was safe because it seems so easy for her. Simon thought she sounded professional. Not one moment that made him say “wow”, but she's done enough to get through to the next round. Randy said she should take some risks.
Didi Benami chose “The Way I Am” by Ingrid Michaelson. I thought this would be a good choice for her, but she's a little pitchy. But it suits her style well, and the song is definitely not done to death. Whoa, she blew the last note badly. She's got to develop a better ear. Simon thought the song was dreary and indulgent. He's missing a spark. “Where's the star factor?” Randy said. “It was so sleepy for me.” She wore a vest that looked like her grandmother crocheted it out of scraps of yarn. I'm surprised they didn't tear into her about it; it's so not stylish. The hokey outfit and the way off-key singing will put her at risk for elimination this week.
Siobhan Magnus, a glass-blower's apprentice from Marstons Mills, MA, chose “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak. I've never heard anybody else do this on American Idol. She sounded gorgeous on the low notes, and sounds good on the high ones, too. It was kind of all the same, though, too soft and not heart-rending enough. Simon said “You really are a funny little thing, aren't you?” She should be safe from elimination, although I think she could do better.
Crystal Bowersox, who in my opinion is The Next American Idol, chose “Hand in my Pocket”, by Alanis Morisette, which I thought was a great song for her. She put her own spin on it, too. She even used a harmonica! I have nothing but good things to say about this performance. Randy said she's one of his favorites. He's not sure it was the right song for her, but he liked her honesty. He's a fan. Simon thinks that she chose a song that's too much like her. She should have chosen somebody like David Bowie. But he really likes her and thinks she'll do well.
Katie Stevens did “Feelin' Good,” by Michael Bublé. She's got a very mature style, like a nightclub singer. Her voice isn't always true, but she's still better than a lot of them were tonight. Ellen thought it was too conservative, too old for her. Simon agreed with Ellen. He thought it started to become annoying. Randy thought it was too old for her, too.
The best three performances last night were by Crystal Bowersox, Lilly Scott and Siobhan Magnus. The worst three? That's harder; there were so many of them. Lacey Brown was definitely the worst, but Ashley Rodriguez was pretty terrible, too, and so was Didi Benami. We'll see.
Tonight the top 12 boys sing. I think eliminations for both are on Thursday.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
American Idol Season 9 Top 24
It took them three hours stretched over two evenings, and it competed with the Olympics (or vice versa; I actually watched the Olympics while I waited for Idol to finish recording), but American Idol finally revealed their Top 24. I'm not sure whose not-so-brilliant idea it was to present them the way they did, but it made for tedious viewing (or judicious fast-forwarding!) through the time-wasting segments where they showed us for the umpteenth time the biographical snippets, the first auditions, the hand-wringing and pacing as they waited. If I were in charge of editing the show, I would have showed more of the singing and less of the agonizing. They had two hours to play with on Tuesday, and they wasted most of it drawing out the process of waiting when they could have been showing us more good (or not-so-good) music. There are people on this list whom I do not remember at all, and since I'm not a professional entertainment reporter (I just play one on Blogspot), I don't have all the shows since the beginning of the season stored on my computer. However, there's always YouTube.
Anyway, here they are, the lucky Season 9 finalists, copied from the AI website, where they're listed alphabetically by first name:
Aaron Kelly, age 16, Sonestown, PA. He has a powerful voice and a lot of talent, but he's very young.
Alex Lambert, age 19, North Richland Hills, TX. Too bad he shares a last name with last season's Adam; their names are so similar it might be confusing. Frankly, I don't remember anything Alex sang.
Andrew Garcia, age 24, Moreno Valley, CA. He won my heart with his arrangement of Paula Abdul's "Straight Up". He's one of my favorites, one I picked last week.
Ashley Rodriguez, age 22, from Chelsea, MA. A local girl! She graduated from Berklee School of Music right here in Boston. I liked her audition, and I'm glad she made the Top 24, but I don't think she'll make the Top 10.
Casey James, age 27, Fort Worth, TX. I'm already drooling, just thinking about Casey. Eye candy! He can sing, too, but he's not really American Idol material; his voice is a little rough around the edges. I wonder how far along he'll be carried by the fact that he's so attractive. He can take off his shirt for me any time! He's one of my picks.
Crystal Bowersox, age 24, from Elliston, OH. Make that The Next American Idol, Crystal Bowersox. She is my current favorite. Amazing, charismatic, talented. I'm looking forward to what she'll do on this show.
Didi Benami, age 23, from Hollywood, CA. I guess "You're going to Hollywood!" didn't mean anything special to her, since she already lives there... She's a good singer, but she tends to be shrill and squeaky. I'm not sure how long she'll last, but I think she might do better than expected.
Haeley Vaughn, age 16, Fort Collins, CO. She's such a charming girl that even I'm willing to overlook the fact that she doesn't always sing in tune. She can be shrill and grating, but she's so enthusiastic and smiley and young, I'm going to enjoy watching her anyway.
Janell Wheeler, age 24, Tampa, FL. She auditioned with "House of the Rising Sun", which was good, and her first solo was "American Boy", which was brilliant. But for her second solo she chose a Taylor Swift song, "Love Story", and it didn't show off her voice well. You can hear Kara say "wrong song." Even so, they put her through.
Jermaine Sellers, age 26, Joliet, IL. I'm not really sure why he got through and not the other one, Jermaine Purifory, whom I liked better. He (Purifory) performed in a group with Top 24 members Casey James and Janell Wheeler, and it was awesome. But Jermaine Sellers kind of yodeled his part in his group performance of "Carry on, wayward son". He did "Man in the Mirror" for his final solo, and was pretty good.
Joe Munoz, age 20, Huntington Park, CA. I don't really remember him, and YouTube isn't any help.
John Park, age 21, Evanston, IL. He's got a nice voice, but I don't think he's the next American Idol.
Katelyn Epperly, age 19, West Des Moines, IA. I was surprised they let her through. IMHO, she was firmly in the come-back-in-a-couple-of-years category, when she'd had a chance to mature a little.
Katie Stevens, age 17, Middlebury, CT. Portuguese-Grandmother-Girl. (They did a segment on her relationship with her grandmother, who has Alzheimer's.) She's got a good voice, but I don't really feel she has star quality. I guess time will tell.
Lacey Brown, age 24, Amarillo, TX. Interestingly enough, she almost made it last year; instead, they let in my least-favorite finalist of last season, Megan Joy. I wasn't overly impressed with Lacey, either.
Lee Dewyze, age 23, Mount Prospect, IL. I don't remember him at all, and from what they showed last night, he's cocky and not all that talented.
Lilly Scott, age 20, Littleton, CO. One of my picks. She's unique - a little jazzy, a little eccentric, with that white hair and those peacock-feather earrings.
Michael Lynche, age 26, Astoria, NY. I really like his style. He's one of my favorites so far.
Michelle Delamor, age 22, Miami, FL. I don't remember her at all.
Paige Miles, age 24, Cypress, TX. I don't remember her at all, either.
Siobhan Magnus, age 19, Barnstable, MA. (they listed her as an "apprentice glass blower".) She's got a lot of talent, but needs more confidence. Ellen asked her to lighten up, and she did; I hope she'll go far.
Tim Urban, age 20, Duncanville, TX. Why is he here? It was supposed to be Chris Golightly. I'll be interested to hear how he got on. Oh, well, he'll be gone pretty soon.
Todrick Hall, age 24, Arlington, TX. I really like Todrick. If he keeps up the way he has been going, he should be in the top 5.
Tyler Grady, age 20, Nazareth, PA. He's good, but I don't have any real clear memories of him from before last night.
I'm writing this at work and I really have to go do my real job, so I'm going to leave it at this.
Anyway, here they are, the lucky Season 9 finalists, copied from the AI website, where they're listed alphabetically by first name:
Aaron Kelly, age 16, Sonestown, PA. He has a powerful voice and a lot of talent, but he's very young.
Alex Lambert, age 19, North Richland Hills, TX. Too bad he shares a last name with last season's Adam; their names are so similar it might be confusing. Frankly, I don't remember anything Alex sang.
Andrew Garcia, age 24, Moreno Valley, CA. He won my heart with his arrangement of Paula Abdul's "Straight Up". He's one of my favorites, one I picked last week.
Ashley Rodriguez, age 22, from Chelsea, MA. A local girl! She graduated from Berklee School of Music right here in Boston. I liked her audition, and I'm glad she made the Top 24, but I don't think she'll make the Top 10.
Casey James, age 27, Fort Worth, TX. I'm already drooling, just thinking about Casey. Eye candy! He can sing, too, but he's not really American Idol material; his voice is a little rough around the edges. I wonder how far along he'll be carried by the fact that he's so attractive. He can take off his shirt for me any time! He's one of my picks.
Crystal Bowersox, age 24, from Elliston, OH. Make that The Next American Idol, Crystal Bowersox. She is my current favorite. Amazing, charismatic, talented. I'm looking forward to what she'll do on this show.
Didi Benami, age 23, from Hollywood, CA. I guess "You're going to Hollywood!" didn't mean anything special to her, since she already lives there... She's a good singer, but she tends to be shrill and squeaky. I'm not sure how long she'll last, but I think she might do better than expected.
Haeley Vaughn, age 16, Fort Collins, CO. She's such a charming girl that even I'm willing to overlook the fact that she doesn't always sing in tune. She can be shrill and grating, but she's so enthusiastic and smiley and young, I'm going to enjoy watching her anyway.
Janell Wheeler, age 24, Tampa, FL. She auditioned with "House of the Rising Sun", which was good, and her first solo was "American Boy", which was brilliant. But for her second solo she chose a Taylor Swift song, "Love Story", and it didn't show off her voice well. You can hear Kara say "wrong song." Even so, they put her through.
Jermaine Sellers, age 26, Joliet, IL. I'm not really sure why he got through and not the other one, Jermaine Purifory, whom I liked better. He (Purifory) performed in a group with Top 24 members Casey James and Janell Wheeler, and it was awesome. But Jermaine Sellers kind of yodeled his part in his group performance of "Carry on, wayward son". He did "Man in the Mirror" for his final solo, and was pretty good.
Joe Munoz, age 20, Huntington Park, CA. I don't really remember him, and YouTube isn't any help.
John Park, age 21, Evanston, IL. He's got a nice voice, but I don't think he's the next American Idol.
Katelyn Epperly, age 19, West Des Moines, IA. I was surprised they let her through. IMHO, she was firmly in the come-back-in-a-couple-of-years category, when she'd had a chance to mature a little.
Katie Stevens, age 17, Middlebury, CT. Portuguese-Grandmother-Girl. (They did a segment on her relationship with her grandmother, who has Alzheimer's.) She's got a good voice, but I don't really feel she has star quality. I guess time will tell.
Lacey Brown, age 24, Amarillo, TX. Interestingly enough, she almost made it last year; instead, they let in my least-favorite finalist of last season, Megan Joy. I wasn't overly impressed with Lacey, either.
Lee Dewyze, age 23, Mount Prospect, IL. I don't remember him at all, and from what they showed last night, he's cocky and not all that talented.
Lilly Scott, age 20, Littleton, CO. One of my picks. She's unique - a little jazzy, a little eccentric, with that white hair and those peacock-feather earrings.
Michael Lynche, age 26, Astoria, NY. I really like his style. He's one of my favorites so far.
Michelle Delamor, age 22, Miami, FL. I don't remember her at all.
Paige Miles, age 24, Cypress, TX. I don't remember her at all, either.
Siobhan Magnus, age 19, Barnstable, MA. (they listed her as an "apprentice glass blower".) She's got a lot of talent, but needs more confidence. Ellen asked her to lighten up, and she did; I hope she'll go far.
Tim Urban, age 20, Duncanville, TX. Why is he here? It was supposed to be Chris Golightly. I'll be interested to hear how he got on. Oh, well, he'll be gone pretty soon.
Todrick Hall, age 24, Arlington, TX. I really like Todrick. If he keeps up the way he has been going, he should be in the top 5.
Tyler Grady, age 20, Nazareth, PA. He's good, but I don't have any real clear memories of him from before last night.
I'm writing this at work and I really have to go do my real job, so I'm going to leave it at this.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
American Idol Season 9!
This is the time of year when I pretend that I'm a real entertainment reporter, blogging on American Idol. I tell myself that it doesn't make any difference that nobody sees it but me - I just have so much fun doing it. But it'd be even more fun if a few other American Idol fans were reading it.
Anyway, the serious blogging will start with the Top 24, which I think is in two weeks. But I want to give a heads up - a few of my favorites, performers I'm sure will end up in the top 24. Or at least, who ought to be there, assuming they don't forget the words or totally screw up in some other way.
My early favorite is Crystal Bowersox. She's a dreadlocked single mom who was outstanding on "(You make me feel like) a natural woman" Tuesday night. Her performance was so infectious that her competitors who were sitting in the audience spontaneously started singing backup. I can't wait to hear more from her.
I remember liking Andrew Garcia's audition, so I was glad when he gave an even better showing, performing an acoustic version of Paula Abdul's pop hit from the 80s, "Straight Up". When I heard what he was planning to do, I winced; it was hard to imagine it would be good. But it was amazing.
Michael Lynche watched his wife give birth on his iPhone last night. Okay, that's not why he's a memorable performer, but it's kind of cool anyway. His solo performance was John Mayer's "Waiting on the world to change", not one of my favorite songs, but he did it well. And he was awesome in his group performance last night, too, even though he obviously had a few other things on his mind, like his new baby daughter.
Lilly Scott came out in peacock-feather earrings (three eyes on each side!) and did "Lullaby of Birdland". I hate her hair, which is probably supposed to be platinum blonde but appears white on camera, but I liked her singing. Kara called her "refreshing".
Then there's our favorite stripper, Casey James - he's the contestant who took off his shirt when Kara and guest-judge-of-the-day (was it Victoria Beckham?) requested him to. He's eye candy, one of the best-looking guys on the show this year. He's also got some talent, although I'm not sure he's top-24 material. I'd like him to go on a little further just so I can keep looking at him. His solo performance was, according to Michael Slezak on EW, John Mayer's "I Don't Need No Doctor". He did well in his group performance, too.
Haeley Vaughn is a 16-year-old black singer who auditioned with a Carrie Underwood song. She's being marketed as a kind of country-pop singer, music more traditionally associated with white girls. I think she's adorable and fun to watch. Her solo was a Taylor Swift song, "Change", and even though her notes weren't all true she was entertaining.
Didi Benami performed a Kara DioGuardi piece as her solo, "Terrified". She wasn't 100% accurate, but overall, she was a compelling performer, and she deserves credit for having the guts to do it in front of Kara.
That's it for now. I'm going to go ahead and publish this.
Anyway, the serious blogging will start with the Top 24, which I think is in two weeks. But I want to give a heads up - a few of my favorites, performers I'm sure will end up in the top 24. Or at least, who ought to be there, assuming they don't forget the words or totally screw up in some other way.
My early favorite is Crystal Bowersox. She's a dreadlocked single mom who was outstanding on "(You make me feel like) a natural woman" Tuesday night. Her performance was so infectious that her competitors who were sitting in the audience spontaneously started singing backup. I can't wait to hear more from her.
I remember liking Andrew Garcia's audition, so I was glad when he gave an even better showing, performing an acoustic version of Paula Abdul's pop hit from the 80s, "Straight Up". When I heard what he was planning to do, I winced; it was hard to imagine it would be good. But it was amazing.
Michael Lynche watched his wife give birth on his iPhone last night. Okay, that's not why he's a memorable performer, but it's kind of cool anyway. His solo performance was John Mayer's "Waiting on the world to change", not one of my favorite songs, but he did it well. And he was awesome in his group performance last night, too, even though he obviously had a few other things on his mind, like his new baby daughter.
Lilly Scott came out in peacock-feather earrings (three eyes on each side!) and did "Lullaby of Birdland". I hate her hair, which is probably supposed to be platinum blonde but appears white on camera, but I liked her singing. Kara called her "refreshing".
Then there's our favorite stripper, Casey James - he's the contestant who took off his shirt when Kara and guest-judge-of-the-day (was it Victoria Beckham?) requested him to. He's eye candy, one of the best-looking guys on the show this year. He's also got some talent, although I'm not sure he's top-24 material. I'd like him to go on a little further just so I can keep looking at him. His solo performance was, according to Michael Slezak on EW, John Mayer's "I Don't Need No Doctor". He did well in his group performance, too.
Haeley Vaughn is a 16-year-old black singer who auditioned with a Carrie Underwood song. She's being marketed as a kind of country-pop singer, music more traditionally associated with white girls. I think she's adorable and fun to watch. Her solo was a Taylor Swift song, "Change", and even though her notes weren't all true she was entertaining.
Didi Benami performed a Kara DioGuardi piece as her solo, "Terrified". She wasn't 100% accurate, but overall, she was a compelling performer, and she deserves credit for having the guts to do it in front of Kara.
That's it for now. I'm going to go ahead and publish this.
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