he day is here and Idol is forced to let us watch these contestants sing a complete song, even if it is only a minute and a half long. I am excited to meet this season’s top 12 girls and as always, am anxious to see who makes the right song choice and who can conquer the nerves enough to bring their A game. After some ridiculous film segment with a fake Simon hand on a fake Ellen leg, we are finally on our way.
Paige Miles
Paige is a 24 year old preschool teacher from Naples, FLA. She chose 'All Right Now,' by Bad Company. I was instantly perplexed with the song choice, although it is obvious that she has a great voice and she seemed at home on stage. My problem with Paige was her enunciation. There were some words that were kind of like English, but not quite. Overall I thought the song was a strange choice for her. Simon commented that she had the best voice of all of the girls (Really?), but that this song choice made her seem like a wedding singer. Kara thought she was brilliant, (did I watch the same performance?). Randy told Paige that this type of song is a group sing-along which made the chorus a tricky thing for her, but thought she sounded great. Ellen thought she controlled her nerves and did a great job. I am pretty sure the thing I will remember the most about this performance was what she revealed at the end, that she was sewn into her dress and needed to “pee”.
Ashley Rodriguez
Ashely is a 22 year old from Chelsea, Massachusetts, who chose Leona Lewis’s, ‘Happy’. It started off just out of her range and she was barely audible with those beginning low notes. At this point the nerves started to kick in and whatever big notes she needed to hit were not memorable. Kara told her it was a big song and she had some nice moments. Randy thought she would be compared to the original and he couldn’t see her in the song. Ellen wanted to see her step out and do a different vibe. Simon thought it was clumsy and that she sounded copy cat and not contemporary. She was visibly upset by the comments, but Ryan is able to save the moment with some positive feedback.
Janelle Wheeler
Janelle is 24 and hails from Orlando. She has the perfect voice for her song choice, 'What About Love' by Heart, but she is so flipping nervous that the microphone is shaking in her hand. You can tell if she can get this anxiety under control and believe in herself, she has a really interesting voice, but all that shaking caused some pitch and speed problems. Randy said it was too big for her voice. Ellen liked it. Simon gave it 100% effort that delivered 65% results. Kara said it was too big of a song for her and to pick something that would make her sound original.
Lilly Scott
Lilly Scott is a 20 year old from Littleton, Colorado. She brings out her guitar and tackles The Beatles' 'Fixing a Hole.' I am a huge Beatles fan, but I don’t recognize this song. She instantly has me hooked, and it is one of my favorites of the night. She actually looks like she has some experience onstage, and she knows who she is as an artist. Ellen said “That is what we were talking about”. Simon thought she lacked star quality, but definitely was the best of the night. Kara said she was believable. Randy loved that she is honest. I will remember this girl.
Katelyn Epperly
Katy is only 19 and is from Des Moines, Iowa. She also picks the Beatles, but she goes with 'Oh Darling.' She has a great voice, so I don’t want to criticize the vocal, but that goofy outfit and hair and red lipstick seem like she should be in a musical, not a for real contemporary artist. Simon said there were elements that were good, but others that were messy. Kara said she didn’t like the makeover, which didn’t go over so great with the crowd. I am glad I wasn’t the only one. Randy loved her vibe, her makeup and her tone. Ellen thought she was interesting.
Haeley Vaughn
Haeley is one of the youngsters this season and at 16 this could go either way. She has a great smile, but her Beatle’s take on 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand' was pretty unusual, and bordered on shouting at times. She has a great smile, and I have a feeling you will either love her or hate her. Kara thought it was rough, but that she had and infectious smile. Randy thought she was not quite as pleasing as she could have been. Ellen really liked it. Simon thought it was terrible and she smiled too much. Based on the overall reaction, I think she may go home over this.
Lacey Brown
Lacey is 24 from Amarillo, TX. She chooses 'Landslide,' by Fleetwood Mac. It's not good. She had major pitch problems and it caused some really strange phrasing choices. Randy said it was the wrong choice and that it was terrible. Ellen kindly told her that she was better than that song. Simon thought it was depressing, boring and indulgent. Kara was surprised, because they hadn’t heard the pitch issues from her before. This girl is going home.
Michelle Delamor
Michelle is a 22 year old from Miami who had a really big family who must not have very demanding jobs since they were in every film clip. Every season someone sings 'Fallin'' by Alicia Keys, so why should this one be any different. She has a fantastic voice, but she does nothing original to the song. Ellen thought it was fantastic, but safe. Simon thought it was professional, but no wow factor. Kara thought she was very commercial and technically immaculate but needs to work on her believability. Randy thought she did a pretty good song, but not quite as good as the original.
Didi Benami
Didi is from Knoxville and is 23. She put her own spin on 'The Way I Am' by Ingrid Michaelson. It was a mixed bag. I liked her originality, and I really love her voice, but she did some things with the melody that maybe weren’t a change for the better, and her last note was a killer. Simon said there are too many people trying to be sound a likes. He needed a spark. Kara thought she made some interesting changes. Randy said it was cool, but no star factor. Ellen said her first impression was that it was too low-key.
Siobhan Magnus
This 19 year old from Cape Cod is quite bizarre in her film. She had a great last performance in Hollywood, and decides to try Chris Isaac's 'Wicked Game'. This is just about the sexiest song around, so I am worried because she doesn’t seem old enough to pull off that kind of passion. She actually has a nice quality to her voice, and does a respectable job. Kara liked her, but told her to be careful about the nasal quality. Randy thought she stood stick with big songs to show off her pipes. Ellen loved it and thought she was mysterious. Simon thought she was a funny little thing. While he liked it, he liked her singing Stevie Wonder better. She seems mildly confused by the comments.
Crystal Bowersox
Crystal is 24 and is from Elliston, Ohio. She accompanies herself to "Hand in my Pocket," by Alanis Morrisette, which is an interesting choice. She obviously got my memo about the Crest White Strips. She has total natural talent and could probably sing anything. This just is not my favorite song. Randy was a HUGE fan. Ellen thought she added something fresh to the show. Simon thought she should have done David Bowie. Crystal was intrigued by that, and really listened to the criticism. Kara thought she had greatness.
Katie Stevens
Katie is only 17 and if from Middlebury, Connecticut. Of all songs, she picks 'Feeling Good,' by Michael Buble. Don’t get me wrong, this girl is amazing and has the voice for the song, but she should be in a pair of blue jeans and singing something fun. Ellen agreed with me, she had a great performance but she would love to see her be 17. Simon also thought it was too old for her. Kara said she has a natural gift and she needs to be careful because she went off key a little. Randy thought she was going too sharp and pushing too hard.
If there are typos, please accept my apologies. I have bunko at my house in 1 hour and am writing my thoughts very quickly. I won’t be able to blog until tomorrow after work, I can’t watch the show until then. Tune in and let me know what you are thinking!!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
The Long Road to the Top 24
We have finally made it to top 24 week, and I have to say that even with the tabloid dramas; the leaked list, Ellen and Simon’s troubles, and someone’s parent causing them to get kicked off the top twelve for breaking the confidentiality agreement, I was not feeling overly wowed by Season 9’s airing of the auditions. Idol spent more time showing me the same clip of the four judges over and over (that one? this girl? loved him. etc.). I am pretty sure this two hours show could have been condensed to one. There was more of Ryan hyping the reveal than actual singing. At the start of the show, the contestants were already divided into their three rooms and Idol, in DRAMATIC fashion, worked backwards through the events of the day. Mostly we just saw cards with pictures of the contestants being shuffled around on the judges table, and they were so soft focused that we could only imagine who we were looking at.
We started our backward journey in room three with Angela Martin. I thought she sounded pretty good, and she had Kara moving in her seat. The judges provided no feedback at all. We then moved on to Jermaine Purifoy, who was in room 2. He chose 'Brick House.' I am not going to lie, I thought it was goofy. We barely scratched the surface of the occupants of this room before we were in room one, where Kara’s heartthrob Casey James was sitting. He tells us he is the only guy singing 'Bubbly.' I really like the bluesy quality of Casey’s voice. He had a strong performance, and as I was looking around this room at all of the favorites, I realized that this room was not going anywhere, no matter how much they might try to fake us out.
Speaking of those in room one, we started with Jermaine Sellers, who was the first of many to tackle 'Man in the Mirror’. What we were allowed to hear sounded pretty good, but then he let the judges know that the band did not follow his arrangement and so the ending was wrong. Kara said what I was thinking, "don't throw the band under the bus," and instantly I didn’t care what happened to Jermaine. Siobhan Magnus was another singer in room one who I wasn’t sure what to think about. I don’t remember her from day one, but on group day while she had a great voice, she appeared to be in agony. The clip of her final performance was impressive. Crystal Bowersox performed ‘If it makes you happy’ and she played both the guitar and the harmonica. She blew me away with “Natural Woman’ on day one of Hollywood week. This girl is amazingly talented and fearless on stage, but somebody is going to have to pay for some laser whitening if she is going to continue. It is like Elliot Yasmine all over again. Alex Lambert came out singing 'I'm Yours,' and while he sang well, he brought nothing original. Michael "Big Mike" Lynch, took on the same song, but he made it memorable with that big personality. Todrick Hall also chose the Jason Mraz song, but tried more of an R&B feel. This is the dancer who made up the song for his audition that was such a crack up. I think this guy is a riot, he should be fine. Thaddeus Johnson has a crazy mom, and started off with the band playing the wrong song for him. He broke everyone up when he said “I;m not Bubbly”. He's also sang 'Man in the Mirror,' and his huge voice brought down the house.
Now let’s go over to room 2. I instantly refered to this room as the ones going home before I ever saw one clip. But that wasn’t Charity Vance’s fault. I loved this girl’s unique voice, but her final performance was not charismatic. Tasha Layton did a fantastic job on day 1, but we don't get to see her final performance. She was the pastor that Kara questioned during the audition process as to whether or not she could do everything she wanted to do well. Nobody would ask a man that question. I’m just saying. Now we go to the other reason I think this room is doomed, as the camera focused on Mary Powers, the obnoxious overconfident one. She impressed me on day one with her take on a Pink song, but the constant replaying of her behavior during group week has driven me crazy. Seacrest asked her about her confidence before she sang her final song and she actually referred to it "cake," which made her even less likeable if that was possible. She tried to sass her way through a Katy Perry song, and it was not a good fit. Lloyd Thomas was an emotional mess because he was missing his wife and kiddos. He sang 'Man in the Mirror', and unfortunately it had already been done much more successfully by about three other people. Hope Johnson, the skinny little thing that grew up in poverty had been pretty consistent this week, but the final performance failed to reveal any star potential.
This brought us to room three, finally. Shelby Dressel managed to get through 'More Than a Feeling,' despite botching the lyrics during rehearsal. Aaron Kelly, the youngster who was taken from his parents and raised by an aunt was darling in a David Archuleta way, but he forgot his lyrics to "Angel". Randy threw a word out there in mercy and he managed to grab it and finish, but it was hard to tell what this would do to his chances. Ashley Rodriguez was also present in room three, and after letting us have a peak at her final audition I wasn’t sure what they would do with this girl. She was really entertaining. Lee DeWyze sounded totally at home on that stage, and I enjoyed the shot we got of his final performance. Joe Munoz also had a decent final showing. Haeley Vaughn has been an early judge favorite, and after I spot her in this room I am even more convinced of my first impression, that room two is the one in trouble. Janell Wheeler had all but lost her voice and made a poor selection with Taylor Swift song “Romeo and Juliet”. She sang well early on, but Kara instantly said “wrong song” as she finished, so she is a question mark.
Finally the judges made their way to room 1, where we saw Tori Kelly, Lilly Scott and Andrew Garcia, who are all fabulous singers. Ellen was not even close to convincing when she tried to make them think they were going home. They finally let the room celebrate the fact that they were safe.
The visit to room 2 was brief and predictable. Simon wasted no time telling them they are going home. The only one that broke my heart was Hope.
So now we the viewers knew that room three was fine, all this extra drama at this point seemed silly.
The deal for season 9 is that they would take a walk to the stage (hey Nigel-are you borrowing from your other successful reality tv show?) and have the news delivered to them one at a time. It took so darn long that we only got to see 9 of the 47 get their results. We will have to turn in tomorrow night to see the rest of our top 24-but for now here are the 7 selected.
• Michael Lynch: In (Big Mike)
• Didi Benami: In (Did Kara’s song-‘Terrified’)
• Katelyn Epperly: In (young girl whose dad left the family)
• Shelby Dressel: Out (sang “More than a Feeling”)
• Casey James: In (are you kidding me-you know who this one is)
• Aaron Kelly: In (young boy who forgot his lyrics)
• Lee DeWyze: In (from room 3)
• Todrick Hall: In (funny guy)
• Jessica Furney: Out (not memorable until the end-they let her go on way too long).
Tune in tonight…..
We started our backward journey in room three with Angela Martin. I thought she sounded pretty good, and she had Kara moving in her seat. The judges provided no feedback at all. We then moved on to Jermaine Purifoy, who was in room 2. He chose 'Brick House.' I am not going to lie, I thought it was goofy. We barely scratched the surface of the occupants of this room before we were in room one, where Kara’s heartthrob Casey James was sitting. He tells us he is the only guy singing 'Bubbly.' I really like the bluesy quality of Casey’s voice. He had a strong performance, and as I was looking around this room at all of the favorites, I realized that this room was not going anywhere, no matter how much they might try to fake us out.
Speaking of those in room one, we started with Jermaine Sellers, who was the first of many to tackle 'Man in the Mirror’. What we were allowed to hear sounded pretty good, but then he let the judges know that the band did not follow his arrangement and so the ending was wrong. Kara said what I was thinking, "don't throw the band under the bus," and instantly I didn’t care what happened to Jermaine. Siobhan Magnus was another singer in room one who I wasn’t sure what to think about. I don’t remember her from day one, but on group day while she had a great voice, she appeared to be in agony. The clip of her final performance was impressive. Crystal Bowersox performed ‘If it makes you happy’ and she played both the guitar and the harmonica. She blew me away with “Natural Woman’ on day one of Hollywood week. This girl is amazingly talented and fearless on stage, but somebody is going to have to pay for some laser whitening if she is going to continue. It is like Elliot Yasmine all over again. Alex Lambert came out singing 'I'm Yours,' and while he sang well, he brought nothing original. Michael "Big Mike" Lynch, took on the same song, but he made it memorable with that big personality. Todrick Hall also chose the Jason Mraz song, but tried more of an R&B feel. This is the dancer who made up the song for his audition that was such a crack up. I think this guy is a riot, he should be fine. Thaddeus Johnson has a crazy mom, and started off with the band playing the wrong song for him. He broke everyone up when he said “I;m not Bubbly”. He's also sang 'Man in the Mirror,' and his huge voice brought down the house.
Now let’s go over to room 2. I instantly refered to this room as the ones going home before I ever saw one clip. But that wasn’t Charity Vance’s fault. I loved this girl’s unique voice, but her final performance was not charismatic. Tasha Layton did a fantastic job on day 1, but we don't get to see her final performance. She was the pastor that Kara questioned during the audition process as to whether or not she could do everything she wanted to do well. Nobody would ask a man that question. I’m just saying. Now we go to the other reason I think this room is doomed, as the camera focused on Mary Powers, the obnoxious overconfident one. She impressed me on day one with her take on a Pink song, but the constant replaying of her behavior during group week has driven me crazy. Seacrest asked her about her confidence before she sang her final song and she actually referred to it "cake," which made her even less likeable if that was possible. She tried to sass her way through a Katy Perry song, and it was not a good fit. Lloyd Thomas was an emotional mess because he was missing his wife and kiddos. He sang 'Man in the Mirror', and unfortunately it had already been done much more successfully by about three other people. Hope Johnson, the skinny little thing that grew up in poverty had been pretty consistent this week, but the final performance failed to reveal any star potential.
This brought us to room three, finally. Shelby Dressel managed to get through 'More Than a Feeling,' despite botching the lyrics during rehearsal. Aaron Kelly, the youngster who was taken from his parents and raised by an aunt was darling in a David Archuleta way, but he forgot his lyrics to "Angel". Randy threw a word out there in mercy and he managed to grab it and finish, but it was hard to tell what this would do to his chances. Ashley Rodriguez was also present in room three, and after letting us have a peak at her final audition I wasn’t sure what they would do with this girl. She was really entertaining. Lee DeWyze sounded totally at home on that stage, and I enjoyed the shot we got of his final performance. Joe Munoz also had a decent final showing. Haeley Vaughn has been an early judge favorite, and after I spot her in this room I am even more convinced of my first impression, that room two is the one in trouble. Janell Wheeler had all but lost her voice and made a poor selection with Taylor Swift song “Romeo and Juliet”. She sang well early on, but Kara instantly said “wrong song” as she finished, so she is a question mark.
Finally the judges made their way to room 1, where we saw Tori Kelly, Lilly Scott and Andrew Garcia, who are all fabulous singers. Ellen was not even close to convincing when she tried to make them think they were going home. They finally let the room celebrate the fact that they were safe.
The visit to room 2 was brief and predictable. Simon wasted no time telling them they are going home. The only one that broke my heart was Hope.
So now we the viewers knew that room three was fine, all this extra drama at this point seemed silly.
The deal for season 9 is that they would take a walk to the stage (hey Nigel-are you borrowing from your other successful reality tv show?) and have the news delivered to them one at a time. It took so darn long that we only got to see 9 of the 47 get their results. We will have to turn in tomorrow night to see the rest of our top 24-but for now here are the 7 selected.
• Michael Lynch: In (Big Mike)
• Didi Benami: In (Did Kara’s song-‘Terrified’)
• Katelyn Epperly: In (young girl whose dad left the family)
• Shelby Dressel: Out (sang “More than a Feeling”)
• Casey James: In (are you kidding me-you know who this one is)
• Aaron Kelly: In (young boy who forgot his lyrics)
• Lee DeWyze: In (from room 3)
• Todrick Hall: In (funny guy)
• Jessica Furney: Out (not memorable until the end-they let her go on way too long).
Tune in tonight…..
Friday, February 5, 2010
Switching Gears
My fellow AI fans, the time is almost upon us. Can I be the first to say that I am so tired of these auditions and ready for the real deal? Thank goodness we only had to sit through an hour at a time. I did enjoy the guest judges, but (and you will laugh after all the crap I have given the poor woman over the last 8 years) I miss Paula. I miss her blank looks, her completely irrelevant comments and her banter with Simon. I miss her and Randy dissolving into the giggles during the auditions, and although some of the guest judges did crack up a few times, it was not the same. I love Ellen, and I am sure she will bring something totally new to the show, but it isn't quite as interesting for me right now without our favorite crazy girl.
As far as the talent, I did go out to the spoilers and read Buddy TVs leak of the top 24. I have to confess I have no reaction to it because I haven't retained any of the names from the audition process. I hope that the contestants are given enough airtime during Hollywood week so that I can actually get behind a few of them.The only thing I have retained thus far is "Pants on the Ground".
I will do my best to be as faithful to the blogging process as I have been in years past. I hope to hear from you during the course of this season. I will be talking to you....
As far as the talent, I did go out to the spoilers and read Buddy TVs leak of the top 24. I have to confess I have no reaction to it because I haven't retained any of the names from the audition process. I hope that the contestants are given enough airtime during Hollywood week so that I can actually get behind a few of them.The only thing I have retained thus far is "Pants on the Ground".
I will do my best to be as faithful to the blogging process as I have been in years past. I hope to hear from you during the course of this season. I will be talking to you....
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