What are tags? You can give your posts a "tag", which is like a keyword. Tags help you find content which has something in common. You can assign as many tags as you wish to each post.
View posts by people in your network with tag american idol
In my sneak preview a couple of days ago, you already know that David Cook has set a new record for the most number of titles for a single artist in the Nielsen SoundScan era (beginning Dec 1991). These are the David Cook hits that set the new record:
3 The Time Of My Life 15 Dream Big 22 I Still Haven't Found What I Am Looking For 28 The World I Know 42 I Don't Want To Miss A Thing 47 Billie Jean 67 Always Be My Baby 73 Hello 77 The Music Of The Night 92 Eleanor Rigby 99 I'm Alive
Reportedly bubbling under the Hot 100 are the following:
101 Little Sparrow 103 Hungry Like The Wolf 104 Innocent 114 Day Tripper 118 All Right Now 125 Happy Together
That is 4 new titles within the Top 30! Of these, it is clarified that the only official single release is "The Time of My Life." We know that only handful will remain next week, since these are basically fueled by digital downloads and not by airplay.
David Archuleta was also able to send 3 titles into this week's chart. These are: at # 36, "Imagine""Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" at # 58, and "In This Moment" at # 60.
Actually another song gained significantly because of its Idol association, and that is "Apologize" by Timbaland and One Republic. The latter guested on the Idol Finale and sang the song with Lil' David. It actually goes back up to # 18 from # 32, on its 43rd week.
Carrie Underwood's latest single "Last Name" also makes a big jump because of her performance in the Idol Finale. This song surges from # 37 up to # 19.
In non-Idol related chart news, Greatest Gainer this week goes to Coldplay. Their song "Viva La Vida" hits # 10 this week, after dropping to # 41 last week. Their other song "Violet Hill" drops slightly from # 61 to # 66.
The excitement generated by New Kids on the Block last week with their comeback hit "Summertime" seems to have been short-lived. They drop from # 57 last week to # 83 this week. Let's see if they can still turn it around. If we judge it from their contemporary Paula Abdul's experience earlier this year, her comeback "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow" did not really catch fire, and that was despite Idol connections.
This is the commercial shot by the new American Idol David Cook. It was shown during the finale broadcast. Of course, we did not see it here. He channels Tom Cruise from "Risky Business" in this one.
This is one time I am so happy to be so wrong! Last night, I thought the signs all pointed to a victory by David Archuleta. But in the tradition of good televison drama, there has got to be one last twist. In this case, the tables turned 180 degrees the other way and Ryan Seacrest announced the next American Idol to be David Cook! The miracle I held out for last night was fulfilled!
(These pictures of David Cook's transformation in the course of the show c/o ew.com. This was during Dolly Parton week when his hair, and ultimately, his entire look changed.)
The entire two hour program leading up to that pivotal moment was a very good and entertaining show. The very first number was a duet of Chad Kroeger's "Hero" by the two Davids and both of them gave it their all. Fantastic duet! I want a copy of that song.
Then it was practically a revival show featuring singers who had their heyday in the past. The first unexpected guest was Seal, who sang with Syesha. Then it was Donna Summer who sang with the Top 6 girls. The Top 6 boys were joined by Bryan Adams. David Cook sang with ZZ Top. Brooke White sang with Graham Nash. Finally, the Top 12 preceded a spot number by George Michael (who sang a dramatic "Praying for Time"). Great show for all these people, it was so good to see them all in good voice.
Only David Archuleta broke the pattern by singing with a current band, One Republic, with "Apologize". Carly Smithsen and Michael Johns sang "The Letter" (again!) together. Jason Castro sang his sterling moment "Hallelujah" solo. Guest spots were also given to the Jonas Brothers (who sang "S.O.S."), Carrie Underwood (who was looking mighty glam in her mini dress) and to Jordin Sparks (who showed no signs of her vocal fold polyp).
Of course, the highlight was the last two minutes, when the winner was finally announced. I felt that everyone was totally shocked about the result. Very surprising why Simon had to apologize for his negative comments to Cookey last night. Did he have an inkling of the result? He was announcing his choice of Cook on talk shows just before finals night. Were his negative comments planned to be the trigger to spur Cook fans to work overtime on their voting? Well, enough of the speculation. As a testament to his versatility, David Cook sang the final coronation song "The Time of My Life" quite well.
(picture c/o ew.com)
So how now with David Archuleta? I can't help but feel a bit sorry for him. He was given very high expectations last nights with all the pimping, including the "knockout" assessment. He must be feeling more down than he should. He was very much primed to win from the beginning. Let's hope he does not take this loss too badly.
So on it goes. Ryan announced they will be back in January. I guess this happy unexpected development will spur interest in the next Idol. We will be watching...
Ok now, this is it. The finals of this whole season that we have been blogging about since January. The boxing theme used in the beginning was a bit lame in my opinion. David A. is only 100 lbs, when soaking wet??? Hahaha!
The first round: songs chosen by Clive Davis. David Cook is up first. He was given a fantastic song -- "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2! I may be wrong, but isn't this the first time a U2 song is being sung on AI? And Cook really gave it his very best. Beautiful rendition. Fantastic last note! As Simon put it, "Phenomenal!"
David Archuleta was given "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me". Now, while this is a pretty good song, this has already been the nth time that this Elton John hit has been sung on the Idol stage! I remember Bo Bice was also given this same song also by Clive. Jasmine Trias also sang this song during her season if I recall, as well as others in the earlier seasons. Ok, enough about the song. David A. sang it very well indeed. Gave it the Idol glory note at the end. He sang this to win!
The second round: Contestant's Choice from Original Songs in the Idol Songwriting Competition. The less said about this round the better. For me the David Cook song "Dream Big" sounded fresher and bouncier, but it really sounded too light given the importance of this occasion being the Finals night. In any case I liked the way it was rendered by David Cook.
David A's song "In This Moment", while really awful, even yucchy, carries on the sentiment and style of the previous Idol coronation songs "A Moment Like This" and "This Is My Now". But he did not really sing it very well in my opinion, very tentative. Maybe it was because of the awkward song structure. And the line "in this moment" sounds like ""From This Moment" by Shania Twain. I can only take so much of "no one can take it away!" -- so repetitive! Must have sung that line 5 times. I shudder at its corniness.
The third round: Contestant's Choice. David Cook chose Collective Soul's "The World I Know". I liked the rendition as always. But after he finished singing, I also felt that that it lacked the feeling of grandeur expected from one's final song of the finals of a siging competition. I decided that David Cook just wanted to take the opportunity of this Finals night to show what kind of performer he could be.
In contrast, David Archuleta obviously plays so hard to win . He chose his best performance of the season, John Lennon's "Imagine". He injects it with a few more runs than he did before. It was still very good, but I wished he could have chosen to sing something else. But of course, it is also good strategy to go with a sure thing. And this song was "a sure thing".
David Archuleta really played good strategy tonight and he is really in this to win. I personally want David Cook to win. Cook is really more vibrant, more creative, more exciting and more versatile. On the other hand, David Archuleta played it very boringly safe, sang all ballads tonight. Not even an attempt at variety. I think this is all he will amount to after this season -- cheesy melodies and lyrics. But I think based on the history of how people have voted on Idol before, I think the winner will be, unfortunately, David Archuleta. But, that said, I am still holding out for a miracle.
Wow this season is winding up already. It is Top 3 week already, and like before, they sang three songs tonight. One choice by a judge, one choice by themselves, and the last one chosen by the producers.
David Archuleta went first. His first song is "And So It Goes" by Billy Joel, chosen by Paula. I agree with Simon that it is predictable. It was good but nothing news was served on the table. His next song is "With You" by Chris Brown. Now this song is something new, very new indeed. I felt he was trying very hard since this is definitely not in his comfort zone. But I think he actually did very well, despite what the judges said. His last song was another old slow drag ballad "Longer" by Dan Fogelberg. Again, not bad, very Archie delivery.
Syesha Mercado went next. Her first song is "If I Ain't Got You". This is puzzling song choice by Randy Jackson, because this had previously been criticized as a song that was so stylized by the original singer that nothing new can be done about it. And that is exactly what happened. While Syesha sounded good and looked good, it was just a copy of Alicia Keys. Her own choice was "Fever" by Peggy Lee. In this number, she went for her advantage, the feminine wiles with her short shiny dress and foxy moves. Again despite what the judges said, this was my favorite number of hers. Last song was the unfamiliar "Hit Me Up" by Gia Farrell (from the "Happy Feet" soundtrack). If this is not the producers' kiss of death to Syesha, I don't know what is. To sing an unfamiliar song at this point is suicidal.
Lastly, it was David Cook's turn. His first song was Simon's choice and I personally believed it was inspired. He sang "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by Roberta Flack sensationally. For his own choice, he sang "Dare You to Move" by Switchfoot. I like this song, but his delivery of this song was hoarse and the ending was abrupt. I agreed with what Paula said about the build-up coming too much at the sudden end of the song. Lastly, the producers gave Cookie a showstopper "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" by Aerosmith. His voice was sounding tired in this song. But then again, there was no way he could go wrong with this song at the pimp spot.
My bet for elimination is: Syesha Mercado. I do not think she could pull a Kat McPhee type upset at this point. The David-David finale next week is inevitable.
It was a wide open night. The choice of songs was 500 strong (list here). There was bound to be two that would fit each contestants' styles.
David Cook sang the song I had hoped he would sing--Duran Duran's "Hungry Like A Wolf". It was just OK for me. No variation at all from the original, as is expected from him. His second song was more like it--The Who's ''Baba O'Riley.'' It was simple and quiet, but ended very strong.
Syesha Mercado really came to win a place in the Top 3. Her first song was by CCR, but of course she did Tina Turner's version. She was in a shimmering Beyonce type minidress. Her choreography and showmanship was very good. However, the vocals were shrill and choppy. Her second song was Sam Cooke (again, I guessed this right) "Proud Mary""A Change is Gonna Come." This is a very serious arrangement which I felt was overwrought. The version by Taylor Hicks was way ahead in style.
David Archuleta. I had predicted him to pick cheesy ballads and he did. He sang well enough, but I beleive his young breathy voice did not really suit the two songs he sang. His "Stand By Me" sounded very awkward. His "Love Me Tender" was arranged too ornately for comfort.
Jason Castro seemed to have thrown in the towel today. You do not see the drive to win in him for tonight. His "I Shot the Sheriff" was lackadaisal and lazy. The second song "Mr. Tambourine Man" started very strong, but he lost the lyrics in the chorus!
For tomorrow's show, the Top 4 of American Idol 7 will be picking their choices from among this list of 500 songs that supposedly shaped Rock and Roll as we know it.
This is a very long and varied list. Surely a song can fit each Idol perfectly should he be familiar with it. A lot of the songs have already been done before. Which songs do you think will each contestant sing?
I suspect David Archuleta will stay in his comfort zone, tackling the likes of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "In the Still of the Night". Or maybe cheesier songs like "Your Song" or "Just The Way You Are". Karaoke fare...
I'm hoping Jason Castro will sing "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" and something by Jimmy Cliff.
Syesha should do songs by Ray Charles and Sam Cooke (and not Aretha Franklin anymore). Or maybe the Etta James song.
I know its a long shot, but I would like to see David Cook perform the lone Duran Duran song on the list "Hungry Like a Wolf." But I'm sure he would rip perfectly through songs like "Jeremy" or "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
I just got home from our convention in Cagayan de Oro. I did not get to use the Internet when I was there, but I did not miss this week's AI episode.
The theme is not really very exciting. I know very few Neil Diamond songs from the early 80s and that is it. Predictably, a lot of the songs sung tonight were unfamiliar. Unfortunately, they get to sing two songs each that night. I wish this was done for the more current and familiar Mariah Carey catalog. The whole show was really very much rushed along by Ryan Seacrest in order to fit all 10 songs into a single hour.
Again, it was only David Cook who was able to being some sort of excitement to these unfamiliar songs. He made them interesting to listen to. He sang "I'm Alive" and "All I Really Need Is You." Not perfect, but I liked both of these performances, especially the second song.
Syesha Mercado had a very good version of "Hello Again." I would call this the best vocal of the night. Her second song ''Thank the Lord for the Night Time'' was good and sung very strongly, but again unfamiliar.
David Archuleta was proficient as usual in "Sweet Caroline"and "America", but there certainly isn't anything in these performances. Boring for me, but OK.
Brooke White's "I'm A Believer" was again very tense and awkward. Fast songs are really not her thing. She did much better in her second song "I Am, I Said," where she played piano. The piano really makes her sing so much better.
Jason Castro seems really so listless, so much that it makes me feel like he already wants to leave. OK for "Forever In Blue Jeans", and OK for "September Morn" (I guessed this song for him correctly!) -- but very weak, and lifeless. He was actually my bet for elimination after watching that episode.
However we all know now that it was Brooke White who got the boot this week. This pattern is already shaping up to be a repeat of what happened in AI5, when Taylor Hicks, Elliot Yamin, Chris Daughtry and Katharine McPhee were left after Paris Bennett was eliminated. We know that Chris Daughtry was eliminated next. Will Jason Castro be the one to leave next? Or will Syesha's unpopularity get her kicked out first, to forge an unprecendented all-male Top 3?
Side Note 1: I liked the performance of Neil Diamond himself on results night of that new song of his entitled "Sweet Amazing Grace". The guy still has got IT.
Side Note 2:Paula Abdul had a very weird error on the performance night when she commented on Jason Castro's second song ever BEFORE it was sung! How could an error of this kind happen? On results night, the audiences were reassured that Paula's job is not in danger.
Fresh from our own Broadway concert, I was really excited to watch tonight's Idol episode dedicated to the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Unfortunately, my high expectations resulted in great disappointment. The voices of the Top 6 did not exactly translate very well into the Broadway mode.
Syesha Mercado wore a slinky sexy red dress, and sang quite well actually. However her song ''One Rock 'n' Roll Too Many'' was unfamiliar to me and I did not enjoy it that much. Jason Castro dared to tackle "Memory" with his thin vocals, and while it may sound sincere, I did not like it. Brooke White experienced another do-over at the beginning of her song. Because of this, her "You Must Love Me" sounded very tense and shaky.
David Archuleta took on "Think of Me" sung by Christine in Phantom of the Opera. The grand operatic number turned into a pop ditty. Weak in spots, bu not bad. He did try his darnedest to keep his eyes open, as advised by Sir Andrew.
Carly Smithsen. Now she was great in her "Jesus Christ Superstar" number. It was a bombastic and it fit her voice and style. Very strong vocals.
In the pimp spot again tonight, David Cook. His "Always Be My Baby" last week is now being played n local radio. This week, he chose to sing "Music of the Night" again from Phantom. The verses I felt he sang very haphazardly. The build up to his glory note was very good. The glory note itself was really amazing. Great show of vocal ability.
My bet for Bottom 3 are the first three: Syesha, Jason and Brooke
I must say this is one of the best episodes of AI I have seen this year. The songs are all familiar. Although, this smacks of a blatant marketing ploy as her new album E=mc2 is due to be released this week, diva Mariah Carey seemed to be a genuinely friendly and sincere mentor to the Idols.
The boys ALL did very well this week! They are my top 3. Jason Castro's version of "I Don't Wanna Cry" was done in a reggae-soul vibe! Loved it! David Cook took the distinctly poppy "Always Be My Baby" and somehow infused it with angst! Beautiful and brave! This time I would think this is really original. David Archuleta was much praised by the judges, but I felt his "When You Believe" was predictable and weak in the falsetto glory note.
Anyone of the girls can get eliminated. My bottom 3 are Carly (with an overdone "Without You"), Brooke (with a plain "Hero") and Kristy Lee (with a country-flavored "Forever") I liked Syesha's "Vanishing" but her seeming unpopularity makes her at risk also.
Below are the best numbers from last night's Idol Gives Back special. The first three here all feature the Top 8. These group numbers were all fantastic.
It was Inspirational Night on Idol, the night before the Idol Gives Back special.
The contestants definitions of "Inspirational" was quite broad here as the choices were very varied. Some I would not even consider really inspirational.
I liked David Archuleta's version of Robbie Williams' "Angels". I don't really know why it is considered inspirational. His high notes are so well sung, although there was some struggle in the lower notes. But I really like this song so I am biased, and the way it was delivered by little David was the only one I would call inspiring.
I don't believe I would say this but Kristy Lee Cook did really good with "Anytime" by Martina McBride. Syesha Mercado did "I Believe" by Fantasia complete with a Mariah-like glory note at the end! Well enough to survive again, I think.
Jason Castro's ukelele-driven "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" is a bit too close to the Israel Kamakawiwo Ole's version to be very impressive, but it was good.
Brooke White's "You've Got A Friend" is so safe and boring. Not much to say about it.
I thought Michael Johns and David Cook both had off-nights tonight. Michael had a strange-looking ascot scarf on and his singing of "Dream On" was uneven and all over the place, I thought. David's song "Innocent" never really took off. Quite disappointing since expectations were too high.
Worst of the night was Carly Smithsen who sang an angry version of Queen's "The Show Must Go On." The delivery and facial expression was not appropriate to the theme of the night. She got shrill at the end and lost her breath.
My bets for bottom 3: Carly Smithsen, Brooke White, Michael Johns
I am late with this summary, since I watched this during my Legazpi City vacation this week. I must confess I am not at all familiar with Dolly Parton music. I was only familiar with her ubiquitous pop stuff ("9 to 5", "Islands in the Stream", and yes, "I Will Always Love You".) But you know that the songwriter is good when even his unfamiliar songs can actually sound good on the first hearing.
Syesha Mercado sang "I Will Always Love You," mixing the Dolly and the Whitney versions. With her hairstyle this week, she actually looks like a young Condeleeza Rice! Hahaha! The familiarity of her song and her solid performance automatically places her as safe.
The rest sang unfamiliar, yet pleasing songs. Best for me was David Archuleta with "Smokey Mountain Memories" and Michael Johns with "It's All Wrong But It's All Right".
The rest were again a homogenous blur. However the clear laggers were Ramiele Malubay with "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" and Kristy Lee Cook with "Coat fo Many Colors". Both were not really that bad, but in the face of the competition left, these two are really outclassed. The third member of the Bottom 3 is very difficult to call. I may have to go with Jason Castro and his "Travellin' Thru".
The Top 10 sang songs that were hits on the years they were born. We wound up with an 80s week, basically. Michael Johns had a 70s song, while David A. had a 90s song.
My favorite performance was the last song, "Billie Jean" by David Cook. This guy can really deliver. And, whether this was originally a Chris Cornell version or not, the vocals on this performance was doubtlessly the best of the whole program tonight. He showed a sense of humor during his intro when he knocked his enormous skull as a baby that made him look like a "super-villain in Marvel comics". Hahaha!
After this, the rest of the field sort of just melts into one unmemorable mass.
Syesha Mercado was ok with "If I Was Your Woman" and Chikezie was also ok with "If Only For One Night." I did not feel anything special about these performances though. Same with Jason Castro and "Fragile". I felt he even strained in this one, very uncomfortable to look at.
Michael Johns did a medley of "We Will Rock You" /"We Are the Champions". I personally felt it was shout-y. All the judges felt it was his "moment"!
Carly Smithsen sang "Total Eclipse of the Heart". I also felt this was shout-y, and screech-y. And her dress looked very tight on her.
David Archuleta sang an strange anthem-like song. Had to look it up that its title is "You're the Voice" by John Farnham. I thought it was a cheesy Collective Song number, but it was not. Simon's comment about it being "theme park", sung with mascots dancing behind, was hilarious! Simon even had a backhanded comment about who chose David's song tonight. Could it be directed to David's dad who is getting his share of notoriety as well now? Brooke White had an off-night. Her version of "Every Breath You Take" immediately started with a double take. It was basically a repeat of her "Let It Be" performance, until the band joined in, and Brooke sort of lost it.
Kristy Lee Cook sang "God Bless the USA". I think playing the "patriotism" card was a stroke of genius!!!! Simon called it the "most clever song choice in years!" I think she is safe just because of this song choice. The backdrop she was given was the Star Spangled Banner, how could she lose? Looking at her childhood pictures in her intro, she was a beautiful baby and kid growing up, up to now actually. It was quite funny though seeing what happened to her dad through the years! Hahaha!
Unfortunately, the worst number of the night for me was the first. And that is, sad to say, Ramiele Malubay. She sang, or at least, tried to sing "Alone". I was dismayed that she chose to sing another song that had already been done over and over on Idol. Carrie Underwood already had a version of "Alone" that she knocked out of the field back in Season 4! Also, Paula played the "sick" card to excuse her poor singing. Luckily, Simon likes her though. Her 80s outfit with exposed bra strap and shorts looked tacky and awful.
My bets for Bottom 3: Ramiele Malubay, Chikezie and ??? Tough call on the last one. Could be Carly Smithsen again. Kristy Lee and Jason also have a chance to be in this last slot.
My bet for elimination: Chikezie. (Because I believe the Pinoy community will rally to save Ramiele.)
I was not really that excited that they will sing Beatles songs again in a matter of a week's time. Are they already running out of themes to do? I enjoy hearing Beatles songs anytime, but I think they might not really be good songs for a singing competition. And the proof was right here in this mediocre episode last night. I heard a lot of my favorite Beatle's hits tonight, but it was a very mixed bag.
Truth to tell, there was only one contestant that was my far and away favorite performance of the night, and that was David Archuleta in "The Long and Winding Road." This is one of my most favorite Beatles songs and little David's delivery was spot on! Ok, he might be too young to sing this, but sang it well, he really did.
Special mentions to Syesha Mercado (pictured, with her new look) for her "Yesterday" and Carly Smithsen for her "Blackbird". They were well-chosen songs, very heartfelt and sincere renditions. As singers, they were also able to showcase their range, particularly Carly. I did not get Simon's criticism that the song was "indulgent".
Also consistently good was David Cook's "Day Tripper,"another Beatles favorite of mine. The vocoder (?) effect did not work as well as David thought as it was hardly heard. He did acknowledge that he worked off the Whitesnake version of the song.
The rest were a very messy lot.
Amanda Overmyer did "Back in the USSR" in her usual way. There was actually no difference in any number that she did over the past few weeks. Simon was right to point out that Chikezie were too gimmicky in his song. The arrangement was too all-over-the-place. Part of his numbers were verging on noisy in my opinion. It did not help that his song "I've Just Seen A Face" was unfamiliar to me.
It gets worse. Brooke White and Jason Castro showed their limitations. They need their instruments as crutches to hide their very awkward moves. Why did Brooke choose "Here Comes the Sun"? It was such a singsong repetitive melody with no room for variation. The same is true with Jason's choice "Michelle". Nothing was happening in their delivery.
What happened to Michael Johns tonight? This is the first week that he actually looked lost and vulnerable. His "A Day in the Life" was unmemorable to say the least. He seemed out of tune and out of it for most of the song, so much that Paula thought mistakenly he was having difficulty wearing an earpiece (which he WASN'T!)
I am sad to see Ramiele Malubay so much in danger of elimination after a lackluster rendition of " I Should've Known Better." Her song is poppy and upbeat, the stage is so big, but she only stays basically in one place! I hate to use this word "karaoke", but this is just it. No individuality or artistry in this performance at all. She will need the Filipino community's votes to make her part of the Top 10, to be able to join the Idol tour. She's lucky she got the pimp spot last night but she did not play that to her advantage. But at least it might make her number more "memorable" by default.
And finally, we have Kristy Lee Cook. She sang another one of my Beatles favorites "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away." I am sorry to say that, while it was better than her last week (anything would have been better, I'm sure), it was such an uneven delivery that I barely recognized it until the chorus. She is already using her looks with her shiny mini-dress, ala Haley Scarnato in Season 6.
My bets for Bottom 3: Kristy Lee Cook, Ramiele Malubay, Chikezie My bet for elimination: Kristy Lee Cook (again)
Very exciting songs. I love Beatles music! Not all of them though were good for a singing competition as seen in tonight's show.
The best of the night for me was David Cook. There was just this energy in his version of "Eleanor Rigby" that made it so vital. Loved how he sang the chorus and how it ended. Great re-arrangement! Simon had memorable words for him, saying he would win this competition if it was only about talent, and not popularity.
Brooke White was really very sincere with her "Let It Be". This, and her piano playing, kept us from noticing the repetitiveness of this classic tune. Chekezie's "She's A Woman"was very good, although I confess I was not entirely familiar with this tune. Carly Smithsen was also good with her "Come Together." I would agree with Paula regarding Michael Johns' "Across the Universe." I liked its simplicity and effortlessness. Same with Jason Castro and his guitar-driven"If I Fell".
Syesha was really forgettable. And Ramiele was boring. She is falling into a rut, and she better extricate herself out of it fast! Amanda was being herself, nothing particularly new or memorable about it.
3 disastrous messes: David Hernandez with an overcooked "I Saw Her Standing There." I guessed that when I heard his song choice there was really very little he could do with song, so I guessed he tried too hard to do unnecessary variations. Not good at all.
Kristy Lee Cook tried to countri-fy "Eight Days A Week". I felt it was really a bad idea. Very corny. Sounded like a joke arrangement, even like a polka. And she could not move in tune with the lively music. It is like she was standing still. Definitely bad.
Surprisingly, David Archuleta. For all his polish in the past two weeks, I do not know how he could have had such am error-filled performance for a song like "We Can Work It Out". Forgotten lyrics, at this stage, and in more than one part of the song! Unthinkable.
My bet for the bottom three: Kristy Lee Cook, David Hernandez and Syesha Mercado. My bet for elimination: Kristy Lee Cook
First up, the boys. The fist name called was David Cook. Then David Archuleta. Then Jason Castro. All of them made it in.
Next up, the girls. Brooke White in. Syesha Mercado in. Then Kady Malloy, predictably out. Her exit performance was terrible and out of tune, too bad for her last impression on tv.
Then after the break, the rest of the girls were up. Carly Smithsen in. Amanda Overmyer (looking fresh in red) in. Ramiele Malubay IN!
Then the boys again. David Hernandez, who is now getting a lot of bad press because of his past occupation as a male stripper, heaved a deep sigh of relief as he was called in. Michael Johns is obviously in. Luke Menard, was expectedly called out.
Last 2 girls left: Asia'h vs. Kristy Lee. It was really hard to choose between them. Quite unexpectedly, it was Asia'h Epperson who was called out. Asia'h really had very strong performances before her so-so so-called "second rate" Celine and Whitney performances last two nights showed her limitations. I feel very sorry for her. Kristy Lee Cook survives this round.
Last 2 boys left: Chekezie vs. Danny. For all his colorful and sassy persona, it was still Danny Noriega who was called out. Quite emotional for this teenager. Chekezie was really the better singer among the two, although style-wise more traditional.
All said, this season's Top 12 is superior to last year. I foresee that it will be a cliff-hanger every week to see who will get eliminated. On with the season!
Thanks to youtube I was able to watch the Top 10 boys performances as these were not shown on Japanese TV where I was last Wednesday. The 3 Davids really sang very well. I was able to catch the Top 10 girls show, but was rather exhausted to review a not so interesting show. Carly Simonsen's shrill voice texture was fit for this Heart song she sang. Ramiele Malubay was also quite good, despite the judges disappointing comments.
The results show last night was predictable at first. Jason Yeager was an expected boot.
However the next three were not so expected.
Alexandrea Lushington has a unique R&B style--more funky, unlike the more typical style that Syesha Mercado has. But maybe her Chicago song "If You Leave Me Now" was not too interesting, thus costing her her slot. Her exit song version was actually very good.
Between Kady Malloy and Alaina Whitaker, Kady had the poorer performance. That is why Alaina's ouster was a shocker of sorts. Her emotions could not betray her own shock. True that her "Hopelessly Devoted to You" was boring, but Simon just called her a "dark horse" to win the contest just the night before!
Lastly, it boiled down between Robbie Carrico and Luke Menard. Luke had the more lukewarm performance with a weaker version of "Killer Queen". He seems to be resorting to desperate measures like unbuttoning his third shirt button. But in the end, it was "rocker" Robbie who got the boot after performing "Hot Blooded". I also did not expect this since he had a higher profile than Luke -- having performed well last week, and known to be an item with Britney Spears in the past.
They had a nicely shot video of the Top 24 during their photo sessions. They looked very good. Then the Top 24 also had their group number of more 60s songs. The guys looked all dapper in their 60s style suits and hairstyles. The girls looked quite different in their 60s hair and dresses.
The first one was so sudden. Ryan called Garrett Haley to stage as if he wanted to interview him. But then Garrett was just told pointblank that HE was out. Just like that. This was predictable.
For the second elimination, Ryan called Kristy Lee Cook, and told her she was safe. Then revealed that the first girl to be eliminated was Amy Davis. Again, no surprise here. She really had the most wretched performance that night.
For the intermission, it was the world premiere of Paula Abdul's comeback song "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow", produced by Randy Jackson. Nice and snappy song. Very good, energetic and windblown video. However, it was obvious that Paula had already lost some of her signature dance moves, to age perhaps (?).
For the next girl to be elimnated, Ryan called Amanda Overmyer and Joanne Borgella. With this combination, it was a no-brainer that it would be Joanne who will be out.
In the last round with the boys, Chikezie and Colton Berry were called. Wow, Luke and Jason live another day! Good for them. Maybe being the only African-American guy in the Top 24 worked in Chikezie's favor, as Colton was declared out. I must admit this elimination of this self-declared Ellen Degeneres look-alike, along with Simon's sharp words of advice for him (to look for a good job and because he will not make it as a singer) was the big surprise of the night for me.
This show was much better than the boys show last night. It was actually very hard to decide which girls will be in the bottom three. There was only one obvious disaster and that was Amy Davis who sang a very bland "Where the Boys Are." Really very bad and requiem-like -- the equivalent of Garrett Haley's song last night.
After that there were some candidates who wer not as bad but not really that good. Average just does not cut it in this tight female competition. Joanne Borgella seems most likely to accompany Ms. Davis at the bottom. Her "Say A Little Prayer" was not that much of a disaster, but in comparison with the others, it is in quite a precarious position. The usually glowing Kristy Lee Cook looked sick and wan tonight with her listless "Rescue Me."Kady Malloy was also very disappointing with her "Groovy Kind of Love", as it was the equivalent of Luke Menard's monotonous song last night. They can be in danger, but unlike Joanne, they probably have a fan base from the auditions coverage already. Kristy with her horses, and Kady with her Britney Spears impression.
On the other end, I am very glad that Ramiele Malubay gave one of the best performances of the night with her take on "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me." Despite taking on a big ballad, she did not succumb into the boring rut where other ballad-singers fell into for the last two night. She taught them how a ballad should be sung. She showed that you can actually sing a ballad and still remain to be vital. She had praises all around from the judges, and the early Dial Idol results have her on the number 1 slot!
Asia'h Epperson also gets my vote for her very lively and strong take on "Every Little Bit of My Heart." Jaunty, funky, I enjoyed her performance.
Carly Smithson and Amanda Overmyer were hampered by their strange song choices tonight. Carly's was too old-fashioned ("Shadow of your Smile") while Amanda's was too tuneless and syncopathic for my taste ("Baby, Please Don't Go").
It was Inspirational Night on Idol, the night before the 
