Ok, America, what is your problem? Year after year, you pick the wrong winner for American Idol!I mean Lee over Crystal? Kris over Adam? Taylor over Katharine? Ugh… And now Scotty McCreery wins over Lauren Alaina. Now, at least it’s not as atrocious a result as those other seasons, but it’s still disappointing. Lauren is clearly the better and more talented singer while Scotty is a serviceable singer and decent entertainer. Of course, Scotty is apparently a teen idol that the girls love. Not to mention, the churchgoers, the Southerners and the conservative power voters of America…. To think, they probably all liked Lauren too, but still another boring boy wins in the end is frustrating indeed. At least, both Scotty and Lauren look as though they will have successful careers and both of their coronation singles are at the top of the iTunes charts… Of course, will they reach superstar Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood levels? That remains to be seen, but it’s doubtful. I’m certainly more interested in seeing the career trajectory of the massively talented ninth place finisher Pia Toscano (yes that was the biggest “shocker boot” of the season Idol fans) and the darkhorse of all darkhorses who won me over and proved the most interesting and daring of all the contenders, Haley Reinhart. I do expect both of them to release singles asap (and they will according to the interwebs buzz)…. Until those two and our country kids release their albums, we can take comfort in the fact that at least Idol got its groove back this season with great singers and two good and entertaining new judges. (Simon who?) … So, for the last time this season, it’s time to do some rankings. This time, I’m gonna count down the best and worst of last night’s performances on the season 10 finale of American Idol.
Ranking the American Idol Season finale performances… 1. Beyonce- “One Plus One”: holy crap, THAT is singing people. The diva needs her stage baby and Ms. B owned the Nokia last night. Fantastic. Grade: A+ 2. Lady Gaga- “The Edge of Glory”: with her triumphant current 80′s dance smash “Glory”, Gaga gave you performance art, sexy dancing (with the amazing Mark from season 4 of So You Think You Can Dance), wonderful vocals and a daring leap off a “cliff” at the end. Simply great. Grade: A 3. Steven Tyler- “Dream On”: um, how old is he and how on Earth does he still hit those notes? Now, that’s how you rock future Idol contenders! I just wish the song had been longer. Grade: A 4. Lauren & Carrie Underwood- “Before He Cheats”: the dueling ladies powered through Underwood’s smash with fun and finesse and wow was Carrie gorgeous. She did kinda wipe the floor with Lauren a bit though… Carrie: A+, Lauren: B, Overall: A- 5. James Durbin & Judas Priest- “Living After Midnight/Breaking the Law“: despite wearing the gayest outfit ever, James rocked the crap out of the Priest hits alongside the iconic metal band. I didn’t think I’d like it, but damn, it was good. Grade: A- 6. The Idol Girls & Beyonce- ”Beyonce Hit Medley”: if it was just Beyonce, this would’ve ranked higher. However, it was still a strong medley featuring standout performances from Pia, Haley and surprisingly Karen. And I have to say practically all these ladies were good dancers too. And then, Beyonce just murdered “Crazy in Love” at the end of course. Grade: B+ 7. Haley & Tony Bennett- ”Steppin Out”: This would’ve ranked higher too if not for a few flubs on Bennett’s part because Haley was astounding on the number. However, you have to give Bennett credit. He’s literally like 85 years old! Well done and they had surprising chemistry. Grade: B 8. Scotty & Tim McGraw- “Live Like You Were Dying”: in a well matched duet, both men sounded good and gave each other mad respect. Strong song choice too. Grade: B 9. Marc Anthony w/Jennifer Lopez- ”Aguanile”: sure I didn’t understand a word Anthony was singing and his creepy facial expressions were unappealing, but damn if he isn’t a fantastic singer. Plus, J Lo werrrrrrrrrrrrrrked it with the booty shaking. Grade: B 10. The Idol Top 13 finalists- “Born This Way”: I was prepared to cringe with this one, but the finalists shocked me into happy Glee-type submission with their performance of Lady Gaga’s empowering # 1 smash. Standouts were Stefano and Haley and hello,, this was the best dancing by any top 13 in the history of the show. Grade: B 11. Reeve Carney, Bono & The Edge- “Rise Above”: sure the vocals and the passion were there. Plus there were cool Spidermen flying around during this song from the troubled U2 Broadway musical Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark. Unfortunately, the song and the performance were rather snoozey. Grade: B- 12. Scotty- “I Love You This Big”: reprising his coronations song with confetti flying and tears flowing, Scotty gave an emotional and appropriate performance. However, the song is really trite and boring. But I loved all the family hugs and then Scotty dissing Jack Black (unintentionally that is) was hilarious. Grade: B- 13. Jacob Lusk, Kirk Franklin & Gladys Knight- “I Smile”: taking us to church for one last time, Jacob got his gospel on with some music legends. It was a high energy entertaining performance, but Jacob was pitchy and inconsistent. Plus you could barely hear Gladys and Franklin was just running around yelling at everyone. Grade: C+ 14. TLC, Lil Jon & the female finalists- “No Scrubs/Waterfalls“: it was great to see TLC back on stage again, but the Idols and Lil Jon added nothing to the songs and it was a little low energy. Grade: C 15. Casey Abrams & Jack Black- “Fat Bottomed Girls”: um, it was fun? … But it was a bit of a mess and Jack Black sounded better than Casey. Oops. Grade: C- 16. The Idol Male Finalists & Tom Jones- “Tom Jones Medley”: an utter and complete disaster for the most part. Grade:D+
So, there you have it. One last Idol ranking session… And there are no predictions to make… Ok, here’s one: Scotty and Lauren will have success, but nowhere near the success of Beyonce. And why do I bring her up again? … Well, let’s be honest, she stole the show last night.. So, before I go and you give me your thoughts on last night’s finale, take one final look at B’s performance of her new single “One plus One” below.
Last night on American Idol, we said goodbye to the powerhouse diva-esque church belting boy from Compton, Jacob Lusk as he was sent packing. That left a frightened and tearful Lauren Alaina safe despite her first appearance in the bottom two. I think most of us were relieve that Lusk warbled his last tune because after a great start, this talented guy wore out his welcome with some very inconsistent and sometimes overwrought performances. That said, I think he can have a great career ahead in the Contemporary Christian or Adult R&B fields… But enough about Jacob, what about our Fab Four? Just which one has the power to make it all the way to the finals? And who may fall apart next week when they attempt the songs of legendary tunesmiths Leiber & Stoeller (known for their massive catalog of songs from the 50′s & 60′s and many of Elvis’s big hits)? … Well, we will see, but here’s my completely unscientific and possibly totally wonky latest Idol power rankings.
My 2011 Top 4 American Idol Power Rankings~ 1. Scotty: with one incredibly triumphant performance (“Gone”) and another quite credible one (“Always on My Mind”), the teen titan charges back up to the top of my list. It was also revealed that he has never been in the bottom two despite last week’s shenanigans from Ryan. As long as he keeps consistent, he seems the most obvious lock for the finals… Or does he have an Achilles heel in that maybe it’s just the South and the tween girls voting for him? Regardless, I think that’s certainly enough. (last week~ 4) 2. Haley: holy heck, Haley is in second place! I would never have thunk it just a few months ago. I mean I was the guy who almost despised her and now I’m rooting for her like a proud uncle, er, um older brother… Anywho, I love her attitude that she doesn’t take the insults and criticism negatively. She’s having fun, and oh yeah, she has been killing it in the last few weeks. On top of that, she owned everyone on Wed night. I have to say she’s actually the one I’m most excited to see each week now showing incredible growth, great pipes and interesting bold song choices. (lw~ 3) 3. James: the rocker had a reaaaaaaaaaaaally bad week on Wed night and he still didn’t come in danger of elimination. He obviously has a strong and committed fan base (who one could say are easily manipulated by tears, but my frozen heart digresses…) If he can get back on track, showcase his distinct voice and compose himself, he could make it another two guy finale. (lw~ 1) 4. Lauren: well, it makes me sad to place my favorite singer left in the competition (oh how I still miss Pia) in last place. Unfortunately, despite two strong vocals and renewed confidence (at least for her “Flat on the Floor” number), Lauren landed in jeopardy this week. And she took it hard. It seems like the stress and her emotions are really getting to her. She needs to focus, get it together and realize she has arguably the best voice in the competition and people love her. At least her fan base will be motivated after having witnessed her almost elimination. (lw~ 2)
So, that’s the latest. Scotty is back on top and Lauren is lagging behind. Can she leap back into the race? Will there be another boys club finale? Could my hopeful dream of a Haley v. Lauren finale happen? I just don’t know… So, let’s all watch next week and see what happens…. Now before I go, please enjoy Idol judge Jennifer Lopez with her pretty damn great live performance from the results show of her current top ten smash “On the Floor”… And yes, she actually sang live!
Jennifer Lopez w/Pibull “On the Floor” (live at American Idol)
Ok, I seriously have to surgically remove the foot from my mouth after all the smack I talked about Haley early this season on American Idol. I didn’t care for her awkward forced performances despite her good voice and I certainly gave her some harsh critiques… Well, all I have to say is the girl sure does know how to make me eat my words. For the last few weeks, she has been coming on incredibly strong with authentic performances and great vocals, and tonight, she was simply flawless stealing the show on two incredible numbers. And something even more shocking happened, I picked up the phone and voted for her. Had you asked me if I would’ve done that a month ago, I would’ve said you’re crazy. Well, apparently I was cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs because last night I was dialing for Haley like a crazy person. So, to recap. Haley: 1, Jason: 0. Well played Ms. Reinhart.
Now, the story wasn’t all about Haley last night on Idol as the singers tackled songs from “Then and Now” (ie: one song from this decade and a track from the 60′s or 70′s). The other stories were the implosion of James and the stank bomb Jacob left on what is likely his final night in the competition. So, take a look at my official rankings and predictions for this week as we dissect the final five…
American Idol Recap Rankings 5/4/11: ~ The Fast Five 1. Haley- “House of the Rising Sun”: dare I say, Haley had an Idol ”moment” last night on this 1964 # 1 hit from the Animals? Um, yes, I think she did. She opened the song a cappella (at the great mentor Sheryl Crow’s suggestion) and it was stunningly beautiful. Then, she let us have it with an aggressive, mysterious, emotional vocal that was perfection. I’d say the underdog made an incredible case to make it to the top 4 with this one. Simply fantastic. 2. Lauren- “Flat on the Floor”: tackling Carrie Underwood’s 2007 song from her smash Carnival Ride album was a gamble, but it paid off in spades for Lauren as she soared on the perfect song for her country twang. She sold it from beginning to end, had fun and was pitch perfect. This could be a hit for her and she made Carrie proud. 3. Haley- “You and I”: I don’t know what the judges were smoking complaining about this song choice of an unreleased Lady Gaga track. They thought it was a gamble and a mistake, and I think they’re nuts. Haley nailed it, made it her own and probably gave herself a big iTunes hit. It fit her like a glove and Haley’s vocals were fantastic throughout. Again, I have to applaud Haley tonight. 4. Scotty- “Gone”: speaking of applause, the crowd (and, um, I) went nuts with Scotty’s tremendous version of Montgomery Gentry’s #3 country hit from 2004 “Gone”. It was a wonderful choice that showed what a great performer and singer he is as Scotty gave his best performance in several weeks. 5. Lauren- “Unchained Melody”: with a lush and beautiful vocal on the Righteous Brothers classic from 1965 (made even more popular in the 1990 film Ghost), Lauren sealed her place in the top four. She had so much more confidence on both her songs tonight and it showed. I loved this!
And the rest of the performances… 6. Scotty- “Always on My Mind”: with another good vocal, Scotty delivered a good if not great take on the Elvis Presley/Willie Nelson hit from 1972/1982. His voice showed some nice color and he was sincere tonight with none of his cocky affectations. However, if ya’ll remember Fantasia doing this in season 3, you know he paled in comparison. 7. Jacob- ”Love Hurts”: with a lovely restrained opening on Nazareth’s 1975 # 8 hit, Jacob started off very strong. However, he went a little nuts as the song moved forward taking us to church and hitting a few wonky notes on the way. It wasn’t bad, but he needed to hit it out of the park and it was just a double. (Yes, I made a sports reference, hehe) 8. James- “Closer to the Edge”: I don’t know if it was the weird vocal v. music ratio coming through on my tv or it was just a bad performance, but James was a huge disappointment on this track from 30 Seconds to Mars. It should’ve been a perfect fit for him, but he was flat and off throughout the song. 9. Jacob- “No Air”: Um, Jacob you don’t do a duet. And you don’t do former Idol songs unless you slay them (ie: Lauren’s “Flat on the Floor”). So, that’s two strikes. The third strike was the fact that you missed practically every note on Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown’s # 3 hit from 2008. Um, you’re out. (OMG, the sports references keep coming!) 10. James ”Without You”: I didn’t think anything could be worse thank Jacob’s “No Air”, but James overly emotional and utterly dreadful version of the Harry Nillson 1971 # 1 hit was muuuuuuuuuuch worse. Sure, it was nice to see him honestly connect to the sentiment of the song. However, he could’ve hit maybe one note along the way. Instead, he was flat, pitchy and screechy throughout on his worst performance in the competition to date. And um, hello, don’t do a song that Kelly Clarkson and Carly Smithson both took to glorious heights in their seasons. Big mistake James.
Predictions… Bottom 2: James, Jacob Going Home: Jacob (no question)
So, it looks like our Gospel wailing boy from Compton is on his way home. However, will there be a shocking elimination? Does Haley still not have a fan base like her peers? Will Scotty, James or Lauren land in the bottom 2 for the first time? Can you believe I voted for Haley?… What on Earth was J Lo wearing last night (her Grandma’s wedding dress?) Did you want to punch Randy every time he said “in it to win it”? Or did you want to punch Steven every time he said “that’s a beautiful thing?” And are you enjoying Seacrest’s “side part”? Sound off below.
Last night, Fozzy Bear left the building on American Idol… Oh, I’m sorry, I mean Crazy Abrams… oops I did it again, I mean Casey Abrams…. Now, now, don’t get mad at me for the nicknames because he fit them to a tee. However, I do have to admit, despite my gripes about his growling annoying performances, Casey was a great musician and has some seriously talented chops… as a musician. Sure, he can sing well and when he’s in a jazzy bluesy place, he’s often golden. Unfortunately, that doesn’t play well on the Idol stage and neither did his strange forays into scatting rock (“Hi-De-Ho”) or deranged grunge (“Smells Like Teen Spirit”). So, I bid Casey a fond farewell and I wouldn’t worry about his future. He has a great career ahead in the jazz world and luckily we have avoided another Taylor Hicks disaster on Idol… So, who else was in danger last night? We actually don’t know because sneaky Ryan with the new hairdo and snarky attitude (back from season 9 after a welcome respite) only mentioned the result for each contestant, not a bottom 2 or 3 singers. So, I can only guess that it was Jacob and… Haley? Lauren? Scotty? Yeah, I’m not too sure… So, I’m gonna go ahead and play another guessing game right now and give you my latest completely unscientific and possibly wonky American Idol Power Rankings going into the top Five.
My Top 5 American Idol 2011 Top 5 Power Rankings: 1. James: giving what I consider the best male vocal of the entire season this week, James continues to roll over the competition. He’s shown versatility (whether I liked it or not~ ahem “Heavy Metal”), showmanship, and great pipes. He also seems to be the Idol who’s enjoying the experience the most and the one who could be ready to go out on his own tour right out of the gate. This week he holds tight to the top spot and now seems like a very good lock for the finals. (last week~ 1) 2. Lauren: she’s never been in the bottom 3 and I doubt she was this week. She has an incredible voice and gained a little confidence this week. She also literally crushed Scotty in their duet demolishing his vocals and overpowering his usually strong charisma. She still needs to have a breakout performance to push her into the stratosphere and with only a few weeks left, this week is the time to do it. (lw~ 3) 3. Haley: I gotta say I’m very proud of Haley. The girl with Mariah Carey hair circa 1990 and a powerful set of pipes has grown on me for the past few weeks and I’m kind of rooting for her like a little schoolgirl. She’s clearly the one singer continuing to build a fan base and the dark horse to land in the finals. It would also be a nice slap in the face to the judges for constantly giving her negative or conflicting advice when they just praise the crap out of most everybody else. And, week to week, I’m now excited to see what she might do next. (lw~ 4) 4. Scotty: oh how the golden boy has fallen. Now, I wouldn’t say he’s in jeopardy of leaving next week, but he’s certainly on shaky ground compared to the previous months of the competition. I doubt he’s winning over any new fans with his blah and rote performances. He does have the South and the tweens firmly in his pocket on the other hand. I just want him to do something new and emote in a song. I’m sorry this week was a forced insincere and snoozy performance followed by his first bad vocal in the duet. I’m sure this likable lad can come back blazing. He just better do it asap as James has stolen his thunder as the man to beat lately. (lw~ 2) 5. Jacob: dressed like the Eddie Murphy’sNutty Professor headin’ to church, Jacob was super entertaining on Wed night and clearly he did enough to stick around another week. The question is, just how much longer can he hang on. He’s the most polarizing person left in the competition and his vocal antics are an acquired taste. He does seem to have been humbled a bit and the attitude has dissipated. So, he’s on the right path, but is it a short one? (lw~ 6)
And then there were five… Can you believe I have Haley above Scotty? Am I smoking whatever Steven Tyler has for breakfast? Are you on board with these rankings? And how do you think they’ll do next week when they tackle the theme “Songs from Then and Now” (which is translated as songs from the 60′s and today)… Let me know your thoughts below.
And before you go, please enjoy the lady who should’ve won it all last year~ Crystal Bowersox~ as she performed “Ridin’ with the Radio” live on the results show last night.
Despite writing some of the most timeless and lovely songs in the pop era, Carole King’s songbook was not much of an inspiration for last night’s American Idol. In fact only one performance really rose to the level of her songwriting artistry and it came from a guy who likes to sing heavy metal. Who knew? … Now, that’s not to say that the rest were bad. They weren’t. They were just a bit blah. We had some nice vocals, but no “wow” moments and the duets seemed a bit hobbled together. And the guidance of Jimmy Iovine and Babyface didn’t seem to offer much help either. So, as we get down to the wire I found myself a bit underwhelmed by the whole night. It was good, not great and a little disappointing at this stage of the game. So, let’s get right down to my rankings and predictions from last night.
American Idol Performance Rankings 4/27/11:
~In a class by himself… 1. James: opening with a gorgeous a capella verse, James had us at the first note of “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” a # 1 hit from 1971 from the Shirelles. Every note was pitch perfect, all of his choice and vocal intonations were on point and he made it commercial, current and credible. It was by far the best vocal and performance of the night. I dare say that was the best male vocal in the competition all season. Simply outstanding.
~The Rest… 2. Haley: despite a little technical snaffu right before she sang, Haley nailed King’s 1971 song “Beautiful” from her legendary Tapestry album. Haley continues to improve and grow into herself as a performer. I seriously am shocked at her upward trajectory. I mean, I was kinda mean to her for the first half of the season… let’s be honest. But she continues to make me eat those words with several strong performances in a row. The underdog is fighting hard. 3. Haley/Casey: showcasing great chemistry and very complimentary vocals Haley and Casey had the best duet of the night with Carol’s #1 from 1971 “I Feel the Earth Move” (which was later a hit from Martika if you recall, hehe). Haley owned this song and the two really enjoyed themselves. That said, some of Casey’s solo parts were a little annoying. 4. Lauren: giving another good vocal on “(Where You Lead) I Will Follow”, Lauren showed a boost in confidence and seemed to be having fun for once (despite the weird audience member interaction that was clearly another annoying producer choice). I really love her voice, but she could still break out. I’m sure she did the best she could especially since she’s probably never heard any of King’s songs except maybe for this one as it was the theme to the Gilmore Girls. 5.James/Jacob: in what was a surprisingly entertaining duet Jacob and James worked pretty well together on “I’m into Something Good” a 1964 # 13 hit from Herman and the Hermits. The beginning was a little off, but by the end they complimented each others outlandish styles. It was certainly way better than I anticipated it being. 6. Jacob: opening a little slow, but slaying the ending, Jacob gave another decent performance on Maxine Brown’s top 40 hit from 1964 “Oh No Not My Baby”. He also seemed to be having fun for once and his vocals were never over the top, but fit quite well with the band. It was an improvement over some of his recent performances, but was it enough to keep him in the competition? I’m not so sure. 7. Lauren/Scotty: with a sweet but slightly forgettable version of The Drifters # 5 hit from 1962 “Up on the Roof”, Scotty and Lauren proved to be a nice pair. However, when it comes to actual singing, Lauren utterly destroyed Scotty. He was even flat on his verses and she was simple impeccable. Unfortunately because of Scotty, this duet was the worst of the night. 8. Casey: I gotta tell ya, I like Casey as a person, but I’m totally over him as a singer. He’s a great musician… who belongs in a jam session, not on the Idol stage. Just look at his growly indulgent annoying performance of Blood Sweat & Tears 1964 hit “Hi-De-Ho” for proof. He was interacting with the band who left more of an impression for their solos than his uninspired vocals. And the angry faces have got to go STAT! 9. Scotty: it pains me to put our teen titan in last place, but I did not buy one second of his insincere and incredibly boring performance of the James Taylor 1971 # 1 classic “You’ve Got a Friend”. His country twang did the song no favors and the producers trying to force an Idol “moment” on us really rubbed me the wrong way. Then came the ridiculous over praising from the judges on this lackluster and lazy number. I don’t get it… Scotty can do better and needs to learn how to really interpret and feel his songs, not just coast on his charisma and voice (albeit a good one).
Predictions: Bottom 3: Casey, Jacob, Haley (but wouldn’t it be neat if we got a Lauren or Scotty surprise here?) Bottom 2: Casey, Jacob Going Home: Jacob (though I might gamble on Casey if I was a betting man)
So, tonight James was the (Carole) king of the competition and Scotty definitely didn’t make the Earth move. But that’s just my two cents. What do you think? Is James on a stamped to the season 10 title? Are Scotty and Lauren in trouble for once? Can you believe that Haley was really good again? Is Casey grating on your nerves? And did Jacob take us to church for the last time? … Oh and what the hell was wrong with Seacrest’s face last night? (Did someone get a new weird botox treatment? I’m confused…) Sound off below.
The Italian Singing Stallion has left the building… Yes, our favorite wild card pick (and my favorite male singer in the top 13) Stefano Langone got his walking papers on last night’s American Idol leaving just 6 singers in the competition. It wasn’t much of a surprise. Nor was the fact that Haley and Jacob joined him in the bottom 3 much of a surprise. They have both struggled to maintain their fan base (or in Haley’s case to build one). However, they still could break into the top 4 with a good performance. I think Haley has the stronger possibility if she knocks it out of the park next week when they perform “The Songs of Carole King”. We shall see. But to gage how they are currently faring in the competition, it’s time for my latest round of totally unscientific and possibly cuckoo American Idol Power Rankings!
My 2011 American Idol Top 6 Power Rankings: 1. James: taking the pole position for the first time, our rocker is on a roll. He can perform with wildly inconsistent vocals and crazy theatrics and still appear golden in the judges and the viewers eyes. He’s never been in the bottom three, has strong instincts and good commitment. I just wish he would be a bit more original and hit his notes. That said, he seems a lock for the top three and his deeply sad and emotional reaction to his buddy Stefano’s ouster last night will only win him more votes. (last week~ 3) 2. Scotty: the country crooner gave his laziest performance to date this week and he finally got some bad criticism thankfully. However, that didn’t stop the tweens from power voting for him and keeping him out of the bottom 3 yet again as well. Scotty just needs to take some chances and pour his strong vocals into a show-stopping performance and a song that we wouldn’t expect. That will help him seal his likely spot in the finals. (lw~ 1) 3. Lauren: the little lass that could was good again this week. However, she needs to be great. Her confidence issues have been a big problem but she’s so darn likable and has arguably the best voice left in the competition. She needs to breakout this week as well to ensure her deserved place in the final two and not just a spot in the top four. (lw~ 2) 4. Haley: Yes, you’re probably shocked I have her in fourth even though she’s always in the bottom three. However, she has been the only contestant continually improving in the past few weeks and I think she’s the only singer gaining new fans. She was the best this week and the Carole King songbook is perfect for her bluesy vocals. I also think people do want to see two girls in the top five, so that could work in her favor. (lw~ 5) 5. Casey: I’m sorry to say but I’m kinda over Casey again. Now, that doesn’t mean America is, but I think they could be wavering. Were it not for the overpraising of the judges and the pandering kiss to JLo, people might have realized his performance on Wed night was only half good (the first half). The second half was annoying and creepy. He has to find a way to stay appealing throughout a whole song to convince people who are apathetic and or don’t like him to pick up the phone (or the laptop) and vote. (lw~ 4) 6. Jacob: poor Jacob doesn’t seem to have a prayer anymore despite his deep connection with God and Jesus. (Well, he certainly seems to sing like he has that connection, right?). Regardless, he has an incredibly powerful instrument with his gigantic voice. Unfortunately, he rarely knows how to harness it and make his songs appeal to the masses. Unless, he pulls out a “moment” ala Fantasia‘s “Summertime”, he’s a goner next week. (lw~ 7)
So, there ya have it: my breakdown of who’s got the power. And I’m not just talking about having the 90′s classic “The Power” from Snap on their iPod…. Ok, wow, lame jokes aside, we are getting down to the nitty-gritty and every note will count for these 6 singers. Just who do you think has the power to break up the Scotty/Lauren/James trio and make it to the top? And just who doesn’t have a prayer? Let me know your thoughts below.
But before I go, please enjoy season 7 winner David Cook’s great live performance of his awesome new single “The Last Goodbye” from the results show last night.
Did you see the pigs flying through the air last night? Did you notice hell was freezing over yesterday? Did you see the big foot in my mouth? … Well, if you did, then you must’ve watched American Idol too and seen the second biggest shocker of the season (after my dearly departed Pia’s premature exit). And that shocker was that Haley absolutely killed it and was the BEST of the night! Seriously, I’m still having trouble wrapping my head around it and I feel like I need to apologize to her for all my griping about her performances for most of the season. All I can say is a profound “you go gurl”! Ok, yes, that was lame, but I’m still just a bit bewildered from last night’s show where the Idol’s took on “Songs from the 21st Century”. It was an odd night indeed as Scotty and James flailed while Haley flew. Oh and we had what I will call a pretty unwelcome return of the previously dismissed Idols. I’ll get to that later, but first let’s take a look at my rankings of the performances and predictions for this week.
American Idol Performance Rankings 4/20/11 1. Haley: Holy crap I kinda loved it! Yes, I was in shock and awe as Haley gave easily her best performance to date on Adele’s amazing current top 5 hit “Rolling in the Deep”. Haley’s vocals were never better, she connected with the material and there was not a false move or note. There was no weird affectations or awkwardness. It was just fantastic. Who knew? 2. Lauren: giving arguably the most beautiful vocal of the night, my fave still in the competition delivered a great performance on Sara Evans’ “Born To Fly” a country #1 from 2001. She just needs a little more confidence and to really break out and perform like crazy. The judges gave her some encouragement and good criticism for once that hopefully she will really take chances next week and blow us out of the water like they and I know she can. 3. Jacob: now some of you may be surprised at how high Jacob ranked for me last night, but his emotional and mostly restrained and lovely performance of Luther Vandross’s Grammy Award winning top 40 hit from 2003 really got to me, especially in the final notes. Despite a little music snafu at the beginning, Jacob handled the song like a pro and didn’t fly over the top connected with the powerful song. Whether it resonated with most viewers like me is the question. Oh, and is it me or is Mr. Lusk finally getting humble and has scaled back his attitude. Good on you Jacob. 4. Stefano: werrrrrkin’ the stage and playin’ to the ladies, Stefano tackled Ne Yo’s Grammy nominated top ten hit from 2008 “Closer”. His vocals were strong and he owned the stage as if it was his concert. I felt like he really came into his own and made a strong play to win. However, is it too little too late? 5. Casey: Oh Casey, what do we do with you? I’m just gonna call you Mr. Inconsistent. You have good weeks. You have awful weeks. You’re likable, but you’re weird. You make annoying growly faces and you kiss Jennifer Lopez. You’re just confounding, especially on last night’s performance of Maroon 5′s top 20 hit from 2003 “Harder to Breathe”. The first half was fantastic and the way he worked the fast lyrics was exemplary. Unfortunately, the second half was a hot mess. Yes, he rocked it out, but he got indulgent with his interpretation, let the facial ticks fly, missed some notes and lost the connection to the lyrics. Then he hit a great note at the end, but pandered to the judges and the audience by pecking “the most beautiful woman in the world”. Oh dear, it all became a mixed bag for me in the end. 6. Scotty: oooh, Scotty did a song by a girl (LeeAnn Rimes Grammy nominated hit from last year “Swingin’”)! But ooooh, did it put me to sleep. Yes, his vocals were good as usual, but he brought nothing new to the song, coasted on his charisma and played it safe (as Randy said. PS~ thanks judges for critiquing the singers for the most part tonight!). Scotty needs to step it up or he might make a shocking appearance the bottom 3 after a lazy performance like this one. 7. James: ok, I’m probably gonna get some flak for putting Mr. Durbin last but that’s where he deserves to be. I’m sorry but his ridiculously over the top (albeit entertaining) version of Muse’s awesome 2009 hit “Uprising” was a disaster. It was contrived, screechy, off-key, all over the place and a second-rate, no, a third-rate Adam Lambert imitation. It was just bad. I think when the judges watch it back they will realize how wrong they were to praise him for that performance. Seriously, it was bad.
Predictions… Bottom 3: Stefano, Jacob, Casey (but James or Scotty should be here) Bottom 2: Stefano, Jacob Buh bye: Stefano (I think the cutie patootie just doesn’t have the fan base to hang on anymore)
So, is it finally the end of the road for the Italian Stallion Stefano or will bringin’ his sexyback lead to a surprise ouster for someone else? We will find out tonight… More importantly what did you think of last night’s show?… And before I go~ a couple of things: 1) were you shocked at how fun the clip compilations of the contestants talking about each other? 2) did you love that the judges actually gave some negative and/or helpful criticsm last night (well except for Grandma Steven)? 3) how terrible was that group number of the eliminated six singers on Pink’s “So What”? I mean Paul was utterly dreadful, Naima was practically kung fu ninja attacking the audience, and how on Earth do you make Pia sound lackluster?… well, at least it was live… With that said, I want to hear what you say about last night’s show. Sound off below.
Something crazy happened on the American Idolresults show last night…. A guy went home!… Not only that, the guy who should’ve gone home, Paul McDonald, was actually the one who got the boot. Well done America! … It was a shocking dose of sanity from the show that went bats%$t bonkers last week and booted the BEST singer in the competition Pia Toscano. (Yes, I still haven’t gotten over it)…. Well, at least it seems like things are on the right track again. Hopefully, we will continue to see some guys leave as we march to what will likely be a Scotty/James/Lauren top 3… However, our other contestants will be fighting hard to make it to the upper regions. So, just how are they doing? Well, let’s take a look at my completely unscientific and sometimes totally wonky American Idol Power Rankings.
2011 American Idol Top 7 Power Rankings: 1. Scotty: even with a sleep inducing performance on Wed night, the teen heart-throb still won over audiences and remains in the pole position for a second week. I wonder if there are any chinks in his armor? He can do the same thing again and again and still get praised for it by the increasingly lazy judges and the tweens are crazy for him. However, if he does another lackluster perf like the duet on the results show with Lauren who absolutely schooled him on “American Honey”, he’ll have to step up his game. For now though, he remains the country boy wonder. (last week~ 1) 2. Lauren: with arguably the best vocal of the week, Lauren even made me enjoy a Miley Cyrus track. She remains affable, humble and full of personality. Now, she needs to holster her confidence and blow everyone out of the water like we know she can. I think she’s the only girl who wont avoid the “Female Curse” this season and soldier on to the finale…. granted I kinda thought Pia would do that too… (lw~ 3) 3. James: with an over the top metal head performance this week, James was in his zone. But was it a little too indulgent and did he rely too much on the guitarist and the pyrotechnics? Possibly… He does have a great voice and remarkable stage presence, so if he can fine tune it all and give an authentic vocal along with the fireworks, he could challenge the country teen twosome for a spot in the finale. (lw~ 2) 4. Casey: Apparently America was smokin’ whatever crack the judges were hopped up on Wednesday night because despite a horrendous performance, Fozzy Bear wasn’t even in the bottom three. I guess kudos are merited for his musicianship. That said, the growly vocals and annoying faces and indulgent song choices wont send him to the Nokia in May. He needs to get current ASAP. (lw~ 5) 5. Haley: sure she was pretty bad on Wed and she landed in the bottom three again. However, she wasn’t in the bottom two and I think people are starting to feel an underdog warmth towards her. If only she could perform like she did on the jazzy duet from the results show every week. That was her best performance and vocal to date! (lw~ 4) 6. Stefano: yes, he was in danger of leaving AGAIN. But he didn’t, and he gave the best performance of the week on Wed night. So, I think he can still keep on trucking. America just needs to pull their heads out and realize he’s a Bruno Mars in the making! Hopefully he’ll have a few more lives and make it to the top 5. (lw~ 7) 7. Jacob: now Jacob was not even in the bottom three this week, so you may wonder why he’s at the bottom of the Power list. Well, I think it’s because he is perilously close to the edge and has lost his likablitiy factor (The sulking this week was not attractive). If he bombs he’ll be headed home. But if he can reign in the attitude and posturing and give a pure contained emotional vocal (that he’s capable of), he might hang on. (lw~8)
There they are, the seven wonders in this season’s Idol world. Who would’ve thunk Haley, Jacob, and Casey would all be here but not Pia? (yeah, I didn’t mention Paul, hehe)… We will see how well they all hold up next week when the them is “Songs of the 21st Century”. I think that could bode well for Stefano and Lauren as the most contemporary of our current Idols too…. Whether any of them become as successful as Idol’s first winner, the amazing Grammy winner Kelly Clarkson remains to be seen. But you can have some Kelly right now! She returned to the Idol stage last night to perform her awesome smash duet “Don’t You Wanna Stay” with Jason Aldean and brought down the house as usual. Enjoy Kelly below and watch Idol next Wednesday on Fox.
Kelly Clarkson & Jason Aldean “Don’t You Wanna Stay” (live on American Idol)
After such a great week last week when the American Idol took on the music of the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, there was nowhere for them to go but down. However, who knew the “Music of the Movies” would send many of them crashing to the ground like all the Hollywood bombs of this season (ahem, Your Highness anyone?) It was truly a disappointing night with only 3 of the singers giving good performances and the judges clearly lost in the glow of Jennifer Lopez being named the “Most Beautiful Woman on the Planet” by People magazine because their ridiculous overpraising reached new Ellen-size heights. What’s more is I went to the live taping and then watched it back on TV and, um, neither was better. They both kinda sucked. And this comes from a huge Idol fan as ya’ll know… It also really made me miss my beloved Pia Toscano again. She would’ve slayed the competition on “Somewhere” from West Side Story. Alas, we got treated to serious metal dreckitude and jazzy junk. Oh and don’t get me started on how loosely they went with the theme tonight. Hello “Bridge Over Troubled Water” from The Pursuit of Happyness? Um, no. The song is a classic from the 60′s. That movie had nothing to do with it… In fact, only a couple of the songs were actually written for the movies they came from and one of those was the Miley track. Oy vey! … Now, before I just start complaining, let’s get to the ranking and predictions that you’re here for in the first place.
American Idol Performance Rankings 4/13/11: ~ the three good ones 1. Stefano: taking on Boyz II Men’s massive # 1 smash from 1992′s Boomerang, Stefano made a strong case for remaining in the competition. He had the best vocal of the night and a great connection to the song and the audience. It was a perfect fit and it was even better at the live studio. He also got the biggest response from the crowd and deservedly so. I think he maybe be putting his days in the bottom 3 behind him. 2. Lauren: my new favorite singer in the competition (sniff sniff Pia) did something amazing last night. She made me like a Miley Cyrus song. Heck I might even buy it. She was that good on a beautiful performance of “The Climb”, a top ten hit from the 2009′s Hannah Montana The Movie. The song fit Lauren like a glove and she clearly has the best voice left in the race. Now, if ya’ll would just vote for a girl please! 3. Jacob: ok, so his song had nothing to do with the movie it was “from”, but regardless Jacob gave a wonderful performance on Simon and Garfunkel’s iconic “Bridge Over Troubled Water”. He was restrained in parts and really imbued the song with emotion and conviction. He also seemed a bit humbled by Jimmy Iovine’s comments and his appearance in the bottom last week. All of that played into his performance tonight and hopefully will keep him more grounded if he stays around in the weeks ahead.
~two that weren’t terrible… 4. James: our resident rocker rocked the house like a crazy person on Sammy Hagar’s “Heavy Metal” from 1981′s Heavy Metal. It was a very entertaining performance, but let’s be honest. It was all about the guest guitarist and his vocals were lost on this terrible song that lacked any melody. (And that’s no diss to metal~ James just could’ve picked a better song). At least it kept us awake, unlike the next singer’s song… 5. Scotty: sure his voice sounded great on “Cross My Heart” the George Strait track from 1992′s Pure Country. However, it was such a boring and route performance that I could’ve used it instead of a Lunesta for my sleep issues. Ok, it wasn’t that bad, but Scotty is just capable of so much more. (Oh and the audience shrieks for him at the taping were big but not as big as I thought they’d be considering he’s the tween heart throb of the season).
~three for the road 6. Haley: you know it’s bad when Haley’s awkward and downright irritating performance of Blondie’s #1
“Call Me” from 1980′s American Gigolo wasn’t the worst of the night. Discarding the goodwill and forward momentum of her last two strong performances, Haley fell right back into the affected and inauthentic territory she has mined for most of the competition. And girl is gonna be in trouble because of it. 7. Paul: first let me say this~ Paul needs to eat a sandwich. OMG, he was skinnier in person than Kate Moss circa ’94! Now, aside from that, he was pretty bad. His jerky karaoke drunk uncle performance of Bob Segar’s “Old Time Rock n Roll” from Risky Business was just lame. I’ve said it before Paul is just not made for the Idol stage. 8. Casey: what on Earth was Fozzy Bear thinking doing a jazzy jaunt like “Nature Boy” which Nat King Cole performed for the film The Boy with the Green Hair from 1948? (You may know the song from Ewan MacGregor’s performance of it in the best movie ever Moulin Rouge, but I digress). Casey was all kinds of wrong with this annoying performance. It was calculated, boring and just wrong. Yes, he’s a talented musician. But he belongs in a coffee shop or at a jazz convention. This was not a song nor a performance for Idol. I have no idea what Paula juice the judges were drinking because how they loved that is beyond me. Oh and the audience in the taping really felt like they were forced to applaud so much for it… I think America just wont get it or like it and I totally understand.
Well, there are my ranking and predictions for arguably the worst performance night of the finals. While it was a lot of fun to watch it live, it was a bummer that it was such an off night. At least we got to see Katy Perry and Kanye West perform “E.T.” after the show. (That performance will air during next week’s results show)…. Anywho, I hope viewers listend to J Lo encouraging them to keep the girls and it will be finally time for a guy to go home. Hey, if they took Paul AND Casey, I’d be fine with it. (I’m sure a few of you will disagree with that, lol). But time will tell til the results tonight which will also feature a performance by Rihanna and the best Idol ever Kelly Clarkson who will sing her current country #1 smash “Don’t You Wanna Stay” with Jason Aldean that is crossing over to the pop charts as we speak… Oh and one other note~ why was Steven Tyler wearing a blouse from the Blanche Devereaux collection last night?
So, where do I even begin this post? I mean I’m still in shock and fuming with irrational anger about the WORST ELIMINATION IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN IDOL last night. The ridiculously early and incredibly wrong exit of the BEST vocalist and my opinion most talented contestant, the lovely and gracious Pia Toscano has just left me dumbfounded. And judging by the reaction of the judges, the contestants, the audience at the show and the blogosphere, everyone is pretty much in shock and upset too. How on Earth did Pia get the boot over hot messes like Haley and Paul or rising egomaniacs like Jacob and Scotty? (ok, yeah, Scotty’s as Miley would say is ”pretty cool”, but I digress)… It just makes no sense… I suppose we can chalk it up to several factors:
1. People thought she was safe
2. The Tween girl vote is out of control and will never vote for another woman
3. The people who really supported and identified with Pia are non-voters (this is a big one)
4. The judges never gave her criticism to help the viewing public know they should vote for her
5. Guys seem to only win Idol now that it seems to have become a Teen boy Idol pin-up competition (oh dear, look out for Scotty)
6. America is just stupid
I mean I could go on and on… but instead, I will try to be positive. Pia will certainly get a record deal and will outsell probably all of these other finalists. Plus, she won’t have to deal with the “Idol” winner label and possibly the constraints of an immediate contract with 19 Media. (She was even spotted at the Warner Bros/Elektra music offices today~ shopping for a deal por favor?!!) Plus, she has an incredible support system. Just head to this link for the outrage her fellow Idols and other big names associated with the show tweeted last night…. And now, she can also claim the title of the singer with the worst early elimination from American Idol. Yes, it was more distressing than Jennifer Hudson (who left in seventh and was never seen as a front-runner in her season~ though she should have been), Tamyra Gray (who everyone thought would go head to head with Kelly Clarkson for the season 1 title but ended up in 4th) and Chris Daughtry (who was unceremoniously booted at 4th position when he was clearly the one to beat in season 5)… All in all, I still want to scream and emotion eat til the end of the season… However, I will now be putting all my personal allegiance behind another lady, the person with the second best voice in the competition, Lauren Alaina. Whether she has a chance in the Idol boys club remains to be seen…. But let’s see where I deem her position in this week’s totally unscientific and likely totally wrong updated Power List…
American Idol Top 8 Power List 2011: 1. Scotty: is he just destined to become the fourth male winner in a row and the first country male winner? It seems very likely. He has the insane tween girl vote who scream at him like he’s the second coming of the Beatles (ahem, they’re that group that pretty much created popular music people). He also is very charismatic and a genuinely good singer and performer. Plus he’s a teenager and from the South~ all things that the massive Idol voting base loves. (last week~ 3) 2. James: showcasing his vulnerable side yet still maintaining his edge, James keeps looking like a strong contender to steal the crown. He’s playing the game well and he has that whole Tourette’s/I have a baby/I’m poor back story to help in his quest. Sure, that sounds petty, but it’s true. And it takes nothing away from his talent which is quite good. (lw~ 4) 3. Lauren: does she have a prayer? Well, she certainly deserves a spot in the finale with her winning personality, gorgeous vocals and imminent likability. However, she needs more standout performances to ascend to the top and take out the boys. I do think she will be the one person to benefit most from Pia’s ouster, especially if people want a girl to win. (lw~ 1) 4. Haley: she had her best week to date on Wed night and is riding some strong momentum. Sure, she’s still super annoying and awkward on stage, but apparently, people are starting to connect with her. She’s avoided the top 5 and maybe the audience will be rooting for her to hang on and represent for the girls. (lw~8) 5. Casey: he avoided the bottom three despite a rather forgettable performance. The guy who the judges wasted their save on better step it up and prove he deserves to be here over Pia dammit! Oooh, I just got angry again. Sorry Casey, that was more directed at the judges… Nonetheless, he’s a fun guy with unique talent. He just needs to wow us and soon. (lw~ 7) 6. Paul: it pains me to put this guy so high on the list, but it seems like a lot of Idol voters are smoking crack and just love them some Paul. Yes, he’s a cool guy~ I’ve said it before. BUT HE IS A CRAPPY SINGER compared to the rest of the finalists. Uh oh, looks like I’m getting moody again… Paul better wow us too or else the goodwill he grabbed from his “best yet” perf on Wed night will be gone like Pia’s gorgeous glory notes. (lw~ 9) 7. Stefano: you could see in his face that he felt he should’ve gone home instead of Pia and bless him for that honesty and vulnerability. The audience seems to constantly waver on this guy who I think has great pipes and potential. I hope he outlasts several of the other competitors, but he may be on fumes at this point. (lw~ 6) 8. Jacob: ok, first, Jacob needs to pull his head out of his you know what and shut his big trap. His interview packages are painting him in a very unflattering light and this is coming from someone (ME!) who has been a big Jacob supporter thus far. He has an incredible voice and is growing as a performer learning restraint and connecting with the audience better. But the ego is getting out of control. Don’t be drinkin your own Kool Aid just yet mister cuz if I’m starting to sour on you, you’s in trouble gurl. (lw~5)
And there you have it… That’s my brand new Power List and it still fills me with disgust that Pia is nowhere on the list. It’s just unbelievable… I don’t know how to move on really. I mean we are going to miss her singing “Somewhere” from West Side Story on next week’s show where the singers tackle the Music of the Movies. It’s such a shame, but I guess I need to get a grip. I mean Pia is handling it well. What’s wrong with me? … Ok, don’t answer that, lol… Instead, why don’t you let me know your thoughts on who still has the power in the competition. And how do you feel about Pia’s incredibly premature elimination. And do you hope the judges are feeling super guilty about wasting their save on Casey like I am? Sound off below.
Oh, and let’s just have another slice of Ms. Toscano before we go… Here’s her amazing performance of “I’ll Stand By You” that first won us over a month and a half ago.
Ok, America, what is your problem? Year after year, you pick the wrong winner for American Idol! I mean Lee over Crystal? Kris over Adam? Taylor over Katharine? Ugh… And now Scotty McCreery wins over Lauren Alaina. Now, at least it’s not as atrocious a result as those other seasons, but it’s still disappointing. Lauren is clearly the better and more talented singer while Scotty is a serviceable singer and decent entertainer. Of course, Scotty is apparently a teen idol that the girls love. Not to mention, the churchgoers, the Southerners and the conservative power voters of America…. To think, they probably all liked Lauren too, but still another boring boy wins in the end is frustrating indeed. At least, both Scotty and Lauren look as though they will have successful careers and both of their coronation singles are at the top of the iTunes charts… Of course, will they reach superstar Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood levels? That remains to be seen, but it’s doubtful. I’m certainly more interested in seeing the career trajectory of the massively talented ninth place finisher Pia Toscano (yes that was the biggest “shocker boot” of the season Idol fans) and the darkhorse of all darkhorses who won me over and proved the most interesting and daring of all the contenders, Haley Reinhart. I do expect both of them to release singles asap (and they will according to the interwebs buzz)…. Until those two and our country kids release their albums, we can take comfort in the fact that at least Idol got its groove back this season with great singers and two good and entertaining new judges. (Simon who?) … So, for the last time this season, it’s time to do some rankings. This time, I’m gonna count down the best and worst of last night’s performances on the season 10 finale of American Idol.
