I didn't get that feeling about Phil, at all. His exit and farewell song seemed like one of the most emotional, for the rest of the group, that I have seen on AI.

From the way the three remaining women were crying, I got the feeling that they were closer to Phil than the two other guys. I would guess that Phil was more like the big brother of the house and probably quite a bit more mature, with his military experience/working class/married/father, while the other two guys were a little more youthful.

Whatever happened to the typical release schedule - first single is the uptempo, radio-friendly rocker, then you follow that with the ballad to suck the chicks in. Even if this album isn't a typical rock album, I'm assuming there's something on there that would have been more appropriate for a rock week on AI. But maybe they thought they would do better by going for something softer that might appeal to AI fans more? Who knows.

Even though he performed well the last few weeks, I've felt like he was just "there" and wanting to go home for a long time now. His goodbye clip/performance just reiterated that for me. I think his mind was preoccupied with how much he was missing in his baby's life. If so, I give him tremendous credit for doing as well as he did.

I'd buy that if they didn't have the same kind of send-off of every single contestant. I mean, Chris Sligh was tearing up when people were being sent home in the top 11 or so.

Let the whoring begin!

I read elsewhere several comments about Jordin smiling during one of the "singouts" last night, and then when she saw the camera on her, she quickly got sad and made a tear roll down her face. Apparently this upset some people. I guess I missed it. Anyone catch that?

Some funny comments from a buddy of mine:

When did Bon Jovi turn into Bryan Adams?

Maybe Chris R's tour can be sponsored by Breathe Right Nasal Strips

Taylor Hicks looks like George Clooney and Rovert DeNiro had a baby, and apparently in the spirit of giving, he donated 30 pounds to Kelly Clarkson

The Robin Thicke and Growing Pains joke is almost too easy to write

Yes, I actually did notice that.

Is anyone else having font issues on this particular page? It appears to be tied to my posting of the tour schedule. I tried modifying it, but I can't get it to change. It's just on this page, though - it changes the font on all posts on this page to small italics. I hope it's only affecting me, because it's annoying.

haha, you have font envy

It's bizarre. I guess you aren't seeing it? It even affects the posts before that one. I hope when we get to the next page it goes away.

I see it. Good job dickhead, you broke FOFC.

Just delete the post, no one actually cares about the tour.

It's gone. And you know you want to see the tour. Just admit it. PM me for the link.

Awww, they're not coming to Dallas? What ever will I do?

I hesitate to make this spoiler info since it's printed in the USA Today and thus cuts against my argument in the Captain America thread, but Wade and I need a break from each other, so I'm giving in just this once... :p

Anyone know that length of delay FOX uses for this "live" show. I thought it was like 10-15 seconds. Some claim it's way more.

Uh.... :eek:


Paris Bennett’s debut CD, “Princess P” drops today.

The CD features guest spots by her mom, Jamecia Bennett, and her grandmother, Ann Nesby on the tune, “Best Friends.” Kevin Covais raps on the song, “Can I Rap.”

This is part of the spoiler I posted above, but since it's not part of the competition, I'm going to post it because I have a question:

Group Number: “How Deep is Your Love” with beat boxing.

Isn't this the Hollywood Week number that Blake did with the foursome? They're ghoing to resurrect this with the Blake and the 3 chicks? Ugh. We saw it once, it was really well done, come up with something fresh.

Just a quick prediction (and remember I always get these wrong) from the song choices.

LaKisha should know better by now. She's taking on too much.

Blake is getting cocky, and he needs to introduce something completely new with the beat boxing or he'll stagnate.

Jordin and Melinda have big opportunities here. I hope this is a preview of the final show.

I have a nasty cold and I haven't slept the last couple of nights, so I hope I'm somewhat sharp tonight. I'm trying out some aromatherapy in addition to a standard decongestant. I thought I sounded good in the shower today, so something's obviously wrong with my hearing.

no.

No.

NO.

Aww, GodinheavenNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

At last, I understand what Bee Gee stands for: Be Gentle. Yeah, I know it has something to do with Barry Gibb as well, who seems to have settled into a pleasant senility. And you know what? I totally get it.

He and his brothers created complex melodies and an endless variety of great songs for decades. I'd be smiling, too, if my work still held up in my old age. Barry, your mentoring skills leave a lot to be desired, but you should take a well deserved bow.

Tonight, the quartet of Idol aspirants butchered the living daylights out of Bee Gee tunes. They murdered them in every way possible, and I can only hope that when Simon is kicking back in his hotel room reviewing the tapes late this evening, he doesn't put the remote through the television screen in frustration. It was Amateur Idol. Just not want you want to see from the four singers who really have deserved a place in the final four.

Each Idolist took on two Bee Gee tunes, so the rankings will look a little different tonight.

1. Melinda Doolittle, Song 2 (How Can You Mend a Broken Heart). The arrangement was a bit stilted, but that was by design as Melinda wanted to belt out a riff in her comfort zone. It's like shooting clay pigeons with a Bush Era Shock-and-Awe Cluster Bomb. I think the girl is incapable of a truly bum note. Even though I think I've seen this performance before, the rules allow it, so the pro is going to get the good review. Score of 87.

2. Blake Lewis, Song 2 (This is Where I Came in). It's been about a month since I was reminded that Blake has a nice voice when he finds the right melody. He recovered well from a horrendous beginning. Like Randy, I wish he had left the beat-boxing out of this one, it interrupted a solid performance and lowered the score, which probably would have been #1 for the night otherwise. Score of 84.

3. Jordin Sparks, Song 1 (To Love Somebody). On most nights, this would have been quickly forgotten. It was a solid, but immature performance. If Jordin could just learn one tenth of what Blake understands about song arrangement, she could hit these out of the park. Her transitions are very bad. They will improve with experience. I have no doubt this girl has a big future in music, whether she wins here or not. Score of 82.

4. Jordin Sparks, Song 2 (Woman in Love). She oversang it, but I don't think she was as out of tune as Paula thought. It was somewhat unpolished and unconvincing. I'm a bit disappointed, because I thought this would be the song of the evening going in. Score of 80.

5. Melinda Doolittle, Song 1 (Love You Inside and Out). It was okay, in key, but just not very entertaining. She has such a good lower register, I'm surprised she didn't show it off in the first half of this song. And that meant boredom, ennui, and maybe even listlessness. Her worst of the season. Score of 74.

6. LaKisha Jones, Song 2 (Run to Me). The poor girl's voice just broke at the end of the song. She obviously has laryngitis. She rearranged the song to limit the big notes, but by the end she was just hoarse and shouting. It's almost unfair to be judging her at this stage, because a real performer would shut it down for a week or two right now. Score of 50.

7. LaKisha Jones, Song 1 (Staying Alive). Oh, oh, oh, oh, not this week, ironic choice. Again, we actually saw her hit the chorus nicely in rehearsal. She completely changed the arrangement so that she was actually singing backup to the chorus, probably in deference to her voice problem. The arrangement was rough. There just wasn't anything in this performance to hang on to. Score of 42.

8. Blake Lewis, Song 1 (You Should be Dancing). This was pure indulgence. I don't think it would even work in the club scene. I was reminded of a college talent show. Just all the difference in the world from last week's very solid beat-boxing arrangement and this complete abortion of an attempt. This is a pure dance song, not a performance song. Score of 31.

Average Scores tonight:

1. Jordin Sparks 81.
2. Melinda Doolittle 80.
3. Blake Lewis 57.
4. LaKisha Jones 46.

Average Scores this Season:

1. Melinda Doolittle 90.
2. Jordin Sparks 80.
3. Blake Lewis 75.
4. LaKisha Jones 72.

Expected Bottom 2: Melinda and LaKisha.
Who Should Go: LaKisha.
Who Will Go: LaKisha.

lol, trash Bon Jovi with major venom last week and then praise the freaking Bee Gees?

Next Solecismic release..... Front Office Lounge Lizzard (you too, can be like Disco Stew) :D ;)

That's "Brothers Gibb," if ya'll interested.

I think the show really exposed the contestants this week, when they should be protected. Very inferior, and it makes you wonder if any of these people can truly be stars once the cameras are off and they are in the regular pool of singers around the world trying to make a buck.

I truly believe that Melinda is the most professional of all the singers, but has the least long term potential. She sings each song perfectly, but devoid of any star quality and anything that "matters" today. So basically she is Reuben without the charisma, does great in the show but no one would buy her album or go see her in concert.

See...I don't quite get this. He only beat-boxed once during the song, at the very end. How did that "interrupt" his performance?

He did make that song sound VERY current, though. I could have sworn I've heard Maroon 5 sing it before... ;)

If I had only listened to the mentoring sessions and not watched the show, I would have sworn the mentor this week was Sean Connery.

As a fan of rock music, I feel totally vindicated. They could have had a 2-song performance week of hair metal music that would have gone over better than last night's crapfest. That was truly awful. Not deserving of a 2-song night at all.

It seems fairly obvious that, just like last week when Simon undeservedly bashed Phil and then Chris (who deserved it), we're seeing who he/they want to be in the finals now. He bashed Melinda pretty hard for the first time this year, while falling all over Jordin's pretty mediocre first song. And by the time of her second song, they were running out of time so the negative comments for Jordin really didn't have time to stick.

Speaking of which, is it too much to ask AI to run another 15-30 minutes longer so that we can get a proper discussion of the performances by the judges? I only want to hear what Simon has to say, yet consistently, since he goes last, he gets the fewest words in. Last night was ridiculous. If Dancing With the Stars can run an extra 10-30 minutes when necessary, I don't see why the highest-rated show can't either.

Anyway...getting back to Blake - this is the second time he's run a particular type of performance into the ground. For the first few performances, I thought he did a good job of mixing the beat boxing with straight singing. And then he hit it big with the Who's Your Daddy song and parlayed that into 4 straight weeks of the same performance. Then when that stagnated, he pulled out the beat boxing again and now has run that into the ground. I actually liked the second song a lot, mostly because it was a Bee Gee's song I've never heard, but also because I liked that he arranged it in an 80s new wave-type style. I'm not sure I'd call that arrangement "modern," but it was different and it worked.

LaKisha...with Melinda and Jordin in the competition, I'd have rather seen Phil this week. She's just not necessary and she's overmatched at this point, laryngitis or not.

Oh, and I liked how Barry Gibb described every song as having a male falsetto vocal part, as if each one was the only song in his collection that had falsetto. "This choice really surprised me because it was originally written in falsetto for a male voice." REALLY?????!!!!! Cracked me up every time.

Same for me and Mrs. Eaglesfan. We made a game of it, trying to name any songs of theirs that didn't have a male falsetto voice.

Overall, not a good night. I agree that it's time for LaKisha to go and Blake should also be in the bottom 2. I liked Jordin very early in the auditions and I think she has to be the favorite to win it at this point and have the best post idol career (although I think Blake will have a nice post idol career as well.)

This sentence and "I program hardcore text sim football games" should never be uttered by the same person.


;)

Was it just me or did Barry forget his poly grip? His upper dentures were falling out all night!

My wife made a similar comment - "Are any of those his original teeth?" He looked like he was speaking through a mouthpiece.

"Run to Me" ruined by the recent cover done by Matthew Sweet and Susannah Hoffs (yum). Not a big LaKisha fan anyway, but stacking her version of the song up against Sweet didn't do her any favors in my mind.

Dialidol's results are not all that shocking to me. I'm hoping they do a bottom 2 tonight, because with as big a spread as they're showing between the top 2 and bottom 2, it would be easy to tell whether Dialidol had it right or not.

That is quite striking.

I think it's safe to say that this season has no breakout performers, and is easily the most boring. Having 3 of the same type of singer in the final 4 is just awful.

But at the same time there is a part of me that thinks once they get her in a studio, coach her up, etc. that Jordin could be with the big two idol winners (Clarkson and Underwood) as far as commercial success... She has a lot of growing to do, but as Randy like sto annoyingly point out she is only 17... much of her problems really resolve around arrangement, song selection, etc, etc that she can be coached on...

Wow, why did he sing? That was freaking awful. I almost would have rather listened to Sanjaya over that. That has to be one of the worst performances by a "special guest" on this show ever.



As for LaKisha leaving, that was predictable. Now will it be Jordin or Blake joining Melinda in the finale?

Well, tonight there was definitely no bottom 2/3, and no tie-in to the votes, so we have no idea whether Blake was actually the 2nd-worst vote getter. I really wanted to see if DialIdol had it, too.

I'm willing to bet they were right. There's no need to "shock" anyone by having Melinda up there as the last to be saved, as there wasn't much doubt that Lakisha was gone.

That was one of the oddest live performances I have ever seen in my life.

If you believe DialIdol, Melinda and LaKisha were very close in the bottom 2, and Jordin and Blake were miles ahead of both of them, but close to each other, for the top 2. Next week's vote-off should be pretty interesting.

Hey K, I saw this while looking for results from last night's show and it sounds like something that might be right up your alley...as long as there's enough rock bands.

http://www.reuters.com/article/telev...32955120070510

"Idol" team searching for next big American band

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "American Idol" creator Simon Fuller is teaming with Fox for another music competition, this time featuring aspiring bands.

The network has given the green light to the series, tentatively titled "The Search for the Next Great American Band." Sources speculated that Fox might air it in the fall when "Idol" is off.

"American Band" will feature music groups of all ages, styles and genres competing for the "Next Great American Band" title and a recording contract.

Like "Idol," there will be a series of auditions nationwide, and a panel of judges will narrow down the hopefuls to 10 semifinalists who will perform in front of a live studio audience.

Each week, the bands will be challenged to take on different music themes and styles. Viewers will vote for their favorites via telephone and text messaging and determine who stays in the competition.

There have been several band-themed reality series. They have focused primarily on building brand-new groups ("Popstars," "Making the Band") or adding a member to an existing band ("Rock Star," "Pussycat Dolls," "R U the Girl").

"American Band" will be produced by 19 Entertainment and FremantleMedia North America, the firms behind "Idol."

Yeah, I forgot to mention that. I haven't been so excited by an AI announcement since...I don't know when. I'm not sure I've ever been excited by an AI announcement before. They announced it during the show last night.

This is really the only way to do a rock-themed reality show. The idea of taking an existing band and adding a member during a contest just rings hollow to most rock fans. But being a nobody and winning a competition based on performance, that's where it's at.

I don't trust any "American Idol" spinoff after the tragic failure of "American Juniors." :(

Almost 400 posts in this thread beg to differ. :D

Don't forget America's Got Talent. That's Simon's show, anyway. I can't wait for Jerry Springer!

Aaaaaaannd.. they probably lost me. Do I really want a band that can play all different styles?

"We normally play Death Metal but, this week, we are going to bring the house down with music from Oklahoma"

I'm with you on that, but the "reality" is (haha), that the only way to make a show out of this that will attract a large enough audience to justify the hype (particularly since AI has a reputation to uphold) is to make them play covers in a variety of genres. My happiness about this is that this should - and I emphasis should - mean that instead of listening to God-awful R&B, disco, and standards music, we'll get more musician-based music. I don't care if it's not limited to rock - I'd take listening to an actual country band over listening to a vocalist sing a song with the band as an after-thought. Obviously, though, I'm hoping this will be heavy on rock standards, if anything.

Hopefully, polka, folk, speed metal, and techno will be some of the required genres. I really don't see how you can have a band competition over different genres -- the essence of a band is its genre.

Some of the greatest bands of all time, such as Queen, did just that. Bands that have range are just as valid as bands that strictly hold to a musical genre.

Right. Queen did everything from show tunes to C&W to metal? There's a difference between branching out as a band to different genres over a career and doing something completely different every week.

Yeah, if this were the case Mr. Bungle would win.

Yeah, I'm not really sure it is an accurate reflection of who should win a band competition that X band sounded "out of its element" doing country music when, in fact, they play jazz fusion or something. Unless you're going to have a bunch of Faith No More-type bands that can pull off different genres pretty well, which ain't going to happen. Then again, is there really any point to LaKisha or Chris Daughtry or Bucky Covington types singing anything other than what they're obviously comfortable with and want to sing?

More bits and pieces info:


Speaking of Sanjaya, it looks like he’s a front runner to be one of 5 contestants in the VH1 reality show I Love New York 2.

In other Season 6 news, last week, Idol Chatter reported that Top 24 contestant, Sundance Head signed a record deal with Universal. Pretty good.

I don't think there's much confidence that these are correct, but here is some spoiler info for tonight's show:

Sad news today. Rory is off to sit on Barak Obama's bus, and she is no longer a Stars Hollow resident. And that's officially the start of Hollywood's Obama for President campaign.

Sorry, Hillary, all that Bloodsworth-Thomason work for naught. The media has dubbed you "The HillDog." I know how you feel. I dubbed the Carolina franchise in Front Office Football the HillCats. I was intending it as a compliment, but out of all the nicknames in the game, that one is the only one that has drawn complaints.

Yeah, I know, Hillary, they loved you when you were baking cookies and standing by your man with long golden hair, a teenage daughter and a ready smile. But you've aged, your daughter is earning $5 million trading insider stocks and no one believes you've gotten down and dirty with the Billster since the days when we thought the "Y2K bug" was going to kill millions and destroy our way of life. They hate our freedom.

It's sexist as all hell. A woman is still defined by her looks and by her man. You are middle-aged, not so cute any more, and your man prefers chubby Jewish 20-somethings wearing thongs and dresses from the Gap's "Slutty Ingenue" collection.

Look at Lorelai Gilmore. She had Rory in her teens, now she's barely touching 40, can still fit into a size 0 and is running a successful bed-and-breakfast that media superstar Christiane Amanpour finds quaint and refreshing. Yet the show must end with her in Luke's arms. Even Lorelai is defined by her man. You lost the presidency the day Miss Lewinsky performed magic with a cigar and a smile.

And that's where we are on American Idol right now. You knew I was getting there. We have two young women who aren't classic beauties going up against one young man who makes the teeny-boppers' hearts go pitter-patter. Women are defined by their looks, men by something else.

Tonight was round-of-three day. The first song was chosen by the judges, the second by some old guy named Clive and the third one by the contestants.

I'm happy with how the season has gone, so far. I think there's only one singer who has been eliminated who may deserve a spot in the final three above those who remain. That's the girl who took a chance with some extensive scatting back in week 2: Leslie Hunt. She listed Imogen Heap and Zero 7 as influences in her music - how could I not want her around? But who knows how she would have held up. I could still tolerate Chris Richardson back then. The voters have done very well.

The round of three is designed to take us away from the theme weeks and get the contestants singing what they sing best. It was refreshing to hear, though I don't think any of them will record anything I'll be buying in the future. On to the rankings:

1. Melinda Doolittle. Randy chose a tough Whitney Houston song for her, and while she didn't hit it out the park, she was credible. It's a song that would have destroyed 90% of the contestants they've ever had on the show, and Melinda only made it a tiny bit boring. Score of 88 for difficulty.

At Clive's request, she rocked out to Tina Turner. Again, she didn't hit it out of the park, but she was credible. Who is Melinda Doolittle? Rangy, kinda homely, she seems sweet but mature, and that comes out in her singing. When she rocks out, she pulls it off, yet you know she's only acting. I wonder what she will record when she's done with this. Thirteen weeks in, and I'm still wondering, but I think she's got the second-best voice they've ever had on this show. Score of 90.

Finally, she went back to the Woman song she did early in the competition, the one we were introduced to in some long-ago commercial about some long-forgotten product where some sex-kitten model comes home from work and pretends she knows how to cook and clean house. Kinda like Hillary, without the sex kitten part. "I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, and never let you forget that the national health care system's in shambles." So, Melinda does that song really well, no need to say that again. Score of 91. She wins the night.

2. Blake Lewis. Paula, despite her alcohol-addled appearance, does have a very good sense of the music industry. I believe she could produce. And I think she made a good choice for Blake in giving him the Police standard Roxanne. Blake trended it up a bit, but I think his usual strong instincts on arrangements abandoned him with the choruses, which showed what is wrong with his voice rather than what Paula had intended to show works well with his voice. Blake needs to accent what he has, because the gimmicks won't give you hot-selling recordings. Score of 71 for missing the boat.

Clive went the safe route and gave Blake a Maroon-5 song that was already designed for his kind of sound. Blake did a nice job, but the beat-boxing was a little odd - the same exact sound he's done before. I don't know. If you're going to make your schtick imitating machines, which really won't carry over well into the recording business, at least gain a repertoire of a few dozen machines. I liked it, didn't love it. Score of 75.

For his own choice, Blake picked a remake of Walter Murphy's A Fifth of Beethoven that's recently been recorded by someone else with lyrics - can't remember who did it. It was an excellent choice for him, exactly the stuff that's in his wheelhouse. What he didn't see in Clive's choice or Paula's choice, he saw in his own choice, and the result was a good Blake performance - a reminder that he does belong in the final three, though maybe no further. Score of 88.

3. Jordin Sparks. Simon kinda dropped the ball here, giving her a performance song from Rose Royce that didn't have the necessary complexity. I thought she was good, just a little boring. Score of 79.

Clive screwed up, too, and served up something very similar from Donna Summer. I think Clive and the judges need to work together on this. Jordin stumbled badly here. She was breathy, it was the only song tonight that sounded karaoke. It just wasn't her night. Score of 65.

Jordin went back to her British Invasion song "I Who Have Nothing," that she earned rave reviews for earlier this season. This is a nice song for her, shows off her talents perfectly. She's maybe a bit tired, though. I didn't get a sense she was interpreting the song. It was the weakest of the three personal-choice songs. Score of 86.

Average Scores this season: Melinda 90, Jordin 79, Blake 76.
Who Should Go: Blake.
Who Will Go: Jordin, based on Simon's strong push for Melinda.

That song Blake did was by Robin Thicke, the uni-gender thing who probably doesn't love hockey as much as his dad.

Robin Thicke has a smoking hot wife. :(



Paula Patton from Idlewild and Hitch.

I'm still a big Blake fan. I put all of his performances on my itunes and enjoy listening to them often. The only other idol performers I did that with were Bo and Daughtry.

Robin Thicke's wife should shave his mustache while he's sleeping.

That song Thicke performed was such a mess, I couldn't tell if it was the same one Blake sang last night or not.

I think this boils it down to why I'm so lukewarm about Melinda. And I don't just limit it to "rocking out" - pretty much everything she does she interprets well, but in an obvious acting fashion. That's why she would be perfect for Vegas or Broadway. She doesn't have that "pop act" sense, like Gwen Stefani has, where she can be someone totally different on stage, but in a relevant, authentic, edgy way (and keep in mind I can't stand Stefani, but the difference in her performances and Melinda's are obvious).

I have to think Blake is staying based on simple demographics. And I hope Melinda makes it because Simon's right - she deserves it for putting on a consistently above-average performance every week. The voting on Dialidol is pretty close, though. I didn't watch the finale last year, and I probably wouldn't mind skipping it this year if we end up with 2 R&B singers against each other. Blech. At least they'll be perfectly suited for the crap song they have to sing.

I think his wife needs a bit of a shave.

Hey Ya?!?!

I forgot to ask if anyone heard what I thought I heard...when Melinda got news of the song Randy picked for her, did I hear her call him Randy Johnson? That's what it sounded like.

Yes. Yes, you did. When we heard it at my house, this is how the conversation went:

:confused: - My Wife
:cool: - Pumpy

:confused: - Did she just say Randy Johnson?
:cool: - Yes. Randy Johnson is a baseball player.
:confused: - I didn't see any baseball players around.
:cool: - Yeah, and he's 6-foot-10. You can't miss him. He used to play for the team that we're going to see this weekend.
:confused: - That's pretty funny!
:cool: - Hmm. It looks like he went back to Arizona, so we might see him this weekend playing against the Pirates!
:confused: - Yay! I can't wait!

So now my wife is looking forward to seeing Randy Johnson, even though she has no idea who he is.

Edit: THANKS, AMERICAN IDOL!

I'm sure the connection is that Randy Jackson worked with Randy Johnson on something. His slider, probably. Thanks to him, The Big Unit's slider was OFF DA HOOK!

He also blew that bird OUT DA BOX during spring training.

the politician with Melinda read Randy Johnson from the letter by mistake and then corrected himself. Melinda was actually being funny and taking a subtle jab at the politician.

Best line of the thread!

Oh. Well, that takes like two-thirds of the fun out of it. :(

My wife and I were confused at first, but after a rewind or two we figured out what was going on...

Jordin's performance of "I Who Have Nothing" ranks right up there with my favorite Idol performances ever. Even if Simon can't get past the fact that its 60 years old. So I was glad she chose that one to sing again. Sadly it probably won't be enough to save her this week. Thinking it will be Melinda vs Blake in the finals, even though Blake was the weakest of the three last night in my opinion.

The DVR cut out Simon's comments after the final 2 were revealed. My wife wants to know what he said. Can anyone help out?

He just congratulated the final two and told Melinda she was a great singer.

The wife and I thought that when Seacrest went to break before the Melinda segment, and he said something like, "After the break, Maroon 5 and Melinda goes home," that there was a good possibility that was intentional and had a double meaning. I guess we were right.

Ditto.. I went to live TV, but it cut out a second or two in the middle..

Essentially he said "Melinda, you're amazing"...


On the results - I have to say, this makes me look forward to the finals much more. I know many will say this shows that Idol is sham, but imo last year proved that more than this year. Anyone who still thinks this show is a "singing competition" is delusional imo. The bigger travesty to me was a guy who was clearly not going to do anything after the show beating out people who very obviously would be successes after the show.

Not surprising to me that the only real male talent and a 17-year old girl who sang the same style as the less attractive, older, fuddy-duddy made the finals. My wife was shocked, but once he announced Jordin made it, I was fairly certain Blake was in. Jordin and Melinda split the votes. I think Jordin wins in a landslide (not that we'll ever know the votes). I think 90% of Melinda's fans will vote for Jordin.

Agreed. And I think Jordin should win at this point.

Melinda will fade away, put out an album that won't sell - meanwhile Blake and Jordin will (i believe) have very successful careers.

BTW, I'm not sure I would have recognized Elliott Yamin if he wasn't introduced. The new teeth and hair made him look like a totally different person. In fact, the teeth really took away the "character" in his face. I know that character made him look like a troll, but still.

It's about time. Third was perfect for Melinda. She gets it for pure singing ability - the best in the bunch. But her lack of personality, stage presence and fondness for old songs doesn't warrant her to be in the final 2. I'd have to say America got the final 2 dead on.

Jordin is more cliche' and boring than Melinda could ever be. She'd be great as a Disney Channel personality. Basically, she's a Celine Dion wannabe, who should be competently singing "A Whole New World" as Belle in a touring off-Broadway production of "Beauty and the Beast".

I guess that's what they'll be shooting for with her first album - 14 year old girls. I'm sure they'll make money, but it doesn't mean that Jordin deserves to win.

I just don't think a lot of people here get it, and it makes me shake my head.

Agreed. I wouldn't have recognized him either. I think I preferred his old look.

J-Lo, Britney Spears, etc.

The real life music business isn't a singing competition either! There's that "something" that people are looking for in AI that makes them successful, and unfortunately this does not even necessarily translate into post-Idol success.

I don't think we're watching the same show.

I became a big Melinda fan over the competition. This is probably the best thing that could have happened. By finishing third, she probably gets to choose her own record deal and thus gain some artistic freedom.

I hope her choice is to put out some of the rawer sound rather than the boring stuff that passes for "in" music these days. It would be fantastic if she did some blues like her final song on a record as she reminded me of Koko Taylor during parts of that song.

I won't be buying Blake's music as I can't stand beat box, but he should be successful with it for a while. He may have the worst trouble with producers as they won't let him take some of the risks he did on the show.

Jordin is inconsistent but deserves a shot because she has a huge development upside. As her voice matures and she receives more training, she can be as good as Melinda. I thought she did nail the song Simon hated, as she put some real feeling into it.

I don't know...if Taylor was able to beat McPhee because of the female vote last year, I think Blake has a definite shot. Of course, Jordin's age will help her with the teenie-bopper crowd.

We don't get it?! Dude, this show is about finding a pop idol - you know, the next generation Shaun Cassidy/Debbie Gibson type pop singer? They've failed to a large extent to find another Kelly Clarkson in the past few seasons, but Blake and Jordin fit that 'idol' description better than most of the finalists they've had on this show. And there's no way Jordin is wrestling the Disney Channel/Celine Dion title away from Haley. Not to mention, she's more versatile and a lot younger, so she will get better and more mature.

14-year old girls is exactly the audience for a pop idol. I guarantee either (or both) of these finalists will outsell Taylor, McPhee, and Melinda combined. Heck, Sanjaya will probably outsell them all!

The only thing that I think will save Blake from his gimmicks is that he seems to have a great sense of what works for him, from style to song choice. I just think the beat box thing is extremely gimmicky and limiting, and could potentially make him a flash in the pan. I mean, what someone like Bobby McFerrin does is cool and all, but basically 1 hit song and everyone was like, "OK, we've heard that before. We don't need to hear it again." I could see Blake going the same route.

I think Blake has more of an edge there, if not more.

Interesting info considering the interview was before last night:


This week’s TV Week interview with Nigel Lythgoe. Download here.

• Nigel says he thinks it was the best Top 3 that they’ve ever had, and, “The most talent they’ve had on that stage in a long time.”
• While Nigel was careful to spread the praise around evenly he said that the two females could split the vote to leave a male in the race.
• He thinks Jordin Sparks should be the next American Idol and was a little disturbed at Simon’s critical attitude toward her last night.
• Initially, the Maroon 5 song did not get cleared. Nigel claims they relented when Blake called them up personally to ask permission to sing the song.

I agree with his first comment. I know some have said there are no breakout stars, but I think for overall talent, last night's top 3 was the best of any season.

Is there any truth to the rumor that Blake will duet next week with the weird noises guy from the Police Academy movies?

:D

THE Michael Winslow.

Very well put.

I think we are; however, we're coming from different backgrounds and understandings of music.

Good point.

To be clear - neither KSyrup or myself are saying that Blake or Jordin are better SINGERS than Melinda, just that they are better American Idols and will do far better commercially in the "main stream".

Problem with that is I don't think Melinda has a style of her own. The whole season she's been showing that she has great vocals, but you have no idea what kind of album she'd write if given the chance. I'm pretty sure that it won't sell, but I'm also pretty sure that it will show a real lack of direction and focus on her part.

Jordin is easy, give her the generic AI pop-star song list and she'll run with it. And Blake needs to be given the freedom to write his own stuff, if they force him into the generic pop stuff it'll be a disaster.

I agree. That's why she's been a back-up singer - it's not that she can't sing or even perform. It's just that she doesn't have a style of her own nor a personality that fits within mainstream pop. Honestly, she needs to be doing exactly what Fantasia is doing...go to Broadway. That's where her performance skills and ability to take on whatever they give her will translate best. She can sell a story through her vocals and performance; but pop music, to a large extent, is based on the ability of the singer to sell herself, and she's got none of that ability.

What is your background in understanding of music?