American Idol Season 8

[wade moore]

Spoiler

Danny's friend coming back?

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by wade moore

Spoiler

Danny's friend coming back?

If that was the plan all along, then maybe. But given the backlash he's gotten for throwing his wife's death in America's face, I think it might actually hurt him even more.

Spoiler

The first person I thought of who was cut for no discernable good reason, had a great backstory, and a decent amount of support was the homeless R&B singer. It would not shock me to see her come back.

[Lathum]

Backlash?

I hadn't noticed anything.

[Mustang]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Backlash?

I hadn't noticed anything.

Blogs and crap. All pissy because they think he is using his wife's death for votes.

[lordscarlet]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Backlash?

I hadn't noticed anything.

+1

Originally Posted by Mustang

Blogs and crap. All pissy because they think he is using his wife's death for votes.

The internet is dumb.

Having said that, last week I started to worry about how much he brought it up -- because I expected such a backlash. He needs to back off the wife stuff, and possibly off the faith stuff (which hasn't been too bad so far) and just be a normal guy that sings well.

[Raiders Army]

You guys really need to notice Kara's hanging earlobes tonight if she has her hair back. They're freaking disgusting yet I can't look away.

[Danny]

I didn't really notice Danny talking about his wife's death much. He mentioned getting through difficult times, but not that specifically. And I'm not sure he's doing it for votes. It's probably on his mind all the time, so the fact he would mention something about faith isn't surprising. Also, everything shown before last week was the producers decisions. They easily could have (and probably did) specifically pick out times he did talk about faith, being strong or his wife.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

If that was the plan all along, then maybe. But given the backlash he's gotten for throwing his wife's death in America's face, I think it might actually hurt him even more.

Spoiler

The first person I thought of who was cut for no discernable good reason, had a great backstory, and a decent amount of support was the homeless R&B singer. It would not shock me to see her come back.

Yeah, i'm not sure where this "backlash" is. Maybe the super Idol blogs, but not the general voting public.

[sabotai]

Originally Posted by Danny

I didn't really notice Danny talking about his wife's death much. He mentioned getting through difficult times, but not that specifically.

That's what I noticed too. I would imagine it's hard for him not to bring it up, though, since every single question he gets asked on the show by Ryan seems to be either about his wife or a loaded question meant for him to bring up his wife.

I mean, what he hell kind of question was "And what were you thinking of as you sang that song?" after he sung Hero. Geez Ryan, you have to ask? But I liked how he just answered in general terms. It's like he's aware of how people are going to get worn out if all he does is talk about it, but the show's producers and "talent" aren't.

[sabotai]

dola,

Spoiler

I don't think anyone should be worried about any "OMG Drama" surprises if they take anyone outside of the Top 36. I mean, they let through all of the nutbags like Norman and Tatianna anyway. I can't really think of anyone they could bring back that would be controversial, unless they took someone that got cut awhile back, which I doubt they would do.

[MJ4H]

Allison easily the best tonight. Adam was probably the best of the guys, though I personally liked Kris Allen better. I think Allison and Adam should go through with the third slot going to either Megan (I think that was her name, the Corkrey girl) or Kris Allen. Outside chance of Kai or Mishavonna sneaking in, too.

[adubroff]

Allison was Secretariat tonight, and this was the Belmont.

Adam stunk, they pimped him cause they want him to get through but a song where a lot of moments were, in Cowell's words, "awful" is an awful song.

I'd probably put Kris through on the guys side. I didn't think Matt was as bad as they said, but the band was terrible during his performance. He won't get through but he wasn't terrible.

I have a sneaky feeling Nick sneaks through on Svenjaya factor.

[MJ4H]

I think they pimped Adam because he can really freaking sing. He definitely has the singing chops for this, and he went for it all. So many people just sleep-walked through their songs tonight.

If that clown Nick makes it through, I'm going to have a hard time taking the show seriously. They are playing with fire having him be in the competition. If he becomes popular with a big voting block, this show will take a serious credibility hit.

[Eaglesfan27]

I wouldn't be surprised at all if Nick makes it to the top 12 based on the comedy factor/vote for the worst.

I hope that it is Allison, Megan, and Adam.

[sabotai]

Originally Posted by adubroff

Adam stunk, they pimped him cause they want him to get through but a song where a lot of moments were, in Cowell's words, "awful" is an awful song.

I didn't even think parts of it was awful, I thought the entire thing was awful. It sounded like what someone who does musical theater his whole life thinks hard rock is. A bunch of screaming and shrieking. It was absolutely terrible. I was actually surprised anyone liked it.

BUT, I'd be fully and entirely on board with putting Adam through if that's what it takes to keep Nick off the show.

My votes would be for Allison, Mishavonna and Kris.

[adubroff]

Originally Posted by MJ4H

I think they pimped Adam because he can really freaking sing. He definitely has the singing chops for this, and he went for it all. So many people just sleep-walked through their songs tonight.

He's a broke man's Daughtry.

[Ksyrup]

Not just the blogs, but the media's been all over the Danny backlash story since last week. Check his interviews after Wednesday, almost all of the questions are about if he's afraid people are getting upset with him using his wife. I think what put people over the edge was the constant attention he got through the auditions and Hollywood + getting the pimp spot last week + the over the top reviews 3 of the judges gave him, and then to top it off, when he sang Hero again on the results show, one of his friends held up a pic of him and his wife with a tear running down his cheek like, in the words of one article I read, the Crying Indian from that 70s commercial. That really turned a lot of people off because it was so staged and premeditated.

Anyway, I didn't think it was possible, but tonight topped last week for awfulness. How can so many people choose such bad songs and AI, or their handlers, or even their freaking grandmothers, aren't forbidding them from going on stage until they pick something better suited to them. First things I'd do if I made it - hire a vocal coach, hire a stylist, and hire someone who has a freaking clue about song choice.

I love Adam, but I also love the fact that I could see him fronting a theatrical metal band. I hope to God he performs Queen of the Ryche before the season ends.

It's not surprising everyone liked Allison - she chose a sure-fire AI payoff song. Most of them can sing, but she did well because she sang the right song.

For whatever reason, I thought I'd hate Jonny Lang's sister based on her Overmeyerish sing-off performance on the top 36 show, but I actually liked her more than Cockrey tonight, whose feet were apparently stapled to the floor, so all she could do was some annoying fish flop dance the whole time. Jessie's song didn't go anywhere, but she came off really good to me. But I think it's probably because I can just tell she's a real musician up there - you can tell she knows music inside and out, and I guess that came through to the point that I really liked her for it. She was also probably the most self-assured person both performance-wise and in the aftermath of anybody I've seen so far. But I doubt she'll make it, because Cockrey got better reviews and is much prettier.

Thank God they dumped the parent portion of the show and let the judges have more time to speak.

The backing band is horrendous right now, and the backing singers are killing the contestants. I've read that they only have a barebones group right now, and some are speculating it is part of cost cut-backs. Whatever it is, the music sound cheap and cheesy, and the backing vocals suck.

[MJ4H]

Alone by Heart is certainly one of those homerun AI songs. The problem is its a monster to sing. If you pull it off, you are on top of the world. But if you don't you wind up looking foolish for picking a song that is "too big" for you. Allison smoked that thing. She was ridiculous in her interviews, though. Hope that gets better because she will need a decent personality for people to vote for her in the future.

[Easy Mac]

What was up with Corckrey's dancing? If it wasn't horribly uncomfortable to watch, it could have been endearing. When she's on stage, its like someone spliced Brooke White with Carly Smithson.

And don't even get me started on Mindreak Adam. I don't even think Mick Jagger is that full of himself when he sings Stones songs.

Who will move on:
Adam
Corkrey (sp?)
Heart singing girl

Who should:
Corkrey
Heart girl
no one... Just cut one spot and bring back Anoop.

[Solecismic]

In the early rounds of American Idol, I often wonder if the show should change its name to "Where's Waldo," or some more musical, but similar title.

It seems half the judging comments are about song choice. If that were the true test, don't you think it would be a better show if the judges, you know, helped the contestants choose their songs? Just a thought.

I don't agree, anyway. Nick Mitchell, or Norman Gentle, or whatever he is called these days could have belted out The Stones and "Satisfaction" tonight, and it wouldn't have worked in the slightest. Pick a song you like and sing it well. Bonus points if the song shows off your range and/or tone.

Tonight was considerably better than last week's semifinal. This group of 12 is surprisingly more loaded with talent, and there's an almost certain chance we'll see four of these performers in the finals, five if the voters make a mistake and put the welder through on principle. Because, as you know, welders aren't supposed to be able to sing. That's like so cool. Or hot. Welding is hot.

Speaking of hot, it's time for the Solecismic American Idol Rankings. Sure, there hasn't been a new football game in more than two years, but I can rock the house.

1. Megan Corkrey. Speaking of hot, we can thank the NBA for this welcome addition to American Idol 8. Inexplicably, the New Orleans Jazz kept its nickname when moving to Utah. Now, in its 30th season in Salt Lake City, the Jazz have finally inspired a real jazz singer in the Beehive State. Megan took on Corinne Bailey Rae. It wasn't the greatest performance overall - she over-shouted the big notes and she dances like a robot with metal fatigue. But the quality of her voice stood out, and I was instantly looking forward to what she'll record when this is all done. She has an unusual and distinct style, and is far and away my favorite of the first two rounds. Score of 91.

2. Adam Lambert. Broadway comes to Hollywood with this very polished musical performer who has the ability to hit the big notes with controlled and theatrical intensity. He has technical range, but I think he covers a lack of good tone in the lower ranges with his polish. His rendition of The Stones was quite entertaining. I get the feeling I'm being force-fed Adam, though. He got the pimp spot, singing last, and, like with David Archuleta last season, the producers feel they can market this guy as a winner. It might happen. Or he might turn into another Ace Young. A good start. Score of 88.

3. Allison Iraheta. With her Spicoli-esque interview skills and her strange facial contortions, this 16-year-old could be the love child of Fantasia Barrino and Jason Castro. She has a nice loud and husky voice, though, and absolutely nailed the big notes. This is the kind of performance the producers love. I think others have done more with Heart's "Alone," which has to rank atop the list of songs perfect for making a great impression on the voters. Score of 85.

4. Mishavonna Henson. Mishavonna is the exact opposite of Allison. She doesn't have the high range, she would sound like a fool belting out big notes. She's very controlled and literal. She has a nice voice, though, and I'd hate to see her go home so easily. Which begs the question - is the purpose of American Idol to entertain, or is it to show that you have singing talent? Voters typically go with the former. She won't do well in the voting, but I think she'll get a reprieve from the judges with those wacky wild cards. Score of 79.

5. Jesse Langseth. The top four were solid. There was considerable drop-off to number five. While song choice generally matters a lot less than the judges seem to believe, the one thing you can't do is choose a mediocre song sung by a mediocre singer, the combination of which was absolute magic. Which is the case with "My Sharona" by The Knack, or Kim Carnes and "Bette Davis Eyes." With Jesse at the mike, the song's lack of range stood out and she wasn't able to show off much ability. It's impossible not to compare her to Carnes here. I think she has much more to offer, but she won't get the opportunity. Score of 68.

6. Matt Breitzke. Matt chose a standard-like song, and, instead of keeping it simple and showing off his strengths - a nice ability to stay on key and OK range - he made it sound very pretentious and affected. This could have been a great choice for him with the right pacing and phrasing. Instead, it was just mediocre. His enormous popularity with the fans might get him through. Score 67.

7. Kris Allen. Kris can sing well. He is credible. He is somewhat talented. Who is Kris again? Score of 65.

8. Jasmine Murray. She was supposed to be the standout woman today. She was heavily featured in the Hollywood round, and has the look of a star. I thought it was nice that she chose Sara Bareillis' recent hit song, which is very complex and enjoyable. Jasmine just didn't put herself into the song. It was a very vanilla rendition, the complexity overwhelmed her a bit, she missed some notes, she chose odd syllables to emphasize. It's as if she was singing in a language she didn't understand. We'll know if Idol is about marketing or about real singing ability if she gets a pass for this rather mediocre attempt. Score of 62.

9. Kai Kalama. Kai has a big voice. He missed an opportunity to really sell his song, though. He played it far too safe with his Jimmy Ruffin tune from almost 50 years ago. Safe imitations of old soul songs invariably result in the "too old-fashioned for this competition" criticism. In this case, well-deserved. Score of 61.

10. Nick Mitchell. I could go on a while about the merits of selecting Nick for American Idol. I think the producers believed that because he does have some singing talent that once he got to this point, he'd drop the shtick that garnered a lot of attention. But why would he? He's here to win, not just stick around a while. There's always that one-in-a-million chance the voters would spontaneously revolt and propel the comedian into the final two. Just to see Simon quit the show in disgust. It wasn't funny tonight, and if you're going to go after the title with a gimmick like this, you absolutely have to hit the big notes well enough to remind people you can actually sing. Problem is, Nick missed his big note. Badly. Score of 53.

11. Matt Giraud. Matt's from nearby Ypsilanti, Michigan, so I was rooting for him. And I like Coldplay. I know it's not cool to like Coldplay, but I do. Matt doesn't have a power voice, and he threw the kitchen sink at a song that's best sung straight. He sounded breathy and affected. It was not entertaining at all. Score of 36.

12. Jeanine Vailes. Maybe it was nerves. She sounded tight and out of tune, kind of random and squeaky on a song that needs more control. I had a root canal yesterday. If I had to choose between that and listening to more of Jeanine, I'm not sure what I'd decide. Score of 23.

Expected to Advance: Adam Lambert, Allison Iraheta, Matt Breitzke (he welds, you know).

Expected Saves by the Judges: Megan Corkrey, Mishavonna Henson.

Deserves to Advance: Adam Lambert, Allison Iraheta, Megan Corkrey.

[Scoobz0202]

This new format is fucking stupid. The judges better save the right people.

[Danny]

I don't mind the new format si far. Most of these singers I don't care to hear again which this new format will accomplish. But I agree that it's going to be necessary that the judges save the right people. If they don't, my opinion may change.

[Danny]

Tonight I thought the best boy/girl were Allison and Kris actually. Adam has a good voice, but it's theatrical for my tastes. I guess it was just me, but I thought Megan was only alright.

[Raiders Army]

I only gave Allison props for her song choice and the fact that the ones that came before her were absolutely horrible, thus making her seem better than she was.

[Thomkal]

Was not a fan overall of this group compared to the last group. Not sure I'd root for any of them to win it all. And I'm with you the band and backup singers have to go. They need to get rid of the vocal coaches they've been using since Season 1 too because they are letting far too many of them perform songs they shouldn't be singing.

I think Adam sails through for the guys though Kris could give him some competition. I thought it was way over the top though but it was a Stones song, so if you're going over the top it would be on one of their songs. I cringed when Kris picked a Michael Jackson song because he doesn't exactly have that soul/R&B look-okay he doesn't have it all. But he did a credible job with it. Kinda reminded me of an older David Archuleta. I liked Kai too (though not his hair), was expecting not to like him based on what I saw of him before, but he probably did play it too safe. Matt B also did better than expected, better than the judges thought I think. I liked the first few lines actually where he sung with just the guitar, didn't like it as much when the band "rocked" it up.

I think the girls are probably more wide open with weird interviews/dance moves perhaps hurting Allison and Megan. Allison probably gets through but I liked Mishavonna more overall. I didn't mind she was an 18 year old girl singing a serious song. Something about her and the way she sang it kinda drew me into the performance more than the others. Allison probably gets top girl with the voters with one of the others getting the 3rd spot.

And I have to admit I like Nick/Norman. I think there was a real song mixed in there with the stuff he made up, and I wish he had done more of it, because it sounded good. And I laughed a lot so at least he was entertaining. But I think he was too much Norman, not enough Nick for me. Really needs to showcase his voice more than his act at this point I think. He probably shouldn't go on to the top 12, but I'd laugh if he did.

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by sabotai

I didn't even think parts of it was awful, I thought the entire thing was awful. It sounded like what someone who does musical theater his whole life thinks hard rock is. A bunch of screaming and shrieking. It was absolutely terrible. I was actually surprised anyone liked it.

Heh. Reminds me of the 80,000 commercials for the Nickelodeon "movie" Spectacular!.

[sabotai]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

Heh. Reminds me of the 80,000 commercials for the Nickelodeon "movie" Spectacular!.

Something tells me that I am lucky to have missed every single one of them.


And as far as the wildcard round go, I can't see how the judges will be able to avoid going outside of the Top 36 to fill out the wildcards. For show 1, Ricky and Anoop really only deserve to get another shot (maybe, MAYBE, a few others). If the voting goes the way I think it will (Adam, Allison, Megan - Or Adam, Allison, Matt (the last getting all of the same voters as Micheal got last week) ), then you only have 1 or 2 who really deserve a second shot.

Unless several people blow it out of the water next week, this is good evidence for me that the judges really did a bad job at picking their Top 36.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by sabotai

Unless several people blow it out of the water next week, this is good evidence for me that the judges really did a bad job at picking their Top 36.

You're operating under the assumption (mistaken, I believe) that this was not all set up from the start. My theory is that if they really do go outside the top 36, then the wild card rounds are nothing more than extended live audition shows. I'd say Danny's friend and the homeless R&B chick are the two favorites to be brought back. Both were pimped pretty heavily, did well (or at least edited that way), didn't embarrass themselves, garnered a strong following, had good backstories, etc. Very possible this was all planned. I don't believe anything on this show happens without a specific reason or decision being made to cause it to happen that way.

[Ksyrup]

Case in point - Danny and Adam both get pimps spots, and both blow away the other 11 in votes received.

[Danny]

Spoiler

According to Dial Idol Allison and Adam are both locks. The 3rd spot is up for grabs. I'm not disappointed about this. Both of them can sing and are fine additions to the top 12. I don't have any issues with any of the 5 that are a part of the top 12. At this point the only one I definitely to be one of the 3 wild cards is Anoop

[sabotai]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

You're operating under the assumption (mistaken, I believe) that this was not all set up from the start. My theory is that if they really do go outside the top 36, then the wild card rounds are nothing more than extended live audition shows. I'd say Danny's friend and the homeless R&B chick are the two favorites to be brought back. Both were pimped pretty heavily, did well (or at least edited that way), didn't embarrass themselves, garnered a strong following, had good backstories, etc. Very possible this was all planned. I don't believe anything on this show happens without a specific reason or decision being made to cause it to happen that way.

What would be the point of this plan? What do they get out of keeping those 2 people (and others) out of the Top 36 if they believed they were better than some of the singers they let through? What benefit do they achieve by fast tracking capable singers to a "wildcard" round?

[Ksyrup]

A reason to get viewers to watch, and a shake-up of the rut the show has been in the past few seasons. They did this in Season 2, and one of the "fast-tracked" contestants made the top 12. They are looking for any reason to get viewership up. Hence, Normund Gentle:

Here’s what E Online had to say about Nick:

“Nick Mitchell’s Top 36 Inclusion Explained: In terms of total viewers, last night’s American Idol peaked in the 8:30 p.m. half-hour, scoring 25.1 million for Mitchell’s Norman Gentle aerobics, preliminary Nielsen estimates showed.”

This discussion may not matter anyway, since someone with AI says the judges will each pick 2 people from the top 36 for the wild card show, and those "8 or 9" people will perform. I'm not sure where the extra possible person comes in, if each chooses 2. But I guess we'll see.

[lordscarlet]

I would also say that it allows them to control who America routes for -- they can guarantee that Danny and Adam get early attention without distracting them with Jamar or someone else. They skyrocket peoples' opinions of the voted-for winners by putting them against mediocre hacks in the early round. Then they put in who they feel are "second tier" talent in the wildcard, and they have the final 12 they wanted without getting Sanjaya in the process.

[Scoobz0202]

I am hoping that a couple of the girls from last night get picked up in the wild card. A couple of them I see a lot of potential in, and I would be interested to see if they could grow or are just one dimensional.

[Ramzavail]

1. The first 3 people were awful. One worse than the other. Jeanine was a complete train wreck. She should have stayed in the background.

2. Norman Gentle, I used to think was funny, now he's just awful and nowhere near funny. Chicken legs, way off key and the worst joke rebuttal to Simon that didn't even make sense. Shut up. He's got to go. He should have never made it to the 36.

3. Alison was great but she's really weird and awkward and can't do an pre or post interview at all. Added bonus, she looks like one of those trolls we used to collect in the 80s.

4. Kris Allen, broke rule #1 by doing a Michael Jackson song, but he actually did an OK job with it. If he gets through, it was only b/c those around him were so bad.

5. Megan Corkrey, doing "the Corkrey" dance, which is really annoying. Isn't as beautiful as they all think, plus when does a sleeve tattoo = being relevant and unique?

6. Matt - I fell asleep, I don't care how much you love Tonic (see below, no responding)

7. Krusty the clown and Sideshow Bob - were awful. I hate that song and I was cringing when Krusty was telling us how she loves the electric drum claps. I cringe everytime a contestant responses to the judges. IMO - it should be shut up , take your medicine, smile, put up your number with your fingers, move on.

8. Mishavonna was awful, poor song choice, more snooze-fest.

9. Adam - God, I hate Adam. Randy hit it right on the head, it was so maniac and crazy. I thought it was REALLY REALLY bad. Again, they say he's relevant because he looks like an anime character yet he sings a 40 year old song?

Lastly, I couldn't help but think of Jon Lovitz in the wedding singer when thinking of Adam and his maniac "wooooo's"

YouTube - The Wedding Singer - Part 5 - fast forward to 4:00

Sophisticated MOMMA!

2 shows now and so many wrong songs.

I can make fun, if I was on national TV, I'd be free game.

[MJ4H]

Originally Posted by Ramzavail

5. Megan Corkrey, doing "the Corkrey" dance, which is really annoying. Isn't as beautiful as they all think, plus when does a sleeve tattoo = being relevant and unique?

dude she is straight up gorgeous

[lordscarlet]

Originally Posted by MJ4H

dude she is straight up gorgeous

+1

Well, I may not feel quite as strongly as MJ4H, but close.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by MJ4H

dude she is straight up gorgeous

+2

and tattoos like that on a chick are hawt

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by MJ4H

dude she is straight up gorgeous

+3, although I thought the dance was awkward and distracting.

[lordscarlet]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

+3, although I thought the dance was awkward and distracting.

That may be the factor that makes her not quite to the level MJ4H is exclaiming.

[wade moore]

One thing about Idol this year:

This thread is going to get really boring really fast if MJ4H is so agreeable this year .

[MJ4H]

hahahaha

[sabotai]

Yes, Megan is hot.

Yes, her performance was really, really boring.

[Ramzavail]

I don't see it.

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

+3, although I thought the dance was awkward and distracting.

[MJ4H]

Originally Posted by MJ4H

Allison easily the best tonight. Adam was probably the best of the guys, though I personally liked Kris Allen better. I think Allison and Adam should go through with the third slot going to either Megan (I think that was her name, the Corkrey girl) or Kris Allen. Outside chance of Kai or Mishavonna sneaking in, too.

Easy night to pick I think. Glad to see Kris made it over Megan, who I thought was actually not very good, just different. She missed several pitches and, as others have noted, was just awkward overall. I wouldn't mind seeing her get a second chance as none of the other girls really showed anything at all aside from a little potential from Mishavonna.

[sabotai]

I can see them giving Mishavonna and Megan another shot. They will probably give Matt a shot, too, since they all seem to love him.

[mtolson]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

Man, the clip was too funny. Serious LOL.

[AgustusM]

I hated all 12 performances wed night - worst AI I have ever seen. Didn't even watch one second of it tonight because I hated last night so much and don't care who makes it and I really didn't want to hear any of them sing again.

[Danny]

Kris, Adam and Allison would have been my choices as well. So far, the first 6 in the top 12 I am happy with and as long as Anoop gets in, I don't really care about anyone who hasn't gotten in