American Idol

[Solecismic]

The rumor is that he fell ill suddenly. But who knows. Maybe he's considered a professional because of the Invincible thing. Maybe he's even on the list to testify.

I like Nadia's style, but her voice is probably the weakest this side of Lindsey. Vonzell and Jessica don't really have a chance. Mikalah's a wild card because she's up and down and has a lot of personality. Carrie's the best voice among the women, but seems like someone who could really tank a week.

Among the men, I've been very impressed with Bo. Anwar has the fans, seems a little too polished and unexciting. Scott and Constantine are pretty bad, Nikko can be wildly inconsistent and prone to errors. Anthony has a lot of talent, but is a little too old to be cute.

I agree with the analysts that this is Bo's competition to lose. Anwar second. Nadia a very undeserving third. Carrie fourth and Anthony fifth.

[Rizon]

Does Nikko only get 2 days to practice, or do they hold them on for awhile as "backups"?

[Joe]

being a professional doesnt matter. It only matters if you're signed to a contract and have management. It's not an amateur competition.

[Eaglesfan27]

Over the age limit?

[Cuckoo]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

The rumor is that he fell ill suddenly. But who knows. Maybe he's considered a professional because of the Invincible thing. Maybe he's even on the list to testify.

I like Nadia's style, but her voice is probably the weakest this side of Lindsey. Vonzell and Jessica don't really have a chance. Mikalah's a wild card because she's up and down and has a lot of personality. Carrie's the best voice among the women, but seems like someone who could really tank a week.

Among the men, I've been very impressed with Bo. Anwar has the fans, seems a little too polished and unexciting. Scott and Constantine are pretty bad, Nikko can be wildly inconsistent and prone to errors. Anthony has a lot of talent, but is a little too old to be cute.

I agree with the analysts that this is Bo's competition to lose. Anwar second. Nadia a very undeserving third. Carrie fourth and Anthony fifth.

I agree with almost everything you said except that about Nikko. I thought he was the most consistent along with probably Nadia of them all, and I couldn't find a mistake for him. His weakness is his personality and was probably why he got booted last week, but I certainly never saw consistency as a problem for him.

[jbmagic]

Vazquez, 27, cited "personal reasons" for his withdrawal, Fox announced in a statement. The New York City singer, who works with emerging musical artists, had been picked by many fans and three fellow finalists as a favorite to win the competition.

Vazquez told TV Guide Online that he dropped out to "take care of some personal issues with my family in New York. And with 'Idol' being a live show, it just wouldn't have worked out schedule-wise."

He said his departure had nothing to do with Fox or the show itself.

"It's just a personal family thing," he told the Web site. "My family is my top priority."

[HomerJSimpson]

My wife read somewhere that he was unwilling to sign the final contract that gives AI "ownership" over the finalist for the next 2 years. I don't know how true that is (that he didn't want to sign. There is no doubt the contract stinks and others have complained about that).

[Arles]

Originally Posted by HomerJSimpson

My wife read somewhere that he was unwilling to sign the final contract that gives AI "ownership" over the finalist for the next 2 years. I don't know how true that is (that he didn't want to sign. There is no doubt the contract stinks and others have complained about that).

This certainly makes some sense. I've thought that at some point a person would purposefully lose later in the competition as they would have all the noteriaty from being in the competition, yet be free to sign with an agent and have options for a record.

IIRC, the moment you start with the final 12, you are required to sign some sort of contract to do the "Idol tour" even if you don't win.

[Ksyrup]

I also read some "insider reports" (i.e., gossip) along the same lines - that he wasn't enjoying himself and that he felt like going much further might actually hurt his career.

Here's my completely uneducated speculation - he's been compared more than once in the press to Justin Guarini, and we all know that he is known more as a butt of AI jokes than for his talent. Perhaps Mario was worried he would travel the same path and not have any control over his career, ultimately becoming damaged goods rather than having a successful career. He's already become well-known, so why not strike out on his own and start his career on his own terms?

I wonder if there is any requirement that they not have contact with other companies, agents, etc.? I wonder if making the top 12 was the cutoff, that he would have had to sign some sort of agreement selling his soul to them, and he didn't trust that if he made it to the end, they would put him on the track for a successful career.

Just "idol" speculation...

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Arles

IIRC, the moment you start with the final 12, you are required to sign some sort of contract to do the "Idol tour" even if you don't win.

OK, that's what I was thinking of.

[HomerJSimpson]

I think this will be the last year that a more firm contract is not signed before the final 12. If this guy is successful after this, this will become common practice if they dont tie them up earlier.

[KWhit]

Nadia rocks.

[TLK]

Originally Posted by KWhit

Nadia rocks.

Same with Bo.

[Eaglesfan27]

Nadia, Bo, and Vonzell are the only ones who I've enjoyed listening to tonight. The rest have sucked.

[KWhit]

I don't care for Vonzell at all, so I'm not with you on that one. But Bo was good and I love Anwar (even though he was only so-so tonight).

[Eaglesfan27]

Anwar is my favorite singer. He has a great voice and he seems like such a genuinely good person from what little I can see. I thought he was decent tonight and didn't mean to lump him in with the others.

I think Nikko is doing very well, particularly, when one considers he probably only had a few days to prepare.

[TLK]

The Good
1. Nadia
2. Bo
3. Constantine

The Bad
10. Jessica
11. Mikalah
12. Lindsay

The Ugly
Despite looking her best, Lindasy goes home tomorrow. She didn't sound too great tonight, and doesn't have any memorable performances to fall back on. The only other person I could see going, would be Niko. He didn't have the support to stay before, but turned in a decent showing tonight.... hopefully it'll be enough to stay.

edit: Top 12 Tonight (overall)
1. Nadia (1)
2. Bo (2)
3. Constantine (5)
4. Carrie (4)
5. Anwar (3)
6. Scott (7)
7. Anthony (9)
8. Vonzell (6)
9. Nikko (10)
10. Jessica (8)
11. Mikalah (11)
12. Lindsay (12)

[KWhit]

Originally Posted by TheLionKing

The Good
1. Nadia
2. Bo
3. Constantine

The Bad
10. Jessica
11. Mikalah
12. Lindsay

The Ugly
Despite looking her best, Lindasy goes home tomorrow. She didn't sound too great tonight, and doesn't have any memorable performances to fall back on. The only other person I could see going, would be Niko. He didn't have the support to stay before, but turned in a decent showing tonight.... hopefully it'll be enough to stay.

I agree with this pretty much, but I'd replace Constantine with Anwar (not so much from tonight's performance, but from the competition as a whole). And I have Anwar at #1 right now. If you are just going from tonight's performance, I'd have to put the blond country girl in at 3rd best.

[Easy Mac]

My list from the night... this is not overall, but just for tonight.
1. Bo
2. Scott
3. Constantine
4. Federov
5. Vonzell
6. Nadia
7. Anwar
8. Nikko
9. Carrie
10. Jessica
11. Mikalah
12. Lindsay

I really hope Carrie perks up a bit, becuase she's so damn cute I want to watch her every week. No logical reason Bo should lose. Scott needs some charisma, because he has a very good voice, but he just seems so scared or out of his element. Mikalah looked yummy from the waist to neck, but I can't listen to her at all. Lindsay is horrible. I hate Federov, but he was decent. Nadia Anwar had off nights, but I don't think they should win. Nikko sounded ok, but he has a lot of charisma. Constantine sounded his best since the Seal song (I really like that one). His voice is just too limited, though. Jessica sounded rough, and looked even worse.

[KWhit]

Here's my rankings for tonight only.

1) Nadia
2) Bo
3) Carrie
4) Scott
5) Anwar
6) Constantine
7) Nikko
8) Vonzell
9) Federov
10) Mikalah
11) Jessica
12) Lindsay

I'm pulling for Anwar.

[jbmagic]

how did show explain about Nikko coming back?

[Easy Mac]

Something about Jesus and a giant furry bunny with eggs.

[HomerJSimpson]

Here is mine:

1) Nadia
2) Anwar
3) Bo
4) Constantine
5) Carrie
6) Scott
7) Jessica
8) Vonzell
9) Federov
10) Lindsay
11) Nikko
12) Mikalah


I'm just not getting the love for Nikko. Is it because he is Ozzie's kid? I loved the Wizard of Oz, but his son sucks, has always sucked, and continued tonight to suck.

[FBPro]

I just CAN'T listen to Mikalah another week..........God PLEASE give us a hand with this one

[Ksyrup]

I was with Simon tonight - Nikko was horribly off. Federov is like a whiter version of Clay, if that is possible. I really like Anwar, but he's killing himself with bad song choices. He might as well be 40 years old.

Bo is clearly the best, even if he's a mismatch for the show. I shudder to think what they'll do to him if he wins. He needs to be in a band with a great song writer (I don't know well he writes, but I know that he does).

[Arles]

I think Federov will win.

I say Anwar looks like a Father out there and he goes out and chooses Burt Bacharat?! What's next - Perry Como? Carrie just doesn't have the voice or presence. Constantine is Justin with a slightly better voice (just slightly). Scott looks scared and will have an off-night, same with Vonzell. I thought Jessica was better, but she won't make it based on tonight. Nikko, Lindsay and Mikelah just are not that good.

That leaves Anthony, Bo and Nadia. Bo isn't a good fit for the contest and he will at some point have to sing a non-Bob Seger esque song. Nadia won't have the fan following Anthony will by the end and he will edge her out, IMO.

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by FBPro

I just CAN'T listen to Mikalah another week..........God PLEASE give us a hand with this one

Amen. If I have to hear Paula say how much she loves her voice again, I'm going to scream. I can't see it at all.

[RPI-Fan]

I hated the category tonight.

In fact, if somebody signs a song I haven't heard before (or don't recognize), they are almost always placed at the bottom of my list (unless they overwhelm me). Tonight, I MAYBE recognized one or two.

Not the performers' fault -- this one was the producers. Ah, well -- better to get it out of the way now, I guess.

[sabotai]

I recognized all of the songs....you sir, are out of touch with music!!!!

(Or it could be that I listen to the oldies station sometimes at work....one or the other. )

[Cuckoo]

Really strange to see the massively different opinions from mine. I still like Nikko, and I always have. It has nothing to do with the fact that he's Ozzie's son; I just think he has a nice quality to his performances, even without a huge voice.

And although he has one of the best voices in the competition, I'm just not a big fan of Anwar.

So far, I'd say:

Nadia
Bo
Carrie
Nikko
Federov
Anwar
Constantine
Jessica
Vonzell
Scott
Lindsay
Mikalah

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by RPI-Fan

I hated the category tonight.

In fact, if somebody signs a song I haven't heard before (or don't recognize), they are almost always placed at the bottom of my list (unless they overwhelm me). Tonight, I MAYBE recognized one or two.

Not the performers' fault -- this one was the producers. Ah, well -- better to get it out of the way now, I guess.

The bigger problem was that it was clear 75% of the contestants didn't know these songs until last week when they had to choose. Last night's show stunk, and it's because they forced the performers to sing songs they didn't know. Bo and Carrie rightly chose songs they had performed (pre-AI) before. You just can't get good performances out of people who not only have to learn how to sing the song in less than a week, but aren't familiar with the song to begin with.

And I hate to sound like Simon, but anyone who listened to Nikko last night and thought that vocally, he was on, must have turnips in his/her ears. He gave a good "performance," marred only by the fact that he barely hit 10% of the notes. That was almost as bad as Trent's ditty last week, except Nikko didn't beat box.

People get lulled to sleep by so many boring, safe ballad-type songs, that the minute someone shows a little energy on stage, the audience mistakes it for a great performance. Not always the case. I had my head cocked to the side and kept shaking my head/looking over at wife like "wtf?" during that whole performance, and was shocked only Simon called it right.

[Ksyrup]

And btw, I can't believe you only knew 2 of those songs. Really, there's no excuse for that. Go get yourself as music education! Not saying I liked all of those songs, but I was certainly familiar with them.

[Joe]

how can you not know songs from the temptations, jackson 5, smokey robinson & the mircales, etc., etc. Anyway, I think Nikko did a pretty good job for only having a few days between knowing he was in the competition and the monday taping of last night's show.

[cuervo72]

I thought the 60s was about as broad a category as you could get. You could have possibly had (ok, most songs probably wouldn't have been cleared, but whatever) most of Motown (Marvin Gaye, Aretha, Supremes, Smokey Robinson, etc), the Beatles, Who, Rolling Stones, Doors, Led Zepplin (ok, these would be mostly for Bo I guess ), Tina Turner, CCR, Stevie Wonder, Dylan, Elvis, Mamas & Papas, Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel, Ray Charles...

Nothing wrong with the *category*. Some of the song choices maybe. But to say there is a limited selection to choose from from the 1960's? Come on, RPI.

[cuervo72]

Dola - TOM JONES!!!!!

[KevinNU7]

Originally Posted by RPI-Fan

I hated the category tonight.

In fact, if somebody signs a song I haven't heard before (or don't recognize), they are almost always placed at the bottom of my list (unless they overwhelm me). Tonight, I MAYBE recognized one or two.

Not the performers' fault -- this one was the producers. Ah, well -- better to get it out of the way now, I guess.

I'm 24 and I knew atleast 8 of those songs

[TRO]

Mine:

Nadia
Bo
Carrie
Constantine (he did well last night but I still don't like him)
Anwar
Federov
Scott
Vonzell
Jessica
Nikko
Lindsay
Mikalah

Lindsay and Mikalah are the only two that I think did bad enough to deserve to get the boot, Mikalah especially.

[Ksyrup]

Mikalah's birth was enough for her to deserve to get the boot. Words don't adequately describe the loathing I have for her. It's nothing personal, it's just that every bit of her disgusts me.

[Flasch186]

Mikalah is awesome. Her belly, her ears....when she did the streisand song the other week....OMG, it was like a symphony. Ill bet she isn't materialistic at all. You can tell. She is so awesome....

the above is harder to type than it looks.

[HomerJSimpson]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

Mikalah is awesome. Her belly, her ears....when she did the streisand song the other week....OMG, it was like a symphony. Ill bet she isn't materialistic at all. You can tell. She is so awesome....

the above is harder to type than it looks.

You ARE a great actor.

[Ksyrup]

Does anyone know anything about her? I think she's from Vegas, but she must be originally from Drescherville.

[KevinNU7]

Every time she is talking I can't believe she isn't from Long Island. I think she is infatuted with Barbara Streisand and just started talking like her. If her normal talking voice wasn't so anoying she would actually be a good singer, when she goes very high and loses the crap accent she sounds good IMO.

I have to say I'm ashamed of her parents, the girl is 17 and her tits and stomach are hanging out all over the place, I wouldn't allow my daughter to dress like that. Are they trying to get the pedophile vote?

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by KevinNU7

Every time she is talking I can't believe she isn't from Long Island. I think she is infatuted with Barbara Streisand and just started talking like her. If her normal talking voice wasn't so anoying she would actually be a good singer, when she goes very high and loses the crap accent she sounds good IMO.

I have to say I'm ashamed of her parents, the girl is 17 and her tits and stomach are hanging out all over the place, I wouldn't allow my daughter to dress like that. Are they trying to get the pedophile vote?

I'd guess there are a ton of people from Vegas that aren't actually from Vegas, so it's quite possible she wasn't born there.

[Swaggs]

My wife gets physically revolted by the sight of Constantine. It is funny. When he gives his little looks to the camera, she gasps.

I can't stand Federov. He looks like he is wearing a helmet or something. I will vote for everyone else 10 times if it helps get him off.

[Ksyrup]

The only way I can describe Federov is that he's a whiter version of Clay. He's simply a Barry Manilow-type, unable to sing anything else with any kind of conviction or genuineness. If he wins, they're going to have a nightmare trying to promote 2 Manilows. There is only so much schlock sung by 20 year olds that 50 year old women can take.

[HomerJSimpson]

Originally Posted by Swaggs

I will vote for everyone else 10 times if it helps get him off.

Kinky.

[Cuckoo]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

That was almost as bad as Trent's ditty last week, except Nikko didn't beat box.

I would say that I respectfully disagree, but given how I seem to never agree with your musical tastes, I'll remove the respectfully.

Anyone who thinks that was as bad as Travis (I think is who you meant) last week, has a whole garden of vegetables in their ears.

[Flasch186]

i asked GF if any women would find Constantinople good looking and she said possibly until he makes a gesture or puts his haird behind his ear or winks, or basically moves. tough to sing in a box but perhaps he should try it.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Cuckoo

I would say that I respectfully disagree, but given how I seem to never agree with your musical tastes, I'll remove the respectfully.

Anyone who thinks that was as bad as Travis (I think is who you meant) last week, has a whole garden of vegetables in their ears.

Honestly, I'm with Simon. I don't see how everyone listening to that didn't cringe through every awful note. It wasn't a bad overall performance (I'll give him points for not being boring), just a bad vocal performance. Maybe his energetic, half-singing, half-out of breath vocals masked how badly he was out of tune.

[Cuckoo]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Honestly, I'm with Simon. I don't see how everyone listening to that didn't cringe through every awful note. It wasn't a bad overall performance (I'll give him points for not being boring), just a bad vocal performance. Maybe his energetic, half-singing, half-out of breath vocals masked how badly he was out of tune.

I don't necessarily disagree with you, although I think you're just exaggerating it a little bit. There's no question, at least to me, that Nikko does not have the best voice in the competition, not even close. However, I think he is ten times the performer that many of them are. And when I'm looking at a type of music that I probably wouldn't listen to anyway, I look more for something that is unique than just pure vocal quality.

Like you said in one of your earlier posts, there's only so much I can take of that mediocre ballad singing that goes on in much of this thing. So when someone has some energy and offers a good performance (very, very unlike Travis), I want that person to stay in for my own sanity.