Well, tonight is that night of the week on AI when someone goes home.
The Idols opened the show as usual. Pretty cool. Crystal Bowersox performed.
Haley was up first. We got a new format where we saw last night's performance along with the judges critiques. Then we get Iovine's opinion on where he thinks the singer is at. I like the new format. Haley is safe.
Scotty called next. Ryan told him to wait for his verdict. Scotty seemed surprised by this. Lauren called next & told to wait for her verdict as well. The talked about young frontrunners are being made to sweat it out while they wait.
Casey was called up & made to wait too. James was called up, but he was told he's safe.
Jacob up next. Scotty, Lauren & Casey called up to join Jacob. Lauren safe.
Bruno Mars performed his new single "The lazy song". Cool performance.
Jacob was told he's safe! Casey & Scotty in the bottom 2. Casey out! I read on Twitter that what we saw wasn't necessarily the bottom 2 but it's good to see them make the Idols feel the heat a little, in case they are getting too complacent or confident. Sad to Casey go but he's left his mark on the show and had lots of great moments. It will be interesting to see where his career goes as he's not a typical Idol. I'll be following his career. Good luck to him!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
American Idol does Carole King
Tonight's show was the Idols doing Carole King songs. The show opened with a Carole King history segment. Very cool.
We were shown that the mentor in the studio this week was Babyface, nice history segment on him.
Jacob opened the show with "Oh no, not my baby". Really good. I like how much Jacob was moving and enjoying the song.
Lauren went next and did "Where you lead". Really good. I like how she performed. Beforehand, we saw that she met her Idol Miley in the studio. Miley gave her (and all aspiring artists ) good advice.
Casey & Haley did "I feel the earth move". Really good by the not so secret Idol couple. ;)
Scotty did "You've got a friend". Really nice. He was given good advice to use a different voice for the song and he did with a real nice result. For those of you who know my VR material, they know I covered this song on our "Desecration of an Innocent World" album so I have a warm spot in my heart for this song.
James did "Will you still love me tomorrow". He did the song acapella to begin, then he went into a cool rock vibe for the rest of the song. I really liked it. Really good. Best of the night IMO.
Lauren & Scotty did "Up on the roof". They sounded nice together although Lauren outshined Scotty. She's definitely gaining confidence in herself and her abilities.
Casey went next. He was solid and had a nice cool vibe to his song.
Haley did "Beautiful". Really good.
Jacob & James ended the show with a duet. That was rather strange since the show usually ends with an Idol performing. They sounded good.
Everyone sounded good this week so picking a bottom 3 is rather difficult if we were going on that and not the past. But going on the past, I will have to say that the bottom 3 will consist of the 3 that have been there - Jacob, Casey & Haley. I think it could go either way but I think Haley will be safe and Jacob will go home. :(
We were shown that the mentor in the studio this week was Babyface, nice history segment on him.
Jacob opened the show with "Oh no, not my baby". Really good. I like how much Jacob was moving and enjoying the song.
Lauren went next and did "Where you lead". Really good. I like how she performed. Beforehand, we saw that she met her Idol Miley in the studio. Miley gave her (and all aspiring artists ) good advice.
Casey & Haley did "I feel the earth move". Really good by the not so secret Idol couple. ;)
Scotty did "You've got a friend". Really nice. He was given good advice to use a different voice for the song and he did with a real nice result. For those of you who know my VR material, they know I covered this song on our "Desecration of an Innocent World" album so I have a warm spot in my heart for this song.
James did "Will you still love me tomorrow". He did the song acapella to begin, then he went into a cool rock vibe for the rest of the song. I really liked it. Really good. Best of the night IMO.
Lauren & Scotty did "Up on the roof". They sounded nice together although Lauren outshined Scotty. She's definitely gaining confidence in herself and her abilities.
Casey went next. He was solid and had a nice cool vibe to his song.
Haley did "Beautiful". Really good.
Jacob & James ended the show with a duet. That was rather strange since the show usually ends with an Idol performing. They sounded good.
Everyone sounded good this week so picking a bottom 3 is rather difficult if we were going on that and not the past. But going on the past, I will have to say that the bottom 3 will consist of the 3 that have been there - Jacob, Casey & Haley. I think it could go either way but I think Haley will be safe and Jacob will go home. :(
Proud Dad!
I'M SO PROUD. My daughter was secretly nominated by her school and was told today that she was chosen as 1 of the Top 20 Latino students in NYC by the Hispanic Achievement Awards. She will receive her award in a pre-game on-field ceremony on Saturday and we'll spend the rest of the game as guests in one of their skysuites. Enemy territory for us since we're Mets fans but its for a good cause!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
American Idol sends another home
It's that time of the week when Idol sends someone home.
The show began with Jacob, Haley, Stefano & Lauren singing Train's "Hey soul sister". Very nice, tight harmonies.
Casey, Scotty & James did Coldplay's "Viva la vida". Individually they sounded really good. Together they had good harmonies.
Casey & Jacob called on first - Jacob in the bottom 3 :(
David Cook performed.
Lauren, James & Stefano called up. Stefano in the bottom.
Haley & Scotty called up last. Haley in bottom :( Ryan told Haley she was safe.
Katy Perry did ET.
Stefano goes home. Will be interesting to see where his career goes. He made a lot of fans on the show, including one lady judge! Lol.
The show began with Jacob, Haley, Stefano & Lauren singing Train's "Hey soul sister". Very nice, tight harmonies.
Casey, Scotty & James did Coldplay's "Viva la vida". Individually they sounded really good. Together they had good harmonies.
Casey & Jacob called on first - Jacob in the bottom 3 :(
David Cook performed.
Lauren, James & Stefano called up. Stefano in the bottom.
Haley & Scotty called up last. Haley in bottom :( Ryan told Haley she was safe.
Katy Perry did ET.
Stefano goes home. Will be interesting to see where his career goes. He made a lot of fans on the show, including one lady judge! Lol.
American Idol does 21st century songs
So last night AI did 21st Century songs which is rather lame since it just basically means recent songs. However, it does show us what type of artist the contestants think they might be. Better they call it influences night.
The night began with Pink's "So what" done by Paul, Pia, Thia, Naima, Ashthon. It was just bad. I've seen better sung and performed pieces at theme parks. I don't know what Naima was doing but it was just too young and amateur for her to be doing that. I was disappointed by her performance. Thia was invisible again next to the others. She has to fix that somehow as she moves forward in her career. Karen was ok for what this was, she looked great through. Ashthon looked great as well with her new look but her solo debuted some baby voice that is way beneath her vocal abilities. Paul sounded cool in the song until he paired up with Pia. They did not sound good together at all. Pia sounded and looked great as usual. Weird seeing the castoffs in a song since the songs are usually things we see in preview of seeing it all again on the Idols tour. Not a good way to start the night. Very amateurish.
The show finally got under way and before each singer's time on stage we saw a video package of the other Idols giving their funny and sometimes LOL thoughts on their fellow contestant. Scotty got the treatment for his weird mic holding and head tilting. I think Haley said it best that she thinks he was a flutist in another life. LOL!! Scotty did Leann Rimes' "Swingin'". I thought it was going to be rough since Leann's song is fast but I liked the arrangement they came up with. I did find his vocals good for the arrangement albeit a bit boring.
James did Muse's "Uprising". I really liked his look & how he did the song vocally. I was expecting it to be even more over the top and theatrical but it was still really good.
Haley did Adele's "Rolling in the deep". Very good! There were parts in there that were even better than the original. Haley has been coming on strong in recent weeks!
Jacob did Luther's "Dance with my father". Very good as usual. Since it was a tribute to his father and he had already broken down doing it in the studio, I was expecting him to be more emotional in this song but he was able to reel it in. I thought it was a good moment when we saw Iovine relate to Jacob and open up a little.
Casey did Maroon 5's "Harder to breathe". It was ok vocals for me. He did take the opportunity to kiss JLo though. He won because he can always claim that! I'm sure JLo felt Casey kiss her but was thinking of Stefano instead! Lol.
Stefano did Neyo's "Closer". Really good.
Lauren did Sara Evans' "Born to fly". Very good. I really liked it. I was pleasantly surprised to see the judges challenge her to let herself fully shine. I always thought Lauren knew how good she was but when watching her listen to the judges, Lauren looked like she really didn't know and the teary eyes we've seen of her on elimination nights when she's called up is actual fear of being eliminated. I don't think she has to worry though. If she does let loose, watch out.
Everyone was pretty good last night so it's hard to say who will be out. I think the bottom 3 will be Casey, Stefano and Haley. I think Haley will be safe and Stefano will go home, although Casey going home wouldn't surprise me.
The night began with Pink's "So what" done by Paul, Pia, Thia, Naima, Ashthon. It was just bad. I've seen better sung and performed pieces at theme parks. I don't know what Naima was doing but it was just too young and amateur for her to be doing that. I was disappointed by her performance. Thia was invisible again next to the others. She has to fix that somehow as she moves forward in her career. Karen was ok for what this was, she looked great through. Ashthon looked great as well with her new look but her solo debuted some baby voice that is way beneath her vocal abilities. Paul sounded cool in the song until he paired up with Pia. They did not sound good together at all. Pia sounded and looked great as usual. Weird seeing the castoffs in a song since the songs are usually things we see in preview of seeing it all again on the Idols tour. Not a good way to start the night. Very amateurish.
The show finally got under way and before each singer's time on stage we saw a video package of the other Idols giving their funny and sometimes LOL thoughts on their fellow contestant. Scotty got the treatment for his weird mic holding and head tilting. I think Haley said it best that she thinks he was a flutist in another life. LOL!! Scotty did Leann Rimes' "Swingin'". I thought it was going to be rough since Leann's song is fast but I liked the arrangement they came up with. I did find his vocals good for the arrangement albeit a bit boring.
James did Muse's "Uprising". I really liked his look & how he did the song vocally. I was expecting it to be even more over the top and theatrical but it was still really good.
Haley did Adele's "Rolling in the deep". Very good! There were parts in there that were even better than the original. Haley has been coming on strong in recent weeks!
Jacob did Luther's "Dance with my father". Very good as usual. Since it was a tribute to his father and he had already broken down doing it in the studio, I was expecting him to be more emotional in this song but he was able to reel it in. I thought it was a good moment when we saw Iovine relate to Jacob and open up a little.
Casey did Maroon 5's "Harder to breathe". It was ok vocals for me. He did take the opportunity to kiss JLo though. He won because he can always claim that! I'm sure JLo felt Casey kiss her but was thinking of Stefano instead! Lol.
Stefano did Neyo's "Closer". Really good.
Lauren did Sara Evans' "Born to fly". Very good. I really liked it. I was pleasantly surprised to see the judges challenge her to let herself fully shine. I always thought Lauren knew how good she was but when watching her listen to the judges, Lauren looked like she really didn't know and the teary eyes we've seen of her on elimination nights when she's called up is actual fear of being eliminated. I don't think she has to worry though. If she does let loose, watch out.
Everyone was pretty good last night so it's hard to say who will be out. I think the bottom 3 will be Casey, Stefano and Haley. I think Haley will be safe and Stefano will go home, although Casey going home wouldn't surprise me.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Another Idol hopeful goes home
Well, another going home tonight. Should be interesting who is in the bottom and who goes home.
Lauren & Scotty did "American Honey". Lauren sounded great but I thought Scotty was pitchy and brought the song down.
Haley & Casey did "Moaning". Haley looked and sounded great. Very stylistic song by both. They sounded good together.
Lauren, Scotty, Haley & Casey were called up first. Haley in the bottom 3.
Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson (who looked great!) did their #1 hit single "Don't you want to stay". Kelly looked to be having a godo time being back on Idol.
Jacob, Paul, James & Stefano did "Mrs. Robinson". Then Ryan told Stefano & Paul that they were in the bottom 3.
Rihanna performed "California King Bed". I really like this song. She looked great. Cool to see 80s rock band Extreme's Nuno Betancourt playing guitar in her band. One of my favorite 80s era guitarists.
Ryan got to the results. Haley was safe. Paul sent home. Unfortunately I wasn't surprised as I had predicted he would go home.
Lauren & Scotty did "American Honey". Lauren sounded great but I thought Scotty was pitchy and brought the song down.
Haley & Casey did "Moaning". Haley looked and sounded great. Very stylistic song by both. They sounded good together.
Lauren, Scotty, Haley & Casey were called up first. Haley in the bottom 3.
Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson (who looked great!) did their #1 hit single "Don't you want to stay". Kelly looked to be having a godo time being back on Idol.
Jacob, Paul, James & Stefano did "Mrs. Robinson". Then Ryan told Stefano & Paul that they were in the bottom 3.
Rihanna performed "California King Bed". I really like this song. She looked great. Cool to see 80s rock band Extreme's Nuno Betancourt playing guitar in her band. One of my favorite 80s era guitarists.
Ryan got to the results. Haley was safe. Paul sent home. Unfortunately I wasn't surprised as I had predicted he would go home.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
American Idol does movie songs
The show began with Ryan telling the audience that JLo was named People's most beautiful woman in the world.
It was movie song night. Should be interesting to see what the Idols pick.
Paul did Bob Seger's "Old time rock n roll". I like Paul a lot but I found it to be like a theme park style performance. Just trying too hard to be the show opener.
Lauren did Miley Cyrus' "The Climb". It was ok but I did not like it more than Miley's version. Iovine's comment that she can do it better than Miley probably didn't help as it put that in people's heads of comparing the two more than listening to Lauren's version.
Stefano did Boyz II Men's "End of the road". Stefano has to learn to dress like an artist and not look like he's going to go play basketball or hang out. Especially for the style of songs he does. Look the part, it will help him stamp his image to his performing. Good vocals. 1st performance of the night I liked.
Scotty did George Strait's "I cross my heart"". Nice vocals but nothing new.
Casey did Nat King Cole's "Nature boy". I like that he stuck to his guns and didn't let Iovine change his song. Casey made the artistic choice like a true artist should. I can see what Iovine was saying about it playing small compared to the other performances but Casey's performance was damn cool for Idol.
Haley did Blondie's "Call me". I really liked it! Vocals were really good. That is not an easy song to sing. I didn't agree with Randy or JLo. Karaoke? No way. I can understand them saying that it wasn't a songwriter style song as compared to the others but she was definitely strutting her vocal chops with that song.
Jacob did "Bridge over troubled water". Iovine rightfully scolded him for preaching to America last week before doing his song and it resulting in his being in the bottom 3. I hope Jacob has absorbed that lesson fully but he seems the type that does learn from his mistakes. He started off slow and had a slow buildup but there was a nice payoff at the end. Has America forgiven him though or have they written him off for his comments last week? That will remain to be seen. The public can be fickle and easily turned off. It can take a lot to win them back.
James did Sammy Hagar's "Heavy metal". Stuck to his guns about doing the song but sounded ignorant about the business in explaining himself to Iovine and Will.i.am. Hopefully a lesson learned for him! Iovine was having a rough night with some of the Idols rebeling against his advice. Not what they'll be able to do under his or most labels so they better not get used to that. Anyway, cool performance although I don't know how it will be received. Zakk Wylde!!! Enough said. I like that James is flying the metal flag for all us rockers out there.
On a side note, I agree with the criticism that the judges are being too nice with the contestants. Only Iovine is being tough with them. The judges need to give more critique on the vocals and performances. Also, I found myself watching with some disinterest for the first time ever last night. Having Pia eliminated, Jacob in the bottom 3 and some anonymous sources saying that Scotty and Lauren are always in the top 2 votes really makes me question the credibility of this season's Idol. Great talent to be sure but something seems to be wrong with their system. X-Factor must be salivating at this thought and looking at AI's ratings this week carefully.
Bottom 3 - Paul, Haley and Jacob. Casey could also be in danger. I think Paul goes home.
It was movie song night. Should be interesting to see what the Idols pick.
Paul did Bob Seger's "Old time rock n roll". I like Paul a lot but I found it to be like a theme park style performance. Just trying too hard to be the show opener.
Lauren did Miley Cyrus' "The Climb". It was ok but I did not like it more than Miley's version. Iovine's comment that she can do it better than Miley probably didn't help as it put that in people's heads of comparing the two more than listening to Lauren's version.
Stefano did Boyz II Men's "End of the road". Stefano has to learn to dress like an artist and not look like he's going to go play basketball or hang out. Especially for the style of songs he does. Look the part, it will help him stamp his image to his performing. Good vocals. 1st performance of the night I liked.
Scotty did George Strait's "I cross my heart"". Nice vocals but nothing new.
Casey did Nat King Cole's "Nature boy". I like that he stuck to his guns and didn't let Iovine change his song. Casey made the artistic choice like a true artist should. I can see what Iovine was saying about it playing small compared to the other performances but Casey's performance was damn cool for Idol.
Haley did Blondie's "Call me". I really liked it! Vocals were really good. That is not an easy song to sing. I didn't agree with Randy or JLo. Karaoke? No way. I can understand them saying that it wasn't a songwriter style song as compared to the others but she was definitely strutting her vocal chops with that song.
Jacob did "Bridge over troubled water". Iovine rightfully scolded him for preaching to America last week before doing his song and it resulting in his being in the bottom 3. I hope Jacob has absorbed that lesson fully but he seems the type that does learn from his mistakes. He started off slow and had a slow buildup but there was a nice payoff at the end. Has America forgiven him though or have they written him off for his comments last week? That will remain to be seen. The public can be fickle and easily turned off. It can take a lot to win them back.
James did Sammy Hagar's "Heavy metal". Stuck to his guns about doing the song but sounded ignorant about the business in explaining himself to Iovine and Will.i.am. Hopefully a lesson learned for him! Iovine was having a rough night with some of the Idols rebeling against his advice. Not what they'll be able to do under his or most labels so they better not get used to that. Anyway, cool performance although I don't know how it will be received. Zakk Wylde!!! Enough said. I like that James is flying the metal flag for all us rockers out there.
On a side note, I agree with the criticism that the judges are being too nice with the contestants. Only Iovine is being tough with them. The judges need to give more critique on the vocals and performances. Also, I found myself watching with some disinterest for the first time ever last night. Having Pia eliminated, Jacob in the bottom 3 and some anonymous sources saying that Scotty and Lauren are always in the top 2 votes really makes me question the credibility of this season's Idol. Great talent to be sure but something seems to be wrong with their system. X-Factor must be salivating at this thought and looking at AI's ratings this week carefully.
Bottom 3 - Paul, Haley and Jacob. Casey could also be in danger. I think Paul goes home.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
American Idol shocker!
The show started innocently enough with a rock medley by the Idols.
Stefano, Casey & Lauren were called up first. As I predicted, Stefano was in the bottom 3.
Idol alum Constantine performed "Unchained melody".
Paul, Pia & Scotty were called up next. Scotty was told he was safe. Paul looked resigned to the bottom 3 next to Pia but he was told he was safe! Pia? Pia in the bottom 3? What the hell? Ok, calm down I said to myself. No disrespect to Stefano but he was still there so all was good. Pia would just get a scare.
Then they showed us a TMZ media training segment. Ok.
James, Haley and Jacob up last. James safe. Haley looked resigned to being in the bottom 3 like Paul but just like Paul it was front-runner Jacob who was in the bottom 3! Jacob in the bottom 3? Talent-wise I don't see it but I can see it for him telling America that if they didn't like his performance, they need to look in the mirror. That wasn't a wise decision to say that on a show where you are looking for votes. Looks like he turned a lot of people off with that, he'll have to get himself back in people's good graces and stay away from arrogant comments like that.
Iggy Pop performed. Whose idea was that? Iggy Pop is not PG friendly and they wound up not being able to do close-ups on him, cutting away and censoring him. Iggy was just doing his thing but I don't think that's appropriate for this show. Just stupid. Makes AI look desperate for water cooler moments. More on that in a bit.
Results in. Jacob was told he was safe. Lesson learned I hope. Pia and Stefano, Pia out! The judges and audience were stunned & angry. I, like the audience and judges, was stunned. America got it wrong. BIGTIME. Pia is hands down the most polished and talented singer on the show. She will be the biggest star to emerge from this season and although she's out, she'll be just fine. She has a HUGE career ahead. I absolutely detested that the AI producers played up her dedicating things to her grandfather in her video package, all the while getting as good a close-up on her as they could in the hopes they would get her crying. To her credit, Pia did not give them that satisfaction. She kept it together till the show was over and had Jacob to bawl into. :(
Why was she out? I've heard lots of theories today, lots with some truth to them - girls don't vote for girls, they vote for the cutest guys; that the judges didn't push her to own the stage more; that voters felt she was going to be fine either way and voted for others more in danger; that since texting came into the vogue as a way to vote and became cheaper to do, girls have had problems on AI as girls vote for the guys; here's something that I don't see being mentioned though - what if it was done for ratings? The Casey watercooler moment was huge and spoken about all the way up to the next show. For TV, that's big especially with X Factor around the corner. Could the producers have played us all with the Casey moment? To show that this season's show is very unpredictable. In all my years watching AI since the beginning, America has never been this unpredictable or inconsistent with the contestants. When the Casey show began, Ryan advised us to stay tuned to the very end and that it would be a shocking vote. The producers knew the judges would use the save. They also know what a front-runner being voted out would do for the show's ratings as being unpredictable. As is the camera on Pia's face to catch some tears. All for ratings. This is a TV show after all. However, it can also be said that to get rid of a front-runner can be dangerous to ratings as people can get turned off to even watching. Right now, I think it's a very perilous time for AI. They had so much goodwill going with this cast of contestants and the new judges. All that can be gone right now as people seem truly disturbed that someone with Pia's talent could be ousted. This upset goes down in AI's history with the likes of Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson. Just like those 2, I predict she will far outshine whoever wins the show this season. Team Pia!
Stefano, Casey & Lauren were called up first. As I predicted, Stefano was in the bottom 3.
Idol alum Constantine performed "Unchained melody".
Paul, Pia & Scotty were called up next. Scotty was told he was safe. Paul looked resigned to the bottom 3 next to Pia but he was told he was safe! Pia? Pia in the bottom 3? What the hell? Ok, calm down I said to myself. No disrespect to Stefano but he was still there so all was good. Pia would just get a scare.
Then they showed us a TMZ media training segment. Ok.
James, Haley and Jacob up last. James safe. Haley looked resigned to being in the bottom 3 like Paul but just like Paul it was front-runner Jacob who was in the bottom 3! Jacob in the bottom 3? Talent-wise I don't see it but I can see it for him telling America that if they didn't like his performance, they need to look in the mirror. That wasn't a wise decision to say that on a show where you are looking for votes. Looks like he turned a lot of people off with that, he'll have to get himself back in people's good graces and stay away from arrogant comments like that.
Iggy Pop performed. Whose idea was that? Iggy Pop is not PG friendly and they wound up not being able to do close-ups on him, cutting away and censoring him. Iggy was just doing his thing but I don't think that's appropriate for this show. Just stupid. Makes AI look desperate for water cooler moments. More on that in a bit.
Results in. Jacob was told he was safe. Lesson learned I hope. Pia and Stefano, Pia out! The judges and audience were stunned & angry. I, like the audience and judges, was stunned. America got it wrong. BIGTIME. Pia is hands down the most polished and talented singer on the show. She will be the biggest star to emerge from this season and although she's out, she'll be just fine. She has a HUGE career ahead. I absolutely detested that the AI producers played up her dedicating things to her grandfather in her video package, all the while getting as good a close-up on her as they could in the hopes they would get her crying. To her credit, Pia did not give them that satisfaction. She kept it together till the show was over and had Jacob to bawl into. :(
Why was she out? I've heard lots of theories today, lots with some truth to them - girls don't vote for girls, they vote for the cutest guys; that the judges didn't push her to own the stage more; that voters felt she was going to be fine either way and voted for others more in danger; that since texting came into the vogue as a way to vote and became cheaper to do, girls have had problems on AI as girls vote for the guys; here's something that I don't see being mentioned though - what if it was done for ratings? The Casey watercooler moment was huge and spoken about all the way up to the next show. For TV, that's big especially with X Factor around the corner. Could the producers have played us all with the Casey moment? To show that this season's show is very unpredictable. In all my years watching AI since the beginning, America has never been this unpredictable or inconsistent with the contestants. When the Casey show began, Ryan advised us to stay tuned to the very end and that it would be a shocking vote. The producers knew the judges would use the save. They also know what a front-runner being voted out would do for the show's ratings as being unpredictable. As is the camera on Pia's face to catch some tears. All for ratings. This is a TV show after all. However, it can also be said that to get rid of a front-runner can be dangerous to ratings as people can get turned off to even watching. Right now, I think it's a very perilous time for AI. They had so much goodwill going with this cast of contestants and the new judges. All that can be gone right now as people seem truly disturbed that someone with Pia's talent could be ousted. This upset goes down in AI's history with the likes of Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson. Just like those 2, I predict she will far outshine whoever wins the show this season. Team Pia!
American Idol does songs from the Rock n Roll HOF
Interesting theme we got last night for Idol. Songs from the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. Lots of great music and good choices in there.
We were shown that Gwen Stefani helped the contestants with their wardrobe choices this week. Lots of hit and misses in that department this week.
Will.i.am helped mentor the contestants in the studio and he gave some good advice for the most part.
Jacob did MJ's "Man in the mirror". This is one of my all-time favorite songs. Everything about it, the lyrics, the music, MJ's vocals - just everything a song should be. Jacob did the song justice, he was very good! I'm glad that he changed to this song from the song he first thought of doing. It's good that he stuck to his convictions and a song he believed in more than just a song he could sing well. I admire that. That's the sign of an artist.
Haley did Joplin's "Piece of my heart". For this song she was very good but she has to get away from the constant annoying growling she does and just sing. The song choice was rather typical since the judges have mentioned Joplin to her before. I would've preferred to see her do something different than what was expected.
Casey did CCR's "Have you ever seen the rain" while playing the upright bass. Nice moody vocals and performance. Very cool vibe.
Lauren did Aretha's "Natural woman". It was her best performance so far. She looked great makeup -wise, outfit wise there was potential there but too much going on. You could definitely see the Stefani influence there. Kelly Clarkson's rendition of this song in season 1 is still Idol's standard for which anyone who tries to do this song will be judged.
James did George Harrison's "While my guitar gently weeps". Very nice, love how he ended it strong.
Scotty did Elvis. Good vocals but his mic holding is strange. It gets to the point that it's distracting from his performance. At this point I'd rather hear Scotty, than see him. That will make for good radio songs from him at least! ;)
Pia did a fast song finally. Not the best song but she worked it out. Slower songs are definitely her strength. The outfit was horrible IMO.
Stefano did Percy Sledge's "When a man loves a woman". It was a nice performance. I like the emotion he shows. JLo's intent stare while he was performing was funny! I think JLo had all her people on the phones to vote after the show! She is most definitely his cougar fan!
Paul did Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues". Very energetic. Nice vocals.
Although the song choices didn't turn out to be as good as I had hoped, the performances were all good to very good. Not a stinker in the bunch which makes picking the bottom 2 very difficult this week. With that said, I will go with 2 who have been in the bottom 2 before. Stefano and Haley. Paul could also be in danger. Jen won't be happy but I think Stefano goes home tonight.
We were shown that Gwen Stefani helped the contestants with their wardrobe choices this week. Lots of hit and misses in that department this week.
Will.i.am helped mentor the contestants in the studio and he gave some good advice for the most part.
Jacob did MJ's "Man in the mirror". This is one of my all-time favorite songs. Everything about it, the lyrics, the music, MJ's vocals - just everything a song should be. Jacob did the song justice, he was very good! I'm glad that he changed to this song from the song he first thought of doing. It's good that he stuck to his convictions and a song he believed in more than just a song he could sing well. I admire that. That's the sign of an artist.
Haley did Joplin's "Piece of my heart". For this song she was very good but she has to get away from the constant annoying growling she does and just sing. The song choice was rather typical since the judges have mentioned Joplin to her before. I would've preferred to see her do something different than what was expected.
Casey did CCR's "Have you ever seen the rain" while playing the upright bass. Nice moody vocals and performance. Very cool vibe.
Lauren did Aretha's "Natural woman". It was her best performance so far. She looked great makeup -wise, outfit wise there was potential there but too much going on. You could definitely see the Stefani influence there. Kelly Clarkson's rendition of this song in season 1 is still Idol's standard for which anyone who tries to do this song will be judged.
James did George Harrison's "While my guitar gently weeps". Very nice, love how he ended it strong.
Scotty did Elvis. Good vocals but his mic holding is strange. It gets to the point that it's distracting from his performance. At this point I'd rather hear Scotty, than see him. That will make for good radio songs from him at least! ;)
Pia did a fast song finally. Not the best song but she worked it out. Slower songs are definitely her strength. The outfit was horrible IMO.
Stefano did Percy Sledge's "When a man loves a woman". It was a nice performance. I like the emotion he shows. JLo's intent stare while he was performing was funny! I think JLo had all her people on the phones to vote after the show! She is most definitely his cougar fan!
Paul did Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues". Very energetic. Nice vocals.
Although the song choices didn't turn out to be as good as I had hoped, the performances were all good to very good. Not a stinker in the bunch which makes picking the bottom 2 very difficult this week. With that said, I will go with 2 who have been in the bottom 2 before. Stefano and Haley. Paul could also be in danger. Jen won't be happy but I think Stefano goes home tonight.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
American Idol - 2 go home in 1 night
The show began with a video segment that said we will be shocked by who goes home. Sounds like it will be an interesting night!
Scotty & Lauren did a duet of Carrie Underwood's "I told you so". It was really good! Too bad we didn't know it at the time, so we could relish it more but this turned out to be the best performance of the night, established artists included. Afterwards, both were told they were safe.
Naima & Jacob did Ashford & Simpson's "Solid". It was not. Very karaoke. Naima deservedly in the bottom 3 after last night's mess.
Fantasia sang. That's all I will say about that! :x
Haley, Pia & Thia did Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream". Haley oversang it. It's like Haley doesn't know any better of when to go for it and when to just sing. It's getting rather annoying. Pia easily outclassed her with her pure tone when it came to her part in the song. Thia had no solo part, that probably was a hint. Thia in the bottom 3.
2 for 2 with my predictions about the bottom 3. I'm glad America heard what I heard.
Paul, James, Casey & Stefano did a poorly rehearsed medley. Either that or it was just sloppy as hell. They did sound good when they got to "Band on the run" though.
Afterwards, James was told he was safe and Stefano and Paul were left to sweat. I had mentioned those two would probably be in danger as well. America! You and me are in sync! ;) Paul in bottom 3.
Jamie Foxx & Will.I.am performed a song for the upcoming movie "Rio".
Ryan, who called himself the "buzzkill" (What? Did I hear him use the wrestler nickname I gave him in a previous post?), told us the results and Naima & Thia were sent home. Paul is safe. He better pick better songs for his voice from now on.
Scotty & Lauren did a duet of Carrie Underwood's "I told you so". It was really good! Too bad we didn't know it at the time, so we could relish it more but this turned out to be the best performance of the night, established artists included. Afterwards, both were told they were safe.
Naima & Jacob did Ashford & Simpson's "Solid". It was not. Very karaoke. Naima deservedly in the bottom 3 after last night's mess.
Fantasia sang. That's all I will say about that! :x
Haley, Pia & Thia did Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream". Haley oversang it. It's like Haley doesn't know any better of when to go for it and when to just sing. It's getting rather annoying. Pia easily outclassed her with her pure tone when it came to her part in the song. Thia had no solo part, that probably was a hint. Thia in the bottom 3.
2 for 2 with my predictions about the bottom 3. I'm glad America heard what I heard.
Paul, James, Casey & Stefano did a poorly rehearsed medley. Either that or it was just sloppy as hell. They did sound good when they got to "Band on the run" though.
Afterwards, James was told he was safe and Stefano and Paul were left to sweat. I had mentioned those two would probably be in danger as well. America! You and me are in sync! ;) Paul in bottom 3.
Jamie Foxx & Will.I.am performed a song for the upcoming movie "Rio".
Ryan, who called himself the "buzzkill" (What? Did I hear him use the wrestler nickname I gave him in a previous post?), told us the results and Naima & Thia were sent home. Paul is safe. He better pick better songs for his voice from now on.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
American Idol does Elton John
Last night the Idols tackled Elton John songs so of course the show began with an Elton John retrospective which was very cool to see. Doing Elton John songs when 2 contestants are going home just upped the pressure even more than usual. EJ songs are not easy, especially those early in his career when he was able to sing in a higher range.
Scotty went first. Did a solid job as usual but I agree with the criticism that he is becoming a one trick pony. Gently strumming a guitar didn't change that. He has to change things up a little. Just a little so it's something a little different. BUT he does know his audience and playing up to grandma certainly didn't hurt the votes. ;)
Naima did a reggae version of "I'm still standing". Good idea but it was just too restrained. She's so concscious of not being pitchy that she's being very deliberate with her singing and it's sucking the life out of her voice. She's in a tough spot vocally and I don't think she'll have the time to work it out.
Paul did "Rocket man" which I thought was a real bad choice for him and even more so after he said in his video package that he had done a cover of it with his band before and it was a disaster. It was just ok but he picked a song with a high range and didn't go for the notes.
Pia did "Don't let the sun go down on me". Very good vocals as usual. No need for her to ditch the ballads but I do agree that she should at least try to do a more mid-tempo style of song. I don't agree that she should be up there stomping her foot to emphasize notes ala Celine Dion. That's Celine's thing, let Pia be Pia.
Stefano did "Tiny dancer" which is a real hard song. You don't get points for degree of difficulty on Idol, you either sing well or you don't. He didn't reach the notes of the song. Was kind of drab. Disappointed by the song choice and performance. :/
Lauren did "Candle of the wind". Very nice vocals as usual but I don't see her connecting to the lyrics in an emotional way.
James did "Saturday's night alright for fighting". Really good! That's what I've been wanting to see. Busted out all his rocker moves and was working it. The flaming piano was rather cheesy and inappropiate to the song but it works for Idol.
Thia did "Daniel". Good vocal but very laid back. Rather boring.
Casey did "Your song". This is one of my all-time favorite songs, love the lyrics and melody. He was very good. He seemed very happy with his performance.
Jacob did "Sorry seems to be the hardest word". Great choice. Loved his vocals and the emotion he shows while singing. Lauren and Thia can take some notes.
Haley did "Benny & the Jets". She didn't shy away from the notes and went for it. I was happy to see that. I liked it! Very good vocals and performance.
So, 2 will go home tonight. Who will it be? I think Naima and Thia will go home tonight. Stefano and Paul are also in danger.
Scotty went first. Did a solid job as usual but I agree with the criticism that he is becoming a one trick pony. Gently strumming a guitar didn't change that. He has to change things up a little. Just a little so it's something a little different. BUT he does know his audience and playing up to grandma certainly didn't hurt the votes. ;)
Naima did a reggae version of "I'm still standing". Good idea but it was just too restrained. She's so concscious of not being pitchy that she's being very deliberate with her singing and it's sucking the life out of her voice. She's in a tough spot vocally and I don't think she'll have the time to work it out.
Paul did "Rocket man" which I thought was a real bad choice for him and even more so after he said in his video package that he had done a cover of it with his band before and it was a disaster. It was just ok but he picked a song with a high range and didn't go for the notes.
Pia did "Don't let the sun go down on me". Very good vocals as usual. No need for her to ditch the ballads but I do agree that she should at least try to do a more mid-tempo style of song. I don't agree that she should be up there stomping her foot to emphasize notes ala Celine Dion. That's Celine's thing, let Pia be Pia.
Stefano did "Tiny dancer" which is a real hard song. You don't get points for degree of difficulty on Idol, you either sing well or you don't. He didn't reach the notes of the song. Was kind of drab. Disappointed by the song choice and performance. :/
Lauren did "Candle of the wind". Very nice vocals as usual but I don't see her connecting to the lyrics in an emotional way.
James did "Saturday's night alright for fighting". Really good! That's what I've been wanting to see. Busted out all his rocker moves and was working it. The flaming piano was rather cheesy and inappropiate to the song but it works for Idol.
Thia did "Daniel". Good vocal but very laid back. Rather boring.
Casey did "Your song". This is one of my all-time favorite songs, love the lyrics and melody. He was very good. He seemed very happy with his performance.
Jacob did "Sorry seems to be the hardest word". Great choice. Loved his vocals and the emotion he shows while singing. Lauren and Thia can take some notes.
Haley did "Benny & the Jets". She didn't shy away from the notes and went for it. I was happy to see that. I liked it! Very good vocals and performance.
So, 2 will go home tonight. Who will it be? I think Naima and Thia will go home tonight. Stefano and Paul are also in danger.
Final mixing on my album is done!!
FINAL MIXING ON MY ALBUM IS DONE!! I have put in a lot of long hours over the past year working on Aria Cortes' debut country album and my latin album but the time has come that both albums are done! :)
It was a big undertaking to not only work on my album but on hers as well. As the main songwriter for her album and of course writing all the songs on my album, it was quite a challenge to go from not having written a song in years to writing over 20+ songs especially when the songs for Aria's album were very different (country, pop) from what I was writing for myself (rock, blues, pop). It was a fun challenge though. I don't know if I'd ever take the undertaking of doing 2 albums at once again... ah, who am I kidding? Sure I would! Lol. Honestly, I needed something like that to get out a lot of pent up creative ideas that needed to come out. After all I've gone through personally in recent years that have prevented me from doing what I was meant to do and love, the songwriting process was very therapeutic. As always my songs come from the heart and the songs on my new album are even more so since they are born from mourning, heartbreak, disappointment and trying to remain positive and optimistic despite it all.
Then it was the harder job of recording and producing both albums which has been a LOT of work. It's a long process that Aria and I began last summer and although I've wanted the albums to come out faster, things like this can't and shouldn't be rushed. But now that the mixing is done, the creative process is complete and now it goes to manufacturing and getting the CDs ready for you all!
I can't wait to share it with you! :)
It was a big undertaking to not only work on my album but on hers as well. As the main songwriter for her album and of course writing all the songs on my album, it was quite a challenge to go from not having written a song in years to writing over 20+ songs especially when the songs for Aria's album were very different (country, pop) from what I was writing for myself (rock, blues, pop). It was a fun challenge though. I don't know if I'd ever take the undertaking of doing 2 albums at once again... ah, who am I kidding? Sure I would! Lol. Honestly, I needed something like that to get out a lot of pent up creative ideas that needed to come out. After all I've gone through personally in recent years that have prevented me from doing what I was meant to do and love, the songwriting process was very therapeutic. As always my songs come from the heart and the songs on my new album are even more so since they are born from mourning, heartbreak, disappointment and trying to remain positive and optimistic despite it all.
Then it was the harder job of recording and producing both albums which has been a LOT of work. It's a long process that Aria and I began last summer and although I've wanted the albums to come out faster, things like this can't and shouldn't be rushed. But now that the mixing is done, the creative process is complete and now it goes to manufacturing and getting the CDs ready for you all!
I can't wait to share it with you! :)
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Earth Hour is tonight! Do your part
Those of you who have been following me since my Vogue's Rogues days know that I am very environmentally conscious and that I am very active in environmental and wildlife issues, both here in the US and globally. With that said...
Earth Hour is tonight at 8:30 pm! Lights will be turning off around the world at
that time in a global show of support. Join me along with the world in showing your support by turning off your lights for one hour.
Earth Hour is tonight at 8:30 pm! Lights will be turning off around the world at
that time in a global show of support. Join me along with the world in showing your support by turning off your lights for one hour.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Final mixing has begun!
I began final mixing on Aria Cortes' debut country album yesterday (I also wrote most of the songs on it and produced it!) and will finish it today. For those of you who have signed up to the World Conquest Records mailing list, you know all about Aria and my ties to her ;)
You can also know all about my album news and more so make sure you hit the link and sign up! Oh, did I mention you get a free download of one of my songs for signing up? ;)
After I am done doing the final mixing on her album, then I will be doing final mixing on my album!! Then that's it, the creative and production work on my album will be through!! I'm almost there!! :)
You can also know all about my album news and more so make sure you hit the link and sign up! Oh, did I mention you get a free download of one of my songs for signing up? ;)
After I am done doing the final mixing on her album, then I will be doing final mixing on my album!! Then that's it, the creative and production work on my album will be through!! I'm almost there!! :)
Thursday, March 24, 2011
American Idol - the Top 10 are set
Tonight was the night that we would find out who would be in the American Idol Top 10 which is a big deal to the contestants since it means they'll be doing the summer tour and increasing their exposure. Lots of money at stake for them!
As the show opened we got to see footage of Marc Anthony mentoring the Idols both before yesterday's performances and after. He helped them with monitor issues, live performing tips and just gave them a lot of great advice. He was a very good mentor.
The Idols did an excellent rendition of The Supremes' "Ain't no mountain high enough". Then the doors parted and I was expecting Smokey Robinson when out came Stevie Wonder! Awesomeness! Even Steve Tyler was in awe.
Then afterward they all sang Happy Birthday to Steven! Now that's how you open a show!
Ryan came to ruin the mood (lol) by getting to the business they were there for. He mentioned that tonight's bottom 3 would be shocking and to stay tuned to the end of the show. Interesting...
Pia, Scotty, Lauren were called up as the first group - they were all safe
We were shown a wrestling segment from the house which was cool since I'm a huge wrestling fan. WrestleMania 27 is next week!! Cena, Rock, Miz! Stone Cold! HHH, Undertaker! Ahem... ok, let me get back to topic. Lol.
James & Paul were called up next - then the doors opened and out stepped Hulk Hogan! As big wrestling fan James went crazy, Hogan announced they were both safe & then he laid the smackdown on Ryan! That's what Ryan "the buzzkill" Seacrest gets for being the mood killer! Lol.
Jacob, Thia, Stefano were called up - this time though only Jacob was safe. Thia and Stefano were in the bottom 3.
Naima, Haley, Casey up were the final 3 to be called up - I expected Haley in there but it was Casey in the bottom 3!?! My only guess as to why he was in the bottom 3 is that people assumed he was safe and didn't vote. Was Casey going to be another victim of the assumption non-vote? Or would he be safe?
Jennifer Hudson came out looking and sounding great and did a song of her new album.
Thia was the first to be told she was safe. Stefano looked so sad but was saved. Casey was the one to be eliminated!! Casey began to sing to see if the judges would use the save. The judges looked downright angry that he was up there as he's clearly a judge's favorite (I think he's a fan favorite as well, so much so that people thought he was safe). The judges stopped Casey mid-song and told him that it was crazy that he was up there singing for the save. They immediately told him that they were going to use the save on him. The place erupted! Casey was overcome with emotion. This guy has been in the hospital for transfusions twice while being on the show and hasn't missed a show. That says how much he wants this so that emotion was real and raw. GREAT Idol moment. Ryan then told him that it was a pre-determined rule that should something like the save being used at this point happen that the summer tour would now be the American Idol top 11 and that he was going to be on the tour! But "Buzzkill" Ryan had to bring us all back to reality as he stated before the show went off the air that next week would mean 2 contestants would be going home!
Except for the end of the season final shows, this was by far Idol's best show ever. I'm happy Casey got saved.
As the show opened we got to see footage of Marc Anthony mentoring the Idols both before yesterday's performances and after. He helped them with monitor issues, live performing tips and just gave them a lot of great advice. He was a very good mentor.
The Idols did an excellent rendition of The Supremes' "Ain't no mountain high enough". Then the doors parted and I was expecting Smokey Robinson when out came Stevie Wonder! Awesomeness! Even Steve Tyler was in awe.
Then afterward they all sang Happy Birthday to Steven! Now that's how you open a show!
Ryan came to ruin the mood (lol) by getting to the business they were there for. He mentioned that tonight's bottom 3 would be shocking and to stay tuned to the end of the show. Interesting...
Pia, Scotty, Lauren were called up as the first group - they were all safe
We were shown a wrestling segment from the house which was cool since I'm a huge wrestling fan. WrestleMania 27 is next week!! Cena, Rock, Miz! Stone Cold! HHH, Undertaker! Ahem... ok, let me get back to topic. Lol.
James & Paul were called up next - then the doors opened and out stepped Hulk Hogan! As big wrestling fan James went crazy, Hogan announced they were both safe & then he laid the smackdown on Ryan! That's what Ryan "the buzzkill" Seacrest gets for being the mood killer! Lol.
Jacob, Thia, Stefano were called up - this time though only Jacob was safe. Thia and Stefano were in the bottom 3.
Naima, Haley, Casey up were the final 3 to be called up - I expected Haley in there but it was Casey in the bottom 3!?! My only guess as to why he was in the bottom 3 is that people assumed he was safe and didn't vote. Was Casey going to be another victim of the assumption non-vote? Or would he be safe?
Jennifer Hudson came out looking and sounding great and did a song of her new album.
Thia was the first to be told she was safe. Stefano looked so sad but was saved. Casey was the one to be eliminated!! Casey began to sing to see if the judges would use the save. The judges looked downright angry that he was up there as he's clearly a judge's favorite (I think he's a fan favorite as well, so much so that people thought he was safe). The judges stopped Casey mid-song and told him that it was crazy that he was up there singing for the save. They immediately told him that they were going to use the save on him. The place erupted! Casey was overcome with emotion. This guy has been in the hospital for transfusions twice while being on the show and hasn't missed a show. That says how much he wants this so that emotion was real and raw. GREAT Idol moment. Ryan then told him that it was a pre-determined rule that should something like the save being used at this point happen that the summer tour would now be the American Idol top 11 and that he was going to be on the tour! But "Buzzkill" Ryan had to bring us all back to reality as he stated before the show went off the air that next week would mean 2 contestants would be going home!
Except for the end of the season final shows, this was by far Idol's best show ever. I'm happy Casey got saved.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
The American Idol 11 do Motown
Tonight's show is Motown tunes so should be a good show and challenging for some. The show opened with a very nice Motown history segment. I've always admired Motown's philosophy of being like one big family and this segment spotlighted that and its great music.
Tonight decides the Top 10. Only the top 10 get to go on the summer tour so they all have to bring their A game since the summer tour = $$$$ for the singers.
Casey went first with Marvin Gaye's "I heard it through the grapevine". Nice interpretation of the song. Really good.
Thia did Martha & the Vandelas' "Heatwave". Her lower register was great in the beginning of the song but she staggered a bit as she went higher. Seemed to have trouble with the words? Seemed to not connect with the words, lacked a little bit of the conviction needed. Started with lots of promise but turned out just ok.
Jacob did Marvin Gaye's "You're all I need to get by". Sounded great. Met my expectations of how good he would sound.
Lauren did The Supremes' "You keep me hanging on". Sounded good but the vocals never really took off. Seemed to stay in a safe zone of the song and didn't seem to really connect with the song either.
Stefano did Lionel Richie's "Hello". Not his best vocal. Too many dark notes in the verses. I liked where he went with the parts but vocally he didn't get there. Jen is funny. Did she really say "fine... check" to him? JLo the Cougar! Lol! I think Marc and the twins need to talk to her. Lol.
Haley did Smokey Robinson's "You really got a hold on me". I'll keep this short. It was oversinging overkill.
Scotty did Stevie Wonder's "For once in my life". The beginning was really great but lost a bit when he went into the higher register. The arrangement was decent. I'm sure Nashville songwriters already have country songs in mind for him. He's going to have himself a nice country music career.
Pia did Stevie Wonder's "All in love is fair". Stunning look & vocals. Just great.
Paul did one of my favorite ever Motown songs by one of my favorite Motown singers. He did a pop version of Smokey Robinson's "The tracks of my tears" while playing guitar. Very cool arrangement & vocals. I really loved it.
Naima did Martha & the Vandelas' "Dancing in the streets". She did surprisingly well and showed that she listened to the judges critiques. She was much more deliberate with her vocals to keep a consistent tone. She sounded good. She even threw in some african dancing to the song and smartly kept the vocals to a bare minimum after her very energetic dance segment. Very cool.
James ended the show with Stevie Wonder's "Living in the city". Man, I like him but it was just another OK performance from him IMO. I like him a lot but with his range, I keep expecting more. I also didn't like how much he played up to the camera, made the performance cheesy. I would've preferred Naima's performance as the show ender.
So, who loses out on the tour and money - everyone was very good except for one so filling the bottom 3 will be interesting. My bottom 3 would be Haley, Thia and Stefano. After being in the bottom 3 every week so far, Haley will be sent home.
Tonight decides the Top 10. Only the top 10 get to go on the summer tour so they all have to bring their A game since the summer tour = $$$$ for the singers.
Casey went first with Marvin Gaye's "I heard it through the grapevine". Nice interpretation of the song. Really good.
Thia did Martha & the Vandelas' "Heatwave". Her lower register was great in the beginning of the song but she staggered a bit as she went higher. Seemed to have trouble with the words? Seemed to not connect with the words, lacked a little bit of the conviction needed. Started with lots of promise but turned out just ok.
Jacob did Marvin Gaye's "You're all I need to get by". Sounded great. Met my expectations of how good he would sound.
Lauren did The Supremes' "You keep me hanging on". Sounded good but the vocals never really took off. Seemed to stay in a safe zone of the song and didn't seem to really connect with the song either.
Stefano did Lionel Richie's "Hello". Not his best vocal. Too many dark notes in the verses. I liked where he went with the parts but vocally he didn't get there. Jen is funny. Did she really say "fine... check" to him? JLo the Cougar! Lol! I think Marc and the twins need to talk to her. Lol.
Haley did Smokey Robinson's "You really got a hold on me". I'll keep this short. It was oversinging overkill.
Scotty did Stevie Wonder's "For once in my life". The beginning was really great but lost a bit when he went into the higher register. The arrangement was decent. I'm sure Nashville songwriters already have country songs in mind for him. He's going to have himself a nice country music career.
Pia did Stevie Wonder's "All in love is fair". Stunning look & vocals. Just great.
Paul did one of my favorite ever Motown songs by one of my favorite Motown singers. He did a pop version of Smokey Robinson's "The tracks of my tears" while playing guitar. Very cool arrangement & vocals. I really loved it.
Naima did Martha & the Vandelas' "Dancing in the streets". She did surprisingly well and showed that she listened to the judges critiques. She was much more deliberate with her vocals to keep a consistent tone. She sounded good. She even threw in some african dancing to the song and smartly kept the vocals to a bare minimum after her very energetic dance segment. Very cool.
James ended the show with Stevie Wonder's "Living in the city". Man, I like him but it was just another OK performance from him IMO. I like him a lot but with his range, I keep expecting more. I also didn't like how much he played up to the camera, made the performance cheesy. I would've preferred Naima's performance as the show ender.
So, who loses out on the tour and money - everyone was very good except for one so filling the bottom 3 will be interesting. My bottom 3 would be Haley, Thia and Stefano. After being in the bottom 3 every week so far, Haley will be sent home.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Solemn day for my family and I today
Today is the 2 year anniversary of my mom's passing. She is greatly missed. It is still tough on my family and me but we are thankful for having had the love and caring of such a wonderful mother and grandmother.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
American Idol - the Top 12 sing for our votes
The show began with the judges and Ryan letting us know that tonight's performances will be available on iTunes after the show and all proceeds from sales will go to Japan aid and relief efforts. Tomorrow they will let us know how we can text to donate through them. Nice. Would be nicer if JLo made the same offer with her top 10 iTunes download, even if it was for a limited time.
Anyway, the show got underway and the contestants will be singing songs from the year of their birth so I was happy since that meant we should get lots of 80s stuff. As you all know, I love my 80s music! :)
Naima started off the show and did Tina Turner's "What's love got to do with it". I hated the contemporary vibe made for the song. She was too loose with the song vocally and it wasn't very good at all. I don't know what's happened to Naima. I like her but she seems to be going backwards here. JLo said she is too pitchy & Randy didn't like it. Agreed.
Paul did Sir Elton's "I guess that's why they call it the blues". He was sick and you could hear it in his voice, struggling throughout the song. Not very good.
Thia did Vanessa Williams' "Colors of the wind". Kind of a safe choice but also a good choice for her. Her voice has a very pure, mature tone. She looked great and showed a lot of confidence. Very good but she has to kill the vibrato in her voice, it was getting overwhelming and too noticeable at times towards the end.
James did Bon Jovi's "I'll be there for you". Now you all know that I'm a huge Bon Jovi fan so this had better be good. Didn't like the way the band did the music, very cheesy sound. Even the guitar solo annoyed me with its cheesiness. Also, James chose a very weird spot to start the song. His vocals were ok & the hi note was surprisingly not as good as Jon's, then he had to throw in a Adam Lambert finishing note which was off. Was very disappointed with this performance. Also, did I notice a hint of over-confidence? I hope not.
Haley did Whitney Houston's "I'm your baby tonight". She took on too big a song and started off a little rough but got it working from the middle on. Felt bad for her with her microphone/lipstick issues. Randy is right when he said that she needs to figure out who she is.
Stefano did Simply Red's "If you don't know me by now". Good song choice. Sounded really good. Best overall performance of the night - vocally & musically. JLo is definitely a fan. Watch out Marc! Lol.
Pia did Whitney Houston's "Where do broken hearts go?". Horrible cheerleader band version. I'm not liking how they are raving about these producers' ideas when they are just butchering song arrangements left and right. Pia rose above the horrible arrangement. Sounded great as usual.
Scotty did Travis Tritt's "Can I trust you with my heart?". Sounded really good but his performance style has to grow a bit. He always strikes the same pose and just stays stuck there throughout the song. That'll get better with time I'm sure.
Karen did Taylor Dayne's "Love will lead you back". I was a huge fan of Taylor Dayne and her music back in the day. She was an under-rated vocalist. Loved this song of hers. Karen sounded good but doesn't have the thickness to her voice that this song needed. Kind of like the problem Ashthon had with her song choices. I also don't get how they show us Karen telling Iovine that she doesn't want to become the bilingual singer yet when she sang the song, there she was doing it bilingually again. If you do something, do it and be proud of it. Don't try to be everything to everyone. Being bilingual sets her apart, she should embrace it.
Casey did Nirvana's "Smells like teen spirit". The whole thing was kind of on the weird side, the performance & a horn in the song from the band was all just... strange. Good vocals but it was one of those performances that was better to be heard and not seen. I don't think that's what Casey was going for. Lol.
Lauren did Melissa Etheridge's "I'm the only one". Nice song choice. She also was sick. Good vocals though.
Jacob did Heart's "Alone". A very risky song choice. He didn't start off on the right spot but once he got into the heart of the song, it rocked. Not his best but still good compared to a lot of the singers tonight.
Lots of choices tonight for the bottom 3 unfortunately. I don't know how many iTunes sales will be made form last night's show so hopefully the producers can come up with something better tomorrow night. Japan needs all the help and donations it can get. Just for the record, it's easy to make $10 donation. Just text REDCROSS to 90999. I did it and it literally takes seconds. Please take a moment and give.
Back to the bottom 3 - I think making the bottom 3 this week will be Naima, Karen and Haley. I think Naima goes home.
Anyway, the show got underway and the contestants will be singing songs from the year of their birth so I was happy since that meant we should get lots of 80s stuff. As you all know, I love my 80s music! :)
Naima started off the show and did Tina Turner's "What's love got to do with it". I hated the contemporary vibe made for the song. She was too loose with the song vocally and it wasn't very good at all. I don't know what's happened to Naima. I like her but she seems to be going backwards here. JLo said she is too pitchy & Randy didn't like it. Agreed.
Paul did Sir Elton's "I guess that's why they call it the blues". He was sick and you could hear it in his voice, struggling throughout the song. Not very good.
Thia did Vanessa Williams' "Colors of the wind". Kind of a safe choice but also a good choice for her. Her voice has a very pure, mature tone. She looked great and showed a lot of confidence. Very good but she has to kill the vibrato in her voice, it was getting overwhelming and too noticeable at times towards the end.
James did Bon Jovi's "I'll be there for you". Now you all know that I'm a huge Bon Jovi fan so this had better be good. Didn't like the way the band did the music, very cheesy sound. Even the guitar solo annoyed me with its cheesiness. Also, James chose a very weird spot to start the song. His vocals were ok & the hi note was surprisingly not as good as Jon's, then he had to throw in a Adam Lambert finishing note which was off. Was very disappointed with this performance. Also, did I notice a hint of over-confidence? I hope not.
Haley did Whitney Houston's "I'm your baby tonight". She took on too big a song and started off a little rough but got it working from the middle on. Felt bad for her with her microphone/lipstick issues. Randy is right when he said that she needs to figure out who she is.
Stefano did Simply Red's "If you don't know me by now". Good song choice. Sounded really good. Best overall performance of the night - vocally & musically. JLo is definitely a fan. Watch out Marc! Lol.
Pia did Whitney Houston's "Where do broken hearts go?". Horrible cheerleader band version. I'm not liking how they are raving about these producers' ideas when they are just butchering song arrangements left and right. Pia rose above the horrible arrangement. Sounded great as usual.
Scotty did Travis Tritt's "Can I trust you with my heart?". Sounded really good but his performance style has to grow a bit. He always strikes the same pose and just stays stuck there throughout the song. That'll get better with time I'm sure.
Karen did Taylor Dayne's "Love will lead you back". I was a huge fan of Taylor Dayne and her music back in the day. She was an under-rated vocalist. Loved this song of hers. Karen sounded good but doesn't have the thickness to her voice that this song needed. Kind of like the problem Ashthon had with her song choices. I also don't get how they show us Karen telling Iovine that she doesn't want to become the bilingual singer yet when she sang the song, there she was doing it bilingually again. If you do something, do it and be proud of it. Don't try to be everything to everyone. Being bilingual sets her apart, she should embrace it.
Casey did Nirvana's "Smells like teen spirit". The whole thing was kind of on the weird side, the performance & a horn in the song from the band was all just... strange. Good vocals but it was one of those performances that was better to be heard and not seen. I don't think that's what Casey was going for. Lol.
Lauren did Melissa Etheridge's "I'm the only one". Nice song choice. She also was sick. Good vocals though.
Jacob did Heart's "Alone". A very risky song choice. He didn't start off on the right spot but once he got into the heart of the song, it rocked. Not his best but still good compared to a lot of the singers tonight.
Lots of choices tonight for the bottom 3 unfortunately. I don't know how many iTunes sales will be made form last night's show so hopefully the producers can come up with something better tomorrow night. Japan needs all the help and donations it can get. Just for the record, it's easy to make $10 donation. Just text REDCROSS to 90999. I did it and it literally takes seconds. Please take a moment and give.
Back to the bottom 3 - I think making the bottom 3 this week will be Naima, Karen and Haley. I think Naima goes home.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
American Idol - The 1st contestant to go home is...
The show began with Ryan informing us with the news that Casey is in the hospital again. I hope he's ok and I hope they can get control of his situation. Considering that he needed another blood transfusion I'm amazed how he was able to perform last night. What a trooper! The show must go on indeed!
Holy crap! We were shown the mansion the contestants are staying at. Those that know me know that I don't impress easily but wow, what a house!
Next up, we got the 1st group performance and it was a Michael Jackson medley! The singers sounded great doing MJ's songs.
Time for the drama!
Jacob, Stefano and Karen were brought up first. Ryan said you are all safe so they start celebrating & then he goes, except for Karen who was in the bottom 3. That's just lame. Not the fact that Karen was in the bottom but to play with someone's emotions like that just for the shock value of it is wrong.
Lauren, Ashthon and Haley were brought up next. Lauren was really down on herself for her performance yesterday. She was holding back tears and showing not only her age but the intense pressure these contestants are dealing with in the shadow of their dreams and hopes. Ryan redeemed himself and gave her a break. After seeing her reaction, he told her he wouldn't drag it out for her and told her she was safe and could go back to the couch.
He then told Haley & Ashthon they were in the bottom 3 with Karen. He then told the rest on the couch they were safe & they didn't know what to make of it since that is so different from what they usually do. Weird how it was done but definitely unpredictable. This eliminates the contestants feeling too comfortable by the order they are picked to come down to her the verdict on America's vote.
After good performances by Diddy and Adam Lambert, we got to the main event. Who would stay and who would go home. Karen was safe. So the final 2 was Ashthon & Haley. Ashthon was the unlucky first contestant to recive the least votes.
She then got a chance to sing for the "save" but realistically we know that the judges reserve that save for 2 or 3 of the top singers should they ever find themselves in the elimination zone. Well, Ashthon sang her Diana Ross song again and she sounded great but no surprise, was not saved. JLo was very upset when giving her the news.
I think Ashthon has a lot going for her - a good image and voice and lots of confidence (which you can't teach) and once she finds the right songs for her voice, she'll do big things. I wish her well. I'm a fan.
Holy crap! We were shown the mansion the contestants are staying at. Those that know me know that I don't impress easily but wow, what a house!
Next up, we got the 1st group performance and it was a Michael Jackson medley! The singers sounded great doing MJ's songs.
Time for the drama!
Jacob, Stefano and Karen were brought up first. Ryan said you are all safe so they start celebrating & then he goes, except for Karen who was in the bottom 3. That's just lame. Not the fact that Karen was in the bottom but to play with someone's emotions like that just for the shock value of it is wrong.
Lauren, Ashthon and Haley were brought up next. Lauren was really down on herself for her performance yesterday. She was holding back tears and showing not only her age but the intense pressure these contestants are dealing with in the shadow of their dreams and hopes. Ryan redeemed himself and gave her a break. After seeing her reaction, he told her he wouldn't drag it out for her and told her she was safe and could go back to the couch.
He then told Haley & Ashthon they were in the bottom 3 with Karen. He then told the rest on the couch they were safe & they didn't know what to make of it since that is so different from what they usually do. Weird how it was done but definitely unpredictable. This eliminates the contestants feeling too comfortable by the order they are picked to come down to her the verdict on America's vote.
After good performances by Diddy and Adam Lambert, we got to the main event. Who would stay and who would go home. Karen was safe. So the final 2 was Ashthon & Haley. Ashthon was the unlucky first contestant to recive the least votes.
She then got a chance to sing for the "save" but realistically we know that the judges reserve that save for 2 or 3 of the top singers should they ever find themselves in the elimination zone. Well, Ashthon sang her Diana Ross song again and she sounded great but no surprise, was not saved. JLo was very upset when giving her the news.
I think Ashthon has a lot going for her - a good image and voice and lots of confidence (which you can't teach) and once she finds the right songs for her voice, she'll do big things. I wish her well. I'm a fan.
American Idol - we get the show underway with the Top 13
Last night, we finally got the AI machine rolling as the top 13 sang for their future careers. The singers were going to sing songs of their favorite singers. With that we got some interesting insight into some of the singers tonight. There was no messing around as we got right to the contestants singing!
Lauren went first which made me happy that I didn't have to wait for a favorite.She did Shania Twain's "Any man of mine" and while it was solid, it was just too safe. She didn't really challenge herself. She seemed confused and hurt by the judges critique which wasn't harsh at all. This is the problem with the young singers, they lack the experience to know exactly where to go with a song and they aren't used to rejection & criticism. I hope Lauren gets it together soon.
Casey went next and did Joe Cocker's "I get by with a little help from my friends". Great song choice for him since I get that Joe Cokcer vibe from him when he performs. He employed a smart use of the choir for the song. Performing experience counts for a lot at this point in the show.
Ashthon did Diana Ross' "When you tell me that you love me". She looked great, she looked the part of Diana Ross. She sounded good but her voice is on the thin side and it showed in some points, a bit of a safe song choice. I agree with Jen that she should've picked a better known Diana Ross song.
Paul did Ryan Adams' "Come pick me up". I really enjoy his 70s performing style, he has a cool, having fun on stage and having fun with the music vibe. Again, the performing experience shows. He started slow but his vocals were good.
Pia took on Celine Dion's "All by myself" which was impressive in and of itself. She looked great and sang great. She was the standout of the night once again. She has a great career ahead of her.
James did Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm amazed". Surprising influence. He was good but for some reason I expected more from him with the song, he was very solid nonetheless.
Haley surprised me as well, she did Leann Rimes' "Blue". It was a solid vocal performance but not comparable to the original.
Jacob did R. Kelly's "I believe I can fly". I was very excited by the great song choice. While he hit some amazing notes, he had a real pitchy moment in the transition from the verse to the chorus. That was a product of the song being shortened due to the show format but the band could've come up with something better than that transition that he obviously wasn't feeling.
Thia surprised me with her influence as well. She did Michael Jackson's "Smile". I'm still not used to the idea that Michael is no longer with us but am thankful that he left such wonderful music behind. She also had a bad transition and I also had a problem with the song arrangement of this song. The judges also felt the same, the jazzed up version of the song was just not necessary at all. The beginning was good till the jazz music started, turned her performance from good to just ok. I hope the youngsters on the show are more vocal with what they want to do and are comfortable with than being pushed to do things that may not work. They have to learn to trust their instincts.
Stefano did Stevie Wonder's "Lately". He showed very good vocals. He showed why he deserved to be there.
Karen did Selena's "I could fall in love". This shouldn't be a very hard song for Karen to do but she stumbled all over it. It was not very good, she didn't do much with the song.
Scotty did Garth Brooks' "The River". Great song and good song choice by Scotty. He was solid but some of the notes seemed too big for his range.
Naima ended the show with Rihanna's "Umbrella". I was surprised by Naima's influence since Rihanna hasn't been around that long and considering everything else that Naima has sung on the show. Her performance was very different for Idol, she gave us a performance complete with dance moves and rap. Had a real nice transition from the rap section to the singing part. I don't know how much that performance or song choice tells us about Naima the artist though. She's given us a lot of different looks and sounds and hasn't painted a clear enough picture to let us know who she wants to be as an artist. I hope she figures this out soon because she has a great image but has to get everything else to catch up to it.
I see the bottom 2 as a battle of the wildcards with Ashthon and Naima. I see Naima going home tonight. :(
Lauren went first which made me happy that I didn't have to wait for a favorite.She did Shania Twain's "Any man of mine" and while it was solid, it was just too safe. She didn't really challenge herself. She seemed confused and hurt by the judges critique which wasn't harsh at all. This is the problem with the young singers, they lack the experience to know exactly where to go with a song and they aren't used to rejection & criticism. I hope Lauren gets it together soon.
Casey went next and did Joe Cocker's "I get by with a little help from my friends". Great song choice for him since I get that Joe Cokcer vibe from him when he performs. He employed a smart use of the choir for the song. Performing experience counts for a lot at this point in the show.
Ashthon did Diana Ross' "When you tell me that you love me". She looked great, she looked the part of Diana Ross. She sounded good but her voice is on the thin side and it showed in some points, a bit of a safe song choice. I agree with Jen that she should've picked a better known Diana Ross song.
Paul did Ryan Adams' "Come pick me up". I really enjoy his 70s performing style, he has a cool, having fun on stage and having fun with the music vibe. Again, the performing experience shows. He started slow but his vocals were good.
Pia took on Celine Dion's "All by myself" which was impressive in and of itself. She looked great and sang great. She was the standout of the night once again. She has a great career ahead of her.
James did Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm amazed". Surprising influence. He was good but for some reason I expected more from him with the song, he was very solid nonetheless.
Haley surprised me as well, she did Leann Rimes' "Blue". It was a solid vocal performance but not comparable to the original.
Jacob did R. Kelly's "I believe I can fly". I was very excited by the great song choice. While he hit some amazing notes, he had a real pitchy moment in the transition from the verse to the chorus. That was a product of the song being shortened due to the show format but the band could've come up with something better than that transition that he obviously wasn't feeling.
Thia surprised me with her influence as well. She did Michael Jackson's "Smile". I'm still not used to the idea that Michael is no longer with us but am thankful that he left such wonderful music behind. She also had a bad transition and I also had a problem with the song arrangement of this song. The judges also felt the same, the jazzed up version of the song was just not necessary at all. The beginning was good till the jazz music started, turned her performance from good to just ok. I hope the youngsters on the show are more vocal with what they want to do and are comfortable with than being pushed to do things that may not work. They have to learn to trust their instincts.
Stefano did Stevie Wonder's "Lately". He showed very good vocals. He showed why he deserved to be there.
Karen did Selena's "I could fall in love". This shouldn't be a very hard song for Karen to do but she stumbled all over it. It was not very good, she didn't do much with the song.
Scotty did Garth Brooks' "The River". Great song and good song choice by Scotty. He was solid but some of the notes seemed too big for his range.
Naima ended the show with Rihanna's "Umbrella". I was surprised by Naima's influence since Rihanna hasn't been around that long and considering everything else that Naima has sung on the show. Her performance was very different for Idol, she gave us a performance complete with dance moves and rap. Had a real nice transition from the rap section to the singing part. I don't know how much that performance or song choice tells us about Naima the artist though. She's given us a lot of different looks and sounds and hasn't painted a clear enough picture to let us know who she wants to be as an artist. I hope she figures this out soon because she has a great image but has to get everything else to catch up to it.
I see the bottom 2 as a battle of the wildcards with Ashthon and Naima. I see Naima going home tonight. :(
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