Tuesday, March 31, 2009

American Idol - Season 8: Top 9

Tonight's American Idol is...some effed up mash-up of something they like to call "top downloads" theme. W...T...F!?

Anoop Desai "Caught Up" by Usher
Usher? Are you kidding me? So-so performance that left me pretty cold. Boo.


Megan Corkery "Turn Your Lights Down Low" by Bob Marley and Lauryn Hill
Well, she's just going to continue to butcher every single one of my favorite songs.


Danny Gokey "What Hurts the Most" by Rascal Flatts
Well, if anyone should be accused of SHOUTING the song, it's him. The bad thing is that, everyone else sucked tonight, so his was better when you realized how much everyone else ate it.


Allison Iraheta "Don't Speak" by No Doubt
So our conclusion should be...no one should ever do this one. I believe someone else did this on Idol before and sucked (Chris Richardson! *sigh) but anyways. Allison should have rocked this out and it just looked messy. *sadface


Scott MacIntyre "Just the Way You Are" by Billy Joel
Aaand this is why this theme blows. Really? Who's been downloading this? Safe song makes him do well with his limited range, but otherwise...*snore


Matt Giraud "You Found Me" by The Fray
Well, this was the one everyone (myself included) thought he would do and while it was fine, it could have been a lot better if he had gone with The Fray's other hit, "Over My Head" (and dammit, Randy was right. "Apologize" would been a hot one!).


Lil Rounds "I Surrender" by Celine Dion
Well...at least it wasn't Whitney or Mariah. But, what another bore from someone who did so well in the auditions stages. *grumble


Adam Lambert "Play That Funky Music" by Wild Cherry
I'm a bit surprised the judges didn't throw the "over-indulgent" line with Adam. Because, truthfully, that's what it was. His vocals were okay, but that song, ugh. What a waste of a week.


Kris Allen "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers
Okay, by accident, I heard the version that Christina Christian did on season one yesterday and I thought to myself, it sucks that no one else has attempted this, because as good as it was, Christina was not that strong of a singer. But Kris Allen is. I think he just made himself one to officially watch. Good for him.


Rankings:
1. Kris
2. Matt
3. Adam
4. Danny
5. Allison
6. Lil
7. Scott
8. Anoop
9. Megan


Bottom Three Predictions:
Megan, Scott and Allison. Scott will be safe again (argh) and this will force to ditch another girl. Megan vs Allison...


Goodbye to...
Megan Corkery. I think they've just had enough of her. Yes, they want to push their WildCards, but there is only so much they can do here. Allison's fans will get another wake-up call (and hopefully, Allison as well).

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

American Idol - Season 8: Top 10

Tonight's American Idol is Motown Week...aka the theme from every other season...or Alexis must be pissed she got voted out.

Matt Giraud "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye
Very nice way of starting the night. Smooth vocals, although as a performer, I think I prefer on the piano.


Kris Allen "How Sweet It Is" by Marvin Gaye
I loved and agree with the judges. He made the song his own and didn't use any other interpretation. Wonderful job.


Scott MacIntyre "Can't Hurry Love" by The Supremes
Eh. I didn't like it. Agreed that the other song he wanted would have been, but I bet they wouldn't clear it for him. And with the combo of lukewarm comments and an early start, he might be the one going home.


Megan Corkery "For Once In My Life" by Stevie Wonder
What a disaster. Yes, I was entertained by it, because of it's trainwreck proportions, but wow. Can we please be rid of her? She got her ass handed to her by the judges (and the audience didn't care), but I think she'll be safe for one more week.


Anoop Desai "Oh, Baby, Baby" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
Loverly. Love his voice and the song suited him well. Glad to see he's back on track.


Michael Sarver "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" by The Temptations
One of my favorite songs of all time and he murdered it. Boo. What a wasted performance.


Lil Rounds "Heatwave" by Martha Reeves and the Vandelles
Idol Rule #285: Thou Shall Not Sing "Heatwave" Or Thou Will Suffer the Bottom Three. I think Lil will avoid it, because she was trying to have a moment this week (agree with Simon, didn't work) and maybe she'll actually step it up next week.


Adam Lambert "Tracks of My Tears" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
Wow. Did not think he had that in him. My favorite Smokey song and he did it justice. Best of the night.


Danny Gokey "Get Ready" by The Temptations
Love the song, but Danny was kinda screaming it. I will say that it was probably his best (the genre works for him), so there's that, although he pretty much said fuck you to Smokey by not taking his advice.


Allison Iraheta "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" by The Temptations
Love the song, love Allison and I liked what she did, but David Hernandez owns this one. His version last year during the semis was the best interpretations of this one. But Allison was good.


Rankings:
1. Adam
2. Kris
3. Allison
4. Anoop
5. Matt
6. Danny
7. Lil
8. Michael
9. Scott
10. Megan


Bottom Three Predictions:
Megan, Scott and Michael. They will send Megan back to the couches (but not before giving her a scolding on why she sucks) and then leave us with Sarver vs MacIntyre.


Goodbye to...
Scott MacIntyre. Michael and Megan got worse reviews, but we all know getting the worst reviews of the night (when it's still a group this deep) won't get you kicked. Mediocre reviews with an early start time get you booted. Sorry Scott!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

American Idol - Season 8: Top 11

Tonight's American Idol is Grand Ole Opry Week aka Country Week. Yeeeeeehaw!

Michael Sarver "Ain't Goin' Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up)" by Garth Brooks
He took a risk (due to the lyrics), but I don't think he was up to the task. Try again.


Allison Iraheta "Blame It on Your Heart" by Patty Loveless
Outside of the contestants who mixed their songs up, Allison was the only one who stuck to the country song, without changing it up, and still made it sound her own. Very nice work.


Kris Allen "To Make You Feel My Love" by Garth Brooks
This was by far, the best performance of the night. Loves it.


Lil Rounds "Independence Day" by Martina McBride
I didn't like it when Carrie sang it 4xs when she was on, and I still don't like it. Plus I think Lil was crazy. She should have R&B'd it because otherwise, it becomes forgettable.


Adam Lambert "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash
It was an interesting arrangement, not sure if I loved it, but Adam's voice was killer. This will surely be a decisive performance.


Scott MacIntyre "Wild Angels" by Martina McBride
Can we have an embargo on Martina songs? They just are so hokey. Bah. Anyway, this was really safe and the judges made sure to not lay it on too thick, so he can get booted. Because having him on the tour would be nearly impossible.


Alexis Grace "Jolene" by Dolly Parton
The arrangement was awful. I really like Alexis, but this was not good. Shame. Brooke did it better last year.


Danny Gokey "Jesus Take the Wheel" by Carrie Underwood
Jesus hold my lunch. Bleh. The song blows (not even Carrie's version is good) and he overdid it. Next.


Anoop Desai "Always on My Mind" by Willie Nelson
And he's in it, to win it. If not for Kris, this would have been the best of the night. What a difference a week makes.


Megan Corkery "Walkin' After Midnight" by Patsy Cline
You know what sucks? When effing Kellie Pickler sings a song that you have picked and she does a better job with it. Yikes.


Matt Giraud "So Small" by Carrie Underwood
And that's how you make a Carrie song your own. Great work.


Rankings:
1. Kris
2. Anoop
3. Matt
4. Allison
5. Adam
6. Alexis
7. Scott
8. Danny
9. Michael
10. Lil
11. Megan


Bottom Three Predictions:
Alexis (because they gave her a bad review and she was left somewhere in the middle), Michael (because he was first and he wasn't good) and Scott (because he was also given the same criticism as Alexis). Michael is safe, which leaves Alexis vs Scott.


Goodbye to...
Scott MacIntyre. I really think the producers will ditch him because they don't want to deal with him during the tour.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

American Idol - Season 8: Top 13

Tonight's American Idol is Michael Jackson Night. AKA, you will suck tonight because it's nearly impossible to take an MJ song and make it your own...unless your David Cook.

Lil Rounds "The Way You Make Me Feel"
Nice way to start the show. Not the greatest, but it's good and already I can tell she's better than Fantasia, which is always a good thing.


Scott MacIntyre "Keep the Faith"
Awful song choice, but his vocal work was okay. Piano work was nice too. This could have been a lot worse.


Danny Gokey "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"
Do. Not. Like. This. Song. Bleh. His vocals were fine, but I'm not a fan of the song. Pass.


Michael Sarver "You Are Not Alone"
Ugh. 2nd worst song choice of the night (#1 is coming soon) and a lackluster vocal. What were the judges thinking?


Jasmine Murray "I'll Be There"
Like the song, but yeah, not only is she going to be compared to the original but also Mariah. Dumb strategy. It also proved that her vocals are weak, weak, weak.


Kris Allen "Remember the Time"
Very impressed by this. Never heard the song before (although my brother claims I have) and a very good vocal. I liked it.


Allison Iraheta "Give In To Me"
Another impressive one. Glad to see she's making good on the promise that the judges saw in her. Very good.


Anoop Desai "Beat It"
Paula's right. You can't touch this song. Shame. Hopefully he can bounce back next week.


Jorge Nuñez "Never Can Say Goodbye"
This was odd. It was a good vocal or a good song, and I would have thought that most people in the world would know at least one MJ song. Guess not.


Megan Corkery "Rockin' Robin"
Can I just say "Massive Fail" and be done with it? Yikes.


Adams Lambert "Black or White"
Yup. Paula overdid it, but he was great. I just hope he can dial it down a notch next time, so he can show some range.


Matt Giraud "Human Nature"
Never heard this on either. Very nice. But it felt very short. Hope he gets to stick around.


Alexis Grace "Dirty Diana"
Good. The last note kinda sucked, but everything else was good. Best of the ladies.


Rankings:
1. Adam Lambert
2. Alexis Grace
3. Allison Iraheta
4. Kris Allen
5. Matt Giraud
6. Lil Rounds
7. Danny Gokey
8. Scott MacIntyre
9. Anoop Desai
10. Jasmine Murray
11. Michael Sarver
12. Jorge Nuñez
13. Megan Corkery


Bottom Three Predictions:
Jorge, Jasmine and Megan. My guess is the twist is America votes out one person and the judges vote out another. So no Bottom Two.


Goodbye to...
America votes out Jorge Nuñez and Simon, Paula, Randy and Kara tell Jasmine Murray to peace out!

Saturday, March 7, 2009

American Idol: Top 13 Predictions

This year, American Idol went the route of a top 13 instead of the usual top 12, which means we have to hear one more shitty person along the way to crowning the next Kelly Clarkson (or, heaven help us, the next Taylor Hicks). Here's my prediction on how this season will shake down.

13. Michael Sarver
Photobucket
Why #13?
Because the first theme is Michael Jackson and even though he won't be the worst one (that will be...Megan), he probably doesn't have enough support from the fans to make him move on. Plus, they don't have enough girls this year, so they need to cut a guy first.


12. Jasmine Murray
Photobucket
Why #12?
The following week's theme is the Grand Ole Opry. So...country songs. All the fellas should be fine, but the ladies will start to crack. So the weakest one goes home. And the weakest of the ladies is this Rihanna-wannabe.


11. Jorge Nuñez
Photobucket
Why #11?
Because I can't see him lasting that long in this competition. Middle America will probably get tired of him earlier than this, but I don't think he'll leave first. Unless we get a Latin week, I think he's going to struggle with a lot of the themes.


10. Matt Giraud
Photobucket
Why #10?
And I think this will be the one to upset a lot of fans. He probably will be leaving when he goes somewhere in the middle, with decent reviews from the judges, which won't make his fans pounce on the phones. But Megan will trashed somewhere around here, and her fans will save her for one more week.


9. Megan Corkrey
Photobucket
Why #9?
Her voice is contemporary enough, but I don't think many will like it. After Matt gets booted, someone "worse" will get booted to make up for it.


8. Scott MacIntyre
Photobucket
Why #8?
Because the blind guy probably won't win, but I doubt he can make anything higher than this (maybe top 6). The media will, of course, be unhappy.


7. Danny Gokey
Photobucket
Why #7?
Because then the media will really be pissed. Yes, it seems like he's the Chosen One, but like a good friend of mine (hi Rachel) seems to think he's a red herring, and I'm inclined to agree.


6. Alexis Grace
Photobucket
Why #6?
It's either her or Allison, because the top 5 cannot possibly have 3 ladies. And even though she's a stronger singer than Allison, they don't need another white female winner (just like they don't need another while male winner, but more on that later).


5. Adam Lambert
Photobucket
Why #5?
One of the few, I could see win because he's different from what we had in the past. But the gays will only push him so far on the show. Middle America will continue to hear that he's not into the ladies and we know that America is not ready for a Gay Idol.


4. Allison Iraheta
Photobucket
Why #4?
Because she'll be the "weakest" one left and because she's 16. But, the show has never had a Hispanic winner (and really the closest they have gotten to that was Archie). So she's also a possibility for the win.


3. Lil Rounds
Photobucket
Why #3?
The only one that I can guarantee that she won't win. They have Fantasia and Jordin already. Allison has a better shot at winning, but the only reason why I don't have her higher than Lil is because Idol will need to villaify somebody to get the result they want on the finale. Because Anoop will be safe, and it will be Kris vs Lil and people will be pissed that Kris advances and will cockblock his win, with a vote for Anoop.


2. Kris Allen
Photobucket
Why #2?
First off, I do think it's possible for him to win (because he's sorta the opposite of Cookie). He's the one who has surprised us the most in terms of him getting in, with very little attention (which means voters like him). But, because folks will be mad that he advances over Lil, he'll miss the win.


Your next American Idol....Anoop Desai!
Photobucket
Why Will He Win?
Leftover Slumdog Millionaire love? It's actually has to do with a lot of things. Idol needs another non-white winner (think of the lineup so far: Kelly, Ruben, Fantasia, Carrie, Taylor, Jordin, David). They are probably looking for another male winner who can do R&B (although why they couldn't find an Usher type, we'll never know). Because the judges need a Wildcard to win to justfy bring that shit back. And because I have no idea.