Speaking of going over on time... this week we only get to hear two judges per contestant. To me, that's not fair. Let's be real: Everyone waits to hear what Simon's opinion is, and I feel bad that some of the contestants won't get to have a Simon critique. It can really make or break a performance... and I think Simon really, truly has a strong effect on people's votes. I guess we'll see with the results if it really makes a difference or not. Hopefully during the results show they will ask Simon what he thought about the contestants he didn't get to comment on.
On to the performances!!!!
Allison Iraheta- "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing"
OK... Allison is obviously not reading my blog. She picks yet ANOTHER song that has been done on Idol a bajillion times! UGH! Performed four times in the past including last season by David Cook. Ridiculous. In other news.... she looks better this week, thank goodness. Also.... Is it just me or was this a super awkward arrangement? I know that every week they have to take a 4 or 5 minute song and cut it down to a minute thirty or two minutes.... but with some songs you don't even notice it. This arrangement seemed like it cut to forty different parts of the song so abruptly. So we've talked about song choice, fashion and arrangement... I guess I should talk about the performance. It was OK... but I'm still "meh" about Allison. Parts of it I think sounded like she was congested. The last note was decent... but the rest was "just alright for me dawg".
Anoop Desai- "Everything I Do I Do It For You"
First thoughts: oh great.... another ballad by Anoop. But... Anoop really surprised me with this performance! In fact... I think it was probably his best to date. He changed up enough of the song to make it interesting... and the parts he changed up were really good. I agree with Kara that he put a lot more emotion into this performance than he had in weeks past. This performance will definitely be enough to get Anoop through to the next round... and it may just be the first song of Anoop's that I will purchase from iTunes.
Adam Lambert- "Born To Be Wild"
I was a little hesitant at first... I wasn't sure if Adam was going to be able to switch up Born To Be Wild and give it his signature touch. Even through the first 30 seconds of the song, I thought it was good, but I wasn't blown away. Then... true Adam kicked in and yet again he knocked another performance out of the park! The ending to that song??? UH-MAZING! That was the true meaning of "singing your face off". No one else can do that!!!! I think that is the true sign of someone deserving of the title of American Idol: Adam could have sang ANY of the other songs performed tonight and done them well.... but no other contestant could have song "Born To Be Wild" and come close to touching Adam. I'm so excited to get to the weeks when the contestants start singing two songs per week so that I can hear 2 Adam performances!
Matt Giraud- "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?"
OK... so I don't like the song... the original single I mean. So when I heard Matt was singing it, i was initially worried. The beginning of the performance was great... just Matt and the piano. Then, as it went on, I unfortunately had to agree with the judges that I think Matt tried to do a little too much with the song. There certainly were sour notes in there. I'm a little scared for Matt this week. We know that he's been in the bottom a couple of times... so his fan base obviously isn't as strong as some others... and as we're getting down to fewer and fewer contestants Matt cannot afford to give a less-than-stellar performance... and this week he did.
Danny Gokey- "Endless Love"
Danny sans glasses? Hmmm.... odd.... Song choice? Predictable. Another ballad sang just like the original arrangement. Nothing different. Danny is getting SO BORING to me! I agree with Simon one hundred percent when he says that he needs to do something where he can make the song his own. For once Danny it a super sour note too... usually thats one area you can bank on with Danny. *yawn*
Kris Allen- "Falling Slowly"
This is a great track from the little known movie "Once". My gut was that this could be a risky choice because the song and the movie will not be recognizable by most (although this song DID with the Oscar for best song from a movie two years ago!). I give him props for this song choice (ahem.... Allison.... take note). When it comes to the judges comments... I 100% agree with (dramatic pause, a`la Ryan Secrest.....)...... Kara! This was "a moment" for Kris. I think it was a dramatic song and he gave an emotion-filled performance. The range of this song is crazy too... it starts super low and yet he hit those high notes well. Kris continues to sail through, in my opinion. Probably the biggest shocker of the season to me.... at the beginning of semi's I wouldn't have ever thought he'd last thing long, but he'd doing what he's got to do to make it through each week!
Lil Rounds- "The Rose"
OK.... first of all... it is not obvious that the producers think that Lil is going to go home? So much so that they give her the pimp spot for the night.... AND make sure with this judges-taking-turns deal that Simon gets to comment on her? Hmmmm... Let's be real. Lil is not as good as everyone hyped her up to be in the past. She's boring! I do give her some credit this week for taking The Rose and giving it a gospel twist... but that's only one part of it. The other part is hitting the notes and she didn't deliver. She missed several notes.... and the runs she did were very sub-par. It's Lil's time to go home if you ask me... but a sinking feeling in my stomach makes me feel that she's not going to.
My Ranking for the week:
1. Adam Lambert
2. Kris Allen
3. Anoop Desai
---------------
4. Danny Gokey
5. Allison Iraheta
6. Matt Giraud
7. Lil Rounds
Who will be in the bottom three? I think it will be Lil, Matt and Allison. Allison because she was the first performer of the night, plus she has been in the bottom three before. Lil & Matt because they didn't have strong weeks, and when you're up against Adam, Kris and Anoop who DID have strong weeks, I think there's no way they could overcome those three (or Danny who obviously has some sort of fanbase who enjoys boring performers).
Who will go home? Yikes. This one is tough. As much as I don't want to say it, I think it could be Matt. If it is, I think there's a strong possibility that the judges could use the save. I think that under pressure Matt would deliver a strong performance that could convince them to use it. Plus.... let's be real.... it's getting down to the wire with only this week and next week to use the save. The judges will have to use it at some point or there was no reason to even have it. They will use it just to use it.
I guess we will have to wait and see!!!
Posts
Ok this is exactly what my daughter said about Matt's performance: "Get off the stage Rascal Flatts Junior". She cracks me up and clearly does not like Rascal Flatts nasal sounds. I have to agree with her on this one. Out of the mouths of babes. LOve Love LOVE Adam...he is my fav and Anoop rocked that ballad. I am over the others.
ReplyDeleteI feel so bad for Lil. I think the judges expect a lot from her, but flip flop on their opinion. Go big! Do Aretha! Do Mariah! Oh, not Tina. you can't do Tina! Eh. I'm not that big a fan, I just feel for her.
ReplyDeleteI was impressed with Anoop this week. He's not one of my favorites, but he's growing on me.
Adam. I LOVE HIM. 'Nuff said!
Danny. yawn. I'm over you.
Kris, I like.
Allison is getting a bit old, but she's ok.
I like Matt, but agree with you on his fan base and risk of elimination. I think they will save him.
I think you hit it spot on with your evals again, Matt!
Seriously? Only two judges per contestant? Don't take so many commercial breaks and you can definitely give the judges their due.
ReplyDeleteAllison- enough with the karaoke covers of songs that were rocked out in previous seasons. Be bold! But not that bold.
I actually liked Anoop this week. He still looks like he's sleeping, but at least he rocked it.
Adam was predicatble Adam, and you either love it or you hate it.
Danny did good, and I secretly think that he was struggling not to cry- bet that made him think of his wife.
Kris picked a really bizarre song. Props for picking a song that noone knows to make it his own, but bummer that noone knows it. I was actually bored with him and agreed with Randy.
Lil is starting to tick me off. Enough with the bogus attitude when the judges talk to you. Take it like a man, and grow from it the next week. It's like Tyra says on ANTM: you don't know it all, or you'd already be doing this.
I desperately want Lil to go home. But I agree that Matt could be in trouble.
The opening bars of Matt's song got me super pumped... but here's the problem: I forgot his performance way too easily. More of the jazzy piano stuff in the arrangement would be way better.