Idol Gives Back- Top 7 Eliminations

Hello Blog Readers!

I apologize that I was unable to write about Tuesday's episode in time to make a prediction and recap the performances.  I still wanted to follow up and say:

HALLELUJAH!  Tim's time is up!

If only this had happened earlier in the season (perferably in the semi-final rounds) then this season may have been salvageable.  Still, Tim provided some interesting moments (ummm... the knee slide?!) but thank goodness we will not have to sit through another episode of his cheesy fake smile... and the judges comparing him on the "Tim scale". 

I have to admit though... I thought Tim had too strong of a following to go home this week.  When I watched the performances I said that Aaron or Casey would be going home, and appropriately they were in the bottom three with Tim.  I'm not complaining... but for once I was actually a bit surprised that Tim WASN'T safe. 

In other Idol Gives Back news:

• Does Idol not know that America depends on DVR's?  Not only did they mess up Glee for America on Tuesday by running 5 mintues late... but then they went SUPER long on Wednesday with Idol Gives Back.  I heard Ryan's claims that we should set our DVR's later so to not miss the elimination... so I set mine 15 minutes later.  THAT wasn't even long enough.  Sheesh! 
• I loved Alicia Keys as the mentor this week.  She seems so real and down to earth.  I'm jealous that the contestants each got to hang with her for a bit.  I think she gave some pretty decent feedback too.
• Was it just me or were the performances on Idol Gives Back a little underwhelming? 
• I love the Black Eyed Peas, but that performance left a lot to be desired. Fergie sounded way off... and all she really had to say was "rock that body" about 527 times. 
•  And what in the hell was that Joss Stone debacle?  I personally don't understand why Joss Stone is still around or asked to perform at stuff like this but she shows up all the time.  I mean, She hasn't even had a charting single in the US top 40 in her entire career.  She should be a has-been.  And her performance proved why!  Ew.
• I can't knock Elton John... especially singing Your Song.  I mean... its a classic.  Too bad my DVR cut off not even halfway through :-(.
• Mary J...  I give her respect, but even that performance seemed a little off to me.  Maybe it was just the night.
• Wandy Sykes and George Lopez were mildly funny.  I appreciated the realness that they have about the show.  It was funny to have them making fun of American Idol ON American Idol.  I especially loved Wanda talking about how they make the contestants sing after they are eliminated.  "Here! Sing and remind us how bad you are and why we didn't vote for you!" lol...  Maybe that's why Tim didn't sing again at the end.  We could hope (even though its more than likely just because they were already way over in time). 
• Carrie... I love me some Carrie Underwood.  I love that song and I love her whole new album.  It almost seems like that song was meant for Idol Gives Back or Inspirational Songs week.  It was just a perfect fit.  And as always... she looked flawless. To me, this was the highlight of the night. 

So on to next week!  I read that Ryan announced that next week will be SHANIA TWAIN week!  I am SUPER excited that Shania will be back to mentor.  To me, she was the best guest judge of the entire audition process, and maybe EVER.  She actually gave the contestants great advice and feedback, and I think that now we are down to six contestants that she will really be able to help them out.

Singing songs from the Shania Twain catalog will be interesting, especially for contestants like Mike and Lee.  I'm sure Crystal and Siobhan will be able to find a female-ish song they can connect to... and Casey and Aaron already have a country-ish vibe to them.  Mike and Lee might have a hard time, but then again, maybe this will be the time to push them out of their comfort zone and shine?!  We'll see. 

I've been looking over the Shania Twain song list, and I will see if I can come up for some good suggestions/predictions of what the contestants will sing. 

Until then... here is my Idol ranking of the contestants going into next week!

Top 9 (pt. 2): Songs of Elvis

After a bit of a hiatus, I am glad to be back with a recap of tonight's performances!  Lat week was quite interesting with the judges choosing to use the save so early on in the season... will it prove to be a good decision?  We'll find out tonight if Mike has it in him to have a worthy comeback performance.

The mentor this week is Adam Lambert, which I am surprised by excited about.  I was definitely an Adam fan last season.  I think the stage presence and showmanship is something that we have been drastically missing from this season, and maybe he can perk them up a bit.

An interesting fact that I didn't realize is that Adam is the first contestant to come back as a mentor.  Wow.  It's true!  Thinking back, we haven't had Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood back (which I think that would make sense to have one of those two)... so Adam has got to feel pretty lucky and honored to have that under his belt. 

Ryan talks with Adam at the beginning of the show and they talk about Adam's signature belting of high notes.  Adam says that you have to stick your tongue out for it to be effective.  Ryan's response? "My tongue is not as talented as yours".  C'mon Ryan... now you are just asking for it.  Really?  I mean there are enough gay rumors about Ryan as it is... and with the gay banter back-and-forth with Simon, Ryan really doesn't need to add any more fuel to the fire.  Anyway... Ryan is just ridiculous. 

Let's get on with the performances!

Crystal Bowersox- "Saved":  During her mentor session with Adam, you can tell that he thinks Crystal is just head and shoulders above the rest.  I mean, he didn't come out and say it, but you can see on his face that he knows she will be in the final.  He suggests she try the electric guitar instead of the acoustic and she does so. Halfway through the performance, and no surprise here... I love it!.  I think its out of Crystal's comfort zone, but she still made it her own.  I loved that it was up tempo at the beginning and then she slowed it down at the end.  The whole thing from start to finish was just awesome.  The bad thing about Crystal going first is that I don't have anything to look forward to for the rest of the show... and the only way the show can go is downhill.  The judges love it too (again, no surprise). 

Andrew Garcia- "Hound Dog":  It's awesome that Adam called Andrew out for not giving much in his performance.  "I'm bored" he said.  THANK YOU ADAM for saying what America has been thinking for weeks.  That's just what he needed to hear.  Would he put this advice to good use?  OF COURSE NOT.  I thought this was awful.  I mean... not Tim awful... but still, awful.  There is no way that this would ever exist as a single on a record... and no way we would ever hear this on the radio.  It's just really bad karaoke.  I'm so over him and ready for him to go home.  I'm glad the judges ripped him.  Will America please listen to them?  He. Needs. To. Go.

Tim Urban- "I Can't Help Falling in Love":  Omg... could he pick a more predictable song?  I mean, really.  If there was ever an Elvis song that would allow Tim to play up to his tween/cougar crowd, this is it.  During his mentor session, I love that Adam says "I pushed him out of his comfort zone".  Maybe that is my mind being a little dirty... but it was just funny to me.  :-)   Ryan introduces Tim as "Turban" before his performance.  Really?  That's a horrible nickname for someone.  As Tim starts singing, I am waiting for this to be a trainwreck.  And waiting...   And waiting....  Hold on.  Is this for real?  Am I actually not hating a Tim Urban performance?  Yes!  I think this is real!  For once, I actually don't think this was too bad!  His voice isn't too bad and he changed the song up from what we normally are used to hearing.  Ummm... wait a second, is that Ryan dancing in the aisles with a large man?  WTF?  Has Ryan officially lost it tonight?  Sheesh.  Anyway, back to Tim.  As he finishes, he doesn't take the super high falsetto that Adam suggested, but he ends strongly.  In my opinion if there was ever a Tim performance that would keep him safe from tomorrow's double elimination, it is this!  It's unbelieveable, but I think he honestly pulled it off.  The judges like it as well.  Even Simon says that he went "from zero to hero".  This is just crazy!  I figured that with a double elimination that there was no way that Tim would survive... but clearly, I am wrong.  I wouldn't be surprised to see Tim in the top 7.

Lee Dewyze- "A Little Less Conversation":  Adam was right on the money when he said that Lee doesn't do anything with his face when he sings!  I am liking Adam as a mentor because he is giving really good contructive feedback.  Would this feedback help?  Well, obviously this was just the recommendation that he needed... Lee showed so much more emotion in his face this week!  He moved around and seemed more loose and free on stage.  I really though it was great.  With this song choice, it could have been cheesy and predictable, but Lee actually put a really cool spin on it.  His raspy voice was in tune (for once, I think it was in tune the entire song!) and it gave the song some edge that made it cool and relevant.  In my opinion, this was his best performance ever!  The judges really like it, although Kara and Simon get into a discussion about whether or not Lee needs to smile more on stage.  Lee, almost on cue, gives a super cheesy Tim-Urbanish fake smile and I love it!  Lee is being true to himself and not putting on some fake grin to get tweens to vote for him.  Lee gains some cool points from me this week.

Aaron Kelly- "Blue Suede Shoes":  Why did Aaron seem so nervous and scared while meeting with Adam?  It was kinda humorous to me actually.  Just as Aaron promised us last week, he was going to do something a bit different and perform an uptempo song instead of the ballads-ala-Rascal-Flatts he's performed every week so far. This could have been a disaster... It wasnt' quite that caliber... but to me it was just so-so.  He seemed awkward out there trying to move around to the beat and "dance" (I use this word loosely).  I just felt that he was trying way too hard.  Just be yourself kid.  Unfortunately, if that gets you kicked off, it gets you kicked off...  But better to be eliminated for being yourself than for being someone you're not... and with two elminations this week, I'm not so sure that Aaron will be safe.  The judges agree with me... and think that it got better when the song was slowed down.  Still it wasn't good.  Simon was a little harsh... but he's Simon so he can be.  Overall, I'm worried for Aaron this week. 

Siobhan Magnus- "Suspicious Minds":  So it's the moment you've been waiting for... Siobhan meets Adam.  Well maybe some of you have been waiting for it.  Personally I don't see the similarities.  Adam is in a whole other league if you ask me.  Adam's mentoring session was far from as exciting as the Idol producers probably hoped it would be when the these two got together.  When we found out that Siobhan was singing Suspicious Minds, I actually thought this could be a great song choice for her.  This performance really left me unimpressed though.  I STILL think she sounds nasally when she sings and I cant' believe that the judges don't call her out for it.  At the end, I have to say that she stepped it up a bit... but overall, I am not loving this at all... and can't believe she's being compared to Adam Lambert.  The first three judges like it, but Simon regulates and preaches truth.  He calls it erratic and tells her that a lot of people won't like it.  Agreed.

Michael Lynche- "In The Ghetto": Tonight is a big night for Michael.  After his save last week, would he be able to rebound.  Adam tells him that he just needs to connect.  The song he chooses is "In The Ghetto".  At first, I was like "really??!?".  Not to be racist (but I guess it is a bit)... but why does the only African American left in the competition gotta sing the song named "In The Ghetto"???  Seems sensitive to me... but if he's OK with it, I'll give it a chance.  To me... this performance was exactly what Mike needed!  He performed it SO well and it really sounded current!  I could hear a performance like that on the radio!  To me... its the best performance of the night so far.  He needed a good night, and he stepped it up.  The judges comments were short (due to time)... but they all liked it and Simon said it was MUCH better than last week and proved they were correct in saving him. 

Katie Stevens- "Baby, What Do You Want Me To Do?":  I like Katie.  I admit it.  I really do.  I want to like her more... and I really think she has some potential.  After last week's beautiful "Let It Be" I hope tonight she can keep the streak going.  I think this song choice is great!  Kara has said that she needs to sing a song she can connect with, and obviously she is aggrevated with the judges juggling back and forth with her, and just wants to know "what do you want me to do?"!!!  As she starts to perform, I am liking her attitude!  Part of me wishes she would just push it a bit more... like she's giving 90%, but I want 100%.  During this, I can see hints of Kelly Clarkson singing "Respect" with that I'm-really-sweet-but-I'm-gonna-act-like-I-have-attitude look in her eyes.  The judges like it (Ellen says its was really "horny"... lol) but Simon said it was loud and annoying.  Honestly though, I think it will probably be enough to get Katie through another week. 

Casey James- "Lawdy, Miss Clawdy": I was assuming they were leaving Casey until last tonight because his bluesy vocals would lend themselves well to Elvis tunes.  I was expecting a whole lot, and unfortunately, Casey didn't deliver.  It wasn't horrible.... but it just wasn't the great performance that I had imagined.  I think I had built it up in my head that Casey could have "a moment" (sorry for using the judges over-used term).  It was OK.  He seemed a little disconnected from it.  I think Casey could have benefitted from doing a more recognizeable song.  He could have connected more with the audience.  Overall, I wanted marvelous and I just got "meh". 



My personal ranking of this week's contestants:
1. Michael Lynche
2. Cyrstal Bowersox
3. Lee Dewyze
4. Kate Stevens
5. Tim Urban (did I really just rank him top 5? What is this show coming to?!?)
6. Casey James
7. Siobhan Magnus
8. Aaron Kelly
9. Andrew Garcia

Elimination Predictions:
With two eliminations this week, it makes things a bit interesting!  I hope that it is finally time for Andrew to go home.  I really think this is it.  He was already in the bottom two last week, so we know his fan base is waning.  I honestly think that it will be Andrew and Aaron.  Aaron was underwhelming... and he was the other person in last week's bottom three, so we know his fan base isn't quite as strong either.  If its not Andrew or Aaron, then the only others would be Katie and/or Tim.  I only say Tim because I have hated him every week and he has made it... so with this being the first week I have actually tolerated him, America will probably send him home.  And Katie is the weakest of the three girls... and obviously America doesn't like the girls this season (the first three elims were all female)... so I could see Katie slipping to the bottom two as well.

With that said, I still strongly believe that the eliminated contestants tonight will be Andrew and Aaron.

The past two weeks!

Hi everyone!

I apologize for being absent from the blog the past two weeks.  I was off on my cruise for the first week, and then last week my mom and aunt were in town visiting from Michigan (not to mention that I was pretty sick last week).  So unfortunately, my blog time got cut short.

Here's a couple notes about the last two weeks:

• Bye Bye Didi:  Big SAD FACE for Didi being eliminated way too early.  I will blame it on the cruise and the fact that I wasn't around to vote for her.  The performance of "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" WAS bad though.  But still, we can add Didi to the now long list of contestants that should have lasted longer than several others who are still in the running.  I'll miss her and hope that someday we will see more from her!
• Katie steps it up:  Last week I was blown away by Katie's "Let It Be".  This is the Katie I remember seeing during her audition and Hollywood Week when I thought she would make it far in the competition.  I'm glad to see she's doing better.  Hopefully she can keep up the powerhouse performances.
• Casey is rockin':  The past two weeks with "Hold On I'm Comin'" and "Jealous Guy", I feel that Casey is really proving himself.  I like when he rocks out and adds his bluesy vibe.  I've been really impressed with him.
• India.Arie on Idol: I almost fell off the couch when Michael said he was singing "Ready for Love" by India.Arie, one of my favorite artists of all time.  I thought he did this song justice and put an interesting male vibe on it. I loved it. 
• Andrew still sucks:  Enough said. 
• THE SAVE IS USED!  I agree that using the judges save on Michael was a good idea.  If he would have went home #9, it would have been way too early (although I had a feeling since top 12 that Michael would be one contestant who would go home earlier than expected).  Although I agree with them using it, I am worried that it may have been a bit too early.  Now there is a possibility that we will have another surprise boot before this thing is over.  If Crystal goes home top 5 or some crazy shiz like that, I will officially have a freak out.  But, Michael has to feel really good that at top 9 the judges were confident enough in him to use the save.  Pretty awesome!

OK!  That's it for now... I'm getting ready for tonight's performances and I'm so excited!  :-)