American Idol--Top 9--iPod Hits

Michael Sarver's gone, but there are still a few pieces of deadwood that need to be eradicated.

This week's theme is pretty wide open (popular iPod downloads), so this should benefit them. This will go a long way in showing which of the singers are relevant to today's music trends.

I'm a little stoked.

The judge introductions are still pathetic

No mentors tonight (save the vocal coaches). That could make this a bit scary.

Anoop Desai--"Caught Up"--Usher
At the beginning this seemed like Usher Lite, but as it went on, I actually dug it a little. He put on a good performance, and in spots, the vocals were strong. Going first is a tough, tough position, but this could be good enough. Judges are mixed, thinking he wasn't original enough and not taking enough of a chance. I actually didn't think he was that bad.

Megan Joy (Corkrey)--"Turn Your Lights Down Low"--Bob Marley/Lauryn Hill
I remember the days when Megan's quirky singing didn't bug the tar out of me. Those days are long gone. If she were quirky and consistently good, I might be a fan, but I think she's inconsistent and one-note. The inflections on this don't work for me. Her arrangement was repetitive and boring. Pass. I didn't care for it, no sirree. Kudos to the fan for yelling "Broken record!" after Kara's "not the right song choice" shpiel. BUT if Megan would listen to the criticism about song choice, she wouldn't hear it all the time. Paula is on some strong stuff tonight. She seems to wax philosophic at every turn, refusing to get to the point.

Danny Gokey--"What Hurts the Most"--Rascal Flatts
Going country, huh? I really like this song. He sings it well. A lot of emotional connection to the song and some nice moments. It still, however, doesn't send me into outer space. I think my expectations are too high with Danny. It was really good, not great. He could have a hit with this style of song though. Judges thought it was incredible. Maybe I'm too hard on him. He's still my pick to win it all.

Allison Iraheta--"Don't Speak"--No Doubt
She sings with so much power and depth for a sixteen-year-old, it's crazy. I think, though, that this was a bit karaoke. There wasn't a lot of creativity here. Just seemed dialed in and a bit over-the-top. It was her worst performance of the Top 13, but it's good enough to stay. Judges were mixed but united in their dislike of the outfit.

Scott MacIntyre--"Just the Way You Are"--Billy Joel
Just Scott and the piano singing Billy Joel? If he can't knock this out of the park, he should go home now. I don't like the hairdo; he looks like Eraserhead. I'd make a crack about him checking the mirror, but I realize that that's in bad taste. As for the performance, this is clearly his best yet. Just when I thought this was too faithful to the original, he did some things that were creative and good. This is the best I've heard him sound. I don't think it was perfect, but if I hadn't seen him sing the previous weeks, I could understand why he was still here. Good time to pick this type of performance. His laugh and smile are creepy though.

Matt Giraud--"You Found Me"--The Fray
Weird set up. He's on an electric piano amidst a crowd of audience members. Not a pitch-perfect rendition, but it was good. It seemed a bit too faithful to the original and not really attention-getting. It was passable. When you are in the bottom two the week before, passable may not be enough. His third eye didn't bother me as much this week. I really want him to stick around though. Judges were most unkind.

Lil Rounds--"I Surrender"--Celine Dion
I was a fan of Lil early on, but she hasn't stood out to me here of late. I think one of the reasons is that she picks huge songs and falls short by comparison. This week, she is singing Celine Dion which could be another mistake. Parts were nice, but parts were pitchy. There were parts when I felt she was yelling instead of singing with power. It still didn't set my world on fire. Judges were still down on her song choice.

Adam Lambert--"Play That Funky Music"--Wild Cherry
It looks like this week we will get the over-the-top Adam as opposed to the subdued Adam that was so wonderful last week. Hold on tight. I kind of like him rockin' the pomp. I have said it before, and I will say it again: Adam has the best vocal ability of anyone in this competition. It's an interesting version of the song, and he sings it with abandon. Sometimes when I see Adam, I forget that he is on a televised talent show. He performs. He is unpredictable and fun. He will get a career out of this regardless if he wins. Judges praise him unanimously. Kara though compares the vibe to Studio 57, when she clearly should have said Studio 54. Kara, Kara, Kara.

Kris Allen--"Ain't No Sunshine"--Bill Withers
I am glad that Kris finally gets the last spot. I think he's really good and deserves to last far into this competition. He's singing one of my all time favorite songs. I hope he does it justice. I must say, one word: goosebumps. It started off a bit faithful, but then he truly did make it his own. Excellent job! I will download this one. Guarantee. I love this! The last note was a bit different for me, but that is a small quibble. Maybe this will gain him some momentum. Judges were on board tonight. Good for him!

My favorites were Kris, Adam, and Scott (yes, Scott!).

I didn't care for Megan.

The rest were in the middle.

Does that make the choice of who goes home easy? Don't bet on it!

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American Idol--Top 10--Motown

It's Motown night, and for some reason I feel optimistic about tonight's show.

They are still doing the dreadful judge introductions. That is the easiest announcer job on TV. He reads five names and then goes home to cash his paycheck. Blech.

So Simon is looking for the singers to make the songs original. We'll see.

Smokey Robinson is the mentor, so that should be good.

It is amazing how much plastic surgery Smokey has had. He must have gone to the same guy who took care of Kenny Rogers.

Matt Giraud--"Let's Get It On"--Marvin Gaye
I love this song. I hope it goes well. I think it is great. He does a great job of starting with the piano and then moving to stage performer. A few notes got away from him, but Matt seems to really be in a groove these last couple of weeks. He's entertaining. As far as original, it didn't set the world on fire, but it was truly him. My only complaint was I would have prefered this WITHOUT backup singers. Judges are aboard the Matt love train. I might check out this version on iTunes.

Strangely enough, Simon wants originality, but the version you download on iTunes will be the original instrumental backing. So original is good enough for the show, but not good enough for the downloads? I wonder if this Motown's way of preventing a Middle Eastern version of a song being released. Sorry, Adam!

Kris Allen--"How Sweet It Is"--Marvin Gaye
Another great song! I love me some Marvin Gaye, but I also am rather fond of James Taylor's version of this. Again, I thought this was great. The first half was pretty faithful to the James Taylor version, but the second half was more original. Nice! In my opinion we are two-for-two this evening. It's lame that he hasn't gone later in the show. I hope he gets some votes, because he deserves to stay. Judges are nice to him.

Scott MacIntyre--"You Can't Hurry Love"--Diana Ross and the Supremes
I hope Scott is more energetic this week with his performance as he is starting to bore me. This is his best job since the Top 13. He still has some valleys in his song that bore me, but the vocals were stronger, and he made some interesting choices with the melody. Not as good as the first two. Not a miss by any means though. Judges were mixed. I agree with Simon that I would have much preferred to hear him sing "Reach Out and Touch."

We have to witness some pre-planned schtick where Paula gives Simon some coloring books and crayons. Yawn.

Megan Joy (Corkrey)--"For Once in My Life"--Stevie Wonder
I am actually bracing myself for a mess here. It's actually not the worst thing I've ever heard, but here's the deal. I get the whole strange vocal thing, but she really comes across as someone I would hear on a cruise ship. That cabaret approach is different, but I don't think that quirk is enough to make her great. She's good, yes. Better than good? Nope. Pitchy and inconcistent. Judges are not feeling it.

Anoop Desai--"Ooh Baby Baby"--Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
I'm expecting this to be good. It's not as wonderful as I wanted. It's very competently done. He has a nice falsetto, but I didn't get goosebumps. He seemed behind the beat, and that made it seem sluggish. However, there is nothing awful about it. Judges are positive but cautiously so.

Michael Sarver--"Ain't Too Proud to Beg"--The Temptations
Smokey warns him not to make this too sweet. He sang the song okay, but I don't think he "sang" it well at all. I didn't feel any connection between him and the lyrics. Also, the vocals were weak. Meh. Truly. Judges aren't kind.

Lil Rounds--"Heat Wave"--Martha and the Vandellas
This should be good. Nice job! Honestly I think her lower range is weaker than her high, but she was still in her element. I thought it would be better. Not perfect, but this showed some hints of what she is capable. Judges are more negative than I was.

Adam Lambert--"Tracks of My Tears"--Smokey Robinson
Just Adam and acoustic backing. Wow! He looks like young Elvis (with gauge earrings, natch). And I loved the emotional, minimalist approach. His voice really stand out in this. Great job! I will download this version off of iTunes (though I would rather get THIS arrangement rather than the original instrumentation). He gets a standing O from Smokey and the audience. Someone should tell Kara that "One of the best performances of the night" is eight words, not six. Judges praise him highly and deservedly so.

Danny Gokey--"Get Ready"--The Temptations
I just love the tone of Danny's voice. Again, he's energetic and in the pocket. The build at the end wasn't the best, but this was great. Nice job!

Allison Iraheta--"Papa Was a Rolling Stone"--The Temptations
I love this song. A small lyrical bobble aside, this kicked some major butt. Allison sings with grit and emotion. I will download this one as well. Way to end the show! Judges loved her.

Some obvious weak points tonight, but overall, I really liked this show. Some great songs sung well.The final three seems pretty easy to pick, but the one going home? Who knows?

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American Idol--Top 11--Grand Ole Opry

I was out of town, so this is late. But here it is.


Country night? Eek! I am VERY frightened by this. This could be hideous!

BUT I thought the same last week, and Michael Jackson night was a welcome surprise. So who knows?

I HATE the judge introductions. Can they be more pompous?

Randy Travis is mentor? That could work.
Michael Sarver--"Ain't Going Down 'Til the Sun Comes Up"--Garth Brooks
Lot of words to get through. It sounds authentic country, but it also sounds forced. He really sounds out of breath after each phrase. I felt tired just listening to it. Just okay. Judges were high on the energy, but lower on the vocals.

Allison Iraheta--"Blame It on Your Heart"--Patty Loveless
Allison has really grown on me. I thought this was great. It was confident and well sung. She fit the genre, but still made the song work for her. Judges were overall positive. I am interested to see she sings every week. That's a win in my book.

Kris Allen--"To Make You Feel My Love"--Garth Brooks
He's singing a stripped-down version. That sounds promising. He doesn't look as comfortable without his guitar. His knee is bouncing throughout the whole intro. Outside of that though, he's great. Very smooth, very clear. He sings a great ballad. No doubt about that. Judges like it too. Good for him!

Lil Rounds--"Independence Day"--Martina McBride
Lil says that she's going to keep this country instead of 'R-and-B'-ing it up. I don't know how smart that is. Actually, it's not bad. Parts are really nice. I found the beginning to be a bit boring and lifeless, but she seemed to get into a groove as the song went on. Not my favorite performance by her, but it wasn't bad. It seems like Randy really wants her to stay in her "belt" box. Simon enjoys calling Lil, "Little."

Adam Lambert--"Ring of Fire"--Johnny Cash
Interesting choice. I'm interested to see if he can make this song his own AND not be obnoxious about it. I really like Adam, but I think he likes to walk a very thin line. Adam has apparently found a version with a Middle Eastern flair. Hmm... He left Randy Travis speechless. And he leaves me speechless. He was definitely unique and stayed true to his theatrical self. The rendition was odd, but it kind of worked. I know he will be panned by the judges, but I thought it was interesting. I think it's too different from the original for my tastes (Why mess with a good melody?), but you can't fault him for backing off. Simon was the only negative voice among the judges. At least it was interesting.


Scott MacIntyre--"Wild Angels"--Martina McBride
Another Martina song? No more country artists? The last week or so I have found myself increasingly bored with Scott's voice, but this week was a "bit" better. There were some pitch problems that stood out toward the end, but this was a more lively performance than weeks past. Judges were mixed, more negative towards song choice than Scott himself. The judges all disagreed with one another while pretty much saying the same thing.
Alexis Grace--"Jolene"--Dolly Parton
Mixed bag here. She started off well, but her money note was off. She emotes well. This was a misstep for Alexis. Kind of fell apart at times. Judges (minus Paula) were pretty negative as well.

Danny Gokey--"Jesus Take the Wheel"--Carrie Underwood
I was hoping he would sing "Next Time That He Cheats." Overall, a great job. There were moments that he sounded "slightly" off. Still, he is the best there is with emoting a lyric. He is guaranteed a career from this show. Judges were positive though Randy and Kara didn't like the beginning.

Anoop Desai--"You're Always on my Mind"--Willie Nelson
I love Willie's version of this. I hope I like Anoop's. And the verdict is... I like it. A lot. This is the same vein as Kris' performance earlier. It's not a lot of fireworks, but it's sweet, clear, and well sung. This made me forget the awful "Beat It" of last week. This is the Anoop that can last longer in this competition. Judges were wholly complimentary, saying that it might be the best performance of the night. It's hard for me to disagree.

Megan Joy Corkrey--"Walking After Midnight"--Patsy Cline
Umm... Megan ditched her last name? Now she's just Megan Joy? Whatever. She does have a quirky voice, but that is a positive for her. That having been said, I'm still on the fence with her. She's different, but I never feel totally comfortable with her. Maybe that's a knock more on me than on her. It was okay. She apparently was hospitalized with the flu. That might be why the judges were nicer than I was expecting.

Matt Giraud--"So Small"--Carrie Underwood
Um, I don't know this song. No knock against Carrie, but are two of her songs really among the best of all country music has to offer? Really? Though I don't know the original, it's obvious that he's changed this up to fit his voice. Bonus points to Matt for showing what kind of artist he is. He loses points for missing the last note. Overall, impressive showing for a song that is new to me. Judges are highly complimentary, some saying it was their favorite of the night.

Again, I am surprised. There were no out and out train wrecks (though many will hate Adam's). Maybe this is a better cast than we've had before. No one was flummoxed as we have seen in the past with country music.

Maybe this would be a good year to try Broadway again? I guess we shouldn't press our luck!

It's a hard choice picking who will go home. Maybe we will see the "Judge's Save" used. Nah!

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American Idol--Top 13--"Michael Jackson Event"

Top 12, er, 13!

Let's get this started!


Let's see what kind of song choices we see. Song selection will be very important in these early weeks.

Weird judges introduction with them all up on the stage.

Though it's 13, two are going home tomorrow night! Yikes!

Michael Jackson night?! Wow! As much as they complain about people butchering Michael's songs they are dedicating a whole night to him? Some great songs, but I wonder how many times the judges will rail on them for song choice.

This could be a train wreck!


Lil Rounds--"The Way You Make Me Feel"
I didn't like the backing vocals at all, but I thought Lil did a fine job. Julian, my four-year-old son, thought she was pretty and danced along before he went back to bed. Good start. Judges were quite fond of her though Simon hated her wardrobe.

Scott MacIntyre--"Keep the Faith"
This was a passable vocal, but it seemed pitchy at times. Overall, I was bored with this song, but I don't expect the judges to agree. I expected more. Judges complain more about the song than the performance.

Danny Gokey--"PYT (Pretty Young Thing)"
Great performance! Superb singing! I like the arrangement of this song, and I think Danny can work the stage like a pro. I'm on the fanwagon. Judges are fans, too. (Paula says he's bound for the finals, and who can argue with that?)

Michael Sarver--"You're Not Alone"
A bit of a slower song, and he does it justice. It doesn't give me chills, but it's well done. Judges are positive.

Jasmine Murray--"I'll Be There"
Very clear vocals. It was to the point and direct, but it wasn't the most memorable. Pretty good job. Judges are mixed but tentatively positive.


Kris Allen--"Remember the Time:
Kris got through by singing "Man in the Mirror," so he's probably wishing he could sing it again. This time he does another nice job (a little pitchy), but I didn't feel a superstar vibe. I liked the guitar. Judges were overall positive.

Is Randy trying to start a new catchphrase? I heard him clearly tell Kris, "Very well job done, Baby!" Just a flub or a new trend? You be the judge.

Allison Iraheta--"Give in to Me"
This is an odd performance (not perfect), but I really liked it. She is 16 and this seemed like a good performance for her. She made the song relevant. I don't think it showed off her voice as much as she has already shown, but it showed off her style more. Plus, I like her hair more when it is down like this. When she wears it back, she looks older. Judges liked it. Good for her.

Anoop Desai--"Beat It"
I really like Anoop, but I don't know if this song did him any favors. I don't think it allowed him to really show his chops. Also, it kind of showed a slight lack of showmanship. This was borderline forgettable. I don't think it was horrid by any stretch, but on a night when many performers are getting noticed, this one is a bit weaker. Paula thinks this song is untouchable; Simon thought it was horrible; Randy and Kara are likewise negative.

Jorge Nunez Mendez--"Never Can Say Goodbye"
I really did not care for Jorge's voice when I heard him in his audition, but I have liked him more and more each week. I liked this song on his voice, and I think he pulled off. The judges were harsher than I was, questioning his song choice. I liked it. Was I listening to the same song?

Megan Joy Corkrey--"Rockin' Robin"
This counts as a Michael Jackson song? This is going to sound like I am contradicting myself, but I thought this was absolutely the wrong song choice. This seemed like it belonged on a variety show in the seventies. She has a good voice, but I didn't care for this. This seemed ultra safe. Cheese. Simon and Randy agree with me.

Adam Lambert--"Black and White"
Every time I hear this song, I think about Macauley Culkin. I honestly think this guy has some of the best chops in this competition. Yes, he can be over-the-top, but man, when he hits a note, he hits it. He also has some nice vocal nuances that make him stand out. Best performance of the night. He can work the entire room! Judges were enthusiastic.

Matt Giraud--"Human Nature"
A bit pitchy with his falsetto but a nice job. Not a blockbuster. Not bad. The judges are quick but positive. You can tell the shows running late. Adam gets five minutes of feedback, and Matt gets words per judge. Poor Matt.

Alexis Grace--"Dirty Diana"
Good vocal performance. I didn't like the last note, but it was well done. I think she tried too hard at times, oversinging. Not everyone can be Adam Lambert, Alexis. Judges were fairly complimentary.

New rule change tomorrow night that includes the judges? My prediction is that they'll take the bottom three of America's vote and then the judges will pick the person going home. I don't know if I like that. Yes, it takes some power away from people who are voting for less-talented performers (votefortheworst, etc.), but it also takes the power away Joe Voter. I think votes will diminish if I am right.

I have no idea who will go home. This is a strange night where most of the performances were good. I am quite surprised.

Bring on the results.

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