American Idol - Season 6

[Disneymom4ever]

Well, I might be in the minority here, but I thought it was really done well. There was more than one time I had a lump in my throat. (But then again, I am a sappy mom! :cry: ) I think so many of us get so wrapped up in our daily lives, we sometimes forget what's really going on out there in this great big world. I know this was a good lesson for my kids. My 11 yr. old said at one point "This is really sad." He then proceeded to go into his piggy bank and give me his last $6, and tell me now he can give a few kids their malaria medicine, so they won't die. And then my other son did the same.
I can't argue with that.

[tinkerbelle75]

I liked the show last night.I think there are some very worthwhile charities involved.My only question is this: Where are the Mississippi hurricane victims in all this???You always hear how bad it is in New Orleans, but you never hear about the Mississippi Coastline that got wiped out.Guess they haven't made enough noise....
On to the music.Kelly Clarkson showed everyone how it's done last night.She is still the most talented of all of the idol contestants,and she certainly proved it last night.The Elvis trick was really cool.I didn't find it creepy at all
I couldn't believe it when Jordan was the last one standing last night-and from the tears she had fall, I don't think she could either.I am glad Ryan let everybody off the hook pretty quickly, because I was vowing never to watch Idol again.
Hopefully Chris will be gone next week,along with LaKisha.She is really starting to bother me.

[Melanie]

My only question is this: Where are the Mississippi hurricane victims in all this???You always hear how bad it is in New Orleans, but you never hear about the Mississippi Coastline that got wiped out.Guess they haven't made enough noise....

I agree! Mississippi had it just as bad. I think it's unfortunate they seem to have been left behind. :unsure:

I liked the show as well. Ben Stiller doing Blake was too funny. I also liked Jack Black (and I'm not really a fan) and the 'Stayin' Alive' bit. I was entertained, and it was for a good cause.

[JanetMegan]

I haven't watched all of last night's show yet, but I have to say Jack Black sang that song almost as well as Seal ;)

Slightly OT but if you were/are a Chris Daughtry fan and haven't bought or downloaded his cd yet I highly recommend it. I bought it yesterday and have listened to all the tracks through twice and I really enjoyed it. It was kind of an odd cross between nickleback and green day-yeah I know, sounds weird, but I loved it!

[Melanie]

Janet, the Daughtry album is awesome! It's a hit with my entire household. My 7 year old can recite many of the songs. Good stuff! :thumbsup:

[RedSoxFan]

I bought the Daughtry CD as well. I think it's a great CD and listen to it A LOT. As for the show last night, I didn't watch much but saw where Jordin was the last one standing. My face dropped -- thought she was going to be let go. Thankfully, she wasn't. I agree that Chris and LaKisha need to go.

[Marker]

My 11 yr. old said at one point "This is really sad." He then proceeded to go into his piggy bank and give me his last $6, and tell me now he can give a few kids their malaria medicine, so they won't die. And then my other son did the same.
I can't argue with that.

Major KUDOS to your kids. You should be proud of them.

A perfect example of why awareness is an important thing.

[Disneymom4ever]

Major KUDOS to you kids. You should be proud of them.

A perfect example of why awareness is an important thing.

Thanks, Marker, I am so proud of them. They have really good hearts. And I agree about awareness, if they hadn't seen that, they would still just be saving for that next video game. Think about how many kids watch that show! Kudos to American Idol.

[Ian]

I missed most of last night's show, because I was watching Jericho at 8 and then had some work to do from 9-9:30.

I thought the whole thing was a little overwrought. First off, it was pretty mean-spirited, on a night of charity, to play up the quasi-eviction for suspense. They should have just said in advance, "This week is about helping others. No eliminations." Poor Jordan was in tears thinking she was getting voted off ...

Also, I'm struggling to figure out why the show was called "Idol Gives Back." I didn't hear about Fox donating a penny. It was all the sponsors and us giving back. Sort of misleading ... maybe they should have called it "Idol Asks Others to Give."

The Simpsons bit was HILARIOUS!

All in all, though, it seems like they did a good thing. Raising that kind of money (what's surely to come close to $50 million) is good, assuming it goes to the right places. I can't help but wonder ... if it's so cheap to feed these kids, with all the money that's been donated over the years, why are they still starving?

And as a side note, how cool is Bono?? I mean really ... I have an unabashed, pure, unadulterated man-love for that guy. He may be the coolest man ever to walk the Earth.

[Tick-Tock]

Also, I'm struggling to figure out why the show was called "Idol Gives Back." I didn't hear about Fox donating a penny. It was all the sponsors and us giving back. Sort of misleading ... maybe they should have called it "Idol Asks Others to Give."


Once Tuesday's votes reached 50 million, FOX's parent company NewsCorp kicked in $5 million.

[Jeff]

I thought last nights show was very well done. What a great way to rais awarness of the needs of children. It was certainly worth my time and donation.:thumbsup:

I also thought the Elvis bit was very cool.

The "no one goes home ploy" was a bit manipulative but makes sense.

[2Epcot]

I also thought the Elvis bit was very cool.

I also really liked the Elvis thing too. Since I work in TV I was watching trying to figure out exactly how they did it. The longer it went, the more complex it got, I was really impressed. I was away from home most of the day, and didn't get a chance to reset my DVR. I watched the show at work, but I'll download the Elvis thing on my iPod.

[Ian]

Once Tuesday's votes reached 50 million, FOX's parent company NewsCorp kicked in $5 million.True ... I forgot about that.

Even so, Fox probably makes $5 million from Idol on one commercial break, given the ad rates I'm sure they charge. Seems like they could have done a lot more.

$5 million will end up being less than 10% of the total.

[Momof2boys]

I loved seeing the stars from other networks participating. I really wasn't into the concert hall performers but enjoyed the rest of the show. We loved the Elvis part too. We just visited Graceland over Spring Break so it was a bit cooler for us.

[Marker]

First off, it was pretty mean-spirited, on a night of charity, to play up the quasi-eviction for suspense. They should have just said in advance, "This week is about helping others. No eliminations." Poor Jordan was in tears thinking she was getting voted off ...

But then no one would have watched... you know how we americans are.


Also, I'm struggling to figure out why the show was called "Idol Gives Back." I didn't hear about Fox donating a penny. It was all the sponsors and us giving back. Sort of misleading ... maybe they should have called it "Idol Asks Others to Give."

Of course we have heard that FOX has donated. But don't forget Fox's expense of putting the shows on, the venues, the celebs, production costs, 3 hours of programming time over 2 nights. If they hadn't put this together, the contributions would bave been $0.


assuming it goes to the right places. I can't help but wonder ... if it's so cheap to feed these kids, with all the money that's been donated over the years, why are they still starving?

Sadly, BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY. Remember too, the cost of the food, or supplies, or medication may not be that much, but the cost of getting it there has to be incurred as well. Organization, administration, procurement, transportation, distribution, political roadblocks, et al, all cost money. It's wise to be cautious, but even with the expenses, what does actually get through to help is more than nothing if no one tries.

[Ian]

Remember too, the cost of the food, or supplies, or medication may not be that much, but the cost of getting it there has to be incurred as well. Organization, administration, procurement, transportation, distribution, political roadblocks, et al, all cost money. It's wise to be cautious, but even with the expenses, what does actually get through to help is more than nothing if no one tries.I guess I understand that, but I'm still more of a "teach a man to fish" kinda guy as opposed to just handing him a fish.

Seems like we've been handing them fish for a quarter century or more and we haven't bothered to use any of the TRILLIONS (yes, trillions) of dollars in aid that we've spent there to teach them to fish.

I think that's what frustrates me. When will it end?

[offwego]

I guess I understand that, but I'm still more of a "teach a man to fish" kinda guy as opposed to just handing him a fish.

Seems like we've been handing them fish for a quarter century or more and we haven't bothered to use any of the TRILLIONS (yes, trillions) of dollars in aid that we've spent there to teach them to fish.

I think that's what frustrates me. When will it end? Ian, part of the problem is that the areas of the world donating (North America & Europe) don't really have the ability to "teach the man to fish" that's truly sustainable in the area they are.

the conditions are fairly differnt for growing etc then what we have here and with the current state of very targeted seed development for different climates here where the money is, more work first must be done to develop the proper tools and products for their market. Our methods for food production are very much dependant on the abundance of water, great soil etc that we've been blessed with. They don't transplant that well...

Add in some wars, lack of education and there you are.

[MNNHFLTX]

I wasn't sure what to expect initially, but I thoroughly enjoyed last night's show. After enduring weeks of discussion and speculation on Sanjaya's hair styles, it was refreshing to see everyone focusing on something a little more important. And they certainly did pull in some big names in the entertainment industry!

On the other hand, the way they played out the contestant count-down was a bit cruel--but then again, this is still American Idol we're talking about. :rolleyes:

[Marker]

I guess I understand that, but I'm still more of a "teach a man to fish" kinda guy as opposed to just handing him a fish.

Seems like we've been handing them fish for a quarter century or more and we haven't bothered to use any of the TRILLIONS (yes, trillions) of dollars in aid that we've spent there to teach them to fish.

I think that's what frustrates me. When will it end?

And that's a valid frustration. I don't disagree with you.

But, it's hard to fish when you're dead. And what's the alternative, to stop the aid all together? Just letting them die without event trying to help isn't a very pleasant thought either.

You know, if you remember comedian Sam Kinison, he did a bit about this....basically asking why we work so hard to teach these people farm in a desert, wouldn't it be better to just move them to where the food is. A harsh comedy routine, yes, but some definite logic to it..... but also, totally impractal.

It's a tough situation no doubt about it, but at the end of the day, people are dying and at least some of it can be stopped. Not speaking for anyone else, but for me, whether it's the "best" idea or not, if a few bucks will keep some of those children alive, it's worth it. At $3 for a dose of the malaria vaccine, just think how many children one WDW polo shirt would save.

[Ian]

No, I certainly don't want to let them die. I do believe we, as citizens of the world (especially the more advanced nations) do have a responsibility to help other, less fortunate individuals in the world.

But at the same time, after all the time and money we've spent in Africa, it's not unreasonable to expect some progress is it? I mean in any other endeavor, private or public, if you spent trillions of dollars over 25 years and were worse off than when you started, you'd be labeled a dismal failure and you'd re-examine your approach and try something else.

That's more my point ... I'm not really comfortable with continuing to throw good money after bad when it's pretty clear that what we're doing isn't actually improving anything. It's just putting a Band-Aid on the problem.

I'd be thrilled to spend another trillion if I could be assured it would be spent wisely and would actually solve the problem forever, but that's not going to happen with the way things are now.

All the things that should really be on the table for solving this problem (like removing the warlords who run the country and are the ones really responsible for keeping the majority of people starving in poverty) are the ones everyone is afraid to talk about.

I say again ... if, 25 years from now, we've spent another trillion dollars and we're in the same spot as we are now, what will we really have accomplished?

[Marker]

All the things that should really be on the table for solving this problem (like removing the warlords who run the country and are the ones really responsible for keeping the majority of people starving in poverty) are the ones everyone is afraid to talk about.

No disagreement from me. But I don't see support for anything like that happening anytime soon.

As for will it be worth it, well, big picture and solving the problem... no. But for the lives that are spared.... to them yes.

Guess we've kind of wandered off the topic of American Idol....... ROCK ON JORDAN!!!!!!!

[JanetMegan]

Finally watched most of the show last night, fast forwarded through some of it though. Carrie Underwood sounded really good on that song, was that one of the songs written for Idol a couple years ago or is that an old song-I just couldn't place it. She should release it though.

Kelly Clarkston-Man she looked like she had gained like 50 lbs-that dress wasn't helping, but I have seen her recently in some Nascar Commercials and she looked really skinny so I'm not sure what was up with that.

Elvis thing-man that was SOOO cool. I mean I really wasn't spooked or distracted by any computer-y stuff at all. It looked GOOD!

[PirateLover]

Finally watched most of the show last night, fast forwarded through some of it though. Carrie Underwood sounded really good on that song, was that one of the songs written for Idol a couple years ago or is that an old song-I just couldn't place it. She should release it though.


It was originally done by Chrissy Hynde and the Pretenders. I believe Gina sang it earlier this season. It's called "I'll Stand By You" and Carrie did a pretty faithful rendition of it. She did sound great.:thumbsup:

[JanetMegan]

Ahhh it was from Gina singing it that I knew it, thanks soooo much! Don't you hate those little things you can't figure out and then it's so nice when someone does it for you ;)

[PirateLover]

Apparently this week, Bon Jovi is the mentor and they do in fact have to sing Bon Jovi songs. Should be interesting... rumor is Blake will be bringing the beat boxing back.

[Emily]

Bon Jovi huh? That should be interesting. ;)

I'm a little late chiming in but I guess I'm in the minority - I didn't like the Elvis thing, really. I thought it just looked weird and cheesy. (I'm an Elvis fan, so it's not that I don't like him, just didn't particularly like them pairing him with Celine Dion!)

I enjoyed Josh Groban and Il Divo, but I'm a fan of both. I really like Annie Lennox but agree that she wasn't at her best, I was surprised. Kelly Clarkson was really good, I thought. The ex and I both turned to each other at the same time and said, "She's got kind of a Janis Joplin thing going on" (in her look). Anyone else see that at all?

Overall I thought it was good but it could have used more Bono. :D I loved the Simpsons bit :funny: and I thought the "Stayin' Alive" video was really cute. :)

[jedigrrrl]

Blake was so cool and original, I watched him twice. He was the best. The rest of the bunch was good too. This is the first week all season where I think everyone did a good job. I didn't hate anyone's performance.

On a weird note, I was looking through my upcoming recordings on my TIVO to see if it said who was mentoring the contestants next week and it says:

American Idol
"The Four Remaining Finalists Compete"(2007) Melinda Doolittle, LaKisha Jones, Blake Lewis, Chris Richardson.

Odd..... :confused:

[Emily]

My TiVo actually has those same 4 names on tonight's show, tomorrow's, next Tues.'s, next Wed.'s, etc. In other words, I don't think it means anything. Why they picked those 4 to put in the description is beyond me, though. :scratch:

I thought everybody did a pretty decent job, much to my surprise. Well, actually Jordin was a bit rough but at least she owned up to it. Poor thing, that had to be a tough week for her! And I completely agree with Simon on Blake's performance: people are either going to love it or hate it. I dug it, but then I love Blake so I'm a bit biased. ;) I liked Phil's performance a lot, I don't know why Simon came down on him so hard.

I would love to see Chris and Lakisha go this week, but I'm not sure it's going to happen. :unsure:

[PirateLover]

American Idol
"The Four Remaining Finalists Compete"(2007) Melinda Doolittle, LaKisha Jones, Blake Lewis, Chris Richardson.

Odd..... :confused:

I think they are merely listed in last name alphabetical order. Therefore, Jordin Sparks and Phil Stacey would be the 2 cut off.

Review Time!
Worst to First

Chris Richardson- "Wanted Dead or Alive"
I think he murdered this song. I actually cringed on quite a few of those notes. After Daughtry did so well with it last year, I can't believe he chose it. Not saying that you shouldn't choose songs that others have done but there are plenty of decent Bon Jovi songs to choose from, and Chris Daughtry has become such a star that it is really hard not to compare them. I thought the judges went super easy on him

Jordin Sparks- "Living on a Prayer"
This is probably the hardest Bon Jovi song out there. I don't get why she chose it. It wasn't terrible, and she did the key change alright, but the whole outfit/hair/rock star persona didn't fit her. Lakisha and Melinda would prove later that you don't have to go the stereotypical route to do a rock song.

Phil Stacey- "Blaze of Glory"
Well, this was by far NosPhilatu's best performance. I did enjoy it, but something still turns me off about him.

Lakisha- "This Ain't A Love Song"
Boy did she find the right song to do. I thought it suited her voice well and she had great stage presence, which is something many of us have been ragging on her for. This girl proves once again that she can SANG

Melinda - "Have A Nice Day"
I actually hated this song- Until I heard Melinda perform it. I loved it. I definitely see the Tina there, and I'm lovin it!

Blake Lewis- "You Give Love A Bad Name"
Wow. I am definitely in them camp that LOVES this style of music/performing and thus I absolutely soaked up every second of Blake this week. I think he has played this competition very smart. The performance he gave tonight is who he truly is... just check out any videos of him performing pre-AI. But he cooled it down the first few weeks and was able to hang on. Now for double elimination night, he takes the risk and pulls out the big guns. If he goes down, at least he did it his way and he made it far enough along to have made a decent name for himself. I think he'll be ok though, (at least if my votes have anything to say for it!)
I have never truly liked a contestant as much as I like Blake. I mean it's one thing to be amazed by a big voice (Kelly, Tamyra, Season 3 Divas) or to root for the rocker (Bo, Daughtry) but something about Blake is just so unique and brings such a breath of fresh air to American Idol that I just can't get enough of this kid! I don't care if he wins, I just hope he makes it a few more weeks and something big awaits him in the future.

My two to go: Chris and Phil.
Wouldn't be shocked if Lakisha went though. I just hope Chris and his nasally style of singing are DONE!

[2Epcot]

Blake was so cool and original, I watched him twice. He was the best.

I liked Blake too. I've been a fan of his for seveal weeks. I like Jordin too, but I think she may go tomorrow. I think either Chris or Phil will join her.

[JanetMegan]

Ok first my quickie reviews...

Phil-Man I loved this! I really have gotten in the Phil camp in the last 3 weeks. He picked the perfect song and he rocked it OUT! I really hope he is safe.

Jordin-Ugh. Wow. I really like her but Dawg, that wasn't good. It was bordering on awful. I do think though that since the votes are combined with last week's she will be safe.

Lakisha-Suprisingly good, great song choice. Jordin should have taken song choice advice from Lakisha. I do still think she is in danger of going home tonight though.

Blake-Wow, that was cool. Very Original, I liked it, hope he's ok too!

Chris R.-Ugh. Again. I don't get it, WHY on EARTH is he still here??? I would think he is the only sure thing going home tonight.

Melinda-Really nice job with what I think is one of my least fave Bon Jovi songs. I especially liked it in the pre-song interview when Jon Bon Jovi told her to "Take it to Chruch" and she said "I like church." HA HA HA

-----------------------------------------------------

A couple other random comments...

1. Does anyone else feel like in the beginning they just didn't like any of them that much but yet can't figure out which one you want to go home now? I was very blah about this whole season and now other than Chris R. I can't bear for any of them to go home??

2. Does anyone else feel like blasting Bon Jovi all day long?

[Ian]

Please somebody tell me that this is finally the week that Chris Richardson goes home!! He's horrid ... just horrid ...

I loved Blake. I thought he was awesome and honestly he needed to be. He could very well have gone home this week if he didn't nail it.

I liked the rest of the contestants' performances, although I agree that Jordin's was the roughest of the bunch.

SPOILER ALERT!!
DialIdol has Chris and Lakisha as the bottom 2. We can only hope ...

[Momof2boys]

I have yet to hear someone say that they didn't like Blake's performance . . . although on the radio this morning they were saying the BonJovi boards were NOT liking his rendition. Personally, it was in my Top 3 performances of the entire season. But then again, I live by the Dare to be Different creed.

I think Jordin's confession that she didn't do great may hurt her. I think she's good when she sings but her age shows thru when she's not performing. I don't care for the bubbliness.

I also loved Lakisha & Phil's performances -

I'm just nervous about tonight with 2 going home. I wish the votes wouldn't have been combined for last night.

BTW Janet - I blasted BonJovi on my way to work this morning ;)

[Melanie]

Please, please let Lakisha be the first out the door. I'm so over her!

Phil and Blake were my favorites. Should be interesting tonight.

[tinkerbelle75]

Blake was SO good last night!!For me, it was the best one of the night.
I was really surprised I got right through on his number when it was time to vote.....and then got through about 100 more times without any problem.I only got a busy signal about 6 times.....that's usually not a good sign,right? I'd definitely give him the award for most creative performance ever done on AI.
Melinda was really good,too.I just still can't picture her as the winner,but I think she'll have a great career.
Jordin really didn't do very well.And the hair was.... well......terrible.To put it nicely.Anybody remember the movie Mad Max?That's what it reminded me of for some reason.
Phil was surprisingly pretty good.He should have been gone weeks ago based on his past performances,but I really am glad now that he stayed.He's getting a lot better.
LaKisha.Hmm.I don't really know why,but I am bored with her.At the beginning,she blew them all away, but now...not so much.
Chris R. was ok but still needs to go. The boy band sound added to a Bon Jovi song that everybody knows and loves just doesn't work.I wasn't cringing,but I wasn't liking it either.
Hopefully it will be Lakisha and Chris leaving tonight.I will be devastated if it's Blake.

[PirateLover]

-----------------------------------------------------

A couple other random comments...

1. Does anyone else feel like in the beginning they just didn't like any of them that much but yet can't figure out which one you want to go home now? I was very blah about this whole season and now other than Chris R. I can't bear for any of them to go home??

2. Does anyone else feel like blasting Bon Jovi all day long?

Yes, and Yes! I don't think anyone besides Chris deserves to go home right now.

And Bon Jovi is an odd relationship for me. Sometimes I get sick of Jon because he's all over the place here in Philly due to his arena football team. (Hence the "Philly Soul" shirt he had on- That is the team's name)
But I'll be the first the scream along to a BonJovi song at 1am when it comes on at the bar. When we were over in London and they played Livin' on A Prayer at the club, you would've thought I was his #1 fan. I was just so excited to hear something local and familiar.

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

Phil Stacey- "Blaze of Glory"
Well, this was by far NosPhilatu's best performance. I did enjoy it, but something still turns me off about him.


:laughing: :rotfl: :haha: NosPhilatu!! You got it right!

[Figment78]

[QUOTE=PirateLover;1275588]
Blake Lewis- "You Give Love A Bad Name"
Wow. I am definitely in them camp that LOVES this style of music/performing and thus I absolutely soaked up every second of Blake this week. I think he has played this competition very smart. The performance he gave tonight is who he truly is... just check out any videos of him performing pre-AI. But he cooled it down the first few weeks and was able to hang on. Now for double elimination night, he takes the risk and pulls out the big guns. If he goes down, at least he did it his way and he made it far enough along to have made a decent name for himself. I think he'll be ok though, (at least if my votes have anything to say for it!)
I have never truly liked a contestant as much as I like Blake. I mean it's one thing to be amazed by a big voice (Kelly, Tamyra, Season 3 Divas) or to root for the rocker (Bo, Daughtry) but something about Blake is just so unique and brings such a breath of fresh air to American Idol that I just can't get enough of this kid! I don't care if he wins, I just hope he makes it a few more weeks and something big awaits him in the future.
QUOTE]

I couldn't agree more! Those are my thoughts exactly. He played this season very well. He could have beat-boxed every show and he didn't. Very smart. Kept it from getting old. I feel very strongly about Blake winning AI this year. I haven't been as "into" the show for the past few seasons because it seems to have gotten very ordinary - who has the "best voice" but not necessarily who will make the best pop star. Especially with Daughtry not winning. He was obviously the most marketable/radio-friendly artist from his season. Even Idol must have thought so or they wouldn't be using his song in the show!

I do take comfort in the fact that if Blake does go home, I believe he will still have a fantastic career, similar to Daughtry. His sound is fresh and fun! But I hope he stays! I even voted (which I haven't done since Clay's season!).

[TheDuckRocks]

Wow, I can't believe that we are down to just 6 contestants left and I'm still not "into" any one of these people. From week to week I keep changing my mind about who should stay except for Melinda, but I really don't think she's exactly what AI is looking for.
The only other thing that I've felt since Sanjaha left is that Chris really needs to be gone.
Phil has competely surprised me the past 3 weeks, but I still wouldn't vote for him.
I haven't picked up the phone once this season and I can only see that I would if by some weird chance Chris should end up one of the last 2 standing and then I would be dailing my little fingers off for whomever would be the other choice.:D

[Marker]

I have yet to hear someone say that they didn't like Blake's performance . . .

Well then allow me to be the first. I guess he did what he did pretty well. I'm just not a fan of it. Turntables were never meant to be musical instruments, and an imitation of a turn table even less so. To me it sounded like any number of other classic song, turned into some sort of sampled, dance club mess. Credit to him for being able to do it all by mouth and not with electronic help, but if imitations and sound effects were good enough, then Michael Winslow could win.

Blake may be talented with his beat boxing, but I just didn't enjoy listening to that. I'd rather just hear him sing (and he can sing). Of course,that's just my opinion, and I'm no musical expert. And rather than daring to be different, I dare to be honest, whether it's different or not.

As for the others, while it wasn't her best, I enjoyed Jordan's performance, I liked her touch on the song.

Actually, other than Chris, it's down to tough choices. I though Lakisha did very well last night, but lately hasn't been knocking my socks off. She's good with the right song, but for me, not very versitile. I think Melinda is by far the best, but that may not translate into the winner.

I WONDER --- what if American Idol was done on the radio, or in some other way that the voting public could not see the contestant. If people could not see their hair, and their clothes, and their nationality, and their body style, etc.... how would the votes be different. If it were purely based on what we hear...... I'll bet Melinda would win hands down.

[Jeff]

I have yet to hear someone say that they didn't like Blake's performance . . .

Let me be the second.
I fall into Simon's "Hate it catagory". I don't want to hear a guy make noises with his mouth - just play the drums for drums and sing the song.

I will admit to being "old school" though (as in an old guy). My daughter, age 16, loved Blake's rendition; I kept my mouth shut.;)

[WEDTOPIA]

Some random thoughts ......

Phil has picked up massive support in recent weeks ,so I don't look for him to go home tonight. To me ,he did the most justice to a Bon Jovi song.

Poor Jordin was in a tad over her head. The lead-in absolutely buried her. The chorus was not bad , though. She just isn't a rocker.

Let me join the minority here on Blake. The beat boxing , hip hop thing just doesn't fly with any Bon Jovi song. The chorus was decent ,and he still retained his identity ,but the extra junk was so distracting , for me. Don't get me wrong ,I really like Blake's style ,but not everything has to be " your way ". He could have rocked out ,and still nailed it. He is not going home ,however.

Lakisha really , really tried this week. She even showed some spark of personality , before , during , and after her song. She definately picked the right song. I think it may not be enough to save her or Chris............................................. .............................

who will definately go this week. His voice is very limited. Rock is not his thing. It was , however , better than most of his performances.

Melinda can sing anything. She will win American Idol.


:mickey:

[PirateLover]

My boyfriend doesn't like Blake's gimmick. He thinks that he has an OK voice but that beatboxing is "so 15 years ago" and calls Blake a "tool."
I think he's just jealous ;)


Don't get me wrong ,I really like Blake's style ,but not everything has to be " your way ".
I have to come to his slight defense here and point out that, for the most part, Blake HAS been singing songs straight through. He did a slight beatbox in some of the intros, and with 2 songs in the top 24 that almost had a beatboxing break built in with the song (311 and Jamiroqui) but other than that he hasn't had things his way.

But I completely get that some people just don't care for that style of music and that's cool. However I'm really surprised that the majority of the reviews I've been reading have indeed been positive.

[poeticeclipse]

Let me join the minority here on Blake. The beat boxing , hip hop thing just doesn't fly with any Bon Jovi song. The chorus was decent ,and he still retained his identity ,but the extra junk was so distracting , for me. Don't get me wrong ,I really like Blake's style ,but not everything has to be " your way ". He could have rocked out ,and still nailed it. He is not going home ,however.



I have to agree with everything you said about the other contestants except this. I'm biased to Blake. I'll get that out of the way right now. But, I feel like no matter who it is... they shouldn't feel pigeon holed to sing that song just as the original person performed it. Otherwise, everything would be very karaoke. He hasn't done the beat boxing in so long that everyone got used to just hearing him "sing." I think that his beat boxing is a unique talent and has a time and place. I must say that I think last night was a great choice because it was him just stepping up his game and showing his versatility.

[jedigrrrl]

Phil Went DOOOOOOOOOOOWNNN in a Blaze of Glory!!!

Sorry, couldn't resist.

I hope Chris is next....

[PirateLover]

Phil Went DOOOOOOOOOOOWNNN in a Blaze of Glory!!!

I was thinking last night what a great elimination song that was... And Phil really did have the best sing-out that I can remember. Glad Chris is gone.

That Bon Jovi song? :ack:

And next week is boogie night? And won't they sing 2 songs next week? I dunno about that one...

[tyandskyesmom]

Blake---nope, did not like it at all. Don't like the beat boxing at all. In fact, I did not think the parts he actually sang were good either. I would love to see him go home!

I like Jordan the best overall and I like Lekiesha. I don't understand the lack of stage presence thing either...I mean her style of song and the way she sings does not require a lot of movement and activity on stage a siple elegance is all that has been required. I would love to see them as the last twp standing...but I don't think it's going to happen. I am predicitng Jordan and either Melinda or Blake...don't know which I'd rather becasue I don't like Blake at all and I don't think Melinda is American Idol-esque.

I guess only time will tell!

BTW---Bon Jovi does often blast around here!

[Emily]

I have to say, I'm a bit bummed about Phil. :( He was by no means the greatest, and he had some shaky weeks, but I always liked him. Being the sap that I am, I got a little teary-eyed watching him leave. He's a good guy.

So glad Chris is gone! But I wish Lakisha had been the other to get booted. I just don't connect with her at all. (Though I am jealous she got to kiss Simon. ;) That was the most personality she's shown all season!)

GO BLAKE!!!!! :clappy:

[2Epcot]

I was almost right. I thought it would be either Phil or Chris along with Jordin but I'm happy with the results. I like Jordin, and I'm glad she will be around for another week.

[NotaGeek]

This was a tough week. It was great to see everyone step up their game, but I am definitely rooting for either Blake or Jordin!

[Ian]

America got this one half right. It should have been Chris and Lakisha. Phil had come on so strong in the last few weeks and Lakisha just continued to be as much fun as drying paint.

Although at the end of the day we all know Phil wasn't quite good enough to win it all, so it probably doesn't matter. If Lakisha had gone this week Phil would have gone next week.

[GothMickey]

Admit it, you all would have loved to see how Sanjaya performed a Bon Jovi song. :funny:

Jodrin should win the whole thing. She is the best out of all of them.

[JanetMegan]

I have to say, I'm a bit bummed about Phil. :( He was by no means the greatest, and he had some shaky weeks, but I always liked him. Being the sap that I am, I got a little teary-eyed watching him leave. He's a good guy.
GO BLAKE!!!!! :clappy:

I teared up too. I thought he was classy and he wife was just too cute for words being there and supporting him each week. I thought he had done really well the last 3 weeks. I'll miss him around. Also thought he sang GREAT last night, as he was leaving-darn it!

[murphy1]

I hope Melinda wins!! I just really like her and she has paid her dues, I guess I get scared of the Britney effect on a 17 yo. I missed Annie Lennox last week, ahhhh! I love her!!

[MNNHFLTX]

I really liked what Blake did with that song--it was original and entertaining to me from beginning to end. I think he needs to stand out like that at every performance from here on out. Even if he doesn't win the competition, he will be carving out a niche for himself in the music industry.

I enjoyed all the performances on Bon Jovi night, except for Chris', which sounded like nails on a chalkboard to me. Out of the four that are left, I can see Melinda winning (she really is extremely versatile and talented), but I actually think that Blake and Jordin are more marketable.

[Melanie]

I have to say, I'm a bit bummed about Phil. :( He was by no means the greatest, and he had some shaky weeks, but I always liked him. Being the sap that I am, I got a little teary-eyed watching him leave. He's a good guy.

I'm bummed too, Emily. I was sobbing (but that has a lot to do with my state of mind right now). Seeing his Navy buds there with him, how he and his wife interact, and then the other contestants as he finished his song - got me tearing up now thinking about it. I will really miss Phil!

[TheDuckRocks]

I'm bummed too, Emily. I was sobbing (but that has a lot to do with my state of mind right now). Seeing his Navy buds there with him, how he and his wife interact, and then the other contestants as he finished his song - got me tearing up now thinking about it. I will really miss Phil!

I'm so glad to see I wasn't the only one crying buckets. When they showed him missing the birth of his daughter again I totally lost it.:sob:

[LibertyTreeGal]

I love Phil. I always knew he wouldn't win, but I have liked him personally the best since his audition.

I sobbed buckets too :(

I am not emotionally attached to any of the others, even though they may be more talented.

I pray he gets a country record out there soon!

[PirateLover]

I didn't cry for Phil but I was close! I didn't expect to be that touched. It was a great sing-off.

Question:
Has anyone else checked out the American Songwriters competition? Supposedly, the public rates 20 finalist songs and then they might use the top song as the "coronation" song. I'm going on record right now saying that I've despised every winning song- A Moment Like This, Flying Without Wings, Believe, Inside Your Heaven... Taylor's Do I Make You Proud was a tad better, but the song that Kat had was :ack:

Anyways, these songs are no better. In fact, "If I'm being honest" (little Simon moment there) they are all snoozers and half of them sound like the same song. Very disappointing. I think that the Idols themselves should work with songwriters as it gets close to the end to try to come up with something that is GOOD and suitable to the individual who is performing it.

[PirateLover]

Song Spoilers courtesy of USA Today:

:spoiler:
Blake:
You Should Be Dancing
This is Where I Came In

Melinda:
Love You Inside Out
How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (I think. The article goes through every song they considered. I think these were the final 2 though)

Lakisha:
Stayin Alive
Run to Me

Jordin:
To Love Somebody (anyone remember Clay doing this in season 2? amazing)
Woman In Love
:spoiler:

[PirateLover]

Well, tonight was certainly interesting. If you look at Idol history, almost every year either top 5 week or top 4 week has stunk it up… so given that last week (top 6 redux) was pretty good, this week was a snoozer for the most part. Here are my reviews:

Melinda- I have loved her voice since day 1, but seeing her do two performances really shows that she is a one note. I agree with everything the judges said tonight. Her voice is always great, but she needs to do something different when she sings the ballads. I’ve noticed that she has no real emotion to her face… it’s just a wide open smile type thing. I can’t tell if she’s angry, sad, happy, whatever.

Blake- Well by now you all know that Blake is my boy. He is the only reason I have remained invested in this show at this point, and aside from Clay, he is the only contestant that I’ve ever really truly been moved by for the entire season. I wasn’t an Elliot fan until top 5 week last year, and although I loved Chris Daughtry, I wasn’t as into him as I am into Blake. I will say that I think he is MUCH better than what he put forth this week, BUT Randy and Simon were really harsh on him. Randy really flip flops from week to week. Way back when on top 24 week, Blake came out singing Somewhere Only We Know. It was a straight cover. Randy chastised him for NOT beatboxing. Throughout the competition, he’s only worked it in briefly here or there. This week he didn’t even beat box really, it was just scatting, turntable vocalizations, record scratches etc. I think he may have done a slight overkill, especially on that second song, but he really wasn’t that bad. I went back and listened to the pure vocals on You Should Be Dancin and they were better than I had originally thought watching it the 1st time through. I think my main problem with this performance is that he didn’t really DANCE! If he wasn’t going to go all out with this song, he should’ve just did Jive Talkin. Would’ve worked much better.

Lakisha- My main question for this girl, is why does she show up to meeting with guest mentors with a pencil and notebook and than proceed to IGNORE all of their advice??? She didn’t implement Barry’s suggestions on either of her songs! Stayin’ Alive was better than I thought it would be, but it wasn’t good enough, nor was her second song. I think that she is a goner this week. Blake fans learned from the Daughtry shocker that they cannot be complacent and split votes, so I think they will be out in full forces tonight.

Jordin- Her version of To Love Somebody really surprised me. It wasn’t as good as Clay’s (Which Barry must not have heard if he calls her version the best) but it was darn good. And I thought Woman in Love was much better than the judges did. I really think this girl has this competition sewn up. Can someone remind me how old she is, though? I forget…. :rolleyes:

One thing I’m looking forward to next week (If Blake stays) is the homecomings. We really don’t know ANYTHING about these contestants. I feel like in previous seasons we had much more back story by this point. I think that is another reason why this season seems so lackluster… it is hard to really care about most of these people. I mean the only reason that I am so invested in Blake is because I’ve done my own research on him and have found clips of him performing and I’ve heard songs that he’s done guest vocals on and I’ve seen videos that his friends have made and it shows me that he really is a talented, funny, down to earth guy. Without that extra work I would probably just think he is an indulgent gimmick (Which I believe many people do think at this point).

[sgdisney]

Tonight was NOT a good night for any of the final four. I thought BeeGees music would be hard, but not this bad for four good singers. For once Paula made sense to me with her comments about Melinda. She needs to do something other than sing good or she is going down. I think this will be Lakisha's week to go home, but at this point last year Chris went home, so who knows!

I had not really thought much about it, but Pirate you're right about not getting the inside looks into these contestants lifes. For the first time this season I actually voted last night and had absolutely no trouble getting through for Blake and Jordin. Last season at this point I remember dialing and dialing (for Taylor) and not getting through but a few times.

:spoiler:
Dial Idol shows Blake and Jordin both safe with both having a 22 score. Melinda and Lakisha are both in danger of going home with scores of 11 and 12. Interesting turn of events from what everyone expected early on in the season.:spoiler:

[Ian]

My thoughts ...

First of all I agree that this was a bad night overall. Outside of Jordin's first song (which I thought was dynamite) the rest were all varying degrees of average through terrible.

In order from worst to first:

LaKisha - Good God ... I thought she was just awful. I don't know WHAT she was trying to do with that version of Stayin' Alive, but it was all over the place! One minute she tried to be a diva, then a gospel singer, then sing it straight ... it might be the single worst performance I've seen all year (yes even worse than Sanjaya!). I have never liked LaKisha ... I think she is completely devoid of personality, she clearly has NO musical sensibilities in terms of arrangement, and her vocals are just average if you ask me. I agree with Simon that she shouts WAY too often and ... well ... she's just bad. She should have gone home last week for sure and she REALLY ought to go home this week. Sadly, I don't think she will because of ....

Blake - Ouch. Blake ... Blake ... Blake ... what WAS that??? Wow ... he was bad last night. I mean bad, bad. I liked the arrangements and all and didn't really have a problem with his "beatboxing" (which I agree wasn't actually beatboxing), but I thought his vocals were terrible. I actually started getting a Sanjaya vibe from him with the weird hair and all ... YIKES! I think he's done.

Melinda - She was ... Melinda ... Technically perfect and completely uninspired and dull.

Jordin - I was waiting for her to come out and NAIL her second song and steal the competition and she didn't do it. Her first song was terrific ... by far the best of the night ... but the second was "just okay for me, dawg."

[JanetMegan]

You know I almost didn't come in here to post today. I just didn't know what to say. I thought that entire hour was boring and bad. Only Jordin made decent song choices, and actually they could have been great. They were instead only good. Granted she was heads above everyone else last night but it was still just boring. I almost wished Sanjaya would pop up on stage and do something entertaining. Blake was terrible. I mean AWFUL. Lakisha was just ok, and why the heck did she not take advice from Barry on either song?? Melinda was decent but once again, boring. That hint of glimmer she showed a couple weeks ago was somehow missing again. As much as I have liked him in past weeks, it's time for Blake to go. Let the three girls battle it out before American crowns Jordin as the winner...

[SBETigg]

Jordin really let me down last night. Was I watching the same show? The first song was pitchy and all over the place, but the judges heaped on the praise. The second song was worse, very screechy. She's seventeen. She's cute. She has done very well and I'm sure she'll stay, but I would be a lot happier with her doing it on her own merit and not on the judges pushing her so hard on us.

Melinda, I love her. I think she's by far a standout vocally and the judges were a little unfair on her first song(play it back! She blew Jordin away). I don't think she has much of a look going for her and she's lacking some of the youthful energy Jordin puts out there.

Blake is my favorite, but he has made mistakes. I thought his first song was far better than the judges gave him credit for, but the second song was just a mess. Barry Gibb's fault. Bad song. Blake's fault for choosing it.

I think LaKisha will go home. She has the voice, but the personality isn't there. And even with the ability to belt it out, her singing isn't always where it needs to be.

[PirateLover]

If Sanjaya were still around, he could've done "I Started A Joke" :ack:
P.S. Anyone else think Barry Gibb sounded like Sean Connery?

[Jeff]

Rough night for all.

I'm still not a Blake fan. I think his vocals are thin at best, but I thought he could have had a big night with the BeeGees fallsetto (sp?) sound. Why didn't he play to his strength there?????? That being said I think Lakisha will be going home.

I still like Melinda but hope Jordin is the eventual Idol!

[Ian]

P.S. Anyone else think Barry Gibb sounded like Sean Connery?I thought he sounded like he had a sock in his mouth.

What was with that??

[LibertyTreeGal]

About Barry Gibb -- to me, he looked like he may very well have been on steroids. His face, the characteristic swelling, and how that would affect his voice -- well, that was just my immediate reaction last night. I hope he isn't seriously ill ! You can take steroids for any number if illnesses, from allergies to lupus.

But back to the show. It was pretty darned depressing. I cannot believe Blake didn't do "More than a Woman" -- he would have been just fab -- or maybe "Tragedy" -- my favorite BeeGees song. I was so totally into those guys *sigh*

Jordin was awful on Woman in Love. It is a very difficult and demanding song to put together in a week and I was wincing from the very beginning. Her first song was pretty okay.

Melinda, ouch. Yes she was *technically* good but it all came off like a night club act.

Lakisha -- what on earth made you choose those songs?

[PirateLover]

The following blog pretty much sums up what I was trying to say earlier. It is from the blog "Idoling along" and she is providing an answer to the question of whether AI has "jumped the shark" this season.


The four we have remaining are legitimately good performers, but I don't care about them. I don't care who wins. The people with whom, in past seasons, I would have passionate and sometimes explosive conversations about who was better than whom don't care who wins. Some have stopped watching.

Why?

Because the contestants aren't the stars of the show. The show is the star of the show. And the contestants are day players.

One of reasons I've always enjoyed American Idol is because, as the weeks wear on, we get to know these kids. We get to know their families. We get to know their personalities, their likes and dislikes. By final six time last year, we knew that Elliott Yamin was nearly deaf in one ear and battled diabetes. We knew that Kellie Pickler's dad was in prison, due to be released shortly and that she had been raised by her grandparents. We knew that Taylor Hicks had traveled from wedding to wedding, trying to make it as a musician in the Birmingham area. And we knew that Chris Daughtry had two adorable stepkids that he loved to death.

We knew Rocky Covington, Bucky's twin brother and we could pick out Ace Young's brother Ryan from a mile away. We waited to see if Katharine McPhee's dad - McPhather - would bawl after her performance. And Mama Yamin became everybody's mom. Everyone was familiar. And beloved.

What do we know about this group?

I know that Melinda used to be a background singer. LaKisha is a single mom. Blake is a beatboxer who does wacky impressions. And Jordin is 17. The only family member I recognize is Chris Richardson's dad, and he's gone now.

But thanks to this season, I know who Akon and Robin Thicke are. And I didn't even sign on for that.

The more we're able to get acquainted with these kids, the harder we root for them. And, despite extending the results episodes to a painful 60 minutes, the show is focusing more on becoming a variety hour than a competition. Instead of giving us a peek inside the lives and hopes and dreams of these finalists, we're given random person on the street interviews. Rather than a question and answer segment with Blake, we're treated to yet another "you're gay, no you're gay" exchange between Ryan and Simon.

And instead of celebrating the show, its history and its cast by bringing back beloved Idol contestants to hawk their current wares, we get Fergie. At least next week we'll get a visit from Elliott Yamin and, presumably, Daughtry will make an appearance the following week to perform live the going away anthem. I don't know what they've done with Taylor Hicks.

The show this season has taken a serious deviation from its successful formula, and that could very much explain the dip in the ratings from last year. I don't think it's jumped any sharks quite yet, but until or unless the producers remember how this show went from summer replacement to national cult phenomenon and make some adjustments next year, those sharks will continue to circle.

[2Epcot]

The following blog pretty much sums up what I was trying to say earlier. It is from the blog "Idoling along" and she is providing an answer to the question of whether AI has "jumped the shark" this season.

I agree with what was written. Past seasons have done a lot more background pieces on the contestants on the show. This year, they've done very few. Usually by the end, you do know them very well. While I thought the concept of Idol Gives Back was good, it does make me feel like the show is getting too big for itself. They had a lot of big stars on this season, but that's because these stars' publicits know, they will get seen by more people on Idol, then doing Letterman, Leno or Saturday Night Live.

[Ian]

Janet and I were talking about this same thing this morning ... the show really has become almost a parody of itself.

Every week Randy starts ever single review with, "Yo yo yo dawg alright check it out ... "

Paula says every time, "You're beautiful" or "We love you."

Simon is the only one keepin' it real to a degree, but I get the idea that he's getting fed up with all the baloney that the show has become. How many times last night did they cut him off before he could even finish giving his feedback??

I really don't like the theme week thing with the guest hosts anymore. I wish they'd move away from that and get back to letting these singers sing. I mean really ... should Gina Glocksen have been voted off because she couldn't make it through disco week? SHE'S NOT A DISCO SINGER!!!!!!

And how many of us would long to have Rockergirl back in the fold right now to spice up this bland offering we have in front of us? I know I would.

They need to stop forcing everyone into the same mold and just let them go for it. Maybe if they did that they wouldn't have people like Chris Daughtry getting voted off so early.

Also ... does anyone besides me find that this show has an odd obsession with gospel-type singers? Why no room for people with other voice types?? Would Eddie Vedder or Robert Plant even make it to the top ten on this show???

[PirateLover]

They need to stop forcing everyone into the same mold and just let them go for it. Maybe if they did that they wouldn't have people like Chris Daughtry getting voted off so early.
He did make it to 4th... And I firmly believe that he would've won but here is what happened: Elliott Yamin was so darn good that night that Chris fans assumed he was safe and threw votes to Elliott because Kat stunk up the joint that night and they wanted her out. And just an FYI... Chris got signed by the Idol management team. So the album he released is probably the same one that would've came out had he won.



Also ... does anyone besides me find that this show has an odd obsession with gospel-type singers? Why no room for people with other voice types?? Would Eddie Vedder or Robert Plant even make it to the top ten on this show???
It varies season to season how well the gospel singers do. Ruben and Fantasia definitely appeal more to that crowd, but so did Mandisa who got voted off early last season so I'm not sure. And I think Vedder and Plant would make it because look at Bo Bice. He maid it to the final 2 in season 4 and he is nowhere near the singer either of those two are.

[jedigrrrl]

:sleepin: that was excrutiating. I watched it on my Tivo in 15 minutes. I miss Sanjaya. At least I could have had a laugh.

[tinkerbelle75]

If Sanjaya were still around, he could've done "I Started A Joke" :ack:
P.S. Anyone else think Barry Gibb sounded like Sean Connery?
He didn't sound like Sean Connery to me,but he certainly didn't sound like himself either.I guess
It's kind of hard to talk like you used to when the skin on your face has been :secret: stretched and stretched and stretched, and botoxed and, well......you get the idea!

Blake's my "dog" but he just kinda,well..., stank last night.As did the rest of them.I hate those way-out themed weeks.

I am really getting bored with Idol.Maybe it's the talent this year,maybe it's the "special" guests,I don't know. I mean,come on.If I really wanted to see Fergie or Akon :ack: or Gwen Stefani, I could just turn on MTV at 3 a.m. after all their silly reality shows are over.I am watching Idol for the contestants,not the already-been-there-done-that quasi-celebs.Got a feeling the show is on its last leg unless they go back to the reason people watched in the first place.

[LibertyTreeGal]

He did make it to 4th... And I firmly believe that he would've won but here is what happened: Elliott Yamin was so darn good that night that Chris fans assumed he was safe and threw votes to Elliott because Kat stunk up the joint that night and they wanted her out. And just an FYI... Chris got signed by the Idol management team. So the album he released is probably the same one that would've came out had he won.



That is EXACTLY what I thought that night as well.... of course, he's now laughing all the way to the bank with his double platinum album....

Of course, Elliot was my absolute fave last season! After he left, I didn't care anymore.

[PirateLover]

I just read that Barry has chronic back pain... so maybe there is something to that steroid theory.

I just downloaded the studio version of Blake's You Should Be Dancin... sounds a million times better on the vocals, there's nowhere near the amount of reverb as there was live but the record/scat sounds don't work as well. Ah well.

All signs seem to point to him being safe for at least another week, but I think once one of the girls gets eliminated, her votes will go right over to someone else and I'm not sure he has the power to make it to the finale unless he does something amazing next week (which I will be unable to watch live or vote for because I'll be in WDW!) Even if he does make it to the finale, I don't think he can win.

[PirateLover]

Of course, Elliot was my absolute fave last season! After he left, I didn't care anymore.

Have you purchased Elliott's album? I like a lot of the songs on it. I don't like his new haircut though... but his voice is still amazing.

[Emily]

Good gravy... Barry Gibb was AWFUL!!! I apologize to any Barry fans but he sounded terrible! Yikes.

I have to say I am thrilled with the results. My boy is still in it and that's all that matters. :D

[PirateLover]

Good gravy... Barry Gibb was AWFUL!!! I apologize to any Barry fans but he sounded terrible! Yikes.
It made me cry because I felt so bad for him. There has to be something wrong. In anticipation of last night I was actually watching Bee Gees clips on You Tube, and as recent as 3-4 years ago he was performing and still sounded great.

But it seems to be a theme that the guest mentors haven't been great... I wasn't over the moon about Lulu's performance, Tony Bennet was so sick he had to cop out and send in Buble who seemed like he was drunk (he later said it was nerves), I'm not a fan of J-Lo or new Gwen Stefani, Bon Jovi's new song stunk and I don't feel like racking my brain for any of the other performances.


I have to say I am thrilled with the results. My boy is still in it and that's all that matters. :D
I'm with ya on that. I wasn't home and I had my boyfriend calling me with updates. I did get a little nervous when he said Blake was in the bottom 2. I think that may have been setup- both Dial Idol and Zabasearch had Blake eeking out Jordin for the most votes. But whatever.

I watched the show back when I got home. I fast forwarded through a lot, but I watched the medley- parts of that were good but it seemed like all of them flubbed the lyrics or were uncertain of themselves at some points-
I also watched the back story which is what I've been waiting for- THANK YOU! Too bad it took me until week 8 to care about these people...

I think that these 4 really are close. I loved how they wouldn't separate their circle. I don't care how odd or bad this season has been, I'll still be sad when it's over.

[Ian]

FINALLY!


If the final three isn't Blake, Melinda, and Jordin, something went terribly wrong.No need to panic ... everything's fine! ;)

[Melanie]

Good gravy... Barry Gibb was AWFUL!!! I apologize to any Barry fans but he sounded terrible! Yikes.

I have to say I am thrilled with the results. My boy is still in it and that's all that matters. :D

:ditto:

I can't believe I wished Michael Bolton was singing that song instead of Barry Gibb. :shake:

[SBETigg]

I think it's a great final three. Blake's really going to have to work to stay in there.

[LibertyTreeGal]

Have you purchased Elliott's album? I like a lot of the songs on it. I don't like his new haircut though... but his voice is still amazing.

Yes, I bought it -- I still have to get the whole thing downloaded. You might not like his hair, but his teeth are awesome :thumbsup:

As for Barry, he walked and stood like a man in a lot of pain. So I did a search and found an article that is easy to find if you want to read it --

"Bee Gee Barry Gibb talks for the first time about living with the crippling pain of arthritis which once threatened to end his career".
(By David Wigg, The Mirror, March 24, 2001)"

So in light of what I read, I would bet that he takes steroids when he has really bad attacks. I had a dear friend once, who was an employee of mine, and I could tell when her lupus was acting up and she was on steroids, her face would swell and her voice would get very much like his. It's very, very sad! :(

[2Epcot]

I'm also happy with the final 3. I was a little worried about Blake leaving after the night before, but things worked out. I think the final two will be Jordin and Melinda, and I'm giving the slight edge to Jordin to win.

[Ian]

If I was a betting man, I would lay large money on Blake making the final two over Melinda.

From all accounts, he's been leading the vote totals. Rumor has it he even edged out Jordin this week in terms of total votes received.

[poeticeclipse]

If I was a betting man, I would lay large money on Blake making the final two over Melinda.

From all accounts, he's been leading the vote totals. Rumor has it he even edged out Jordin this week in terms of total votes received.


Agreed. I think that Melinda is getting boring and Jordin has had many rough nights. Blake seems to have more all around talent. I think he has more than the other two.

My thing with Jordin is... she's been a model (yes, a real model) and she's done lots of other singing competitions (I think she was on America's Got Talent.. or Most Talented Kid.. or something like that). To me, she's had the exposure and she doesn't need to win to do well. She has an unfair advangtage in my book. I had the same issue with Lisa Tucker last season. She was on BROADWAY for crying out loud? Plus her family was loaded... why was she on AI anyway?

[PirateLover]

Who wants to hear the latest conspiracy theory??:secret:

So if you noticed, Ryan never announced last night that it was a "Bottom two" just that everyone was safe. So people think that they put Blake there to scare his fanbase into voting even more next week to ensure he beats Melinda. Then hypothetically Jordin would pick up all Melinda's votes, and would win. It is pretty clear they want Jordin to win at this point, that's for sure. She got the final spot 3 times in the top 9 and never once had to go 1st (Considered by some to be the Dead Man's Spot).

I think that she does shreik at times but that can be worked on. She's got great raw talent and I wouldn't mind if she won. At this point, for the first time, I can say that I don't truly dislike anyone in the top 3. I just hope Blake stays in there till the end :cool:

[2Epcot]

I would love to see a Blake/Jordin finale show. Those two have been my favorites for a long time.

[Bethanymouse]

I would love to see a Blake/Jordin finale show. Those two have been my favorites for a long time.


I agree! I would be very happy with that finale!

[Jeff]

Sorry but I just don't get Blake. If he didn't have the BeatBox gimick I don't think he would still be around. His voice is not that strong. Compare him to Ruben, Clay, Bo, Hicks or Daughtrey, other males who have made it this far, and he does not stack up. Just my opinion.

I would like to see Jordin and Melinda in the finals. Then I would not care who won out of those two.

[WEDTOPIA]

I thought he sounded like he had a sock in his mouth.

What was with that??

Didn't notice the new set of choppers in his mouth ? If anyone can remember back when Johnny Carson got plates ,he sounded just like that , with a slurry kind of speech. It makes the mouth area bulge out . It definately affected his vocal performance.

:mickey:

[WEDTOPIA]

First let me say ,Melinda will win this in the final against Jordin. Blake will be done in by a wave of traditionalist voting next week.

Let me qualify that statement by saying that Blake is easily the most original song stylist ,of anyone ,in this years competition. He also has the biggest fan following. But , as has been proven in past seasons , that doesn't automatically put you in the finals ( Ace , Constantine , Chris D. , etc. ) . If he is to have any chance on Tuesday ,he's going to have to come up with a blow - out showstopper. But, just like Daughtry ,last season ,his stubborness to hold tight to his personal style , will not allow him to win it. Forget what Paula ,Randy ,and Cowell say at this point. You have to show the full spectrum of your range now. They talk out of both sides of their mouths - "be yourself " - "oops, you were yourself ,but you ruined the song" :confused: .

If this is truly a contest about vocal talent , then Melinda will win it (in a close one )over Jordin. And it will be mainly because she has the more mature voice ,at this point in her career.

:mickey:

[PirateLover]

His voice is not that strong. Compare him to Ruben, Clay, Bo, Hicks or Daughtrey, other males who have made it this far, and he does not stack up. Just my opinion.


Honestly I don't think we've really seen what Blake can do. He certainly doesn't have Clay's range, maybe not even Daughtry's but I think he can rival Bo and Hicks. They weren't known as much for their range as they were for their tone and showmanship. Go bake to some of Blake's earlier performances and I think he showed better range. I think his voice is beautiful and strong in Somewhere Only We Know and in Virtual Insanity he did a great job of singing out and jumping to his falsetto. His falsetto is actually pretty good when he supports it. If you listen to the pure vocals of You Should Be Dancing, after the first verse his falsetto was on pitch and pretty strong.

The true test comes tomorrow. He is set to sing the national anthem at the Mariners/Yankees game during their homecoming. No way you can beat box through that.

And I definitely think Jordin would beat Melinda in the finale barring a major meltdown. I do think Melinda has the more polished (and better) voice but Jordin has spunk and is more appealing overall.

[LibertyTreeGal]

Well, I don't know how they do it all. For those who have never sang in front of large crowds, or don't have the ears to hear their own off-notes, lemme tell ya how hard it is do train for a perfect performance in a week.

When I solo, I practice hard for a month so there will be no off notes, so I know the music and the words and the notes inside and out. It isn't as easy as it appears. On top of that, they have to make the videos, do the group number and do all the other stuff the producers throw at them. It is unbelievably difficult. Most of the superstars out there would have troubles doing this.

Sure I can sing something "off the cuff" -- and it might sound good but not great. To sound great I have to work it to death.

If the same people who heard me sing after a months practice (the ones who tell me I should try out) were to hear me up on the Idol stage after a week? They would be the ones voting for me as part of Vote for the Worst.

In my book, all the singers are :thumbsup: . The process is just too nasty to make the overwhelming majority of awesome singers shine.

[2Epcot]

When I solo, I practice hard for a month so there will be no off notes, so I know the music and the words and the notes inside and out. It isn't as easy as it appears. On top of that, they have to make the videos, do the group number and do all the other stuff the producers throw at them. It is unbelievably difficult. Most of the superstars out there would have troubles doing this.

Good points LibertyTreeGal. The producers do put them through a lot druing a week. I've heard them say they are going 7 days a week. I think they usually shoot the Ford commercials on Sunday. I'm not a singer, but I have played music, and I understand the work it takes to get a good performance.

I talked to one of my former co-workers in Arizona yesterday. They were having a Jordin Sparks day there. I guess Idol was shooting the hometown visits for next week's show. She's become pretty popular there since no other AZ Idol contestant has made it so far in the competition.

[DisneyPrincess01]

I am also happy with the final three but I am definitly pulling for Jordin to win. She is the only one that I enjoy listening to every week. She is just amazing!! But all of them really do have a lot of talent.

[PirateLover]

Liberty Tree Gal, excellent points! I was in choirs growing up and we practiced songs for months. Think about all the professional entertainers out there. Sure they sing at least an hours worth of material but they had plenty of time to perfect the songs in the recording studio and then rehearse for tour.

These kids get a handful of days to learn these songs and "perfect'' them while trying to handle the Idol media blitz at the same time. Yesterday for example they all had hometown visits. Blake was the most busy- he did a morning show with a performance and interview, radio interview, two mini concerts and a hometown parade, and sang the anthem at the Mariners game. Melinda and Jordin both had plenty of interviews and rallies and such as well. When they get back they have to shop for their outfits, do studio recordings of their songs, practice with the band, and of course film the Ford music video.

All that being said I am sure they are still having the time of their lives, it's just hard to never get a chance to rest their voices. For instance, last year Kat had to get a steroid injection because her voice was shot before the finale.

[PirateLover]

These were announced to the public but I will tag them anyway

These are the judge's picks. Remember this week the contestants all sing 3 songs. One is the judges pick, one is Clive Davis' pick, and the third is the contestant's choice.

:spoiler:
# Simon Cowell chose Jordin Sparks’ song- “Wishing on a Star” by Rose Royce.
# Paula Abdul chose Blake Lewis’s song–”Roxanne” by the Police.
# Randy Jackson chose Melinda Doolittle’s song, “I Believe in You and Me” by Whitney Houston:spoiler:

[PirateLover]

Hey guys! FYI I'll be in WDW for a week starting tomorrow with no internet access so I won't be posting any spoilers or recaps this week. I won't even be able to see the show till I get back! It is gonna kill me haha.
I'm having someone text me Blakes number so I can send a few votes his way, I guess I'll have to ask that person to text me who got voted off as well.

Go Blake!!!!

[Ian]

Wow. What a night. I actually really liked 8 out of the 9 performances (Melinda's first song I thought was terrible).

I thought Blake and Jordan both ripped through all three of their songs and they were hot, hot, HOT as Randy would say.

I can't even come close to imagining who's going to go home tonight. If rumors hold true it will be Melinda because she has the smallest loyal fan base, but after the way Simon praised her I just don't know ...

[Bethanymouse]

I agree with you Wacky. I was not a huge fan of Melinda's first song either. I couldnt believe she was getting those rave reviews after that and I almost felt as if they were told to push Melinda to the public. On another note, it was a great night. I really enjoyed Jordin and Blake and felt that they really brought it this week. My pick to go home: Melinda. Just not AI material, she is good but better for broadway!

[JanetMegan]

Well I have to disagree slightly. I thought Melinda was a good bit better than Blake and actually I would like to see her in the finals with Jordin. So for the first time this season I voted, or tried to. I dialed 2 of Melinda's numbers about 20 times and only got through once...

[LibertyTreeGal]

Well I have to disagree slightly. I thought Melinda was a good bit better than Blake and actually I would like to see her in the finals with Jordin. So for the first time this season I voted, or tried to. I dialed 2 of Melinda's numbers about 20 times and only got through once...

I agree, Jordin and Melinda in the finals. I did not like Blake's third number at all -- but it may be because I'm too old to enjoy it ;)

Blake is gonna land on his feet with a record deal, no doubt, he has a very marketable talent. But I think Jordin is going to be the star out of it all -- unless Melinda can go the way of Barbra Streisand, she's got that kind of talent. It's anyone's guess, but I'll be sobbing, no doubt about that!

[Jeff]

I would like to see a Jordin/Melinda final. Blake just doesn't connect for me.

[MNNHFLTX]

I think I'm on a slightly different wavelength than everyone this morning. While I enjoyed all the performances, I was most disappointed in Jordin's songs. I don't know if she lost some confidence last week, but she seems to be singing more tentatively than she used to, and consequently sounding less polished and less powerful. Not that she doesn't have a beautiful voice for someone her age, because she does and I really like her. But she certainly didn't overly impress me last night.

Melinda, to me, sounded fantastic, but I still wonder about her marketability. For example, the Whitney Houston song that Randy chose for her was beautiful, but when was the last time that Whitney Houston had a hit song? I guess it will depend what genre she chooses to pursue, but if it's the soulful ballads (aka Whiteny Houston and Celine Dion) that just doesn't seem to be what people are looking for these days.

Blake on the other hand, has a more trendy sound and would have no problem finding an audience, I believe. I actually think he (or Melinda) will probably be voted off tonight, but will get a music contract, all the same.

[celebrationasheley]

The day Lakeisha was booted I came up with this theory.

Can you picture a poster of Lakeisha on a preteens wall. Nope. So i thought she would go.

Next Melinda, same reason.

Now Jordin and Blake. It is a toss up, but if you go by the poster theory I would say Blake will win.

I know, this theory wouldn't have worked in the past, but it is my opinion.

Also another theory:

Ever notice how some people sing about failure or home and the next week they actually go home?! Last night Jordin sang about going home or something along the lines.
"Things that make you go hmmm"

[Ian]

I think it's so funny to read people's individual opinions about the performances and how much they differ.

I found all three of Melinda's performances, while basically spot on vocally, pretty bland and lacking any real passion. To me, Melinda is like a Celine Dion or a Whitney Houston-type but she's like half their age. She's skipped over the young, hip phase of her career and gone right to the aging crooner phase. I just can't see her selling records to any mass audience.

Jordin was great, I thought. I think she oozed confidence and power. Her voice soars at times and she really sounds very polished and professional. To me, she's the next Beyonce.

And Blake ... I just thought that overall Blake had the best night. The only part of his performance that needed work was the very, very beginning of Roxanne where I thought he was a bit pitchy. The rest of his performances were hip, original, and right on vocally. I felt like I was watching an established pop star perform.

[Melanie]

I really liked Blake's version of Roxanne. I mean, I really liked it. And I'm not particularly a Blake fan. I can take him or leave him.

And honestly, I could take or leave any of the remaining three. I'd not be upset with any of them winning it all. This season remains a bit blah to me, although I keep on watching. :)

[Marker]

It was mentioned earlier, and I wonder....

How much effect do the judges comments have on votes? Simon really praised Melinda, but does that translate into any more or fewer votes?

Also, someone mentioned that Melinda probably wouldn't sell as many records even though she is arguably the best vocalist remaining. My question, when the public votes, does that play into who they vote for? Do voters decide based on who they think will sell records, or who is the best singer?


Speaking for myself, my vote is not swayed at all by the judges comments. Whether or not I agree or disagree with any of the judges is inconsequential. I like who I like, and dislike who I like based on my opinion, not thiers.

Also, I tend to favor the one I feel sounds the best. I'd love to see Melinda win, but I also recognize that she is probably less marketable. I kind of felt the same with Taylor Hicks last year. I loved listening to him, but didn't really see a placed in the marketplace for him. To me, he was a lot like Joe Cocker. I love Joe Cocker, but if he was coming up today, I don't think his sort of talent would get him very far. A great performer, but not marketable. On the other hand, my least favorite is definitely Blake, but he's probably actually the most marketable.

I'll be curious to see the outcome tonight.

[Ian]

How much effect do the judges comments have on votes? Simon really praised Melinda, but does that translate into any more or fewer votes?I know it doesn't factor into my thinking at all. It often, however, makes me wonder if we were both listening to the same performance. ;)


Also, someone mentioned that Melinda probably wouldn't sell as many records even though she is arguably the best vocalist remaining. My question, when the public votes, does that play into who they vote for? Do voters decide based on who they think will sell records, or who is the best singer?Honestly, I don't think it's either. I think the vast majority of the people watching the show vote for who the like the most.

I mean Blake's fan base is most likely made up of screaming teenage girls who think he's cute (the whole poster on the wall thing).

[sgdisney]

At this point in the competition, I don't think it matters that much how well they perform, as long as they don't totally blow it. Each already has their fans and those fans will vote for them until the end. With that theory in mind, I think Melinda will go home tonight, but next week is anyone's guess.

One thing that really disappointed me last night is how they just blew over most of the hometown visit thing. I remember last year seeing serveral minutes worth of the final three visiting home, but not so this year. I remember clips of Taylor singing at the local mall, Katherine visiting her high school and Elliott and his mother in the parade vividly, but can't really tell you much about this years visits. Another example of why fans are not connecting as much to the contestants this year.

[LibertyTreeGal]

:fit: :shake: :pout: :cry:

*sigh*

[sgdisney]

Yea, a Blake-Jordin finale! :thumbsup:

Elliott was great tonight. Can't wait to see and hear Taylor next week!

[NotaGeek]

Hmmm. Melinda is probably the bigger winner. She won't have to put out a lame American Idol single ... she can get signed by a good label and I am sure will haev a WONDERFUL debut album!

Blake vs. Jordin! WOW. Come on for the girl from AZ!

[Ian]

I'm pleased. I think the right two are in the finals.

At this point, I can't be disappointed in who wins because I like both of them equally.

[RedSoxFan]

DH was upset when Melinda was voted off. She was his favorite. I've been telling him for some time that it will be Blake and Jordin in the final with Blake winning. I just think he's got a unique style.

[LibertyTreeGal]

Blake looked somewhat like Kat last season when Mr Double Platinum Chris got booted instead of her (which should have happened). Jordin looked like she lost her mom, truly -- it was obvious she was in shock.

And anyone who thinks that Melinda's humility is fake got ample evidence to the contrary last night, she handled her ouster beautifully. Guess she's the real deal after all :thumbsup: I knew it!

[DVC2004]

I love Blake and I'm glad he made it to the finale. Malinda is good and will have a career, and I agree she was the epitome of class last night.

[Ian]

Yeah, I turned to my wife last night and said, "Wow. Melinda really has a lot of class."

I was impressed by the way she took it.

[LibertyTreeGal]

I can't believe this -- my twins' Kindergarten graduation (yes, GRADUATION, I don't know who came up with this idiotic idea) is scheduled for Tuesday night at 6pm -- right during the finale of American Idol (we live 18 miles from CST so we get their channels). I broached the subject of not going with my kids and they were quite peeved, so we have to go. And since they are in two different classes, the second one graduates at 7, so no chance of getting out early to watch. :rant:

[jedigrrrl]

I can't believe this -- my twins' Kindergarten graduation (yes, GRADUATION, I don't know who came up with this idiotic idea) is scheduled for Tuesday night at 6pm -- right during the finale of American Idol (we live 18 miles from CST so we get their channels). I broached the subject of not going with my kids and they were quite peeved, so we have to go. And since they are in two different classes, the second one graduates at 7, so no chance of getting out early to watch. :rant:

I teach and I'm so happy my county doesn't allow "graduation" until 12th grade, because it was getting out of hand. Kids were graduating out of pre-k, k, 5th grade, 8th grade.....

GO BLAKE!!! (actually, i don't know if i want him to win because then he has to release the american idol single.:ack:

[Jeff G]

I can't believe this -- my twins' Kindergarten graduation (yes, GRADUATION, I don't know who came up with this idiotic idea) is scheduled for Tuesday night at 6pm -- right during the finale of American Idol (we live 18 miles from CST so we get their channels). I broached the subject of not going with my kids and they were quite peeved, so we have to go. And since they are in two different classes, the second one graduates at 7, so no chance of getting out early to watch. :rant:

Time to get TiVO.

Seriously, what a bummer. At lease you'll be with your kids which is more important. Graduation is improtant and you'd hate to miss it, especially from kindergarten. Hopefully they pass the final and make it.

Just a fyi, I've missed a couple Idol episodes due to DVR malfunction and was able to find the performances I missed on youtube the next day.

[HndrdPrcnt]

Since Melinda is gone, there is no reason to even watch, IMO. I can not believe that she got voted off!! The only good news is that she will be signed to a recording contract even without winning Idol!!

[poeticeclipse]

GO BLAKE!!! (actually, i don't know if i want him to win because then he has to release the american idol single.:ack:

I'm with ya. It seems like lately if you win AI you have no chance of getting anywhere. I really would like Blake to win but at the same time... i'm afraid that they will make him release a terrible song just like the past few winners. If Jordin wins, she'll release a corny cheesy song, if she doesn't win, she'll release a corny cheesy song... :sick:

[MNNHFLTX]

Well, I really think they did Blake a disservice by having him sing that ballad at the end of the show. I know that they had a song-writing competition, but couldn't they have picked a separate song for Blake that was more in his style? "This is My Now" couldn't have been more Jordin-esque if they had tried. :shake:

Incidentally, didn't Katherine McPhee and Taylor Hicks each have their own song at the end last year?

Anyway, aside from that I thought it was like what Simon said--Jordin clearly beat out Blake in vocals, but Blake was more of a performer (and Blake goes out in the audience to connect with people, while Jordin kind of keeps herself apart onstage).

I do think Jordin will win.

[PirateLover]

Beth- Kat and Taylor did have separate songs but that was the only year. Taylor originally had a different song, and Do I Make You Proud was going to be Elliott's, but once E got eliminated Taylor snagged it because he was unhappy with the other one.

And I totally agree with you. As soon as I heard the opening notes I knew this spelled bad news for Blake. I think he tried his best but it was almost painful to watch. The tears sealed the deal for Jordin. I do think that she is deserving of the win. I agreed with Simon when he said he thought she was shrieking with "Fighter" but I believe that with the right coaching she can control that much better. She will be great.

Did anyone else think that the mixing sounded weird on Blake's first song? The band and backup singers overpowered him at times and his mike also seemed to be cutting in and out. It cut in and out with the judges as well.

I didn't vote at all tonight. I don't think I want Blake to win. I don't want to hear him sing that song ever again. :ack:

[PirateLover]

*Correction. Clay and Reubin had different songs too. But I think the rest of them were the same.

[2Epcot]

I just came back from American Idol at the Kodak theater in Hollywood. I didn't' have tickets when I went there, don't have any Idol, or Fox contacts, but having lived next to the Kodak for so many years, I know how these kind of shows work. So I managed to get tickets and ended up sitting six rows from the stage next to all of the top 12 Idol finalist. The Idol contestants sat on the first six rows in pairs of two, all on the aisle. Brandon Rogers, and Stephanie Edwards were on my row. Gina Glocksen, and Chris Sligh sat on the row in front of me.

There were also quite a few other celebrities in the audiences, the ones I saw were Ricky Schroder, Marlee Matlin, Andrea Bowen, from Desperate Housewives (Teri Hatcher's daughter on the show), and Jennifer Hudson, who was sitting just across the aisle from me. I also briefly met Sanjaya's sister.

When Jennifer took her seat, Simon shook his finger at her (as to say no-no). Jennifer had been critical of Simon around Oscar time, saying he never supported her. The TV show Extra proved her wrong, by showing all the clips of Simon from her season, and he always said good things.

As far as the show, it of course has a different feeling then watching it on TV. Blake sounded great in the theater for his first performance. For the audience, it was hard to hear the judges, because their voices are not too loud in the theater (probably to prevent feedback).

Phil Stacey who was a couple of rows in front of me was always the first to stand to his feet and applaud Blake and Jordin. Once he stood up, so did the other Idol contestants, and then our section would stand, which caused the rest of the orchestra seating to stand up.

I thought Blake did a great performance with his first song, and I agreed with the judges about him. Jordin sounded great to me for all her songs, but of course I've been a Jordin supporter for a while. Being so close to the stage, I could see the emotion on her face during her last song. I'm watching the show now on TV now, and I thought she was fantastic and would be very surprised if she doesn't win.

I also loved the ending of the show with the live song "I'm Going Home", and the video montage from the season. I'm hoping I can get in tomorrow night as well, though if I do, I doubt I'll get as good of seats as I got tonight.

[pogo]

That is so cool..... thanks for sharing your Idol experience with us.:thumbsup:

Blake and Jordin are both winners, no mattter who wins AI tonight. :D

[JanetMegan]

Wow, thanks so much for sharing that first hand report-how cool!

Now...

I have to start off by saying overall I have been disappointed with this year's Idol. The sad thing is I still watched almost every show (how many hours of my life was that anyway?)

I honestly don't think either Blake or Jordin are the caliber of performer I would like to see out of a HUGE NATIONwide talent search like that. Jordin has a great voice, but is unpolished and lacks some consistency. Blake is a great entertainer but lacks great vocals.

That being said though, I will be very disappointed if Blake wins.

Someone mentioned earlier the song being basically taylormade for Jordin, but if you look at all the hokey Idol songs from the past Blake had to know he was going to get something cheesy like that to sing, it's just the way the contest works.

Looking forward to the 2 hour show, Fox always puts on quite a show with these and they are usually pretty entertaining. After that...I'll be glad to get my Tuesdays and Wednesday back ;)

[Melanie]

Very, very cool Chris! :cool: Hope you get in tonight!

My decision on who I want to win has been really tough. I still have a hard time with the whole "it's strictly a singing competition" thing, because for me, it's the total package. I mean come on, Paula of all people should know that. Her success wasn't achieved on her voice alone, goodness knows!

That said, I think I look at Jordin's voice, and the potential that I think she has as a performer, and I have to give her the edge. I think she can be molded into a very successful artist. And Blake will do just fine without that AI title. Yes, they are both winners. :trophy:

Loved Chris' performance at the end. At first I didn't get Paula's (everyone is a winner) comment, but it didn't take long. Go Chris!

[SBETigg]

*Correction. Clay and Reubin had different songs too. But I think the rest of them were the same.

The first three seasons, they had two songs. The contestants both sang both songs. I don't recall what happened in the Bo-Carrie year. Last year, they gave them a choice between the songs instead of making them both sing both songs. This year, no choice. And it played to Jordin's strengths and really didn't work for Blake. Blake is my pick, and it's a shame he won't win now due in part to the song choice. But yes, those final songs are always cheesefests, and Blake is a different kind of performer, not as strong a singer as Jordin.

I voted for Blake several times in a row last night and never got a busy signal but once. I think Jordin has this one, and not undeservedly so (though I would have preferred Melinda).

[sgdisney]

How cool to get into the Kodak last night. Thanks for the first hand report!

Now for some spoilers, if you put any faith in Dial Idol:

:spoiler:
Dial Idol shows Jording way ahead of Blake, actually almost the same amount as Taylor over Kat last year.

But I agree with everyone else, even if Blake does not win, he will have a career ahead of him. Tonights show should be entertaining. I haven't heard what big stars will be there, I'm just looking forward to seeing and hearing my favorite Idol, Taylor sing!

[Tick-Tock]

I actually like Blake better, but I don't want him to win. Let Jordin be stuck recording that song; it's perfect for her. Blake will get a recording contract and be more free to do his own thing if he doesn't win.

Edited to add: I don't mean to make it sound like I don't like Jordin, because she has a great voice and she did well last night. Even before the show started, though, I was thinking, I like Blake so much that I actually don't want him to win, so he's not stuck with the AI single and packaging.

[JanetMegan]

The rumor mill says none other than Mrs. Ex Federline herself will be singing tonight at the finale...

[Melanie]

The rumor mill says none other than Mrs. Ex Federline herself will be singing tonight at the finale...

Well, whoopdedoo! :ack:

Man, wish I had TIVo to fast forward through that.

[allie_to_you]

And it played to Jordin's strengths and really didn't work for Blake. Blake is my pick, and it's a shame he won't win now due in part to the song choice.

No, that final song wasn't suited to Blake but just because it wasn't his style of music doesn't mean he couldn't have performed it well. Jordin performed it better because she is a better singer. People try to make to many excuses for someone when they don't do something well or don't win. Perhaps the reason he might not win is because Jordin is better, not because he got stuck with that final song.

[Ian]

No, that final song wasn't suited to Blake but just because it wasn't his style of music doesn't mean he couldn't have performed it well. Jordin performed it better because she is a better singer. People try to make to many excuses for someone when they don't do something well or don't win. Perhaps the reason he might not win is because Jordin is better, not because he got stuck with that final song.I'm sorry, but I have to totally and completely disagree with you here.

There are styles of music that some folks are good at and some aren't.

Can you see an Eddie Vedder or someone with a gravely type, rocker voice singing that song well? I can't. Does that mean they're not an amazing vocalist, in their own genre?? Of course not ...

Blake's voice is an 80's throwback, dance/hip-hop kinda voice. It's incredible for that genre (one of the best, IMO). But he's never gonna come out and belt out a ballad like that and sound good. Does that mean he's not a good entertainer? No.

Overall, Blake is the better entertainer by far. Honestly, even though she has a great voice (and I really do like her a lot), I turned Jordin off to watch the Phillies on two of her three songs (watched the first one). She bores me to tears.

Blake, on the other hand ... I watched every second of all three of his songs and loved it.

Jordin will win and probably rightly so, but if I was going to pick one to go see live I'd save my money on Jordin and buy a new mattress for my bed instead. Either way I'm going to be :sleepin:

[PirateLover]

The first three seasons, they had two songs. The contestants both sang both songs. I don't recall what happened in the Bo-Carrie year. Last year, they gave them a choice between the songs instead of making them both sing both songs.
For curiosity's sake I l just decided to look it up :)
Season 1- Justin and Kelly sang "Before Your Love" and "A Moment Like This"

Season 2- Different original songs
Ruben sang "Flying Without Wings" and Clay sang "This Is The Night"

Season 3- Fantasia and Diana both sang the same original song, "I Believe"

Season 4- Bo and Carrie sang the same original song, "Inside Your Heaven"

Season 5- The top 3 contestants were assigned different original songs. When Elliott got kicked off, Taylor snagged "Do I Make You Proud". Kat sang "My Destiny."

Season 6- Both are forced to sing a cheesy song that won the competition. Considering that Blake's arrangement sounded the same as Jordin's, I don't think he was allowed to change it at all.

As far as Blake knowing what to expect, he did say he never watched the show at all before and auditioned because his friend drug him along so it's possible he wasn't really familiar with the cheesy coronation song. And as far as us making excuses, would Idol ever make Jordin beat box through a song? And Look how terrible she did on Bon Jovi night. Everyone has different strengths.

[MNNHFLTX]

As far as Blake knowing what to expect, he did say he never watched the show at all before and auditioned because his friend drug him along so it's possible he wasn't really familiar with the cheesy coronation song. And as far as us making excuses, would Idol ever make Jordin beat box through a song? ....Everyone has different strengths.That was my thought process too--to try and imagine Jordin singing hip-hop or doing a beat-box thing like Blake would have truly made her look out of her element. Yet that was the position Blake was in, in my opinion--no excuses intended. That ballad (which was extra sappy, even by American Idol standards) was right up Jordin's ally. Which is good, because she'll probably be releasing it as a single in a few weeks. ;)

[Belle619]

The rumor mill says none other than Mrs. Ex Federline herself will be singing tonight at the finale...

Oh, you have got to be kidding! :ack:

Are they going to use her as an example of what these two shouldn't do when they get rich and famous?!?!?!

[SBETigg]

No, that final song wasn't suited to Blake but just because it wasn't his style of music doesn't mean he couldn't have performed it well. Jordin performed it better because she is a better singer. People try to make to many excuses for someone when they don't do something well or don't win. Perhaps the reason he might not win is because Jordin is better, not because he got stuck with that final song.

And I did say in the same post that she is the better singer. I think Blake's a better performer. Idol is based on both. I also said that Jordin deserved the win. I didn't make excuses at all.

[citizensnoopy]

Sooo, Sanjaya was at Venice Beach the other day with cheerleaders from my school --- apparently they were filming the pilot for a new reality show. He was sporting a UCLA Bruin blue-and-gold mohawk! :blush:

[WDWizard]

Congrats to Jordin Sparks! :thumbsup:
She deserves it and was expected to win, but I would have prefered a more "shocking" ending with Blake winning:blush:

[Piglet822]

So, I record American Idol on my DVR and for some reason IT SHUT OFF BEFORE THE WINNER WAS ANNOUNCED!!!
Ok, I feel better now :D I knew Intercot would have the info. Thank you WDWizard :notworth:
I think it was a good show but I have to admit, I definitely enjoyed seeing Joe Perry........sigh...........:heart:

[PirateLover]

So, I record American Idol on my DVR and for some reason IT SHUT OFF BEFORE THE WINNER WAS ANNOUNCED!!!
Ok, I feel better now :D I knew Intercot would have the info. Thank you WDWizard :notworth:
I think it was a good show but I have to admit, I definitely enjoyed seeing Joe Perry........sigh...........:heart:
Yea, it ran over about 5 minutes or so. I figured it might so I set up my DVR to record the local news as well. I liked seeing Joe as well and I'm glad he got to come back again after they paired him up with Sanjaya :ack:

Way to go Jordin. As much as I love Blake, she is the type of singer this competition was made for. Loved loved loved her duet with Ruben. I almost forgot how great of a singer he actually is.

[MNNHFLTX]

I had a busy evening and forgot to set up TiVo to record American Idol, but it looks like there were no surprises. I believe Jordin winning the competition was appropriate and I know we'll see both Jordin and Blake in the music stores soon.... :)

[Tink&Goofy]

Jordin was no surprise. It was a pretty close competition, but I think she has the better voice.
The show tonight was an absolute joke. Nothing like drawing it out, and filling in the time with junk. Like the awards - enough is enough of the reject auditioners - I thought the finale was supposed to be a little more classy than that. The show was just a hodge podge of filler. IF I watch next season - I'll just tune in for the last 10 minutes.

[NotaGeek]

IF I watch next season - I'll just tune in for the last 10 minutes.
Amen!

I am glad Jordin won though, at least SOMEONE from Arizona managed to win something this year! (wait, was that a sports reference from ME?)

[2Epcot]

So I was back at the Kodak theater this afternoon (Wednesday). A few of the people I saw going into the Kodak, David Hasselhoff, Teri Hatcher, David Alan Grier, Dave Foley, Heather McCartney .... I was not one of them. I didn't get into the theater this time. Too many fans, and a higher demand for tickets for the final show tonight. In fact I listened to one woman talk about how she had 3 tickets ripped from her hand before she could go into the theater. Security chased the person, but didn't catch them.

I did get an email invitation to see the Green Day performace, but I was at work. They taped that segment about 3 hours before the rest of the show, then just inserted it into the middle of the live show.

I didn't think this show was produced as well as last years final show. It's always fun seeing the other Idol singers, and some of the special guest ... A few of the bits were very predictable.


I am glad Jordin won though, at least SOMEONE from Arizona managed to win something this year!

As someone who still considers himself an Arizonan, I feel the same way. I was very happy Jordin won, not that I was surprised. I can just imagine how proud her parents are tonight. Both her and Blake will have great careers after this. Jordin becomes the youngest winner of American Idol ... it will be hard for the judges to use the excuse a person is too young now.

[Ian]

The result was expected. I was sorta hoping Blake would pull out a miracle there, but it was not to be.

Best performance of the night, by far, was Green Day. They're incredible. I have to keep track of them in case they tour I really want to go see them. I thought that performance of Working Class Hero was awesome! They did John proud.

The rest of the show was ... kinda ... eh. Some of the ex-Idols were entertaining, some were just okay ... I can't say I was a big fan of that Beatles medley. Taylor MURDERED A Day in the Life (which is one of my favorite Beatles songs), and the very idea of having Ruben Studdard sing Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds must violate every law of musical good taste.

The only two I thought did justice to their songs were Kelly (who I thought rocked on Sgt. Pepper) and Carrie, who sounded outstanding on She's Leaving Home.

I have to admit I also enjoyed Blake with Doug E. Fresh. Being an old school rap fan, it was cool to see Doug E. back in da houze!!

[LibertyTreeGal]

Taylor MURDERED A Day in the Life (which is one of my favorite Beatles songs), and the very idea of having Ruben Studdard sing Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds must violate every law of musical good taste.

The only two I thought did justice to their songs were Kelly (who I thought rocked on Sgt. Pepper) and Carrie, who sounded outstanding on She's Leaving Home.



I agree with all that -- oh my goodness, the only version of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds that was worse than that was when William Shatner released it (no, I am not kidding). I loved Sgt Pepper!

But also, I loved watching the boys with Smokey Robinson, that man has still got IT. And the girls with Gladys, that was cool.

Too bad Fantasia couldn't make it, but she was probably performing last night on Broadway....

[LibertyTreeGal]

OH, and I forgot to mention -- YEAH JORDIN!!!! And wasn't Blake just so awesome gracious? He seems like a real sweetie and a half.

[Melanie]

Ugh, that was complete overload, IMO.

Congratulations to Jordin! :clappy:

[JanetMegan]

To start, for me the show ran over almost 10 mins, I really wish they would fix that one way or the other so we don't have to adjust for taping. In fact my DVR missed Chris Daughtry's ENTIRE preformance the night before. I actually didn't even know what people were talking about the next day. Bummed I missed it.

Anyways-on with my recap of last night, usually in bed by 9 I actually stayed up and watched the whole thing.

Ok so to start, Blake and Jordin singing I Saw Her Standing There. Eh. It was ok. I thought Blake actually sounded better on that than he had on a couple of his songs the night before.

Gwen Stefani-Again? Really? What is it with her, I mean I know she's popular but that was really hokey and not that great, and what was she wearing??

Kelly Clarkston-Never Again. Wow, doesn't that hurt her voice? I much prefer the subdued, strong voiced Kelly from Idol gives Back than this hollering one. And whoever put those boots on her chunky legs should be shot. Nuf said.

Golden Idols-Way too long, drawn out, stupid. That yellow feather wearing chick alone took up all the time that Idol ran over. They need to ditch this segment next year.

Smokey Robinson and the guys-They looked good in white, sounded pretty good. Sanjaya managed to sing fairly well and blended in well. I had forgetting how good Chris Sligh's voice was. Did anyone else think Smokey looked like a woman? The too tight face, curly hair and earrings did it ;)

Blake and Doug E Fresh-Well I didn't like it that much, but I give huge props for AI letting Blake show off the talent and do it with one of the best in the biz. I didn't really enjoy it that much but I appreciated the effort and I'm sure it was HUGE for Blake.

Gladys Knight and the girls-VERY nice, I thought Gladys looked and sounded great, more natural than Smokey. Lakisha and Melinda rocked on Midnight Train, very well done. My fave girl Gina's dress looked like a tent though and of course sexy legs Hayley got the short cute dress.

Tony Bennett-Glad he got to come back and sing, looked good, sounded pretty good. Nice addition to the show (see I can say something nice)

CeCe, BeBe and Melinda-Again Kudos for letting someone sing the music they wanted to sing with one of their own Idols. Melinda was wonderful. Although I am still peeved at BeBe for singing an over 3 1/2 minute version of the star spangled banner at last week's Nascar All Star Race. (Shutter)

Carrie Underwood-highlight of the show Ithink. Wonderful job on that song again, I was hoping she would sing it again. Hope she releases it as a single too. Classy girl and well deserved kudos from Clive Davis (even though that went on toooo long too.)

African Children's Choir-Very cute, nice job, even I can't say bad things about little children singing.

Sanjaya-Well I guess I should have expected that. It wasn't awful. I mean it really was, for that kind of great show, to stick that in there, AND to add in shots of crying girl again. Good Bye Sanjaya.

Green Day-Was ok, not a huge Green Day fan. I actually fast forwarded some of it, it seemed to go on a LONG time. Also heard it wasn't live. What a cop-out.

Taylor Hicks-actually pretty good I thought. I had almost forgotten about good old Taylor Hicks. Voice was good, reminded me why he had such a charming appeal last year.

Jordin and Ruben-Now while I thought this was pretty good (both voices good, nice arrangement and they looked good-although Ruben was HUGE, I thought he had lost weight?) Now here is my gripe. Melinda got to sing with her Idols, same with Blake basically and they stick Jordin with Ruben??? What gives?

Bette Midler-Oh man. Where do I START? First off I am a HUGE Bette fan. I mean huge. I have idolized her since "Beaches" days. But this was just all around AWFUL. She looked pretty bad, that outfit was terrible. That arrangement of Wind BMW was really bad. I mean just not good at all. I was cringing throughout the performance. I was blessedly glad when it was over.

The whole Sgt. Pepper's Medly I thought was good. I thought each Idol sang as well as could be expected with those arrangements. But by this time I was like-end it already, it was past my bedtime and dang it, where was Britney Spears??

Finally Jordin wins, which by this time was almost a let down ;) Really though, I'm glad she won etc. I do think though that this was one of the most boring seasons of Idol and how many hours of tv did Ryan tell us we'll never get back??

[Ian]

Gwen Stefani-Again? Really? What is it with her, I mean I know she's popular but that was really hokey and not that great, and what was she wearing??My thoughts exactly. I thought the first night of Gwen was more than enough. She's good, but ... I've seen her sufficient time for the next 10 years or so.


Kelly Clarkston-Never Again. Wow, doesn't that hurt her voice? I much prefer the subdued, strong voiced Kelly from Idol gives Back than this hollering one. And whoever put those boots on her chunky legs should be shot. Nuf said.Hmmmm ... I thought those boots looked outstanding on her. ;)


Golden Idols-Way too long, drawn out, stupid. That yellow feather wearing chick alone took up all the time that Idol ran over. They need to ditch this segment next year.Ugh you said it. I kept looking that yellow feather wearing chick and thinking, "What does this woman DO in life??? Has she ever done anything productive??" Seriously ... giving air time to fools like that is the one thing I can't stand about this show. They need to give it a rest.


Smokey Robinson and the guys-They looked good in white, sounded pretty good. Sanjaya managed to sing fairly well and blended in well. I had forgetting how good Chris Sligh's voice was.I loved this segment and yes, Chris S. sounded really good. Kinda made you wonder why he didn't make it farther along.


Gladys Knight and the girls-VERY nice, I thought Gladys looked and sounded great, more natural than Smokey. Lakisha and Melinda rocked on Midnight Train, very well done. My fave girl Gina's dress looked like a tent though and of course sexy legs Hayley got the short cute dress.There were other people in this segment besides Hayley? Really ... I hadn't noticed ... ;)


Tony Bennett-Glad he got to come back and sing, looked good, sounded pretty good. Nice addition to the show (see I can say something nice)I like Tony. He's got class. I was glad to see him back, too.


Sanjaya-Well I guess I should have expected that. It wasn't awful. I mean it really was, for that kind of great show, to stick that in there, AND to add in shots of crying girl again. Good Bye Sanjaya.:ack: .... 'nuff said ....


Bette Midler-Oh man. Where do I START? First off I am a HUGE Bette fan. I mean huge. I have idolized her since "Beaches" days. But this was just all around AWFUL. She looked pretty bad, that outfit was terrible. That arrangement of Wind BMW was really bad. I mean just not good at all. I was cringing throughout the performance. I was blessedly glad when it was over.Again ... :ack: .... This was BY FAR the worst performance of the night (okay, besides Sanjaya). I just kept hearing the words "Washed up ... washed up ... washed up ... " over and over again in my head. That song was good for about 10 minutes in 1989 ... it should now be put into a time capsule and not played again for 100 years or more. Have I mentioned :ack:?

[PirateLover]

JanetMegan, I don't know what's going on with Carrie's "I'll Stand By You" single. I KNOW it was released on iTunes because I remember reading that it actually charted high and was the first internet-only single to do so well. Yet when I just searched on iTunes for it, I couldn't find it. Odd.

I listened to about 5 notes of Bette and had to fast fwd. I love that song and I love Bette and I wanted to keep it that way, lol.

I thought the Sgt Pepper's medley was pretty good, all things considered. Although Kelly started to flub her lyrics but she recovered well :cool: Ruben singing Lucy in the Sky was indeed odd, but he did "aight" with it. I am a huge huge huge Beatles fan so I was just happy to see them get some love from AI. Sgt. Peppers is one album that never leaves my 6disc changer in my car.