StoneRose Valley My Thoughts, Expressions, and Passions

Over 88 million votes were cast we are told….that’s a lot of votes.

Love the dogs on the Ford Music Video; Break My Stride.
Alecia Keyes introduces Noah from Africa…missed where. This kid is so cute, and has a lot of energy.

We are promised a glimpse of the hometown visits after the break.
We will also see Jordin Sparks and Katy Perry tonight.

Danny got to hang out with his friend, Jamar Rogers, when he visited his hometown. He got quite a reception. We are reminded that Simon called one of his performances a “vocal masterclass”. Very impressive.

Kris gets free cheese dip for life…that’s the first time I’ve heard that one. Watching Kris’ homecoming…this guy really is the winner in this competition as far as I’m concerned. The depth, the growth this young man has exhibited during this competition is incredible.

Next, Jordin Sparks and the results.

Who is leaving tonight? I think it will be Danny, unfortunately. He did have the best song of the show last night; maybe just not enough at this point.

Back to Jordin Sparks, singing her new single, “Battlefield”. She looks a lot older, not too surprising since she’s about 19 now, versus the 17 we saw her win season seven. Like the song…but not such a fan of how she looks. Lost a lot of her sweetness, it seems. Just like Kellie Pickler.

Adam Lambert…his visit home was to San Diego. They visited his childhood theatre group; I’m sure he is an inspiration to those children. The judges thought Adam deserves a spot in the finale.

We have to sit through Katy Perry before we can hear the results…she’s doing her latest single; I actually couldn’t stand to watch it.

Kris Allen is competing next week; he made it into the finale! Yeah!
Adam Lambert is also in the finale. I am so very sorry to see Danny go; extremely talented man. We get to hear “You Are So Beautiful” again…he has a really pretty falsetto!

Simon said we might have a big “ding-dong” next week with Kris in the competition. We’ll see.

Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, Life Thoughts, Music, Quotes, Video's

Early spoilers say that Danny Gokey will be singing “Dance Little Sister” by Terrance Trent D’Arby, and “You Are So Beautiful” by Joe Cocker. Adam Lambert is reported to have “One” by U2 and “Cryin” by Aerosmith up his sleeves….and Kris Allen is singing  “Apologize” by OneRepublic, great pick for him, and “Heartless” by Kanye West.
Looks like a pretty good group of songs, playing to each of their strengths quite possible.

Each contestant sings a song chosen for them by one (or two) of the judges. Each picks a song themselves to perform.
We will also see Jordin Sparks return to the A-I stage…tomorrow night. Read More…

Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, Music, Polls

The disco week is here! Still, not really excited about this, contrary to Ryan calling this night a “very exciting week”.

We still have seven contestants due to Matt’s win of the save last week (great performance!), so two will be leaving tomorrow night.

Lil Rounds is singing “I’m Every Woman”. She definitely is getting better at picking her songs. That Lil with the big voice we heard in the beginning of the season is back. I really didn’t have any complaints to make.

Randy said it “sounded so wild; still didn’t show us what kind of artist you are and what you can really do in this competition; or your vocal control”.
Kara told Lil, “we’ve all been waiting to hear you sing Chaka Khan…maybe not worth the wait”.
Paula told us that Lil had “no voice yesterday; I applaud your recovery. You were hot tonight, but maybe not boiling; remarkable recovery though”.
Simon thinks this is the “last week for you. There was no originality; the arrangement, vocals were a mess”.
I think the judges were all way too harsh with Lil tonight. It’s like they’ve made up their minds that she just has to go no matter what.

Kris Allen chose “She Works Hard For The Money” by Donna Summer. Interesting choice; I gotta say I love the stage setup. Reminds me of Katherine McPhee’s “Black Horse and The Cherry Tree” several seasons ago. No one can complain that this isn’t original. Has Kris written all over it. That last phrase was fantastic. Read More…

Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, Links, Music, Polls

Well, here we are again. Another results show. Who’s leaving? I’m going to say either Lil or Matt….I hope it’s not Matt.

The top seven performed ‘She’s A Maniac’ by Hall and Oates. I have to say I LOVED this group number. Especially Kris, Anoop, and Matt’s parts. Have to say I wasn’t a fan of Adam, Danny, or Allison on this one…

I missed the Ford Music Video this week…my TV completely lost the signal. If you missed it like me, catch it here.

Read More…

Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, Life Thoughts, Links, Music, Quotes

So, I hear that the contestants will be performing songs from Itunes top charts….that bodes well for many of them.

For me, though, this show doesn’t look good. I’m starting this night out very irratated. The TV keeps cutting the sound on and off.

Starting the night off is Anoop Desai, singing something by Usher….at least I think that’s what he said. As I already said, the sound is there only every once in a while. And what I do hear, I don’t recognize. But back to Anoop; he’s bringing back some of that energy and attitude we saw several weeks ago. As far as the vocals went, I didn’t think he stood out with them. They were only OK, which just doesn’t cut it with this group.

Randy said Anoop’s “vocals were really good” but thought it a bad song choice. He said he felt “a little torn”.
Kara pointed out that “when you pick Usher you’ve got to do crazy stuff” but didn’t hear that from him; instead felt “like a bunch of frat guys dared you to sing Usher”.
Paula loved that Anoop went back to the playful side; “Your vocals sounded really good”, but recommended he “work on the stage presence”.
Simon called it a “complete and utter mess”; saying Anoop “came over as a wannabe”. He said “the arrangement was a mess”, and complained that the performance gave him a headache.

Megan Joy is singing Marley’s “Turn Your Lights On Low”. I have to say that this is definitely an improvement over the last two weeks…actually, three weeks. But this didn’t turn me into a fan of hers by a long shot.

Kara really likes Megan but thinks she is in trouble. “Here’s the thing: Not the right song choice for you”.
Paula thinks Megan really needs to “take us by surprise”.
Simon called the song boring, indulgent, monotonous; and all the things we liked about you are disappearing. It wasn’t you, and it is about song choice”.
Randy said it was “like watching paint dry”, and told Megan she had better artists to pick from than Marley.

Danny Gokey is singing “What Hurts The Most”, by Rascall Flatts. I’m so glad he chose this song! Much better song choice than the last two weeks for sure!! This is getting us back to the real guy! His vocals were spot-on, and the interpretation in his voice brought me completely into the song.

Paula said “this is where you thrive; from the first note to the cadence”, and told Danny he left her “wanting more”.
Simon’s thoughts on Danny’s performance; “this week, if I’m being honest, this was your best performance. So much better than the first two…So far away better. Get a great song, sing it brilliantly, and do your version; that’s what this is about”.
Randy said “it’s about choosing something that you can do well”, and thought Danny did just that.
Kara told Danny, “You moved everyone in this room emotionally…That’s so hard to do; you gave so much of your heart and soul”.

Allison Iraheta chose “Don’t Speak”, her vocals are fairly good, but I’m totally distracted by how she looks. Not in the same ball park as last week, IMO.

Randy knows Allison can sing, but thought she was a little ahead of the beat; but he did like the guitar. His biggest thought: “What are you wearing?!”
Kara told Allison “the rock in you comes out no matter what you’re wearing, so you don’t need to dress it. I felt like you were trying to be something, and you don’t need to try, you already are”.
Paula said Allison’s “vocal prowess rivals singers twice your age. You are serious about this. think you’re skating by and going right to the finish line”, she predicted.
Simon simply couldn’t ignore the outfit. He thought it looked like “dressy-uppy; trying to be a rock star. Plus you shouted the song”.

Scott MacIntyre chose a song from Billy Joel, “Just The Way You Are”, and it was perfectly suited for him! Great choice! He stripped it all down, and just gave us his honest soul in that performance. Very well done!

Kara said Scott “made some very smart song choices tonight”. She loved that he came “from an honest place, which you know how to do well”.
Paula told Scott that “of all the contestants which have graced the stage, I am most proud of you. It has nothing to do with your challenge, but everthing to do with how you’ve faced that challenge!”
Simon called it Scott’s “best performance by a country mile. This is a different Scott. You are lucky you didn’t listen to madam’s (Paula) advice about not playing the piano”.
Randy declared it “one of the best of the night; nice one!”

Singing “You Found Me”, Matt Giraud is fighting to gain his footing back on the show. He chose to play keyboard actually in the audience! What a way to make it personal! This isn’t my favorite performance of his, but was a good one nevertheless.

Paula thinks Matt is “bored with the magnificant riffs and beautiful falsetto” that he is so good at.
Simon said Matt “should be happy ’cause we don’t like you this week”. He felt it was all “very put on, very up-tight. You’re becoming like all these different people just to try and stay in the competition”.
Randy thought it was “just the wrong song for you. You got more chops than that; let all that flavor out”.
Kara didn’t like how Matt seems to “keep going between the rock r&b and the pop r&b”.

Lil Rounds wanted to really nail her song choice this week, and picked Celine Dion’s “I Surrender”. I love this song, and am a huge fan of Celine. I’m very back and forth between this song….there are times I feel are magnificant, and others that are just less than what I’d hope for from her.

Randy thought it, once again, not the right song choice. “But you sang it really, really well. You’ve got unbelievable vocal skills”.
Kara pictured a Mariah or Mary song, but was “surprised too. You hit a few notes that I was like….whoa! We got a glimpse of what we saw in the beginning which is this singer who can let it out and wow us”.
Paula….well, I actually didn’t catch what Paula said.
Simon felt like it was Lil “singing to stay in the competition”, and thought it “quite similar to a wedding performance”.

Adam Lambert chose “Play That Funky Music”, a song that I normally like, but not his version. I really think that Adam is someone you either love or hate. I just don’t get him. But he does have a good voice, and I think this performance was a very good one. So, no, I didn’t like it. But this was the best performance of the night so far!

Paula declared that “true genius does not fulfill expectations; they shatter it!”
Simon called it “very brave!” and said it was original.
Randy admitted that when he heard Adam was doing this song, he thought “this is going to be corny;  But you got it going on!”
Kara told Adam that each week she “cannot wait to see what you are going to do next. And that’s a big compliment!”

My favorite, Kris Allen, is closing the night with “Ain’t No Sunshine”. I love the simpleness he brings with just the keyboard and a strings quartet accompanying him. This guy improves by leaps and bounds each week! I’m so excited by him! And this week, I really and truly feel like I’ve seen an artist, equipped with charisma and personality. Did I say Adam’s was the best performance so far? Wrong! Kris stole the night!

Randy: “Yo dude! Right now in this moment; for the last couple of weeks you’ve been slaying them; that was definitely in the zone! Slay it!”
Kara said she has three words; “That was artistry!”
Paula said Kris “played to your strengths; your best to date”.
Simon brought up what he talked about last week with “showing some confidence; you brought that tonight. Very clever and cool performance; Your best so far”.

Here’s my ranking of the night:

1. Kris Allen–by far the best of the night
2. Adam Lambert—followed very closely by
3. Danny Gokey
4. Scott MacIntyre
5. Lil Rounds
6. Anoop Desai
7. Matt Giraud
8. Allison Iraheta
9. Megan Joy Corkrey

I really think that Megan will be leaving…but I say that every week, don’t I? It’ll be Megan, Matt, and Allison/Anoop in the bottom three tomorrow night….maybe even ending with Matt leaving us. But who really knows? No one will until tomorrow at the results show.

Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, Music

My first reaction of the night-what is Paula wearing?! Hmmm.

So anyway, we have the contestants singing motown this week. Their mentors were Smokey Robinson and…(what’s his name? I completely forget!) Berry Gordan.

The one’s that could do really well, IMO, are Lil Rounds and Danny Gokey. I also think that Kris Allen, Matt Giraud, and possibly Anoop. We’ll see how they do.

‘Kicking it off’, according to Ryan, is Matt Giraud with “Let’s Get It On”. He’s sticking to what he does best, once again on the ivory keys. Wait-I spoke too fast. He’s thrown us a twist by leaving his customary seat and is now touring the stage. I have to admit, not my favorite of his performances. But I believe he did a fine job with the song.

Randy thought Matt “set this off to the tone tonight!” and loved his run at the end of the song, commenting on Matt’s strong falsetto; “You’re challenging [the other guys] for the front spot”.
Kara liked the departure from the piano, and also Matt’s vocal interpretations, calling it a “solid performance”.
Paula commented on how comfortable Matt seemed behind piano as well as out from it. “You showed a cool, sexy vibe. You’re tasteful, classy, spot on, and respectful of the melody. It’s like wearing a great pair of worn jeans”.
Simon thought the piano departure corny, but said that Matt’s voice “absolutely suits that type of song. You are one of the front runners in this competition”.

Kris Allen, unfortunately, is performing second tonight. He is performing “How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You”; Smokey said Kris ‘blew [him] away’, also commenting on how talented Kris is to sing and play guitar like that. Kris started the song off accapella; I really like his interpretation. I would buy this song from Itunes definitely! Towards the middle/end of the song, I really loved the husky tone to his voice. Something we don’t hear often from him.

Kara loved that Kris “didn’t do James Taylor or Marvin Gay, you did Kris. You made your mark on that song. You did everything right on that performance!”
Paula thought it was really nice seeing Kris “come into [his] own”, calling his personality ‘infectious’; and marveling that the “note at the end was brilliant. You keep growing and growing every week!”
Simon said that Kris is having a good competition so far. But wants to see Kris “start believing in [himself]“. This I don’t get, Simon thinks you have to be conceited to be a star? His advice to Kris: “Start acting like me”. No way! Kris’ response: “I’ll take everything else, but the conceit? No.” And Ryan backed him. Kudos, Kris, for showing some back bone and standing up for who you are and what you believe!
Randy declared that Kris has “hit your zone; You ain’t doing nothing wrong!”

Scott MacIntyre is singing “You Can’t Hurry Love”. Once again, he appears behind his piano; and I think he made a fabulous choice in remaining there! He has put his own twist on the song as well; and I really like it. I’m not sure his vocals are right on all the time, the sound a bit weak at times, but this is a million times better than last week.

Paula loved having the back-up singers around the piano; as well as “the beginning, with the chord changes in the rabatto(?) section”.
Simon thought the “piano was terrible, the back up singers were a mess. This was the wrong song for you. I thought it was cheap. And I think you’re better than that. You are choosing the wrong songs”. I have to agree with Simon in that Scott could pick much better songs for himself, and I think he is better than what we’ve seen so far.
Randy doesn’t agree with Simon often, but did tonight, calling it “a very hotel performance”. He told Scott to start taking some risks; “You’re a better singer than that, take bigger challenges”.
Kara disagrees with the guys on this one, saying “I love the up-tempo”. But she cautioned Scott; “When you take liberties like you did with the melody, you have to nail it. You had good ideas, the execution just wasn’t perfect”.
And at the end of it all, Paula pulls out a box of crayons for Simon. Hmm. Those two are a mess always!

Megan Joy is singing “For Once In My Life”. Smokey was right in that it does sound like she totally made this her own through her unique voice.

Randy said “the song was a trainwreck”, calling it “bizarre”. His advice was to have slowed it “back a little. It was too rushed and hectic”.
Kara agreed with Randy. She recommended ‘My Guy’, calling it more like Megan. “You didn’t dominate the song, the song was dominating you”.
Paula complimented Megan on her appearance, calling her “stunningly beautiful. The camera loves you”; but she agreed that the song wasn’t right for Megan. “I don’t feel you found your pocket”.
Simon was abrupt: “The good news is you look good. The bad news is that it was horrible. A horrible arrangement; atrocious song, the vocals were all over the place”.

Anoop Desai chose “Ooh, Baby, Baby”, and my initial thought is-’really?’. But I was surprised. It was better than I thought it would be given the song choice, but not as good as I’d hoped for Anoop tonight. It turned out a little bland to me.

Kara said that was one of the most beautiful songs ever written and probably one of the hardest to sing. “Overall”, she said, “that song is very hard to do you and you did a pretty good job. You’re showing us that you can sing; you have a skill set”; but asked to see Anoop become “a little more creative with the melodies”.
Paula loves Anoops’ new-found confidence but wants to see more. “Your delivery was spot on, not only that but sweet”.
Simon called it a “great vocal”; but said Anoop looked half asleep. “You gotta find that balance, that showmanship. But you’ve had two good weeks in a row”.
Randy liked seeing the “serious Anoop-dog”, next week wants him to “turn it back up. Was nice to hear you croon and swoon; but get back and bring it next week!”

In the sixth performance spot is Michael Sarver, singing “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg”. Can Michael bring it? Can he, as Smokey said, lay it all out on the line? My verdict: YES! Michael brought it tonight; solid, and fun performance!

Paula: “for me this was a tough performance; it felt old Las Vegas loungy for me”. She told him “you really need to dominate and drive that song, not the reverse”.
Simon actually couldn’t wait for it to end. “You were screaming and shouting that song”. Simon went a step further, telling Michael “you have no chance of winning this competition based on that performance. In the real world it just really isn’t good enough. That was below half”.
Randy said the song was just a little too big for Michael tonight. “You were trying to do too much with it”. Remember folks, both Michael and Megan have had the flu…
Kara was the only one, in my opinion, that gave Michael any constructive criticism; saying “at this point it’s not about singing, it’s about artistry. That’s what we need from you. And that’s what I didn’t feel this week”.

Lil Rounds picked “Heat Wave”…Honestly, this is nowhere near what I expected from Lil this week.

Randy mentioned her crazy vocals, but said “the front was a little bit torture, not the right song for you. Felt like you were rushing a bit. Not the best performance from you”.
Kara said Lil looked great. “You were the diva that everyone was waiting to hear. I don’t think this was the right song. If you had melodies that breathe more you could have interpreted more; you have the voice for that”.
Paula disagreed with the above two. “It’s what you do vocally that feels fresh and takes a classic song and makes it new”.
Simon thought Lil was giving an “authentic tribute to the sound of Motown. But the song didn’t give you a moment. It was too fast. You could have had a moment”. He reminded us that Lil is “one of the best singers we have in this competition”; and said he’s waiting for her to blow everyone away again like she did in the first week…but said she can’t do it with that song.

We have three contestants left; Adam, Allison, and Danny. What will they bring?

Adam Lambert is next, singing “Tracks Of My Tears”. I’m really surprised by this choice. Is he going to change it like he did with “Ring of Fire”? Is he trying to look like Elvis? I do have to say that I’m SO glad that he chose to tone everything down this week and show us his pure vocals. I admit freely that Adam has amazing talent in his voice. I don’t think he’s miles ahead of the other contestants, but he does have one of the best voices here. Adam is getting a standing ovation from Paula, Kara, and Smokey! Nice job, Adam!

Kara called it one of the best performances of the night; loving his artistry!
Paula said he was completely in his own league. And loved the clean look, “you look classy. You are exciting.”
Simon disagreed with Kara; saying it was THE best performance of the night! He said Adam summed up originality, choosing the right song, and being a relevant recording artist, as the judges had talked about earlier. Adam was lauded with emerging as a star tonight. Good for you, Adam!
Randy said Adam has the range to do anything; he loved the “tender moments; the falsetto”, and said Adam used everything in his arsenal.

My favorite, Danny Gokey, is up, singing “Get Ready”. I think this was a great choice! He’s been working on the dancing…I love the energy he’s showing. Not his best vocal performance, but still quite good. I enjoyed the ambience in his voice.

Paula called Danny undeniable and identifiable, saying he brings a “first class performance every week”.
Simon thought it clumsy and amateur.
Randy said it wasn’t the best performance from Danny, but loved the energy and feel of it.
Kara loved the energy as well, saying she “thought it was good, not great”, but declared herself “still a big fan!”

Allison Iraheta closes the night with “Papa Was A Rolling Stone”. Allison is bringing everything up to claim the top female spot in this competition, and she’s doing a tremendous job of it! She didn’t work the stage much, but she brought it with the vocals. Awesome!

Randy called Allison “one of the dopest singers in this whole season. Blazing hot!”
Kara was blown away, saying it was “amazing! You sing like you’ve been singing for 400 years!”
Paula said she was awesome; “You belong in the competition. Beautiful!”
Simon called her “a survivor. One of your best performances. Well done!”

Hearing everything back once more, I would place Megan, Michael, and Scott in the bottom three. And actually, in Megan’s re-run, she sounded a little off pitch. Based on the three individual performances, I wouldn’t hesitate in calling them the bottom, and would actually call Megan off.

Outstanding performances tonight were from Adam, Allison, and Kris; with Danny coming in close behind.

So, what do you think?

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Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, Music, Polls, Quotes, Uncategorized, Video's

The results show is here. We will be hearing Brady Paisley, and I duet from Randy Travis and Carrie Underwood before the show is over.

Who will be leaving tonight? After yesterday’s performances, there is no telling. The favorites came out towards the bottom, and some of the tail catchers showed up with what they really can do.

The top eleven is giving out a rousing rendition of…I’m not sure. Maybe TROUBLE; that or a medley. But it sure is good and rousing. Genius putting Scott on the piano. Probably makes him a whole lot more comfortable and allows the other guys to get out some choreography on the floor.

“Here It Goes Again” was the song for the Ford Music Video. IMO, it wasn’t nearly as good as last weeks.

Enjoyed seeing the clips from the going away party for Jorge and Jasmine. And LOVED Jorge’s comment; “Don’t get too comfortable, ’cause we’re not the only ones who will be eliminated!” And all this with a twinkle in his eye! Loved it!

Ryan was pretty hilarious tonight; with all the flu talk.

But to the results.

Danny is up first; and will be heading on to the tour.
Lil is next; her song was Independence Day…was probably not her best performance in retrospect. But she is safe.
Anoop is also safe after his very good performance last night.
Allison and Michael are standing now. Allison was called “dope” by Randy….Michael was criticized a little more. Ryan asks Paula who she thinks should be in the bottom…to which Paula is rather flustered. Ryan, from her ramblings, brought out the comment that Paula would be surprised to see anyone in the bottom three! Hilarious! Paula is so sweet, but sometimes….well, she makes for some comic relief also. Of course, Ryan egged that on some too.
We are told that Allison is in the bottom three. But with a cruel twist, after making Michael think that he is safe, he also is told to head for the three stools on-stage and join Allison.

At this point, we get to hear Brad Paisley perform his single, “Then”. I really like Brad’s voice. I told my youngest sister earlier today that he was performing tonight; usually, she’s not a fan of A-I, but she said she was definitely going to watch it tonight with me just to see him. Strange, but Paisley looks a lot like a friend of mine. They both are singers, both in the country genre, but they have very different voices. But now I’m just rambling. Paisley just finished and I really liked it. My sister loved it. And my ‘baby’ brother walked in with this comment; “Oh, is that the one they’re kicking off tonight?” To which my sisters and I burst out in laughter, “Of course, they’re kicking Brad Paisley off American Idol!” Gave the four of us some kicks. lol.

Now we are continuing with the results.
Scott is up. He is safe. We’ll be seeing Scott on the tour.
Megan is up…and I wonder, with panic, why she’s already standing up?! She’s safe; I really don’t believe this.
Matt is standing…and is safe.
That leaves us with Kris and Adam. What?! Kris is safe, and Adam–?!
Oh, no. I forgot Alexis. Now we have Alexis and Adam. Randy thinks Alexis will be in the bottom three. And he is right.
Adam is safe, leaving Alexis to join Michael and Allison on the stage.

One is sent back to safety…and that is Allison.
We now have to suffer through another commercial break. After the break, we’ll probably hear from Randy and Carrie…and then we will finally learn if it will be Alexis or Michael leaving. Personally, I think it’ll be Michael. As you may have already noted, only one of my original bottom three guesses are actually in the bottom three. I didn’t expect to see Alexis here at all. If she is the bottom pick this week, I hope the judges exercise their save, ’cause Alexis is really so talented and has so much potential; it would be just so wrong for her to leave.

Back to the show. Indeed, we do get to hear Carrie and Randy’s duet. My sisters and I are wondering what in the world happened to her hair?
For the first time ever together live, here is Carrie Underwood and Randy Travis performing “I Told You So”.
This song is so sweet! I love it.

Back to the bottom two. Simon shares, at Ryan’s prompting, that they would consider saving one of the two. I think that would be Alexis. We’ll see, though.

OMW–Alexis is the last. Michael is safe. Simon said she was the one who they were thinking of saving. We get to hear her one more time. I don’t think her vocals are as good as they were last night, but she is showing a whole lot more fight.

The verdict is: a good performance, but not good enough. I am still in shock. She is going to go so far. Honestly, she was the one with, by far, the most marketability. I believe someone will offer this girl a record deal; if they don’t, they’re fools.

Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, Music

We’re going country this week with Randy Travis. Rumored guest appearances for tomorrow evening are Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley! That’ll be nice.

Keep checking back here, as I will be adding to this post; writing live time as the night unfolds.

As usual, I will also be opening a poll immediately following the show-so be sure to share your own opinions!

Randy Travis called this season’s group the strongest he has seen yet on American Idol. Very true.

Michael Sarver is opening this night with “Ain’t Going Down Till the Sun Comes Up”. I thought he would do very well in country night…but it proved to be just a “fun” song, and didn’t end up really showcasing his voice; in my opinion.

Randy ; to be honest, I didn’t catch what he said.
Kara loved the personality Michael showed; but was sad that “we didn’t get to hear the big notes”. She did find it “impressive that you got all those words in!”
Paula said it was a great song; “allowed us to see you having fun and let us have fun consequently. I love the harmonica player!”
Simon thought it should have been good, given that this genre is the one that Michael would seem to do quite well in. “But,” Simon said, “I couldn’t understand a word”. He called it a “bit clumsy. Point is, this is about you coming over as a star. Instead, you came over as a likeable guy…at a kareoke night. On a scale of 1-10 I’d give you a 1.2″.

Allison Iraheta seems to be the one contestant that I always miss the song title of their performance. But I think she’s proving to be quite good in her selection.

Kara said Allison could sing the alphabet and sing it well. “You made that song your own. You keep getting better; really solid”.
Paula called it “another rock solid performance”. Commenting on the “power of your voice and rock edge. Amazing artist!”
Simon thought it “good”, but “a little tuneless in parts”. But said it was rock solid, only verging on precocious a little bit.
Randy “thought it was doped!” What exactly is that suppose to mean?

Kris Allen is singing “To Make You Feel My Love”. I thought this was really nice; this is a solid performance, and he did an amazing job of truly making it his own.

Paula was pleasantly surprised; and loved his “honest, pure, and vulnerable performance”. Commenting on how this song reminded her of “how nice your vocals are. But, make sure your lower vocals are on pitch”.
Simon called it terrific. “Really, really good. A great, great, great choice of song. You were completely in control; didn’t go over the top. This is the first time I genuinely think you have a shot in this competition”. Some good words here.
Randy said Kris “went out on a limb. Tender moments from my dog Kris. I loved it!”
Kara thought it “was beautiful. I didn’t even realize this was country”.

Lil Rounds is singing Martina McBrides “Independence Day”. This was amazing! My favorite performance of hers to date. Of course, I like the song anyway.

Randy thought it a very interesting, ambitious song choice. “The front part was struggling, but chorus got better. Didn’t feel comfortable on you. Just keeping it real”.
Kara said “part of being an artist is to do what you feel. You’re a great singer. There were other songs you could have chosen. But props for standing your ground on this one”.
Paula thought that tonight, “Everything’s spot on for you. But you should have only done one verse and headed on to the chorus ’cause that’s where you shone”.
Simon said that “kinda’ came over as a girl forced to sing at a wedding; it felt and looked uncomfortable. Just wasn’t you”.

Adam Lambert chose “Ring of Fire”. Randy Travis said this version of the song “threw me for a loop”. Hmmm. Props to Adam to staying true to himself. There are some wonderful moments in this…but to be honest, this performance is creeping me out completely. My mum called it “Phantom of the Opera meets Johnny Cash”. I’m sure the judges love it though.

Kara said it was definitely “Adam does country music”. Saying she’d “never seen that rendition” coming,; and calling it “all a little strange. I got the drama…” but she was almost speechless, “strange. I kinda liked it”.
Paula said he was “really someone who stands out; who is true to who you are as an artist. Choice of song was great. Loved the version”. She called him a “quick study and natural talent. We’ll keep  expecting more and more from you”.
Simon’s comment: “what the h-ll was that? There must be a lot of people throwing their TV’s out the window at this point. Was absolute, indulgent, rubbish!”
Randy: “nine-inch nails doing country! Current, young, fresh!”

Scott MacIntyre is singing “Wild Angels”; what a choice! There were some pitch problems in the verse. But the chorus is really quite nice. The back-up singers and the band really were doing some awful stuff. There were good and bad moments in there; but that last note was superb!

Paula said “to me, it was another impressive, lovely performance. You work harder than most people on that stage”. But she thought that the “piano may be turning into a bit of a crutch”; to which Scott replied “we can move it closer!”. Paula said she just wanted to see him “mix it up a bit”.
Simon thought Scott should sit behind that piano as much as he wants. “Both performances last week and this were very similar. I like you a lot; but you’re picking songs that go over my head and I forget them after-wards”.
Randy is “looking for those hot, crazy, unbelievable vocals from you. Looking for the standout vocals”.
Kara summed up the judges comments, saying “we want you to up your game. But you always bring class and poise to that stage”.

Alexis Grace chose a song from Dolly Parton; “Jolene”. I remember Brooke White sang this song last season. But I think Alexis will do a far better job. I’ve got goosebumps listening to her. I love her transitioning from her high register to her low one…it’s hard to make those smooth, but she did an awesome job.

Randy was not sure Alexis “hit the notes quite well. Good song choice but not a great performance”.
Kara thought she lost her edge a bit. Personally, I really liked seeing this part of her.
Paula disagreed, saying it was “more effective than the others think”. Paula loved how Alexis “took an artistic approach. Enjoyed the vulnerable soft side of you”.
Simon said it “was okay. A little sound alike; just not a lot of originality. I think this is going to be one of those performances we’ll forget about later tonight”

Danny Gokey is singing the so popular Carrie Underwood hit, “Jesus Take the Wheel”. In the early part of this song, I really want to see some more personality. The verse was a little bland. Had some great notes in there. The chorus is pretty good. But overall, this wasn’t a great, solid performance by Danny; not like what I know he is capable. Still, it was good. I do like seeing him stay true to who he is. It would be easy to think “That song is way to popular” and not do it. But the message is such a good one. Props for braving it out, Danny.

Kara said “when you hit your stride it’s like none other. The front half was not spectacular”. But she said he “came out of your shell and went soaring straight up”.
Paula disagreed “in some sense. I love it when an artist tells a story. I think Carrie would not only be proud of that, but I think she’d buy the single”.
Simon doesn’t think Carrie would rush out to buy it, but he does “agree with Paula; you can’t start that song head on”. Simon did, on the other hand, have a problem with Danny’s outfit. “What you’re wearing is like you’re going on some polar expedition!”
Randy agreed with Kara. “You got to support the verses; they were a little pitchy in the middle”.

Anoop Desai is singing “Always On My Mind”. I agreed with Randy Travis–”heck, that was good, man!” I don’t think I have anything else to add.

Paula announced that “Anoop is back; he’s back everybody”. She loved how that song “allowed you to have your own interpretation. It fit you like a glove; when you’re allowed to have that space you have such tender, honest, amazing, sweet vocals”.
Simon said Anoop managed, in one week, “to go from zero to hero”. He thought it a great choice of song, and called it “one of my favorite performances tonight. Take it back from last week; you definitely deserve to be in this show. Glad to have you back.”
Randy: “let me just say; this is the reason we wanted you back in this season. I like the arrangement; that was dope!”
Kara called the song a classic one, “almost untouchable”, but thought Anoop did a fantastic job.

Megan Joy Corkrey picked “Walking After Midnight”. I think this was a good choice…given her quirky and very different voice. Not my cup of tea; so I’m afraid I can’t offer much commentary on this one.

Randy was impressed; saying it was the “perfect choice for you”.
Kara agreed; “perfrect song; perfect look”. Kara also shared with us that Megan has the flu. Given that consideration, she did quite good.
Paula commented that Megan had already been to the hospital and back; calling her very professional.
Simon thinks Megan should have flu every week; “Quite good”.

Matt Giraud is the last performer tonight. I’m curious to see how he does in country week. Matt chose “So Small” by Carrie Underwood. I think this was also a good choice, one that Matt can lend his bluesy vibe to. Matt, like Scott did, is playing piano with his performance. Crutch? I don’t think so; the piano is a part of Matt and his artistry. Have you watched those hands of his?! Incredible as they run over the keys; and even in the midst of all that, his vocals still stay strong. This is one talented guy.

Kara said there is “nothing small about you. You’re a true artist; amazing. I just love you”.
Paula applauds the “autheniticity that you bring and your honesty is unparrelled. You are piercing peoples hearts”.
Simon doesn’t think Matt’s had enough credit for his vocals. “Tonight you out-sang Danny. You remind me of Michael Buble”.
Randy called it the “performance of the night. You got it going on!”

Personally, I would place Scott, Adam, and Megan in the bottom three tomorrow night. However, I believe the bottom three will be Scott, Megan, and probably Micheal Sarver.

As always, would love to hear your thoughts and opinions.

Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, Expressions, Music

The twist that we were promised…well, we are getting ready to hear what it is. The new rule is that the judges can save one contestant from elimination just once. It has to be unanimous, and once they use it, they cannot use it again.

Here is the top Thirteen singing a melody of top hits. Was very impressed with Scott; nearly forgot that he can’t see hardly. He did very well negotiating his way around the stage. Danny’s dancing…that was really weird. And that said in all love, ’cause he’s my favorite this year.

The Ford commercial was lots of fun! Way over the top, but great! Gave everyone watching here with me a laugh!

Michael Sarver is up first. He is pronounced safe.
Allison Iraheta is next. Allison is also safe. She looks very relieved.
Jasmine Murray is third; and is in the bottom group.
Matt Giraud wanted to go ahead and join Jasmine; but was stopped by Michael, Allison, and Ryan. He is safe.

Kris is standing now. He was called both interesting and cool, and clumsy.
Megan is standing also. Kris is safe; Megan joins Jasmine. But is pronounced safe.

Will the judges save Jasmine? We get to hear Jasmine sing again. I really love Jasmine’s voice. Nearly feel like crying at the thought of her leaving. Her performance was quite good…but I think she would have really wowed next year or the year after.

Now we get to hear Kanye West. I’m not too excited at this prospect; but that’s just ’cause I’m not a fan of rap. OK; that might be considered great by some…but for me it was ridiculous. I won’t say anything more for fear of insulting someone else’s taste….

Another round of the eliminations.
Scott is here…and safe.
Alexis stands. Of course, she is safe!
We know Danny is safe. Why even make him and Adam stand?! lol
Unlike everyone else; I believe this guy is completely safe. But Anoop is sent to the middle of the stage.
Adam is safe…no surprise.

That leaves us Jorge Nunez and Lil Rounds. Jorge was called corny, yet the judges loved his voice. Lil was called a force to be reckoned with. Lil is safe.

Jorge and Anoop are left in the center of the stage. We’ll probably not hear who until after Kelly Clarkson sings.
And yes; I was right–as well as Ryan’s traditional ‘after the break’.

With this being season eight…and eight weeks till the the finals–wait! We have more than eight weeks till the finals! What was I thinking?! But anyway, we will be hearing from a former idol (contestant) each week as we go along. There are some that I don’t care to see again…but Kelly is not in that group. She’s here performing “My Life Would Suck Without You”, her recent radio hit. And her new album just came out yesterday; for all you Kelly fans! I really like seeing her return to some of the same kind of music we heard from her first album, instead of the really dark, depressing songs she’s done in most of her last two albums. So nice to hear her again; this is the performance of the night for me.

Back to Jorge and Anoop who have both been waiting (probably with a lot of trepidation) through what was a very enjoyable performance…just maybe not from their impatient seats.
What did I tell you? Anoop is fine…But we get to hear Jorge once more while the judges decide if they want to use their save on him.

Congratulations to Jasmine and Jorge for what they’ve accomplished in the last few months. They are both so talented.

As for the new judges save rule…I think this is great! Of course, they weren’t going to use it so soon in the competition…unless it had been Danny, Adam, Alexis, or Lil…maybe then they would have. But I’m glad they inserted this rule. Bittersweet night for me, saying goodbye to Jasmine. And Jorge is such a fun guy! Will miss his personality.

Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, Music, Quotes, Uncategorized, Video's

Ryan opens the night with his usual spill….all about the final group…etc…etc…

Ryan and Simon wonders why Simon can’t just pick the songs for the contestants….and Simon mentions how that would make a great song night! Something to think about in future…I hope they do something like this-would be great!

Von Smith has an amazing voice…a very powerful voice. I just want to see him control it. Singing ” You’re All I Need”, I am missing a bit of the big voice notes, but am enjoying him nevertheless. Perhaps, though, he should stay a little true to himself….I know he could do better. Still, a great performance.
Randy said “this is the way to kick off the performance. Better than Hollywood week.”
Kara thought he seemed more comfortable. “It’s not about how high you can go, but doing it with meaning!”
Paula mentioned how hard it is to go first in the night. But, she said, this was a “memorable first.” She also complimented him, saying “you know how to hold back, and when to push forward”.
Simon came out with the compliment to top the others, saying “you remind me of Clay Aiken. You sang very well; much better as Kara said (he meant Randy) than Hollywood”.

Taylor Vaifanua chose “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alecia Keyes. I wasn’t sure when I heard the song choice…she did better than I thought. But I’m not sure this was the best song for her, she could have picked a better one.
Kara said it was obvious that Taylor has a good voice. “I’m still trying to figure out who you are though. What’s it like to go shopping with Taylor. Your performance leaves me a bit cold”.
Paula mentioned how Taylor has such a ‘beautiful gift, beautiful voice’. But added “I just want to see where you can go”.
Simon doesn’t get the shopping thing. “I genuinely couldn’t remember you. It was very generic; a bit bland. You are going to struggle a bit”.
Randy agreed with the others, saying it was “kinda boring. Good voice though”.

Alex Wagner-Trugman has a sweet, funny personality. “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues” was an interesting song choice for him, but, after hearing him, definetely a good one. Well, the first half was, at least. The second half sounded a bit off pitch.
Paula thought Alex certainly the showman, saying “You gave us our money’s worth; don’t know how much will be spent. But certainly had fun watching you”.
Simon said “we did have fun watching you, just not listening. The growling, along with kicking over the microphone, was just stupid”. To which Alex replied that the mic was a total accident! I do like this guy-as I already mentioned, great personality.
Randy couldn’t finish his sentences. He’s turning into the new ‘Paula’. Moving on…
Kara gave out the positive. “You are you; great choreography by the way”.

Arianna Asfar is singing “The Winner Takes It All”. Big song. But Arianna rose to the occasion. And honestly, not having heard this girl in Hollywood or her audition, this girl wowed me!
Simon thought there was a certain irony in that song, calling it “way too big for you”. Oh, no no no no; I totally do not agree with Simon here. No at all.
Randy said it was not the right song, saying it “wasn’t good”.
Kara recalled the audition; “you were like a beam of sunshine. Tonight was dark and depressing. Be young, touch people. This was too serious and gloomy”.
Paula said she wouldn’t go as far as the others had, saying she thought Arianna “had some bright moments. But the song was too old fashioned”. Paula mentioned that she thought it sometimes better to stick to the melody.

Next up is Ju’not Joyner, singing “Hey There Delilah”. My sister likes him…I’m still trying to make up my mind. I’m afraid he’s going to be forgettable. Or maybe not. The last bit was much better.
Randy commented on how Ju’not switched up the song…calling it a “smart choice; I loved it.”
Kara liked the spin on that song. “You could bust it out even more on the next time. Felt like you were holding back.”
Paula loved the liberties Ju’not took, saying they paid off.
Simon sometimes is sooo…blond. And annoying. Oh, well. Simon thought it was better than he thought it was going to be. But called it “a bit safe”.

Kristen McNamara is up, singing “Give Me One Reason”. I like her gritty sound. There were moments that were both good and bad. Kristen might be another victim of the new format. I think she could definetely get better, we just might not see it. And that last high note! Wow!
Kara called Kristen a great singer, saying “you hit the notes, great tone. Need a little more rock edge though…”
Paula mentioned how Hollywood showed Kristen has big range, and thinks Kristen has only reinforced that!
Simon thought her just a little bit vague, asking “who are you? Odd song choice, but good voice”. He thought Kristen needs to become more comfortable.
Randy thought she tried to do too much.

Nathaniel Marshall is singing something by Meatloaf…“Anything For Love”…?…I wasn’t paying as much attention as I should have…unfortunately because he annoys me. He has a good voice, but I have trouble getting past him to that. I like his voice; really is quite good.
Simon thought some people will quite like that. The majority will not. On a positive note, people will remember you. You are fun, and I like you.
“I like you too” Randy said. “Curious song choice, though. You definitely can sing; but it’s hard to imagine what kind of record you’d make”.
Kara said “the thing is, you have a voice; but if you want to be taken seriously, you need to pick a song to reflect that”.
Paula said he knew she loved him since Hollywood; “you were serious; sang Disturbia and that made you cool! That was a bold choice, this song takes that coolness factor away though”.

Felicia Barton chose another Alicia Keyes song, “No One”. You already know how I feel about Alecia Keyes-great artist, but don’t take her songs on right off. I thought Felicia did a good job. But it’s hard to get people past thinking of those current artists, such as Alicia. Felicia did not stand out to me. I kept thinking of the original artist. Felicia has a good voice…just bad song choice.
Paula thought Felicia’s talent, her gift, is unbelievable. “So glad we brought you back!”
Simon thought the first half was better than the second; also calling it a bit copycat.
Randy said Felicia has an amazing voice. “You have something a little different in your voice than Alicia, go with that.”
Kara said it was “by far your best look. Attitude, presence; noticed you for the first time. You stepped into it!”

Scott MacIntyre chose “Mandolin Rain”. Started off iffy to me, but he more than redeemed it. This guy is amazing! His voice, and his life! Wow! I’m nearly speechless.
Randy is unable to speak for a while due to the cheers. “The parts that were great were really great. I can feel the passion poring out of you. Job well done!” He declared.
Kara admired Scott, “you do what you love; you’re passionate about it, and you don’t have issue’s!”
Paula said she was so happy and proud that Scott made it this far! “You’ve blessed us all with your gift and you’re one of our finest.”
Simon wasn’t crazy about the song, but declared that Scott was growing on him. He thought “there are better singers in this competition, but in a sea of forgettable people tonight, you aren’t. I’m going to be amazed if you don’t sail through tonight”.

Kendall Beard chose “This One’s For The Girls”. She does have a good country sound. I actually like this better than Martina McBride’s…and I’m a huge fan of Martina’s.
Kara thinks she showed big personality, and picked the right lane in country. “But”, she said, “there were some issues with the notes…however, you got that personality that we really like.”
Paula gave her the prize for the best outfit tonight (typical of Paula); saying “I hope you enjoyed it”. (wha-?)
Simon thought Kendall probably did the right thing tonight. “Though honestly, halfway through I couldn’t wait for it to end; was a bit shrilly towards the end. You could have picked a better song. Just not my cup of tea.”
Randy likes country, and thought it a good song choice and that she looked good. But said it “wasn’t your best vocal performance. You did tell us who you were tonight”.

Next up is Jorge Nunez singing “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”, and all I could think of was David Archuleta singing this last year and totally knocking it out of the park. Jorge has talent, though. And I didn’t notice any problems with his pronounciation tonight. Was touching; he really showed his vocal talent tonight…even if he isn’t Archie.
Paula said she is “so proud of you. You took our advice; you worked so hard and sound so good!”
Simon admitted they were wrong to say Jorge shouldn’t sing with an accent, “because why should we? That’s who you are”.
Randy said “it’s the vocals that matter. That wasn’t the perfect vocal, but it was really really good”.
Kara said Jorge was born to sing.

Lil Rounds finishes up the night with “To Be Without You”. I’d forgotten about Lil temporarily; and she has quite the voice. No way she isn’t walking away with the top girls vote. And she would deserve it! Every season there are a few contestants that stand out head and shoulders above the others, and this girl is one of them! Great performance by Lil.
Simon comes to the stand with a grin on his face, calling it brilliant. “Wouldn’t have chosen that song, but I think you have great great prospects in this competition. You are undoubtedly one of the best singers we’ve found so far.”
Randy agreed with Simon. Complimenting Lil with “you kept your swagger; got unbelievable vocals; and we know who you are. I loved it!”
Kara called Lil a “powerhouse”; saying it was great, “you have been steadily you”.
Paula said Lil was “first class. I think we’re going to see you for many more ‘lil rounds’!”

That’s it folks! I’m calling Lil and Scott in safe; with Von rounding it out. But Jorge and Kristen might give Von a run for his money.

Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, Music, Video's