American Idol

[naiwf 0]

If you buy into the theory that this week generally has the producers handprints all over it and look at how things shook out on dialidol over the 3 weeks leading to tonight's verdicts, I'd say that Barba likely wasn't actually in the bottom 2, but Stephanie and Sabrina were. Simon and Co. liked Stephanie more, and chose to save her instead of Sabrina. Haley survived because 5 black girls out of 12 singing similar songs wouldn't have been good for any of them votewise when you add the guys in next week, and keeping Haley in the game makes one of the first few cuts easy for America. There's always SOME prom queen type girl who gets in by the skin of her teeth and promptly gets whacked. My gut says Haley & Brandon will be the first two gone in some order.

 

The Sanjaya over Sundance & Jared thing was puzzling, but I think it worked out in much the same way. Jared was lame and thus disposable. Sundance got irrational praise from the judges and with both Phil and Sanjaya still there those two should be easy cuts along with Brandon. If Sundance had stayed he could easily have lasted another month before getting the boot, and I don't think Sanjaya will fare as well when Simon eventually brings him to tears and thoughts of suicide. At the end of the day, the only 4 people with any shot of winning this season are Blake, Chris Richardson, Lakisha & Melinda. By dumping Sabrina they made it easier to vote for Lakisha and Melinda without causing an uproar by having both Haley and Sluterrella make the top 12. By dumping Antonella, AI can actually focus on the competition and not Barba's latest seminude pics. Jared and Sundance going home just allowed the easily distinguishable bottom 4 or 5 to be right there to be Pagonged before one of the "shockers" happens and someone like Blake, Jordin or Sligh goes home before them, with another person in that middle group snatching a spot they don't deserve later.

 

4 threats to win - Blake/Chris R/Lakisha/Melinda

3 floaters - Chris S/Gina/Jordin (at least 1 of these people will outlast someone in the top group)

5 dead (wo)men walking - Brandon, Haley, Phil, Sanjaya, Stephanie (at least 1 of these people will outlast someone in the middle group)

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

A few notes from reading AIs website...

 

It is scary at how similar all these girls' responses are to the questions on the AI website. HEHEHE They're goofy~! Isn't zat vierd?!

 

Though Sanjayas aspirations "to be witty" is one I hope to see become nurtured in this competition. And Phil may just be my dark horse fave with his answer to who his American Idol is.

 

And is poetry even a talent? That's kinda like "drawing", or "walking".

 

I also like that "god" is one of Chris Richardsons heros. Yeah, that God, he's gone through some trials and tribulations and has handled being god real well. Just because he is omniscient doesn't mean he knows everything, ok folks.

 

And how the fuck can Sheryl Crow be on so many fucking lists?

 

Sligh and Blake calling each other their American Idol makes me smile.

 

Jesus and Adam Duritz being listed together in Slighs heroes has red in the face with laughter. Jesus? Healed the sick, performed miracles, died for our sins. Duritz? Sang "Mr. Jones". I'd say their respective accomplishments are just about equal. But I doubt Jesus had the balls to rock the dreadlocks like Duritz, so maybe the edge goes to Adam.

[Guest Queen Leelee]

So, I'll rate who I think has a chance here.

 

1) Melinda. (Just about the best singer AI will ever get. Can sing anything. Weaknesses: Goofy look, persona made to look goofy too by AI, comes across as shy which most will think is phony over time since she's obliterating this mostly weak 2007 field.)

 

GAP.

 

2) LaKisha. (Very talented singer. Money with high notes. Weaknesses: Kind of like Mandisa last year, needs to sing big songs to stand out. Regular singing is sometimes off-key and dull. Looks like Michael Strahan.)

 

ENORMOUS GAP.

 

Guys who can sneak in the Top 2/3:

 

Blake (Good voice in regular notes. Strong performer, and very original. Chooses good songs. Looks good enough. Weaknesses: Must not overdo the beatbox gimmick, but has to stay original to have any shot, it's a fine line. Can't hit big notes.)

 

Chris R. (Already sounds like a competent boy band member from the early 90s. People think he's cute. Weaknesses: Crushed talent wise by the others. Nasally voice. Only chance is to try dominating the teenie vote.)

 

Chris S. (Best singer amongst the guys. Weaknesses: Really ugly. Has to go back to playing the rebel heel to get support. Screams big notes, and gets off-key with them.)

 

Girls with a slight chance of survival if Melinda or LaKisha die, or have an inexplicably bad week:

 

Jordin (SHE'S ONLY 17. AI pimped her from the start. Can hit big notes, at times. Decent performer. Weaknesses: Kinda big and dumpy. Gets off-key too much. Cannot hit low notes, at all.)

 

Gina (Only decent white girl. Hits her notes quite well. Can pull off some tough songs. Weaknesses: Poser. Screechy at times.)

 

The boring filler:

Phil (Looks far too freaky. A decent voice, but chooses terrible songs, and is horrible at times.)

Brandon (Not a strong enough voice. Overconfidence can turn people off.)

Stephanie (Lost in the shuffle of ugly black women. Appears to be a bitch.)

Sanjaya (The Chicken Little of 2007. Only around still because of teenies.)

Haley (Zzzzz.)

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

-Guys-

 

Chris Richardson - vocally, he's nothing we haven't seen from countless guys who have never won the competition or came close to winning it. I can't see him finishing beyond the top 6, but like the guy he mimics, he could hide behind good production and presentation to maybe squeak through to #6 before being blown out by clearly more talented singers. Power, ultimately, wins this competition, and he doesn't have it. But, Simon sees something marketable in him so he has that in his pocket.

 

Blake Lewis - Hey, if Justin can somehow get cred for beatboxing, why not? But this competition can't have two JT's, so one will cancel the other out. It's a tough call, as Lewis has more power than Blake, but tonally he is just a step above his talking voice and if people see through the bebedebededbebeBEatBOxING, then I can't see him making top 8.

 

Sanjaya - I think he is the third best voice out of the guys, which isn't saying much, maybe in the top 6 of the voices IMO. If he lets loose, we could see that, but for now its just glimpses. He could KILL on Motown night doing Stevie or Jackson 5. Plus he has the tearful hug of his sister, which pretty much has gotten him this far. You know, with his hair. His gorgeous, gorgeous, bountiful, beautiful, full bodied, luscious, hair.

 

Brandon R - He may get lost in the shuffle, especially now that Melinda does the "I am a background singer stepping out in front" thing better. He's got a nice smile and a safe look about him, but it's probably too safe, and ultimately he's nothing special. I'd be surprised to see him make the top 8.

 

Chris Sligh - Second best male voice, but overall the best male performer. Picks the right songs and sings em well, and I think when the styles change he will adapt best out of everyone (cept Melinda, 'course). He has the power and range to go for anything, but then again, I can easily see him bombing at any given time, due to control problems. The dude's sense of humour, which I think is hilarious for American Idol, may rub people the wrong way, though. More Conan, less Jay.

 

Phil Stacy - Potentially the best male voice, he just lacks pretty much everything to really have it shine through. Both he and Sanjaya, I think, have gotten by more on potential than performance. But if they don't perform next week, one will definitely be gone. Consistency is the key from here on out for Phil, because one bad performance is it. Hopefully the theme nights will help him with the song choices, because if he is consistently game, with the right choices, he could make top 6 and if he grows enough, maybe top 4. He could be this seasons Clay or Elliot, someone who benefits greatly from the process and grows into and through it.

[Jericholic82 0]

I called it. I knew sanjaya would make it in, to continue the trend of a loser guy who no one seems to like that makes it far in the competion for no real reason.

 

you are right I do smell conspiracy here, they are trying to throw us off-track by making it look like a real vote it happening

 

obviously there has been nothing to show the voting is legit so we can rightly assume its rigged (although if it is rigged why would they let Taylor Hicks win last year?)

[naiwf 0]

I don't necessarily think the voting is rigged once you get to the top 12, but there's always some funny business between the group that makes it to Hollywood and the final 24 (Antonella over the one white girl that could sing and Sundance over the one black guy this season that had a voice and a personality just to name two) and even more shenanigans from the 24 to the 12. It's common knowledge that the producers have a vote in the decision making process up until the final 12 at least. Simon in particular usually anoints a favorite or two by now, and the other judges try to stress that this is a "singing competition" to weed out the weaklings even though Paula usually forgets that and tries to keep in talentless guys she wants to bang with retarded comments and standing ovations every time they perform. Taylor was going to win last season no matter what he did, even though Daughtry caught the best deal out of that season since he'll end up outselling everyone else from that year all by himself.

[foleyfanforever88 0]

I haven't watched much of this season but I'm shocked to see Sanjaya still around. I can't stand him.

[Hoff 0]

Man, she's nothing vocally next to the others, but I want to do things to Haley. All kinds of things.

 

It looks like Melinda vs. Lakisha down the stretch. Sadly, after the last couple weeks, and the increased poularity rockers have had over the last couple years, I think Sundance might have had the best chance to make a run at either of them, but due to a couple bad weeks earlier on, and a bad song choice ("Jeremy" is great but Pearl Jam on Idol doesn't really work), he shot himself in the foot.

[Hoff 0]

Sligh and Blake calling each other their American Idol makes me smile.

That's awesome. I remember, on Hollywood week, they were in the same group with Rudy (who got axed in Week 1) and someone I can't remember...those guys were MONEY, and it's cool to see they're apparently tight with one another.

[Hawk 34 0]

Haley reminds me of Sophia Bush.

[Ravenbomb 0]

I think she kinda looks like Brittney Murphey.

 

 

For that matter, Jared kinda looked like Sucre offa Prison Break

[Hawk 34 0]

You think Haley looks like that?

 

 

As far as celeb lookalikes go, I say she's closer to this.

 

As for the show itself, We all know that it's a two horse race between LaKishia and Melinda. Maybe Chris Sligh or Blake can be a dark horse male challenger and even Gina by virtue of being the lone talented white girl.

 

I wouldn't be shocked to see Haley stick around for a couple more weeks strictly for being the best looking of the girls and that you'll have four black r&b singers and they are bound to cancel each other out at first.

[Ravenbomb 0]

 

More with the dark hair than as a blonde, but yeah

EDIT: The other pic I had wouldn't show up, the likeness was more noticable there

[Hoff 0]

Delicious.

 

I see the Brittany Murphy thing. Sophia Bush....kind of, similar teeth and hair. But the eyes are totally Murphy. In any case, six ways from Sunday.

[Ravenbomb 0]

Hells yeah. Jordin, too.

[Hoff 0]

Yeah, Jordin's all right, I wasn't feeling the super-perm, but last week was better for me.

[Jason223_ThePit 0]

I'd go for Gina. I have a thing about girls who are good-looking and also have a tinge of 'might punch me in the mouth' at any moment.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

I don't really see Lakisha making the final 2, only because there's been a singer like Lakisha in every competition (to varying degrees) and they really don't make it to the end.

[Black Lushus 0]

Well...here we go tonight. Can't say I'm too excited. Who knows, maybe they'll all step it up a big notch now that we're at the true heart of the competition.

[C Dubya 04 0]

Is there a theme this week? Do we know songs yet?

[starvenger 0]

Is there a theme this week? Do we know songs yet?

Diana Ross is mentoring, so it's probably Motown week. If I can find a song list I'll post it here...

[Yuna_Firerose 0]

Possibly Motown week. Hm. Well expect Sanjaya to up the gaydar (as if he doesn't do that every night). Though, in all honesty, I can't think of him as gay. The hair-makeup-clothing department just seem to fall over themselves prettying him up as much as possible just for the tween crowd. Sad, really, as he seems to genuinely want to leave, yet not look like a failure by quitting.

 

Ah well. It'll be interesting seeing what Chris Sligh does during theme weeks.

[Guest Greg Valentine]

It's Diana Ross songs (including The Supremes), according to the AI website. I'd say it would have to be one of the guys going home this week, as if that wasn't apparent enough already. I can see two or three of the guys having trouble with the theme this week, and I just can't see any of the girls having any problems, except maybe Haley. Wonder if Blake or Sligh will pull out something interesting, as I can't see there being much originality here either.

[Ravenbomb 0]

from IdolForums:

A Place In The Sun

ABC

Ain't No Mountain High Enough

Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing

Ain't Too Proud To Beg

Baby Love

Back In My Arms Again

Ben

Bernadette

Cloud Nine

Dancing In The Street

Devil With The Blue Dress

Do You Love Me

Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing

Easy

For Once In My Life

Heatwave (Love Is Like A Heatwave)

Heaven Help Us All

I Can't Get Next To You

I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)

I Hear A Symphony

I Heard It Through The Grapevine

I Second That Emotion

I Want You Back

I'll Be There

I'm Losing You (I Know)

If I Were Your Woman

If You Really Love Me

Isn't She Lovely

It's The Same Old Song

Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)

Living For The City

Mama's Pearl

Maybe Tomorrow

Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)

Money (That's What I Want)

My Cherie Amour

My Girl

My Guy

My World Is Empty Without You

Never Can Say Goodbye

Nowhere To Run

Ooo Baby Baby

Papa Was A Rollin' Stone

Reach Out And Touch (Somebody's Hand)

Reach Out, I'll Be There

Ribbon In The Sky

Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)

Shop Around

Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours

Sir Duke

Smiling Faces Sometimes

Somebody's Watching Me

Someday We'll Be Together

Standing In The Shadows Of Love

Stop! In The Name Of Love

Superstition

Sweet Love

The Love You Save

The Tracks Of My Tears

The Way You Do The Things You Do

Three Times A Lady

Too Busy Thinking About My Baby

Touch Me In The Morning

War

What's Going On

Where Did Our Love Go

Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday

You Are The Sunshine Of My Life

You Can't Hurry Love

You Keep Me Hangin' On

You've Really Got A Hold On Me

 

These songs are cleared by idol.

[Hawk 34 0]

I always wondered, how do they select the song? Is it by random order? Suppose two singers each wanted to perform What's Going On, does whomever was ahead in the hypothetical draw gets the song. I figure with over 50 choices, it's unlikely 2 people out of 12 would want the same song but the actual process always piqued my curiosity.

[Guest Queen Leelee]

I'm sure people wanting the same song has happened many times before.

 

I've always been interested in this, as well. As it's just hard to believe some contestants willingly choose the songs they do.

 

Also, I'll be skipping this week. Black, keep me up to date.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

I imagine if there is a tie, it would be solved either by "whomever requested it first, gets it" aka, the time honoured tradition of "Dibs", or the producers make the call.

 

You can pretty much cut that list in half... then in half again... and then in half again.... and get a list of songs that has been used on idol for the past 5 seasons and will probably be used this year as well. It's pretty much rinse and repeat for Motown night.

 

It will be interesting to see which songs Richardson and Lewis pick, and Brandon to a lesser extent. It's pretty much feast or famine on these nights, and we know Melinda and Lakisha are going to be way ahead of the pack, easy, and there are few question marks surrounding how any of the ladies will before this night, but I dunno how the weaker of the male singers are going to approach it. Ok, Brandon is easy to figure because he's one of the more boringly consistent guys on the show, but the question is exactly how well he will do. Richardson and Lewis, especially Lewis, could really sink in the face of the women knocking the songs off like nothin. This really should be, in my view, Sanjaya and Phils night to shine as I think they have the vocal chops to pull of motown well (this is actually a fucking gift from the producers to Sanjaya, since he does Stevie so well... leave it up to Sanjaya to pick something like ABC... Phil being Phil will probably pick Stop! In the name of love.)

 

I am semi-looking forward to see how Melinda and Sligh approach it. Melinda especially since she probably has half these songs on lockdown (but of course will claim that it was so hard to pick a song because she didnt feel confident she could do it justice, you know, cause she's a background singer) and Sligh because I have him as my #2 but always under the pretense that he could fuck it up at any moment, so it will be fun to see his song choices for upcoming weeks.

[naiwf 0]

I know there's been a few instances where two contestants sang the same song during one episode. The most recent event that was similar was both Leslie and AJ picking the same song and then getting the dual boot this season. I think generally one of the two caves in because there's nothing worse than being the second best at singing a specific song on a given night. I vaguely remember Randy shitting on someone pretty badly for making that mistake saying something like "when you heard the other person was going to sing it, you should have known they'd do it better than you and picked something else."

[starvenger 0]

I know there's been a few instances where two contestants sang the same song during one episode. The most recent event that was similar was both Leslie and AJ picking the same song and then getting the dual boot this season. I think generally one of the two caves in because there's nothing worse than being the second best at singing a specific song on a given night. I vaguely remember Randy shitting on someone pretty badly for making that mistake saying something like "when you heard the other person was going to sing it, you should have known they'd do it better than you and picked something else."

I remember Josh Gracin and Ruben doing the same song in season two. Personally, I prefer Mark Burnett's solution to this on Rock Star - there's x of you, there's x songs, have at it. But of course it's done to help fufil the "reality" quotient of the show, so... yeah.

[Hawk 34 0]

I know there's been a few instances where two contestants sang the same song during one episode. The most recent event that was similar was both Leslie and AJ picking the same song and then getting the dual boot this season. I think generally one of the two caves in because there's nothing worse than being the second best at singing a specific song on a given night. I vaguely remember Randy shitting on someone pretty badly for making that mistake saying something like "when you heard the other person was going to sing it, you should have known they'd do it better than you and picked something else."

I remember Josh Gracin and Ruben doing the same song in season two. Personally, I prefer Mark Burnett's solution to this on Rock Star - there's x of you, there's x songs, have at it. But of course it's done to help fufil the "reality" quotient of the show, so... yeah.

 

I actually liked what Rock Star did with song choices. They basically made people fight for a certain song (almost literally) as opposed to a situation like tonight where they have a shitload of songs to choose from.

 

I wish the themes for AI weren't so...well...shitty. It's the same thing every season. With Daughtery's success, they should force the R&B singers to try a hand at doing early 90's rock like Radiohead. AIC or Nirvana. They have been doing Whitney, Mariah, Christina, Celine, Aretha already this season and they'll continue to do so. It's not as if Nirvana is some unheard of musical style that the viewers aren't used to. (It's not asking them to perform hardcore metal) Besides the viewers don't care about Diana Ross. It's about the judges, the sexiness and glam. Shake it up.