Jessica Sanchez and Ne-Yo will debut her new single, “Tonight,” and Casey Abrams will sing the Beatles classic, “I Saw Her Standing There,” tonight on the American Idol 12 Top 10 results show! Plus, one contestant will be eliminated before singing a last chance song for the judges. We’ll see if they are saved. PLUS BEATLES GROUP SONG.
UPDATE: Paul Jolley is eliminated and the judges DO NOT SAVE HIM.
Ryan confirms the Motown theme.
In hindsite, the fact that Amber Holcomb was standing in the bottom 3 comes as no surprise. Despite being the weakest vocalist, Lazaro Arbos escapes the bottom 3 and elimination in classic American Idol style. He’s that guy who earns votes for stuff other than his singing. In Lazaro’s case, he’s cute, sweet, and cries at the drop of a hat. Jimmy is mean to home. Voting for Lazaro is like a virtual hug. And of course there’s all that courage on display as he stutters in front of millions of viewers. There’s no point in even being pissed about the situation. He’s not going to win, but you might as well resign yourself to the fact that he’ll last at least to mid-pack. He’ll probably be the last boy standing. The real outrage will begin as he knocks off more talented singers like Amber Holcomb and Burnell Taylor. But, that’s the way the cookie crumbles in Idol land. It will actually be harder on Lazaro than anyone else. I hope he’s got flame-proof undies ready. If he knocks off a favorite, the backlash will be intense.
Tonight’s elimination was predicted by just about everybody. Paul Jolley has several things going against him. The judges repeated were running the bus over him. While their critiques of his performances were harsher than necessary, they were right about his artistic identity. Paul kept insisting that he wanted to be a country singer, when his style and taste in music revealed otherwise. This is a guy who hasn’t quite figured out yet where he wants to take his career. If a contestant is confused, the Idol audience will be too.
I wonder what happened to the leaderboard this week? Simon loved that gimmick, bringing it back week after week. Is Nigel saving it for special occasions, or has he decided it wasn’t such a good idea after all? Also, have you guys noticed the absence of Ford commercials? I’M SMELLING BUDGET CUTS.
Not since Season 3 have we seen such an imbalance between the genders weighted for the girls. There are only 3 guys left and they are all of color. It’s now safe to say that the winner of American Idol Season 12 will not be a white guy. It probably won’t be a guy at all. But the cost of ensuring a female winner has been pretty high. Is casting the show full of guys with middling talent and charisma what it takes to ensure a girl winner? If that’s true, really NOTHING has changed. After this season, the producers should just even the playing field and allow the chips to fall where they may. It’s no fun watching a competition full of so much fodder.
Jimmy Iovine basically called Lazaro a liar, claiming that he rehearsed “In My Life” with him 5 days ago. I hope Jimmy realizes that busting Lazaro will only make his fans vote harder. For his part, Lazaro has to buck up and quit whining. Personally, I’m past the point where I feel sorry for him. And if he keeps making excuses for poor performances, some of his fans may become fed up as well.
I’m glad Amber is safe, but she’s not going to win, and will probably be the first girl to go. Maybe next week. If the producers give her an early performance spot next week, we’ll know they’re completely happy with an eminent exit. The producers’ favs right now seem to be Kree, Candice and Angie. They could be the final 3. But you never know. It’s still early. Burnell, Janelle or even Amber (Could pull a Holly Cavanaugh late in the game?) could be spoilers. We shall see.
***
I’ll be live blogging the fun here!
The episode begins with Jimmy Iovine telling a lovely anecdote about firing 110 assistants–basically scaring the poor guy who was effing up Janelle Arthur’s audio as she sat behind the booth. “Put that on your f*cking show,” growls Jimmy. Yep.
RYAN SAYS WE COULD BE IN STORE FOR A SURPRISE. What could he mean?
Jimmy’s thoughts are next! He felt the judges went to easy on some of the contestants. “Critique is good as long as it is consistent.” Jimmy thinks Kree Harrison is great. She oversings at times. She needs to use her power more sparingly. BUT SHE IS GREAT. He really enjoyed Burnell Taylor’s tone. He’s put off by singers who don’t know who the Beatles are. Burnell has the talent and a gift. However, Lazaro Arbos’ performance was the worst of the night. It was out of tune, out of rhythm. He does not apologize for making Lazaro nervous. OH JIMMY SAYS HE WORKED WITH LAZARO ON THE SONG 5 DAYS AGO!!!! Also, Jimmy denies that Amber Holcomb was forced to sing “She’s Leaving Home.” She chose it. And she deserves to be in the Top 3. Candice Glover is a natural. BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE NIGHT. Jimmy thought Nicki’s remark about Candice’s face interesting. He’s bullish on the girl. Paul Jolley has a really good voice, but he’s not ready for prime time. He made some simple mistakes. He’ll be in the bottom 3 tonight. Angie Miller is TOO dramatic. So talented, but he thinks there’s something wrong. They have to work on it. Devin Velez has a great ear, but he has to learn how to be consistent. He was middle of the pack. Jenelle Arthur’s song choice was great. He loved her restraint. He called her a “dark horse.” Jose the engineer still has his job! He’s sitting next to Jimmy in the audience.
Results
Amber Holcomb is first. We see a blooper reel from her rehearsal. Some smoke mishaps! She has to wait a little longer before she learns her fate. Time for a break. Will there be rankings tonight?
POINTY POSE TIME. “Got To Get You Into My Life.” I hate the blandy bland backing tracks. SING LIVE PLEASE. Lots of yelly ad libing for the win! HOORAY. That was the boys. That was short. Mercifully, so. If I’m being honest.
Guys Perform – Got To Get You Into My Life… by IdolxMuzic
Ryan pulls Paul Jolley out to center stage. Saturday March 16 will be “Paul Jolley Day” in his hometown. I guess that was the nice surprise. Now for the bad news. He’s in the bottom 3. Ouch.
Here comes Casey Abrams from Season 10! He sings “I Saw Her Standing There” all jazzy with his bassy! This is pretty cool! What’s up with the mutton chops dude! Keith says, “Your going to Hollywood, man!” Casey attempts to pimp his album, but Ryan cuts him off. Sadz.
POINTY POSE PART 2: It’s the girls turn. They sing “Here There and Everywhere.” They each get FULL solos, putting the guys to shame as always.
Girls Perform – Here, There & Everywhere… by IdolxMuzic
The girls head to the couches. It’s time for more results. Devin Velez stands. He feels he gave it his all, but he will work on connecting to the songs he sings. Devin is in the bottom 3. Lazaro Arbos is next. He agrees with the judges, but he needs to sing songs that he loves. Ones that aren’t changed on him. He’s sticking by that. LAZARO IS SAFE. HOLY CRAP
Jessica Sanchez is next! We get a little video package re-introducing her to us. She’s been very busy this year! She’s looking forward to her Glee arc. Jessica and the fabulous Ne-Yo take the stage to sing her dancy-fancy new single “Tonight.” Really fun stuff! Upbeat dance pop is exactly what Jessica should be singing. She could have a hit on her hands.
More results in NO PARTICULAR ORDER. The next person who is safe is Kree Harrison. Also safe, of course, is Candice Glover. Angie Miller is also safe. Janelle Arthur is…safe. And Burnell Taylor too. But Amber Holcomb is in the Bottom 3. Sigh.
Top 9 Results – American Idol 12 by IdolxMuzic
Nicki does not think Amber should be in the bottom 3. But she felt Amber was off last night. She reminds the young singer that she needs to sell it every time.
And Paul Jolley is ELIMINATED straight away. He sings a pretty terrible rendition of “Alone”–one that is yelly and desperate. Poor Paul. Bye. It was nice knowing you.
The judges don’t even bother to fake a conference. Randy abruptly tells Paul that he’s out. Paul is Gone Gone Gone.
Bottom 3 & Paul Sings For The Save – American… by IdolxMuzic
Safe
- Lazaro Arbos
- Kree Harrison
- Candice Glover
- Angie Miller
- Janelle Arthur
- Burnell Taylor
- Devin Velez
- Amber Holcomb
Bottom 3
- Paul Jolley
Devin VelezAmber Holcomb
