Belated Top 10 Results Show Wrap Up – Where Do the Contestants Stand?

Sorry, I just can’t see Adam as an American Idol. Obviously porn musicals/videos have a market (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBlmcak7cuA) but it isn’t going to capture the Archie fans or the cougers for Cook or the mellow Jason/Brooke vote.

I do agree that Anoop has a shot at being in top 5. Think he may be this year’s Jason. The vote count that was supposed to be from an idol employee showed Anoop with the top votes this week and the idol meter had him number one last week. And, unlike Adam, his youtube videos are pg and no internet pics of him with his tongue in anyone’s mouth.

I really don’t get the Allison prediction given her seemingly small fanbase and her B3 placing to date.

I get that a lot of people around here want to see her in the finale, but I don’t think either her personality or her singing genre are likely to help her progress.

I still think Adam is too polarising to win. But it will depend which Adam shows up. If it’s this weeks Adam and he tones down his upbeat performances, I can definitely see him winning. I agree withyou MJ, if he has anymore ROF type performances, then judging from DI that week, he won’t get enough votes from middle America.

I also think the whole fan war thing could potentially hurt him. If Danny goes out 3rd, I could see Danny’s fans voting against him. Hope not, but stranger things have happened.

I don’t get how Matt can’t be accessible. He comes off as far less into himself than Danny does. Maybe I’m just out of touch with what America (or rather, the American Idol audience, which is getting more narrow each year) thinks is a good performance. Yell-singing and dancing around like a freak may be what people think is a great performance, and people may not get nuance.

MJ, I gotta hand it to you. I agree with everything you said, 100%, including about the bogus judges save.

I started out complaining alot about this season. And while I’m still not voting (and don’t expect to–just not feeling inspired right now) and I’m not joining any fanbases or anything (thank god!), I must say Adam, Allison, Matt and Kris (especially Adam) have turned this season around for me. I’m enjoying it, despite all the judges histrionics. The contestants I mentioned are what I am enjoying. I still hate how the top 36 went down, the judges save, the ridiculous judges intro every week, and the even more apparent manipulations by TPTB.

A few other thoughts: I started out really liking Kara. But I do think the 4th judge idea is just not working out. It’s pretty clear to me the other judges aren’t liking it. She’s not gelling and there just seems to be too much focus this season overall on the judges. I like the work Kara has done with some of the past contestants (particularly Cook and Archie), but she’s just not adding anything to the show except more judge prattle. Paula, for me, has emerged as the most relevant and insightful judge. I never thought I’d say that. But she has. Randy can’t seem to form sentences that don’t include stupid soundbytes that are tired. And Simon is too caught up in his own ego to really be of any critical importance, IMO. I just don’t buy anything he says anymore. And I probably never will now that he has an even more powerful role producing. Having said that, the original three judges are where it’s at and hopefully the show will return to that.

Mj, I totally disagree with your assessment of America not connecting with Matt.

For one, this is FIRST and FOREMOST a talent competition. And Matt Giraud possess the most talent, both as an artist and as a musician. He is very commercial, as you said, as well. Whatever he lacks as a “tv personality,” he makes up for in his passionate performances.

That said, I do not believe for a minute that Matt was actually in the bottom 2 or 3, for that matter. Maybe Ryan twisted the words and…maybe, BIG maybe…he was bottom 3 out of the guys. But, from the reactions of the audience, bloggers and fans both online and in the real world…he did not deserve to be there.

That said. I think TPTB decided to put Matt in the bottom because he was falling “middle of the pack” each week in votes. Even after giving consistently great performances each week. Matt is appealing well to the casual voters (if you look at the DI site, he gets within the Top 3 highest votes each week for the first 20 minutes of voting hours), but he lacks those hard core 2-hour voters. That is why I believe he was placed in the bottom this week, to stimulate the viewers into voting harder.

Matt is going to be the one guy this season, that actually makes a record worth buying post-Idol. Even if he doesn’t win. Well actually, he might even be better-off that way.

My “chatty” friends know it’s no secret I’m a Matt fan, so I’m inclined to defend him in terms of accessibility and talent. I also like to believe that he wasn’t actually in the Bottom 3, but as long as he wasn’t sent home, I really don’t care about that. The realist in me knows he maybe actually WAS in the B3, and that’s just because maybe his fans didn’t vote.

Not to say they won’t, not to say they didn’t think he deserved their votes – it’s just to say that he had (in my opinion) a good performance with positive (not even lukewarm) feedback from the judges. I think maybe his fanbase (myself included) thought he was too safe to waste our time voting. Wouldn’t be the first time we lost a favorite for that very reason. Although I don’t think it’ll happen again anytime soon, unless he really screws up in the next couple of weeks.

In terms of his personality, I like him, but I can respect that maybe some people see him as being a little more withdrawn or serious than, say, Kris. I do think he’s taking this VERY seriously, which might make him more uptight on performance nights. Plus, coming off the first Top 36 boot that made him a Wild Card, maybe he feels like he’s already on thin ice.

I hope he sticks around. He may not merit the chatter that Adam does or the loathing that Gokey’s dry-humps do or the awe that Allison OMG16!!1!!11! does, but I still enjoy his performances.

Oh, and another interesting thing:

I visit a site from another board where the songs are available for sharing each week. Consistently, Matt is considerably higher in hits than most of the others, with the exception being Adam (who has about twice as many hits) and sometimes Danny. It’s probably not a huge sampling (this week’s had Matt at about 1300 – Adam was over 2000, Danny was in the 1000-1100 range. By comparison, Allison was about 400, and Michael was just over 200). Of course, maybe that just means other people are smarter than me and just not paying for Matt’s songs, lol. (I shell out my stupid 99 cents every week for Matt and whomever I can remember the morning after…this week it was Adam, Anoop, and Sarver.)

-Kylene, aka kmh303

I agree with MJ on Matt, as I’m not connecting with him and I totally believe he was in the bottom 3. Ryan clearly said “these are the 3 bottom vote getters”. I think he was 3rd.

They haven’t shown a lot of his personality, but the closest insight I’ve had was when he dissed the judge’s feedback to his Coldplay travisty by saying that was reflective of the type of record he wanted to make. Overnight he must have realised he’d tanked and promised he’d stay in the “bluesey” box. Now he lacks authenticity for me. I think he’s performing the music that he thinks will keep him in the competition, not the music he wants to make.

Judging from how high he was on DI, I have to assume that he’s not engaging with the youth vote, as he mustn’t have done well on the text vote to end up 7th. Whereas someone like Meghan is probably more popular (note, that doesn’t mean talented!)

I really donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get the Allison prediction given her seemingly small fanbase and her B3 placing to date.

There’s always at least one surprising person who makes the top three. Who’da thunk Diana DeGarmo would make it to runner up? Or Bo Bice?

Thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s always at least one surprising person who makes the top three. Whoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢da thunk Diana DeGarmo would make it to runner up? Or Bo Bice?

Yeah, but I’m thinking that will be Anoop or Kris. IMO, at this stage of the competiton I think they have a stronger base and a better chance

It’s funny how this year was suppose to be back to the basics, back to the contestants and all that jazz hands but I still don’t know much about these people. Shouldn’t we know what kind of tattoos are on Cawcaw’s arm are? Or I want to know Matt’s family family tree or Kris’ first date with his wife.

The only good thing about this is I don’t get to freaking know more about The Party Widower than necessary.

I am totally with you on your assessment MJ, the momentum is completely pushing for Adam.
I love Allison too, I am just waiting to see if she can pull off a slow tempo number because she will need that to go deep in the competition.

Matt has definetely something that is not getting through to the audience, after so much pimping in the first 2 weeks I thought he would have a good enough fanbase to be safe this week, even more after a very good performance.

Sorry, I just canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see Adam as an American Idol. Obviously porn musicals/videos have a market (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBlmcak7cuA)

I really hope that you are joking…

The vote count that was supposed to be from an idol employee showed Anoop with the top votes this week and the idol meter had him number one last week.

I can’t believe this thing is being used so much. This is absolutely fake, it was posted by someone named “Sanjaya Fan” in a message board on EW, do you really think it has something true in it???
Furthermore, the sum of the votes don’t add to 36 million.

I absolutely hate the ridiculous judge’s appearing on stage at intro. Entirely too much emphasis, as a poster above said, on them and it should be the contestants. I think this was probably Simons idea with his huge ego. I dont pay any attention to Simons comments anymore. I used to think he was pretty much right on, but Ive seen him diss too many very good performances for no reason. I think he just tries to get rid of his pick’s biggest competition with those inane comments. His fashion comments are hilarious since the only one with less fashion savvy then him is Paula.

Yeah, but Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m thinking that will be Anoop or Kris. IMO, at this stage of the competiton I think they have a stronger base and a better chance

I think you could be right about Kris. He’s sorta flat to me (personality, not talent), but I know a lot of people really like him, so he’s doing something right. He was so under the radar coming into the live shows, I think he’s just catching up now, and I can see him sticking around.

Anoop – I love Anoop, but I don’t know that he’s made his mark yet. With him, I always feel like he was on his way back from class and thought he’d stop by the studio and sing us a little song, lol. He’s good, but his potential is carrying him more than his performance at this point. Of course, my opinion only.

- Kylene, aka kmh303

Yell-singing and dancing around like a freak may be what people think is a great performance, and people may not get nuance.

I think your correct that people may not understand nuance. On tv shows like this, watchers who aren’t musical are grabbed with their eyes moreso than their ears. Hence Kristy Lee and Haley etc… making it too far.

I canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t believe this thing is being used so much. This is absolutely fake, it was posted by someone named à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Sanjaya Fanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  in a message board on EW, do you really think it has something true in it???
Furthermore, the sum of the votes donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t add to 36 million.

Maybe Idol is trying out a new math where that sum DOES = 36 million? That would explain Kara’s “six” words to Adam the other night…

I have to admit I’ve never seen it in Matt either. I think he sounds great on the ITunes songs and he has one of the most contemporary styles. But he does tend to lose all control and sense of melody when he starts riffing AND I’m just not getting that charisma off of him. As it stands now, I don’t see him winning.

Adam is the closest to the total idol package to me but he is VERY polarizing. Until this week I thought it was impossible for him to win, but now I’m thinking he has a shot. His potential pitfall is that the more polarizing parts of his persona are what attract his strong fanbase, but they simultaneously turn off a whole other segment. He has to consistently reign it in enough to pull in more of the casual types without seeming like he sold out. Plus, the fact he is gay will hit the mainstream media at some point. Right now only idol blogs and a few idol related media have really mentioned that fact. Its a hard balance to strike but he has shown that he’s smart enough to have a shot pulling it off.

Danny is the second closest to having the total package but he is becomig boring and very one-trick-pony. He needs to step it up and fast. He also stands a good chance of gaining votes as others are voted off. But honestly, I think all Danny has to do is sings some ballads or pull off an unexpected performance to put himself back in the game.

As for the rest I think you are dead on MJ. Kris, Allison and Anoop are each missing crucial elements to me… Kris’ voice doesn’t have the power and dynamics, though he is very likeable and has plenty of musical ability. He’s also a little bland. Allison is great but has yet to show versatility. She’s also not quite connecting yet. Anoop is very charismatic but has yet to show the kind of voice that will win, and I’m not convinced he has the musical intelligence to make good song choices consistently. Lil is underperforming but she ain’t going anywhere because she is the last black contestant standing, and she is the only R&B diva left. She has been stronger on Dial Idol than her performance order & performance quality would have indicated since the start of the finals.

Megan and Scott are toast. It’s juts a matter of time. One of them will probably crack the top 5 though, just because this show is like that.

Adam may have done a lot of things in the past that none of us like, but he is in this thing to do better it seems, and if he wins you can bet everything will be on the up and up, no more tongue down throat of said boyfriends will come out in public anymore. This may turn his life around, he can still have his lifestyle like a lot of the other men of same sex, performers have, but he will be someone to admire I think.

Nice analysis, MJ. I actually think TPTB are already convinced of Adam’s ability to be current or marketable or whatever. Randy’s been saying it all along, and Simon made a comment this week about his relevance as a recording artist. I personally am not sure where he’d fit in, but I’m not an expert, so. One thing I am sure of is that he can sing anything.

Sorry, I just canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see Adam as an American Idol. Obviously porn musicals/videos have a market (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBlmcak7cuA)

:blink_tb: Huh? That’s like, PG13.

Oh, and I’d just like to add that I’m disappointed in the lack of mansion footage. Instead we’re getting more random musical guest performances from the likes of Kanye and Brad Paisley. Fail.

Matt could definitely sell records post-Idol, and I think that he will get offers whether he wins or not. In terms of general, commercial success, he seems the most marketable of the guys, because he already has a distinct sound and has been compared to Michael Buble and Justin Timberlake. WTBS, he generally seemed like he thought he was way too good to be in the B3, especially this early. I’ve watched some stuff (like the video about “guilty pleasures”) and he became more human to me, but how many of the viewing public sees those? He comes off on the show as cocky, imho.

I have some mixed feelings about whether Adam should conform to what “middle America” wants him to be. It’s true that that’s who buys the cds/downloads, but part of me would feel like he had compromised his integrity. I have been his fan from the start and have loved all of his songs and the performances (ROF included). But if he comes out and does some dialed back version of some pop-star hit, I will be disappointed (not in him, but in America for “forcing’ him to conform) I would rather have him leave the show before his time then have him compromise to the point that he’d be unrecognizable as the guy that I’ve loved from the beginning.

Adam may have done a lot of things in the past that none of us like, but he is in this thing to do better it seems, and if he wins you can bet everything will be on the up and up, no more tongue down throat of said boyfriends will come out in public anymore. This may turn his life around, he can still have his lifestyle like a lot of the other men of same sex, performers have, but he will be someone to admire I think.

He hasn’t done anything in the past I find objectionable, actually. And personally I hope he keeps shoving his tongue down his boyfriend’s throats… boy’s gotta have some fun too! LOL.

Kylene, you made me lol, with your comments about Anoop. He’s my favourite, but I totally agree with you. I think it’s been a combination of his personality and his potential.

After that horrific start with Beat It, he’s worked his way back to show he can sing. Now he needs to step up and put his mark down. If he does that in the next 2-3 weeks, he has the fanbase to be a contender.

Would your opinion of Matt change if his personality was revealed more in say the interview packages, etc?

Just wondering…because if so, it seems that we are basing our opinions of someone’s chance at becoming a musical artist…on how we FEEL about them as a person. There is so much complaint about how we shouldn’t judge Adam for being gay, but yet we should judge Matt for being camera-shy?

Everyone that knows Matt, says that he is a sweet, humble and all-around fun guy. Sorry we can’t see that from him on the show. But, I choose to judge a contestant by their performances, and so far…he’s hit the nail on the head every time. He’s great.

For all it’s worth, I honestly didn’t know or care for a THING about Carrie’s personality her season. I thought she was a stone wall. But, looking at her now – she is a star. Give Matt a chance…he is new to this “camera” thing. His talent is what should be the most important thing right now.

I don’t really understand what the big deal about Matt is. I mean, I was surprised to see him in the Bottom 3 (who’s voting for Megan?!) but I don’t think he’s that great. He overdoes the riffing and his voice seems strained at times. There’s not much power behind it. Of course he’s not a belter, but you have to have some kind of range and power. To me, he’s okay but not great. Plus, like others have said, I’m not connecting with him.

Megan and Scott are toast. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s juts a matter of time. One of them will probably crack the top 5 though, just because this show is like that.

Nooooo! I hope not. I actually liked Megan from her audition, but then she started singing live… *cringe*

Sorry, I just canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see Adam as an American Idol. Obviously porn musicals/videos have a market (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBlmcak7cuA)

That’s porn? :blink_tb:

Oh, and Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d just like to add that Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m disappointed in the lack of mansion footage. Instead weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re getting more random musical guest performances from the likes of Kanye and Brad Paisley. Fail.

Yeah, what happened to “EXCLUSIVE MANSION FOOTAGE! ZOMG DRAMAAAA!” Nothing against Brad (I actually like his music) or Kanye (I don’t like his but whatever) or any of the other musical guests, but TPTB promised us drama. I find it hard to believe that this year’s batch of contestants is too nice for that. Last year? Yeah, I would buy it. This year? No.

I’m someone who’s not connecting with Matt. His voice is fine, but even when I’m just listening without watching it doesn’t draw me in. On top of that, there’s something about his looks and demeanor that rub me the wrong way whenever I see him.

On the other hand, I was surprised when Kris went through the semifinals so easily, since he didn’t stand out to me at all. As the weeks have gone on, he’s really started to relax and blossom. I’m enjoying seeing and him on my TV more and more each week. He reminds me of Jason Castro, but more articulate.

I’ve loved Allison since the semis. She’s fun to watch- great singing, then you never know what she’ll say in conversation with the judges and Ryan. I love those honest reactions! Hopefully she’ll keep giving stellar performances.

I don’t think anyone besides Adam, Allison, and Kris, has the combination of talent, personality, charisma, stage presence and consistency that those 3 have.

Sorry, I just canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see Adam as an American Idol… it isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t going to capture the Archie fans or the cougers for Cook or the mellow Jason/Brooke vote.

I hate the “cougar” stereotype, but I am someone who voted for Cook and Jason. Brooke was probably my 3rd favorite last year. I’ve voted the full 2 hours for Adam every week. There are Archuleta fans on this board rooting for Adam as well. I don’t really care what a contestant did before Idol, or much about their personal lives at all, for that matter. I figure that if they’ll stay out of my personal life, I’ll stay out of theirs. Just make some great music! I don’t think I’m the only one to feel that way.

Question for Adam fans:

He is undeniably talented, but has there been any indication of what kind of music he WOULD put out if he were to win it?

I’m asking that honestly, not being sarcastic. I’ve only watched YouTube of his Wicked performances, so I really don’t know who he wants to be artistically. He’s done a great job (in my opinion) of changing things dramatically each week so far, which is great and entertaining, but I have no idea if I can say I’d buy an album from him.

I have absolutely no doubt, however, that he will find success beyond Idol as a performer, particularly in theater. And Hollywood should be at his door to star in any number of stage-to-screen musical adaptations. But is he looking to be known as a musician? As opposed to so many of the Idols-past who want a foot in the door to whatever someone will pay them for (be it screen, stage, or recording)?

Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s funny how this year was suppose to be back to the basics, back to the contestants and all that jazz hands but I still donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know much about these people.

I agree. I honestly can’t say I like A’s personality and I don’t like B’s personality because I really don’t think we know enough.

Regarding Matt, it’s not just about having or not talent, it’s that the connection with the audience seems to be missing. He’s not creating the buzz one would expect for a so called frontrunner (which he isn’t) and for the pimping he has had. He seems a bit too nervous on stage and maybe people are not feeling him. I mean, it’s not like he’s that talented anyway, he sure hasn’t shown to have great vocals, hasn’t shown versatility or anything new in this show.
Maybe outside of the show he could be amazing, but in the show he just gets lost. Plus, he’s not even cute, adorable, attractive, hot, charming… something that always helps getting some votes.

Anoop is a complicated case for me. I like him, like to see him, he’s nice, looks like my college friends, and it’s that guy you like to see in these competitions but I’m still waiting for him to show that he deserves to go far. He’s being either good or bland. But not great or awesome. I want him to have at least one of those memorable performances.

Speaking of memorable, I think so far, Adam is the only who has been able to have any of those performances that make the season. The rest? Not really. There have been good performances, but that’s about it. Bring it guys, come on!

Oh, I think Lil can get to the top 3. She really is one of those contestants that the casual voter seems to like. If she goes back to the top of her game, she can do better than top 5.

Those who think Adam isn’t getting” the David’s” fans to vote for him haven’t been to any of Adam’s fan sites as they are full of Archies and Cookies. I’m one who is not getting Matt either. Everyone one the stage now has talent, some more than others. But personality, style and charisma play and important part from here on out. The soul singers really need to kick it up a notch to stand out and Lil I think needs to sing more like a diva. My problem this year so far is that the only performances I remember are Adam’s and sometimes Allison’s. They have performances that are not just good, but stand out IMO.

^ Jojosie is right about Adam getting the Davids’ fans. I love both of the Davids and I’m voting for Adam.

Question for Adam fans:

He is undeniably talented, but has there been any indication of what kind of music he WOULD put out if he were to win it?

He’s mentioned several things. Pop, dance… did he say electronic? I can’t remember. It was a variety. The direction I see him really going is a glam rock-type thing. A glam rock revival? That would be fun. Plus, I doubt TPTB are going to let him be the male Lady GaGa as someone suggested, even though he could probably pull it off.

Question for Adam fans:

He is undeniably talented, but has there been any indication of what kind of music he WOULD put out if he were to win it?

In this video he defines himself as a pop singer, fwiw.

Oh my gosh. I for one second Did not agree with this article had to say about Matt. I mean, yeah, it was simply one of those nights for him, there could’ve been so many things that made him fell almost to the bottom of the votes, especially he was being the first to perform.

I couldn’t believe that Allison fell to the bottom three last week, but I have never read anything any blog said about her “not connecting with audience” or she’s “not coming across as humble or accessible” yet this week she’s a sudden frontrunner. That’s right, Allison had one of those nights last week and this week is Matt’s turn. I dont think that one contestant for being in the bottom three too be a death sentence because there has been proven that there are a lot of contestants these past years that fell to bottom of the pack in terms of votes in the earlier rounds but managed to survive to top 3 or top 2, for instance Elliott, Syesha, Katharine, Bo, Diana, or Kimberly.

To be honest with you, I’d like for people to cut overanalyzing Matt’s chance for a second, I mean, his chance is as big as any people who are still in the running right now. THE way I saw it is, Him being in the bottom this week could’ve been a clear sign for America to vote him more next week, because I really do believe that America does not want him to go home this early.

He is undeniably talented, but has there been any indication of what kind of music he WOULD put out if he were to win it?

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m asking that honestly, not being sarcastic. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve only watched YouTube of his Wicked performances, so I really donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know who he wants to be artistically. Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s done a great job (in my opinion) of changing things dramatically each week so far, which is great and entertaining, but I have no idea if I can say Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d buy an album from him.

I would buy Broadway by him- the Brigadoon number just seriously slays me.
I would buy traditional Israeli music like the ‘Shir LaShalom’ piece.
I would buy a RoF-ish Cirque type album by him.
I would buy rock, and I would buy the techno/dance he professes to want to do.
I would even buy a Christmas album by him.

I love what he does.
He slips in and out of so many genres so easily that I really think there is something for everyone.

I think he will be one of those performers whose fans will follow him wherever he leads them and not just for one specific genre. He won’t be categorized and he will constantly evolve and reinvent himself.

still think Adam is too polarising to win. But it will depend which Adam shows up. If ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s this weeks Adam and he tones down his upbeat performances, I can definitely see him winning. I agree withyou MJ, if he has anymore ROF type performances, then judging from DI that week, he wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get enough votes from middle America.

I completely agree with this entire statement. I still haven’t voted for Adam, but if he would have been lower on the DI this week I may very well have. Which brings me to Matt/Kris/Allison. Again, I based my votes on DI (as well as judges comments) so therefore all of my votes (didn’t vote the entire 2 hrs, but did vote quite a bit throughout the two hrs, lol, ugh), were for Kris. I truly believe these four (Adam, Allison, Kris and Matt) deserved to be the top four vote getters this week. Matt was above Kris on DI (and it did enter my mind that he wasn’t as safe as Allison and Adam) so I didn’t vote for him. IMO, Matt didn’t deserve to be in the bottom two. I really can’t figure it out, I’ve downloaded his singles from the last three weeks and think they’re great! Very impressive!

Anoop has not been consistent enough for me in his performances and I downloaded his single from the one I thought was best (Opry wk). But it failed to impress me as much as his performance. There is no denying his fanbase, but I can’t help but think that outside of those he initially started with (like Danny) he can’t be gaining others.

Lil, I keep waiting for this big voice that the judges keep saying she has…

There’s two more right? Oh yeah, Scott (likable guy) and Megan, I thought they left with Michael (extremely likable guy, based on post-idol interviews) this week. Hopefully USA Today is right and they’re gone over the next couple of weeks. The song EW featured for Scott this week is sooo him! lol!

So USA Today had Kris at 2 and Danny at 7. Danny has pretty much been the same ol’, same ol’ each week and I’m not so sure he has what it takes to change things up much from there. Kris however, has grown each week and if he could have a break out performance, and maybe learn to look through the camera at the TV audience, I don’t think 2 is so far-fetched…

At this point, I want Adam to win and Anoop is my sentimental favorite, although I think he could go out as early as #7. This will be a big week for him I think, if he picks the right song and really delivers it. I know the judges want “artistry” but I think it will be enough to pick a mid-tempo r&B song and really just deliver it well. I think he still has the potential to surprise people.

I also think he has more raw vocal talent and charisma than Kris and Matt, which is why people still care about him, forgave him for Beat It, etc., even without any real judge pimping in the finals. Some combination of nerves, song choice and not being sure which “box” to go in are holding him back. But if ever does find his groove, I think he’ll stick around for quite some time.

Kris and Matt are both perfectly fine, but I get the feeling whatever potential they have has already been reached. I expect Kris to smile and strum his way through the rest of the season and it’s all very nice. Matt gives off a trying too hard vibe to me.

If Anoop can’t pull it together, I think the Top 5 will be Adam, Danny, Lil, Kris and either Matt or Allison – probably Allison if they eventually give up on the Matt pimping. (I don’t think any amount of de-pimping will keep Danny out of top 5. He could “woo!” and airhump an entire song and he would still make it).

He is undeniably talented, but has there been any indication of what kind of music he WOULD put out if he were to win it?

Like the others said, it’s not absolutely clear yet because he keeps mixing it up week after week. It’s not like Kris, Allison or Matt that we pretty much know at this point what will be in their disc.

This week seems to be a good moment to show what he wants to do. There seems to be two opposite direction that would fit the theme:
“Don’t Stop Believing” is mentioned a lot because Adam said he wants to sing this on the show. It would sort of confirm that he wants to do something rock oriented.
Something electronic by Lady Gaga or pop like Katy Perry, this is what he seems to be leaning towards, he lives in Hollywood so he knows what is selling right now.

In both cases, I can’t wait to see what he will do.

Would your opinion of Matt change if his personality was revealed more in say the interview packages, etc?

I think there’s stage personality and off stage personality. To me stage personality is really important, one of the biggest factors that make like a contestant. I care for off stage personality when I already love the contestant, that’s when I try to know more about them. But usually that only comes later.
Their stage presence, their interpretations, that’s a big thing for me. I like performers to be actors, in the sense that they not only sing the song but interpret it. Not talking about broadway, lol, but you know feel it and show it with their body language.
When it comes to Matt, I don’t think he has stage presence, and I think he performs everything the same nervous way, he lacks some confidence that I like to see in performers.
It’s not just Matt, for what’s worth.

To be honest with you, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d like for people to cut overanalyzing Mattà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s chance for a second, I mean, his chance is as big as any people who are still in the running right now.

I feel your pain, but overanalyzing idol is kinda what we do around here. LOL.

Anyway, the difference between Allison and Matt for me is that Matt has had steady pimping, and Allison not so much. Alison was barely seen before the semis, Matt was pimped hard. He was saved by the judges and handed a spot in the top 13, praising his voice. He has had good placement (going near the end) all through the finals until Wednesday night. Alison had always gone in the beginning until Wednesday. His fans have already been scared once when he didn’t make the finals pre-wildcard round.

The point is, Matt has had ample opportunity to build a fanbase… and that fanbase should be plenty motivated. He should have been able to withstand the bottom 2 with a good performance – but he still didn’t pull it off. Compare him with Lil, who also performed first on a 2 hour show and got good reviews from the judges. She came in near the top of DialIdol that night.

Somehting is not connecting with Matt.

ETA: Perhaps Matt might be in Micheal Johns territory where plenty of people like him and think he deserves to go deep, but he’s more people’s #2 or #3 than #1.

I hadn’t checked to see which Youtube of Adam’s was referenced in the first comment before I posted before- I had a good chuckle when I saw that it’s the Crazy video. That’s the one that made me a fan of his. It’s not porn, unless nearly every video on VH1 is also porn. Check out a couple of Britney’s videos, for goodness sake! Adam’s performance is tame compared to Circus or Womanizer.

tinawina, You did not get my point did you? I was saying, look at the past years, those 6 names (Elliott, Katharine, Diana, Bo, Kimberly, Syesha) I have mentioned was pimped hard before the semifinals in their seasons, they fell to the bottom of the votes in the earlier rounds, but they managed to be in top 3 or even finale. What I meant to say, everything is still up in the air.

Anyway, you know something? I have been really read so many Idol’s overanalyzing these days and I don’t think there alot of them turned out to be true. So yeah, keep overanalyzing because I know it came out to be in the exact opposite.

http://thedailyrake.com/?p=574 This is a blog with an interesting post about Adam’s appeal written by a man who says he’s a minister. The end is entertaining. See it’s not only girls and women and gay guys who find Adam sexy.

rheyow I got you. You were saying he could still make it deep (and BTW, I don’t think mj ever said he COULDN’T do that, just that he wasn’t connecting right now.) What I’m saying (not clearly enough it seems) is that he clearly is struggling and there has to be a reason. You seem anti- attributing it to lack of audience connection and saying it’s more of a fluke, and I am counter-arguing that it is not a fluke, and that it is perfectly reasonable to conclude in light of all the exposure and favorable circumstances he’s had, he should be doing better. Other people may have been in the same position in past seasons, but the fact that they went on to place high doesn’t mean that they didn’t have a problem with connecting early on.

That said, I do not believe for a minute that Matt was actually in the bottom 2 or 3, for that matter. Maybe Ryan twisted the words andà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦maybe, BIG maybeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦he was bottom 3 out of the guys. But, from the reactions of the audience, bloggers and fans both online and in the real worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦he did not deserve to be there.

I believe he was in the bottom 3. He gave a good performance but he went first which does not bode very well for anyone and obviously he didn’t have enough fans to carry him through despite going first.

I do find something about icky about Matt for some reason. He records beautifully and has given good performances since the finals started but there’s just something there that I don’t quite like.

First off, I don’t don’t know how flyaway defines porn but that video doesn’t meet my definition. lol

Perhaps it’s just wishful thinking on my part but it does seem like Danny is fading. He’s completely lost the buzz and his stranglehold on the #1 spot on DI ended this week so he may be losing in votes as well. With all that early pimping I certainly wouldn’t count him out but I feel the ground shifting slightly.

If Adam can find some middle ground between being provocative but not doing something that will offend Middle America, he can win. It’s going to be like threading a needle. It’s tricky. I’m curious to see if he can pull it off.

I agree Matt is not clicking with America for some reason.

I think the voting totals post is the product of an Anoop fan’s imagination but I do think Anoop is more popular than his showing on DI indicates due to campus texters.

Megan is turning into Kristy Lee Cook. She’ll keep hanging around despite bad performances and then will finally give a good performance……and be voted off.

The producers put Allison in a hole to start with. She had one of those 6 second vocals, one judge comment and watch her show her gold ticket type of auditions. No Hollywood coverage, nobody knows what she did for her Day 1 Hollywood audition or her group number. We only get to see a 10 second clip of her final Hollywood audition as she’s walking to the judgement chair. The following got more screentime in the run-up to the Semi-Finals than Allison; Jamar(Danny’s friend), Danny’s dead wife, and Lil’s kids. Then for her first three performances, she get all first hour slots. Its a wonder she wasn’t voted off Top 11 week.

The fanbase is expanding. But one has to wonder what shape she’d be in with initial coverage equal to Michael, who got a full audition with backstory.

I agree with your assessment MJ. I do think Matt is talented, but for whatever reason, he isn’t connecting to the audience. I think he is a nice guy, but I think he is awkward. I think Adam just might win this thing. Adam is getting enough buzz on youtube that he might draw in new viewers who are more interested in music and talent than whether or not someone fits the cookie cutter mold of what an idol should be.

I too am disappointed in the lack of mansion footage. I want to see these idols stress eating cookie dough in their pajamas at 2 a.m. I want to see fighting over the tv remote. I want to see Adam wandering around the house in a cucumber facial mask and Danny giving himself a pedicure. How about some footage of them bowling. Perhaps they are waiting until the top five before they do that?

This season doesn’t seem to have found its groove yet. I do think that comes from that weird top 36 format. It has taken us longer to get to know the contestants and get invested. But yet here I am….recording the shows, posting, buying Adam’s “Tracks” for my ring tone…..

MJ, I agree with you almost 100% on this. Matt could still gain fans just like Allison did after being in the bottem 3 and Danny I think is actually losing fans as many people who I know where Danny fans are switching.

Also, big Jason/Brooke fan and my favarites this year are Adam and Allison.

One of the nice developments in the last few seasons of Idol, especially since the introduction of instruments, is the increasing emphasis on, as Kara puts it, “artistry”. The most celebrated contestants are those who take classic songs and transform them in new and interesting ways, proving not only their vocal ability, but also their personal creativity and artistic talent. Outstanding examples of this from last season include Brooke White’s “Love is a Battlefield” and David Cook’s “Always Be My Baby”. Moments like these save the show from being glorified karaoke.

This season the most musically innovative contestants include Kris, Adam, and Matt (and, to a slightly lesser extent, Allison). These three or four have taken risks and created something truly new, proving that they are all-around artists ready to create new music infused with their own personal style. Other, (former) front-runners seem deficient in this area. Take Lil, who may be a great singer, but has failed to prove that she has a clear sense of her own style. For country-week, she attempted country. Motown week, she attempted Heat Wave without significant alteration. Earlier she mimicked Mary J. Blige. Who is Lil Rounds? I think very much the same can be said for Danny: what have we really learned about Danny’s artistic vision from his renditions of Mariah Carey and Carrie Underwood songs? How much of his own vision will be brought into the studio, and how much will he be shaped by whatever producer is chosen for him, and whatever songs are placed in front of him? It seems to me that former contestants who succeed are those with more than an interesting voice; they are the ones with musical direction. I don’t see that in Lil, Danny, Anoop, Scott…

Anyway, because I personally favor those contestants with creativity, I think Kris has outstanding potential, in this competition and beyond. I also think he has a chance to win as the “guy-next-door” alternative to Adam. Adam, of course, is immensely talented, but the “art” he produces is sometimes considered (by me, at least) unpleasant, and even creepy. Though he toned it down this week, his over-the-top styling will be back soon, and they are unusually polarizing.

If Kris continues to do as well as he has done, he could go all the way. Each week he is proving that he has more vocal ability than anyone realized (partly because he received almost no coverage early on), but what’s more impressive, he is highly innovative with old songs, breathing into them new life. Though his good looks have helped him–especially early on–he is proving that he is much more than a pretty face. He has real talent, real musical vision, which he can take into the studio today.

The biggest criticism Kris seems to get is that he is “boring”. Frankly, I have a hard time knowing exactly what this means. I find that, very often, when a contestant sings a ballad, the word “boring” starts getting thrown around (some even used the word to describe Adam this week)…which makes me fear that some people don’t have the patience to listen to a signer just sing without a thumping rhythm, manic dancing and strobe lights. In my opinion, when Kris is singing he is as dynamic and energetic as anyone. Maybe some people consider him boring because he does not have a dramatic back-story, or an over-sized personality (which many consider a welcome relief from the status quo in the music industry today). Kris shows every sign of being a well-balanced, good-hearted, hard-working, and decent man–and for many people, that is not “boring”.

The point is, I think the criticism “Contestant X is boring” says very little about the contestant. It would be better if the commentator said, “I find contestant X boring because…“. For example, “I find Scott boring because he does not seem, to me, engaged with his songs, and his songs are done in an adult contemporary style that feels dated, as if they are stuck in a mid-90s time warp”. My question to those who find Kris boring: are you referring to his performances, or his personality? What is boring about him?

Anyway, all this to say, my only disagreement with MJ is that I think Kris could win if he continues doing what he is doing. Personally, I’d like to see a Kris, Allison, Adam top three. At that point, I think Kris would have the support of many Matt, Anoop, and Danny fans, and I think he could pull it off.

If you have read all this…I’m sorry for being so long-winded!

Also, big Jason/Brooke fan and my favarites this year are Adam and Allison.

Me too!

I am a HUGE Matt fan, but, I do agree he has problems right now. I think the biggest thing is that he’s still nervous. However, to me he has tons of charisma, especially at the piano. He sure touches me. I have lots of hope that he will go deep.

I wish to hell they’d stop pimping him. It just pisses people off.

ETA: Also, I think a basic problem with peoples’ perception of him is that his mouth turns down – and it makes it look like he’s frowning, when his mouth is merely at rest. Sometimes his smile turns down, too

Sorry, I just canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see Adam as an American Idol. Obviously porn musicals/videos have a market (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBlmcak7cuA) but it isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t going to capture the Archie fans or the cougers for Cook or the mellow Jason/Brooke vote.

Thanks for the link…Adam has some crazy mad vocals! That was great!

Do you really think that’s porn? :lol_tb: Nope…but it sure was Hawt!

tinawina, I just don’t get it why he received so many criticism from so many comments in this blog for being in the bottom of the votes for One night. I got your point, Matt has been pimped hard in the earlier rounds (eventhough it was not as hard as lil adam and danny), and He is struggling at the moment. But the way I read these comments are, these comments pretty much sounded like, Matt has been on the bottom and he’s definetely sure is going to be eliminated next week. No, it does not mean that. His chance are still as wide as open as the others, eventhough I know Adam’s chance are the biggest one out of all them all.

Matt is one of the most distinct voice out of all these kids, and the fact that he’s been in the bottom pretty much will help him the next week because I am sure there were so many people surprised he was in the position he’s at.

Matt has been on the bottom and heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s definetely sure is going to be eliminated next week. No, it does not mean that.

I agree. I think he still has a chance to go far.

Matts vocals are really good if he could jut shake that nrvousness. But in all hinesty-he needs to be spruced up a bit. He is rather bland looking and I think there is a cute guy inside waiting to come out.

I fuckin HATE that in order for Adam to win he probably has to “tone it down” for Middle America. A part of me wants him to just make it to the final 3 by doing his thang and then giving the finger to Middle America and another part of me wants him to win just to piss Middle America off.

But the way I read these comments are, these comments pretty much sounded like, Matt has been on the bottom and heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s definetely sure is going to be eliminated next week.

I think the point is… despite the pimping he has received and his good performances, he still landed in the B3 so in that case – he’s probably not connecting that well with the audience hence not building the fanbase he needs to carry him all the way to the finals.

I don’t think he will be eliminated by next week but if he still fails to strike a chord with the audience, I don’t see him cracking the top 5.

To those who are wondering what kind of music Adam would put out, click here:

http://idolforums.com/index.php?showtopic=597256

I’ve collected links to all of his original songs. My personal favorites are “Pop Goes The Camera”, “Kiss and Tell”, and “I Got This”. “Pop” already has over 100,000 views, so clearly people are liking it plenty.

I am a HUGE Matt fan, but, I do agree he has problems right now. I think the biggest thing is that heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s still nervous. However, to me he has tons of charisma, especially at the piano. He sure touches me. I have lots of hope that he will go deep.

I wish to hell theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d stop pimping him. It just pisses people off.

I totally agree. Especially with that last line.

But, in all honesty…the judges KNOW Matt’s potential and what he has done. Take the Hollywood auditions, for instance, Matt had TONS of charisma in his White Chocolate group (which I hear, he had the most say in the arrangement of it) and also in his “Georgia” solo performance. In fact, each time he plays the piano…he is special and unique.

But this show and some of its viewers want him to have some sort of “boy-bandish” pop star vibe – hence, the JT comparison. But that’s not who he is. Wish those comparisons would stop too.

So far Adam makes for good TV. I am not knocking his talent in any way. He is talented and good looking, but an American Idol? Last week was great, but is that the image he is ready to settle with? Look, I am a new and infrequent poster , so I probably really don’t have a clue, but in order for me to be happy with Adam as the American Idol, I need for him to be ADAM. Some of the youtube footage I have seen from him, not part of his theatre act, is NOTHING like what he presents on TV. I have never run into any contestants performances and found them TOTALLY different from what I see on idol. One can argue this is another side of who he is as an artist. I’ll buy that, but depending on what he brings to the table next week, for me at least, will determine whether I can believe in him as an American Idol. Let’s keep it honest Adam.

I like Matt, Anoop and Kris (and on selected weeks I like Adam). Matt is my #1 though. Don’t tell me I’m going to have to start voting!!!

I fuckin HATE that in order for Adam to win he probably has to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“tone it downà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  for Middle America.

I hate it too but hopefully he can still find a way to be interesting. Overall I think Ring Of Fire was a plus for him and not a minus. It got people talking and once they recovered from their shock (heh) I think many thought it was a good performance. He can’t do that every week though.

I forgot to say that for reasons that elude me Simon seems to like Lil a lot and be sort of indifferent to Allison. I hope something happens to change his mind.

But this show and some of its viewers want him to have some sort of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“boy-bandishà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  pop star vibe – hence, the JT comparison. But thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not who he is. Wish those comparisons would stop too.

Actually, I think that is who he wants to be. Have you heard his pre-Idol CDs? I, however — and I think many would agree — am not liking the boy-band vibe from him. He does much better in the blues/jazz/soul stuff than in the JT stuff. I think the bluesy stuff makes him more original, too. He could be a guy Duffy/Joss Stone type. Are there really any of those out there who are selling well? (Maybe there are and I just can’t remember. There’s Buble but Matt has more of a soul vibe than he does, despite them having a similar look.) The boy-band stuff makes him sound too much like a JT copycat if you ask me.

Sydia, I agree completely, and I’ve been trying to figure out how to word that this whole season, but you said it better than I could have. The acting thing is great. It’s awesome he can do theatre. But we need to know who Adam really is, and we don’t. I think a lot of us think we do, but, really, who is he? Some people ‘get’ him more than others, but still there are so many different Adams. He needs to pick one and go with it, and save the acting for theatre.

ETA: I don’t mean he shouldn’t change his look at all. I just think he needs to decide who the real Adam is – or at least which Adam he wants to show us – and stick with it. Variations on that won’t hurt.

Perhaps Matt might be in Micheal Johns territory where plenty of people like him and think he deserves to go deep, but heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s more peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s #2 or #3 than #1.

I think you’re right.

But this show and some of its viewers want him to have some sort of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“boy-bandishà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  pop star vibe – hence, the JT comparison. But thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not who he is. Wish those comparisons would stop too.

Actually, I think Matt on piano in those soulful moments make for a very good JT comparison. I’ve been a Justin fan a lot longer than I’ve been an AI fan, and I don’t need the judges or the show to make that connection for me. No, I don’t hear SexyBack from Matt, but I do hear a Senorita or (Another Song) All Over Again from him.

JMHO.

And Lu, YES, we’ve established that we DO need to start voting, lol. It’s our fault he was in the B3 this week!

-Kylene, aka kmh303

I would rather have him (Adam) leave the show before his time then have him compromise to the point that heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d be unrecognizable as the guy that Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve loved from the beginning.

THIS.

Doing what it takes to win the show, yet not being true to who you are as an artist, is the perfect recipe for losing your AI fanbase after the confetti falls. I saw it with Fantasia and then again big time with Taylor. Has there ever been an AI contestant as popular as Taylor who fell so hard, so fast?

That’s one reason Chris, Carrie, Kelly, the Davids, and even Kellie Pickler have been so successful. What you got AFTER Idol was pretty much what you fell in love with ON Idol.

I agree with MJ’s assessment that this week is crucial for Adam. Can he appeal to the masses without sacrificing his own artistic merit? I don’t know, but I do know that I want the “real” Adam to show up this week, whether “the masses” like it or not.

He’s been fabulous at everything he’s attempted, but who is Adam “the artist” really? I need to know this!

You wrote quite a long post rbidol, I will try to explain why I don’t thin Kris has a shot at this.

. My question to those who find Kris boring: are you referring to his performances, or his personality? What is boring about him?

I am not quite saying that Kris is boring, his performance are quite enjoyable but as a straight hetero guy, his country week performance didn’t touch me nearly as much as I think it did to others. I think that the tender puppy comment was really spot on and I am not really interested in hearing that.
I know it’s kind of unfair but when I see the 4 performances of Adam one after the other, it’s just shows increadible diversity and when I compare Kris to Adam, I find that his performances tend to look a lot alike.

The most important point however is that Kris does not have the type of voice to win AI.
6 of the 7 winners are big belters who can reach big notes at the end of the 90 seconds. That is one of the major flaws of the AI formula, the objective is often to reach a big note that will get a standing O and Randy to say “it’s a hot lava bomb”. Look at Allison this week, she probably got a lot of votes only because of that big note that she reached at the end.
Kris simply does not have that, he made an attempt this week but it came off as underwhelming and it’s probably as good as it gets.

My opinions on these contestants changes at least daily, sometimes several times a day.

Logically speaking, duh, Adam should be my favorite. Clearly, he has the best voice of the bunch and seems like a class act and a super nice and humble guy to boot. Is he perfect? No, he gets way too screamy at times…songs are to be sung, not screamed. That said, none of them are perfect, and he probably has the least amount of work to do. My problem with him (other than the screaming) is that nothing he’s done is anything I would buy in the real world. It’s really hard for me to back a contestant whose music I would never buy. There are plenty of great singers out there whose music I would never buy. It’s nothing against that particular person, I just don’t enjoy all artists’ music (similar to the rest of the world, I imagine). But if this thing comes down to say, Adam and Hokey, you betcha I’ll be voting my fingers off for Adam.

This brings me to Matt. Matt is the contestant whose music I would most likely buy in real life. So…I should vote for him, right? Part of me wants to, but part of me feels a huge disconnect from him. He’s been growing on me, and I think he is super duper nervous a lot of the time and it doesn’t come across well, and I just can’t pick up the phone for him. Maybe in time, I will, because I do like his style…just not his attitude a lot of the time.

So, the contestants I’ve been loving and voting for are Anoop and Allison. I think Anoop is super likeable and has a good enough voice for me to justify voting for him. I think he is still feeling out who he is, as well as what he should and should not sing on the show. That may not bode well for him, but if he finds himself, he could be a real contender. Allison is full of natural talent. I think she’s the best OMG!! 16!!!! year old they’ve ever had on the show. She definitely needs some help with enunciation/pronunciation/whatever, but girl can SANG! Plus I find her awkward personality completely endearing.

Who do I want gone? Well Hokey Gokey for sure. I’m tired of breathless, off-key performances. What really takes me over the edge though is the horrible dancing and gyrating. You’re fugly, get over yourself already. Also…Megan. Her singing is painful to me. I really find her awkward performances uncomfortable to watch. I know a lot of people are hating on Scott, but he really doesn’t bother me. He sings mostly on key, but yeah, he’s horribly boring and not as good as most of the others. But as long as he’s not gyrating around the stage or making my ears hurt, he can stick around longer than Danny and Megan and it wouldn’t bother me.

Good assessments, MJ.

Actually, I think that is who he wants to be. Have you heard his pre-Idol CDs? I, however à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  and I think many would agree à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  am not liking the boy-band vibe from him. He does much better in the blues/jazz/soul stuff than in the JT stuff. I think the bluesy stuff makes him more original, too. He could be a guy Duffy/Joss Stone type. Are there really any of those out there who are selling well? (Maybe there are and I just canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t remember. Thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Buble but Matt has more of a soul vibe than he does, despite them having a similar look.) The boy-band stuff makes him sound too much like a JT copycat if you ask me.

Matt has said himself, that he gets tired of the JT comparisons. He likes JT’s music, but he does NOT want to be a similar artist. He would rather go the route of The Fray and Coldplay, etc. Those are not “boy-bandish” type artists at all. Sure, his Coldplay cover wasn’t his best performance, but I felt that was more due to the shakiness in his vocals (i.e. nerves) than the actual song choice. He added his own flair and I thought it was pretty awesome. Matt would sound great doing piano-rock music similar to The Fray, etc. In fact, I’m hoping he covers them for this week’s theme and maybe that will be a deciding factor for a few on the fence about his versatility.

P.S. Yes, I’ve heard his pre-Idol music and I appreciate the message of it all, but I’ve heard that he recorded most of that music under someone else’s guidance and not his own, unfortunately. He was also a lot younger and new at the piano, we need to remember that.

I hope your wrong MJ because I definetly feel connected to Matt. I haven’t felt this connected to an Idol since Constantine. He is vey soulful and passionate and his performances always touches my heart. I love him best when he is on that piano. He looks polished and professional. I love his voice and he is an honest performer. I much perfer to see an honest, passionate, heartfelt performance than an over the top I’m acting performance. Yes some of the other Idols make great TV but Matt is a genuine artist. I don’t know about the rest of America but when I buy music it’s because of talent and musicianship. Matt is not pretending to be an artist. I for one am glad I always get Matt when he performs and not an act.

Which brings me to Matt/Kris/Allison. Again, I based my votes on DI (as well as judges comments) so therefore all of my votes (didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t vote the entire 2 hrs, but did vote quite a bit throughout the two hrs, lol, ugh), were for Kris. I truly believe these four (Adam, Allison, Kris and Matt) deserved to be the top four vote getters this week. Matt was above Kris on DI (and it did enter my mind that he wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t as safe as Allison and Adam) so I didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t vote for him. IMO, Matt didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t deserve to be in the bottom two. I really canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t figure it out, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve downloaded his singles from the last three weeks and think theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re great! Very impressive!

I agree. Those three plus Adam are my favorites (now that Alexis is gone) and I think many agree that they were Motown Week’s best four. I too am guilty with only passing a few votes to Matt and concentrating on Kris, because he looked more in danger on DialIdol. From now on I’m only paying attention to the very top of DialIdol and voting for anyone I love who’s below 3rd place.

I’m still shocked at how Matt would have “not connected” on Tuesday. I thought that his performance on Tuesday’s was full of audience connection! It was sexy and he had the girls going wild!

The most important point however is that Kris does not have the type of voice to win AI.
6 of the 7 winners are big belters who can reach big notes at the end of the 90 seconds. That is one of the major flaws of the AI formula, the objective is often to reach a big note that will get a standing O and Randy to say à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a hot lava bombà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ . Look at Allison this week, she probably got a lot of votes only because of that big note that she reached at the end.
Kris simply does not have that, he made an attempt this week but it came off as underwhelming and ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s probably as good as it gets.

Which winner wasn’t a belter?

ADAM LAMBERT’S ORIGINAL MUSIC

Dance/Club Music

Pop Goes The Camera

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7vDziPv964

Glamorize (WARNING – Rated R!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Uk5oLdsBt0…feature=related

Kiss and Tell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoKm9nvP-D0…feature=related

Rock/Glam Rock

The Circle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWXI5F13xe8…feature=related

Rough Trade / Turning On

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-bYOl33DnQ…feature=related

I Got This

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0phI9OFc0s…feature=related

Crawl Thru Fire

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RKcjWiU2CA…feature=related

Matt has said himself, that he gets tired of the JT comparisons. He likes JTà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s music, but he does NOT want to be a similar artist. He would rather go the route of The Fray and Coldplay, etc. Those are not à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“boy-bandishà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  type artists at all. Sure, his Coldplay cover wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t his best performance, but I felt that was more due to the shakiness in his vocals (i.e. nerves) than the actual song choice. He added his own flair and I thought it was pretty awesome. Matt would sound great doing piano-rock music similar to The Fray, etc. In fact, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m hoping he covers them for this weekà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s theme and maybe that will be a deciding factor for a few on the fence about his versatility.

P.S. Yes, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve heard his pre-Idol music and I appreciate the message of it all, but Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve heard that he recorded most of that music under someone elseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s guidance and not his own, unfortunately. He was also a lot younger and new at the piano, we need to remember that.

Thank you for clarifying that for me. I was not aware that Matt didn’t like the JT comparisons or under what direction his first CDs were done. I would love to see him do something by The Fray. I really like his voice and his musicality and hope this week was a wake-up to voters.

KrazeeK120
Mar 28th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
My opinions on these contestants changes at least daily, sometimes several times a day.

K, what is your opinion of Kris?

I want Adam to be the real Adam too .. but I wonder what the real Adam is .. Sorry to use the Freddie Mercury/Bowie comparison’s again as they are over used where Adam is concered .. but both Mercury and Bowie were/are chameleon type artists who could deliver fantastic performances whether it be a flamboyant rock type of song or a heartfelt, stripped down ballad .. and even though it’s far too early in his career too say anything about Adam being as good or as successful as these artists, perhaps he has the ability to change his singing style and appearance (like in Bowie’s case) and not be pigeonholed into one specific genre. Judging from the youtube clips I’ve seen he seems to be very comfortable doing both .. ie take Come Home and Crawl Thru Fire as examples of the two extremes. So perhaps he can be accepted doing a mixture of both .. I know I enjoy both sides of Adam.

I love the flamboyant Adam and hope that we see that back again next week, but I also don’t mind seeing a return of the “Tracks of my Tears” Adam in future weeks. I’m a big fan of Rhydian from the X-Factor and was very disappointed (like a lot of Rhydian fans) when Simon seemed to steer him away from his more showman type performances that he did at the start of the series and pushed him down the serious ballad route for the latter part of the series .. so I hope this doesn’t happen with Adam.

I guess the following weeks will show if Adam’s being tamed or not .. for all we know it may have been his choice to tone it down a bit this week …. he has said that he want’s to surprise people so I’m willing to take all the surprises he can throw at us .. let’s hope he’s allowed …lol

Thank you for clarifying that for me. I was not aware that Matt didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t like the JT comparisons or under what direction his first CDs were done. I would love to see him do something by The Fray. I really like his voice and his musicality and hope this week was a wake-up to voters.

No problem. I am actually sorry that most AI viewers do not get to know all of this information about Matt. I have had to do my own research on each of these Idols to really get a grasp ahold of who they are. I wish the show did that for me, but it doesn’t.

What I have found in my research on Matt has been nothing short of amazing. He plays piano completely by ear. Which means each week he learns a new song, by practicing his BUTT off. He can’t read the music and learn, he listens and learns. That fact alone just shows me that he is doing just what he was created to do.

He is also a great person. He volunteers his time as a “Big Brother” for a high school boy. He picks him up and takes him to hang out, play video games, to church and just to be there when he needs him. Matt’s grandfather was a Motown singer. Matt is 1/4 African American…I could go on and on. I wish we had more of a chance to learn these things about him on the show. But unfortunately we haven’t. But, trust me when I say…Matt is great and I expect great things from him in the future.

Which winner wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t a belter?

Taylor, no?

Last week was great, but is that the image he is ready to settle with? Look, I am a new and infrequent poster , so I probably really donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have a clue, but in order for me to be happy with Adam as the American Idol, I need for him to be ADAM. Some of the youtube footage I have seen from him, not part of his theatre act, is NOTHING like what he presents on TV.

How well do we really know any stars? I think Adam is who he is in his interviews. He says he likes all different types of music. He has many sides to his personality and he expresses them many different ways. I guess for me, I’m satisfied judging him on his performances. I know he will mix it up, just like Madonna has. And what about XTINA, she has had many different stage personas as well. I think it’s ok to not be tied down to one style.

Valentin432: first of all, as I say, sorry for being long-winded.

I think you make an excellent argument:

The most important point however is that Kris does not have the type of voice to win AI. 6 of the 7 winners are big belters who can reach big notes at the end of the 90 seconds. That is one of the major flaws of the AI formula, the objective is often to reach a big note that will get a standing O and Randy to say à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a hot lava bombà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ .

My argument is, with the introduction of instruments, I think AI has made it possible for non-belters to win. Last year two of the top five were Brooke and Jason. Unfortunately, both fell apart toward the end; Brooke’s nerves seemingly overcame her, and Jason seemed to give up (whether or not this is accurate, it was the perception). But it is notable that four of the top five played instruments (Brooke, Jason, David and David). I really believe the show is more and more favoring artists over belters (because, honestly, so is the country. Mariah Carey has changed styles, and neither Whitney nor Celine are at the top of the charts…even if Randy is not aware of this change).

Therefore, I think it is possible for someone like Kris or Matt to go much deeper into the competition, and even win. We have not yet had the chance to see what a non-belter can do if they keep their nerves in check…but I think the presence of Brooke and Jason in the top five last season proves that the game has changed.

I have had to do my own research on each of these Idols to really get a grasp ahold of who they are. I wish the show did that for me, but it doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t.

I know! As has been said before, we get more judge shenanigans and show “drama,” but very little about who the contestants actually are. I remember the first time I got to see anything about Kris and Allison, in the top 13 show. I was really excited to learn more about them! By this point last year, I felt I knew David, Carly, Jason, and Brooke (my faves) very well, and I don’t get that at all this year.

Eh, since I don’t care for anyone this year – and can’t even stand to watch/listen to one in particular – I think I’ll just quit posting about them. I’ll stick my nose in here and there when something interesting comes up, but to spare you my bad humor, I’ll shut up about this bunch, for the most part. See you around.

Well… I still hope the producers give Matt a chance. He is sooo talented and really his voice records beautifully. It would be sad that the judges give up on him. I feel so bad for him.

Look, after this week I know for sure he won’t win for or even be in the finals but hey at least I hope he cracks the Top 5.
Honestly there are many people in this bunch who don’t have half the talent he has.
What worries me right now about him is that his level of confidence and self esteem must be sooo low. I sure hope that instead of giving up he at least tries to fight back.
I so enjoy his studio recordings. His voice is awesome. It sucks that people are just voting in personality. Matt is endearing to me because he seems so shy and reserved and it is very hard for him to let go… Sigh. What a tough road it has been for him. He had been so consistent lately.
I am still rooting for him to prevail.

I just think he needs to decide who the real Adam is – or at least which Adam he wants to show us – and stick with it. Variations on that wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t hurt.

Adam is a complex, versatile artist, which is what I love about him. Pre-Idol, he did rock with his band, pop and mellower music in the Upright Cabaret shows, and musical theatre to earn a living, along with various other performances that are harder to categorize. All of those sides are part of who he is as an artist. I wouldn’t want him to get rid of any of them, but, on the other hand, artists, and people in general, tend to explore a lot of different styles while they’re younger, then settle on a more defined style as they mature. Maybe Adam’s ready to do that, and AI will help him define himself more clearly.

BTW, the same criticism that’s being levelled at Adam also applied to David Cook at this point in the competition. I actually had a hard time getting a handle on who he was until Top 7ish, even though I liked him a lot. He sang in a variety of styles, and had different styles in his pre-Idol music (including some musical theatre), and ended up making an eclectic record that showcases his versatility. It’s sold pretty well too. I see no reason why Adam can’t do the same thing.

Adam is a complex, versatile artist, which is what I love about him. Pre-Idol, he did rock with his band, pop and mellower music in the Upright Cabaret shows, and musical theatre to earn a living, along with various other performances that are harder to categorize. All of those sides are part of who he is as an artist. I wouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t want him to get rid of any of them, but, on the other hand, artists, and people in general, tend to explore a lot of different styles while theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re younger, then settle on a more defined style as they mature. Maybe Adamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s ready to do that, and AI will help him define himself more clearly.

I agree. The thing about Adam is that, for me, I’m always at the edge of my seat when he performs. There is no comfort zone there. You never know what you are going to get. I think many people might feel that way, and they want him to define himself so they can know what to expect and feel more comfortable. The rest of the contestants, you pretty much know what you are going to get, even when they give great performances.

I think AI is a great experience for Adam. At first, I thought we wouldn’t get much growth from him, but perhaps we will. Not in talent, but in the way he engages the audience. Being in the idol bubble has taken him out of the Hollywood bubble, and is probably giving him a broader insight of what appeals to the masses. He needs to find the balance between his art and being self indulgent. I don’t think that is a compromise in who he is. Everyone needs a good editor.

Matt would sound great doing piano-rock music similar to The Fray, etc. In fact, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m hoping he covers them for this weekà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s theme and maybe that will be a deciding factor for a few on the fence about his versatility.

Matt doing The Fray is far from showing versatility. That’s actually the obvious/preditable choice for Matt and what everyone’s saying he might do because it’s pretty much what he has been showing since the begining. I don’t see how doing The Fray would show any versality. I actually think he would probably sound too much like The Fray and that could come as very Karaoke.

K, what is your opinion of Kris?

I rather enjoy Kris. I haven’t been inspired to pick up the phone and vote for him yet, but it could happen. To sum up my feelings about Kris in one word: Pleasant.

I think all contestants that come to AI are finding their identities as artists. Part of the fun is watching their transformations. I also understand that all past winners have been smart, and of course tried really hard to find what could get them more votes in order to take the win and therefore can and have “sold out” to some extent. However, Adam strikes me as someone who has taken pride in not hiding the fact that he is a fabulous gay man. Last week, to me, seemed like he was playing the, maybe I’m not so fabulously gay? Let me cast some doubt on my tween and cougar demographic kinda vibe. One can argue that this has nothing to do with him as an artist, but I believe that with Adam(his not denying his fabulously gay self), has everything to do with who he is as an artist.

undercooked, you just wrote exactly what I was thinking when I was reading through the comments but hadn’t yet put into words. I think Adam is and has always been exactly who he is in all his interviews and performances. He is a versatile performer with massive talent. Rather than thinking he’s superficially acting when I see and listen to him, I see him as becoming the music while he’s performing and interpreting it for his audience. Because he is so wildly talented, he can interpret many styles of music. It doesn’t mean he’s confused about who he is as a musician. So far, I’ve loved almost everything I’ve heard from him, and I’m not just talking about what he’s done on Idol. But, I realize music is a very personal thing. What moves me is not necessarily going to move someone else.

Adam has been my favorite all along, and my wonder and excitement over his talent have only grown stronger each week. So far, my two other favorites are Allison and Kris in that order. I’ve always liked Allison and Kris has grown on me. I have enjoyed some of Anoop’s and Matt’s performances as well, but I don’t think I would buy their music. I liked Danny’s voice when I first heard it but I agree with others who feel he’s fading. Lil has great talent too, but I have not heard anything that wows me yet. I had hopes for Megan because I do see possibilities but they just have not manifested. Scott is a sweet person but he’s already made it farther than he should have based on talent.

ETA, this took me so long to write, I was responding to one of undercooked previous comments and not the last one. KathyMK said what I was trying to say very well, too.

Great analysis MJ. Total agreeance on almost every point. Allison is my favorite girl and she should be top two. My only problem with her will be can she do what Adam did last week, convincingly? Can she come out and pull a Jordin Sparks? Take a dated ballad and sing the snot out of it? She has to be able to do something nuanced. We know she can sing, we know she can belt, but can she TOUCH you? If she does that, she will be top two.

Kris is sweet, and he’s consistant, and that is a good thing on idol, at this point you don’t need to be the best, just not the worse. He’s not the worst, so he fine for now. That is his problem with me. He’s just meh, and that won’t make me interested in you.

Danny can sing. But if you take away all of the pimping and all of the buzz, would anyone really be talking about his performances? Nope. The pimping is what has him at the top, but will it be enough to sustain him? I am not sure Danny has the goods. He thinks so, but he hasn’t proven it.

Anoop, Anoop, Anoop. Right now I am so in love with this guy, lol. His Ohh, baby baby, the recording was pure bliss. I also think that Anoop has charisma to spare. He just has to give us another My Prerogative. It has to be soon. Anoop seems to be one who rises and falls on the weight of his performances. That is the way it should be.

I won’t beat up on Matt. I just don’t care how good his itunes are. If he can’t deliver it live, on the stage, I won’t pay to hear what is done with smoke and mirrors in the studio. Live, he is just not good enough, imho. It has nothing to do with personality for me at this stage, because that would not matter if he had grabbed me with his ability. So far he has not.

Lil is sadly just not as good as they have been building her up to be. That she is not splitting votes right now is a good thing for her. If she would take my song selections more seriously though, she could have had a moment, instead she sang Heatwave. Because she has horrible judgment, I am no longer interested. Now if she comes and finally hits it out of the park, all bets are off.

Scott and Megan are in over their heads. Scott isn’t a good enough vocalist, and Megan just flat out can’t sing.

Adam. I am waiting for this Tuesday, but I think I have found my pick this year. Let me rephrase that, I knew who I was rooting for three weeks ago, but now I am about willing to bet on it. I get that he is polarizing. And in my warped little heart, that is intriguing as hell to me. Can this man win this thing on his talent alone? Can he overturn the apple cart? I think he can and here is why. First of all he can sing. That is the first prerequisite of idol, vocal ability. He makes for good teevee, that is obvious as he has has the most buzz, mostly positive the past few weeks. He’s already had his moment. Some think is was this past week. If that is the case he’s had a least two. Ring of Fire was one of the most fierce performances ever on the idol stage, then he stripped it down, all the way down to Tracks of My Tears. Stunning, beautiful, heartfelt, and just plain awesome. Personality, he has in by the freaking boatload. He’s shown humility, honesty, kindness, and a great sense of humor. He unapologetic, but he’s also not mincing, primping, or simpering, or any of the other gay stereotypes that could be wrested upon him. He’s all male. Tall, dark, handsome, sexy. I think he’s a winner.

As for what music he makes after the show. It never comes into my mind. I am really more into classic R&B. Or maybe even a bit of Neo Soul. That doesn’t matter though, cause more than anything I follow the music. I loved Bo Bice the country rocker, Archie the pop kid, Blake Lewis, the I don’t know what the fuck it is, but I like it guy. I think that Adam will be good at whatever he does, and he will be one of the biggest concert draws to come out of idol. He is a chameleon, he is multi-talented, and can do damn near whatever he chooses and still keeps me interested.

re: my porn/video comment on Adam.

I know, I know, I’m older than dirt, live in a small town and am still shocked when I see pre-teens dressed in minis and makeup. So, I’ll revise the comment to soft porn. But, come on guys – he has a near naked girl stretched across his lap and spanks her butt before fondling his crotch.

Hard to imagine that there are people who don’t enjoy Brittany videos; think we’re the same out-of-touch people who don’t want profanity in lyrics. (Is it too late to get Tipper Gore back?)

One of the few shows we old geezers have left is American Idol, marketed as family entertainment. My post was meant to point out that Adam doesn’t fit in the “family entertainment” genre.

Past idols have shown their rocker roots without having to indulge in sexual inuendos and if Adam is as talented as some believe, he shouldn’t need to rely on mike stand fondling and sultry looks to get votes. That behavior is like the females wearing short skirts and low tops — detracts from the vocals.

AI has a phone app on iTunes this year that features extra video interviews with the contestants. Someone put Adam’s up on Youtube. You can hear him talk about some of the things we’re talking about in this discussion.

Top 10- life before Idol, why he auditioned:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFtAAhgkj5A&feature=channel

Top 11- musical influences:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MPvPN0T5Io

Top 13- how he got interested in music and theatre, more on his influences:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3rFWmOsguk&feature=channel

Flyover said:
” My post was meant to point out that Adam doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t fit in the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“family entertainmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  genre.”

I guess we each have our own definition of family entertainment. I watch Idol with my 12 year old daughter and my husband. We all enjoy Adam, and we’ve watched his various Youtube videos. For us, he is family entertainment. I’d rather watch him than one of the many violent crime dramas out there on TV these days. But then, I liked David Bowie when I was her age, so Adam’s Idol performances seem relatively tame to me.

Mic stand fondling, sultry looks, and provocative clothing have been intertwined with the music industry for decades. I don’t think it detracts from Idol or the music in general.

So yeah, keep overanalyzing because I know it came out to be in the exact opposite.

If you can’t post here with out bitching an telling people what to do, I suggest you stop reading.

Please read my guidelines:

http://mjsbigblog.com/?page_id=1172

Anyway, because I personally favor those contestants with creativity, I think Kris has outstanding potential, in this competition and beyond.

Me too.

And as for the “boring” badge, could somebody please tell me what charisma Carrie Underwood had while on the show? Zilch. She had a great voice, and displayed very little personality.

Personally, I think Kris has one. And that we haven’t heard all he has to offer musically by any means.

mahrikka and KathyMK, I think we are all on the same page with Adam. I hope my last comment didn’t come across that I want Adam to change, I love him the way he is. I’ll take any self indulgent peformances he will give me. I would also pay to see him in concert. But AI is a different stage. There are many viewers who probably fall into the category of tv watcher and not necessarily music or art lover. I live in LA and spent my single years kicking around Hollywood. It is its own world. So he has to stradle this fence. What is popular in Hollywood, like the Zodiac show, might be off putting to a large population of AI viewers. So that is what I meant by him needing an editor. It’s like when you write on this blog, thanks for letting us cuss here MJ, and write for a main stream publication. Different rules for different audiences. Also, sometimes less is more. And that is why actors need directors, musicians need producers and writers need editors.

I think Adam wants to win this thing. And if he does, he has to walk that tight rope. Artistic yet mainstream. Like Green Day is punk music for the masses. Just enough edge to give them some cred, but not too much to scare people.

And by the way, I think Adam is also that guy in the suit who sings “Tracks.” I still think he might be Bi, so I don’t think he is necessarily misrepresenting himself. I recall his old, old myspace saying he was “looking for boys and girls to play with.” I just don’t think he can be defined.

I put my 30 points on Adam. I think he has the charisma to win. That said, I have no interest in any album he’ll put out. Not my thing. But then I don’t see a viable recording artist in the crew. Maybe Allison but how many Pink wannabes does the world need.

I’m always amazed that every season there’s some Idol that’s pegged to be a superstar to join the ranks of Kelly, Carrie and Daughtry. Well, as of now Daughtry was the last superstar this show has cranked out.

Adam is another novelty act the show occassionally produces. He’s miles more talented than the others but there is no musical genre right now where he could sell the number of albums that certify a breakout Idol winner.

The gay thing may also hurt him. Eventually some of the ladies that pant after him because he’s cute, will move on to someone else if it becomes too obvious. Oh wait, he’s Bisexual. I get it. That’ll work for awhile.

Perhaps Matt might be in Michael Johns territory where plenty of people like him and think he deserves to go deep, but heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s more peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s #2 or #3 than #1.

Yeah, I think this sums things up very well (generally, of course).

However, whereas Michael started off as a front runner (and someone who was constantly pimped by the judges), I think Matt, though he was a favorite coming out of Hollywood week, has had to fight more to become a favorite for most people since the Coldplay incident…and the judges have only recently started to pimp him. (I wish they’d stop; I think it hurts him more than it benefits him.)

Also, Michael never landed in the Bottom 3 before his elimination (and not to mention, there was no “Judge’s Save” available) and so anyone who liked him enough to vote for him never got a chance to “atone for their sins”, lol.

I think (*hope*) Matt can potentially ride both the growth he has been showing week by week and his surprising (in the eyes of most) Bottom 3 appearance last week deep into the competition. Also, I think last week’s results could potentially push him to be less reserved and show us the great personality I know he has. Watch a few videos, if you want — the guy is hilarious and charming.

Anyway, Michael was by far my favorite last year and Matt is this year, so I can only hope he doesn’t fall prey to the same circumstance. :happy_tb:

But, come on guys – he has a near naked girl stretched across his lap and spanks her butt before fondling his crotch.

You’ve just described every other video shown on MTV.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m still shocked at how Matt would have à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“not connectedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  on Tuesday. I thought that his performance on Tuesdayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s was full of audience connection! It was sexy and he had the girls going wild!

The folks watching him in person loved him. Carie thought he was one of the best of the night, and the woman who writes the in-studio re-caps for EW liked him better than Adam.

But somehow, whatever he did in person did not translate on television. Matt is not connecting to the viewing audience for whatever reason. His personality is not translating in a positive way, and like others have said he seems nervous and unconfident on stage.

As soon as Matt came out from behind the piano on Wednesday, his performance began to fall apart. At least that’s how it looked to me.

Undercooked, I loved your “editor” comment. That’s where Idol can help any of the contestants, even if they don’t win. They get feedback and advice from the judges, the vocal coaches, the mentors, and the stylists (along with all of us out here in TV Land, if they’re brave enough to check) that would be difficult for them to get otherwise. It’s a fantastic opportunity for growth both musically and otherwise if they take advantage of it. The smart ones do. The ones who are too sure of their own greatness to begin with miss the chance to evolve. I think we have a few smart ones and a few who are too sure of themselves this year.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll take any self indulgent peformances he will give me. I would also pay to see him in concert. But AI is a different stage. There are many viewers who probably fall into the category of tv watcher and not necessarily music or art lover. I live in LA and spent my single years kicking around Hollywood. It is its own world. So he has to stradle this fence. What is popular in Hollywood, like the Zodiac show, might be off putting to a large population of AI viewers. So that is what I meant by him needing an editor.

That’s an excellent way of putting it. I agree, he has to find that middle ground. Not just to succeed on AI but to succeed post Idol with the masses.

I don’t think that any of Adam’s Idol performances so far have been overly sexual or not family friendly. Of course I understand that it’s entirely down to personal interpretation and taste, but a bit of mic stroking and pelvis wiggling doesn’t seem any less family friendly than Kat McPhee showing 3/4 of her boobies and the yellow dress crotch flash …lol

Personally I’m more disturbed by Smokey Robinson singing a love song to Joss Stone, someone young enough to be his grandaughter .. that was a bit of an ewwwww moment but it seems that Idol like to pair the young girls up with the more mature men in their guest duets this year …lol

If Adam turns up dry humping the stage next week then I may think he’s pushing the boundaries a bit far (although I’d probably rewind the youtube a number of times ), bit I don’t see anything he’s doing on the show to be anything worse than you see in music videos in general.

Personally, I think Adam is showing us who he is with every AI performance, interview, comment, video and studio recording. Whether we see Adam in these or not, I suppose, depends on what we’re looking for. Are we looking for a narrow definition, a collection of characteristics that we’ve seen before, or a stereotypical genre in which we can box him, or are we listening and hearing him?

I vote we let him be. If we can do that, then maybe we’ll see… Adam.

Waxing philosophical? Maybe. But really, no person should be required to fall squarely into a description or definition in order to make others comfortable with who he or she is. It’s hard enough to understand and be comfortable with ourselves, for ourselves.

I’m totally enjoying “getting to know” Adam.

Three points:

1. Adam is 26 and, by his own admission, has been trying to become successful in the entertainment industry since he left college at age 18 or 19. As he has been on countless auditions, it’s probably safe to assume that he tailored his appearance and behavior as he deemed necessary for each occasion.

AI is the most important audition of his life thus far and his preparation for this week’s Motown performance indicates that he wants to win. On the show, he has done nothing to offend me personally and, to the contrary, thrills me more every week. He strikes me as a smart, observant and self-aware young man who will make the right decisions for himself, whatever they may be — and that’s good enough for me.

2. I don’t like the lip-synced group numbers, but I don’t mind them for one important reason. Being able to prerecord the vocals is probably a lot less stressful for the kids than having one more night of performance anxiety. AI tends to pile on the stress and consequently burn out the talent, so it’s nice to see them get a break.

3. I’m a devoted Jason Castro fan who adores Adam, as is Rosanne Simunovic, the Masterclass Lady. Here is another one. If you like different kinds of music, there’s no reason to feel guilty or disloyal about liking more than one contestant.

The gay thing may also hurt him. Eventually some of the ladies that pant after him because heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s cute, will move on to someone else if it becomes too obvious. Oh wait, heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Bisexual. I get it. Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll work for awhile.

I think Queen and Bowie can both be considered highly successful and they never did hide who they were. When I look back, I have to admire those two for being who there were in less progressive times. I don’t know if Adam is gay or bi, he is the only one who knows that. It doesn’t matter to me one way or the other. Fans of music won’t care about Adam’s orientation. And on the plus side, I’m sure Adam won’t have the David Cook fuc bunny problem!

So flyaway… you saw that video!! haha.. when I first saw it all I could think was Old Simion was going to rip him apart. but, for adam it’s just part of his act. Nothing new I’ve seen worse just walking in the mall!!

And by the way, I think Adam is also that guy in the suit who sings à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Tracks.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  I still think he might be Bi, so I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think he is necessarily misrepresenting himself.

I don’t think he’s Bi. I certainly don’t think his friends–the ones I interviewed for my NYP story think he’s bi.

And interestingly, in his iTunes version, Adam was careful to edit out all pronouns and telling references to gender in the second verse of Tracks of My Tears. .

“Different rules for different audiences. Also, sometimes less is more. That is why actors need directors, musicians need producers and writers need editors.”

I agree with that, undercooked. I think Adam is at that point where he’s ready to take a big leap and share his talent with a larger audience and is welcoming the feedback. You can see his eagerness and appreciation when others are making good suggestions. It appears to be exactly what he wants, and I don’t think he’ll lose himself or compromise his integrity at all. He’ll take in what he needs and come out stronger.

From all the interviews with Adam that I’ve seen so far, he knows exactly what he is doing. He has a strategy and he is sticking to it, and he is very thoughtful about his choices. That actually makes it fun to watch, like every week, more of his plan is revealed to us.

To get a glimpse of it, here is an interview with him – starting at 2:34 it’s all about song choice and his strategy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD1md_mNA3M

Also, to answer some previous postings: I watched all of Adam’s previous YouTube videos, and I think it’s been a progression for him – that is why some of them are quite different from what he is displaying on Idol. I don’t think it’s a mark of him not being genuine. I just think he has been through many phases in his life, and finally he has settled upon the type of music he would like to make, and this is what we are being shown on Idol, with a little bit of “let’s give the viewers what they want so that I can win this thing” mixed into it.

I think he’s brilliant, and I can hardly wait to see what he does next. I’m with him all the way. I will say that I’ve been watching Idol since season 5, never voted, and this is the first year when I will. For Adam.

Also, MJ, I’ve just discovered your blog, it’s fantastic! You’re doing a great job.

———————–Matt————————-

1) I like Matt enough to consider him my “favorite” this season.

2) I DO believe he was in the Bottom 3 this week, and probably even Bottom 2.

—–He sang first, which means 5 million fewer people saw his performance.
—–People who tuned into Idol later on in the show, only saw a terrible rehearsal clip during the recap.
—–He was overpraised by the judges, so his fans thought he was safe.
—–He was doing well on DialIdol so his fans thought he was safe.

3) I haven’t picked up the phone to vote for him yet….Lu, I’m with you. I can’t believe I have to get off my lazy butt and vote!

4) He won’t win, but I do think he could crack the Top 5 if he continues to deliver consistently and smile more.

6) Right now, I can understand how others perceive him to be cocky, but I just think he’s nervous and trying too hard.

7) Oh! And yes, the mole should go.

———————–Adam————————-

1) He’s going to win. That’s all.

Thanks to the person who put the links to the Adam originals. My favorite is kiss and tell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_g-2j3SZrU

There is also a video of him performing this. The sound is not good, but that boy can dance. Hes got moves!!

I wonder why we always have to state our past allegiances as though it matters why we like someone. Just because I like one person in season three will that equal to me liking someone is season 8? There is no formula for who resonates with me. Music has no rhyme or season as far as who touches me emotionally. I was totally waiting for Matt to slay on Wednesday. That song has so many memories for me. It started off pretty nice, but as MJ said, once he got up from the piano, he lost the moment. The judges liked the same thing many of us didn’t. Does that make us wrong? Nope, music is personal.

If people think that Adam is polarizing because he’s gay, pooh, pooh on them. If they think he’s polarizing because he won’t get into some box, ditto. Also, if you are interested in watching Youtubes of Adam, then you must be interested, invested in some way. I haven’t gone looking for past music of any of this top 10 but Adam and Allison. I guess that speaks volumes for me. What Allison has done on the show has made me a believer because the stuff I saw on tube was awful. Adam intrigued me because he is so vastly talented. That being said, he has to perform on the idol stage, that is what will convince the public that they should vote for him.

If he has to hide who he is to win, that’s sad, but he knew the nature of the show, and how gay men have always participated, but mostly hid in the closet, so how he navigates this will be interesting. That he changed his look isn’t denying who he is. There are gay men all around us that live as gay men that you would never know that fact unless you were a part of their private life. Toning it down was not hiding. He was doing what Anoop did, less successfully, when he sang Beat It, being true to the song he was singing. He succeeded.

And interestingly, in his iTunes version, Adam was careful to edit out all pronouns and telling references to gender in the second verse of Tracks of My Tears. .

Yes, I noticed that too. I wonder if he was thinking about one person in partiicular when he sang that song? Did that Burning Man relationship end badly? I have no evidence of it, but based on some of his audience chatter before one of his Upright Cabaret performances on New Year’s eve, I get the feeling Adam got his heart broken. But I don’t want to get into Adam’s personal life. None of my beeswax. But it does make me want to give him a hug.

Back to the AI top 9. I like Anoop, but I still am not sure why he has such a huge following. I probably should look up some of his youtube stuff. I agree with one of the posters who said it looks like Anoop just finished class and dropped by the AI stage to sing a song. He has the potential to surprise us all If the hype around him is based on his talent. If it is, then we should be in for an Anoop moment.

I think it would be absolutely wonderful to have an openly gay American Idol. I think I’d weep for joy, even though I don’t like to hear Adam sing.

And by the way, I think Adam is also that guy in the suit who sings à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Tracks.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  I still think he might be Bi, so I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think he is necessarily misrepresenting himself.

I don’t think that he was representing himself as straight or gay during that song. I think he was representing a different side of himself. Not everything is about sexuality.

My gay bff who got me watching Idol (before he left me for SF) dressed in flannel shirts, detested gay bars (unless he was drunk , and liked football. Yet, he was gay as a spring flower in May.

It seems to me Adam is doing this on his terms, with the right amount of surprises thrown into the mix. I thought I was going to hate him after Cher, but I’m loving him!

I think Adam has broad appeal, too. One of my friends from Texas absolutely adores him and she has never mentioned his sexuality to me once. Perhaps we overestimate the importance of fangirls? I think they are a small part of the voting public.

ETA: Besides, if it’s all about fantasizing about an idol for the fangirls, then I don’t see a problem. Either way, nothing’s gonna happen between the fangirl and which ever Idol floats their boat.

PJ!!! Come to chat!

I like Adam I think overall has a great range and preformance and also he is from the theater which I like…

Pj -Iam in chat

Adam has really grown on me since the live shows started, but that’s not really a surprise. What is a surprise is that he’s grown on my mother – she’s a much harsher critic with more conservative expectations from the Idols. She doesn’t like screamers, she doesn’t like over the top, and she HATES when they do that crap and then stand there all proud of themselves.

She doesn’t hate Adam. Regardless of what she thinks of his performances (didn’t like last week, loved this week), she likes him because he’s always polite and respectful, not standing there “woo-ing” or pumping his fists or whatever. That goes a long way with her, and I suspect she’s not the only one. Her respect for his ability as a performer goes up three notches when he stands there and thanks the judges and audience, no matter what their reaction. He doesn’t question, he doesn’t talk back, he’s not smug about it.

So she really doesn’t care if he’s gay. He’s coming off as a much “nicer boy” than a lot of the straight Idols of the past.

I think we overestimate the importance of fangirls. I think they are a small part of the voting public

PJ, I think you are right on that. Or at at least I would like to think that the AI world is not ruled by fangirls. Those people who are really interested in Adam and have gone to Youtube to rewatch his peformances surely must have stumbled onto the rest of the vids and comments out there. So the fact that he is still here, and doing well, makes me think that it is about the talent.

Has there ever been an untaltented AI winner? I’m not talking commercially successful, but untaltented? I do think America gets the top five right.

EDIT – I hear you JPfan. I know Taylor is questionable, but alot of people seem to like him and he is talented. That’s why I said American gets the top 5 right. The way the fall after that is open for debate.

Adam will get away with it because he’s “theatrical” and plays so many parts that he puts out a mixed message. He’s got the David Bowie vibe that gives the ladies some hope. But honestly it’s not like plenty of gay men and women haven’t done well on the show. And some have gotten very far.

I think as the Idol audience has gotten older and more female, fan girls are more important. (And Taylor Hicks was the least talented of the Top 4 his season INMHO.)And I think attractiveness is very important on this show and one reason why Kris and Anoop will do better than Matt. But again, that’s show biz.

Here to add my two cents about Matt: I find him to be verrrry attractive and sexy, besides being a great smooth vocalist. Best features: love the unshaved look, adorable dimples when he smiles, nice wavy hair, gorgeous eye color, great body – not too fat, and not too skinny – just perfect, nice and tall, sexy raspy voice. Please feel free to add anything I might have overlooked.

Matt, if you are reading this, Please – Let’s Get It On

Love,
New York Avon Lady
xoxoxoxo

P.S. Going to vote a million and one times on Tuesday night for you to make up for your fans who are slacking in the voting department. Don’t ever want to see your dreams crushed.

(And Taylor Hicks was the least talented of the Top 4 his season INMHO.)

The fangirl vote–ie women who think a contestant is hot–is NOT enough to put a contestant over the top for the win (hello Justin Guarini!).

I suspect there were a lot of people voting for Taylor because they thought he was entertaining and talented.

Unfortunately, that’s not enough to get the public to buy an Idol’s record, so Taylor did not connect as a recording artist.

In the end, whoever wins Season 8 will do so mostly on the strength of their talent, and their ability to engage an audience–not on their sex appeal. That’s the way Idol has always worked. I don’t think that’s changed.

I did not even come close to reading all of these posts – that said – my take.

I don’t vote for contestants based on their “commercial appeal” (duh – I was a Taylor fan!) I vote for contestants that entertain me on my teevee every week. Thank you Adam! Right now he, and to a lesser extent Kris and Allison, are the only contestants I care about watching.

I am one of those people Matt is not connecting with – at all. I don’t think his vocals are that strong; I don’t want to have to watch youtubes of what he’s done before Idol to convince me he’s worthy of my vote. If he, or anyone else doesn’t entertain me on performance night, they’re not getting my vote. Same goes for Anoop Dawg. He seems nice enough but meh.

I think Adam has this thing locked. I think that middle America will vote for him because he’s fun to watch. Most of the voting public doesn’t go on-line and see exactly how flamboyant Adam can be. They will be entertained by him every week and will be swayed by the judges love. People won’t not vote for him because he’s gay. He’s nice, he’s respectful, and he’s mad talented.

Whitney P from EW, Carie and I all experienced the same thing hearing Matt live. The studio audience loved him and he energized the place – going last on Country – he held everyone’s attention even after 2 hours of performances and two hours of waiting in line! He was the best of that night in the studio. This isn’t just one opinion, it was based on applause. It felt like we were at his live concert performance and the others were the warm-ups. Adam didn’t get the applause that he has before or like Motown night, Anoop and Kris both got generous applause but nothing like Matt’s.

Motown night – Matt energized the studio once again, Whitney saying that people were on their feet for the entire performance and stayed there. Has that happened to anyone else yet? I haven’t noticed it on TV? I only know what mj said that Carie’s opinion was of the same mind, seeing him live.

Whitney also wrote that when Matt was told he was bottom three, that people were shouting and causing chaos and the show then went to break.

I know the judges like him, I know he does great live, maybe he is in need of more backstory to show more of his personality. All the contestants have said he is the funniest but that side has not been shown.

I wonder what Smokey said to him after the result show. There is a picture going around the internet of the two of them, with Smokey saying something to him.

Much like the instrumentalists of last year, those who play and sing are working much harder than those just singing. I don’t think they are getting the credit they deserve.

tinawina, I just donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get it why he received so many criticism from so many comments in this blog for being in the bottom of the votes for One night. I got your point, Matt has been pimped hard in the earlier rounds (eventhough it was not as hard as lil adam and danny), and He is struggling at the moment. But the way I read these comments are, these comments pretty much sounded like, Matt has been on the bottom and heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s definetely sure is going to be eliminated next week. No, it does not mean that. His chance are still as wide as open as the others, eventhough I know Adamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s chance are the biggest one out of all them all.

Matt is one of the most distinct voice out of all these kids, and the fact that heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s been in the bottom pretty much will help him the next week because I am sure there were so many people surprised he was in the position heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s at.

rheyow, I don’t know if you are still around, but I just saw this so I’m responding now.

I don’t think anyone said Matt would get eliminated next week, but the consensus is he probably won’t win. I agree with that actually. Trouble solidifying a fanbase after that much pimping is not a good sign. Still, I think he’s safe for a few weeks at least. But he needs to turn the tide quickly, and a breakout performance combined with an improvement on how he comes across on camera would do the trick. I hope he can find a way to pull it off.

Would love to see Matt sing “Faithfully” by Journey on the piano. I think he could have his moment with that performance.

I’m really rooting for Kris to sing some Jason Mraz this week!

As a side note, AI just won Best Reality Show at the Kid’s Choice Awards…Archie and Paula accepted, it was quite an entertaining acceptance speech.

I personally think that Matt will make the Top 5/6, but does not have the fanbase that some of the others have to sustain him much longer than that. He’s somewhere in the middle for me, and he’s got two strikes against him, IMO: 1.) He is horribly awkward when he’s not at the piano. 2.) His stank attitude. Yes, I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for now, and attribute the attitude to nerves or whatever, but he has got be more aware of he is coming off to the public. Among my group of friends, that is the number one complaint about him. It has got to be costing him votes.

My personal favorites are Allison and Kris. Adam is my third, I guess, but it just irritates the hell out of me because I either love or hate every performance. He’s 2-2 so far, but his potential is outstanding.

Kris doesn’t have the most powerful voice, but it’s very pleasant, and he’s very likeable. I also just happen to love his style of music.

I love me some Allison! She literally came out of nowhere, and I love her more and more each week. I love her bewildered, honest personality– it’s so refreshing on this show. What I really think she needs to do is show a more vulnerable side and pick a ballad one week. And I’m not talking a Celine ballad, I’m talking a Chrissie Hynde-ish ballad. Like, if she could sing “I’ll Stand By You,” or something similar one week and nail it, that would be awesome. She just needs to show a bit more versatility at this point.

Attractiveness isn’t all that important, but it sure does help. Look at Elliott, who got to 3rd place despite the fact that he was probably the most unattractive male that season and Reuben won in season 2. Talent does sometimes trump looks. I doubt that Reuben or Jordan would have won if they were white. We caucasians are more generous to African Americans who have extra weight and rather prejudice against white performers who are overweight. Yes,undercooked, alot of folks do like Taylor and I am one of those who feels America got it right. He was the top vote getter (I’ve been told) every week but one, season 5. I get tired of Simon, he tried everything he could to get Taylor voted off and I think it made him pissed that America didn’t do as he wanted. The man is rude, and IMO the fans that love him are the same ones that like the bad auditions, and the new judges save option.

Look at Elliott, who got to 3rd place despite the fact that he was probably the most unattractive male that season

That’s subjective. I personally thought (and still do) that he’s cute. Way cuter than Daughtry or Taylor.

I’m sure there are people that think Gokey is cute. And Matt. And Scott.

YMMV.

ETA: As for Simon, he’s only interested in $$$. So, if he didn’t like Taylor, it’s because he didn’t see marketability. Seems like he was right. I doubt it was personal. Or maybe it was. There has to be a reason Taylor is the bastard child of idol.

I thought Elliott was cute! However he was always sweet and humble on the show. For some reason, Matt comes off as sour. There’s obviously something going on besides talent that’s hurting him with the audience.

This girl asked E to marry her on his radio tour yesterday. She thinks he’s cute.:)
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=54695310

Sorry for the Taylor comment. Old habits die hard. I like his new single though.

I think Matt is extremely talented…don’t find him attractive at all.

While I will agree that TPTB are trying to push him off on us, I still don’t believe that he was in the bottom 3 Wednesday night. I think he was safe enough, just not safe to the point that they were comfortable. They want him higher in the ranks with a solid foothold. The only person with a solid fanbase right now, I think, is Danny. Yes, Adam and Allison were up there last week, I don’t think their position right now is guaranteed.

Couple Simon’s “America doesn’t like you very much” with Matt’s I’m-about-to-hurl expression, and the exit of one “soul” singer, and things could very well be looking up for Mr. Giraud.

Losing one soul boy increases his chances of getting more voters. With the exit of Michael, I still think the votes will scatter between Kris, Matt, Danny, and Anoop.

Anyway, Matt was the first performer this week. Next week will find him somewhere near the middle-end, where he will (hopefully), for the producers’ sakes, be able to make more of an impact.

I’ll look for the Danny depimping to continue. He was next-to-last Tuesday night. Next week’s lineup for him doesn’t look so promising. Without a stellar performance, let the judges go all lukewarm on him again, and he’ll continue to slide.

“If not, heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll continue to lose steamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’possibly not making the Top 5. If his viewer support stagnates, the judges may not even save him from a surprise boot.”

This USA Today’s idol meter is a complete joke. How insightful of the author to say Matt is not catching on after he makes the bottom 3. If Danny were to get voted off within the next 3 weeks, a ridiculous thought, the judges would surely save him. Thats why the save rule was put into place, to save a top tier contestant that was unexpectantly voted off.

Alright, I actually went through all three pages and read every single comment. So here’s my thoughts on everyone.

Matt, since that’s a big topic right now. I LOVE him. And I know I’m completely in the minority when I say I totally feel his passion and energy in his live performances. IMO his studio versions pale in comparison to his live versions. Especially in So Small. God, live that was just amazing. Even with all those extra riffs; there was just so much passion. And he really made it his own. Then I heard the studio version. Yeah, it was cleaner, more radio friendly, and more country sounding. But I didn’t really get that Matt spin on it. It sounded too much like the original. So yeah, it was good, but I felt it was missing something. In fact he’s the only contestant that I’ve liked EVERY single one of his performances (including Viva La Vida..) And I don’t think he’s cocky at all. Seriously, I think he’s got a great attitude. I think he’s really funny. But the best part is that he’s got so much PASSION. He really wants this and I see it more in him than any other contestant this season. I do believe he’s suffering in the votes department because he’s everyone’s second or third favorite. (In fact he’s only my second favorite…) And that Disney and Big Brother stuff just makes me love him more. (:

Okay now Adam, because he’s also a hot topic. I’ve heard his pre-idol stuff. I don’t like it at all. Now his performances on Idol. Well, they’re certainly entertaining. I can’t say I love them. I’m not a fan of his high screamy-like voice. But I certainly like his Idol performances better than his pre-idol stuff. Okay, he’s got a great range. I actually have a hard time distinguishing whether or not he’s using falsetto or his chest voice. I find his upper range kind of.. I don’t know.. thin? But it’s not an appealing sound to me. Something I love about him though, he’s always Adam. He doesn’t care about what the judges think. He doesn’t let them sway his decisions. I’m never nervous for him like I am with everyone else. Instead, I’m excited to hear what he’s going to sing. With all that being said, I LOVE his personality. He always says the right things. He’s got a great attitude. He seems like so much fun! Would I ever vote for Adam? Well, there’s only two situations. A Lil vs Adam finale OR Danny vs Adam. But besides that, No I would never vote for him.

Also in the minority on this one. I’m not an Allison fan. Sure, I like her, but eh I don’t see anything amazing about her. And her personality, well it’s teenage awkward, but I also find her kind of boring. I guess she’s just not my cup of tea.

Anoop is still my favorite and it’s something I can’t actually verbally explain why. I just love him. The only problem I find with him is that he’s trying to please everyone. I just want him to be himself and not worry about what the judges think.

Kris is my third favorite. And I think it’s partly because he’s cute. (: But he’s definitely growing. He’s got a distinct sound and a Jason Mraz vibe which I really like. He changes up his style each week but he’s always got that distinct Kris sound.

I really like Megan. She just needs training because she’s a really good voice. She just needs to learn how to use it.

Lil.. ehh. Danny.. eww. Scott.. boring.

I think Adam has this thing locked. I think that middle America will vote for him because heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s fun to watch. Most of the voting public doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t go on-line and see exactly how flamboyant Adam can be. They will be entertained by him every week and will be swayed by the judges love. People wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t not vote for him because heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s gay. Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s nice, heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s respectful, and heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s mad talented.

I don’t think Adam is a lock at all. Last week after ROF, he didn’t get nearly the votes he did this week when he wasn’t so out there. He is talented but it isn’t always about the most talented or Melinda would have won in season 6 and I have my own ideas about season 5. David Cook pushed the envelope a bit as did Blake who made it all the way to 2nd even though vocally he shouldn’t have but Adam may go a little too far and scare away middle America. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

I doubt that Danny will be going any time soon. My co-workers all love him. I think all of them including those who may or may not be the TCO have to make good song choices. I hope Anoop and Matt do well and last past Megan, Scott, and Kris at least. I’d also love Allison to be the last girl standing.

GwendolynD – If Ryan repeatedly said Matt was in the Bottom Three, he (most likely) was. If Matt had not been in the Bottom Three, Ryan would’ve never said “This is the Bottom Three” and instead would have opted for “Who is safe?”/”These people are in danger of leaving us tonight” or something like that. Good performers sometimes don’t get a lot of votes – it happens. And considering Matt performed first, had a horrible clip of him shown in the performance recaps, and appears “sour-faced” and cocky to some, his Bottom Three position is plausible.

ETA – Keep in mind, we all still got to sit through 8/9 more weeks of Idol!
So, I would say Adam does not necessarily have “this thing locked.”

Sorry for the Taylor comment. Old habits die hard. I like his new single though.

Why are you apologizing? I was disagreeing with the point you were making–that fangirls determine the outcome of Idol. I don’t care what you think of Taylor.

I canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t believe this thing is being used so much. This is absolutely fake, it was posted by someone named à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Sanjaya Fanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  in a message board on EW, do you really think it has something true in it???
Furthermore, the sum of the votes donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t add to 36 million.

Um, he has been in first place….for 1 week(country). Adam was this week. Danny was another week. There is a poster on the ai forums named FAR_FROM_OVER…..he’s been posting for forever and has the in’s!

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t really understand what the big deal about Matt is. I mean, I was surprised to see him in the Bottom 3 (whoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s voting for Megan?!) but I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s that great. He overdoes the riffing and his voice seems strained at times. Thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not much power behind it. Of course heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not a belter, but you have to have some kind of range and power. To me, heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s okay but not great. Plus, like others have said, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not connecting with him.

Mte! But, I HATE his voice.

Furthermore, the sum of the votes donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t add to 36 million

I have no idea if those results are accurate by contestant, but they do add to a rounded 36MM (35,895,573). I work in finance, and it would be standard procedure/accepted to say those figures total 36MM (no reference to rounding need be spoken/written).

Look at Elliott, who got to 3rd place despite the fact that he was probably the most unattractive male that season

Hey now… them’s fightin words! LOL… I think he’s cute but of course that’s all subjective.

Matt is still my favorite because I like his voice and love when he’s at the piano. I stand by my predicition that this is Adam’s to lose but I was hoping Matt would place high. It doesn’t look good after last week. Although, Elliott made a few trips to the bottom 3 (grrrr) and still ended up 3rd. We’ll see.

Yay! Finished reading all the comments. I like Matt, but alas he’s not my favorite. He’s either my third or fourth favorite, depending on where Allison falls, with Kris and Adam being my favorite two. (Anoop comes in at #5, in case you were wondering.) The rest … no where on my list.

As for whether Matt was in the Bottom 3, or not … unless Ryan was totally lying, he was in the Bottom 3. Not only that, after Scott was sent to safety, Ryan said of Matt and Michael, “This is your Bottom Two, America.” Or words to that effect. So, Matt came in 9th. Again, unless Ryan was lying.

Does that mean I think he’s going home, this week? Of course not. The reasons for his being in the bottow two have already been discussed (he went first, his fans thought he was safe because he got good comments from the judges and his dialidol standings showed him safe, he’s a lot of people’s 2nd and 3rd favorite, the recap video showed a “lesser” performance, etc.). The one reason that he wasn’t in the bottom two is that he had a bad performance – though I agree with mj: he was much better before he got up from the piano.

mj Mar 28th, 2009 at 10:47 pm

The fangirl voteà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ie women who think a contestant is hotà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’is NOT enough to put a contestant over the top for the win (hello Justin Guarini!).

I suspect there were a lot of people voting for Taylor because they thought he was entertaining and talented.

Unfortunately, thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not enough to get the public to buy an Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s record, so Taylor did not connect as a recording artist.

MJ, I agree completely.

Like all AI winners, Taylor attracted enough casual viewers who voted him to the top but lost interest thereafter. The difference, I believe, was the nature of his core fans. I think Taylor appealed to them in a different, more cerebral way than any other winner, before or since.

Taylor’s life was so devoted to music that he genuinely suffered and sacrificed for his art. He inspired his fans to delve more deeply and broadly into music, including the creator of the unique Gray Charles website, which served as a forum to promote music appreciation as much as to promote Taylor the musician. There has never been another AI fan site like Gray Charles.

It seems to me that most AI winners have fangirly supporters who purchase multiple copies of their favorite’s albums and singles, thus driving up sales. Taylor’s fan base was more mature, shall we say, more album-focused, less hit-oriented — and it did affect his sales figures.

Like Taylor, Adam is very musically literate, which is a big part of his appeal for me. In his top 11 week confessional, he discussed his musical influences. I hope he continues to advocate for his art and inspire his fans to focus on the music.

Who do I want gone? Well Hokey Gokey for sure. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m tired of breathless, off-key performances. What really takes me over the edge though is the horrible dancing and gyrating. Youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re fugly, get over yourself already. Alsoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦Megan. Her singing is painful to me. I really find her awkward performances uncomfortable to watch. I know a lot of people are hating on Scott, but he really doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t bother me. He sings mostly on key, but yeah, heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s horribly boring and not as good as most of the others. But as long as heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not gyrating around the stage or making my ears hurt, he can stick around longer than Danny and Megan and it wouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t bother me.

Now see, it’s interesting how different ears hear different things. I think Danny for the most part stays on key (not always I’ll admit), but Scott doesn’t. I’ll absolutely agree with you on Megan though. Hey, I’m not a Danny fan, I’m just saying what I’m hearing…IDK, your millage varies and that’s what makes this big AI world go around. LOL

I think I may join Kylene and Lu (right Lu?, lol, you do what you gotta do…) though and put in some votes for Matt (if he does as well this week as last), because I honestly think he does not belong at the bottom. His face on Idolatry to me showed some humility. Maybe, just maybe he’ll be able to loosen up some and say WTH this week. I wanna like him, I really do!!!

However, I also agree with rbidol(?) that we still haven’t seen all Kris can do artistically. Having said that, I agree he doesn’t have the ‘big voice’ that Randy loves. However, ‘big voice’ has not always equaled success in the past…

I have to say I love Allison, but have to wonder about her flexibility, (I’d buy her album).

I think I may join Kylene and Lu (right Lu?, lol, you do what you gotta doà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦)

Yes Cookcricket… that’s right! Poor Matt.. you’re right. In that idolatry vid he looked like he’d been punched right in the stomach… poor guy. Daggone you Matt… you’re making me vote!

And I also agree with you on Danny. He’s not my favorite but I’ve never really noticed that he’s off key. Megan is off-key a lot! Scott is definitely not always on key either.

I think the voting totals post is the product of an Anoop fanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s imagination but I do think Anoop is more popular than his showing on DI indicates due to campus texters.

Yep, you are right!

I never thought Elliott was unattractive, even in the early weeks when he was sportin’ a leprechan cut. He was very cute, then he went to hot.

Matt… the least attractive of the guys for me. Sorry.

Anoop is still my favorite and ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s something I canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t actually verbally explain why. I just love him. The only problem I find with him is that heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s trying to please everyone. I just want him to be himself and not worry about what the judges think.

Yes, yes – 1 million times, yes!

Count me among those who aren’t getting the Matt hype. No matter how much OTT praise he gets, I don’t think he’s had a real groundbreaking moment since “Georgia On My Mind.” This past week I was enjoying his performance until he stepped away from the piano. It’s clear that the piano is where his real talent lies. He could make a decent record but I don’t see him doing better than former contestants like Elliott Yamin, Bo Bice or Kellie Pickler. Matt is simply the Chris Richardson of Season 8, heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the one that TPTB try to pimp and get America to like but the voters arenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t buying it. Matt could go far in the competition but I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think he has much chance of winning.

Mattà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ the least attractive of the guys for me. Sorry.

No need to apologize attraction is very subjective. I personally find him extremely attractive. I do not find his attitude nasty and can’t understand why others do? Complete mystery to me but everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. I think he is just shy. To me he always seems embarrassed and a little surprised when the judges compliment him. When he was in the bottom 3 he looked like he was going to throw up or break down crying. What’s wrong with that? He obviously wants this very badly. I don’t think Matt is very good with schooling his emotions. Personally I find a man not afraid to show his emotions sexy as hell! Danny is the person who rubs me the wrong way. He is so damn smug!

The performance order has already been announced for the upcoming show? I think I missed that information. What is the order?

I disagree that Adam needs to keep his looks and performances Middle-America safe to win. I think what worked in last week’s performance was not the suit, or the hair, or sitting still during the performance. It was the fact it was the first week he did not over-sing. I didn’t even notice what he looked last week because I was caught up in how great he was making the song sound. He could have diva’d the heck out of that song to showboat his abilities, but instead he had the musical instinct to know what was appropriate. That’s not only surprising from a contestant who I always felt criminally over-sung in the past, but it’s surprising from any contestant on a show that encourages showboating. The judges have always noted his huge arsenal of vocal capabilities. What was always missing in his performances for me was the instinct of knowing when to use them. He showed it last week and I’m looking for more of that intuition in the upcoming weeks, regardless of what he wears or how he performs. He definitely caught my interest last week for sure.

I don’t think Allison has a chance of making it very far in the competition. She’s very talented and very commercial, but she is unfortunately very been-there-done-that in terms of idol history. There is a token rock girl every season and one has already won. She would do well to differentiate her pop-rock style from Kelly Clarkson in order to gain more buzz and interest. The same goes for Lil; also very talented but also very deja vu on the AI stage.

I think Matt does have a chance to make it to the finals. He has the potential to pull off ‘a moment’ on stage that could push him into the running. He just needs to get out of his own way and overcome his nerves. I felt the same way about Archuleta last season. So much potential, but not enough confidence to realize it. Danny Gokey, on the other hand, I feel has reached his potential at this point. I think we’ve seen his best vocally, and I don’t think its good enough to make it to the finals.

The rest imo, are fodder. I agree that Kris could pull a Syesha and make it into the top 5-3, not by being the best, but by consistently surprising people and exceeding their lower expectations of him every week.

Most attractive: Adam, even though he’s got such horrible skin.
Least attractive: Scott, his expressions freak me out.

Adam will get away with it because heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“theatricalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and plays so many parts that he puts out a mixed message.

IMO, Adam will “get away with it” because he is astronomically talented. Just as, in the past and sometimes still, women and people of color must be 3 to 5 times as talented in order to succeed or be appreciated, so too must Adam. As it turns out, imo, he is.

hypertwink
Mar 28th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s funny how this year was suppose to be back to the basics, back to the contestants and all that jazz hands but I still donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know much about these people. Shouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t we know what kind of tattoos are on Cawcawà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s arm are?

I just picked up the new TV Guide. Here is what it says about Cawcaw’s tat:

“It’s a castle and there’s a fairy godmother—my mom.
The wizard is my brother, the prince is my son, and then
the queen is me. Who knows who the king is!”

Sorry if someone mentioned this already; but I am reading through all of the posts, and haven’t seen it yet.

Speaking of family trees, I’d love to know Adam’s. I’ve done genealogy for beaucoup years and I have a very large Lambert line in mine. LOL

I think Megan did talk about her tattoo on one of the shows because I knew about the castle, etc and I didn’t read the TV guide episode. But maybe I’m clairvoyant…….pfffffft………..

Matt has definetely something that is not getting through to the audience

Could it be that nipple that is growing out of the middle of his forehead?

Ewwwww

Could it be that nipple that is growing out of the middle of his forehead?

LOLOLOL. A nubbin!

lol, aww, poor matt. hey, it hasn’t hurt ewan macgregor!

I keep reading comments about not knowing who the real Adam is. I don’t have a problem seeing the real Adam. I see him every week.

Peeps, this is the first contestant ever who can sing any genre thrown their way and play the part, as well. THAT is the real Adam…the professional, the artist! He knows who he is and he has shown us who he is in each and every performance. He isn’t changing to win the title. He is simply doing what he does best.

Add me to the list of people who “get” Matt. I voted for him for almost an hour, checked Dial Idol, then figured he was OK. Won’t be making that mistake again. I don’t think he’ll win, but I’m hoping he’ll be Top 3 at least.

Looooooooooove all his studio recordings!

Past idols have shown their rocker roots without having to indulge in sexual inuendos and if Adam is as talented as some believe, he shouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t need to rely on mike stand fondling and sultry looks to get votes. That behavior is like the females wearing short skirts and low tops à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  detracts from the vocals…

flyaway, I respect your opinion; but, I’m older than dirt and if I can still remember correctly, there was this young little whippersnapper, way back in the day, that was quite the mike stand fondler and yeah, he was known for his sultry looks. What was his name? Oh yeah, Elvis Presley. Mmmm, those were the days.

I am surprised that Gokey is so low, since he was a frontrunner at the begining. That is the curse of being pimped early and called the winner by the judges before the show starts. Gokey is not my favorite, but was surprised.

But my favorites are in the top 3 on that site; Adam, Kris and Allison. Matt is also from the group, but was the wild card. That group is also very close. Which you can see in the photos and who hangs around with each other and encourage each other.

Group 2, IMO, was the strongest group. Group 1 already last Micahel Sarver and Alexis Grace, and group 3 has lost Jorge Nunez and Jamine Murrary, who was the wildcard from that group.

But if Group 2 singers would have a concert I would definately go to see and hear that concert. They are very diverse and entertaining.

But Matt and Kris might split their fan voters and sadly they might go home before their time.

concerning flyways comments

Sorry, I just canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see Adam as an American Idol. Obviously porn musicals/videos have a market

huh? Sorry flyaway, I believe Adam would have a large market and be very marketable for any Music Label. He has been one of the most stellar and brilliant contestants this season. He did what David Cook did last season and change songs to match his creative mind and many people have loved that.

And if you want to count “Obviously porn musicals/videos” I guess you haven’t seen two singers called Britney and Lady GaGa. If you consider Adam’s videos as porn, then what are their videos?

and then this one

The vote count that was supposed to be from an idol employee showed Anoop with the top votes this week and the idol meter had him number one last week. And, unlike Adam, his youtube videos are pg and no internet pics of him with his tongue in anyoneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s mouth.

I don’t believe that is correct, because Adam has had the lead in almost every poll, video count, and news media headline. If you are saying that an AI employee is saying Anoop is beating Adam and Gokey in vote count I don’t believe it. Anoop appears to be a very nice guy, but I don’t think that he has been as creative and innovative as Adam so far.

Many of today’s music artists are gay. Giants like George Michael, Elton John and even Clay Aiken. People buy their music and don’t care who they kiss.

I wasn’t apologizing to anyone for the Taylor remark. I just try not to bash him anymore out of principle. I don’t think fan girls did it for him alone either. But S8 seems overloaded with guys. And I think cuteness matters. Test case let’s see who lasts longer – Matt or Anoop? Oh wait, Anoop is #1 in voting. Why don’t I believe that.

Anyway, because I personally favor those contestants with creativity, I think Kris has outstanding potential, in this competition and beyond.

Me too.

And as for the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“boringà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  badge, could somebody please tell me what charisma Carrie Underwood had while on the show? Zilch. She had a great voice, and displayed very little personality.

Personally, I think Kris has one. And that we havenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t heard all he has to offer musically by any means.

What I have been reading on Entertainment Weekly, Kris, along with Allison, have been very unboring. Kris and Allison have been supportive of all the other contestants, cheering them on. Kris is shown dancing and acting adorkable. When Allison had to rebound and sing her song “Papa was a Rolling Stone” after she was almost voted off the week before. Kris ran up to her and gave her the biggest supportive hug.

Also what people haven’t notice, but I have, If you see most photos Kris is in he is the one hugging the other contestants.

There are photos of Kris/Adam, Kris/Allison, Kris/Matt, Kris/Anoop together having a good time and being chummy, but if you notice there are no or very few photos of Adam/Anoop, Matt/Adam, Anoop/Allison, Matt/Allison, Matt/Anoop together by themselves, unless they are in the group of three or more. Just an observation…lol

Kris also helps out the contestants with their songs and accompanies them. which means that Kris has a good heart, great personality, and is not boring.

I’ll put all my money on Anoop.

Matt is a real conundrum for me. In theory, I should LOVE this guy. He plays the piano and has some soul. I really WANT to love him. But there was the Coldplay incident during the semis, and his snotty reaction to the criticism. That was weird.

Then when I saw the spoilers that Matt was going to tackle “Let’s Get It On” I was actually excited. I thought, “Yeah, this’ll be good. This’ll be the the week I hop on the Matt Love Express. Whoot, whoot!”

And then he performed and I felt … nothing. When watching Idol I can always forgive one or two bum notes or someone going a little sharp at one point or whatever (so long as it isn’t a complete hot mess, I’m talking one or two slight wobbles). It’s the overall I’m looking at. And while Matt’s “Let’s Get It On” was good, it wasn’t great. He riffed a lot, and I wonder if it’s his nerves that don’t let him control his vibrato and falsetto? I don’t know, but whatever it is I just wasn’t feeling it. And I *wanted* to. I sort of felt like he was trying a bit too hard, and since he isn’t the most charismatic guy on stage, maybe that was it?

I’ve also wondered why lots of people have forgiven Anoop for his “Beat It” but not forgiven Matt for his “Viva La Vida.” Is it because Matt said, “Well, that’s the sort of music I want to make,” and Anoop said, “I hope I’m here next week to show you what I’ve got,” or what?

I’ll admit that I’m an Anoop fan. He has the sort of voice that I love listening to; smooth and rich and not shouty at all, even when he belts. I’m voting for him, and hoping either this week or next he really lays down a marker. He’s a contemporary R&B boy through and through, and IMO that can be a bit more difficult to showcase on AI. If you put Anoop’s vocals up against the current batch of charting R&B singers, his vocals are on par or even better than theirs. But he can’t dance like Usher. LOL. But if Anoop can come up with a knockout performance/vocal combination he can really go deep in this competition. I’m hoping he does.

Kris is great, too. I don’t happen to think he’s as original in his songs as some others here do, but I like him all the same. He’s another one who needs a breakout performance, and we might get that this week or next.

Adam is Adam and chock full of talent. He really is original within the context of AI, but not in the music world as a whole. He may not be my thing, but I enjoy watching him, and I hope he doesn’t feel the need to strip down his performance every week from here on in, just to appeal to Middle America. Part of what makes him likeable is that he does what he does, like it or not, and takes the hits as well as the kudos. I can respect that.

Alison does have a great voice. I just can’t hop on that love train quite yet either. I want to see if she’s capable of more than rocking out. Honestly, she’s not brought anything new or exciting to her performances, and for me they are all quite samey. If she can show she’s got not only the vocal chops, but the emotional maturity to deliver a more vulnerable/connected performance, then I’ll buy my ticket.

Lil isn’t my thing. She’s disappointed so far and I think she’s overrated.

Danny – won’t go there.

So, that was a real novel there, huh?

Much like the instrumentalists of last year, those who play and sing are working much harder than those just singing. I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think they are getting the credit they deserve.

I can’t agree with that. Just because someone doesn’t play the piano or guitar doesn’t mean they aren’t a real musician. A good friend of my back in Seattle is such a fantastic songwriter and arranger but he can barely plunk out the melody on a piano, yet he *knows* how he wants it to sound. YMMV, natch.

There are photos of Kris/Adam, Kris/Allison, Kris/Matt, Kris/Anoop together having a good time and being chummy, but if you notice there are no or very few photos of Adam/Anoop, Matt/Adam, Anoop/Allison, Matt/Allison, Matt/Anoop together by themselves, unless they are in the group of three or more. Just an observationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦lol

Seriously? I suppose it depends upong where one finds one’s photos. I have seen with my very own two eyes pictures of Adam/Anoop, Matt/Adam, Anoop/Allison etc. etc.

Just thought I’d throw that out there. *ahem*

I completely disagree with your assessment of Matt. He appears to be one of the most humble contestants this year! He quietly listens to the judges and takes in what they are saying to him. Not talking back to the judges is a very good thing, and shows he is very humble and respectful. The judges critiques are NOT over-praising – they are stating simple FACT. He has a wonderful voice, obviously extremely talented, and exudes a very cool and sexy vibe.

But our country is full of people who are nothing but big-mouths, and those who shout the loudest are the ones who are heard. To most of us, that may equal personality and accessibility, but to me, I am far more interested in the one who is quiet. That’s the person I want to listen to and who I want to support.

Adam and Allison in the finale, the best voices and the best presentation, hands down, IMO.

I don’t care if Allison rocks it out every week. That is the type of music she will do IF she wins and/or gets a contract. Her presentation on the stage as she performs is so full of musicality that I can feel the rhythm going through her body giving her all the right moves as compared to Danny or some of the others.

I just hope that she doesn’t need to sing a type of song that she wouldn’t have on her album, anyway and get blasted by the judges for doing what they told her to do.

I have seen the judges *good* advice ruin a lot of contestants. And where does Simon come off calling “Blame It On YOur Heart” a terrible performance THIS week, when he complimented it (against his will) the night she sang it.

IIRC, he called it a solid performance, after trying to convince her she had forgotten the words. She looked at him in her natural way and wondered WTF he was talking about and politely told him that she knows that song since she was 8 years old. He then tried *precocious* on her and it was not a compliment, simply a reference to her being young in a very non-complimentary way. Finally, with the other three judges solidly behind Allison’s very strong interpretation of the Patty Loveless song, Simon mumbled, “Solid Performance.”

So, what is the BS that she *had* a horrible week? And what is the BS of the giggling and ruining her moment in the pimp spot with a fantastic “Papa was a Rolling Stone.” Even Smokey knew it was good enough to get him off his feet and applauding. (the only other contestant he gave that honor to was Adam)

For whatever reason, Allison is getting in the way of Simon’s planned finale of first Adam and Danny, and then Adam and Matt G. and now maybe Adam and Kris.

The girl is just too talented and is causing problems for TPTB. They had better accept her talent. If Megan (can’t sing girl) outlasts Allison, that would be criminal.

My issue with Matt is this- he can do a really superlative show stopper like his “Georgia” audition that got me so enthused about him that I just could not wait until the next time I heard him. But the next time was such a let down that I felt deflated and disappointed. Contrast that with another contestant like Allison, whose same old same old is at least pleasant without the huge disappointment factor, and Matt is just much too inconsistent for me to become invested in. He hadn’t the fan support to get voted in in the first place and uneven performances aren’t garnering many new voters, so bottom three it is- when I think of him I just feel disappointed.
That and the whole moley moley thing- honestly, it would take all of five seconds to get that distraction burned off.

Same with Anoop- I keep hearing about his huge fan base, but how huge could it be if they had to create a 13th spot because he didn’t get enough votes to begin with? Then come the poor song choices and a sonambulistic performance and he’s not long for this competition. It’s too exciting a season otherwise to be interested in him.

So these two are just as likely to offer up a ho-hum performance as a good one on any given night, and we know this. In a year when most of us- even the detractors- are sitting on the edge of our seats waiting to see what Adam is going to pull out of his toybox, ho hum just isn’t good enough, much less memorable.
And the sense of disappointment after a performance and cries of “He is better than that” just aren’t good enough when they have to stand next to those pulling ahead of the pack, Kris and Allison. And they can’t hold a candle to Adam who is leaving nothing but dust trails behind him he’s so far ahead.

I think it is a foregone conclusion that Scott and Megan should start packing. And in the rest of the middle of the pack is Lil, who is another huge disappointment with no sense of identity whose recent bitch faces really put me off. And Gokey, whose star is fading faster than any other quick out of the gate Idol in my memory. He’s in a near freefall and I think they will damn him with faint praise so as not to stir up voters. The schtick is old, we are weary of it, and he will be the shock boot of the season, Amen and goodnight.

I see everything Adam has done as a real part of him. He has said he has a vivid imagination, he’s complex, very creative, artsy and just a unique person. His family realized this when he was 5, thus they put him in theater to contain it all. He has described himself as the “nice rebel”. A part of him is a rebel……needing to express some feelings inside (he says he’s very honest too and if we all are, we all kind of have these inner wild/bold/fierce thoughts at times). He is also the sweetie. He says he wears his heart on his sleeve. He’s adored by everyone that knows him. So, Tears was closer to his real heart. But all of it is real. He’s putting out there the real thing. Not afraid to show the hidden thoughts and desires that we all hide and pretend we’re all perfect saints. Those performances do provoke us. Maybe shakes things up. It’s interesting. And I don’t think we’ve even begun to see all the inner workings and thoughts that Adam has so I expect a different part of it to continue to be revealed. I also think he’s growing and changing all the time so I expect new stuff all the time. He isn’t an easily defined person. He studies art, egyptian history, all the moons…horoscope. Always trying to figure out the world and what makes people tick. I find it all fascinating. Ring of Fire was so amazing to me. He is sexual, he knows lust. But so did Johnny Cash. He’s been heartbroken before so Tears was real too. He’s had trouble finding love. I think he is not afraid to explore all his inner workings and that’s why I’m crazy about him. Yes, some may be uncomfortable but I don’t think they are being honest with themselves. I also love the soft, heart filled performances. They are harder for Adam because he has to be so vulnerable. His life had been hard, and there’s some real pain there. I think exploring that will be so artistic, so fundamentally beautiful and I look forward to it. (I don’t find any of his performances overly sexual at all….you do have to understand a bit the culture he comes from and where he has lived for so long. But I don’t judge him at all) I’d like to see his real “diva” side on a big ballad come out. Again, it would be real. Don’t we all have that inside us? When we were little and we dressed up and strutted in front of the mirror? It’s a feeling of real freedom to get up there and freely express all of this, and that is Adam. He’s so creative that he’s got to express it. Adam is just brave enough to express all of this.

I think people are still so prude and still so into being politically correct. So, I don’t think they’ll allow Adam to express of him. So, even though he’s miles and miles above the rest, he can’t win. Not with this kind of audience. So, who does that leave? Allison has to vocal talent. I don’t think she’d Kelly Clarkson, but she’s certainly talented. Anoop is as adorable as they comes, and who wouldn’t be happy for him to win. Vocally, he’d be the weakest Idol we’ve ever had, but he’s got the charm and charisma to do well. I’ve said enough about Matt and his excruciating riffs and his continued arrogance in trying to be more vocally than what he really is. He’s the least “real” to me. I’ve lost all my Danny love, but at least he is talented.

The winner is Adam even if he goes home this week. All will make a very fun tour.

A very interesting read.
It was especially interesting reading the comments about the “real” Adam. To me, Adam has a mystique. When he performs he leaves it all out there and there is no denying that he has the gay gene of embodying the whole atmospere of a song- some call it being theatrical. Doesn’t meant that he is acting , it means that he is capable of getting inside the song and interpreting it to the max. I think that is an amazing gift. Then when he finishes performing he is well-spoken, respectful and actually LISTENS to the judges critiques without getting an attitude. Adam knows who he is.

Im not so sure that Adam is in-it-to-win it. He’s intelligent and surely knows that many will find his style of singing, and his sexual orientation off-putting- there is not much he can do about that except become bland and toned down and behave like a straight guy when he sings and I don’t Adam is capable of that. He is a naturally exciting performer and I don ¨’t think he would be able to ever tone it down enough for some people. So be it.

The top 3 is what I am hoping for.

But if Anoop can come up with a knockout performance/vocal combination he can really go deep in this competition. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m hoping he does.

I hope so too! He has the fan base but an outstanding performance would gather him some new fans. I loved seeing his reaction and Kris’ reaction to Stevie Wonder.

Thank you, MJ for your hard work here!

Why do people still say that 13rd place was created for Anoop??? Strange!

American Idol wants a star and winner who can sell records and is commerically viable in different genres but mostly mainstream such as pop and/or pop rock. A.I. don’t need another country star, an R&B star, a Christian music star, a “soul” jazz star, a boring adult contemporary star, or a diva. Adam Lambert would certainly be in a category of his own because I don’t know where to put him, except “theatre.” Is Adam good–yes he is and I know this is a more liberal time but is America ready for a gay American Idol? I can just see the tabloids already. Other gay musicians made their mark before anyone knew they were gay and none of them got where they are today due to having their life exposed on a reality show and still made it. Clay Aiken did well but he isn’t selling any records now. This is a reality show and people really get to know just about everything about these contestants–nothing is off limits.

The only person of the bunch that I feel fits as a commerically viable artist is Allison. I would buy her CD, download her songs, and go to her concerts. I just don’t think she’s gotten a dedicated fanbase. She has to really bring it on but her age and lack of experience puts her at a disadvantage. Everyone is at a disadvantage with Adam there, who knows what buttons to push, has tons of stage experience and can play any part he thinks the audience wants him to play. Hence, I totally agree with the following statement–Adam will tone down his “Queen” persona, and keep his performances “America safe.”

If Adam Lambert keeps his look and his performances Middle-America safe, he could run away with this thing.

Has anybody else noticed how popular Adam seems to be with people who are 40-50-60 years old? I think it’s great! I keep reading on youtube and on blogs messages from people who say their mothers/fathers love Adam. Or messages from women being like “I am way too old, but I don’t find him offensive”

I am 27, so I don’t really know what’s going on, but it seems it has something to do with how polite and nice he seems? Also, the fact that he has mad talent doesn’t hurt.

Cakenbake:::: I think you’re doing a lot of pimping on Idol Contestants…I think your a Kris/Anoop, Kris/ Allison, Kris/Adam, Matt/ Kris…whatever////STALKERRRRRRRRR…nyahhh…that’s weird..

I think Adam will be God’s gift to that AI tour this year (sorry Gokey), with Anoop a close second. Adam could win because he is such a draw to viewers and would fit right in with some of the ‘freaks’ totally hogging the ‘current’ charts – and I mean that in the nicest way, I heart Adam.

I don’t believe those vote totals that were posted anymore than I believed Thursday Matt was bottom 3 and I think that we will see Matt rise to the top next week just as Allison did the week after being placed in the bottom 3. I think the rise in total votes this week was due to all the ‘lets get Allison out of the bottom 3′ peeps, of which I was one LOL jmo

I’m not particularly a fan of Matt’s, he didn’t start out strong like Gokey but I think both he and Kris are replacing Gokey on the AI totem pole (thank God) and I do think there’s a place for him also in music land if he doesn’t become too Michael Boubleish. He’s got a Billy Joel/Elton John type thing going with his piano and we could use a younger more current version of them out there.

I don’t think Anoop will win despite his large fan base, i’m a fan of his and throw votes his way every week but I just don’t think he has that ‘something special’ that will carry him to a win, hope he makes top 3 at least because I do enjoy his iTunes recordings and I like his genuineness. He would definitely fit in on the current charts but do we really need anymore Chris Brown, Ne-Yo types?

I like Allison, she has so much talent and can only get better imo, she’s a star in the making for sure. I’d love to see her in the top 3, I hope she makes it.

The rest of them just don’t shine for me, Kris is cute but bland, Meagan would be good if she could hold a note, Gokey is a joke, Scott is a sweetheart but a mega boring singer and Lil isn’t all she’s cracked up to be either.

Those are my thoughts but wtf do I know LOL
My wish for top 3 is Adam, Matt or Anoop and Allison with Adam or Allison winning.

Well, as far as the gambling goes: I found this. Interesting, of course this is from prior to the recent results show and of course they thought Michael was going so it paid off quite a bit. I wonder how the odds will change as the weeks progress.

This leads gamblers to wonder if Lambert, who may have broken a few girls hearts with those one-on-one male kisses, will be able to win over enough of the public during the final weeks of American Idol.

“Bet against it,” says Sparky. “Idol is a show chock full of wholesome goodness. It’s not just the kissing between two boys but having someone photograph this that will turn off viewers.”

And where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

“There has to be a video laying around of Lambert engaging in this activity somewhere,” Sparky suggests.

Suddenly Danny Gokey is looking mighty good paying $30 for every $10.

Here are all your odds:

Adam Lambert 160 (a $10 bet pays $16)

Danny Gokey 300 (a $10 bet pays $30)

Lil Rounds 550 (a $10 bet pays $55)

Matt Giraud 900 (a $10 bet pays $90)

Allison Iraheta 1100 (a $10 bet pays $110)

Anoop Desai 2500 (a $10 bet pays $250)

Alexis Grace 900 (a $10 bet pays $90)

Megan Corkrey 3500 (a $10 bet pays $350)

Scott MacIntyre 2000 (a $10 bet pays $200)

Kris Allen 2500 (a $10 bet pays $250) Michael Sarver 4500 (a $10 bet pays $450)

Here’s the link.

http://www.gambling911.com/entertainment/adam-lambert-gay-how-will-affect-his-american-idol-odds-031609.html

Has anybody else noticed how popular Adam seems to be with people who are 40-50-60 years old? I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s great! I keep reading on youtube and on blogs messages from people who say their mothers/fathers love Adam. Or messages from women being like à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I am way too old, but I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t find him offensiveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

I am 27, so I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t really know whatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s going on, but it seems it has something to do with how polite and nice he seems? Also, the fact that he has mad talent doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t hurt.

It’s not the nice and polite thing as far as this 50 something is concerned. It certainly helps, but it’s not an age dependent attribute.

Think about it- a 55 year old came of age in 1972, the tail end of flower power, and we considered ourselves the epitome of free spiritedness. We are not stodgy old retirees, we are vital and still feel the same way we did when we watched Zeppelin and Jefferson Airplane.

We have been around long enough to realize that who somebody schtupps is not the definition of who they are as a person and we are by and large very tolerant of people different than us.
We loved Freddie and Bowie and Bolan, and believe me Adam is not as far “out there” as some of you young ‘uns (and I say that with love) would like to believe :happy_tb:

It’s Adam and the rest. I really don’t know who will buy any of the rest Cd’s or concert wise. Hey, even with DA’s huge fan base, he still isn’t selling to Taylor levels. Not a good sign.

I really get tired of peeps saying that Adam should really do “theater” since that’s his thing. If you have read about Adam at all, that is his thing only to pay the bills. He is/wants to be pop/rock/techno. His own words.

Ha, I still remember when Elvis wasnt allowed to wiggle on stage. LOL. Adam isnt even doing as much as Elvis did. Why would he be a put off for Middle America, the makeup?

Well he took it off and whoa, he came in first place ( I think).

But—- Adam put the makeup back on, your beautiful, god, all stars wear makeup to some extent, even the guys, so be yourself, I am quivering with excitement to see what you are gonna do Tuesday nite, and everyone else is too, and we know it will be good!

Even Smokey knew it was good enough to get him off his feet and applauding. (the only other contestant he gave that honor to was Adam)

This quote was in reference to Allison, but if I’m not mistaken Smokey also gave a standing O to Matt. 1st – I noticed in re-watching his performance vid that Matt nodded over in Smokey’s direction and this got me wondering – then – someone who attended the actual show reported that this did happen. So if the producer’s are/were pimping Matt, why wasn’t this shown on camera? (Just asking because I do think they were.)

I agree with MJ on Matt, as Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not connecting with him and I totally believe he was in the bottom 3. Ryan clearly said à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“these are the 3 bottom vote gettersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ . I think he was 3rd.

They havenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t shown a lot of his personality, but the closest insight Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve had was when he dissed the judgeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s feedback to his Coldplay travisty by saying that was reflective of the type of record he wanted to make. Overnight he must have realised heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d tanked and promised heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d stay in the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“blueseyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  box. Now he lacks authenticity for me. I think heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s performing the music that he thinks will keep him in the competition, not the music he wants to make.

I agree with you and that’s how I feel about him too. I remember very clearly about that Coldplay song that he butchered, and him saying that that’s the type of record he wants to make, then he quickly changes to bluesy soulful type of songs to sing when the judges advised him to stick to bluesy songs. Though I kind of like him sitting behind the piano singing, he isn’t one of my top 2/3 favorites and I don’t know why?? (Brooke’s my favorite last season) It must be either I don’t feel connected to him, or he lacks authenticity that stops me from putting him as one of my top 2/3 favorites. But I’ll see how he performs next week again. I’m still opened to him.

Ha, I still remember when Elvis wasnt allowed to wiggle on stage.

They should reinstate that rule for Danny Gokey.

I’m a huge Adam fan. I watched his youtubes early on during the “spoiler period”, and liked him, but was won over when I saw a video of him singing one of my favorite songs, a deep cut from OneRepublic’s album (“Come Home”). Then, I was really impressed by his audition – his voice, professionalism, personality, everything. And my fandom has just gotten stronger from there.

That said, I’m still on the fence whether or not he can win. His vocal and performance style alone is polarizing enough, not even taking anything else into account. One of my coworkers who every season has shared the same favorite with me cannot stand Adam because she doesn’t like his vocal style. This week was definitely a step in the right direction for him in winning over new fans, or at least showing that he is not just an “OTT screamer,” but his walking that fine line between being accessible and mainstream or OTT and “theatrical” is going to be the key in his success on this season. I do think there’s a way he can keep his “integrity” as an artist/performer (whatever that means, I don’t think it’s up to us to judge an artist’s “musical integrity” when artists are consistently growing and changing, but that’s another dissertation entirely ) while at the same time appealing to mainstream America. And I’d imagine that Adam knows that.

I agree that this week is gonna be huge for him. We’ve heard the judges consistently call him “current” and “relevant” and I can see it (and no, it’s not just because he looks like the lost Jonas Brother or likes “Twilight” and “Gossip Girl”), but this is his week to prove it to the viewing audience. I’m actually pretty nervous for him. It’s hard to make a current popular song more “current” and it’s even harder to make a current song your own.

Yesterday, while waiting at Universal Studios for the Kelly Clarkson concert to start (recap forthcoming! ), my friend and I were discussing Adam’s potential and possibilities. She thinks that even if he doesn’t win, he’d be the next Daughtry, success-wise. I countered with “I don’t think TPTB want that. They want winning to mean something.” But she doesn’t know if he can win. She agrees that he’s polarizing and hasn’t liked all of his performances. FWIW, she started off the season as a big Danny fan but is getting bored by his performances. I’m actually not sure who her favorites are – she’s one of those viewers who goes in each week and judges based on performances. Which is what I think the majority of the AI viewing audience is – and why people who vote weekly based on merit are so important. So, if Adam keeps giving amazing performances that can’t be denied as one of the best performances of the night, he totally stands a chance of winning.

Now, onto the others. My other faves are Allison and Kris, and to a lesser extent Anoop, and if Lil can get her groove back, she’ll be back up there too.

With each week that goes by, I think more and more that I would buy an album by Kris. He records well, and his style is definitely in that Jason Mraz/Gavin DeGraw/John Mayer type vein that I love. I’m not sure if I can see him winning. He does need to develop a little bit more self-confidence. I don’t think it’s a charisma problem with him, but that he doesn’t yet quite know how good he is. But I have to say that if Adam goes home and Kris is still there, Kris will get my votes.

Allison‘s talent is undeniable. The girl has got an amazing instrument. She could be the spoiler for the “guys year.” That said, I’m not quite sure where she would fit in the industry. As a Pink type singer? I think Pink’s material is too mature for her lyrically. As an “edgier” Miley? Possibly. Her success on the show will hinge on song choice, and whether or not she can show versatility, imo.

I really love Anoop‘s personality, and I’m glad he’s shown the past two weeks that he can really sing. I said a few weeks ago that I could see him doing contemporary pop/R&B in the Ne-Yo, Usher type vein. And I still see that. If he can find his footing in song choice and showing different sides to his musical style, I could definitely see him in the top 5.

I could see myself buying a Lil album if it was in the Mary J Blige type of vein. But Lil is making some not so good song choices right now. I do think she’ll go far because she’s the only R&B diva left. But unless she turns things around from the past couple weeks, I don’t think she’s a lock for the top 5 if Anoop and/or Matt start really delivering great R&B-tinged performances. In season 5, yes Paris made top 5 due to being a pop/R&B singer, but remember that R&B fans also had Elliott to cheer for that year.

I’m another who’s not connecting with Matt. He comes across as cocky and as having a cold personality. I don’t want to have to go and seek out information about him to feel like he’s not that way. I may have started liking Adam based on youtube videos, but he reinforced that likability to me with every time I’ve seen him on the show. I also do not like Matt’s goaty vibrato or falshitto (tm spense ). It makes listening to some of his performances downright painful to me. And I also agree with whoever said upthread that his vehement insistence after he butchered “Viva La Vida” that this was the kind of artist he wanted to be, then going back the very next day and saying that he’d bring back the soul makes him seem inauthentic. I haven’t listened to any of his iTunes recordings because I haven’t liked the live performances enough to drive me to spend $.99 on the download. Maybe if he gets a good song on the radio, that would drive me to iTunes to buy it, but winning AI is about giving captivating performances on tv, and for me so far, he’s not doing that.

I don’t like Danny. The only further comment I’ll make about him is that my early season comments that my primary problem with him is that the talent level does not equal the hype level are now showing to be accurate.

I love Scott’s personality, not so much his singing voice.

Megan frustrates me, because I like her tone, I just wish she knew how to use her voice. But her lack of training and interpretive skills is glaring and it drives me nuts.

And that’s all for my dissertation. LOL.

Even Smokey knew it was good enough to get him off his feet and applauding. (the only other contestant he gave that honor to was Adam)

This quote was in reference to Allison, but if Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not mistaken Smokey also gave a standing O to Matt. 1st – I noticed in re-watching his performance vid that Matt nodded over in Smokeyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s direction and this got me wondering – then – someone who attended the actual show reported that this did happen. So if the producerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s are/were pimping Matt, why wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t this shown on camera? (Just asking because I do think they were.)

Yes, Smokey did give Matt a standing ovation. And I agree, if the “producers” were so bent up on “pimping” Matt, then they definitely would have given him the same camera treatment that they gave both Adam and Allison when he stood up.

BTW, there is a picture of Smokey talking with Matt after the results show…and it appears that Smokey is saying some real encouraging words to him. Seems like Matt could even be a favorite of his.

I have a Matt & Anoop picture as my desktop background. And it’s just those two in the picture.

I keep hearing about his huge fan base, but how huge could it be if they had to create a 13th spot because he didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get enough votes to begin with?

What?! They didnt create the top 13 just so Anoop could fit in. LOL

Why do people still say that 13rd place was created for Anoop??? Strange!

I guess it’s because the producers tried to make it seem that way, Haininh. Paula and Kara both said that Anoop was chosen unanimously and Kara said they were split on Jasmine/Jesse so it’s much more likely that Jasmine was the #13 and not Anoop.

Right now the only ones still in the show that I’d possibly buy an album from would be Anoop, Allison, and Matt and they’re the only ones I’ve bought studio songs from. Adam does have a lot of talent but I don’t find his voice pleasing when he hits the high/screechy notes that he seems to love.

Has anybody else noticed how popular Adam seems to be with people who are 40-50-60 years old? I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s great! I keep reading on youtube and on blogs messages from people who say their mothers/fathers love Adam. Or messages from women being like à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I am way too old, but I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t find him offensiveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

I am 27, so I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t really know whatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s going on, but it seems it has something to do with how polite and nice he seems? Also, the fact that he has mad talent doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t hurt.

Um, are people forgetting what the 50-yr old demographic lived through?
We were the Woodstock and hippie generation. You know what Adam first says in his Crazy video: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Tune in, turn on and drop outà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ : we’ll I’ve been there and done that. Drugs, sex, and rock & roll were a rite of passage for many 50-somethings. For us to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“getà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“appreciateà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  Adam is not really a stretch. Au contraire.

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think age is the deciding factor on whether one is an Adam Lambert fan or not. A whole host of other dynamics goes into what one likes (or doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t) musically and how it is performed and by whom.

Adam being nice and polite is certainly a plus, but not why I flove himà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

Okay, rant over.

Regarding Matt, he and Megan are the two people I forget are in this competition. If I’m rhyming off the names of the contestants, they’re the two I can never remember the first time. That speaks volumes. Matt just doesn’t have IT. He has talent, sure, but so do the others on the stage. I personally need more. I need a visual. I need someone who captures my attention and has me completely captivated. Adam does that. It goes beyond singing talent. Call it charisma, call is showmanship, call it dazzle, pizzazz or flash. Whatever it is, it works. Add to that appeal the fact that he has a likeability factor. This is a guy who should have an ego – and is worthy of one – but doesn’t.

I don’t understand all the bashing about Matt, he is way far better than all the other front runners. Unlike some others he has a lot of potential but his nerves keep him down a bit, he needs to believe more on himself like Simon said around the auditions. Unfortunately like Jennifer Hudson, he is from a state where he won’t get too much support, I believe the same comments about him where done while Hudson was on the competition. If the producers are trying to favor Matt why they didn’t choose a better clip for the final voting part, I was surprise of that because I didn’t hear that while he was performing live. I think if you just want to favor your guy, your imaginations will run far on what you want to believe.
I’m not digging this season too much, only for just a couple, I don’t understand why they keep saying it’s the best season ever.