Idol Headlines for 3/26/08

Michael Johns has a shot at the top five of American idol and the soulful singer would love to win for the glory of Australia à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ and the memory of his hometown friend Heath Ledger, Star Magazine is reporting. Johns, already an American Idol fan favorite Michael Johns has an extra incentive to capture the Season 7 crown: The Australian-born rocker was pals with countryman Heath Ledger – and an Idol win would honor his late friend.

Wasn’t it 2 weeks or so ago when MJ sang “Across the Universe” that he dedicated it to a friend who was “no longer with us”? Or was it a differnt song? I can’t remember which song, but I do remember him dedicating something to a decesed friend. How sad that it is Heath Ledger.

oops

Last night’s show was very good entertainment. All the singers are “on key” and you notice, not a lot of “pitchy” comments from the judges. Chikezie has a sweet voice. Syesha has a great pop voice. I don’t know what’s with Carly, she acts desperate at times. Maybe because she’s been there done that, she feels the pressure of the second time around. And she must feel a lot of pressure knowing that Randy J is “again” sitting in judgment of her.

I goofed again on the recap message blog a little too excited and should not of posted. Looking back I can say I got caught up in the moment and was not really objective at all but then nobady cares.
Still on the fence about Daivid C like his “Hellow” prefromance it was a risk and enjoyable not saying the rest fallowing were not good they were. The preblem which is slight he brings a DE JeVu moment of Chris D now not in sound but what David is doing. Daivd C he is a frontrunner though as an artist a little predictable in a song he has a glory rock note section or note and want him to be a little more diverse.I guess on the other hand it works for him big time , has a great voice and hte guy is confortable enough said.
Brook and Jason need to get back to what thier comforatble with and yes the former has limited range compared to the others.I like both of them and they desserve as much credit for thier sons and what they do to them just because thie r not the “typicall ” artsist on AI.I am just happy because of that they made it on the tour and I would be pleasently surprised if they make t to the top 6.
I think it is still early in the compition and the judges are now starting to pimp David C more among others but who knows .

http://dlisted.com/node/24811
File under David Cook, more bashing.

David Cook doesn’t remind me of Daughtry, for some reason.

http://www.forbes.com/business/2008/03/25/music-internet-soulja-biz-media-cx_lh_0326newstars.html” rel=”nofollow”>Forbes.com

So who made our list? R&B and hip-hop acts dominate, including hitmaking singers Kingston, Holiday and former American Idol champ Jordin Sparks and rappers Flo Rida, Plies, Huey and Hurricane Chris. Also making the list are the rock band OneRepublic and easygoing singer-songwriter Caillat.

Forbes.com

Half the people on the list are one-hit wonders and won’t be around in 2-5 years.

david cook is awesome and has a much better voice IMO than daughtry

I don’t know why there has to be one that’s better than the other. It’s really a matter of preferences. I like both Chris D and David C but am not comparing them just because they’re both rockers.

I think it was Day in the Life that Michael dedicated to a friend that had died. I’m also wondering if he meant Heath.

well this is nice to see…from Chris Cornell’s own site. Go David!!

http://www.chriscornell.com/news/default.aspx?nid=9997

Aw, thanks for that link, Cam. If Chris Cornell doesn’t mind David “OMG stealing!” his arrangement, then maybe everyone else will shut up about it.

Does it seem Amanda has been on TV more than David H and Danny?

Since Cook credited Cornell with the arrangement, no stealing was involved and I’m sure Cornell appreciated the publicity. I think the judges pimpage for being “original” was more in question. Cook has a good rock voice and is def a whiz with You tube. I’m kind of looking forward to his “emo” take on Mariah Carey.

Clarification before it gets ugly–Sorry did not mean to start a fan war or “how come you said David or chris so and so” . David C way of doing the contest reminds me of what Chris D did in season 5. Music style maybe thier both rockers to some degree. Chez -when playing the harmonica sort of reminded me of Tayor even thought they are quite diferent. ….They are on top of my peeked interest right now(david C,brook jasonc) will I buy anything from them to early to tell and also to early to tell in the contest. I do not jump on a band wagon unless it deal with a round ball. I also luv my head on my shoulders.

MJ talk about Health was great great but then I thought he was a talented actor who like most young people died way to young.

File under David Cook, more bashing.

I’m sorry, but I think some people are going out of their way to look for scandal or to be offended. David Cook found some obscure cover (really, how many had heard of that version or Chris Cornell before yesterday?) of a song that fit his birth year and did an excellent performance of it. Ryan even gave Chris credit for the arrangement, and still people are upset?

Chris has it right. This can only mean exposure for him. I’m sure that some people will be checking out his music today that didn’t know he existed yesterday.

I don’t know if David is as original as he first seems, but he certainly knows how to find covers that fit the theme and make him stand out so that is a talent right there. He also sings the crap out of those covers and we all know that merely covering somebody elses great arrangement does not guarantee success. So, that’s at least two points in his favour.

I wouldn’t call myself a David Cook fan, but he is interesting and entertaining. I think the bashing of him for this is so bizarre. And I still seriously doubt he stole Doxology’s cover of anything. That one just annoys me. Shut up, Blake.

I thought Michael John’s said he was deadicating the song to someone who died last year, didn’t Heath die this year?

Blake shoots from the hip a lot. That’s a trait of “younguns”.

Michael Johns Red Hot on American Idol
Beaten Only by Red-hotter David Cook
Associated Content

I still preferred Michael last night but this was a good article about him and David C.

I agree that it was the judges who didn’t acknowledge that David C was doing a cover version that was the problem and not him. I’ve noticed that most articles are giving him credit and not mentioning it.

Wasn’t this show supposed to be “pop” idol? When did it become Rockstar Idol and Country Idol? Oh well….they’re all singing in different genres….that fit their voice and style.

I had never heard of Chris Cornell before yesterday.
I like David’s vocals better than Chris’, but find Chris more attractive.

When I rewatched the show today I realized I actually like Michael’s performance better than David’s. With David’s being a very close second. But I spent a lot of time last night voting for David with my 11 year old son begging me to vote for Michael.

I guess the pimp spot really does work.

According to TWOP, Michael was talking about an Atlanta singer in his dedication. Here’s a link to the article they’re talking about. AJC

I thought Michael Johnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s said he was deadicating the song to someone who died last year, didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t Heath die this year?

That’s what I thought, too. But if it is indeed Heath Michael dedicated Across The Universe to, that might help explain why I am just so taken in by this particular MJ song…I loved, loved Heath. Heh.

“DAVID COOK: [Pushes out stomach and grabs it] I’ve got this fantastic ab that I’ve been working on for a while.”

Slightly scary comment coming from him. I hope he never says anything like that again.

I don’t know what this all is with David’s “lack of originality”, though — Ryan credited Chris Cornell in the audience before David even started singing. The judges, on the other hand, are probably more in question with their praise of him being “original”. He IS original in the sense that he’s been doing rock numbers on the show, although as far as the arrangements come, it’s all been covers. And like Kirsten said, he’s been singing the crap out of what he’s been choosing, and he’s been damn clever in taking cover arrangements most Idol fans have probably never heard before (that includes me) — arrangements that just happen to work wonders with a voice like his. David’s a smart performer, and his choices could carry him to the finals (although I hope he bows out by Top 3 and opts for the Daughtry route; I can’t stand to have some crappy pop track written for Archuleta being shoved into his face).

I had never heard of Chris Cornell before yesterday.
I like Davidà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s vocals better than Chrisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, but find Chris more attractive.

I personally find David Cook HAWT. and getting more attractive each time I see him!

Chicago-Sally

I guess it’s whatever Simon wants to classify it as when he wants to make a point.

I agree that it was the judges who didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t acknowledge that David C was doing a cover version that was the problem and not him. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve noticed that most articles are giving him credit and not mentioning it.
# 19 Chicago-sally

I know, it’s really not fair to give David C all the credit for that arrangement being a Chris Cornell cover. Don’t get me wrong, I thought David C’s performance was amazing but the judges should acknowledge he did a cover when they praise him, they are giving him more credit that he deserves for.

Anyways, I am so happy Michael is getting some great reviews today, I hope he keeps it up and at least makes Top 4. Go MJ! You were awesome last night!

Do you guys think ANYONE from this season can sell records? I’m talking Carrie/Kelly/daughtry selling records, not *shipping* platinum.

If I had to bet, it would be on David Cook. Gasper’s novelty will wear off very quickly with the fickle tweens.

Do I think David C is brave? No. I think Cook is a very smart contestant. He’s obviously studied the show. He knows what works. And he delivers the most consistent performances. And he has a fantastic voice. Randy calling him “original” is just his typical hyperbole (Randy=Useless Judge). Once my boy Jason is toast, my votes will go to David C.

ETA: AI-Junkie – I don’t see Archie’s marketability, even to the Disney set. They aren’t going to want to listen to ballads, even if he’s cute. But I know nothing about predicting success. I though Blake would do well.

It’s very hard to be a platinum artist these days. I don’t see anyone on the show with that massive appeal that Carrie/Daughtry/Kelly had. Plus winning the show no longer guarantees an opening week bigger than 100K. David Cook will need a band and great songs to sell albums. He can’t make it as a stand alone singer. Scarily, I think Kristy has a good shot at a career in country.
I’m starting to even wonder how many will be signed.

“Fast National ratings for Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Ratings for “American Idol” fell off a good deal Tuesday, but FOX still won the night by a wide margin.

“American Idol” led the 8 p.m. hour with a 13.6/21 and was down about 11 percent in total viewers (23.8 million vs. 27.2 million) compared to the same hour last week. ABC took second with a recap of Monday’s “Dancing with the Stars,” 6.8/11. An “NCIS” repeat, 6.1/10, put CBS in third. “The Biggest Loser” came in fourth for NBC, while “Beauty and the Geek” earned a 1.2/2 for The CW.

ABC led in households at 9 p.m. with the “Dancing with the Stars” results show, 10.8/16. FOX, however, brought in more total viewers (and a much better 18-49 rating) with the conclusion of “American Idol,” 14.6/22, and “‘Til Death,” 6.5/10. “The Biggest Loser,” 5.5/8, moved NBC into third, ahead of “Big Brother,” 3.8/6, on CBS. The CW held steady with “Reaper.”

Interesting. Here’s the link:

http://www.zap2it.com/tv/ratings/zap-ratings030408,0,877190.story

oops. If I’m reading the ratings right, DWTS is starting to put some hurt on AI.

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know why there has to be one thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s better than the other. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s really a matter of preferences. I like both Chris D and David C but am not comparing them just because theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re both rockers.

It annoys me too when all the black female Idols singers get lumped together and labelled “divas”, as though there was no difference in performance style between, say, Melinda Doolittle and LaKisha Jones.

Re, the David C kerfluffle, it is the judges insistence on calling him original that annoys people. That’s not David’s fault. I can see why it would irk those who feel their fave is being put at a disadvantage but I don’t think these kinds of comments will unfairly give David a boost. He’ll go far in the competition because he is a talented performer. I don’t think anyone is going to spend an extra half hour voting for David because of an extra tongue bath by the judges. But I could be wrong.

Other thoughts:

Ramiele – I like her and I like that she tried to show off her big voice, but it didn’t work. Maybe it was because she was sick, maybe it wouldn’t have mattered. And I say that as someone who is not in love with Carrie’s version of “Alone.” I agree with MJ that that performance was overrated because the backup singers did the heavy lifting on the chorus for Carrie.

Jason – For this song to have come close to working, he would have needed to do it sans bandzilla. I still love him but fear that he is losing momentum. I think it’s fine if he stays in his niche, but the trade-off is that his performances need to be stellar everytime.

Syesha – I agree with the poster above who said she should retire the creepy baby voice. Excellent performance and the natural hairstyle is back, yay!

Chikezie – Sang well, but lack of a big fanbase means that anything less than great puts him in the bottom 3.

Brooke – I found the false start endearing. She sounded good and there was NO DANCING (Thank God!) Kinda predictable, but, like Jason, she needn’t concern herself with stepping out of the box. Just needs to be great doing what she does.

Michael – is a rock star? Who woulda thunk it? Finally living up to the early hype. His fans are in heaven tonight.

Carly – Very overwrought. I actually like this song and thought she coulda hit it outta the park, but then it all became too much.

David A- I didn’t like the song and agree with everyone who thought it was an odd choice. He can sing more than ballads (remember “Shop Around”?) But he needs to chose the right uptempo songs.

Kristy Lee – Ugh! Yuk! Haaaate! Barf!

David C – Sounded really great. But I don’t care what anyone says, he ain’t winning this thing until he does something about his HAIR, dammit! lol

I guess the media will beat the *David covers* stories to death.

I have no problem whatsoever with the contestants doing covers. Most of the songs cleared on AI have as much algae on them as the titanic, so anything to ressurect them is fine by me. If a contestant is smart, they will have friends & family help them find a cover of their chosen song on the net. If all else fails, hello, you tube anyone??? How long do they have to rehearse the song? They choose it, get the lyrics, try to choose which melody/version. How much time can that really be? 3-4 days, and how many hours in those days do they actually get to rehearse with musicians and the musicians how long do they have to learn *each* of the contestants versions? (My hat is off to the AI band for learning that many versions of songs in a handful of days). Hardly a lot of time to work out a really kicking version of a song. Not that it can’t be done, but it seems to me more realistic to find someone elses *current* version of the chosen song. Take note future contestants, David is one smart cookie.

When I heard yesterday he was doing Billie Jean I thought it was either going to be a huge train wreck or extremely good, there could be no middle ground for some reason in my way of thinking. I could not get past MJ’s version in my mind, heh. For *me* he took a huge risk singing Billie Jean in ANY form or fashion on AI. I think he well deserved the comments that he took a risk, cause, he really DID take a risk singing that last night. I’d like to add that the boy has some mad pipes, that one power note, just when you thought he surely has to take a breath, he notches it up higher and keeps on going. JUST WOW!

I can’t really comment on (WTF) KLC’s song even though I see all todays writer’s can. She really seems to be out of her league and please someone hide her glitter eye makeup.

I say let all of the contestants bring it on this season, there are 3 or 4 I love. It is finally starting to warm up to be a competition instead of a one horse show. Yeah I am starting to like this season.

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see Archieà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s marketability, even to the Disney set. They arenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t going to want to listen to ballads, even if heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s cute.

Beg to differ…. as a mom with a tweener who has lots of tweener friends, I think he definitely has Disney marketability even if he just sings ballads. I dont think he will though. If someone would tie up his doofus of a dad and shove him in a corner somewhere, I think David A has got more than ballads in him. Shop Around wasn’t a ballad and I think he did great with it! The girls that visit my house are crushin hard for David A. But, hey, I’m a bad predicotor too! lol

Do you guys think ANYONE from this season can sell records? Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m talking Carrie/Kelly/daughtry selling records, not *shipping* platinum.

If I had to bet, it would be on David Cook. Gasperà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s novelty will wear off very quickly with the fickle tweens.

It’s no longer about selling records, although they would have t/general viewing public believe the real prize is a record contract. Record contracts are so “yesterday”. Idols can become Broadway Stars (Fantasia), TV spokespeople (Justin Guarini), actors (Jen-Hud and Kevin Covais)….I think being in the top 10 just gives you the opportunity to be looked at by producers, agents, etc.
Entertainment has widened since 7 years ago. In fact, unless you have a Simon Cowell behind you (Leona), you can’t really make it in the biz as a recording artist anymore.
Jen-Hud is on her 4th movie, has a record deal w/ Clive and can’t seem to get into the studio.
So Idol should change the focus and scope of what it means to be an Idol. Simon is always looking for the “radio” star, the one who can sing on key and sell records, plus has the personality appeal….but it is more than that these days.

This exposure will help Syesha probably more than the others because she’s already an actress…she does commercials, by getting to Hollywood she’s able to visit agents…it was a very smart move on her part because she was “local” and now she’s national.

http://www.tmz.com/

Simon on David’s DAD….scroll down….Yep, that’s what he meant. Must be more going on behind the scenes.

I imagine they don’t consider the fact that people will watch one show and record the other. Many are fans of both AI and DWTS. I hate that they are on at the same time, but I am watching both!

I put all my votes for Jason and got busy signals many times. The thing is, Jason must move out of his comfort zone. That’s 3 songs in a row which sounds quite the same. I am a bit disappointed.

I fear Chikezie may be leaving this week. I have enjoyed watching his growth as a singer and hoped he’d be around another week or two. Yes, it was a good night for AI, I just wish there were less ballads. Michael did rock the house!

Idol was down v. that DWTS repeat show. Who watches that?
I think I’m a good predictor (pats self on back) and I was feeling in my gut that the ratings would be going south soon. They need some shocking eliminations to get the juice back. A few more scandals/controversies wouldn’t hurt either. They kind of screwed themselves by not keeping some of the people with the interesting back stories like Josiah or Kyle. If the show ends up being mostly rockers the ratings will absolutely plummet (another prediction).

Okay I clicked that tmz link to read what Simon said about Archu-d2′s dad, read that and then read the current lead story. Boy, Richie Sambora does not photograph well! LOL.

I think I’m a good predictor (pats self on back) and I was feeling in my gut that the ratings would be going south soon.

If you take a look at my ratings charts (click the historical charts tab)you will see the ratings ALWAYS go down once the top 12 gets fully underway. Happened Season 5 and Season 6.

The griping about “stealing” someone else’s performance cracks me up.

Do people really think these kids have the time to write new arrangements of songs each week? Really?

And that the band has time to work out ten new never-done-before arrangements? Please.

Most artists have people who help them arrange songs when they have months to work on a CD. That’s why it so often says, “arranged by” on liner notes.

I’m sure Chris Cornell is happy that David performed his version of Billie Jean. I’ll bet he gets some pretty good sales from the exposure. And a lot of people had never heard of Chris Cornell until last night.

Win/win.

did anyone check out the headline of Top 10 worst performances on IDOL? i hate when people make these…the list i saw was terrible. and they had camile singing yellow brick road as the worst? i think all sanjaya’s were far worse. once again, i hate when newspeople comment on idol. blah

dukes, I did click on that link and I can’t say that I disagree with any of the picks. The order might differ slightly, but I have to agree that those were some pretty horrible performances!

Frankly, I don’t care that David Cook borrowed the arrangement from another rock band. Ryan announced it ahead of time, and if the judges didn’t hear him, it’s because they still don’t have any monitors so that they can hear what Ryan is saying. (How stupid is that anyway?!)

I listened to the rocker version of Billie Jean yesterday online. I didn’t like it because the first part of the song is so obscured, you don’t even recognize the song your listening to – but “Hello” had that same effect on me too, now that I think about it. Anyway, for what David Cook had to work with, I thought he did a better job than the guys he borrowed it from.

I like that big note he held for a long time. He was very entertaining. It was unpredictable – something Simon likes.

I didn’t hit the link but I would have agreed on Camile’s version of Yellow Brick Road as worst Idol performance ever, if we didn’t have Kristi Lee Cook’s 8 Days a Week now….

It annoys me too when all the black female Idols singers get lumped together and labelled à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“divasà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ , as though there was no difference in performance style between, say, Melinda Doolittle and LaKisha Jones.

IMO, I think people use the word “diva” to avoid saying “black girl singer”. No one wants to be perceived as racist.

Of course there is a difference between Melinda and LaKisha; however, I think there was not a huge difference between Syesha last night and many of the other black female contestants who have been on the show in the past. It is a style of singing, and it was good, but it was similar in effect to many other past performances. Not similar to Fantasia singing “Summertime”, but similar to a lot of other female R & B type songs we’ve heard over the years. It is comparable to saying that David Cook is like Chris Daughtry.

The whole issue of the show last night was originality. That was where the judges were most critical, and if you think about the progress of the show, it generally moved from the least original contestants to the most original contestants, with the final build-up to David Cook.

Top 11 S 6 had 30.0 mil and Top 10 had 28.2 million so the drop was less than 10% between the weeks. We’ll see what the total audience will be for Tuesday night’s show. Interestingly, S6′s rating held up pretty well until Sanjaya was kicked off. (No Joke).

I thought last night was pretty good overall.

I don’t comment much but I need to vent about something.

Ever since they moved to the larger glitzy stage, it’s been harder to do the intimate songs well, I feel. The hand-waving mosh pit is annoying enough. But something about Jason Castro, maybe the intimacy of his songs, makes people want to keep time by clapping hands, which is kind of the auditory equivalent of the hand-waving thing — it’s annoying, creepy and sad. And distracting. And off-putting. And they’re always just off the beat! Which drives me nuts. I hate the hand clap thing and it’s an especial mood-killer in a Jason Castro performance. It’s been happening to him ever since they changed stages; the last time he was left alone in silence to do his song was Hallelujah.

I know he’s just a kid, he’s fine, he might not even care if he gets voted off next. But ever since they moved to this big stage, the producers have been encouraging cheesy audience involvement and that’s too bad because there’s something really cool but intense about Jason Castro and I do like his voice and I would like to see him stay a bit longer. I don’t think this ongoing attack of the hand-clap is helping him at all. And the producers are lame not to announce pre-show, Hey, cut that crap out.

Just popping in with some random observations….
Afan, I read your dissertation on the recap thread – it was very entertaining. My brooke love runs pretty deep as well.

I don’t care if Jason’s folksy schtick is getting old – I love it.

Chikeze has a ton of talent. It’s too bad he can’t really find the right groove for himself on this show. I hope he gets at least one more week.

I was prepared to hate David C – my gosh that hair is awful. But, he’s just loaded with talent. I’m fond of the contestants this year who instead of stepping out of their boxes, tend to drag the theme into the box with them. It works for them and I enjoy seeing people do something well.

I go back and forth on Carly. One week I like her, the next week I’m like WTF was that? This week was definitely the latter. Didn’t like it at all.

Rami & Syesha are still boring me to tears. I felt oddly sympathetic to Archie last night. David Foster writes some really sucky songs. Who forced the poor kid to sing that? I’m sad for his future of Foster produced CD’s of songs written by Carol King.

And ugh to Kristy and her ridiculous song choice. Puhlease. That made me want to vomit. I hate that effing song. And Lee Greenwood writes crappier songs than David Foster. That simplistic view of what patriotism is annoys me almost as much as Kristy pandering for votes by singing it. She can’t leave soon enough for me.

And this:

IMO, I think people use the word à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“divaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  to avoid saying à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“black girl singerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ .

would make sense to me if I thought those things were synonomous. But, they don’t mean the same thing. I don’t think “diva” can be used to replace the words “black girl singer”. But – I also don’t think that in itself is a definition either. I mean, there have been some vastly different black women on this show.

bluegreen I agree with every single word you said. AMEN.

Seems like Paula really is going to attempt a comeback:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080326/ap_en_tv/people_abdul_cyrus_2

Abdul set for `Today’ concert series 47 minutes ago

Paula Abdul and Miley Cyrus are among the stars who will headline the “Today” show’s 13th annual concert series.

Abdul will kick off the series on the plaza outside the “Today” studio April 25, NBC announced Wednesday.

She recently debuted her first new song in a decade, “Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow,” produced by fellow “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson.

Cyrus is set to perform July 25.

Other headliners include Ashlee Simpson, Rascal Flatts, Natasha Bedingfield, Neil Diamond, Mary J. Blige, Alanis Morissette, the B-52s, Donna Summer, Chris Brown, Kenny Chesney, Rihanna and Coldplay.

Sheryl Crow will take the stage Aug. 1.

NBC said it will announce additional acts in the coming months.

Diva to me means glory notes, belting, riffs and runs. That’s about it.

Chikezie has a lovely voice. I think he’s mucking up his prospects because he already thinks he’s a “STAR” :smile_wp: Who else would have gone to the audience and grabbed a young girl’s hand?

That Nigerian — oh my, they are aggressive aren’t they?

I can see his mom telling him to be calm and be cool and do what the judges want and Chikezie going off on his own, doing his thing.

That Nigerian à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  oh my, they are aggressive arenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t they?

I really hope I’m reading that wrong.

Kat: No, you’re reading it right. Let me explain. I dated Nigerian men and they are very proud, very aggressive, single minded. Even though he was born in the U.S., his background is Nigerian. So he goes off and does his own thing the way he wants to do it. Very independent. And American Idol is a very “restrictive” showcase. There are as many Don’ts as there are Do’s and as much as the judges keep saying “be original, be brave, be bold” if you do something outside of “the zone” they take you to task.

And that comment Simon made about being “cheesy” was directed to Chikezie going to the edge of the stage and holding a girl’s hand.

At least that’s the way I interpreted it.

Actually, these contestants get so many directions from so many people: The band leader is telling them one thing (be true to yourself) and the judges are telling them another. It can be very confusing. I know they’ll be glad to go on tour where they will have a bit more freedom.

And for Randy to tell Chikezie his song was “old fashioned”, well it’s a Luther song — yes, it is “old”, it’s not hip-hop….did Randy want him to do hip hop from the 80s?
See what I mean by confusing directions.

That’s the way I interpreted as well. Very “Donny Osmond”.

I appreciate the explanation, Chicago-sally, and now it makes more sense. Out of context, a comment like that can be wildly misinterpreted.

Ever since they moved to the larger glitzy stage, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s been harder to do the intimate songs well, I feel. The hand-waving mosh pit is annoying enough. But something about Jason Castro, maybe the intimacy of his songs, makes people want to keep time by clapping hands, which is kind of the auditory equivalent of the hand-waving thing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s annoying, creepy and sad. And distracting. And off-putting. And theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re always just off the beat! Which drives me nuts. I hate the hand clap thing and ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s an especial mood-killer in a Jason Castro performance. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s been happening to him ever since they changed stages; the last time he was left alone in silence to do his song was Hallelujah.

I know heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s just a kid, heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s fine, he might not even care if he gets voted off next. But ever since they moved to this big stage, the producers have been encouraging cheesy audience involvement and thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s too bad because thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s something really cool but intense about Jason Castro and I do like his voice and I would like to see him stay a bit longer. I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think this ongoing attack of the hand-clap is helping him at all. And the producers are lame not to announce pre-show, Hey, cut that crap out.

Bluegreen – THANK YOU! When I was listening to Jason last night, trying not to be distracted by the out-of-rythm hand clapping, I was thinking — can’t wait for the itunes studio version to be released, so I can really enjoy this. It is terribly distracting to the viewers, and is really a disservice to him.

Ever since they moved to the larger glitzy stage, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s been harder to do the intimate songs well, I feel. The hand-waving mosh pit is annoying enough. But something about Jason Castro, maybe the intimacy of his songs, makes people want to keep time by clapping hands, which is kind of the auditory equivalent of the hand-waving thing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s annoying, creepy and sad. And distracting. And off-putting. And theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re always just off the beat! Which drives me nuts. I hate the hand clap thing and ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s an especial mood-killer in a Jason Castro performance. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s been happening to him ever since they changed stages; the last time he was left alone in silence to do his song was Hallelujah.

I know heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s just a kid, heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s fine, he might not even care if he gets voted off next. But ever since they moved to this big stage, the producers have been encouraging cheesy audience involvement and thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s too bad because thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s something really cool but intense about Jason Castro and I do like his voice and I would like to see him stay a bit longer. I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think this ongoing attack of the hand-clap is helping him at all. And the producers are lame not to announce pre-show, Hey, cut that crap out.

Bluegreen – THANK YOU! When I was listening to Jason last night, trying not to be distracted by the out-of-rythm hand clapping, I was thinking — can’t wait for the itunes studio version to be released, so I can really enjoy this. It is terribly distracting to the viewers, and is really a disservice to him.

Gross.

PJ: Would Barbra Streisand be a diva?

Is it me, or is anyone else half expecting Brooke to hit the bottom 3 tonight? She went in the middle, she was ok but not fantastic, the judges didn’t slam her enough to panic her fanbase, and her fans may be a little complacent right now. I’m a little nervous. I hope I’m wrong!

The hand-waving and hand-clapping in this larger venue are both very distracting. Even with Kristy Lee’s God Bless the USA.

I’m finding that I’m not enjoying the performances as much because I’m constantly looking away when they shift to showing the mosh pit. It’s especially bad with the quieter performances, such as from Jason or Brooke. Kinda ruins the moment.

tinawina, I don’t know if it’ll be Brooke in the bottom 3 but I am expecting someone surprising to be there (not just the usual Chikeze, Kristy Lee, Ramiele, Syesha group who’ve been there before and would not be surprising).

Brooke could be in it but, since he performed second, I am thinking it could be Jason. I don’t put much stock into dialidol anymore but maybe it’s onto something this week.

To me, Carly was a surprise for bottom 3 last week but it was a wake up call and I don’t think she will make it 2 weeks straight.

Even though Archie was a bottom 3 performer as far as I was concerned, I don’t think he’ll actually be there. After their performances last night, I can’t imagine David Cook or Michael being bottom 3.

So yeah, it could be Brooke but, more likely, Jason.

bluegreen I agree with every single word you said. AMEN.

Amen. Amen. Amen!

tinawina, I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know if ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll be Brooke in the bottom 3 but I am expecting someone surprising to be there (not just the usual Chikeze, Kristy Lee, Ramiele, Syesha group whoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve been there before and would not be surprising).

Brooke could be in it but, since he performed second, I am thinking it could be Jason. I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t put much stock into dialidol anymore but maybe ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s onto something this week.

To me, Carly was a surprise for bottom 3 last week but it was a wake up call and I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think she will make it 2 weeks straight.

Even though Archie was a bottom 3 performer as far as I was concerned, I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll actually be there. After their performances last night, I canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t imagine David Cook or Michael being bottom 3.

So yeah, it could be Brooke but, more likely, Jason.

Yeah, I have a bad feeling Idol needs something really surprising. I don’t mind if Jason lands in the Bottom 3 (that should give him a wake-up call), but I really, really hope he’s not THE shocking boot of the season. That would suck.

Wikipedias definition of the word “Diva” thier are a few meanings
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diva

We were just talking here (here, here, not online) that this season is getting boring. Good but not great performances. All the controversial characters are gone. It needs something to shake it up (putting Archie in the bottom 3 would do it) but something.

Personally, I talk about it a lot on on Tues and Wed, but on the rest of the days this season, not so much.

Oh don’t get me wrong. I think Jason’s almost a lock for the bottom 3. Chiezeke too. But the 3rd spot? Rameille’s fanbase is massive, Kristy pandered her pootokas off, and Syesha may have been good enough to pull it off by a hair. So there is a little opening, in my mind, for Brooke to sneak in there. I don’t think she’d go home (not before Chiezeke, anyway). But I still don’t want to see her down there. I’m probably wrong though.

I’m finding some logic in looking at the number of viewings of the videos from last night as being indicative of how the Idols did in the voting last night. If this were to hold true, here would be the rankings:

1) David Cook (5,249 views currently)
2) Ramiele (2,819) talk about a distant second!
3) Brooke (2,595)
4) David Archuleta (2,555)
5) Michael Johns (2,521) neck and neck with Archie
6) Jason (2,129)
7) Carly (2,122)

And our bottom 3:

Kristy Lee (1,922)
9) Syesha (1,497)
10) Chikezie (1,280)

Something to ponder anyway… Of course, it could be the same 3 obsessed fans watching DCook over and over and over.

ETA: Jason – how could I forget my sweetfaced boy!

If Jason lands in the bottom three, it might be a much needed kick in the butt for him. I love him to death, but he needs to step it up bigtime.

Carie, where’s Jason? 5?
ETA: and where are you finding the videos?
Okay, I see you’re talking about the videos that MJ posted.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m finding some logic in looking at the number of viewings of the videos from last night as being indicative of how the Idols did in the voting last night. If this were to hold true, here would be the rankings:

1) David Cook (5,249 views currently)
2) Ramiele (2,819) talk about a distant second!
3) Brooke (2,595)
4) David Archuleta (2,555)
6) Michael Johns (2,521) neck and neck with Archie
7) Carly (2,122)

And our bottom 3:
Kristy Lee (1,922)
9) Syesha (1,497)
10) Chikezie (1,280)

Something to ponder anywayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ Of course, it could be the same 3 obsessed fans watching DCook over and over and over.

My eyes may be playing tricks on my but I don’t see Jason, and I’m curious about where he fits in.

If Jason lands in the bottom three, it might be a much needed kick in the butt for him. I love him to death, but he needs to step it up bigtime.

Unfortunately, I’d have to agree with you. Who knows? If Michael can suck for weeks and escape the bottom 3 every single time, maybe Jason can pull it off too. But yes, (even though I can’t get inside his head to know how he actually feels about the competition) he looked like he could use some Simon-spanking and a kick in the butt.

Fixed it, Jersey. Thanks for the catch.

Oh, nevermind CarieB, I just checked. Jason would be at number 7 (just ahead of Carly) with 2,154 views.

I put Jason in the “like but not love” category but I’d hate to see him go home before the whole Chikezie/Kristy Lee/Ramiele/Syesha contingent. I’d put him at about 5th after Brooke, David Cook, Carly, and Michael.

I would certainly hate to see Jason go home based on his 21st birthday performance.

I have to say…all day long, the song I’ve been humming is Fragile. Not Billie Jean and not We Are the Champions.

It don’t matter no way who goes and who stays. Remember last S5 when Chris S. basically said what everybody was thinking: He only wanted to get in the top 10 to tour! Do you remember that? For these guys, if they leave it won’t be a heartache, because they are guaranteed a spot on the tour.

I just hate that Amanda won’t be in the mix.

Sorry for the confusion. Not so good at multi-tasking today Jason would be 6th, just above Carly. I fixed it in my post above.

I HATE the mosh pit this season. It’s so damn distracting. I want my idol to stare cheesily into the camera and sing ONLY to me, damnit!
My prediction for tonight is that Kristy Lee goes home. As much as a stauch pessimist I am about the stupidity of America, not even Charlie from South Carolina with 4 teeth and 16 children should have bought that. I still think it’s hilarious that she did it though and am kinda hoping for her to stay on as this years Sanjaya.

Chicago-Sally, I, too, hate the fact that Amanda won’t be on the tour. Much more entertaining than Chikezie/Kristy Lee/Ramiele/Syesha (sorry, I think of them as a group, a group that should be gone before anyone else goes).

In fact, last night, watching Carly perform, I was wondering what effect Amanda’s departure last week had on Carly. Amanda seemed to be Carly’s closest friend on the show. The joy goes out when someone like that leaves and it takes a bit to settle into a new routine.

I’m looking for the Jason Prayer thread. Can’t find it.

Panz: Well from what I can see Amanda is enjoying & extending her last 15 minutes….she’s on all the morning shows….was David H on the morning shows?
Everyone seems to really like her. I hope 19E is treating her right.

I like Amanda even more after hearing how well-grounded, down to earth she is.

I was just looking at the upcoming AI schedule. Can they really be doing top 9 in an hour next Tues? That’s going to be a race to the finish line.

Remember last S5 when Chris S. basically said what everybody was thinking: He only wanted to get in the top 10 to tour!

I don’t believe Chris ever said that. He was in it to win, and when he didn’t, he later said that it was for the best so that he could form a band and have more creative control than a “winner”.

A funny thought came over me: Remember Joss Stone? She’s been doing the blues / R&B white soul woman thing for years with marginal success….what if? Amanda took over that spot and became a big recording artist in the white woman soul/blues category? I mean, there’s Amy Winehouse right? We need an American to take over.

Ok, they haven’t fixed Itunes — David C is still in Jason’s single spot!

carie, I likey your list according to the clicks on video’s but I *know* we have a few hard clicking fanatics around here.

How can we figure out pre-orders on itunes? not that it will help poor Jason.

Caro, click on Jason’s picture. It will take you to a separate page and you can place your pre-order :cool1_tb:

Caro, go to the scary boards. I’m sure you’ll find it there. :laugh_tb:

I don’t buy that Jason isn’t in it to win just because of his response last night. I actually don’t see his strategy as any different than any of the others. He’s trying to pick songs he connects with and I actually think that’s smart. He won’t hit it out of the park every time. I do want another moment from him.

I’m not sure video viewings are a good indicator. I haven’t watched one because I have it recorded. But maybe they are.

I hate the effing “mosh pit” and agree that the producers should stop telling people to clap and wave during sensitive performances. It’s dorky enough during the rawk songs and it really detracts otherwise.

Sally, yes Babs would prolly classify as a diva. I’m not a follower of her music, so it’s hard to say. Amanda is no Joss Stone. That is NOT Amanda’s gendre.

pj, I was banned from the scary boards a few years ago for supplying them a liberal meaning of the ‘f’ word. :sealed_tb:

Thanks Jersey, but that’s not the point !

If we didn’t have smarties on this board we’d be like the rest of the world, left out in the cold!

Ah, I see caro, you’re trying to figure out where Jason places in popularity? Can’t help you with that, lol.

Jason listen to me:
You have an unusual intriguing voice combined with your persona to really go places..even win BUT you need to do a song where you “use” those inflections, sing outs and twists vocally that you can do. even on mellow stuff. Listen to your voice on Hallelujah and Daydream. Hear those vocal thingys? They’re FANTASTIC. THAT is what you need to do. The songs shouldn’t be all just barely audible soft pleasantness as charming as it is. The voice thing you have is reallllly appealing and grabs people. you got it, use it. It’s not all just the song, its that thing you do with your voice. any song. Be BOLD in your gentleness/coolness.

carolina, let’s join Jason as he’s praying:

http://www.americanidol.com/photos/?set=596&seq=11

(HOW FRIGGIN CUTE CAN HE GET?! ….huhuhuhuh. what a fantard I am)

When I heard yesterday he was doing Billie Jean I thought it was either going to be a huge train wreck or extremely good, there could be no middle ground for some reason in my way of thinking. I could not get past MJà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s version in my mind, heh. For *me* he took a huge risk singing Billie Jean in ANY form or fashion on AI. I think he well deserved the comments that he took a risk, cause, he really DID take a risk singing that last night. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d like to add that the boy has some mad pipes, that one power note, just when you thought he surely has to take a breath, he notches it up higher and keeps on going. JUST WOW!

Big fat WORD to this post.

Pretty much the whole reason I was so freaked out about the song choice was because I was so scared it was going to be a complete trainwreck. I think that’s why I consider it brave – simply because everyone knows Michael Jackson’s original, and to sing a version of the song that is so radically different, you’re really taking a risk that people won’t like it. Fortunately for DCook, it worked. Big time.

And yeah – those pipes… DAMN. I was blown away by his voice last night, the power and quality and strength of it. I know I keep saying it, but it’s true. That glory note was INSANE (that insane being in a good way of course. ).

David C.
You cleaned up your hair look a little, but not enough.
You can STILL be a rocker with weird hair some way, but not exactly like you have it. This way makes you look like you have a kinda combover and that don’t work.

1. Do anything weird ya want with your hair but get rid of
the combover look.
2. Do anything weird ya want with your hair but have it clean looking.
3. You’re lookin’ better all the time, but if ya want to win, change it up at least a little more.

4. You are smokin’ hot with your performances!

Primeminister. It’s okay. You aren’t alone. That pic is presh. I have that same gold pillow, btw. LOL.

David C.
You cleaned up your hair look a little, but not enough.
You can STILL be a rocker with weird hair some way, but not exactly like you have it. This way makes you look like you have a kinda combover and that donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t work.

Well he has come a long way since he was a baby.

Okay I’m supposed to be studying but instead, I’m comparing youtube video views of last nights performances. LOL. And the results are:
David Cook, about 106,000 total views of two vids from last night.
Archu-d2 – 34,000 views over two vids
Michael Johns – 25,000 views
Ramiele Malubay – 23,000 views
Jason Castro – 16,000 views
Kristy Lee Cook – 14,000 views
Brooke White – 12,000 views
Carly Smithson – 10,000 views
Syesha – 7000 views
Chikezie – 6,300 views.
Does it mean anything? Who knows! I may go move some points from Ramiele to Carly, though.

lol jersey ! I think we have a winner! I mean, loser.

Kinda corresponds with Carie’s lineup.

Rami may have a large Pinoy fanbase but the ones in the Philipines can’t vote for her, can they? They might account for the large number of youtube views.

Wow, David C. had a good night even though it was still a bad hair day.

awwww primeminster, he’s saying, Now I lay me down to sleep, I hope Simon quits his job, the creep.

That’s a good point beesims. Does the same hold true for Michael and Carly, I wonder?

Okay Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m supposed to be studying but instead,

Story of my life. I blame my B plus last semester on checking MJ’s like…every day.

They used to be able to vote through Skype but not sure that they still can.

Something to ponder anywayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ Of course, it could be the same 3 obsessed fans watching DCook over and over and over.

HAHA, very true. I’d do it myself except that I usually just keep track by uploading the mp3 onto my iTunes and listening from there. I only re-watch the performances from time to time.

Something still tells me KLC will we able to sit safely on that thing Ryan calls “the safe couch” tonight, though. Man, why couldn’t she have been so much better than playing the patriotic card so that her fans get complacent enough to only vote a few times…

awwww primeminster, heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s saying, Now I lay me down to sleep, I hope Simon quits his job, the creep.

LOL! Nice one.

They used to be able to vote through Skype but not sure that they still can.

Skype doesn’t work. And my landline doesn’t work every single week

I want to be part of the Jason prayerthread……Please please please don’t let him be the one to go!!!!!!!

EW’s Behind the Scenes report.

So they did celebrate Jason’s birthday. Just not by saying anything on the air.

Even cuter? Jason Castro’s birthday surprise during the break. We didn’t quite know what was going on. All I could hear was Debbie screaming into her headpiece, “Ryan, I need you… now!” and then sat bewildered as the 10 finalists were brought back to the stage. But once the band broke into the happy birthday song, we all got the picture. Out walks Ryan with a huge blue and white cake and announces that today is Jason’s 21st birthday, then tries to get Jason to actually dip his head into the icing. And get all that gook in his hair? Jason wasn’t having it, but he did wet his beak, as it were, and proceeded to walk offstage with a blaring blue spot on his nose. Those Idol kids, they’re craaaazy!

bluegreen, I sent AI an email (along with many others) to get rid of the mosh pit. I don’t think they really care what we think. You are right on about how it affects Jason’s performances; however, perhaps they feel he has to get use to it NOW.

Oh my goodness, Carole King is just awesome. A few years ago she was in concert with “In My Living Room” and it was so intimate, so in touch with the audience. When I see Brooke perform, especially last night, Carole came to mind. Of course, I saw James Taylor in concert and he sat on a stool during much of the concert. Jason seems to be the type that would enjoy that type of setting rather than the large arena.

IMO, Carole would be an excellent mentor – especially this year!

I also hope that Jason is safe. This is the first week I’ve even considered that he could be in danger.

AFan, you and the other Kat fans must be very happy for her for signing the two-year Neutragena (sp) contract. Good for her.

Neutragena, is that a record company? Sorry, that was really bad, but I just had to.

Aww, Sarah. They should have shown that. Would have been cute seeing him bite into the cake.

Thank you so much primeminister for that sweet, sweet photo of Jason. Awww…

Yes, I am joining in on saying a little prayer for Jason.

http://www.tmz.com/2008/03/27/danny-noriega-idol-is-a-drag/

Danny at a drag show. You cannot take him serious. Also, there’s a piece about David H.