American Idol mentor, and Interscope chairman, Jimmy Iovine made his first appearance on last night’s Idol results show, and he was like a breath of fresh air! He assessed each of the Top 24, as they learned their fate, and it was almost like having Simon Cowell back. Only, it was so much better–as a long time producer, Jimmy knows and loves music (Simon only knows how to make money). I found myself nodding in agreement over nearly everything he said.
Sure some of his remarks were mean. But weren’t you thinking some of the stuff he said about the contestants in your head as they performed? American Idol needs that “truth teller”–somebody the contestants will respect and strive to please. There’s no one on the panel that fits the bill. Steven, Jennifer and Randy are afraid to offend. Jimmy, as a hard nosed record exec–rather than an artist looking to sell records–doesn’t need us to like him.
The best case scenario would be Jimmy sitting on the panel. But since that’s impossible for this season, Nigel should make a point of adding Jimmy’s commentary somewhere in the mix. Next year, the producers should completely rebuild the panel around Jimmy. Maybe keep Steven for the lulz. But ditch Randy and Jlo for sure.
Here’s what Jimmy had to say last night about each contestants:
Jimmy on Jeremy Rosado, “Jeremy has got a great voice and gets the award for the nicest person…that I’ve seen in a long time. But that isn’t going to cut it on this show. You have to have much more than that these days to win this thing.“
Jimmy on Chase Likens – “Chase is a good looking guy. But there are plenty of those on TV right now. To win on this show, you have to bring something fresh, original and exciting, and I saw none of that.”
Jimmy on Phillip Phillips – “We desperately need originality on this show. Phil Phillips has that. A lot of people try to sing like him but come off really affected. I believe every word he sang. I’d sign this guy on the spot.”
Jimmy on Hollie Cavanagh, “Little girl. Big voice. Could have been a little more believable. Give her the right material and she could do some real damage in this game.”
Jimmy on Brielle Von Huegel, “That’s not a very Staten Island name is it? Lotta charisma in this girl. I agree with Jennifer. A real entertainer. But she got to pick her own song this week. Why pick “On the Dock of the Bay”. Why not pick something young and contemporary and hit em. I think it’s gonna hurt her.”
Jimmy on Hallie Day, “This is Hallie’s best show so far. Really poised, restrained. Great tone in her voice. Lotta blonds on this show. Wow. I’m not sure who the audience is going to vote for though. It may not be her.
Jimmy on Jessica Sanchez, “Now she has talent from A to Z. I’d sign her on the spot tonight. If anyone has the pole position in this race, it’s Jessica. She’s the one to beat.”
Jimmy on Joshua Ledet: “This Joshua is the real deal. He sang great on the show and there’s no question in my mind that he’s going to get through. I’m really looking forward to working with him. But if he does get through, it’s my job that we don’t turn this into Sister Act 3.”
Jimmy on Adam Brock, “Supposedly Adam has a large black woman trapped in a white body. Well, as of right now, he’s not pulling them both off at the same time. If America is not going to be confused about him, he’s got to merge them and come as one person.”
Jimmy on Heejun Han, “This guy completely confuses me. I get the personality, I get the shtick, I get the whole thing. Sort of a good voice. This isn’t American Comedian. This is American Idol.”
Jimmy on Skyler Laine, “Skyler Laine did herself a great turn this week picking that great Faces song…she blends soul with country, which is a great formula for rock and roll. The judges love her, I thought she brought a lot of charisma. I agree with them. A lot of stage presence. I would have voted for her. I think a lot of the country is going to vote for her too.
Jimmy on Baylie Brown, “…seems to have all the pieces, but they didn’t come together tonight. Beautiful girl. Nice tone. But she lost the plot. Out of tune, I believe out of here.”
Jimmy on Chelsea Sorrell, “Chelsea’s got a really nice voice. But what I saw on the show was just not original enough. Carrie Underwood Karaoke is just not going to fly. We need a little bit more from her. I think she’s going to be in trouble this week.”
Jimmy on Shannon Magrane, “I really like her. Really good voice, Great poise. Sang beautifully. Tonight she was dressed more for the prom than for a live performance. Can use some help in the styling area. I say she does well tonight.”
Jimmy on Reed Grimm, “I watched Reed. Real talented, playing the drums, moving around. All the judges seemed to love him. Maybe they thought he was in a night club. Way too kitschy for me. Way too cabaret. He’s not going to make it on this show like that.”
Jimmy on Aaron Marcellus, “This confused me. Because the judges and the audience gave him a standing ovation, and I’m watching him and saying, This is cheesy! It’s a bit Don Cheedle. But everyone seemed to like it. But it did not work for me.”
Jimmy on Creighton Fraker, “Creighton has an interesting voice. Top end is screechy and annoys me. Judges loved him. I didn’t.”
Jimmy on Jen Hirsh, “Jen has a really nice voice. But if I were on this show, I’d stay miles away from Adele. Too many Adele wanabees on TV right now. A lot of vocal pyrotechnics in place of soul. It’s not going to work on this show and it’s not going to get her through. Just be very very careful in this area.”
Jimmy on Erika Van Pelt, “I like this girl. She has music in her blood. It’s very very natural to her. She has great restraint. Something the show needs more of, not less. The judges are asking her to push it, I don’t agree. She should stay where she is. Stay in pocket. And she can go all the way.”
Jimmy on Haley Johnsen, “Wow. She sang out of tune the entire song. I can get around that. But what I can’t get around is robotic mimicking. That’s going to kill you with me every time. I think that Randy was right. Her sweet dreams turned into a nightmare tonight.”
Jimmy on Elise Testone, “The judges like her. I agree with them on this one. She has a lot of character. I’d like to see her sing some of her own material. Or material crafted just for her. Normally I’m afraid of Adele songs…but she brought something to it. She songs a little hard…she has to be careful. It’s a long competition. She has to hold on to that voice.”
Jimmy on Jermaine Jones, “I’m so glad the judges brought Jermaine back. What a beautiful voice. I can listen to an entire album of that voice, which is very few people I can say that about in today’s business. We got to figure out how to get him through this show. It’s going to take a bit of variety, a bit of excitement, and a lot of creativity, but I’m rooting for him.”
Jimmy on Deandre Brackensick, “Deandre has an enormous amount of potential. What he needs is a coach. We should start now. When you take on someone like Phillip Bailey from Earth Wind and Fire, you have to crush that. He’s just not ready for that song yet.’
Jimmy on Eben Frankewitz, “Eben is a really talented kid, with a lot of great potential. But in my opinion, not ready for primetime. Not yet. He sang a song that is way too mature for him, for where he is right now. If he doesn’t make it, I’d like to see him come back. But the way the rules work, he can’t come back. They’ve got to change the rules.”
Jimmy on Colton Dixon, “Colton is really talented, probably one of the most talented kids in this show. But he can’t do too much too soon—jumping on the piano, off the piano. He’s got to just take it slow, pace himself, and he could really win this thing.”
