More Thoughts on the American Idol Semi-Final Group 2

Ai auditioned 100,000 singers and we’re seeing the BEST ones they found? And Simon says NICK is a joke?

I agree about Mishavonna. I thought she was great and I’d love to see her in the finals. But, unfortunately, I don’t think it’s gonna happen.

And Jesse, too. I’d love to see her go through, because though I wasn’t fond of that song last night, I love her voice and would love to hear more of her. Hopefully, if she doesn’t get through tonight, they’ll bring her back for the Wildcard.

As it stands, I’m not sure who to put my last 6 points on…Jesse or Matt. Obviously, Matt shouldn’t make it through based on that performance, but he is in third place on DialIdol, so who knows. I’m hoping it’s Jesse, though.

Ai auditioned 100,000 singers and weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re seeing the BEST ones they found? And Simon says NICK is a joke?

Of course they aren’t. XD

I actually auditioned in Season four and I can tell you that I heard plenty of awesome singers while standing in line. Some of them were so good that I thought they wouldn’t have a problem going straight to Hollywood and almost all of them were cut in the very first cut.

And no, I’m not counting myself among those awesome people who were cut. I know I did a good job, but I’m talking there were people who would have blown most of the Season Four semi-finalists out of the water, based on what I heard at the auditions. Yet they didn’t even make it past the first round (Colbie Caillat didn’t either, from what I hear).

Who knows what the producers are looking for in that first cut, but believe me, the ones they put through are not always the best that audition. Sometimes, it just comes down to the luck of the draw of which producer you audition in front of. Maybe that producer didn’t like you but the one two tables down might have loved you. Who knows.

I must just disagree a little bit. Sorry! :]
I really liked Kris Allen’s performance.
I found it a bit different than what I thought he would sing.

I enjoyed it.

Though, my favorite of the night was Allison.

“That Matt already has a strong fanbase at this early stage, ready to cut him some slack based on a couple of OK performances from the early rounds, is amazing.”
I’m a Matt fan but I honestly think that there aren’t that many of us. I would be willing to bet he had almost the whole state of Michigan voting for him, however. The fact that so many people have seen him play at his bar and do well mean that they know he can do better.

I think Matt Giraud’s “vibrato” was his voice “bouncing” as his body did. He needs his piano, or to stand still when he’s singing, until he figures out how to control that.

I agree with the ones you liked best, mj, except for Nick. He wasn’t as funny to me as he has been in the past. I’d be okay with him coming back for the wildcard show for a final hurrah – and then maybe return for the finale, too. But I’ve decided I don’t think his vocals are very strong. I really tried to pay attention to them (maybe that’s why I didn’t LOLZ as much ) and they were not horrible, but definitely not great.

If last night’s performances were all we saw, there should be two girls going through – though other than Allison, I’m not sure who: Jesse, Mishavonna or Megan.

I really like Matt (well, at least, before last night’s disaster) and I threw him some votes, but I really hope he does NOT make it through tonight. Being a wildcard could at least allow him to advance based on a good performance rather than the suckfest that was Viva La Vida. (That is, if he even will be picked for a wildcard now that he stated what type of music he wants to do…)

I’m really pulling for Jesse—she’s the other one I voted for!

Why they threw Mishavonna under a bus is a mystery to me. I thought she did well.

MJ, I agree totally that Alison, Adam and Jesse should go through…Matt G totally sucked.

Have to disgree on Nick Mitchell….it would be great if he were good doing his alter-ego schtik but he just looks silly.

Can’t wait to see the results with my morning coffee!

I liked Jesse too. It’s tough with some of the girls because I saw things in Jesse, Megan and Mishavonna which were interesting and I’m not sure you can make a good decision based on one song. But that’s the way the show works and Allison played to win. She picked the right song and really showed off her voice. That’s what you have to do at this stage. Adam did the same thing. He did what he had to do to advance.

Nick/Normund was hilarious but I’m not sure I want to see him on the Idol stage again. He turns the whole thing into a circus – not that Idol isn’t a circus but we don’t have to keep emphasizing it. We’re supposed to be looking for a serious recording artist here. *cough*

I LOVED Nick/Normund!! Most entertaining thing I’ve seen in a long time. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for him to make it!! I’ve been walking around at work all day going “Karate kick!”

I agree with the judges about Misch’s song choice. I think she has a nice voice, but that song didn’t suit her at all. I wouldn’t mind seeing her get a wild card spot of she doesn’t make it through this week (and I doubt she will).

As it stands, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not sure who to put my last 6 points onà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦Jesse or Matt. Obviously, Matt shouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t make it through based on that performance, but he is in third place on DialIdol, so who knows. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m hoping ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Jesse, though.

I divided my points between the two of them. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve switched it around. However, it could be someone else who slips into the top three vote-getters, according to Dial Idol’s margin of error. Wonder if it will be Normund?!

MJ, I’ll miss the live show tonight, but I know I can count on your vids. Thanks so much for all that you provide!

I wholeheartedly agree, MJ. Adam reminds me of Taylor, not a pop star in the contemporary sense, but he brings something interesting and memorable to the competition. I hope Jesse makes it to the top 12. I floved her bluesy vocals and would love to see her perform again. A vast improvement from the “kareoke hell” (tm Simon Cowell) we experience from last week.

I was not as impressed with the girls as others were. I think Allison did a good job, but compared to the 4 before her, she probably sounded terrific because of that. I didn’t like Jesse and all her talking really put me off. I didn’t really like Mishavonna’s song choice and Meghan started out good but then it quickly went downhill with her weird movements (it reminded me of a kid trying to say no and would shake their whole body along with it) and her going off pitch. Of the girls I would say Allison should def. move on and that’s it.

Of the guys, I want Adam Lambert (who did not need producers to pimp him) since he combined awesome vocals with a good performance. The other guy I want is Kris Allen because I thought it started out shaky but got on track to make it a really good overall performance. It just sucks for him he had no screentime! I hope dial idol is wrong and that Kris is the 3rd pick!

Damn it! I made the mistake of picking the 3 best not the 3 most popular.
Uggggghhhh when will I ever learn? LOL

I didn’t get how they could praise Megan and diss Mishavonna based on vocals or performance. I still stand by my thought that Megan’s arm flailing, screeching and stomping made her look like a mid-tantrum toddler. I wasn’t feelin’ it. Really liked Jesse. Wish she wouldn’t talk so much though! But, oh well.

Adam is highly entertaining but I couldn’t picture myself buying anything that he puts out.

Based upon what I heard last night during AI (which I loved) and the recap I heard this morning broadcast on my local station (which I didn’t love) … he’s a performer, not a recording artist.

Perhaps he’ll do something later on to change my mind but I kinda doubt it.

I have a question… are they going to attempt to keep it six guys and six girls again this season? I ask because if Dial Idol is right, and Adam and Matt make it through, that would only leave two spots for guys. If the trend continues, two more will make it next week and then are all of the wildcard picks going to be girls? Does that mean that Anoop won’t have a chance at all????

Good review. I especially like your Screechy McSchreechfest comment. Any relation to Samuel Powers? Check out my review for FOX 7 in Austin, TX, at http://budurl.com/sz2a

MJ, I agree with you on Adam. He has tons of talent and personality. But I’m not seeing it translating to a recording career. He clearly has fans, though. And he’ll be around for a while. And I agree with you that he is entertaining. He will make for great tv. I wish he were a little edgier than he is. I think he thinks he’s edgy. But I’m not buying that. To me he’s like a really talented cabaret singer trying to reign it into a style that he thinks will market to the mainstream. But just because you can hit those notes doesn’t mean you SHOULD everytime you have the microphone. But, he definitley deserves to be there and I do hope he sticks around. Maybe he can prove me wrong, which I’d like.

I am not getting the love for Nick, though. I don’t find him funny.

I don’t know. Just not really finding any contestants to get very excited about. But I just started watching. I liked Allison and I think the judges completely missed the boat on Mishavona. That girl has real potential.

See, I think Adam could be a successful recording artist. I’m not certain of it by any means but some of his youtube stuff has convinced me he can be very commercial if he wants to be. It’s just that last night wasn’t the time for that. This format almost pushes you into a “look at me” posture.

After that performance, Matt G. absolutely, positively should NOT go through to the next round; this show is ssssoooooo unfair!!!! (Wah, Wah) :glurps_tb:

MJ, or anyone else who knows the answer, what’s the difference between the dialidol’s raw numbers perdictions and their regular show perdictions?

I so want Nick/Norman to advance to the top 12, because he really does sing well and is damn entertaining. I want to be entertained!!!

:smoke_tb:

Completely baffling were the judges critiques for Mishavonna Henson. Her song choice, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Drops of Jupiterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  was risky, but with her smokey alto, she managed to put her own spin on it. Did not get the comments about seeming à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“too oldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“too put together.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

For me, it’s all about how she comes across on television.

The vocal itself was spot-on, and I have rather enjoyed listening to it. As a matter of fact, hers may be the first iTunes performance I purchase this season (and the only one from this group).

But, add the visual, and with the movements and weird facial expressions, it was almost as though she was trying too hard – a complete disconnect from the rather perfect vocal. It didn’t seem genuine, so I don’t think she succeeded in connecting with the audience.

I thought it was a little boring myself, and if she hadn’t had the right-before-the-pimp-spot spot, I would have probably forgotten that performance.

Allison Feb 26th, 2009 at 4:15 pm

Why they threw Mishavonna under a bus is a mystery to me. I thought she did well.

She is getting a bit long in the tooth and Randy has that “And you’re only sixteen.” line memorized by heart from AI6, so it makes Allison the obvious young’un for Top 12. I thought her Alone was grossly overly praised.

Seriously, if they aren’t going to take the fourth highest vote getter into wild card as Mr Warwick previously stated, then I could see Jesse totally left out of the mix for Megan. They see money in Megan.

This Top 36 formula makes the manipulations, of the judging, that much more obvious.

My picks based strictly on singing for the Group 2 were:

Guy: Kris (good MJ covers are like hen’s teeth on Idol)
Gal: Jesse ( for me the best of the year, a real song and performance)
Third: Mishavanna ( a real “wow” performance rewarded with a rough shove under the bus.)

I have a questionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ are they going to attempt to keep it six guys and six girls again this season?

Season 3 had more girls than guys. And since the producers have gone back to the Season 3 style semi-final round, the answer is no.

Gender equality probably won’t be the major consideration when they choose their wildcard picks. Since the judges keep going on and on about how great the boys are, there probably will be more boys than girls in the Top 12.

More of a concern will be demographics–making the cast as diverse as possible will be part of the decision-making process, I’m sure.

Please Do NOT compare Adam to Taylor Hicks…ughhhhh. Taylor was a no talent bore fest. Adam can sing…Taylor could not.

I found Normund to be more entertaining than 90% of the contestants last night. I love that he understands the show is made of cheese, and that it really doesn’t deserve to be taken as seriously as America loves to take it.

OK. Back to taking the show seriously. I hate, hate, hate the new format. Last night proved to me that the producers were off their collective rockers for going back to the system they used in the first three seasons. It’s ridiculous to think that a singer like Jesse can win over America with one performance. Or that someone like Kris should go home just because he wasn’t as good as Adam. Apparently, America felt Matt deserved a second chance, which is fine. Based on the system from the past few seasons, he was good enough that he would have survived first round Top 12 guys for sure. But, so would Kris, and Rick Braddy from last week, and a few others.

And I have no faith in the Wild Card rounds. I have a feeling the producers/judges will already have selected the three contestants for the Top 12 even before they sing that night. *sad face*

I’m still not convinced this is the year of the guys. It’s true that the boys have stood out more than the girls, but that doesn’t necessarily translate into votes or popularity. I mean, look at the (likely) males in the top 12:

Danny – he has a large fanbase, but also a large hatebase. I’ve never seen so much active loathing of a contestant before, not even with Sanjaya. His fanbase will get him to the top four, but around that time, his haters will start rallying behind his competition. Has very little chance of actually winning.

Adam – same situation as Danny. People don’t hate the guy himself, but he has a very polarizing style: you either love his enormous range or hate those screechy glory notes. A little bit like Constatine with the eye-fucking and slightly skeezy attitude. He’ll probably get farther than Danny, but he needs to stop being theatre and start taking notes from Cook – originality will get him very far, especially considering that most Cook fans seem to be gravitating towards Adam as their potential favorite.

Anoop – He’s a great singer, and unlike Danny and Adam, he doesn’t have that polarizing effect. I’ve seen a few people say that he’s overhyped, but no one hates him to the extent that they hate Adam and Danny. OTOH, it does not bode well that he lost to freaking Sarver in votes, especially considering that he had a better performance and more screentime. Needs to pick better songs in order to earn that fanbase, but I’m not holding my breath.

Ricky – Also a great vocalist, but as Simon says, a bit boring. He has the disadvantage of having absolutely no previous airtime, but despite being one of the best singers in group one, doesn’t have the memorability or charisma of someone like Jason Castro. I see him a little as David Hernandez – great voice, but when compared to the other guys, gets lost in the crowd.

Matt G – If he gets through tonight, it proves that he has an absolutely enormous fanbase – surprisingly MUCH larger than Anoop’s, who gave a decent performance and still lost. But Viva la Vida was excruciatingly bad, and I just don’t think Matt G. has what it takes to dramatically improve. Contestants who are absolute shit during semifinals tend not to do well during finals – it’s the mediocre ones who improve the most (see: Cook, David).

Sarver – Cannon fodder. Will be gone.

The guys in group three are likely going to be cannon fodder; TPTB wouldn’t risk giving one of their chosen ones only a day to rehearse for Wildcard (I’m betting that’s why Anoop was in group one). But while there may be fewer girls than guys in the top 12, we also have to keep in mind that the girls who got through were hands down the best performers of the entire night. Allison and Alexis both trump Sarver and Giraud vocally. Plus, with Felicia and Lil Rounds and MAYBE Leneshe coming up, I have to say that we really could be looking at a female winner for season eight.

To my eyes and ears, last night had way more misses than hits. The sole standout for me was Adam’s performance. He owned the stage and brought a fresh take on the song. Refreshing. After that, I thought Allison and Jesse did well. Both did their songs justice even though I felt Allison’s performance was too typical Idol for my tastes. But obviously it did the trick.

After that, I gave a bunch of votes to NickNorm because I appreciate his talents of spoofing Idol with decent vocals and great comedic timing. He’s right on target with all the games that make up the Idol experience – from the producers, judges and contestants. He’s like the court jester, calling out the whole nine with a light heart and a quick wit. We need NickNorm, now more than ever.

I thought Kris did a passable job. He’s cute and has a decent voice, although nothing to thrill about. Kai is so sweet and has a nice voice but he made a really bad decision to sing that song. Did not show any contemporary relevance. Mishavonna did ok but did not hold my interest. I think it was too controlled, not connected enough. Megan was ok in spots and really bad in others, very uneven to my ears. And her movements were really distracting. If she moves on, it will be mostly based on looks.

Matt G. was flatout bad – horrible song choice for his voice. It was a quivering, nerve-wracked performance. It wasn’t just a case of a slightly weak performance which I would have given him a pass on. I wanted to like him too, but if that’s the kind of recording artist he sees himself as, I think the kindest thing to do, is disabuse him of that notion by not letting him into the Top 12.

The rest were unremarkable to me or downright bad.

THANK YOU! MJ, you rock my world right now, lol. There was such a disconnect between the judges opinions and mine, I thought I was watching a different show.

I think you are absolutely right about Jesse Lang and Mishavonna Henson. I’m not sure if they are right for a warm and fuzzy show like American Idol (I’d hate to see them take the judges’ advice and become all bubbly/commercial), but they came across as potentially credible singers to me. Jesse seems a bit pretentious, which probably won’t ingratiate her to voters, but her musicality was no doubt, head and shoulders above the rest. Mishavonna could use some more experience but her tone is amazing; reminds me of Patty Loveless if Patty Loveless were to sing alternative music.

I have to disagree with you on Matt Breitzke, though. He was my favorite male performance of the night. I thought his straight, heartfelt, and not over-sung delivery was really refreshing. Adam Lambert on the other hand, was pure ham to me.

But you still rock for keeping me company on the lonely Jesse and Mishavonna train, so all is good

My opinion and prediction on each of them:

Adam – Clearly the best of the night and probably the best so far this season. It wasn’t the all-time best compared to previous seasons’ semifinal performances, but against this field, he is likely in cruise control. He should pretty much prepare himself for the weeks ahead. Unless all the predictions are way off, he is a lock for the top 12. Rank: 1st among guys (1st coming in)

Allison – She came into tonight mid-pack needing a great performance to contend. And she sure delivered with such a difficult song! Like Alexis Grace, we will likely see another girl come out of nowhere to topple all the big names. As a result, she will almost certainly make the top 12 as well on votes tonight. Rank: 1st among girls (4th coming in)

Jasmine – I thought she had a decent chance coming in and she was really good in Hollywood. But, she collapsed under the pressure like many contestants have this season. Not only did she watch a shot at making the finals disappear, she’ll be hard-pressed to make the wildcard show as well. Rank: 5th among girls (3rd coming in)

Jeanine – Probably the most extreme case of cannon fodder this season, she needed to blow the house down with a Carrie Underwood-like performance to have a prayer. Unfortunately for her, she went out with a whimper, not a bang. She’s headed home and likely to oblivion as one of those on Idol who get no attention afterward. Rank: 6th among girls (6th coming in)

Jesse – She had name recognition but little attention. I know you will disagree mj, but I did not like her performance much at all. Compared to some of the other girls, I thought she fell apart on stage too. She had to do well to have a chance against some big names, and a wildcard spot seems a distant thought as well for her now. Rank: 4th among girls (5th coming in)

Kai – He was seen as a huge underdog that could potentially pick up a big gain. However, his chances have severely diminished now rightfully or wrongfully, considering he needed a really good performance and was just mid-pack. He may have an outside shot at the wildcard, but that may be it. Rank: 3rd among guys (5th coming in)

Kris – Like Matt Giraud, he definitely did not even come close to living up to expectations, where he was seen as a possible contender. However, he was pretty bad as well, yet seems to be in contention if DialIdol is to be believed. It could be a case of relying on teenybopper votes, since he doesn’t deserve to advance. A wildcard spot is a good possibility though still. Rank: 5th among guys (3rd coming in)

Matt B – I thought he was pretty good and probably deserving of a top 12 spot, yet anti-pimpage from the judges will surely make it tough for him. He definitely was better than the judges gave him credit for. If he did make enough fans though, he definitely will need to make it on votes tonight, since the wildcard show seems really out of reach for him being poorly liked by the judges. Rank: 2nd among guys (4th coming in).

Matt G – He came in with a good shot at making it and with a solid fan base. However, a really bad performance has changed everything for him. He had the worst run of the night among the guys for sure, yet the large fan base might just be enough to get the third spot in a mediocre field. He certainly doesn’t deserve to make it though. If not, he is likely a lock for the wildcard. Rank: 6th among guys (2nd coming in)

Megan – She was definitely really pimped and was clearly the frontrunner among the girls coming in. But she didn’t live up to her expectations by any means, and now is in a huge struggle. If she has enough fans, she might squeak in, but the wildcard might be more realistic, barring a run of great performances next week. Rank: 3rd among girls (1st coming in)

Mishavonna – Quietly, she seemed really good and a potential dark house. However, she needed to do REALLY well to overcome the lack of attention. I thought she was good but not the best, so she will be very hard-pressed to get anywhere even if she might deserve a shot. The fact the judges did not pimp her at all makes a wildcard spot unlikely as well. Rank: 2nd among girls (2nd coming in)

Nick/Normund – Whatever you call him, he was more of a vanity act than anything and just there to boost ratings. Based on voice alone, he doesn’t have much chance at all. But his personality might give him a big boost – if not outright, then in the wildcard show. He has an outside chance of making it on votes though. Rank: 4th among guys (6th coming in).

My picks to advance:

SHOULD MOVE ON – Adam, Allison, Matt B
WILL MOVE ON – Adam, Allison, Matt G

I am SOOOO happy to rewatch N/N’s absolutely hilarious performance last night. I am like you, MJ, still laughing out loud every time I see him weep over the sign and make those wonderful throwaway lines and gestures.

He was total wack entertainment in the middle of an awful lot of boring earnestness. The show NEEDS this from time-to-time.

If it is true that the ratings went up for his performance, then take THAT sassy pants!!

I am afraid last night was our farewell to Nick, though. Until the final show.

I thought Matt Girauds performance was terrible. I was surprised when I saw that DailIdol had in 2nd behind Adam.

He was horrible compared to Matt B. and cutie Kris in the boys group. The girls were better then he was.

His performance was one of the worst last night even mixing in the girls.

I am not getting the love for Nick, though. I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t find him funny.

Oh there are plenty of us who find him an unfunny talentless clown. I loathe him with a passion so great that if he were to get to the Top 12, then I am done with American Idol.

Next year, a yodelling magician, a ventriloquist and a singing Chihuahua will vie for the Top 12 spot. They are entertaining you see.

>>>Please Do NOT compare Adam to Taylor Hicksà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ughhhhh. Taylor was a no talent bore fest. Adam can singà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦Taylor could not.

BRING BACK RICK BRADDY AS A WILDCARD!!!!

Best singer of week one and as good as Adam in his own way. Adam can rock and Rick can sing the blues with his beautiful tone.

I would love to see them one, two. After last night’s performances, I could only think of Braddy and ask, WHY, WHY WHY???

Being honest here, I wouldn’t buy one CD from anyone so far, but I would pay bucks to go see Nick. Adam for the first time watching american idol I had to hit my mute. It was horrible and hurt my ears. Not one contestant stood up to one contestant from last year! I’m serious, not one person could sing. They all stunk.

I think people are good natured and try to find good things in each person and more so when they pick a favorite before they even sing on the show. They feel to invested in their IDOL and treat it like my TEAM Is going to win, and to heck with he forgot his words, sounded horrible, or just stinks.

This has got to be the worst American Idol ever and as I said before, it’s their death. Nick at least made me smile, and I turned up the volume instead of mute. He isn’t that A-TYPICAL idol but can anyone think out of the box and agree he is entertainment and should stay?

The answer is no like the judges they want their “TEAM” to win at all cost. Sad really.

PS this isn’t directed to any one person here but stated in general terms.

Hazel, word. I’m not even against the concept of someone like Nick being on the show or going all the way. If I found him funny and/or liked to hear him sing, then I’d be all for it. But this is like watching an extended edition of the bad audition shows. I’m way over it. But, just like I don’t agree with everyone’s taste in music, I’m not going to agree with everyone’s taste in comedy.

i hope that alison, megan, and kris make it though i doubt it…..adam was talented and good but i just cant get behind his shrieky style…..i have a feeling itll either be adam, alison and matt or adam, alison, and megan…..

Lera, I guess I’m more skeptical than that. To me, contestants like Tatiana and Nick have been placed in the top 36 for the judges to rip apart and for the country to talk about and/or ridicule. THAT is the entertainment. At least as far as TPTB see it. I guess it’s kinda working since we’re here talking about it. LOL. But I’d rather see good singing, personally. Not a side show. But, to each his own. Clearly some are enjoying Nick, and that’s what count.

That picture of Adam is creeping me out big time.

Should go through: Adam, Allison, Megan or Jesse
Wild card: Nick, Matt, Megan or Jesse

I didn’t think Matt was quite as bad as everyone else did. I kind of “read between the lines” with him last night. He was really nervous, but I think he’s got some talent that could be interesting. (No I don’t live in Michigan) hee

See I think Adam DOES have mainstream potential. Listening to his original songs on YouTube has given me great confidence when before I really didn’t think so.

He still needs a LOT of refining but I think he’s halfway there already; but Good Lord, it’s just the SEMI-FINALS, give the dude a chance! Everyone has to build UP from something. You can’t expect him (or any other Idol contestant for that matter) to show up from day one a fully grown pop star.

I totally agree on all of what you say MJ except for Norman, he bores me to tears, I LOVE funny guys, I DO – It is my #1 requirement in a man, but he seems desperate to me and the small old same old thing over and over again is boring to me. With Adam, I get excited to see what he will bring, I think he will be different, as he has been already, every time. I really want to see Megan blossom into what I think that she can be. I do also believe that Norman and Tatiana have been brought on to bring the crazy, ott – dum singers to the actual show. They were soooo upset that Tatiana did not bring the crazy the last time she was on and it was shameful the way they tried to push her to perform her crazy act for them again. They want to please the people that watch the show just for these types of singers and well as those who love to see actual singers grow and mature before our eyes, week after week

Oh, Mishovanna, really – I really liked her too, I did not get the judges being so critical of her? The first four, I dont even remember their names now but the rest, I do

Random thoughts:

1. I think the producers saw Ricky Braddy as cannon fodder, like Jeanine. So when Ricky outsang the boys last week, they panicked, and shut down his fansite. I don’t think they have ANY intention of putting him through, though. He had zero facetime, and Simon was pretty much “meh” about him. And with possibly more guys than girls passing outright, they’re not going to pick him over a more obvious fan favorite (and ergo, vote-and-ratings machine) like Anoop. Which sucks; Ricky would have probably made it through on the older format.

2. If Matt G makes it through, then it underscores everything that’s WRONG about this new format, as well as everything GOOD about it… as perceived by the producers, anyway. There currently isn’t much difference between the “will go through” and “should go through” as far as the top two spots are concerned, but that third slot is tricky. The Idol voting system has always rewarded train wrecks and punished boring performances. Matt G’s was, arguably, a train wreck, which means that his fans would sense he was in trouble, and would thus pick up the phone and dial harder. (Same thing for Nick/Norman/Normund, I think.) So while the Top 2 will probably be the strongest performers, third spot would go to the person with the biggest fanbase. Michael proved it last week (he’s got the everyman-middle-America appeal, and probably got the “country” vote that Brent was courting), and if Matt G goes through, that definitely proves it. The producers LOVE that, because (1) it means a little controversy, and (2) they get another vote-and-ratings machine in the Top 12, which is what the producers are all about. The Top 2 may be about who did best last night, but the third slot goes to personality.

3. My problem with Kris Allen is similar to Ricky Braddy: He doesn’t have that ineffable “star quality” they keep talking about. I thought his Man in the Mirror was good, but a tad boring. And boring is the kiss of death on Idol; you have to either “blow it” (the good, Randy Jackson way) or blow it (the bad, trainwreck way). But I like him. I think he might be back for the WC round, but if more guys than girls go through, he’ll probably be ignored in favor of Anoop.

4. I am almost certain that Megan Joy Gorkrey will be one of the Wild Cards. All you need to do is listen to how the judges fawned all over her. She got the biggest praise any contestant could get this season: “You’re commercial.”

5. And my last point: That is, ultimately, what the judges are looking for. It’s not the best singer, it’s the most commercial, sellable singer, the one who’ll sell records.

Oh, and my personal Top Three this week: Allison, Adam, and Jesse, with Megan and Mishavonna close behind. My Bottom Three: Jeanine, Matt B, and Nick/Norman, with Matt G close behind.

MJ:

Question: I know I am slow, but I noticed that you thank someone by the name of Jeebus a lot, is it ok to ask who Jeebus is? Sorry about the question, I am sure most people know, I guess I was just wondering if it is a friend or maybe another blogger who loves AI.

thanks

P.S. I with am with you all the way on your assessment of last night, however, still on a great big fence on Adam Lambert, not sure what to think of him yet, so far, yeah great voice but there is something about the “vibe” he gives off that is rubbing me wrong, I can’t quite put my finger on it yet. Maybe it is something about his eyes when he sings, I don’t know, more time with tell.

Anyone else pick up on what I may be seeing in Adam?

Next year, a yodelling magician, a ventriloquist and a singing Chihuahua will vie for the Top 12 spot. They are entertaining you see.

Exactly. Oy.

If that’s the direction they want Idol to go, then yeah, it definitely won’t be around much longer.

Sorry to people who think those things are “entertainment” and deserve to be on Idol, but those aren’t the things I watch Idol for. If I wanted to see those things, I’d watch Comedy Central or America’s Got Talent.

I agree with these:

But this is like watching an extended edition of the bad audition shows. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m way over it.

But Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d rather see good singing, personally. Not a side show.

*Nod*

I tried to watch Nick again and I ended up watching it a few more (eleventymumblety) times. I think I realized what others have discovered about him. He couldn’t care less if he advanced to the Top 12 or not; this was his intro to the whole world, kinda like a rookie comedian’s 5 minutes on Leno or Letterman. He’s going to have a career as a comic who sings. Kinda like the Dan Band only in reverse, I think. Great move, I say.

Michael Johns told the judges he wanted to sing rock – they told him he should sing blues/soul. I think the same case is with Matt G. Bad song choice for him but he has a lot of fans who hopefully cut him some slack.

My only problem with Norman is that that’s the 2nd or 3rd time he’s done that Dreamgirls song. Me fears he’s a one-trick-pony.

I loved Adam’s performance. He and Allison were the only 2 who came out and took command of the stage. I do see potential for Adam as a pop star. I know that the glam rock/hair metal sound hasn’t been popular for a while, but, like everything else from the 70s and 80s, it’s probably coming back now. In the last month or so I’ve seen/heard various things that make me think that that sound is about to become popular in the Indie/Alt world at the very least. Whether Idol is ready for someone with that style is another matter. I’m still waiting to see how versatile Adam can be, and if he can still be interesting when he’s in a toned-down mode.

I liked Mishavonna last night, but I like Drops of Jupiter to begin with, and she was one of my favorites based on her pre-Idol music. I don’t know what the judges problem was with her. This was one of those nights when it seemed like they were judging people based on their idea of the person going into the episode, rather than the actual performances. I’m afraid that Misha, Meghan, and Jesse have overlapping fanbases and will be doomed because of vote splitting.

I think Nick/Norman is doing a mediocre impression of Jerry Lewis circa 1960. Okay to see a couple of times, but I’m much more interested in the real singers now. I wish that he had had the guts to do a song straight just once, instead of hiding behind the Norman persona every time.

are “real singers” matt g….cause he sucked HUGE last night.

Please do NOT compare Adam to Taylor Hicks! Taylor feels the music; Adam feels his ego. I can.not.stand.Adam.

Lera, ITA. But then I’ve sort of written off this season as shittastic already anyway so I don’t care if Nick/Norman “takes up a spot”. IMO it doesn’t matter anyway cause this format already robs a lot of potential good finalists of a spot.

Most of the other 35 aren’t exactly earning their spot either. Even if I could pick out 12 very good singers/performers from this year’s group (doubtful) most of them wouldn’t make it through cause of the format. I dunno what TPTB were casting for this season but it doesn’t seem to be talent.

That picture of Adam is creeping me out big time.

You don’t think he’s sexy?

for the people who do not find nick/normund funnyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦i have to askà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦what do you people find funny? i would love to hear some examples of what you find funnyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

Not Nick. He’s like Napoleon Dynamite on crack.

You cannot compare Adam and Taylor Hicks even a little bit. They can both sing, thank you very much, and I love them both (Taylor is my favorite ever, of course) but they have zero in common. Taylor is a jam band soul performer, Adam is theatrical and OTT and he owns it.

holeighannie, I woudn’t say Adam completely owns being OTT on the show. In his youtube videos, very much so. Believe it or not, it appears Adam is actually being quite restrained on the show.

Adam and Taylor?! That is the weirdest comparison ever. One’s vocals is in a completely different league than the other.

I really hope Di is wrong about Matt G. That was just awful.

I’m holding out hope for Jesse or Nick. I agree that they were the best of the night, and Adam is a given.

I hope we get to see more from Kris Allen. He deserves a shot at a wild card, for sure.

I just wasn’t that impressed by Mishavonna. All the notes were there, but she was kinda meh for me. Totally the wrong song choice, and something about her tone grated. That may have been the song, though.

You canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t expect him (or any other Idol contestant for that matter) to show up from day one a fully grown pop star.

If a contestant isn’t ready when they first hit that Idol stage, 12 weeks isn’t going to make a huge difference.

Sure, there’s a certain amount of growth that will occur in that time, but if a person ain’t a pop star to begin with, Idol isn’t going to turn them into one.

I heard Adam’s original music, and I didn’t hear anything I thought would fit comfortably on contemporary radio. Twenty to thirty years ago maybe…

Anyway, my point is that I’m not convinced…yet…that Adam could be a pop star. We’ll see.

Adam kind of reminds me of David Bowie. Maybe Rebel Rebel.

Real Singers= Everyone but Nick who sang last night. Whether they were fantastic or a train wreck, they came to show us how well they sing, which is what I’m watching for. Nick doesn’t seem interested in showing us what he actually can or can’t do with his voice.

ETA: “Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m trying not to imagine what Adam would do with a coronation single.”

Dream Big X 100! LOL

You cannot compare Adam and Taylor Hicks even a little bit. They can both sing, thank you very much, and I love them both (Taylor is my favorite ever, of course) but they have zero in common. Taylor is a jam band soul performer, Adam is theatrical and OTT and he owns it.

Let’s leave Taylor out of this discussion please. It’s off-topic.

I’m trying not to imagine what Adam would do with a coronation single.

Well, while we’re on the subject of marketability, I’m not sure how marketable Danny Gokey is either. To me, he’s like a boring version of Taylor. But, I never thought bbDavid was marketable last season either, and he’s done okay for himself.

I’m pulling for Adam, Allison, and Kris or Megan to get through tonight.

edit: i was trying to delete your response to a post i deleted and i edited out too much. sorry.

I think Adam’s The Circle could do quite well on radio stations today – not AC by any means (lol).

Jesse, Adam and Mishavonna were my favorites from last night as well.

Jesse’s performance I think might be my favorite of the semi’s so far (Alexis’s is close). I really hope that she makes it in. If not, I think she might have an outside chance at a wildcard, just because Paula seems to really like her and if DI is right and she is just behind Matt G in votes then maybe they will reconsider a bit their thoughts on how popular she might be. But it is an outside chance so I hope she makes it tonight.

I also didn’t really get why they panned Mishavonna so much, I quite liked her performance and she has a really nice tone to her voice. Sadly I don’t think she has much chance of getting through or getting a wildcard slot.

I thought Allison was good, but not as good as the judges made it out to be. I don’t have a problem with her making it to the top 12 though, which seems pretty likely at the moment.

chewsday
Feb 26th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
Please do NOT compare Adam to Taylor Hicks! Taylor feels the music; Adam feels his ego. I can.not.stand.Adam.

I agree with you on this Adam does feel his ego..

does adam have more ego than gokey? i bet they could have a good old fashioned ego contest there.

Taylor has a very nice ego as well thank you. He has brought it along with him on several appearances.

ETA: Oops, sorry MJ, I see where you say Taylor is OT above. Let’s just say all of these entertainers should have a healthy sense of themselves and what they want and leave it at that.

Jesse! Jesse! Jesse! I wasn’t going to vote at all last night, but then decided to pick up the vote later into the voting and throw several votes her way. I’d so love to see her advance tonight, but I’m not getting my hopes up!

I really think she has what it takes to show consistency in this show!

ETA: Kirsten said in the headlines thread that they should have N/N perform tonight to make the show more interesting and I AGREE! At least give him a Norman part in the group number!!!

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m trying not to imagine what Adam would do with a coronation single.

OMG…watching Adam sing “Inside your Heaven” could, quite possibly, be the funniest thing ever.

“Please do NOT compare Adam to Taylor Hicks! Taylor feels the music; Adam feels his ego. I can.not.stand.Adam.”

In the interviews and pre-Idol stuff I’ve read and seen concerning Adam (and I’ve read and seen a lot), he comes across as a confident hard-working artist who is comfortable in his own skin. Ego? Haven’t seen it yet. Amazing vocal talent and stage presence? You betcha.

Adam is one of only three that have me excited to see what they’ll do next. He’ll breeze through tonight as well he should, but I’ve got my fingers crossed for my bluesy girl Jesse. I still can’t believe a girl with her background even tried out for this show. Her pre-Idol stuff is awesome (and I really liked her as a blonde).

i just rewatched adam. i am gleeful. he can barely contain himself. he almost lost it for 20 seconds there and thought he was in his true element….

so this is awesome. because later in the top 12 he is totally got to let go and scare the hell out of the producers. love it!

so….to make an accurate connection to taylor here…adam could be the producers worst nightmare as time runs on…just like in season 5.

so yeah adam:)

Based on last night’s performances and compared to prior seasons, 12 of 12 could legitimately go home. I’m probably not going to vote until the final 4 because, to be truthful, I really don’t care since the hyped contestants are getting all the sheep votes, anyway.

Idol is just exhausting me this year. It isn’t any fun and I actually feel sorry for the judges. How can they find 12 different ways to tell the contestants (without ‘hurting’ their feelings) that they sucked, big time.

I don’t expect these “kids” to have the best stage presence or mannerisms, but I do expect them to have good voices that sell a song.

And, as for Nick, I think it is just sad that he is up on that stage. I FIND NOTHING funny with his futile attempt to bring Jerry Lewis crap to the Idol stage. His costume sucks, his hokey moves are pathetic, he has NO ORIGINALITY (every third rate comedian has done this before), his voice isn’t good enough to make his performance ironic (and thereby funny). I find what he does and what AI has done in letting him on the Idol stage is an insult to me as a long time viewer.

Thanks, MJ, for giving me a place where I can vent my frustrations. I really want to be entertained and I really want some good singer to rise to the top of the heap and get the opportunities this show once provided. But with so much farce being heaped on the show it is harder and harder to enjoy myself.

I have this feeling Jesse could deliver some stunning numbers on the show. It does seem likely that, as with Anoop, if she comes fourth tonight, she’d be on the wildcard show, and then hopefully deliver again. I assume she AND Allison rather surprised the showrunners last night, since neither had had much face time on screen. Like Allison fine, just think that Jesse might deliver something a little more subtle and original.

Of all the youtubey stuff from Adam, my fave is a pretty and rather restrained (for AL!) version of Bonnie Raitt’s If I Can’t Make You Love Me. Be great to see if he can do this side for the show.

Adam and Allison were my favorites of the night, too, but I also really like Kai Kalama. Maybe not all that exciting yet, but cute and he has that likability quotient, too.

Like MJ, my picks from Group #2 were Jesse, Adam and Allison. The deck was totally stacked in Adam’s favor, with the other guys being pretty bland and Norman there to offset the “flamboyance factor”. Would love to see Jesse go far in the competition, but doubful that will happen. She has such a distinctive sound, she would struggle with the theme nights I would guess. I really had hopes for Matt G. prior to last night, but if he gets through after that performance it really will be a travesty beyond Michael Sarver last week.

Almost all Idols have surprised me with what their albums eventually sounded like, so I think ANY of them can put out a successful album. Face it, other people will write it (or most of it). Daughtry got lucky with great radio hits that don’t sound the same. I’m sure Adam, or most of them could sing a catchy pop song or two.

But they have to have something else…..stage presence like Cook, a winning smile and sweet charm like Archie.

Even what Kelly did on Idol didn’t predict her future. Mentors and songwriters guide them a lot.

I can’t get on the Mishavonna train… just yet. I think she has a lovely voice and was actually good last night. BUT… that song showed absolutely no range. There were like 6 notes in it. If that. So while it was good all around, it didn’t tell me much about her as a singer or a performer.

And I can’t even get behind Allison. She almost lost control of her vocals a few times and overdid it, and her personality is just… off-putting. I think because she’s young, she can grow a lot, and has a lot of potential to do so. But I’m not into it.

I did find Jesse, as Paula did, pretty captivating. There’s just something mysterious and cool about her voice and the way she commands the stage.

The best vocals belonged to Adam and Kris, IMO. But I don’t think Kris picked a really star-making kind of song. And Adam has a lot of charisma, a ridiculously good voice and all that… BUT… I’m with MJ. I’m not sure yet if I can see how he’ll fit into mainstream music. If he can show that over the next few weeks and prove he’s not just a theatre guy with an amazing voice, he might actually have a shot to win.

(Also, color me SO SO SO SO disappointed in the horror that was Matt G last night. What the hell…)

I’m reserving full judgment until next week, but so far it feel like my worst nightmare coming true… a top 12 filed with an assorted variety of belters and obvious in over their head cannon fodder. Some of whom only have one good performance in them. I SOOOOOO hope I’m wrong, and Jessie or Meagan get through tonight.

My favorites were Allison, Adam, and Jesse. I thought Adam certainly was the best of the night but I must say he is a bit screechy at times. I do hope he can tone it down a bit and still sound good.

I am one that hopes that Nick Mitchell never comes back. Sure he is funny but this is not a comedy show. All these other singers are trying to do their best and take this seriously and in my opinion it is like a big joke to him. There is no way in hell he would ever win and I think he is just taking up space when we could have actually had a good singer on there like the friend of Danny Gokey that didnt make it.

for people trying to do their best…several of them sucked ass bigtime. you know…i find those people, like Matt G, very disrespectful to all the struggling musicians out theree who would NOT have blown a shot like he did last night.

Thank you, maturin. That was wonderful.

No really big surprises last night. Allison and Adam/Elvis were sure things and there were five eligible for the third spot.

The fifth (according to Dial Idol) Kris, made it with his frightening rendition of MJ’s *Man In the Mirror.* I have heard of making it your own, but this interpretation of the song was so off mark, I kept asking myself, “Is there another song called “Man in the Mirror?” It certainly isn’t Jackson’s song.

To quote Simon, hearing that, MJ must have shot himself after his song was butchered. But Kris is cute, so he made it. I wonder if the teenybopper vote realized Kris was so short? Oh, well, onwards and upwards. With no Ricky (so far) I will look forward to see how Adam uses that gifted voice each week.

Adam feels his ego. I can.not.stand.Adam.

I cannot – repeat CANNOT – stand Adam Lambert. He is creepy as all hell. His tongue flailing performances and OTT everything just makes me cringe. He is repulsive in my opinion.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m trying not to imagine what Adam would do with a coronation single.

Not too hard to imagine him coming out wearing a dress and lipstick. LOL However, America doesn’t like it when A.I. shoves someone down their throats and pretty much tells us – We think so and so is going to win. I predict that when push comes to shove, they’ll go for someone other than Adam. He’s too showy and why wouldn’t he be because in my opinion he is a professional already. Give me that darkhorse person any day who ‘PROGRESSES’ as the show proceeds and someone who comes up to the forefront and earns his/her spot to the finale.

I have this feeling Jesse could deliver some stunning numbers on the show.

I agree 100 %. She has for me that vibe of a creative artist and she has the voice to pull it of.
I hope the judge give her a chance.

is a pretty and rather restrained (for AL!) version of Bonnie Raittà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s If I Canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t Make You Love Me. Be great to see if he can do this side for the show.

LOL. You can take the boi out of the theatre, but you can’t take the theatre out of the boi. Adam’s “restrained” still smells like Ham and Cheese to me…

Love, Love Adam..I too have not seen this ego you speak of!! I’ve seen nothing but a sweet wonderful guy with alot of talent!!