Season 7 Final 3 Performance – Recap

By On 05/13/2008 · 375 Comments · In Uncategorized

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Although the Final 3 all seem to be in this to win, they look tired. Very tired. And cranky, like those fun days of chest bumps and pointy poses are long gone. Now it’s just a slog, and it’s not very entertaining to watch. I wouldn’t be surprised to find the three of them scowling through their group number tonight.

But why even bother watching tonight? The die is cast. Thanks to some heavy heavy pimping of David Cook and some not so heavy pimping of David Archuletta, and the proverbial throwing under the bus of Syesha Mercado, the Davids will be advancing to the finals of American Idol.

Is it over yet? I ask, because I’m tempted to skip the rest. I want to remember these kids when they were at their best. Particularly David Cook, who seems to have his best moments behind him. Not that he sucks now–the bar was set high–I just wish the kids were peaking at this moment instead of 3 weeks ago.

And those stupid song choices..OMG. Just. STUPID…stupid…stupid.

Here we go.

Round One:

David Archuleta – “And So It Goes” by Billy Joel – Paula Abdul chose this song for David. She babbles on about showcasing his amazing vocals and exploiting the beautiful timbre in his voice, blah blah whatever. But it’s true. The song has a lovely arrangement. Spare strings accompany David, and drop out to allow his vocals to shine. He wisely sticks to singing the melody for the most part, and the result is very pure and pretty. It’s all a little too sweet. The song is about heartbreak and it’s missing the emotional heft a more mature voice could bring. Randy’s all “Paula chose a dope song for you…you can sing anything dude…the Billy Joel thing works well on you…you’re in the zone…you’re in it to win it baby!” Paula says it’s a “pure and stunning” performance and that David is really a storyteller tonight. Simon downplays the performance, for reasons only he knows, “It was very good, no surprises a bit predictable, it wasn’t outstanding.”

Syesha Mercado – “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys – Randy Jackson picked this song for Syesha and, “I had a feeling she loved Alicia as much as I did.” So, Randy didn’t get the memo that she already performed this song on ABC’s failed reality show, The One? Right. Syesha is all glamed up in a pretty sequined gown, with her hair swept to the side. She looks great, but she sounds…OK. It’s kind of a straight copy of the original–Alicia Keys, only not. The vocal is decent, but nothing special. Randy tells Syesha she did an amazing job, and that he’s so happy she’s peaking at the right time in the competition, “standing at #3″. It’s basically Randy giving Syesha her last compliment before the bus backs up to run her over. Paula diplomatically avoids criticism by mentioning how hard it is to sing a song by a well known artist. Then she tells her she looks gorgeous. Simon says she sang it very well, but then goes on to say that he wished Randy had chosen something where “you weren’t going to just try to sing it like the original.” Really pointless to criticize the song choice at this point, don’t you think? Simon adds, “You look gorgeous by the way.” A few kind words before the slaughter.

David Cook – “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” – David looks less than thrilled in his hometown visit clip when he reads Simon Cowell’s text message announcing his song choice. Simon thinks it’s one of the great songs of all time. It’s probably one of the few pop songs he remembers. Simon says he wanted David to “do something different.” David’s been hopscotching over genres all season, how much more does he have to do? Gah, I hate this song. The melody drones on and on without much of a hook. Not a great candidate for the Idol chop and serve. As David begins singing, the camera cuts to his Mom standing in the audience, gazing lovingly at her son. Oh, look, David’s dad is in the audience too. It’s the David with the nice, normal parents! David makes the decision not to rock-out Roberta Flack and it’s a good one. He changes up the melody in some interesting ways and builds the song slowly to a strong, finish. I’m not hatin’ on the song so much at the moment. Randy says he’s loved David since Day One. He loved the high note at the end, but wishes “Simon didn’t pick something as predictable as this older kind of song for you.” Is this pissing match between Simon and Randy some kind of scripted sh*t? I wish they’d cut it out. Paula says, “It’s one of my favorite songs, and you’re my second favorite person who sings it.” Simon says that he thinks it was one of his best performances to date. A little self-serving much? And then the pimping begins, “This is what makes you brilliant, because you take risks, it’s original. Round one goes to Cook and Cowell.”

My assessment: David Cook takes the round. While David Archuleta had a very good performance and technically the better vocal, I appreciate Cookie’s grown-up, changed-up, emotional interpretation of his song. David Archuleta is a close second. Then there’s a big ole’ honkin’ gap til we get to Syesha Mercado in third place.

Round Two:

David Archuleta – “With You” by Chris Brown – David tells Ryan he thought he’d try something more “youthful” this week. Choosing the sexy Chris Brown number was an interesting risk for David to take, and the results are certainly, uhm, interesting. Actually, I’m being nice. The results are really awkward and horrible. David is clearly uncomfortable as he sings such ill-fitting lines as “Hey little Mama, Hot little figure, Yes you’re a winner…” He points unconvincingly at the girls in the mosh pit. The whole deal embarrasses him so much, that he stumbles over the next few lines. This ain’t pretty to watch. The performance reinforces the feeling I have that David’s future lies singing adult contemporary ballads rather than the sort of sexually charged upbeat stuff found on Top 40 radio these days. Things pick up a bit in the chorus where he’s on safer lyrical ground, but man, this performance is one hot damn mess. Nice try Archie. But NO NO NO. Experiment: Failed. Randy applauds the effort but says he doesn’t believe it. Paula says she thinks he did a great job. Simon could have been brutal, but resorts to pulling out one of his lame metaphors, “It’s sort of like a chihuahua trying to be a tiger…it’s not really you.”

Syesha Mercado – “Fever” by Peggy Lee – Syesha explains that she chose this song because she liked the “vibe” and that it gave her the chance to work with a chair. Peggy Lee didn’t need no stinking chair. I actually thought this song could be a great opportunity for Syesha to showcase the parts of her voice that really work. There’s no need to push or belt this song. A slow, sexy smolder would have done the job. I’m thinking the dress, a single spotlight, Syesha coyly vamping it up. Instead, she chooses to do a hokey routine with a flipping chair and it totally distracts from her vocals, which are pretty good. But I think Syesha is not counting on her vocals to win her votes here. And I’m also thinking she’s got Broadway agents in mind more than record label executives. Randy says, “You sang it amazingly well, great performance.” Paula says, “Out of all the songs you chose to sing, I’m surprised you picked this song…I’m not sure it shows me who Syesha is as an artist.” Simon says, “Syesha, I think you will probably regret that decision tomorrow, because you had a chance to prove that you are contemporary recording artist with your own choice of song…instead you did a quite lame cabaret performance.” The bus is revved up and in reverse gear.

David Cook – “Dare You to Move” by Switchfoot – Ryan looks silly straddling Syesha’s chair as he looks up at David sitting on a stool. David says he chose the song because it seemed like the appropriate song for the appropriate moment. Yo David, the moment may be appropriate, but those horrible bum notes you hit in the middle of the song, not so much! I was feeling pretty good as David strummed the melodic opening chords to this number, and then…YOWCH! I can actually forgive a few crappy notes if a song moves me, but this arrangement goes nowhere. Like “Baba O’Riley” last week, the song ends before it really gets going. OMG, a “Cougers 4 Cook” sign just flashed up on my screen, and I want to throw up in my mouth a little bit. OK, I’ve recovered. Y’all know I’m a Cooktard (tm awesome peeps) and I’ve been happily living in the land of Cooktardistan (tm awesome peeps) ever since David hit the stage with “Happy Together” in the Top 24. Hell, I’m one of the early adopters! But, dude, what’s with these lame song arrangements lately? Oddly David seems to do much better when the song choices are narrow. It’s like he gets confused when the field is open. Randy says, “Great song choice…it wasn’t your best tonight, a little pitchy…” David nods in agreement. Paula says the song was just beginning to unwind when it ended, and she wanted more. Paula making sense! Simon says, “I don’t think it’s the best melodic song in the world, and I think all three of you had an OK middle round, we got one more round to go.” David walks off, looking disappointed.

My assessment: Syesha had the best vocal, but her routine was amateurish. Cookie was mediocre and Archie was embarrassingly bad. Stick to the ballads, ballad boy.

Round Three:

Ryan says, “Now we are moving on to songs the producers thought would advance the two Davids and throw Syesha under the bus. Whatever. They wouldn’t know a good song if it smacked them in the head test the contestants and show off their range.” Archie is up first.

David Archuleta – “Longer” – Dan Fogelberg – This sort of wretched, drippy, cliche riddled song is…right up Archie’s alley. But for some reason, he can’t muster up much enthusiasm here. David, who seems happy to be sitting down, paints by the numbers–Squint, Sing a line, Breathe. Repeat. Do the patented Archie Arm Reach. A few runs on the bridge bring David alive for a bit, then it’s over. Archie’s on autopilot. Maybe Papagate has worn the poor boy out. Actually, all the kids seem tired this week. Randy says, “An interesting song choice for you…” Randy, why even talk about the song choice? The producers picked it. “..It doesn’t matter, you were in the zone vocally…another hot one from YOU.” Paula’s critique is by rote, too, “It was a lovely performance…I expect nothing else from you.” Simon spends 2/3rds of his time ranting about the crappy song choice. Again. POINTLESS! Stick to critiquing the contestant within the context of the song choice, and then smack Nigel upside the head once the cameras are turned off. Wait, on second thought, that would be some mighty awesome TV. After Simon finishes nattering on about 90 year olds–none of which has anything to do with David, but leaving a bad impression with the viewing audience anyway–he says, “I do think you’ve done enough to get into the finals next week.”

Syesha Mercado – “Hit Me Up” by Gia Farrell – I think I hear something. It’s a dull roar in the distance. Yes, I definitely hear it. Now I see it! It’s coming. That big ole bus with Syesha’s name on it is visible in the distance. Oh look, Syesha is wearing black and white. Those big ole black tire tracks will match nicely after they’re left on her back. To be honest, I never heard of this song, “Hit Me Up” or the singer, Gia Farrell. The song via You Tube sounded upbeat and contemporary enough. Maybe Syesha could prove her mettle as a recording artist here, I thought. But the unfamiliarity of the song is her undoing. It’s got no melody, and only sort of a beat. It’s a big ball of blah handed to Syesha by producers gunning for a David and David finale. Syesha puts on her game face. She dances around for a bit, her vocals are decent, but it’s all a moot point right now. That Bus. It’s backing up as we speak. Randy says, “It was just OK for me, it was just alright.” Paula says, “It’s a movie about penguins” and then the judges, ignore Syesha to go on about penguins, all the more to make her look ridiculous. Then, Paula stupidly says, “You did the song very well…as much as I liked it, it’s not the type of song that defines you as Syesha.” Holy Sh*t. I’m throwing things at my TV. SHE DIDN’T PICK THE SONG. STFU!!111! Then she takes on the uncharacteristic role of bad guy, “I don’t think you did enough to get into the finals of American Idol.” I don’t know how she does it, but Syesha manages to keep her composure while the wheels of the bus begin to crawl up her back. Simon says, “It was better than the second song, that’s for sure. If I’m being honest with you, you had your best moment last week with the Sam Cooke song. I don’t think anything this week would have topped it.” It’s not like they would have allowed anything she would have done to top that, anyway. Really, TPTB should have just skipped the Final 3 and gone on to the finals. Give everyone a rest! Then Simon goes on to criticize the “song about penguins” again. It’s just so stupid and so obvious what they are doing here. To her credit, Syesha is gracious as the big bus finishes it’s job. You made it all the way to third place Syesha! Congratulations!

David Cook – “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith – BARF. There’s been chatter all season from the judges about the contestants making their performances relevant, while the producers keep saddling them with crappy themes and crappy song choices like this Diane Warren snoozefest. Oh look, there she is sitting out in the audience. KEEP YOUR GRUBBY PAWS OFF COOKIE’S ALBUM. Blargh. Having had that little hissy-fit, I must say David makes the most out of what he’s been given. He gets the violins of pimpage, as the string section is seated around him on the stage. He’s all decked out in a natty black suit coat. And actually, this is his personal best of the night. Strong vocals, right in his range, the strings give the song an anthem like quality, and Cookie manages to hit the sweet spot in the chorus. Very very good. Although his best moments in this competition appear to be behind him, this is good enough to advance him to the next round. Paula is giving him a standing O. Randy says, “It was OK for me. Very predictable.” “EXCUSE ME,” says Paula, in an exchange that sounds suspiciously scripted, “..See ya in the finals! That’s what I predict!” Simon says, “David, one of the great songs of all time, and I have to tell you, DAVID COOK WINS THE NIGHT.” David looks relieved, but not particularly excited. Oh yeah, Simon has just sealed the deal, baby.

And it looks like David Cook has just been anointed the Chosen One.

My assessment: Cookie wins the round, and the night.

 
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  • Duke

    wow- that was archie’s best since IMagine. Beautiful. What control

  • St.Lucia

    Poor David. I thought he looked absolutely exhausted.

    He has absolutely no clue what those lyrics meant.

  • Lisa

    WOOHOO ROUND 1 COOK!!!!

  • rita205

    Out of the park, Cook!

  • Pam

    I am literally in a pool of fangirly goo! :wub_tb: Cookie FTW!

  • carolinagirl

    DA and DC were awesome!

  • Chuckles

    Ok – Round 1:

    DA – Solid. Changed it up a bit by not playing piano on an obvious comparison song.

    Syesha – Broke Idol Rule – “Don’t sing Whitney, Mariah or Alicia like Alicia” – Cruise Ship.
    “It was like she got new shoes & claimed they were real”

    DC – Solid-ish performance. A bit screetchy.

    They gave Cookie the pimp spot, and an obvious softball song. Syesha mailed that one in, since she’s sung that song MANY times before (as reported, on the ABC show ‘The One’). DA had to sing straight up, an unfamiliar song, with all the Daddy Dearest crap hovering over his shoulder. Just on that alone, give the kid props. No lyric flubs. No uncertainty.

    Archie wins round 1.

  • grayhound

    DC – ‘Yo Face – Made me cry. Absolutely beautiful and what an arrangement. My only wish would be to make that his last song of the night.

    justwowwowwowowowow

  • Giggy

    Did anyone notice what Randy told Syesha? He said, “That’s why your up there…#3!”

    Since when did Syesha become #3? I thought they were equal at this point.

  • apaze1

    FTEISYF– DC made me cry. AMAZING. Randy should be fired for using his critique to critique Simon instead of an amazing and moving performance by DC.

    FIRE RANDY!!!!!!!!!!

  • rita205

    Couple of more things:

    Your rehearsal spoiler threw us a curve, didn’t it?

    I disagree with Simon, despite loving his praise. Was it really “taking a risk” to do the song pretty much as it is written?

  • Lisa

    One hot mess is DA’s second song

  • St.Lucia

    Okay, that craptastic Roberta Flack song has just become a new favorite, if it is sung by DAvid Cook.

    Wowie. I all kinds of loved it.

  • St.Lucia

    Well, Archie, that came across as incredibly Disney….

    and WEIRD.

  • Trina

    DCFTMFTW!!! Again he made me cry. OMG CHILLS.

  • idolbeat

    Rickey Miner should be banished from Syesha’s props! LOL!

  • SallyS

    sye… that was like a strip club act

  • St.Lucia

    Syesha….um….NO.

    Gosh, my eyes are burning. Any wrong moves and I would have seen way too much of Syesha. Actually all her moves were wrong. She was obviously trying to be SEXY, but it came across as awkward and her voice couldn’t carry the sex appeal at all.

    Oy. That was a mess.

    Bring on DC!!!!

  • cat

    Both DA and Syesha had weird phrasing and timing issues for their second song. It seemed as though they were trying to catch up the whole time and off the beat.

    Odd.

  • Jovi

    Sayesha that was just plain awful. you showed us what a bad soft porn star is.

  • idolbeat

    I wish I could change my overall pick!

  • SallyS

    It was Jessica Rabbit gone Idol and horribly wrong…

  • meme

    What is the red carnation for on DC’s guitar?

  • idolbeat

    I liked David Cook’s song! It was just a tad bit pitchy in the beginning but the ending was great!

  • idolbeat

    That was outstanding David A!

  • lilq

    Can someone tell me what the deal is with the accent Syesha keeps using? It’s stupid.

  • idolbeat

    Randy is like one of the dolls that only has 4 phrases that repeats over and over again! I would rather have Jason comment – I honestly think he could say something original!

  • maeflower

    anyone else missing Jason Castro right about now? This is depressing…

  • Chuckles

    Ok – Round 2:

    DA – Chris ‘Freekin’ Brown?!? Good Lawd. “Oh no he DIDN’T!” Girls LOVED it. He actually looked like he had fun singing something finally! Now, conspiracy theorists: did ArchIDad pick that one?
    Doesn’t matter.

    Syesha – she was a half beat off the whole song. She was emoting McPhee. And I will NEVER have the McPheever – not, now, not ever. I feel icky. Let me off this ship. Simon said all that needs to be said.

    DC – Flat. Screemy. He’s off tonight. Now, conspiracy theorists:does he WANT to win? Doesn’t matter – his 1st album will sell meeeeelionnnsss.

    So, Round 2? Obviously – not Syesha. DC was good – but not great.
    I say Archie again – just for having the ballz to sing Chris Brown. Seriously.

    By the way – The last time Simon used that “…like a chihuahua trying to be a tiger” commentary was to Carrie Underwood in Season 4 – when she sang Heart. I’m just saying.

  • Jovi

    Okay I have 2 theories. David A has to sing with his eyes closed to either picture Daddy A in his head or to block Daddy A out. Can’t decide. I hated that performance.

  • idolbeat

    Maeflower – exactly! Substitution please!

  • St.Lucia

    DC wins round 2, but not by much. I didn’t care for the beginning all too much. Gosh, I hope he rocks the song I hate by Aerosmith.

    Archie’s Fogelberg left something to be greatly desired. Agree with Simon.

    I’m missing the fact that we haven’t had any clips of their hometown visits! :( I always looked forward to that.

  • KTINTN

    Hometown visits will be tomorrow night.

  • lilq

    I wish this were Survivor so I could participate in voting her off.

    Way to commit to an opinion, Paula. It’s nice to actually hear you say something constructive. Now next time, say it with confidence!

  • lilq

    What was up with the creepy looking puppett beside Ryan when he was in the crowd announcing David Cook. That girl/guy was scary.

  • http://airincaol.com coco

    The AI machine comes off as such a dishonest bunch. If it wasn’t so sad and pathetic–it would be laughable. Those song choices were sorta sad. The manufactured-ness of it all STANK

  • Lisa

    OMG Cook just OUTSTANDING TONIGHT!!!!

  • maeflower

    St. Lucia – hometown clips will come on the results show. They show us a more human side to the contestants, and then they pull the rug out from under one of them! Great family viewing! :)
    I’m on the west coast, so just listening to the live audio feed while I get ready to go out tonight… everyone has sounded OFF tonight… and poor song choices. Finally they get to pick whatever they want, and Syesha picks something ancient, and overdone on Idol. Cook picks something that really shouldn’t be cut down to 1:30 or whatever time they have. Archie at least TRIED to do something fun, upbeat and current, so I have to give him some credit there.
    The producers’ picks were done just to pimp Cook, seriously. The other 2 didn’t have a chance with those picks! And I’m not a Sy or Archie fan, really, but it wasn’t really done fairly.
    did I mention I miss Jason Castro?

  • Tracy

    I haven’t commented that much this season, but Simon is right. David Cook TOTALLY won the night!

  • http://www.dancin.ca dancin

    randy needs to be slapped or given a dictionary

    DAVID COOK ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Duke

    lilq- i agree 100%

    And i officially hate David Cook. Original? How about we scream every freakin’ last note of every song- EVERY SINGLE DAMN TIME!

  • Jovi

    Cook was amazing. It was nice to actually see Paula giving decent reviews, criticism and comments. Nothing was slurred either. Very good Paula.

  • Chuckles

    Ok – Round 3:

    DA – Best song by him tonight. Right in his wheelhouse. Smooth. He’s gonna be a great teeny-bopper. Who knows? Can he grow into a Harry Connick Jr. or Michael Buble? Perhaps.

    Syesha – Eeek. Buh Bye. The competition is ovahhhh.

    DC – LOVED the strings. Very Beatles-esque. But Steven Tyler did it better. This is also a violation of the Idol Rule – pick a song that can’t be compared to the original in a bad way. But that’s not his fault. It’s the producers’ fault. Good performance though. His best of the night.

    I say Cookie wins round three. So – Cookie & Archie for the finals. Yay!

    Will Cookie be able to overcome the craptacular anthem-esque finals song and win it all?
    Or will Archie fulfill his destiny as The Chosen One & blow out his vocal chords before he turns 18?

    We’ll see, won’t we?

  • Giggy

    Love Cook but it’s like they all mailed it in this week. It sounded more like a top 6 performance instead of top 3…almost finale night.

    Syesha should not do a song about sexuality in top 3. Anything would’ve been better. Even ‘We Are the World’ would’ve scored more points than that one.

    I still can’t get over Randy blatantly telling Syesha she is number 3. Another train wreck.

    All in all, I expected MORE. Maybe we’ll get it come finale night.

  • s0x_prisoner

    Hmm… tonight was kind of weird. I was expecting better from all of them.

  • itsalleternal

    The judges were insanely biased tonight. It is like it was an anti-Syesha crusade, even if she was the best singer and performer.

    Hopefully an upset will happen and David A goes home.

  • maeflower

    Duke and Giggy, I have to agree with both of you. That’s been my fundamental problem with Cook: the screaming at the end of the songs. I know he’s trying to build something with the short amount of time they have, but it’s just not always necessary. IMO

  • Jovi

    Wonder what Itunes will give us for studio performances? I hope it’s all 3 of Cook’s. Could care less about the rest, lol.

  • http://myspace.com/bigbooty_hoes sarahjean

    round one: hands down DC. Archie did what he does every week. Excellent though he may be, he just puts me to sleep. Syesha… well I think I already saw that performance on youtube. haha.

    round two: uh… nobody? The whole thing was a mess for everyone

    round three: again DC. I don’t even really have anything to say about the others….

    all in all… doesn’t look like tomorrow will bring any surprises. And I definitely DO miss Jason Castro. His performances were just very refreshing… whether they were good or not.

  • rita205

    So was it just me, or did the band/orchestra sound entirely too loud on Cook’s last song? There’s some bad weather in my area, and I’m on satellite, so the feed was a little fuzzy. But it seemed as if Cook was straining to sing over the music, to the extent that I would have called it shouting. I’ll look forward to hearing it again online.

    (still, love my David Cook, so if Simon wants to crown him, go ahead and don’t mind me)

  • jpfan

    What a lousy night. Next week should be the lowest rated finale in AI no matter who makes it.

  • Duke

    Wow- DialIdol picked David Archuleta this week?! Hmm…if I remember correctly they picked Carrie Underwood on top 3 night of Season 4…and look at her now. I hope this is a sign of things to come.

  • Soulkaren

    This night makes me miss..

    Dancin’ in the Dark

    You Are So Beautiful

    Try a Little Tenderness

    What a night that was!!!!!

  • steelergurl08

    ORIGINAL? Don’t get me wrong. I think DC is a good vocalist and deserves to be standing where he is. But why in the world he gets awarded points for originality — when nearly every song he performs is wrapped up the same way, with a monster note at the end — is beyond me.

    The contestant who really showed originality is living it up in NYC with his girl, being forced to talk about his hair for the 4,000th time with semi-inane (yet rather supportive!) talk show hosts………………

  • Duke

    “And I definitely DO miss Jason Castro. His performances were just very refreshingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ whether they were good or not.”

    Ya well 90% of the time they weren’t good.

  • dancingqueen

    None of them seemed to be having any fun, except Archie on the Chris Brown song. A disappointing Top 3 show for me. I’ll give Cookie a very slight edge over Archie – bye Syesha, unless you’ve got some hidden army of voters.

  • NOLA

    Cook’s first song was absolutely gorgeous. Brilliantly arranged, beautifully sung!!!!!

    Cook’s other 2 songs, eh.
    He really had an off night; but not enough to hurt him.

    Archuleta had a great night. I wasn’t crazy about the Chris
    Brown song; but it was refreshing to see him do something
    youthful and his fans will adore it.

    Syesha, seize the moment, for tomorrow you will be gone.

  • hollygo9

    DC wins the m-er-f-in night by mile. I wonder why the song change in the middle.

  • MrsTrep

    I’m with you itsalleternal – it was Anti-Syesha night. I am not a fan of hers, but she got thrown down and driven over repeatedly but she honestly looked like she expected it. I guess if the producers gave me that song I’d take the hint as well. I hate that the judges made so many comments based on song choice when song choice isn’t in the contestants control. Nail them for not changing it up, not for choosing it when they didn’t frigging chose it.

    When I told MrTrep what DC was selected to sing by the producers he instantly said “What the fuck is wrong with them”….the producers song choices were far from great tonight and it makes me understand the ‘success’ of the albums they help produce for the winners. Their choices were definitely out there to hit Syesha on top of the head though. Poor girl. She could have chose a song to save herself though……

  • ziggy

    Destiny, folks, it’s destiny. It’s the one who had no intention of auditioning, who had to be talked into it by his mother. The one who was not hand picked by the TPTB. The one who came blazing onto that stage and ROCKED the house.

    It’s DESTINY. It’s his time. David Cook ROCKS.

  • idolbeat

    The winner tonight was Paula. She looked pretty, said her lines very well and she made it original!

  • jpfan

    Cook would been better off getting the Daughtry 4th place boot. Tonight he sings to his Mom, applauds the “greatness” of Diane Warren and has an off night while Simon pimps him to high heaven. Of well, he looks like the winner. No he will not sell gazillions of albums. How many times can he do the start off low, end on the high note thing?

    Very disjointed show in all. While I watched, I was wishing they could start S7 all over again with different contestants.

  • MrsTrep

    OH yeah, I liked DA’s “With You”….. :redface_wp:

  • itsalleternal

    Hopefully Syesha rejects any offers from 19E (if she gets any), since I am sure other labels will want her at the first opportunity. Look at Elliott Yamin, he released a low-budget album from a small label – and it went gold, outselling Katharine and likely to ultimately outsell Taylor, both of whom had a lot of backing from 19E and big budgets…

  • MrsTrep

    Tonight he sings to his Mom, applauds the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“greatnessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  of Diane Warren and has an off night while Simon pimps him to high heaven.

    ~jpfan

    ITA with this.

  • iloveoliver

    I am boycotting AI this week. I’m not going to contribute to their ratings and I have been a faithful watcher except S4. I just am not interested in the remaining contestants. So i am living vicariously through you all.

  • flicker

    Wow, 9:26 pm, and dialidol has 10 points between each contestant.

    1. David Cook, 58.06
    2. David Archuleta, 48.67
    3. Syesha, 38.53

    No equivocating, they are labeled 1, 2, and 3

  • idolbeat

    It makes me wonder what would Jason have sung?

  • PrplDva

    Fangirl goo here- er…, can someone please scrape me up off the floor.

    Please let First Time be the studio song!

  • steelergurl08

    It just goes to show you how ho-hum Idol has become, when a pretty-good rocker stands out as the cream of the crop compared to an okay Broadway-style songstress with more ego than talent and a Disney-style “prodigy” who seems to have no sense of himself at all. Kinda sad.

  • NOLA

    Destiny, folks, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s destiny. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the one who had no intention of auditioning, who had to be talked into by his mother. The one who was not hand picked by the TPTB. The one who came blazing onto that stage and ROCKED the house.

    Bo?

  • Chuckles

    I agree with Soulkaren:

    The story is still being written about AI, but for me, Season 5 was the zenith of this show.
    They had great backstory on many of the Idols, the folks who were in the top 10 kicked butt commercially (yes, even Taylor, all you haters!), and the show was fun to watch!

    Now: the magic is somehow muted. They sucked the joy out of the show by making 20-somethings sing old music that they could clear cheaper so the iTunes songs would make more money & cost them less. Having all the insiders in the top 10 didn’t distract from the competition, for me.

    Will I rush out to buy a go-phone or 20 and have them on hand next week to vote for my fav? No.
    Will I care who wins? Probably not, unless Syesha gets to the finals – then I will DEFINITELY care.
    I hope they change things up a bit next January. It might help.

    I miss Elliott. I miss Daughtry. I miss Taylor.

    McPhee? Not so much.

    :-)

  • Duke

    steelergurl08
    May 13th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
    It just goes to show you how ho-hum Idol has become, when a pretty-good rocker stands out as the cream of the crop compared to an okay Broadway-style songstress with more ego than talent and a Disney-style à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“prodigyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  who seems to have no sense of himself at all. Kinda sad.

    Thank you. Idol standards have dropped sufficiently. What happened to the Kelly,Tamyra,Clay, &Fantasias of the world??!!

  • itsalleternal

    Now on to Season 8…anyone here that is really good that is auditioning?

  • jennieathena

    David Cook’s career is going to skyrocket, regardless if he wins this competition or not. The two Davids should be in the finale (even considering Archie’s unfortunate rendition of Chris Brown’s “With You” – wrong time to try to be original).

  • gerreb

    Did anyone else notice how flat DC’s final note in his last song was???

  • archie1

    did the judges like the chris brown song

  • carolinagirl

    Poor Archuleta. I guess just having a purely good voice means nothing. Sure, he isn’t experienced/cool/edgy, but he IS talented. Cook is also very talented and deserves to be here. They all do, really. I just can’t imagine doing what they do every week, especially at 17.

  • Duke

    gerreb
    May 13th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
    Did anyone else notice how flat DCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s final note in his last song was???

    Um yes. I think some of these Cook-fanatics fail to see how flat he was tonight. Oh well.

  • rita205

    No he will not sell gazillions of albums. How many times can he do the start off low, end on the high note thing?

    jpfan,

    what I will very much hope for out of David Cook is an album with real, full-length songs where he doesn’t have to try to stretch a performance into a minute and a half, and won’t have to try to make a big ending to a song.

    His own songs are fairly complex, with good hooks and meaningful lyrics. It isn’t really fair to criticize the style, since a lot of the style comes with the territory of the limitations of the show.

  • lilq

    Did anyone think that David A forgot the words in his second song (It may have been the first. Can’t remember.)? There was a part where it sounded like he forgot them.

    I’m still wondering why Syesha felt the need to do the accent off and on tonight. It was stupid.

  • http://airincaol.com coco

    The show seemed so CHEAP and discount-y tonight…..I thought the kids sang pretty good but the Over-all show seemed like a night at Pay-less Shoes or Dollar General>>>>>> but I’m not above either. Just my Opine!!

    Oh….and why can’t Archuletta sing Boo?….judges sorta came off…well discriminatory.

  • jersey

    Chuckles, I’m with you all the way! :clap_tb:

  • Duke

    “No he will not sell gazillions of albums. How many times can he do the start off low, end on the high note thing?”

    JP Fan- I’m so glad someone else notices that as well. EVERY SINGLE TIME HE DOES THAT. are people blind to that? ugh. i think he has hit the same damn screaming note at the end of every single song this season. It drives me nuts.

  • holeighannie

    Wow, underwhelming x10. Definitely missing the JCas tonight, I would kill to hear his version of “Blue Eyes” (which he was going to sing tonight, had he stayed) right about now…

  • Jovi

    NOLA
    May 13th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
    Destiny, folks, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s destiny. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the one who had no intention of auditioning, who had to be talked into by his mother. The one who was not hand picked by the TPTB. The one who came blazing onto that stage and ROCKED the house.

    Bo?

    LMFAO!!! Yep, it was definitely Bo that blazed onto that stage and was the original Rocker of AI.

  • http://idolstages.com Connie D.

    The show was off without Jason there to balance things out.

    I thought Sy did a great job vocally on all of her songs, but it was a little too sexy for family TV. Oh well, look at the skimpy sexy costumes they wear on Dancing With The Stars.

    The boys sounded tired tonight.

  • St.Lucia

    I feel used. :(

    That was the worst, WORST top 3 of any season, ever.

    And it had nothing to do with the performances, well, except maybe Syesha… ick.

    Where were the going home packages? Where was anything, and here we are again, another season finale 3 and I feel I don’t have that much more of a connection with any contestant than I’ve had in a few years.

    Crazy thought, Idol….less commercials? Stopping stupid breaks? I thought one of the things they were doing was going to be “getting to know the idols better” because there was such a lack of that in the last years, and then there weren’t even the homecoming packages shown.

    I don’t really know why tonight felt more rushed than previous seasons, but it totally did and I hated it.

  • Natasha

    From the audio I really liked Cook tonight. The first song was gorgeous. Gotta give him credit, it was a nice pick from Simon. I liked what he did with the Aerosmith song and liked ‘Dare You To Move’ although it did seem cut short.

  • http://www.dancin.ca dancin

    the going home packages are never during performance nite

  • jersey

    Home packages are on results night

  • daisy

    Very disappointing top three night, no wow moments, missed off key notes, dull songs picked by judges and producers who could care less about these contestants and have allowed my fav teevee show to become a royal boring mess. :wallbash_tb: Simon’s criticique of the producer’s choice of songs was completely ridiculous, do these people read the memos and e mail, they are phoning in their scripted inane comments and collecting huge paychecks for doing so, which frankly pissing me off.

    David Cook okay with songs one and two, middle song was rushed, and muddled to me, he looked pained singing it and with little joy, passion. Archie at least trying something new with the Chris Brown song (and looked like he was having fun which was nice to see (: ) The other two ballads he sung as well as he could given the choices.

    and Syesha, the bus was in full gear tonight, dear. my only advice is that you could chose a better song for herself and could have sung the crap out of it

  • St.Lucia

    you’re right, they aren’t, dancin, I forgot, but all the same, I still felt like it was just…one entirely too rushed episode of Idol, and I still don’t think I got to know the contestants all that much better….

    If that was what the stupid viewer phone call segments are supposed to do, they are missing the point. As humorous as it may be, I already know far too much about Simon Cowell.

  • http://myspace.com/girlgeek mj

    gerreb
    May 13th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
    Did anyone else notice how flat DCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s final note in his last song was???

    Um yes. I think some of these Cook-fanatics fail to see how flat he was tonight. Oh well.

    Stop this baiting bullshit. You are close to being banned.

  • St.Lucia

    From the audio I really liked Cook tonight. The first song was gorgeous. Gotta give him credit, it was a nice pick from Simon. I liked what he did with the Aerosmith song and liked à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Dare You To Moveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ although it did seem cut short.

    I agree on the second song. It felt like it just got started and then it just stopped. Abruptly. I was like well, I don’t think I care for that arrangement so much.

  • Soulkaren

    I like to think that Jason is out on the town in New York tonight with his girlfriend…great dinner, maybe a show…

    or maybe he found a TV and leaned back on the sofa in the suite of his hotel room looking over Times Square and watched his buddies sweat it out…

    before going out for a drink and a walk through the streets of the Big Apple, with a smile on that sweet face, and a glimpse into his daydream…

  • Jovi

    I agree with St. Lucia, it did feel like a very rushed show tonight, more so than in previous years.

  • jdt

    Big David Cook fan, but was dissappointed in him tonight….he definitely took the “safe” route with “Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing” and I didn’t think he did the chorus of the Switchfoot song properly….was expecting so much more from both….and the arrangement of the Aerosmith song was horrible…

  • http://myspace.com/saltwatercures pj

    Also missing JCas. I really want to hear what he would have done with “Blue Eyes.” Too bad he wasn’t able to hold it together. Too bad he was thrown under that bus, too.

    Tonight wasn’t great for me.

    Most entertaining moment: Archie’s VFTW-worthy performance of “With You.” Chris Brown he ain’t.

    Best performance, Cookie’s “Yo Face.”

    Everything else was kinda meh for me.

    Worst part of the whole night: The judges. Way to judge peeps on songs they didn’t select. Asswipes.

    I like to think that Jason is out on the town in New York tonight with his girlfriendà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦great dinner, maybe a showà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

    Maybe he went to see Cats! ;-)

  • Seraphina

    Archie – Okay. Sorry, but I couldn’t stop laughing through his second song because his opening line sounded like “I need your boob, gotta see your boob”. I lost all good sense after that…

    Syesha – meh. Fine but too Broadway for me.

    DC – Second song I wasn’t sure about. It was bizarrely compact, almost as though the prods asked him to shorten it last minute. He didn’t look happy. His other two songs though? Just. Freakin. Awesome. LOVED First Time. Simon’s smile couldn’t get any wider, could it? lol

  • Duke

    Do people actually vote for Syesha?

  • kathrynTX

    Man. Duke, why don’t you talk about who you DO like and why? Do ya have to keep harping on David Cook & how much you HATE his big notes at the end & how flat you think he is singing? OK anyway…obviously I’m a Cook fan. I thought the band was very loud tonight. I thought he once again tried to fit big ol’ long songs into a very short time. Have you read the lyrics to that friggin’ Aerosmith song? It’s a (sappy) BOOK! He is the best bet for a recording contract. He already writes, sings, plays. He’s been doing it for 10 years school years. Compared to Sy’s cruise ship performances tonight…well there’s no comparison there for me. Archie has a beautiful voice but he sings in such an affected, trained manner. It’s just not appealing to me. The emotion is mechanical to me, just trying to show what he thinks he’s supposed to show. Cook is for REAL. He knows the words to his songs & what they mean. I admit I’m not voting purely on each performance either. I have all of Cook’s original music I could find. I love what he does. I can’t help thinking he WILL sell a boatload of albums, no matter what happens next. DCFTW!

  • PrplDva

    à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I need your boob, gotta see your boobà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ .

    Thanks, Seraphina! Diet Coke (DC) just came out my nose….LMAO

  • catdog

    Goodbye Syesha – HELLO DAVID COOK!

    Syesha tried but failed.

    David A was soooooooooooo boring! Were those songs selected on purpose to eliminate him?

    I think the tide has turned – David C is the chosen one now.

  • tmtpoole

    WTF!? I was actually kind of entertained tonight! It was MILES better than last year. I am missing Michael Johns a bit though.

  • grayhound

    Simonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s smile couldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get any wider, could it? lol

    Yep – and when is the last time you EVER remember seeing Simon clapping after a performance?

  • steelergurl08

    They sound tired because they ARE tired! If you listen to some of what Jason is saying in his interviews (what a bright and together young soul that kid is), these kids are spread waaaaay too thin in order to sell, sell, sell.

    The mentors (who by and large have been rather ancient performers) show up to help push their new CDs, and the poor kids are forced to sing their songs, which most of them have never heard of.

    The ITunes gig is great for us fans, but it is about the money, and it is one more darn thing for the vocalists to have to spend time on and perfect (and it can’t help but mess them up in terms of remembering the lyrics of the quickie version they perform on stage). Then they travel to Las Vegas to self-promote and cross-promote the Beatles thing. And of course there are the dopey Ford commercials…………..this is all driven by selling, and it is sucking the life and soul out of a show that didn’t have much soul to begin with!

  • abbysee

    NOLA, you are making me LMAO! Bo? Yep!

    I thought everyone was off tonight.

    I could kill the producers, Randy and Simon for the silly ass choices they saddled them with. Paula’s choice was surprisingly ok. David C was off each song, and I am in agreeance that each song had the same element, with the same Tarzan yell at the end, but that’s not surprising, or different.

    Syesha, I was rooting for you girl, but you totally lost me with your pick, you sorta steered the bus in your own direction. Fever? Eh, too much sex, reeked of McTata’s, not good.

    I must say I thought David was a bit uncomfortable at first singing the Chris Brown ditty, but he settled into it nicely, the song sucked, but with a better song, done that way, that is what we will be hearing on the radio this time next year. His first big hit. Produced by Timbaland. perhaps.

    I guess it’s a David v. David finale.

  • http://myspace.com/saltwatercures pj

    Do people actually vote for Syesha?

    Apparently millions vote for her, Duke.

  • Jovi

    Duke
    May 13th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
    Do people actually vote for Syesha?

    That’s the million dollar question Duke. No one really knows. According to Rickey they have 300 fans for Sayesha, lol. Seriously, if you follow her itune sales, they don’t even come close to other idols who got the boot earlier than this and definitely nowhere close to the Davids. If you figure it all out can you let us know? thanks.

  • jpfan

    Archie got the horrid song Longer.
    Syesha gets a song from a penguin cartoon.
    And Cookie gets a string arrangement and backing orchestra. And the composer in the audience. Thank you producers, we get it, we get it. Was last Season’s Top 3 this bad? I just remember Simon begging people to vote for Melinda. I was too invested in S5 to really pay attention.

  • http://airincaol.com coco

    SO….are viewers supposed to Vote for their Fave contestant or the contestant who will most likely sell the Most records(aka units). I just do not know how to play this Show anyMO

  • baxter

    Hell Simon not only clapped at the end of DC’s Yo Face but watch the clip back he started clapping in the middle of the song.

    Best song of the night!

  • lilq

    I don’t think “Hello” ended on a high note. I may be wrong. I don’t think all of David Cook’s songs are the same. And even if they start low and end high, at least he can remember the words.

    No matter what, he’s awesome. As far as talent goes, he’s got it. With experience, David Cook will learn to arrange music better. He’s already a step ahead of the others who’ve come and gone this season because he can actually play with a song’s arrangement and make it sound like his own. I don’t think any other contestant that has ever graced the AI stage could pull off “Always Be My Baby”. He’s awesome!

  • http://myspace.com/girlgeek mj

    That’s the million dollar question Duke. No one really knows. According to Rickey they have 300 fans for Sayesha, lol.

    Never underestimate the size of the casual vote. Counting online fans is pointless because it’s useless. There are millions of people voting who aren’t on the internet reading about Idol OR downloading iTunes.

  • sciencefan

    gerreb May 13th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
    Did anyone else notice how flat DCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s final note in his last song was???

    I did too, but then when he slid up, I realized he did it on purpose

    archie1 May 13th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
    did the judges like the chris brown song

    R-not quite
    P-great job
    S-chihuahua

    .
    .
    I loved Archie! He was the best tonight!
    My favorite song was Longer by Fogelberg

    iTunes are only available until the FINALE!
    Get ‘em while you can!

  • Allison

    I don’t think I’ve ever seen something as bad as Archie doing Chris Brown.

  • St.Lucia

    They sound tired because they ARE tired! If you listen to some of what Jason is saying in his interviews (what a bright and together young soul that kid is), these kids are spread waaaaay too thin in order to sell, sell, sell.

    So so agree. Very, very much. I mean I think the pure exhaustion radiated from all of them tonight. There has been so much added to their plates this year, or so it feels, that I don’t think they have the ability to make as stellar performances as they are all probably capable of doing…this show has become so much more than about finding the next superstar, it is about scratching everyone’s back who makes them money in the process.

    I thought poor little David was going to keel over from exhaustion right at the beginning. He looked flat out exhausted.

  • archie1

    what is chihuahua

  • carolinagirl

    Best of the night: Archie doing And So it Goes (you have to admit his acapella was purty) and Cook’s FTEISYF (really good)!
    D&D FINALE!!!

  • Seraphina

    PrplDva – I was SURE someone else would have mentioned it here before I signed on!! lmao Boobs isn’t something I need to hear Archie singin’ bout.

    Agree that Archie looked really uncomfortable singing that second song. I thought he was about to lose his nerve completely and fumble lyrics near the start. Loosing dad doesn’t seem to have phased him though. I don’t like his singing, but I’m happy for the kid’s sake that he’s able to hold it together and not have some meltdown after all the press the past few days.

    Yep – and when is the last time you EVER remember seeing Simon clapping after a performance?

    Exactly what I was thinking. He was actually listening and enthusiastic, how incredible!

  • Lisa

    Cook stole the night flat out: Tops, You Face, just gorgeous! I Ain’t Gonna Miss a Thing, LOVED it!!! Other song was good, not great.

    Syesha: First song was pretty, second song errm, third more errm.

    Archie: Pitch problems in two songs tonight and one WTF song that was one hot mess. I heard people say he missed the lyrics also on second song.

    Funniest comment award goes to…..drumroll….

    Seraphina

    à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I need your boob, gotta see your boobà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ . I lost all good sense after thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

    :clap_tb: :clap_tb: :lol_tb: :jittery_tb:

  • http://airincaol.com coco

    Simon is a GIVER…always has been always will be.

  • grayhound

    jpfan: I’m not sure DC “gets” the strings, etc. on the stage – I think he helps arrange his songs and incorporates what he wants the arrangement to do and how he wants it to sound.

  • Allison

    I don’t remember any top 3 being so lacklustre.
    I must say only Syesha entertained me a bit.
    I’m happy that Jason wasn’t there in that suckfest.

  • jpfan

    Oh so David Cook arranged the chairs on the stage and asked for the strings to be put there. That’s nice. Did he invite Diane Warren to sit in the audience as well? Busy boy.

  • Giggy

    When I think of top 3 performances we’ve had in the past compared to tonight….oy.

    BUT…I’d lay down money right now that David wins.

    BAHAHAHA

  • 4got

    I like to think that Jason is out on the town in New York tonight with his girlfriendà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦great dinner, maybe a showà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

    Maybe he went to see Cats! ;-)

    :lol_tb: That was brilliant, PJ.

    I missed Jason’s star quality tonite. It was a zzzzzfest night.

    And I missed Season 5. I even missed KatPhee.

  • Duke

    Jovi- That question will never be answered. But likewise if you figure it out… I’d like to meet Syesha’s fans tho and ask them what in the hell they are thinking…i’ve never seen anyone post on any site that they are a fan of hers. Government conspiracy maybe?

    and kathrynTX- I’m a big archuleta fan. I think when people say he cant have a hit song on the radio they should look at last season and see Jordin Sparks who also dominated the big/old fashioned ballads and has had 2 hits (No Air being a huge success) on the radio. I think his voice (pitch especially…and tone) are far superior to Cooks. I dont care if he fumbles lyrics once in a while- he has an incredible voice and when he records an album he will be familiar enough to preform the hell out of a song live. Ya he’s 17 and lack a little “life experience”- but can you really hold that against him…its not his fault. I think regardless both Davids have a very good chance of achieving success. I can honestly say a lot of my anger toward David Cook is personal because he threatens Archuleta (and yes i hate those damn notes at the end every time lol). and i am totally man enough to say that. They both are deff a good Final 2 tho. Im happy with the talent this season even tho i dont think some of the contestants lived up to their potential…and America sucks at voting (sometimes).

  • Seraphina

    I can appreciate some folks may not like that many of DC’s songs begin slow and end high in a similar way, but that’s EXACTLY what I love about his arrangements. It’s like the art of giving an inspiring speech… start quietly, slowly build momentum and carry the audience with you on a wave of energy until they’re hanging on your every word. The final crescendo seduces them completely to your whim and leaves them wanting more. :mrgreen_wp:

    ETA – Lisa… :laugh_tb:

  • carolinagirl

    Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m a big archuleta fan. I think when people say he cant have a hit song on the radio they should look at last season and see Jordin Sparks who also dominated the big/old fashioned ballads and has had 2 hits (No Air being a huge success) on the radio. I think his voice (pitch especiallyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦and tone) are far superior to Cooks. I dont care if he fumbles lyrics once in a while- he has an incredible voice and when he records an album he will be familiar enough to preform the hell out of a song live. Ya heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s 17 and lack a little à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“life experienceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ - but can you really hold that against himà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦its not his fault. I think regardless both Davids have a very good chance of achieving success.

    THANK YOU!! FINALLY someone agrees with me!

  • archie1

    I agree also. DA and DC in the finals DA is so pure and so pure.

  • LaFonda

    The two songs David A did well I had never heard of before. The one that I had heard of before he did miserably on.
    Producers gave David C the best song of the night.
    Syesha sang Alicia Keys very well. I had to shield my kids’ eyes during “Fever”. Totally innapropriate. She’s doing what she’s got to do to get votes. Her Penguin song was pretty good. I thought she had a good night and showed a lot of personality and had fun. But, she did not have an AI glory note ballad performance, and that’s what she needed. She’s going home.

    David C was the big winner because of his first and third songs. Second was not that good. David A did not impress for me. Either yawn or boring. Syesha had a good night, but not what she needed.

  • Chuckles

    LMAO!

    Seriously, I almost inhaled half a cup o’ Diet Pepsi on that one, Seraphina! Great one!!

    So, David vs. David. Will there really be a winner? I mean, who would YOU rather see on the cover of People, or on Jay’s show, or doing a private concert for WalMart?

    I think I’d rather be getting ready for my 1st album.

    Honestly, I think David Cook deserves to win this. He’s older, more seasoned, and clearly a nice kid. And the backstory about his brother (prayers for him BTW) not withstanding, he seems to ‘get’ it. His demeanor between songs speaks of his professionalism. And you gotta root for a guy from Kansas City. You just gotta.

    As for David Archuleta? Well, this kid has great potential. But so did Jordin Sparks.
    And she blew her chords out even having started with a healthy pair. It does David A. no favours to have to shmooze with the adult-format Idol winners extravaganza. Let this kid rest his chords (or get the laser surgery in June, as is the rumor), let him heal up physically & emotionally after having his Dad issue all over the press, and let’s see how he does on the Bataan Death March Tour ’08.
    Maybe a guest shot on Hannnah Montana, or on Nickelodeon. Develop the kid. They spent a TON on McPhee – with little return. Bet investing on him brings a better result.

    As for me? I will be watching to see if a certain Idol winner from years past enters the Kodak Theater unannounced, with harp in hand…

  • St.Lucia

    I like to think that Jason is out on the town in New York tonight with his girlfriendà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦great dinner, maybe a showà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

    Maybe he went to see Cats! ;-)

    TEEHEE! Loved this! I too missed Jason tonight. I needed his calmness because I felt cheap and used most of the night since it was so rushed.

    Although the poor guy I don’t think could have hacked that frantic of a pace.

  • sumidol

    It is 7:20 here and I am depressed – the first three songs – boring – dont care and I have to agree with Randy – Cook sounded “pitchy ” and that IS the word he should have used tonight! ugh – hope the rest are better.

  • carolinagirl

    As for me? I will be watching to see if a certain Idol winner from years past enters the Kodak Theater unannounced, with harp in handà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

    OMG! PLEASE let that happen……..

  • Trina

    Hell Simon not only clapped at the end of DCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Yo Face but watch the clip back he started clapping in the middle of the song.

    Watching Simon and his Cookie admiration tonight warmed my heart. When he said on Larry King he was his personal favorite and the only one he would listen to outside of AI me thinks he meant it :wub_tb:

  • pantalones

    Duke, I’m kind of with you on my Archuleta vs. Cook feelings. Cook is good, great performer, strong voice, cool vibe. But somehow he doesn’t do it for me. Archie’s much more of a singer and I feel a lot more from his performances than I do from Cook’s. And I agree that Archie will do great as a recording artist. There’ll be a lot of good people writing modern songs for him.

  • Duke

    CarolinaGirl- I also think there was no contest about Archuleta’s And So It Goes being the best of the night. Vocal Masterpiece. I just dont get Vocal Masterpieces from David Cook.

  • Tony

    I feel kinda bad for Syesha. The furthest she could have gone was to end up in 3rd place, but she really DID get the proverbial “thrown under the bus” treatment (whereas with Jason, the term was carelessly thrown around even though he murdered many of the songs he sang). She got Elliott’d tonight: Simon is already commiserating with the future 3rd placer.

    But man did Syesha perform Fever. Even though it wasn’t the best vocal that I’ve heard of it, she looked HOT. But to me and my friends, the TV could have been on mute for all we cared :)

    But overall, it was an OK night. Not really blown away by anything.

  • Seraphina

    As for me? I will be watching to see if a certain Idol winner from years past enters the Kodak Theater unannounced, with harp in handà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

    Dayyum, I hope so.. There were rumours, but has there actually been any confirmed word from any camp?

  • skylight1219

    I’m playing the judges tonight. Didn’t see the show, wasn’t watching. Sounds like a snoozefest to me.

    Yep, Jason was right. He would’ve been exhausted, as it seems the other 3 are.

    I love Nola’s comment – Bo! Yeah, Bo is the man!

  • Soulkaren

    As for me? I will be watching to see if a certain Idol winner from years past enters the Kodak Theater unannounced, with harp in handà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

    Okay, thanks a lot !

    Now I won’t be able to sleep tonight….

    Do you think we can wish it into happening?

  • spanishfan

    I am seriously in love with David Cook ´s voice. The tone and beauty of his vocals is amazing. Music is my passion and David is the music. The way he moulds a song and changes it is masterful. In my opinion the best voice and performer in any American Idol.

    He is definitely gaining moment and the casual voter for sure.

  • grayhound

    Well, I can’t speak to the chair arrangement, but I’ve seen the orchestra/strings/guitar soloist etc. on the stage several times this season and for several contestants. I think it just depends on the arrangement of a particular song that is being performed.

    I really don’t think people will be swayed to vote for someone they don’t like just because the violins are on the stage, so I can’t believe they were put there to bribe people to vote.

  • St.Lucia

    Duke, I agree that DA sang “And So it Goes” very, very well. I thought the acapella at the beginning was a very nice touch as well.

    But I didn’t buy it. It was well sung, but he didn’t understand what he was singing about.

    And I’m sorry, I’m a fan of understanding what a song is about and truly, truly meaning it. I’m a lyrical person and it is irrelevant to me if the song is well sung, if there is no meaning behind it. That’s what I felt with “And so it goes” Nicely sung, but I had no connection with it because DA had no connection with it.

    And I’m sure you have probably a different opinion of course, because you probably completely felt the song, and I’m glad, because someone gets Archie, otherwise he wouldn’t be going into the final 2.

  • hollygo9

    I am seriously in love with David Cook ´s voice.

    Back off, sister. His voice and I are involved.

  • archie1

    hey duke, we both know that it is a d and d show. we’ll see what happens next week.

  • Duke

    All in all- I will ALWAYS&FOREVER be a bigger AMERICAN IDOL fan than a fan of any of the contestants on the show. And say what you want about this season, but the right final 2 (assuming the obvious outcome tommrow night) made it- and these final 2 have great great great potential, far more than both final two contestants in the last few previous seasons, for being on the radio/selling albums…and that is really important for the longevity of American Idol. Honestly if this show ever gets cancelled in the future- my soul will cease to exist.

    But i think, and i am slowly realizing this, that people should celebrate this great Final 2, even if your not a big fan of one or the other, for the simple fact that they are good for Idol.

  • catdog

    As for me? I will be watching to see if a certain Idol winner from years past enters the Kodak Theater unannounced, with harp in handà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

    Chuckles….it will never happen.

  • poppyfunk

    Hope they all get some rest this next week How creative can you be on such a schedule? Whoever brings it between the two Davids on the night will win …Simon was right. Crap did I just type that.

  • abbysee

    Hell, I wasn’t even a fan and I missed Jason tonight. Another thing, what was wrong with the show direction tonight? I mean I don’t want to see David Cook walk awkwardly across the floor to get to the mic. Or Syesha for that matter. It was just odd.

    I was that one lone Syesha voter in the wilderness. Along with my two daughters ages 11 and 17. We had been split voting until tonight. She blew it for me with the silly choice of Fever. Other than that she’s been a good competitor, and I happened to have been the sole person buying her itunes and my husband is really pissed that I’ve gifted them to everyone in the neighborhood. (It’s a small neighborhood, lol, I did my best) Truthfully she had to have someone voting for her. The joke is on the other 7 that are awaiting the tour, along with all of their fans.

    Season 5 was a really good top three. Too bad I didn’t have tivo back then, I would have been better off watching that.

    Tonight was really killed by the judges and producer’s picks. Horrendous, heinous, and just plain wrong. They screwed up bigtime by basically trying to create moments for one person instead of letting it happen organically.

  • http://myspace.com/girlgeek mj

    I’m pulling out comments that don’t conform to the guidelines.

    Seriously, don’t lecture your fellow posters here. It’s rude, annoying and starts arguments. This is a place for all Idol fans. If you can’t respect the opinion of someone who sees things differently than you do–ie they are fans of a rival idol–you need to be hanging somewhere else.

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

  • sumidol

    OMG what did they do to all of them tonight? I felt sorry for David A – uh go over there hurry- Syesha – dont care – David Cook your second song and I LOVE you David Cook ? I had to leave the room – it was too painful to watch. The best performer tonight I believe is Ryan. All the joy and sunshine sure is gone from that stage tonight – They all look tired and have plastered fake smiles on their faces

  • Duke

    Dang this MJ guy is a stickler.

  • Duke

    PS- this is the first time I have ever voted for the full 2 hours…and im double-fisting/phoning it…its kinda fun actually.

  • KrazeeK120

    I hate when the judges were criticizing the song choices during rounds 1 and 3. And Randy and Simon bashing each other’s choices. Was that REALLY necessary?

    I tried to vote for DC for 40 minutes and only got through 3 times so then I gave up and started voting for Sy. I’m getting through almost every time for her.

    I liked DA’s Chris Brown performance. I thought it was amusing!!! Good for him for trying something different.

    I missed Jason terribly :(

  • http://myspace.com/saltwatercures pj

    I feel kinda bad for Syesha. The furthest she could have gone was to end up in 3rd place, but she really DID get the proverbial à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“thrown under the busà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  treatment (whereas with Jason, the term was carelessly thrown around even though he murdered many of the songs he sang)
    She got Elliottà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d tonight: Simon is already commiserating with the future 3rd placer.

    I don’t think Jason murdered any song he sang on the Idol stage.

    But man did Syesha perform Fever. Even though it wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t the best vocal that Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve heard of it, she looked HOT. But to me and my friends, the TV could have been on mute for all we cared :)

    So, it’s all about the way she looks? I guess that clears up a few things.

  • abbysee

    Crap, I am tired of voting, I’ve got dishes to wash, but it’s fun, I guess. Yes Duke, this MJ guy is really a stickler. She’s a gal though. Tough gal, lol.

  • Allison

    voted for the full 2 hoursà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦and im double-fisting/phoning ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦its kinda fun actually

    Isn’t it though. I’m having a great time voting for Syesha on one line and DC on the other. Anthing to erase that “Chris Brown” song debacle!

  • http://www.myspace.com/gundomom CarieB

    Dang this MJ guy is a stickler.

    Actually, SHE puts up with a lot of crap that would have people banned from lesser sites in about a nanosecond. It’s really not that hard. Just a few simple guidelines, not even rules.

  • KrazeeK120

    I don’t like when the judges were criticizing the song choices during rounds 1 and 3. And Randy and Simon bashing each otherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s choices. Was that REALLY necessary?

    I tried to vote for DC for 40 minutes and only got through 3 times so then I gave up and started voting for Sy. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m getting through almost every time for her.

    I liked DAà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Chris Brown performance. I thought it was amusing!!! Good for him for trying something different.

    I missed Jason terribly :(

  • poppyfunk

    MJ guy…. OH no not Crying game ..please no not again, it been a tough night and I couldn’t handle that.

  • Duke

    KrazeeK120
    May 13th, 2008 at 10:48 pm

    I tried to vote for DC for 40 minutes and only got through 3 times so then I gave up and started voting for Sy. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m getting through almost every time for her.

    -Found one Jovi!

  • 4got

    But i think, and i am slowly realizing this, that people should celebrate this great Final 2, even if your not a big fan of one or the other, for the simple fact that they are good for Idol.

    Wish it was so and it would’ve been if it was Utopia Idol but on American Idol the spotlight shines on our chosen contestant and when that contestant leaves, he/she switches off the lights before leaving. I’m sure I speak for the majority of fans of MJ, Carly, Brooke, Jason …..

  • KrazeeK120

    Duke,

    Found one what?

  • jpfan

    Just for fun I voted for all three tonight (first time since Season 5). Either they opened tons of lines in NYC or no one cares. No busies at all. Not even one.

  • http://myspace.com/girlgeek mj

    Dang this MJ guy is a stickler.

    I am a stickler. I try to keep things sane, polite and interesting around here.

    If you want to fight and bait people, there are plenty of places to do that. This is not one of them.

  • t2

    Oh dear goodness.

    Does anyone else miss Clive’s choices? At least you knew where the contestants stood afterwards.

    This year’s producer’s picks all say “Contestant X, we hate you”, so what are we supposed to think?!?

  • judy

    It’s official – I’m bored with the show and I don’t care who wins.

    I wasn’t very wowed by any of them. The two Davids were both predictable tonight. The band sounded like crap. Hated those violins in DC’s last song. Syesha??? There are a million Syesha’s out there singing the same songs in the same way in bars across the country.

    I think part of the boredom might have been because of the way they did the show this week. What the hell kind of excitement is generated by Ryan talking to them and then saying “ok, go sing”. Where were the big introductions, the lights, the drama?? Plus I hate these short songs (which seem to get shorter every year). way too many commercials.

  • Duke

    Allison
    May 13th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
    Isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t it though. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m having a great time voting for Syesha on one line and DC on the other. Anthing to erase that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Chris Brownà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  song debacle!

    -Found another one Jovi!

  • Lisa

    And voting for me is now over!

    Dial Idol as of right now:

    David Cook 37.17

    David A: 24.75

    Syesha: 17.66

  • tinawina

    Syesha’s 1st song was surprisingly good. I thought she would murder it if she sang it Alicia-style, but it was good. “Fever” and “Hit Me Up” were well sung, but… no. She seems so wrong singing that uptempo song, like it just wasn’t for her. And Fever was too pagenty and desperat, not seductive or sultry at all. And I missed the fro!

    Archie’s 1st and 3rd songs were very well sung. But the horror of “Without You” will be with me always. Holy Awkwardness Batman! Well, at least we know for sure what kind of record he wants to make.

    David Cook did Roberta proud. I think he did well with the big puff of cheese that is that Aerosmith song as well. As much as one could do with it. But Switchfoot really rattled me. Maybe because in my head I’ve seen him as Daughtry with better taste in music, and that choice made me think – “What if David Cook is just a guy who wants to sing those awful rock power ballads?” I am scurred. Don’t make that album, dude. I am begging you.

  • Seraphina

    Dang this MJ guy is a stickler.

    Personally, MJ’s ‘sticklyness’ is exactly why her blog is the only site I’ve visited for the past 3 season for all things AI. :wink_wp:

  • abbysee

    Jpfan, I am in NYC too, and I basically got the same free reign too. That has never happened for me. Well last year I didn’t vote. The year before I got about 78 votes for Taylor. Less for Bo, 49 the year before, and 3 for Ruben. Season 1 I didn’t vote either.

    Gotta say I sorta miss Clive’s pix too. I mean damn tonight just was realllllly bad.

  • maracaibo

    Well.. all I can say is that I still miss Michael Johns…
    He should have been in the Top 3 with Cookie. Sigh.

  • leogirl78

    You know I have read on so many different boards that people are saying that they are not happy with this season. I am actually really enjoying it.

    I like David A. I think he is a nice kid and he does have a lovely voice but he just does not do it for me, but I do think he handles himself very well for how young he is. Especially after this whole Papagate scandal.

    Syesha I give mad props to for being the obvious underdog and being so obviously thrown under the bus (again and again) and still coming out and giving it her all. Even though that actress comes out too often for my taste she really works at it and you have to give her that much. I think that she is a good performer as well.

    David Cook, well I am a huge fan so I am probably a bit biased (propbably being the operative word;)). I will admit DYTM was not my favorite choice for him (i know he chose it). I didn’t think it was awful by any means, but it just was not that great for “him”. Overall solid performance and OMG Paula so coherent tonight. She said it best when she said it was just not enough time for him to really get into that song. His third song above average I am not a huge fan of that song but I really thought he did a great job, I love the beginning part. The first song beautiful. Seriously, I loved it from beginning to end. I know that he can be a bit pitchy dawg at times, but I just feel he conveys so much emotion when he performs that it counters it. Just a beautiful performance – I think that one should have been the one to close out the show! My fingers are crossed that that will be the song that will be available on itunes.

    For this entire competition I really think that David Cook deserves to be the winner. Ideally I would have loved a Castro/Cook finale. I do miss Jason ever so much. He was just a great, talented, genuine guy.

    DCFTMFW!!:)

  • jobbix

    OK. What a crappy show tonight. TPTB don’t care any more. They didn’t even try. I have no idea how and why they came up with those songs. I predict another record low ratings for T3 performance and the finale…

  • http://www.myspace.com/rjveritas MrRJ

    Here is my take:

    DA1– He didn’t get or sell the song and was out of tume a few times. 7/10

    DA2–He looked like a toddler pooping. I wasn’t buying that song from him at all 5/10

    DA3– It was kind of a custom made song for him. It sounded good even though he had a small lyric flub and his breathing pattern was poor. 8/10
    DA total 20/30

    Sy1–Moderate attempt at an AK song. No major mistakes, but just so so. 7/10

    Sy2–What a dumb song for this point in show. Very nice legs. Haley S could have done it better though. 5/10

    Sy3–Bad song that you could just see her going through the motions on. 6/10
    Sy Total 18/30

    DC1–A bit of a different take on the song. real good finish. 9/10

    DC2–Shakey start and he knew it. He saved it with a strong finish. 6/10

    DC3–Nicely arranged. The song was right in his wheelhouse and he delivered a very good performance. 9/10
    DC Total 24/30

  • sumidol

    Here is my take on tonight:

    Boring x 6 = A very disapointing show tonight

  • thebluemartini

    To the person who was wondering about the flower on DC’s guitar (it was a while ago and I was voting at the time-and now I’m too lazy to look it up!)

    Anyways THE STORY OF THE FLOWER:

    Well, over at the AI Forums, many of DC’s fans (word nerds) got together and ordered flowers for David to be delivered to him today before noon. Over 60 orders were place, so DC got a big order of flowers today! And on the note that went with the flowers, the fans asked if he could, to please wear one of the flowers so they would know he got them…so that’s why he had the carnation on his guitar.

    …And yes, I was one of the people who ordered flowers for him.

    Anyways, totally loved DC tonight-though I could be a bit biased.

  • chachi

    Now that I’m done voting DCFTMFW, I am just going to drive by and mention how much I laughed my ass off at Archie’s With You. That was truly the funniest thing I’ve seen on idol this season. Dude, I know you’re dad probably forced that on you, but if you are asexual, you should NOT try to pander to your fanbase by singing songs that you could possibly never understand. Since I know you have to do it in this order, get married, get laid, and then start singing songs to your Boo, k?

  • Stefunny

    “But Switchfoot really rattled me. Maybe because in my head Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve seen him as Daughtry with better taste in music, and that choice made me think – à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“What if David Cook is just a guy who wants to sing those awful rock power ballads?à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ”

    Aww, Switchfoot is a great band. David absolutely did them no favors with his take on it. It’s a nice song and the lead singer is miles better on it. Other than the Roberta Flack song, I wasn’t smitten with anything he did tonight. No chills for me. No chills for anyone, really.

  • leogirl78

    Duke – What contestant(s) were you voting for if you don’t mind me asking?:)

  • GeminiDolly

    Thank you David Cook. The rest of the show was a total bore. I miss Jason.

  • hollygo9

    But Switchfoot really rattled me.

    What I want to know is why was this song substituted in? As of his homecoming on Friday, he said he was singing ‘The World I Know’ by Collective Soul. I’m guessing he didn’t have a lot of time to get a new song together after something changed.
    His other two songs were molten hot lava bombtastic.

  • Duke

    leogirl- i was voting for archuleta

  • reinharv

    I loved David Cook’s performances tonight–especially the first song. That almost brought tears to my eyes. Damm that was so beautiful. I didn’t much care for the 2nd song. Again, 1:30 is not enough and he’s done that 3 times already. The last song was fantastic. I’m biased though because I seriously am awed by all his performances on Idol. I agreed with Simon’s comments for all three songs. :clap_tb:I really didn’t like the game Randy and Simon played after David sang his first song. What was that??? Randy says he prefers David doing a “rock” song and then when David sings a Rock song–it was “predicatable.”

    David A, was predictable with his first song, yet another ballad. He was terrible in the 2nd., and then again his third song was a ballad. I hate to say it but I agree with Simon’s comments for Archuleta for all three songs.

    Syesha: I think she’s a good singer but each song came off a bit old-fashioned for my taste and again–I agree with Simon’s comments for all of her three songs.

    Observations about judges:
    I was surprised that Paul didn’t exactly gush over everyone tonight and gave some actual feedback. Simon (gasp) was spot on tonight, and Randy just pissed me off tonight. They all seemed in a strange mood.

    I don’t agree that it was a terrible night only because Cook came through for me but I really wasn’t falling out of my chair on the other two contestants.

  • judy

    I just listened to all the performances again. DC’s voice sounded tired and strained. Syesha….well, she was Syesha. whatever. Another boring ballad from little David with And So It Goes, but I gotta admit, he nailed it.

  • skylight1219

    Here’s what I was thinking about the show, after watching MJ’s clips:

    I was thinking Bob Marley – YEAH!

  • hollygo9

    I’m really really really hoping that Yo’ Face is the studio single. I fear it will be DWMaT though.

  • sumidol

    His other two songs were molten hot lava bombtastic poo poo but not because of Cook himself. I SWEAR I dont remember that rush rush – move here – go there stuff before? Cook looked tired and sounded tired. David A looked sad and tired. Syesha – dont care

  • devorrah

    I thought David A. did another great job tonight. He always sings beautifully and my favorite was And So It Goes. I really doubt that anyone else could have sung that acapella part the way he did. Syesha was gorgeous and did a good job but I feel she will be voted off tomorrow. David Cook is a good performer but he often does not stay on key and must turn every song into a rock anthem. I do not like his shouting and I do not like his rock voice. I did however enjoy when he sang on Andrew Lloyd Webber night. I did not think it was fair that he had the singers and band and all those strings on stage when the other two did not have that staging. Anyway, David and David for the final two.

  • tinawina

    Aww, Switchfoot is a great band. David absolutely did them no favors with his take on it. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a nice song and the lead singer is miles better on it.

    True, true. You know what it is? To me I always saw him as the kind of guy that would try to bring back the brainy rock-pop of the early 90s. You know? It was Top 40 type stuff, but it didn’t seem to pander and it didn’t come off too manufactured. But tonight, he sang that Switchfoot song like it was on that soundtrack right alongside “Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”. AND IT WAS HIS CHOICE! Why David? Why? lmao.

    I’m not hoping Cook puts out something truly indie-type Innovative, or go all “hard” Nine Inch Nails or Tool on me for that matter – I know what the show is. I just want some decent radio rock that’s not Fall Out Boy or Ashlee Simpson or Hannah Freakin’ Montana McRock. You know what? I take that last one back. I have nothing against Hannah, she’s supposed to be for kids. Anywhoo… Am I making sense here? I thought maybe he could fulfill my modest wish. He scared me tonight.

    That said, I think it’s just an aberration. It will all be fine. I’m just a drama queen. :-)

  • sumidol

    Check out Leona Lewis and the British version of AI – they way there are presented to the audience and they get to sing songs that they know or love. Waaaaay different than this show this year. I cant imagine them shuffling her – stage right no stop stage left – wait you went too far, no not now – ok just go. What a mess

  • idolfan86

    Tonight pretty much sucked. Archie sounded great on his 1st song (best perf of the night imo) and at least he took a risk on his 2nd song. His 3rd song was just an awful song choice. I mean what the fuck were TPTB thinking?!?

    Cook was severely overpraised. His vocals were so fr off tonight, it wasnt even funny. And yet he was praised like a God. Can you say TCO?

    Syesha was just…Syesha. Same bland self as always. Her chair routine nearly made me gag. Disgusting. And what was up with her act tonight? She acted so strange. Weird.

    Overall, tonight was a hot mess.

  • Seraphina

    It felt to me almost as though they realized they needed to cut down time during rehearsals. There were a few things – scurrying over to sing especially – that looked really last minute and unrehearsed/awkward. And why, if short on time, have ridiculous time wasting with the judges? At least Ryan was corralling to some extent. He looked time-anxious the whole night.

    Were the top 3 only an hour in past seasons? I can’t recall. Ridiculous not to extend into 1.5 hours for 9 proper songs, why wouldn’t they when it pulls high ratings? Hell’s Kitchen could wait a week or two, so that we can enjoy watching the songs. You know, the reason we watch AI.

  • IGetCranked

    Did anyone catch David A saying, ” I was dancing?” after Simon’s little slam? ROTFL

  • GwendolynD

    David Cook trumped the night with that first song. He didn’t have to sing anything else. Vocal power and prowess – the passion and emotion – trumps runs and technical perfection any day.

    DCFTSAIW!!!

  • MrsCastro

    David Archuleta did awesome tonight. He has been showing the most versatility amongst all the remaining singers. He can sing slow, “boring” ballads, and more upbeat current sounding songs, pop and r&b alike. He deserves to win this.

    David Cook has been showing weakness these past two weeks. Yet he still gets a lot of strange praise from the judges. Randy was the only one who got it right tonight.. he’s the only one that called him out for his pitchiness. Go Randy!!!

    Syesha needs to go home.. she has proven she is an actess on stage and would do great in broadway. She has no place in the pop/recording world.

  • Duke

    “David Archuleta did awesome tonight. He has been showing the most versatility amongst all the remaining singers. He can sing slow, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“boringà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  ballads, and more upbeat current sounding songs, pop and r&b alike. He deserves to win this.”

    Amen

  • idolfan86

    Yeah, I’ve never seen anyone more praised than DC since Ruben in S2. I love Cook but the overboard pimping is starting to get to me. His vocals weren’t even on point tonight and they praised the shit out of him.

  • http://myspace.com/saltwatercures pj

    Randy has been the most useless judge this season. Even worse than Pauler.

  • idolfan86

    All 3 of the judges have been useless this season.

  • BetterChicken

    Eh I hate how short the songs were I was just getting into them and it ends.They should of just did two hours. :annoyed_tb:

    I liked one of everybody’s songs tonight the other songs I wasn’t crazy about.

    David Archuleta – à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“And So It Goesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 
    I liked it he sung it well…but it was boring .

    Syesha Mercado – à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Feverà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 
    I have grown to like her it happened after “One Rock and Roll To Many”.she has a great voice and is a good performer.I loved it!and she looked gorgeous tonight.

    David Cook – à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I Donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t Want to Miss a Thingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 
    Loved it!

    I have voted my fingers off for DC I hope he’ll be ok tomorrow.

    I gotta agree with the posters talking about AI5 that season was fun and magical Taylor was fun,Chris and Elliott ruled.I don’t think we’ll ever get another season quite as good as season 5.

  • bean99

    I think it was a mixed bag tonight. It’s not my favorite f3 either but probably better than season 5′s since I didn’t like any of them. At least this time I like DC. I missed Michael a lot. 3 songs would have been wonderful.

    David A: 1. pretty good but very much like most of his songs. 2. I liked hearing him try it but it wasn’t great. 3. hated the song, performance okay.

    Syesha: 1. pretty good 2. another Broadway type performance that was supposed to mask the just okay vocals 3. more fun than her usual but again not the best vocals.

    David C: 1. I liked it a lot and I wasn’t sure about it going in. 2. I was disappointed in this one because I listed to the original and far preferred it. It was too short and I agree with what Paula said. 3. I liked it although maybe not as much as Simon did.

    I’d rank them DC – DA – Syesha. Final 2 should be the Davids.

  • Seraphina

    Is it a coincidence that Switchfoot is listed as performing on Jay Leno tonight? heh.

  • http://www.myspace.com/swood1104 Sarah

    Well, Boochuleta crashed and burned on the only upbeat and “current” song he’s done this season, as I expected. Dude was in WAY over his head with that song. I started laughing the second the first “boo” came out of his mouth and could. not. stop. I’m STILL chuckling occasionally. So, back to the ballads, looks like. His first song was very good. Last song was aight – really, really dreary.

    Yo Face – Simon is a genius. DC killed with that. I’m not even going to say I’ll be angry if it’s not the studio track because if I do, it won’t be. 2nd song, I love, but didn’t love his performance of it. Sawry. It didn’t adapt well to the “cut down to 90 seconds treatment”. Last song – I don’t like the song, but I floved the arrangement, from the strings to going from first verse directly to the bridge then to the big chorus. It’s very much Diane Warren dreck (I had no idea what she looked like, but seriously? Showing her in the audience?? C’mon Nigel.), but he actually managed to do something with it that wasn’t terrible. But, he was overpraised tonight. IMO, he did win the night (HANDILY), but the agenda is pretty clear now – “we want a commercially viable winner, so vote for David Cook.” I’d vote for him anyway, TPTB. But that’s just me.

    Syesha’s first song was very good, but did seem like an Alicia imitation. “Fever” made me want to go rewatch Paris Bennett’s performance of it, but her voice sounded good. Just too OTT in the theatrical quality. Last song was meh.

    LAME:
    Randy and Simon’s “feud” or whatever the hell that was. That is a direct result of the two of them being diametrically opposed in who they want to win. Well, we know who is always right. Heh.
    Randy saying that Boochuleta was “in the zone” and Cocky McSmugface was “predictable” – way to say the same. exact. thing except one with postitive connotations and one with negative connotations.
    All of Syesha’s glitter. Yeah, we know. You’re glamorous. Woop-te-frickin-do.

  • sumidol

    I saw NO vocal power and strength – I saw tired – no light or joy on that stage tonight from him. Sad – I cant wait to see Cook in his element away from there. I just felt sorry for the little David

  • Duke

    “Yeah, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve never seen anyone more praised than DC since Ruben in S2. I love Cook but the overboard pimping is starting to get to me. His vocals werenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t even on point tonight and they praised the shit out of him.”

    thank you. he was extremely pitchy

  • http://www.myspace.com/swood1104 Sarah

    Um, everyone had pitch problems tonight, including “Mr Perfect”, Boochuleta.

    They’ve been working their asses off. They ALL looked exhausted.

    Oh, and I’ve seen someone more praised than Ruben and DC put together. Her name is Jordin Sparks, she of the 17 years.

  • http://everyopinion.blogspot.com Terrie

    Who the heck pre-empted The Jason Castro Show and replaced it with robots doing karaoke?

    If you want to know what was missing, just imagine Jason strumming and singing Dan Fogelberg’s “Longer.” Awww, that’s much better.

    I really enjoy listening to Cookie’s voice, but I actually think he is not an interesting performer to watch. Yo’ Face was one of his more engaged performances in awhile. I can’t tell whether he is coasting or burnt out.

    For the first time, I sort of liked ArchuD2 last week. This week I’m back to being completely indifferent.

    Frankly, of the top three, Syesha is the only one who seems to be stepping up her game. Two of Syesha’s songs were contemporary sounding while each David performed only one current selection apiece. Cookie’s was too short and throwaway, while Archie’s was comically ill fitting.

    Can America see how manipulated this show is? When you can’t find fault with a performance by someone who is not TCO, blame the luckless performer for singing a song forced upon him or her by a so-called judge or a “producer.”

    Did producers’ choice mean Sony BMG record producers or AI TV producers? If Sony, those producers need to be fired. Actually, I want the TV producers fired, too.

  • dulce

    It was pretty good tonight. I know I’m in the minority for thinking so, but I’m a singer myself and I can’t imagine keeping your voice up to par with all the exhaustion etc. taking hold. These kids are not superhuman and besides, they all sound LOADS better than so many other pros during live shows. Has anyone else heard Switchfoot live? Terrible. Chris Brown? Even worse. That being said…

    Archuleta was GOOD. No better or worse than he’s been this entire time. He did so much better with “With You” than I ever thought possible. It was cute and he looked like he was having fun. He deserves that finale. Bottom line.

    Cook was also GOOD, bordering on VERY GOOD. Better than last week, but not better than Billie Jean (which I think is a moment that I don’t think will be surpassed by anyone in quite awhile so to hope he passes this benchmark is asking a lot). He actually sounded good. He had few pitch problems on the second song, but after probably belting 6-8 songs full strength over the course of the night, it’s completely understandable that his lower register would show wear. That’s why sometimes a lot of these singer’s lower registers will be “shot”…because they are aiming for the big money notes that are coming up and voices tire.

    Syesha…well…sounded GOOD too. Yeah…don’t know what to say here other than she deserves her spot in the final 3. She’s not Jasmine Trias or Nikki McKibbin by any means. To me, both Davids’ should be in that finale. I think it’ll happen.

  • colette

    Oh lordy, lordy, lordy. My wrap:

    absence of joy:     Oddly enough the only one up there who seemed to be having fun (a very contrived kind) was Syesha, who I felt very sorry for when even Paula, the makes-nice-nice judge told her she’d be taking a hike. Why don’t they just wrap it up now, rather than making the kid suffer through the fires of Hell tomorrow?

    surreal moment of the night: watching David A try to get down or jiggy or whatever with it. this is what happens when a nice overly sheltered Utah boy get the chance to pretend he’s from the ‘hood. Cringeful.

    please protect him from himself: Cookie, why aren’t you taking my sage advice, babe? That Switchfoot song was a terrible choice, and yeah, out of deference to your considerable talent and past triumphs, and because they’re really really pimping for you, the judges really gave you pass on it. But if you are in it to win it, or if you just want to go out with a bang for yourself and your devoted fans including moi, please ask the AI coaches, your friends, your family, the postman, the woman at the dry cleaners, ANYONE to suggest a compelling song that fits squarely into a two-minute slot. And remember you’re capable, even on AI, of some sublety.

    bad miking, awful staging glitches and way too much jabber at the start making for a rushed ending: Tonight.

    ONLY POSSIBLE EXPLANATION FOR WHY TONIGHT’S SHOW WAS SUCH A SLEEPWALKING CREEPFEST:

    Zombies. It was the Night of the Living Idol Dead. Those zombs stole into the bodies of the contestants, and the judges, and turned them all into freakin’ pod people. Maybe this actually happened last week, because the playful, loose, charming David Cook we all loved, is now a hollow-eyed shell of a man, and Archie too. Syesha too, but in a more glitzy, “cabaret” way.

    for auld lang syne, and because he did OK with that softball the producers lobbed him at the end, I voted Cookie. Hope springs eternal.

  • baxter

    I want to personally thank Little D for giving me the biggest giggle I’ve had in a loooooooooooooooooooooong time. WIth You has now been renamed in my house as ” My Boo” That shit was hilarious. So back in your little box you go Archie. SIng the hell outta those sappy gooey( TM Simon) ballads. I’m sure you will sell millions.

    Syesha….Broadways calling…line 1.

    DC- LOVED Yo Face. Yummy yummy yummy!! That Switchfoot song was all wrong. I think you started that song from your knees and took forever to get out of your lower register, which has not been your friend this season. I listened to that song before the show and even posted that you were going to have to cut and paste the hell out of that song. Unfortunately, I don’t think it worked. Ahhhhh Aerosmith. On first listen I didn’t care for the arrangement. I thought it was too fast, just was weird. I really listened to the vocals only on the 2nd listen and dude…you really worked it out. I actually liked on the second listen and third…..etc. Way to Go Cookie. Yes you did win the night. Well Done!!

  • judy

    collete………”David Cook is a hollow eyed shell of a man”. LMAO. This is funny even though I didn’t think he looked THAT tired!

  • Lisa

    My hope for DC next week in case TPTB are watching ***waves and smiles*** is for DC to do *My Hero*. Just DC and the guitar please, just him and the guitar.

  • colette

    Judy: maybe I’m exaggerating. A little.

  • chachi

    My recap of the night:

    Archie: Boys got a nice voice, that’s for sure.
    Sy: You’re so bland, bet you thought this show was about you.
    DC: Floved it

    Archie: Floved it for an entirely different reason. Massive fail, in a “set it on fire and piss on its ashes” kind of way. I can look back on this moment and properly define “surreal” for the rest of my life. In fact, I hope that my children some day have the word “surreal” as a vocabulary word, so that I can show them archival footage and they will instantly understand the meaning of the word. Did I mention creepy? Because I seriously can’t get over this.
    Sy: Sold it, but its not enough to overcome the Archubots and the Cooktards
    DC: Fail, dude. Still love you, but fail.

    Archie: His most boring performance EVER, and that’s saying a lot. Way to go, Nigel.
    Sy: Good, yet highly generic vocal. She should’ve dressed in a bright yellow dress and written “actress” in block letters across it just to drive the point home. I’d love for her to stay in this, because her fighting spirit is awesome, but the fanbases are too huge to overcome.
    DC: I actually really liked this, even though he had some vocal flaws. If you have the flaws, you’ve got to work harder to sell the song and he did. The boys voice sounds worn out and he needs to take some vocal rest. He needs to write his pirate joke on cue cards for a few days, methinks.

  • chiquita55

    Without Jason, this show was boring as sin. Did I say it? What a bore. He has the IT factor more than any of these ordinary people. But its so easy to figure out. Syesha will go home this week. D vs D next week and Cook will win the whole thing.

  • gumby

    I laughed for a full 5 minutes from whomever it was that posted about DA looking like a “toddler pooping”. LMAO!! I didn’t hear “boo” clearly, but I did hear “babe”, and I let out a guffaw at that one.

    Yeah, what was up with Cookie? Does he have the sniffles? Is he scared shitless? He is a shell of his former self. I didn’t have any expectations tonight, so I’m not too upset about the performances. But his stage presence is just, blahhhh! No spark. Maybe it’s just nerves, I dunno.

    Colette, love your comment about Cookies’ song choice. Yes, the random woman at the dry cleaners could have come up with a better song! And I had such high hopes after listening to that “Hero” tune at the homecoming a zillion times! He can’t be thinking clearly.

  • http://www.myspace.com/swood1104 Sarah

    The boys voice sounds worn out and he needs to take some vocal rest, me thinks.

    He can take some vocal rest, eat ice cream, and make out with me in a pool.

    Yep, I went there. ;)

  • dulce

    They didn’t look that worn out. Cook sounded pretty good. He hit the notes. I like that Switchfoot song and he did it justice to me. Oh well…doesn’t matter. He’ll disappoint everyone no matter what he does.

  • colette

    I’d go with “There Goes My Hero” too, but maybe they couldn’t get the rights from the Foo Fighters?? They’ve got a big thing about rights, given Dave Grohl’s big fight with Courtney Love about the rights to Nirvana tunes…

  • http://www.myspace.com/swood1104 Sarah

    I can see Cookie making the call now: “Hello, Dave? My name is David Cook and I’d like to know if you would clear “My Hero” for me to sing on the American Idol finale this week. Oh, you will? Funny, I’d been told before that you wouldn’t. *nasty look in Nigel’s direction* Great! Thank you! I won’t let you down!”

  • http://www.myspace.com/rjveritas MrRJ

    I have given my rating previosly but to recap DA 20/30; Sy 18/30; DC 24/30.

    What I didn’t like.

    1. The Rush again tonight to get the show in within the hour.
    2 Due to the rush, the shortness of the songs.
    3. The lighting, and this goes back to when they hit the “big stage”. It looks like they don’t pay their light bill. It is dark in spots and shadowy.
    4. Stupid blanking mosh pit waving off beat.
    5. Randy….just was stupid. Dissed Cook just because Simon dissed his choice…c’mon.

    What I liked:

    1 Paula not being drunk and actually be critical in the right places.
    2 Simon showing some emotion
    3. Archie dancing like a toddler pooping…..so funny…..then his choking
    on “boo”
    4. The violins on the last Cook song.
    5. The Utah mayors mustache

  • weelassie

    devorrah
    I did not think it was fair that he had the singers and band and all those strings on stage when the other two did not have that staging. Anyway, David and David for the final two.

    any of them could have had that staging. they get a say in the arranging so anyone could have used the strings if they wanted them. just like syesha wanted a chair.

  • skylight1219

    Since I didn’t watch the show, did Ryan even mention Jason? You know, like when every other contestant left, he would say how much they were missed? Or did they just cover the manhole over his pretty dreads?

  • http://www.myspace.com/rjveritas MrRJ

    There was hardly time to mention who was on.

  • gumby

    Just listened again to Yo Face and Miss A Thing, definitely better on repeat. Sorry, dulce, I can’t bring myself to listen to Switchfoot just yet. ;-)

    Can you believe they chopped Yo Face down to like 1:20 min long?? WTF? That’s almost a 4 minute long song. You lose all the momentum and drama cramming it into that time frame. What happened to the 2:00 minute long song on Idol? God forbid they cut into their 4 minute long commercial breaks. Pfffttt…

    dulce, weren’t you a fan of Elliott’s way back when? Me too. I’ve noticed quite a few folks on this board and elsewhere are fans of both. Talk about polar opposites in styles! I would like a singer to explain why I’m crazy about both voices. Thanks. (Oh, and Daughtry’s sound does nothing for me. )

  • Lisa

    I think any of them can have what they want as far as who or what is on stage with them. They have all season and seasons past. Now after saying that I had to go back to see where the heck the violin peeps were on the stage with him. :redface_wp: I watched it dunna 10, 12 times and kept missing it cause I think I was too focused on DC. :wub_tb:

  • baxter

    Was it just me or did Little did flub some words at the beggining of “My Boo”????

    Regarding the string section on the stage….I don’t know if that is a contestants option or the producers. Hell maybe its Rickey Minors call???

    I think one thing that has hurt this year has been the loss of the shows director that they had for years. This years shows have been run in such a hurry and a disorganized mess I wonder if the new director has a freakin clue what he/she is doing.

  • http://inkdbylilyanna.com carolina

    Duke
    May 13th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
    à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“And I definitely DO miss Jason Castro. His performances were just very refreshingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ whether they were good or not.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

    Ya well 90% of the time they werenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t good.

    Either I’m dyslexic or you’re dyslexic and since I’m not dyslexic, you’re it !

  • s fl sizzler

    I personally think their chosen one is still Archie and the judges are all going to be praising him profusely again next week. I am on the ‘It’s scripted!’ side of the fence … they are trying to keep some element of suspense intact. Syesha’s votes will go to little D … not Cookie. I’m sure David C got a few of Jason’s but the majority of his diehard fans probably stopped voting. Jason was my favorite by far although I think that both of the Davids are talented. Up until the last two weeks … I had had enough of Archie due to all the dreary song choices. But I have to be honest and objective with JC gone. I thought DA nailed it last week and tonight … NOW Cook is boring me even more though I like his voice. But as far as him being so original and his talent so mind boggling … uh no. He sang TFTEISYF extremely well … the other two were forgettable and oh so pitchy. He is starting to sound the same to me though I liked Innocent and Little Sparrow. IMO, it was great that DA went modern with his song choice … about damn time somebody did it. His voice is just so pure and he’s back in his groove … seemed more relaxed to me than he has been … more like he was at the beginning of the season.

  • http://joannmski.blogspot.com joannmski

    Well, I am glad that Syesha is leaving. Otherwise she’d be on the pole next week to get more votes.

  • Layla

    David A was as boring as ever…”With You” was just a mess!!! This calculated move was forced and I didn’t see the fun in it. He should just stick to being a balladeer. In his squinty camera close-ups he looks like a cross between a young George Bush and Alfred E. Newman from Mad mag…I find him terribly unappealing.

    Give Syesha a gd pole or something! My eyes and ears are still bleeding from all 3 of her songs. It’s AI…not auditions for off-Broadway. I really cannot stand her voice, or her.

    My gawd…DC made me cry with “Yo’ Face…brilliant performance.

    After having listened to his second song 5 times…I realized that the “problem” was it was just too damn short! He was just getting revved up when he had to end it. By the 5th listen I was lovin’ it.

    Producers made the only wise choice by choosing”Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing” Recognizable “classic” rock song that DC did justice to.

    DCFTMFW!!!!!

  • gumby

    The long-time director was Bruce something-or-other. He did the finger snaps when he wanted to change cameras. I wonder if they canned him thinking he was part of the problem with the show’s deteriorating ratings. Boy, did they screw up. That guy really knew how to direct the show!

    Watching Cook walk across the stage to hit his mark was riveting tee vee!! LOL

    TPTB are definitely showing their favoritism giving Cookie that string section. Reminds me of when they always gave Daughtry some fancy Spanish guitar or other instruments right there on the stage with him.

  • emmiek

    David A – -i waver between loving the kid and not be able to stand him. i think for the most part i pretty much can’t stand him, but that was adorable when ryan told him to go over to his spot on the stage before he sang “with you” – and now i think he’s adorable. HOWEVER, i really don’t enjoy his singing anymore. i can’t stop noticing how he turns every song, no matter what it is, into a schmaltzy sounding amateur/talent show performance. The performance of his that i most enjoyed tonight was “With You”, simply because it was so friggin’ BIZARRE. Archuleta has a pretty voice, but i’m not sure he’s got the artistry in him to know how to work it out…

    Anyway, I think David Cook has the most talent on the show right now- artistically and vocally. His range is astonishing. And although his voice seemed hoarse tonight, you could still recognize that it was a beautiful voice that was probably over-worked.

    Oddly, i miss jason as well. he has a lovely, soothing voice that I LOVE listening to. It’s subtle and i feel like the judges are more partial to OBVIOUS voices. But it’s beautiful if you really pay attention.

    Good night! :wink_wp:

  • beesims

    I think one thing that has hurt this year has been the loss of the shows director that they had for years. This years shows have been run in such a hurry and a disorganized mess I wonder if the new director has a freakin clue what he/she is doing.

    Good observation. The pacing and the staging of the show was totally off tonight and it was most apparent when they had to cut from Ryan’s interview section to the start of the songs. Little David was completely flummoxed when he had to walk over from the stool to the stage for “My Boo” (the one really entertaining moment of the whole show for me.)

    All and all, not a stellar Top 3 night. There were some horrible choices both from the contestants to the producers. I think Syesha really got the worst of the bunch. That “Happy Feet” song was just a slight cut above “Open Toes” and having her sing a song that has been done to death on Idol did her no favors either. I hated the truncated Switchfoot song and it highlights one of Cookie’s weaknesses—starting a song as a slow dirge and then ending it abruptly with some repeated bombastic choruses (i.e. Teenage Wasteland, Teenage Wasteland, Teenage Wasteland…)

    You can start to throw things at me but I think my favorite of the night was “And So It Goes”. The first part where he sang acapella gave me chills, Maybe he’s too young to understand a song about heartbreak and resignation but he sang it with such tender yearning. I thought it was close to his “imagine” moment.

    As Skylight so aptly put it, overall “I was thinking Bob Marley, yeah.”

  • chachi

    No, seriously. Did you guys see when Archie stabbed that girl’s eardrums out with an icepick and called it “With You”? I can’t believe he could assault someone like that and get away with it.

  • Diana

    I thought all 3 were quite good tonight. But this season is lacking excitement, especially now that JC is gone. (Honestly, I don’t understand why this season is falling flat, because it is MUCH better than last season. I agree that season 5 was tops).

    The First Time Ever Saw Your Face was excellent — the best of the night.

    Archie’s first two were VERY good. I disagree with the judges — the upbeat songs fit him well too.

    Syesha was predictable. I liked the third song. She is actually a stunning girl.

    The judges comments seemed prescripted.

    Producers song choices were the pits.

  • http://inkdbylilyanna.com carolina

    David Archuletta has shown the most versatility!

    Ho.

    There’s versatility, when you go completely outside your box and try something new and refreshing and it works ! Huge.

    Then there’s versatility when you completely go outside your box and end up on YouTube as the joke of the week.

    Feeling concillatory, I will say that David Archuletta and his “Boo” (Boo) was the best American Idol laugh ever! Bless his pea pickin’ heart. Nothing better than making a fool of yourself and smiling through it. Good sport!

    DAFTNSA (david archuletta for the no sweat award) !!

  • http://www.myspace.com/rjveritas MrRJ

    Obey the spray–obey the spray—kept DA odor free despite the stinker he laid

  • GeminiDolly

    I was just thinking, will Cook become a solo artist or will he be part of a band a la DAUGHTRY???
    Im curious what they plan on doing with him.

  • skylight1219

    Actually, I just watched Archie do, “With You.” Yes, it was amusing, but, I give him credit for trying something fresh and modern. Simon made the comment that his dancing was awkward. David said, “I was dancing?” Didn’t he realize it, or was he just bopping to the music? That’s the most animated I’ve seen him all season, and, I rather enjoyed it. But, Simon a chihuhah (sp) doesn’t become a tiger. A bulldog or pit bull would’ve been a better analogy.

    However, having said that, I”m still thinking Bob Marley, YEAH! :laugh_tb:

  • http://www.myspace.com/rjveritas MrRJ

    Strings for Cook are not different than drums for Blake, combo for Kat, musicians behind Brooke, chair and Bass for Syesha. It is the artists choice. If rRcky Minor can make it work, moving band members around hasn’t been a problem

  • weelassie

    mrRJ
    exactly, they would do the same for whoever wanted to use that arrangement.
    if it can work and they ask for it, it will happen. if they want smoke, that can work too.

  • skylight1219

    Yes, the contestant adds strings or whatever to the arrangement. TPTB have nothing to say about it, unless Sy would want a pole to slide down during her performance. I think they might draw the line at that.

  • weelassie

    Archies best vocal-first one. moment that will live on forever- the diaper dance.
    syesha’s best vocal-first one. most memorable moment-the chair
    dc’s best vocal-first one. cutest addition -the flower in the guitar.

  • thesheriff

    I AB.SO.LUTE.LY loved DC’s 1st and 3rd performances. This is about the 5th or 6th time that I reeeeallly wanted another minute or 2 of him. (Great choice Simon!!)

    No question, DC all the way!!

  • http://inkdbylilyanna.com carolina

    Just listened to DA’s songs —

    He’s perfect at what he does but he has no range, no inflection in his voice. He can only do what he does and while that’s perfect, it’s so very limited = boring.

    Hey Boo.

    and Randy – gotta give him credit. He picks his horse in the race and stands by it. Then his check bounces and he can’t figure out why.

  • primeminister

    I liked Archuleta’s and Cook’s first performances. TFTIESYF was fantastic!

    Switchfoot is my favorite band ever, so I loved the fact that Cook did Dare You to Move (even if it didn’t quite work within the time frame, and Cook seemed like he practiced it twice–in the wise words of cheese.)

    And as much as I love Jason, I didn’t miss him on the show tonight. His post-boot interviews have kept me more than content.

  • http://inkdbylilyanna.com carolina

    just listened to syesha again —

    she should have cried. three times.

  • Lisa

    Archies best vocal-first one. moment that will live on forever-

    the diaper dance.

    See what ya did, now yer tied with Seraphina for best quote of the night. Hers was this one.

    Archie – Okay. Sorry, but I couldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t stop laughing through his second song because his opening line sounded like à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I need your boob, gotta see your boobà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ . I lost all good sense after thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

    :clap_tb:

  • dulce

    dulce, werenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t you a fan of Elliottà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s way back when? Me too. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve noticed quite a few folks on this board and elsewhere are fans of both. Talk about polar opposites in styles! I would like a singer to explain why Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m crazy about both voices. Thanks. (Oh, and Daughtryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s sound does nothing for me. )

    Yep. That’s me. I’m sticking with Cook FTW on this one though. If he can rearrange that finale ballad, he’s gonna win. It’s the one hamstring that hurt Blake Lewis last season, albeit Cookie is a much much better singer than Lewis. I think they’ll let him change it up since it’s Cook’s thing. To me, Cook is a far better arranger than Lewis too…so bottom line, I think David Cook has done more than enough to prove that he should win American Idol. That’s just me though.

  • Lisa

    just listened to syesha again à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ 

    she should have cried. three times.

    I thought you are supposed to click your heels three times while saying *I Want To Go Home*….

  • awilliams

    I’m in agreement with the lineup:

    Cookie – wins by default at this point

    Archie – I like the kid and yeah he’s got a voice but really, he needs more time to mature. That’s this mama’s big picture view. The kid needs more time. Winning the big tamale would be like throwing him to the entertainment wolves.

    Syesha – She’s tenacious alright and I admire her stepping up but tonight was hollow. She did look great. Loved the dress on “Fever” and the cameraperson was ehm…being a bit naughty…c’mon man, that was like wearing mirrors on your shoes.

    Judges: Paula looked and acted classy tonight. Randy and Simon were like schoolboys posturing in the playground. What a waste of time.

    What I would have wanted for top 3: Michael J., David Cook & Carly. Now that would had brought much more excitement.

    I would LOVE to see the man and his harp come strolling in…don’t think it will happen though. Couldn’t you see Simon’s face? Heh…

    Yep, missin’ Jason’s presence there. So glad his gal pal is with him as he goes through so many silly-same interviews. I could go for more Bob Marley too. Howzabout “One Love” [lets get together and feel alright...]

  • maeflower

    does anyone know if the Idol website still has the survey up where you can tell them what needs to change for next season? Whoever suggested that they take a week off before final 3, great thinking! That way, they can enjoy a real homecoming, get some serious vocal rest, and not look like zombies (loved that colette!). They’re like racehorses! I can only imagine that the light would’ve been gone out of Jason or Brooke’s eyes had they lasted this long. IMO Cook has looked kinda sad since it went to 2 songs as well.
    To Gumby:
    I’ve only ever watched S5 and now this season. Elliott was my fave not just because of his underdog niceness, but there was some serious grit under his vocals, a bit of rawness that perhaps you are hearing in Cook? Maybe somebody can elaborate better on this? They are definitely very different styles, but there is this edginess in their voices that kind of stands out, and makes them unique.
    but my faves for season 5 were Elliott, Taylor and Paris, while this season, my faves have been Jason, Chikezie, Brooke and Michael Australia, who are all quite different! So maybe you just like many styles and it’s just up to the individual performer to move you! Jason and Elliott couldn’t be more different and I’ve loved them both WAYYYY too much for my own health!

    oh and MJ, thanks for keeping it real on these boards! you’re awesome at what you do!

  • http://inkdbylilyanna.com carolina

    Now onto Cook — watched again.

    Yo Face — loved it! Didn’t like the big end, I think he’d have done better going soft. Every woman listening was already melting down and if he’d ended softly, big fat tears would have been shed cross country.

    Having his Mom stand, his dedication to her, comes from his heart.
    Swooooon! (every mother should have at least one son imvho).

    Dare You to Melt — if left to his own means, I don’t know that David will shine. He has tremendous potential but he needs to leave the past behind. Overall, merely okay.

    Don’t Want to Miss A Thing –he was close. I didn’t feel the orchestra/27,000 violins was a smart choice. He’d have hit a home run going with next to nothing or bringing out the big guns. Still, compared to the night, outstanding.

    And that’s the problem — “compared to….”

    Still DCFTMFW!!!!!!!

    All that and still, there’s Jason -the heat is off and he just gets more precious everyday.

  • http://inkdbylilyanna.com carolina

    Lisa
    May 14th, 2008 at 2:49 am
    just listened to syesha again à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ 

    she should have cried. three times.

    I thought you are supposed to click your heels three times while saying *I Want To Go Home*à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦.

    And the Good Fairy said, your wish will come true!

  • primeminister

    All that and still, thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Jason -the heat is off and he just gets more precious everyday.

    I couldn’t agree with you more. If it wasn’t Syesha getting run over this week, it would have been Jason; for his sake, I’m glad he’s no longer in. On the other hand, he was the wildcard that kept the show interesting- I never knew what to expect: would he be terrible? Or, would he have another “moment”?

    As much as I love DCook and think he deserves to win, I just can’t get as excited as I was about the competition. Do we really have to watch 4 reprises and 2 crappy coronation songs next week? I hope at least Cook tries to sing something new.

  • fluffysasha

    simon….i thought your very strict with vocals….then why all the praises on cooks third song…without the strings and the band…he would sound really bad….

  • longsong

    If it wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t Syesha getting run over this week, it would have been Jason;

    Excellent point! I was missing Jason last night and missing jonesing for spoilers and missing dialing my fingers bloody, but the one glimmer of sunlight is that I wouldn’t want Jason getting “run over” this week, and the person that goes out third doesn’t get the press that aaaaallll the other ousted idols do.

    If I had my way, a well-rested, confident Jason would have made it to final two. I guess this is the next best thing. *still missing him*

  • St.Lucia

    If it wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t Syesha getting run over this week, it would have been Jason;

    IAWTC. Jason would have been run over, then backed up over again a few times just for shits and giggles. If I thought everyone else looked exhausted, the person who likes to catch any Z’s he can, would have been literally dead to the world. As much I missed Jason’s laidbackness in a show that was way too fast for my own liking, I am so glad he wasn’t there this week. I don’t think he personally could have hacked it another week.

    Jason is the type of person who has to really know a song and feel a song, I can’t imagine what tripe the judges or the producers(since they pick such GREAT songs!!!!) would have given poor Jason.

    So I’m glad he wasn’t there, and Syesha was getting run over. Paula pretty much laid it out to her and said it wasn’t enough to get her to the finals. Totally agree.

  • Jovi

    While I missed Jason as well I have to agree that they would have run him completely into ground this week.

    Duke – glad that we found that one Sayesha fan! lol But before you go dissing on all the DC fans here and those that don’t like DA, I think you really need to reread the posts, as much as there are DC fans here there are just as many Jason Castro fans.

    Well tonight we find out the Final 2. As if we don’t already know it.

    Randy was even more useless than Paula last night which is hard to do. Paula was actually articulate and intelligent last night.

    David Cook for the win!

  • psnax

    I have to agree with Simon on last night. DC may not have had his absolute best vocal performance on all three (and I agree with Paula that the second song needed to be longer to really work) but IMO he was the best of the night. He made the songs suit his style thereby avoiding trainwreck and karaoke criticisms. I’m not overly familiar with all the other songs but I didn’t hear anything from the others that sounded like signifincant change-ups in the songs. If being original and changing it up is predictable then I’m all for it (I’m looking at you Randy Jackson).

    I also thought DA had a good night vocally and I applaud him for trying the upbeat song even if it didn’t quite come off. I think he’s earned a spot in the finals with DC on last night as well as the season.

    Syesha sang well but I have to agree with Simon and also Paula on the fact that she didn’t show who she was as an artist and that should mean she comes third. We saw Syesha the cabaret and cruise ship star last night, not Syesha the recording artist.

    Now waiting with baited breath to see what happens. DC will (hopefully) do well regardless of the outcome but for the integrity of the show the best need to move forward and that’s DC and DA (IMO).

  • http://www.dancin.ca dancin

    i was for sure missing jason last nite…
    syesha just doesnt bring enuf to the competition to make it an even competition

    jason would have kept the competition much more honest. IMO

    that said DCFTMFW :)

  • justshootme

    I haven’t had time to catch up with this whole thread, so sorry if I’m repeating other comments. Or not.

    I actually liked DA’s Chris Brown. At least he seemed like a happy young kid for once. I’ve never been a big Syesha fan, but “Fever” was my favorite performance of the night. She did seem kinda like a guest star on The Carol Burnett Show, but so what. The judges suck. All DC’s three performances sounded like redo’s of last week’s BO’R to me. Start slow, build, scream. And Switchfoot? Really? Not even Daughtry lite. Watered down Daughtry lite. I like the guy, even though his voice/style do nothing for me. He seems pretty bright and self-aware. I wonder if even he was embarassed by the pimpage. String section, strobe lights, waayyy OTT judges comments? They might as well as run a banner across the bottom of the screen “Vote Cook you mindless sheep”. The crazy blatant pimpage all night was out of control. The producers must think viewers are complete morons.

    I missed Castro last night, but I can’t help but be relieved for him that he didn’t have to put up with any more of their bullshit.

  • steelergurl08

    Not to ascribe toooo much wisdom to a 21-yr-old (why didn’t he ever get props for basically being a kid?) who just picked up a guitar kinda like last month, but the point Jason has made in his interviews is that the time pressure did not allow him to prepare in a way that met his own personal standards. He admitted some of the results were mediocre. Maybe that’s the kind of honesty that gets you thrown under the bus?

    I’m at peace. The kid is in a good place, and if he survives the summer tour without getting grossed out by mediocrity, he has the potential to make some very nice music of his own.

  • gabam

    The judges have been saying since March that it would be a David – David finale. They have given undue praise to some and undue negative remarks to others to achieve their goal. I lost a LOT of respect for the judges this season; especially Randy.

    The only good things about AI for me this season were that I discovered Jason and Elliott came back to sing.

    I enjoyed watching NCIS last night. It was pleasant not watching AI and not voting afterwards.

  • t2

    Best top 12 talentwise evah — YES!!!

    Least interesting top 3 evah — YES!!!

    and all in the same season.

    When will TPTB realize that if they would just stop working so hard to manipulate the end result, the show would get a whole lot more intereting. They had everything this year going into the top 12, and ended up with a more boring final 3 night than last year. Go figure.

    There was not one breakout performance last night, and there should have been several at this point in the competition. At least Archuletta singing “With You” was … ummm … memorable.

  • rita205

    I agree with the person who said that D. Cook should not have gone for the glory note at the end of Yo’ Face. It felt a bit forced. “Having said that”, I noticed when I watched the video again that for once the girls in the mosh pit were standing still and not waving their arms! How’s that for a powerful performance, to be able to make that shit stop?

    Someone on another board, I think the TWOP board, referred to this season as “They Shoot Idols, Don’t They”. Best analogy I’ve seen about the brutal pacing they’ve put the contestants through. Was it Kelly in an interview who said that after Idol, a singer can do anything? I can believe it.

  • Karen

    Everyone has hashed and rehashed their opinions on the singers.

    Here’s what I think about the show. Make this one 2 hours, or at least 90 minutes. Especially DC’s songs seemed REALLY short. They made him start Yo Face before he could even get set up, the audience was still howling, then it was over. Longer and ASIG didn’t seem that short, but all three of DC’s were just too short to register.

    Having Diane Warren in the audience, then Simon saying it’s one of the best songs evah? Hideous.

    Paula, after spending 6 seasons telling everyone how beautiful they looked, picks tonight to tell Syesha “you haven’t done enough to make it any farther”. Gah. I felt bad for Sy.

  • Frances

    I thought the show would be at least 90 minutes long. It did seem rushed. They all looked tired to me. All they had to do was learn three songs, go to their homecoming (never a free moment) rehearse with the band, pick out clothes, eat and sleep (if they have time), and do that stupid commercial. Wonder what else they could fit in for them to do. (No wonder Taylor lost over 30 lbs. when he was there). I’m glad Jason got out when he did.

    I just didn’t get as excited about the show as I thought I would. As Paula told Jason, “it left me feeling empty”. Maybe because Jason wasn’t there. But, I think David C. will win.

  • sciencefan

    I loved all three of Archie’s songs.
    I could listen to him all day.

  • jpfan

    Supposedly Idol had a little over 20 million veiwers and Dancing With the Stars had 18 million.
    Those would be the worst Top 3 ratings in five years. When you drain all the joy out of a show that’s what you get. It’s not even a talent issue. There’s something really off about the show.

  • Karen

    I think Cookie is crazy if he reprises ANY of his songs. You can’t catch lightning in a bottle twice. We can buy the iTunes versions and be happy. He’s too tired now to make them any better than the first time.

    Remember Blake rehashing You Give Love a Bad Name? It just wasn’t the same without the surprise element of the first time. Cookie is better off to do all new songs next week.

  • KrazeeK120

    t2 – Amen, Amen, Amen!

    DC’s 1st and 3rd songs were great, and Archie’s 2nd song was….uh, I guess I’ll just say memorable, but other than that, zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

    It would have been nice to replace Syesha/DA with Jason/Brooke/Carly.

    I have to admit, I thought that DA was going to get the bus treatment, not Syesha, for two reasons. One, Daddy. ‘Nough said. Two, of the three left, I think he is the least marketable. I have no idea what kind of CD he would make that would sell. He has proven that he cannot sing contemporary pop. Who wants a CD full of boring ballads by a 17 year old? Not I. It’s not that I like Syesha, but I think she could sell contemporary pop much better than DA.

    ETA: had to clarify which Archie song I was talking about…

  • Kirsten

    General Thoughts
    —————–
    1. I wish the producers were made to tell us why they picked those songs. I’m sure that the reasons would have been fun to hear. “We were drunk out of our minds”. “We figured we’d have trouble with the labour laws if we actually ran her over with a bus, so this was the next best thing”. “No reason really, we just have really bad taste in music”. “The song was cheap to clear”. “We were pretty busy so we just typed random letters into iTunes and this is what we got”. “We owed Diane a huge favour because that dweeb Blake refused to sing her songs on his album last year”. “Never invite Diane to a wrap party where there is booze and she has a camera. You’ll never be free again”

    2. David Cook was given a gift by having the producer pick last. Normally, I think that the contestant choice should go last, but that would have been a lame choice to end the show. I may not like the song myself, but it does allow for a big finish.

    3. Heh. The playback made it sound like Cook was singing one song. “The first time ever I saw your face, I dare you to run, everytime I dream of you”. Hey. Those lyrics are better than some of the songs we heard tonight.

    4. In all, not a stellar top 3 night.

    Performance Thoughts
    ———————

    Round 1: Judge’s Pick
    1. David A – “And So it Goes” – That was fantastic. I know the accapela trick is an old one, but, it’s still a hard one. That song was arranged perfectly. The lilting start with the violins. The longing in the vocals. Then the band blends back in and a perfect ending. It was arranged to be a complete song. I’m a frequent complainer that David A does not connect with his lyrics, but he seemed connected to this song. He had to shake himself out of the song in the end, but he seemed more confident than he’s been in a long time. Perhaps BanGate worked out for him. Great vocals. I thought David would have some trouble with this song, so I’m impressed. I agree with Paula, he was a storyteller tonight. Simon is an a$$. He used his typical judging technique to undermind that performance. The mosh pitt was right for once (10)

    2. Syesha – “If I Got You” – That was okay. That song has so many tempo changes, that it really feels chopped up when it’s shortened. In fact, the song seemed to end early. She got a bit shouty there in the middle. She did look fantastic. (6)

    3. David C – “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” – Boy, did David look thrilled to read that song choice. I loved the newscaster, “Are you really going to sing Roberta Flack?”. “Apparently, so”. LOL. You suck Simon. And David starts the song like he’s pulling off a bandaid. He doesn’t even wait for the applause to end, he wants this song over and done with. I have to say, it went of the rails early. The first big notes went sharp and I had to cringe. Then, the creepy lady stood up in the audience and I lost all focus. I thought, “woah, call security. Dude’s got a major stalker. She dresses well, but still. Sit down lady. He’s not singing it to you”. I had to watch the song twice I was so troubled. But, then I found out it was his Mom so, still a little bit weird (it’s a love song), but I guess it’s okay because Mom’s like to admire everything their kids do. Oh, right, the song. Yeah, it got shouty at the end. It was like, “I don’t know how to end the song, I know, I’ll just do some emo screaming. That will set the tone”. Um no. (6.5).

    Best Pick: Paula. And not just because it worked out well. Paula said she picked the song because she thought he could handle the melodies, he has a beautiful voice and it would suit the timber in his voice. She picked the song because she thought it fit his voice and he could sing it well. Randy picked the song because Syesha is hot and young. In fact, it played to all her worst tendencies. Simon’s choice, to use his own words, was indulgent. He liked the song, but it in no way suited the artist. Simon was all kinds of indulgent on this round. An ego with a bad haircut. That song was a showcase for Simon, and did nothing to feature Cook. So, Paula is the only one who picked a song for specific reasons which included showcasing the singer. She wins.

    Round 2: Contestant’s Pick
    4. David A – “With You” – I hadn’t heard this song before yesterday, so I can’t really compare it to the original. It seems like one of those wordy songs without much melody, so he did what he could with it. He seemed to be having fun. I didn’t catch half the lyrics, so I didn’t even know he said “boo”. Whatever. It’s kind of a dumb song. The vocals were good. (6.5)

    5. Syesha – “Feever” – I don’t think previewing the chair was necessary. Show us, don’t tell us. Gah. I always like this song, but she did not really capture the smokey nature of it. It was okay. She tended to go sharp in places and she was a little shouty. What’s the deal with her and Rickey? They are always dancing together. Enough of that. I don’t know, it just didn’t quite work for me. Simon was right there, it was totally cabaret. (6)

    6. David C – “Dare You To Move” – The song droned for a while and then he and the band started shouting. I think the band won. And then it just ended. Let’s go to the official timers on that one because that song felt like it was 30 seconds long. For a much vaunted arranger, he’s done a terrible job the last two weeks of fitting the song into the time given. I didn’t like that song and I don’t think it did a thing for him. (6)

    Best Pick: Gah! Do I have to pick one? Um, I guess I’d go with Archie’s choice. It was at least a popular and current song. There was at least some strategy in there. Syesha comes in second for picking a song she could at least sing, but it felt like a bad choice after weeks of singing old songs. I don’t know what Cook was trying to do with that song.

    Round 3: Producer’s Pick
    7. David A – “Longer” – That was a boring song choice which was age inappropriate. What a stupid song choice. He did what he could with it. It was pretty. Simon, shut up about the song. He didn’t pick it. I have unlimited text to complain about things. I get to go off on tangents. You have 30 seconds. Stay focused on the performance. Go give Nigel a wedgie after the show. (7)

    8. Syesha – “Hit Me Up” – Another terrible song choice. An unknown song that is all about bounce and does nothing to feature the singer. She did what she could with it. Even Syesha agrees that it wasn’t the song for her. What was with the debate about the penguins? Simon, gives her the consolation prize speech. (6)

    9. David C – “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” – Why doesw Ryan have that poor girl in a Half Neslon? Did she try to touch his hair? Never touch the hair. What a cheesy ass song. Poor dude is having trouble with going off key. He’s tired. His voice is shredded. Ugh. That last note. Ouch. So flat. He needs a nap. Please, producers, let the kids have some sleep. The lights and violins and shouting did give it a big finish. Wow. I had to listen to that again after Simon’s praise because I did not hear what he did. Nope, still a cheesy ass song with pitch problems. He did what he could with it. (6.5)

    Best Pick: None. The producers suck. Can we vote them off?

    Best Dressed Judge: Paula
    Most Knollish Round: Producer’s Pick
    Most Coherent Judge: Paula. Who would of thought? Paula had some good advice. Simon and Randy were just having a pissing match. Simon was completely useless tonight.
    Worst Production Choice: Deciding to interview the kids before they sang their choice. Wow, were those transitions rough.

    Assuming only one song per contestant on iTunes, here is what they should release:
    David A: “And So it Goes”
    Syesha: “Fever”
    David C: Something they sang in a previous week they did not release. Okay, “Dare You To Move”. It might work if it is longer.

  • t2

    IMO the most interesting final three would have been DC/Michael Johns/Jason or Carly. These guys would have had fun competing against each other (well, Jason not competing but having a blast in the meantime.)

    My opinion is that TPTB want Syesha gone this week, then they were setting up Archuletta for second next week. David Cook wins.

    I’m really only interested in what Michael Johns does after Idol. I hope he gets signed by someone outside of 19, because I think they will DeGarmo him so David Cook reigns supreme. I like Cook, but I think that Michael Johns is really the breakout star from this year’s crop and I don’t want to see his light snuffed out by 19A-Z.

    And totally agree Spanishfan, Phil’s voice and CD is dreamy.

  • cheese

    OK, that was not the best Top 3 show ever. I loved DC’s first and 3rd performances (even though I usually hate that Aerosmith song), but I really just want this season to be over. That boy is running on fumes, and no the songs weren’t perfect. Yet he still managed to make something memorable out of the evening. He seemed to be the only one really going for it, even if he did maybe push his voice a little too hard.

    I have to give DA props for singing “With You.” This child is just not going to be a pop star. That’s all the proof I ever needed and it was brave of him to show America – “See, I can’t sing uptempo, contemporary songs. Let me sing ballads or I’ll do it again, boo!” He certainly did entertain, though, I’ll give him that. I thought DA’s first song was very pretty, nicely arranged and very well sung. The last one waZzzzzzzz.

    Syesha seemed to be back to old form last night, and no amount of glitter, skin or “chair dancing” was going to get her through.

  • MJack

    I respectfully disagree. David A. is one of the best at singing current songs. He did awesome last night, and the fans and many non-fans loved it. David cook, on the other hand, has not shown that he can do current songs: ie, innoncent, and this week. Both weeks he basically fell on his face with his attempt. I see a lot of his fans here are acknowledging this. To the other word nerds/David Cook fans, I thought you would have gotten that by now. Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s just NOT good at singing current songs, sorry! Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s done old songs and have turned them into less cheesy versions, either through copying other arrangements, or sometimes doing his own but w/in a less spectacular result (with the exception of ABMB, which he did a good job arranging.. singing it, well thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a different story).

    Can’t agree more. Really enjoyed second DA’s song, he was in it, despite this zone of music wasn’t considered as appropriate for him. He seemed happy singing it, at least non-fans can’t say it wasn’t entertaining. I felt entertained.
    His first song was great but since first spoiler about him singing “And so it goes” I expected him to perform it perfectly, especially enjoyed acapella part.
    TPTB’s choices weren’t good for any contestants. DA did what he had to do. Just sang it well.
    Really would love to listen JC instead of Syesha, I had this feeling poping into my mind during her performance: can we just skip her… Her place is on Broadway.
    Dare You To Move is one of my favourites song. Excited that DC was going to do it. He wasn’t (vocally) even close to original.
    And I admit, you can’t sell this song in less than 2 minutes.
    “I Donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t Want to Miss a Thingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  should be thrown away looooong time ago from list of songs for AI. Plus vocals just weren’t great by Cook, quite flat performance.
    Cook’s forst song was really good, can’t deny. Even I enjoyed that performance.
    Vocally DA owned the night. Best song of the night:The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face by DC. Syesha’s going home.

  • jpfan

    That was a weird moment with Cook’s Mom. Did they tell her to stand up? I was on the phone so I missed the set up. It was really strange. I agree that Simon shortchanged Archie on the first song. It was beautiful. I think he wanted to give himself props for the best song pick.Or maybe, he just wasn’t into it. Hard to know.

    I’m still getting over the fact that the producers gave Syesha a song from a penguin movie to sing. Could they care less about her? And Longer for Archie? I mean come on.

    AI needs to get the director they fired early in the season to come back. What an amateurish show it’s become without him.

  • nomi

    I’ve read around that Debbie the stage manager is the awesomest stage manager ever, but there was something very awkward about the staging of each performance intro. It was sort of, chat with Ryan, then go over there and Ryan will introduce you. Awkward.

    Blame the director, perhaps?

    Other than that, I loved Archie (and got a good laugh out of With You) and tolerated Syesha and Cookie.

    I’m not sure I care who wins anymore.

  • t2

    Kristen, pretty much agree with everything you said.

    I think David Cook’s mom stood up because she could see he was sinking fast on that song and he needed some encouragement just to get through that trainwreck. I just hope my mom would do the same for me.

  • http://myspace.com/girlgeek mj

    NEWBIES READ THE GUIDELINES:

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

    I am deleting comments that don’t conform to the guidelines.

    Bannings are next.

  • chachi

    So, I woke up this morning and I still am LMFAO at David A’s “With You.” With the souls being sucked out of all of the contestants last night, I’m glad he was able to provide that entertaining moment for all of us with its monumental, historical badness.

  • IGetCranked

    I don’t mean to be such a Kirsten groupie all the time but WORD!

    I wish that I could hear David A sing With You again w/o the awkward way that he took the stage. I have a feeling that he was embarassed and rattled before he started singing it. I believe it had an impact on his performance. I thought his voice sounded great.

    Honestly, I think David A had the best vocals of the night. I think David Cook should be the winner in the long run though.

  • calimari

    I just can’t get myself excited about this top 3 with the predictability of a DvD finale that they’ve been touting for months. Why even bother with all the weeks if it was just going to boil down to DvD anyway?
    Cookie: I thought he did the best. Simon’s pick he did really well but it was predictable in it’s delivery. 2nd song needed to be longer. 3rd song was good. No “Billie Jean” moment except maybe the first song a bit, but easy slide to finals.
    Archie: Nice kid. Nice voice. I’ve no interest in hearing anything more from him. One of the songs he just finished all sweet and glory notey – immediate lip licking. I hate that. And the young, upbeat number seemed very uncomfortable.
    Syesha: Channelling Kat McPhee in her attempt at votes. Did better on the Alicia song than I expected. “Fever” was a waste – spent too much time w/ her choreography & vamping & not enough time on the song. Paris Bennett outclassed her by a mile. 3rd song was an obvious bus she couldn’t dodge.

  • Mackie

    My take on the performances last night:

    Archie
    So It Goes- Despite another ballad song from him, Archie showed he had the best vocal of the night singing it accapella with the soft violin accompaniment. I must say I agree with Paula, it really showcased his beautiful voice in that arrangement. I was surprised with Simon’s comment that it was only good???? Really surprised. Maybe cos its not his choice perhaps- talking about biased Simon..

    With You- Oh Archie, despite his own personal choice where I thought he would picked something he is comfortable with- I find his performance rather uncomfortable to watch- sorry boo..

    Longer- Archie, the producers choose this song for you cos it is a suitable song for u to sing which in my opinion -NOT!!! A wedding song for a 17 year old!! Oh Nigel, you are really taking it on poor Archie!! It was really a forgettable performance but Randy had no choice but to pimp him to the next round. Can’t blame him, it was the worse song choice for him. No wonder he himself claimed that he was ‘indifferent’ to this song choice.

    Syesya
    If I Ain’t Got You- Well, I have to agree with Simon and Paula- not a good song to show what defined her as an artist well maybe as a broadway performer? U can’t run away from being compared She sang it well though..

    Fever- I think that was the best performance of the night BUT I agree with Paula and Simon again as above- I still cannot see what kind of contemporary artist she wants to be after Idol – a broadway performer?

    Hit Me Up- Agree with Randy, it was just an OK performance. She doesn’t seem to enjoy herself compared to “Fever” which is more of her type of genre. Despite Randy suggesting her that she should make music like Rihanna, Beyonce, I’m thinking does she really want to do that and not a broadway performer??

  • Mackie

    Cookie

    First Time Ever I Saw Your Face- I have to agree with Simon. It worked. The best performance of the night (Syesha- best but too broadway for me) but not the best vocal (Archie really showed with So It Goes). Great song choice from Simon.

    Dare You to Move- Agree with the judges. It left me somewhat empty. Anti-climatic. He should have choose something more memorable.

    I Donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t Want to Miss a Thing- Well, I have to say this- the best pimp song choice of the night on top of the pimp spot! Come on compare this song to “Longer” (old wedding song) and “Hit Me UP”. Seriously, how obvious can the pimping be Nigel?? Anyway, Cookie did it well but still its still comparable to the original and I must say I prefer the original Steve Tyler glory notes… Randy, yeah, it is predictable.

    Who wins tonight? Obviously Cookie for the best performance overall and Archie- best vocal ONLY for So it Goes.. Syesha- Best broadway performer? I must say I like her Fever performance though.

  • http://www.myspace.com/rjveritas MrRJ

    “And So It Goes” can be a moving experience. Archies was sterile, predictable and had runs where they don’t belong. He had some pretty obvious flubs too. It was kinda of hard to deal with to be honest with you. He actually did much better with the sappy “Longer.”

    (For one of the first times Kirsten, we don’t agree. But you know what, I’d still smile even reading your grocery list.)

  • rher

    Little D provided my Jason moment of the night when Simon remarked on his dancing during With You and Little D replied “that was dancing?” At least that was what I heard.

    A generally disappointing night. And what was with Syesha’s interviews with Ryan? She was hyper-manic or something. Her voice kept changing.

  • lg

    The producer/judges picks were disappointing, with the exception of Randy’s pick for Sy. I agree that the pre-song interviews ruined the flow of the show. They seemed contrived and unnecessary.

    For me, Syesha was the most solid last night, despite the schockly rendition of “Fever”. I love her jazzy endings and thought she did a great job with the Keys song. The producers pick, wtf. With all their connections, could they not have given her something better to sing?

    I have to applaud Dà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢Arch – it was very refreshing to see him doing a song from his generation and I think he did a decent job. I think R&B/Soul is his niche and should be played up more often. Dude does need some serious help in the dance dept tho. ;) The other two songs were fine, just way too old for him.

    I like David C, but did not enjoy DYTM. I agree with the poster upthread that this wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t even Daughtry-lite. The beyond post-grunge emo stuff has been milked to death, but it did translate brilliantly in “Little Sparrow”. I would disagree that he has a limited range. And I have to give him kudos for the re-arrangement of that overplayed Aerosmith dreck – ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the only thing that made it listenable.

  • Duke

    “Duke – glad that we found that one Sayesha fan! lol But before you go dissing on all the DC fans here and those that donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t like DA, I think you really need to reread the posts, as much as there are DC fans here there are just as many Jason Castro fans.”

    haha i don’t get your point?!..but thankfully castro is gone. i liked him but he lasted a bit too long.

  • http://www.myspace.com/rjveritas MrRJ

    Sy was a very shapely deer in the headlights last night. Her AK song was just going through the motions. Fever was embarrassing, despite the director upskirt shots. She got kinda screwed with on the last song, but she didn’t sell it very well either.

  • longsong

    Even though I wasn’t into the show last night, DC’s first song made me cry – in a good way.

  • teege
  • Chicago-sally

    This was the worst final 3 show in a long time….Except for David C’s first time ever I saw your face….all of them did the slow song, syrupy song thingy….except Syesha who still hasn’t learned how to choose a song. She needed an ALW or Stevie Wonder jazzy song to show off her singing range, and she chose “FEVER?”"” please — Syesha….poor student of the show.

    David A. is not the winner. Nobody would want to sign that kid to anything, not even toilet paper. He’s cute and all, but he’s PREDICTABLE, as Simon keeps saying….and Simon has lost his love of the boy — did you notice? He wants David C to win….

    Simon has been too kind to these final 3; I don’t get it. Normally if they’re this bad with song choice, he’s all over them, but he just seems bored.

  • J.S.G.

    Missed the live show, caught the west coast feed then wanted to think about this for a while before acting like a complete fantard.
    BECAUSE I AM A SYESHA FAN.

    Thought Davd A had the best vocal of the night with the Billy Joel song. His voice sounded pure, healthy and focussed. If he ever gets away from his father, he’ll soar with the best of them.
    The Chris Brown song was reason enough that he should get away from his father because a 17 year old with his limited life experience pandering to the girls in the mosh pit with those lyrics was laughable.

    Absolutely loved the tone of DavidC’s voice for 99.5 percent of Roberta Flack. Seriously, I got chills and thought this guy has to win this. The glory note at the end has become too predictable.
    And the Aerosmith song at the end had the vibe of a winner who was rallying the crowd behind him for the homestretch.

    Syesha acted like she had just walked in to a party to which she had not been invited. It turns out she wasn’t.
    Three safe(lackluster) musical performances with no glory notes leaves me to believe she peaked last week and is now satisfied with third place.
    ‘Fever’ is the one everyone is talking about and please enough with the prudish morality play. It is meant to be a sultry, sexy song. Did everyone expect her to sing it from a hospital bed, wearing a surgical gown with a thermometer in her armpit?
    And while the judges threw her under the bus with the generic ‘we don’t know what kind of artist you’ll be line,’ I think Syesha said again last night that musical threatre is her first love.
    And tonight when she leaves hopefully she’ll say ‘that’s fine by me’ knowing that on top three night she gave the three performances most distinct from each other, and as a consequence was the most entertaining of this sadly overworked trio.

  • GwendolynD

    Sarah
    May 14th, 2008 at 1:07 am
    I can see Cookie making the call now: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Hello, Dave? My name is David Cook and Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d like to know if you would clear à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“My Heroà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  for me to sing on the American Idol finale this week. Oh, you will? Funny, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d been told before that you wouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t. *nasty look in Nigelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s direction* Great! Thank you! I wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t let you down!à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

    I only hope so. Please, please, please….!

  • SpenserJ

    So, let me start by contradicting myself. For a few days, I’ve been a little mean to Archie with my expectations, and I was kind of wrong.

    Archie – I owe you an apology. I did force myself to watch you sing Billy’s song, and I have to admit you were damn good. Now, of course you didn’t capture the emotion of that tune for me, but you’re only 17 so there’s really no way you could. But, your vocals were fantastic, and that’s what this is all about. I still think this is too soon in your career to start recording cd’s and such, and I’d still like you to live a little more. So, I still don’t want you to win. But, I’m happy to admit that you are loaded with singing talent, even if the rest of the package still leaves a little bit to be desired.

    And, also – thank you for cracking me up with the Chris Brown song. I appreciate someone on this show finally singing something contemporary, but that song was oh so wrong for you. I hope the tour helps you with your confidence and your performance skills a lot (because you need it). And, I still hope David Cook kicks your ass in the finale.

    But, you’re a sweet kid, who may have an over-bearing stage dad, and for a lot of reasons, I hope your life turns out okay.

    In other news, neither the producers, Randy nor Syesha herself did that girl any favors last night. 3 completely mediocre performances. I feel like Paula right now, because the only thing I have to say about Syesha is that she’s a beautiful girl.

    While David C may not have measured up to some of his previous fantastic performances, overall he still won the night for me. So, I used my unlimited texting powers for a full two hours last night.

  • jpfan

    I’m a fan of Archie but I think Cook would be a much better winner. Although, his horrible song choices lately are scary. That Switchback song is the best he could come up with? And Duran Duran for rock night.

    Fever was too old but at least it’s a decent song. Last night made me respect Taylor (never a fan) and Elliott even more. I mean going with Ray Charles on Top 3 night sealed his doom (especially after Clive Davis himself told him to change it) but Elliott went out on his own terms. Taylor at least always picked great songs.

  • hicksaholic

    Most boring top three ever! I didn’t realize how much Jason brought to the party. I really miss Jason but agree he would have been destroyed by the judges this week. I actually kind of felt sorry for Syesha last night even though I can’t stand her. She tried to inject some personality into her interviews. It didn’t work.

    The only thing that could save this season for me is if a certain past winner shows up tonight harp in hand. Are you listening Nygel? Please get Taylor Hicks back to reenergize your show!

  • Trina

    Hee I guess Nigel was excited last night
    http://www.okmagazine.com/idol/view/6625

    The McGlashan family weren’t the only ones with Cook fever last night. Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe appeared to clearly favor the bartender-turned-star. After Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s rendition of Aerosmith’s à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I Donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t Want to Miss a Thing,” Lythgoe was raising his fists over his head and dancing around in joy. (The song’s writer, Dianne Warren, was on-hand and also appeared to approve.) But when buzzkill Randy didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t give the performace the rave reviews Lythgoe was looking to hear, the AI producer was overheard asking, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Whatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s with Randy?à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

    :laugh_tb:

  • gumby

    What happened to Cocky McSmugface?? All I saw on that stage last night was a submissive, kowtowing, uptight David Cook. I want my arrogant, smug Cookie with the knowing, sly grin to make a return to the stage next week, damn it!!!!

    Oh, and singing My Hero, too!

  • longsong

    The only thing that could save this season for me is if a certain past winner shows up tonight harp in hand. Are you listening Nygel? Please get Taylor Hicks back to reenergize your show!

    I’m a Taylor fan as well (and this is a bit O/T), but did anyone notice the lack of applause when Taylor’s stamp was revealed? I wonder if those pesky audience handlers had anything to do with it…. :ponder_tb:

  • SpenserJ

    But when buzzkill Randy didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t give the performace the rave reviews Lythgoe was looking to hear, the AI producer was overheard asking, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Whatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s with Randy?à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

    Is Nigel just figuring out that he hired an ass-hat? Little late to the party there Nigel, ’cause I been saying that every week for years.

  • jpfan

    Trust me, by next week Randy will be giving the “right” responses to David Cook. It’s pretty much in the bag.

  • hicksaholic

    Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m a Taylor fan as well (and this is a bit O/T), but did anyone notice the lack of applause when Taylorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s stamp was revealed? I wonder if those pesky audience handlers had anything to do with ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦.

    Actually I did notice that although I wondered if that was part of the live show or pretaped.

    Maybe I am wishing for the wrong thing- Taylor has been bashed by AI enough so unless he gets to shine it might just be another chance for them to kick him.

  • SpenserJ

    Trust me, by next week Randy will be giving the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“rightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  responses to David Cook. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s pretty much in the bag.

    LOL – do you think he got a talking to last night from Nigel?

  • moody

    They might as well as run a banner across the bottom of the screen à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Vote Cook you mindless sheepà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ . The crazy blatant pimpage all night was out of control. The producers must think viewers are complete morons.

    Amen to that. I have no problem with David Cook winning this thing but I’m tired of being hit over the head with a two by four and told who I must vote for. It has to feel a little weird from his standpoint too, to realize you’re going to win this thing whether you want to or not.

    It’s not the contestants or mentors or anything else that’s ruined this season. It’s the PTB who have sucked all the fun right out of it. They have no one to blame but themselves.

  • http://www.myspace.com/rjveritas MrRJ

    Randy was pissed at Simon. Since Simon was on the Cook train last night, Randy was going to try to throw a small bomb on the train. Egos……gees.

  • TylerWV

    Worst top 3 night ever, imo. DC first song was the only half way decent one, and I have always hated that song, but he did a good job considering. Still, as resident rocker, when has he ever really rocked out a song other then the Daughtry angst at the end of them? DA was not as good as usual, and AI steamrolled Syesha all over the place. Reminded me of season 4 when they gave Bo the LOng Road by Travis Tritt in the finals. What a horrible song for him.
    This blatant manipulation has ruined AI. Not even a pretense of fair play anymore. I havent voted for 2 yrs, am changing channels now when something is on other stations I like. Maybe next year I will no longer watch at all, who knows? Good premise for a show, but producers and judges have so micromanaged it, its lost its joy. Even Seacrest, imo, was off last night. The whole show felt weird and out of time.

  • http://www.myspace.com/rjveritas MrRJ

    Hmmmm,

    Syesha was meh x3

    DA got his two tongue baths from Randy and two tongue baths from Paula.

    DC got two good Paulas (maybe even 3) and two great Simons.

    I guess I didn’t see Cook promoted any more than Archie.

    Watch Cook take care of Archie tomorrow. He is always very kind and protective towards him.

    PS I am suprised nobody commented on Cook saying he was a Baaaarghtender….just like his pirate joke…

  • erennick

    To me, the season of any show always gets a little less exciting as there are fewer contestants (Survivor, etc…) As far as top three nights go, I really liked last night’s show. It was (for me) better than last year or Season 5. Not as good as season 4, when Bo gave a mini-concert, but good.

    Even though Cook wasn’t perfect last night, I loved him and watched his performances a few times. Syesha was good (not great), but good. I really want to like her, but just end up admiring her beauty and tenacity. Archie just bores me! I figured out though, that if I don’t watch him looking so uncomfortable as he sings, I enjoy him a lot more. He does has a beautiful voice (heavy breathing and all), but the nervousness-vibe makes me stiff and then I concentrate on the type of song (usually ballad) and then I am bored.

    David Cook for the win!

    And here’s to a fun-filled finale! You can do it Nigel!

  • MN Sue

    And tonight when she leaves hopefully sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll say à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s fine by meà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ knowing that on top three night she gave the three performances most distinct from each other, and as a consequence was the most entertaining of this sadly overworked trio.

    JSG, I have gone on record as being annoyed by Syesha’s presence in the Top 10. However, she made the show watchable for me last night. I won’t give her another thought after the closing credits tonight, but, for one night, she was my salvation.

  • hicksaholic

    Didn’t you feel like Syesha was desperate to show personality last night? It was kind of pathetic actually, but I felt a little sorry for her.

  • thesheriff

    I noticed after Syesha sang the first song, Randy said something about ‘being happy she’s peaking now- standing there at number 3′.

    Wasn’t that kinda like a back handed compliment? He just flat out told her you are not number 1 or number 2…

  • MN Sue

    Didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t you feel like Syesha was desperate to show personality last night? It was kind of pathetic actually, but I felt a little sorry for her.

    Don’t get me wrong. One of the reasons I couldn’t stand her was her feeling of falseness. With no more Jason to soothe my ear/eye all I wanted from last night was to be entertained. Syesha fit the bill.

  • gumby

    I just turned on my local Hot AC station. Caught the tail end of that Switchfoot song. Next up was Duran, Duran singing Rio. Three songs later, Daughtry belting out Feels Like Tonight. Hmmmmm…you think the PD might be an AI fan?? Subtle, huh?

  • nomi

    To me, the season of any show always gets a little less exciting as there are fewer contestants (Survivor, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦) As far as top three nights go, I really liked last nightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s show. It was (for me) better than last year or Season 5. Not as good as season 4, when Bo gave a mini-concert, but good.

    Mini-concert? Did Bo sing his three songs in a row? I didn’t watch that season beyond top 6 week with the exception of the finale which I watched in fast-forward.

    But it did get me to thinking on what it would be if the kids were required to sing their songs in a set with banter in between? Then the judges critique and Ryan debriefs after each set? Would that ruin the rhythm of the competition? I’m thinking it wouldn’t be any worse that the choppy, boring presentation that viewers endured last night. It couldn’t be, could it? It’d also put an additional test to see what these contestants are made of.

  • idolfan86

    I wonder if TPTB even realize they are the ones ruining their own show? That they are the ones causing the ratings decline? If they would just let it all play out naturally and not go so overboard with the DC pimping then people might actually show an interest in the show again. But no, they must get their chosen winner at all costs, who cares if they turn people off the show while doing it? This season has been worse than ever with the blatant pimping. I just don’t understand why they don’t see that that is the reason for their show’s decline. It’s disgusting quite truthfully.

    I think this might my last year watching the show. I don’t know if I can stomach another year like this one. And I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. Keep it up Nigel and your ratings will continue plummeting. Good going!

  • http://www.xanga.com/hisaki_chan707 Hisaki

    PS I am suprised nobody commented on Cook saying he was a Baaaarghtenderà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦.just like his pirate jokeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

    LOL. Now that you mention it, he did sound like he inserted the “ARGH!” in there.

    Hmm, even VFTW admits the awkwardness of Archie’s performance of With You. It doesn’t actually sound entirely horrible if just listened to (without the video of Archie awkwardly bobbing up and down along with the whole waiter hand thing), but I still can’t help myself but crack up when I hear him say “boo”. Archie attempting Chris Brown = dismal fail.

    As for his other performances, I will admit that the Billy Joel song was really pretty and that the arrangement of it was fantastic, but it was still slightly sleep-inducing. And I could care less for his last song. I can’t blame him for the song choice, but GOD, that was boring.

    Sy fell flat for me on all three songs. She and her acting and sex appeal and all that jazz will be nothing short of great on Broadway. Just not in the studio, and much less on my HDTV screen.

    Cookie won the night, for me. Loved the first song (*swoon*). The second was meh, and the third was good (initially, I found the arrangement weird, but I’m warming up to it after a couple of repeats). I REALLY hope he decided to record Yo Face…but judging from what he’s picked to record the last two weeks, I’m expecting the worst. Sigh.

  • http://www.myspace.com/rjveritas MrRJ

    It would be nice if DC or any contestant got to pick what they recorded. Somehow I doubt they have any choice. “The Producers” make the choices I fear.

  • Seraphina

    I don’t think so either, MrRJ…I have a feeling the recorded song comes down to prods choices coupled with publishing rights.

    I know on the blogs the popular opinion is that the pimping of certain contestants each year has become worse and is leading to the declining ratings, but I’m not so sure. Everyone I speak to on the street (none of whom follow the show online) seems unaware of any pimping going on, and I wonder how many casual watchers feel the same way? The online community can only be a tiny percentage of total viewers, especially those who are tuning out from season to season, so I think it’s the other factors that have been mentioned which are at fault. Production choices, lack of chemistry, judges becoming a parody, ridiculous additions like the mosh pit, etc.

    Whoever suggested the new showrunners aren’t running the show too smoothly, hear, hear. It’s a mess, culminating in last night’s rushfest. It’s a real shame, given the undeniable talent of all top 12 this year, that fewer people are watching, but I can’t necessarily blame them. If DC wasn’t in this, I’d have stopped watching.

  • grayhound

    Idle thoughts from idol Top 3:

    1. If DC released ‘Yo Face as a single it would go platinum (I’m talking radio play here – not iTunes). Even though his voice wasn’t in tip top shape, his vocal nuances and phrasing made it a home run. And as someone who doesn’t “love” this song, I found myself getting choked up from the emotion he put into it.

    2. I have tried this whole season to figure out the draw of Archie. Beautiful voice – yes! Stage presence/it factor – not! He is like the Stepford Singer – almost like they built the perfect singing robot – tilt head, extend hand, close eyes, shy demeanor. Whoops – they forgot the emotional connection part of the recipe. I respect those who feel differently. But for me, he is just another kid with a good voice being “directed” to greatness. I would have to ask myself – with all of the singing contests he has competed in, how come he’s still available?

    3. Why was Randy all of a sudden the “anti-Cook” – what happened to molten hot lava bomb Randy? He turned David into the cold, melted and congealed singer last night.

    4. Syesha = Exotic Dancer with a chair.

    DCFTMFW

  • justshootme

    Everyone I speak to on the street (none of whom follow the show online) seems unaware of any pimping going on, and I wonder how many casual watchers feel the same way?

    Well, my 85 year old mother, who can barely turn on her TV, let alone a computer, called me complaining about it. So I think it’s pretty obvious. I haven’t done any on the street interviews however.

  • calimari

    I just figured Syesha was using the evening for a Broadway audition.

  • jenniewdc

    I have to agree with all those who said that this year’s Top 3 evening just didn’t measure up to most in the past. I’m a fan of David Cook and enjoyed 2 out of his 3 songs, which isn’t bad. But I can recall when the Top 3 performance night was really something special.

    I couldn’t help thinking what if…Michael Johns had been there…what if Carly Smithson had been there…along with David Cook. I would have enjoyed it a lot more and it would have been much more of a real horse race. Just sayin’.

  • MrsCastro

    Randy did not “diss” Cook b/c he and Simon were competing. It’s because he was right.. David Cook WAS pitchy on his last song, and it plain out wasn’t very good. I don’t know what was with Nigel & Simon, on the other hand. Paula must have slipped them some of her special coca cola concoction.

  • MrsCastro

    With the pimpage David Cook is receiving, let David Cook win, for heavens sake. What a shame to have him win in such an underhanded manner though… nothing to be proud of, FO SHO. What a SHAME.

  • maracaibo

    I just have to say Top three night would have been much better with MJ and Carly competing with Cookie instead of Syesha and Archie.
    Definitely a more serious competition and much more exciting.

    I still can’t believe America voted off MJ and Carly so early. What were they thinking? Look at the snoozefest the show has become.
    Once MJ left the show just started to go downhill. JMHO.
    Cookie would have been much more happy competing with those two instead.
    Mj is right, they should have skipped Top Three night and go straight to the David versus David finale, just saying.
    Talk about manipualting things. Can they be more obvious? The show is so scripted, that’s for sure. It really takes all the fun away.

  • mocha

    Is it just me, or does it seem strange that this week everyone talks about how tired the final 3 look and how it affected their performances? When just last week, Castro was ostracized and called a slacker, (and worse) for admitting he was exhausted and worn out?? Double standard or what?

  • http://myspace.com/girlgeek mj

    Is it just me, or does it seem strange that this week everyone talks about how tired the final 3 look and how it affected their performances? When just last week, Castro was ostracized and called a slacker, (and worse) for admitting he was exhausted and worn out?? Double standard or what?

    I can’t speak for anyone else, but I pretty much said the same thing last week as I did this week. All the kids look worn out.

  • abbysee

    I wonder if TPTB even realize they are the ones ruining their own show? That they are the ones causing the ratings decline? If they would just let it all play out naturally and not go so overboard with the DC pimping then people might actually show an interest in the show again. But no, they must get their chosen winner at all costs,

    Pretty much sums up how I feel. I knew that Archie was off last night yet, I voted for him anyone on the strength of the beauty of And So It Goes, that Simon denied him his monent suck liked hell. I think that so many people are talking about the bad taste the pimping left in their mouths is telling.

    I think, I hope, they just let the chips fall where they may next week. If both Davids survive the night let them fall or soar on the merits, not market research. As it stands they have the rights to both of them and will make scads of money off of them both, but let it be a fair fight. Irrespective of the crappy song, just hands off. Period. Of course it won’t happen and God forbid David wins and doesn’t move the units after the horrible manipulation this show will indeed be a bigger farce than it seems.

  • baxter

    Great review MJ, as always and there’s a great 3 bedroom 2 bath ranch right down the street from me in Cooktardistan!!! :)

    I have lived with the stigma that the season 5 winner was the WRONG winner for the last two years. I have been told repeatly that AMERICA got it wrong. WELL BULLSHIT!! If a contestant wants to win this thing they have to have attention grabbing performances, build a fanbase early, and maintain that momentum while picking up the casual vote along the way. MJ was ok in the semis, boring as hell in top 12-10 and never showed me a personality beyond that of a wet kleenex. So no I don’t ageee that is would have been so much better for the top 3 if he were there. He got the spot he has because that’s what he earned. It’s not like he got the boot in 5th place….oh no he was back in 8th, which tells me not a lot of people were fans, even considering the the pimp-mobile he was drivng coming out of Hollywood week.

    Carly was so incredibly polarizing to people it’s a wonder to me how she made it as far as she did. Talk about pimpage. She could do no wrong in the semis, then tried to play the pity card, which doesn’t work well with people. She was all over the place in terms of her style so no one could “get” why they should like her, let alone vote for her. IMHO her vocals weren’t all that either. Carly loves her upper range unfortunately that upper range was not her BFF very often.

    Although I am not a fan of Archie’s or Syesha, I commend both of them for working hard, building a fan base and in Syesha’s case, having the momentum needed in the end. They earned these spots by winning over the veiwers and ultimtely their votes. Agree to disagree, but I do beleive that the public does get it right and that is the voters choice. Will this years winner follow that path of Taylor Hicks and never be heard from again….maybe. But in this moment, just like in season 5, the public chooses the winner they want at this point in time, regardless of what could actually happen in the future.

  • Natasha

    Randy was just plain out of his mind last night. If they are giving him a script he needs to ad lib. He sounded like a nutjob. Cook singing Roberta Flack is predictable? In what universe?

    Paula actually gave some good comments last night. She seems to have sobered up and I liked it when she called Randy and Simon on their pissing contest.

    Simon was Simon. I love to hate him but I couldn’t disagree with him last night.

  • Nenna

    what does DCFTMFW mean?

  • http://therockstarstories.com ttalent

    Why did the ratings drop so much after Michael Johns was eliminated? The show just sucked from then on.
    We were left with no real competition and it has dragged since Carly was eliminated. Something must be done to keep the good singers in until the end or people just stop watching. I believe that the voting process needs to be fine tuned or else the show is headed for it’s demise.

  • SpenserJ

    Why did the ratings drop so much after Michael Johns was eliminated? The show just sucked from then on.
    We were left with no real competition and it has dragged since Carly was eliminated. Something must be done to keep the good singers in until the end or people just stop watching. I believe that the voting process needs to be fine tuned or else the show is headed for ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s demise.

    I don’t really see the ratings drops as anything more than viewer fatigue. This show has been on a really long time at this point. And, even with the drops, it’s still the most watched show on tv. So, I don’t think Fox is panicking just yet. I’m fairly certain they’ll never change the voting process. I think that’s what gets people hooked – and they know it. It’s also the reason that I think some fans get far too personally invested in their favorites, but that isn’t for the tv people to worry about.

    As far as Michael and Carly go – I just don’t think they did enough to get the viewers behind them. I liked Michael, and I even voted for him a few times – but he never made me go “holy shit that was great” like some of the other contestants who went further than him have.

    There seemed to be a lot of reasons that people didn’t like Carly – although I really didn’t mind her at all. She just never really connected with me.

    I don’t think Michael & Carly were any more “legitimate” candidates than the people who outlasted them. And, I think the people left are good singers – not all of them are my cup of tea or anyone who I’d buy a cd from – but they all have talent.

  • Steph

    I don’t think anyone has posted this yet, and I’m not sure which thread is appropriate. I’ll just stick it here.

    The iTunes singles are up.

    DC – I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing (Errrr)
    DA – Longer
    Sy – If I Ain’t Got You

  • carolinagirl

    The iTunes singles are up.

    DC – I Donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t Want to Miss a Thing (Errrr)
    DA – Longer
    Sy – If I Ainà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t Got You

    Ugh. NOT what I would have chosen for Archie or Cook. Blech.

  • Seraphina

    DC – I Donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t Want to Miss a Thing

    Damn. Guess it was too much to hope for Yo Face. :dry_tb:

  • Lisa

    With the pimpage David Cook is receiving, let David Cook win, for heavens sake. What a shame to have him win in such an underhanded manner thoughà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ nothing to be proud of, FO SHO. What a SHAME.

    David Cook rose from the bottom of the heap. He worked extremely hard to get where he is at the moment and deserves it flat out. He has had more moments this year than any year I can remember and I have watched every single year.

    Way to Go DC! You deserve it and should feel darn proud of all you have accomplished!

  • Former_AI_Junkie

    As David begins singing, the camera cuts to his Mom standing in the audience, gazing lovingly at her son. Oh, look, Davidà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s dad is in the audience too. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the David with the nice, normal parents!

    Bucking elk ! MJ really knows this show inside-out. Loved the recap.

  • Grammie Kari

    With these three contestants, I expected high energy, good vibes songs. It was a disappointment. No magical moments for me. In the end, maybe it would be good for David Cook to win? I do like David A. but wonder if he can handle the pressures of a win.

  • http://www.myspace.com/swood1104 Sarah

    OMFG. They are now 3 for 3 in picking the WRONG SONG for Cookie to record once they got to the multiple song nights. Grrrrrrr!!!

    the producers keep saddling them with crappy themes and crappy song choices like this Diane Warren snoozefest. Oh look, there she is sitting out in the audience. KEEP YOUR GRUBBY PAWS OFF COOKIEà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢S ALBUM. Blargh.

    Bwah! I heart MJ.

    what does DCFTMFW mean?

    DCFTMFW = David Cook for the mother f*cking win.

    ETA:

    David Cook rose from the bottom of the heap. He worked extremely hard to get where he is at the moment and deserves it flat out. He has had more moments this year than any year I can remember and I have watched every single year.

    Way to Go DC! You deserve it and should feel darn proud of all you have accomplished!

    I wouldn’t necessarily say bottom of the heap… I’d say more like a mid-packer. I expected him to make at least top 12 but I wasn’t sure how much further until he started breaking away from the pack and showing some musical personality. Anyway… I do agree that I can’t remember any other season where one contestant had as many “whoa, where did THAT come from” performances as he has this year. But, as discussed the other day, we all have our own criteria for “moments”. :)

    But yeah. DCFTMFW!

  • Duke

    MJ is really critical of David Arch. hm

  • Duke

    OK HOW IN THE FUCK DID THEY PICK THE ITUNES TRACKS THIS WEEK…WHERE IS ‘AND SO IT GOES’???!!!! AND COOK GOT SCREWED TOO..IDWTMAT IS PORB THE MOST ANNOYING SONG ALIVE (except steven tylers version).

    I SWEAR TO GOD I COULD RUN THIS SHOW 10000000000x BETTER THAN THESE STUPIDSTUPIDSTUPID PRODUCERS!

  • rita205

    I’m wondering if they are saving some of the other studio recordings to be on the American Idols CD? I hope so, I still want All I Really Need from Neil Diamond night.

  • http://www.myspace.com/swood1104 Sarah

    Rita – There’s probably not gonna be a CD. They would have already announced it. There was no compilation CD last year either, and that’s when they started the downloads thing.

  • star

    I totally admire the way Cookie came out of nowhere and earned his frontrunner status. Going into the season, most had Michael Johns pegged as TCO, but he just didn’t live up to his hype. DCook stole his thunder, plain and simple…and Archie started coasting after “Imagine” so Cook snuck up on him too.

    DCFTMFW.

    And yes please, someone keep Dianne Warren away from Cookie’s debut album. Sigh, I hated the way they lifted her up as one of the greatest songwriters of all time post-”I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing” last night. That was a shark-jumping moment right there.

  • Margaux

    I’ve just listened to the ITunes, except for some melisma at the end where Dan Fogelberg never intended it, the recording of Longer is rather sweet. Not that he is old enough for either song, I actually like this better than I liked “So It Goes”, which requires a world-weary tenderness that Archie just doesn’t have.

    Syesha’s song is what it is. Nice, but as always, would you recognize her on the radio?

    Cook hasn’t found his inner Steve Tyler yet. I love this boy, but he needs to get over the top every so often.

  • baxter

    Spencer- YOU RAWK!!! Your take on MJ is exactly like mine. Never got him and I never will.

    Now about Snarly…we need to talk…. :wallbash_tb:

    No Yo Face….well that just sucks!!

  • rita205

    I’m also very glad to know that I’m not alone in my hatred for I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing, as a song. I thought it was just me – after all, it seemed like everyone else liked it, it played on the radio, and everywhere else, non-stop for what seemed like forever. Always thought that I hated it because of a particular time and place that I was in at the time it was on the charts. Good to know it just sucks.

  • carolinagirl

    We should be able to vote on which song we want released as a single…after all, we ARE the ones buying them! Sons of bunnies! #@*%$!!

  • abbysee

    They do seem to be holding back the best songs for something though. It’s not coincidental, nothing is with this show.

  • Seraphina

    Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m also very glad to know that Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not alone in my hatred for I Donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t Want to Miss a Thing, as a song. I thought it was just me

    Well, I just associate it with that awful, corny movie with the ridiculous, sappy ending. Hey…kind of like the song itself. heh. I haven’t heard DC’s iTunes version yet, but I’m not exactly running over the listen.

  • teedubs

    I totally agree with the iTunes gripes. “Baba O’Reilly” and now this? I’m so bummed…really wanted to download “First Time.” Boo!!!

  • Trina

    The way Cookie came out from nowhere and started kicking butt despite others getting more hype reminds me so much of Kelly in season 1. The only thing I remembered about him once the semi finals started was he was the rocker with bad hair and terrible clothes. I miss MJ like crazy and I’m still pissed he left as early as he did, but he did fumble early and got his groove back too late. I don’t think he could have beat Cookie once Billie Jean and especially Always Be My Baby happened. ABMB, that was the night IMO he officially became the frontrunner.

    DCFTMFW!!

  • IGetCranked

    Duke, It’s MJ’s blog and she writes what she feels. I personally think she’s one of the most fair minded I have ever read.

  • grayhound

    iTunes downloads are only available up to the Finale – wonder why? Maybe(?) a compilation is what I’m thinking, even though it wasn’t done last year.

    I wouldn’t mind a compilation of some type, but I’ll be willing to bet it won’t have the ones we want either!

  • Allen

    Disappointing picks for the studio track again on itunes. Especially Longer for David A. Blech

  • star

    Disappointing picks for the studio track again on itunes. Especially Longer for David A. Blech

    Seriously. I needed a studio cut of Archie singing about his boo.

  • bean99

    They did the same thing last season. They seemed to make the strangest picks for the studio songs and they cut off their sales at the finale although I thought maybe they extended it by a few days. I doubt very much there will be a compilation cd and even if they did each of the top 12 would get one song.

    I guess while watching I didn’t notice the bus warming up although did catch the 3rd place Randy put her in. Even a non-Syesha fan thinks that’s wrong. Now that I read what Mj had to say I have to agree that they were pulling all the stops for her to leave tonight.

  • rita205

    I didn’t realize there was no CD last year. Last year I wasn’t as engaged. Maybe as grayhound suggests, they’ll do an iTunes compilation – doesn’t have to be a CD at all, just a compilation for download.

  • Jovi

    Just a reminder – last year right after the Finale Blake and Jordin both had EP compilations – like 5 songs each that you could download from Itunes. Maybe some of David Cook’s other songs like Baba O and Yo’ Face will be on that.

  • itsalleternal

    CD’s are a weakening market these days with digital downloads, so you’ll have to wait for individual albums to be released in the fall.

    (That also acts as an equalizer, since all of the finalists should have EP’s at least – and maybe even the semi-finalists?)

  • seattle_girl

    Is it just me, or does it seem strange that this week everyone talks about how tired the final 3 look and how it affected their performances? When just last week, Castro was ostracized and called a slacker, (and worse) for admitting he was exhausted and worn out?? Double standard or what?

    Amen sista! The show was pretty flat for me what with no Jason to entertain and the lackluster energy of the final three. Why can’t the producers let these guys have time to pull together 1-2 quality songs instead of rushing through 3 so-so ones?? I’m enjoying my single of Mr Tambourine Man wayyyy better than the three performances last night.

  • sciencefan

    I agree that Paula’s remarks were uncharacteristic.
    I have heard her say that Simon whispers things in her ear for her to say.
    He must have told her to say those two things because they sounded exactly like the things that Simon says.

    They DO seem tired.
    I don’t recall noticing that in previous years.

  • weelassie

    sciencefan,
    i was listening to something justin g said tonight and it made sense. every year, they keep adding things for these guys to do. now they have the studio releases to squeeze in there too. they are constantly on the move. i guess last year they did the studio versions, i just wasn’t interested. but according to justin, they get busier every year. don’t know how true it is but it makes some sense.

  • weelassie

    MrsCastro
    May 14th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
    With the pimpage David Cook is receiving, let David Cook win, for heavens sake. What a shame to have him win in such an underhanded manner thoughà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ nothing to be proud of, FO SHO. What a SHAME.

    I would say that the pimpage of both the david’s recently is pretty equal. throughout the season, however, lil david has been way more pimped and has been called the one to beat by randy almost all season. cook was just middle of the pack until he started showing his musical versatility. A versatility that no one else came close to. final three show-randy pimped lil david twice. simon pimped cookie twice. pauler doesn’t count. pretty even to me.

  • RollTide

    Great recap, mj. I love the way you write. Even though it sometimes makes me snort milk up my nose. :)