Season 7 Redux – Top 10

Oh seeing Billie Jean again…gives me such a tingly sensation! Haha. =)

David Cook seemed like a different artist to me tonight. Up until tonight’s show, he seemed almost like a David I wasn’t familiar with. But tonight, something just kicked in. it was the David that I love. It was the talent that he has today all finally showing up. He looked great and sounded great. A confidence. A stellar voice. An amazing performance. He had me hooked at that point. He had become a contender.

…she was more like a beauty queen from a movie scene….

So. much. love for this episode. This is when DC pulled fully away from the pack.

I think that the top 3 performances was, in this order: David Cook, Michael Johns, Syesha Mercado

The bottom three were in this order, from best to worst: David Archuleta, Ramiele Malubay, Jason Castro

The rest were all either okay, Brooke, cheezy, Chikezie, just good, Kristy, or loud, Carly (it was a good vocal, but at times she really shouted)

For me, the performances went in this order:

David Cook – incredible both vocally and performance wise
Michael Johns – his first truly wonderful live performance
Syesha Mercado – effortless, flawless vocal
Carly Smithson – good but loud
Kristy Lee Cook – good, not great
Brooke White – pleasant and safe
Chikezie Eze – nice vocal, cheezy (like Simon said)
David Archuleta – terrible song choice
Ramiele Malubay – screechy (but she was sick i’ll give her that)
Jason Castro – cringe worthy

I remember reading the spoilers and being so freaked out at the thought of DC doing Billie Jean… you can just read a spoiler thread or two here to see how stressed and nervous I was. LOL.

But then during the show, I was sitting there listening to his performance and thinking, “Damn. He really just might win this thing. This is incredible.” Showstopper indeed.

AND OMFG THE GROUP SONG THIS WEEK WAS SO FTW! Mavid Chest Bump Forevah!

ETA: I have to add that when this first aired, I watched it with my old roommate who works at a major theme park in Orlando. Heh. Anyway, after Simon made the theme park comment to DA, she looked at me and goes “that’s exactly what I was going to say. He’s totally right.” Heh. This is where DA officially lost me. I was so sick of “message” songs.

Yay!!! “Billie Jean” will never be the same for me again!!!

Loved the Mavid chest bump, too. I remember thinking DC hurt his leg there. He was limping when he came out for his results.

And darn it, I didn’t wanna like KLC, but I did!!! LOL!!

Yay…I’m still awake and the thread is here…a miracle for me so here goes

Chikezie was awful…double awful. Cheesy song that he cheesed to the max just doesn’t work for me. I don’t even care how he sang it…can’t get through the cheese.

Ramiele was almost as bad. While I still maintain she has a beautiful voice, I’ve become comfortable with the fact she hasn’t a clue what to do with it. I’m hoping she will leave soon so I don’t have to deal with the disconnect of a beautiful voice with nothing whatsoever to back it up.

Brooke was maybe, for me, the worst of the night. I think she sang that song so very wrong. It’s a stalker song. I can’t help but think that she sang it because it’s a very non-demanding song note wise. I found no emotion in it…or maybe the wrong emotion all together. I’ll not comment on her do over other than to mention it was duly noticed.

Carly really disappointed me this night. This is so not a singer’s song. Yes, it happens to be an awesome song, but she’s capable of singing so much more…and she didn’t.

David A. wasn’t as bad for me when I first heard it. I remember rather liking it. Now I wonder why, I heard this time that he was off on his vocals more than once (didn’t notice originally). I just don’t know that Simon’s comments were warranted.

Jason, well I found this to be the epitome of Jason. I liked it. I liked how he interjected the Spanish into the song. I really see nothing different from his take of Hallelujah other than it wasn’t Hallelujah and Simon doesn’t own this song.

Michael well Michael I’d love to give you a standing O for this. It proves how you aren’t anything special other than a pretty voice in a pretty package (if we don’t have to see you live). I actually thought this was the most karaoke (other than bringing down the high notes) performance that MJ did. It proved to me once and for all that auditions aren’t all they are cracked up to be. To juxtapose this against DC’s Billie Jean, well you lose…sorry and yes, you were my favorite after auditions, but you lose.

Which brings me to DC. I honestly forgot how brilliant this was when juxtaposed against the others that night. It actually brought me to tears tonight and made me remember why I took not one single breath during that performance. Yeah, an Idol performance for the ages (the only other that works for me is Fantasia’s Summertime).

I loved Jason’s performance of “Fragile”. I was a Jason fan from the first show but Top 10 week, it became LOVE. Jason’s version of “Fragile” has become one of my favorite songs.

I don’t know why Simon made the comment that he did to Jason. Of course he wanted to be there. Not only did Jason learn the song, he learned part of the song in Spanish and learned the guitar music for the song. That’s a lot to learn in less than a week.

The sound people also had the mic too low for Jason’s song. I still loved it. I love the passion that he showed while singing the song.

Jason also had an amazingly cute freak out on elimination night. LOL. I loved the “Oh” when he was told that he was safe. *sigh*

This was the night American Idol hooked me, I never watched any previous seasons, and I became a voting, DVR maniac from this night on!

DC was amazing, one of his best, although ABMB is and always be my favorite from the show. I remember playing the clip back to my husband who is a HUGE Seattle music scene lover (Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails, Soundgarden) and was rather impressed (he has even admitted since that David’s record is pretty good but maybe he is just humoring me because of my love of Cookie). I did notice looking back tonight how chubby his face was back then. (He was still hawt!) You can definitely see how much weight he lost on AI as he has mentioned several times.

I must not have seen this entire results show the first time around, as some things I don’t remember, Ryan pointing out the rumors about Carly, Jason being in the bottom 3 and was actually surprise when he got called over KLC. But she sang PTBAA on tour so I shouldn’t have been.

Another great night watching the group.

That was just a long open for David. I was like shocked, how can anything be so good? I didn’t even know the original version of BJ.

Oh my, I guess I forgot Kristy Lee.I thought she sang it fairly well. I will never call her out on playing the patriotic card. That card loses a whole bunch of points for me, but I would say she did what she felt she needed to and for that, I’m appreciative. It’s actually no different to me from David A singing the America song in Neil Diamond week. I really don’t care that either did.

I wanted to add a thought about Ramiele. I have seen the You Tube clips of Carrie doing “Alone” and I just don’t see why someone would try and sing that song now. I don’t even think Carly’s attempt was good as Carrie’s. Carrie owned that song.

^ I think Jill Gioia‘s Alone is better than Carrie’s.

This was the night David Cook came into his own, grabbed the lead and never looked back. It was for me a masterpiece.

Gingerly, are you in Chicagoland? What station is this on? I couldn’t find it.

I *loved* being able to watch DC do Billie Jean on the (relatively) big screen of my TV rather than the computer… that was awesome. I keep watching the result shows because he’s so cute when he finds out he’s safe. God help me, lol.

^ I think Jill Gioiaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Alone is better than Carrieà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s.

I’ll concede that was better than Carrie. I have never seen that show. I guess I was referring to to the AI performances of that song.

In order of rating based on judge comments

Cook: What can I say, I loved it.

Michael: Very smart song choice. The beginning of his comeback.

Syesha: Very well sung. She was in great voice that night.

Kristy: This was the week Kristy revealed to the world that she was an evil genius. And I mean that in the best way possible. A master at the Game.

Carly: Loved it. Second favorite of the night. Love that song, and Carly has the best type of voice to pull it off. And I yet again missed any pitch problems that were supposedly present.

Brooke: Once I got passed Brooke singing a stalker song, it was really great.

Archie: I actually liked it, a little. I’m not really a fan of normal Archie, but this song was fun.

Chikezie: Good on him for following his heart and not doing what others expected of him. I wish he would have stuck around, but I’m interested to see what the future holds for him.

Jason: This performance was very Jason, so I liked it a good bit. He seemed more comfortable with the Spanish than the French from the week before.

Ramiele: I’ve only watched one season of both American and Canadian Idol and I’m starting to get annoyed with how often this song pops up. This probably would have been a good song for Rami to stretch her vocal muscle to if she hadn’t been lacking a voice that week (her words not mine.)

David C’s Billy Jean was his single best performance on American Idol for me. Best for him on the show and best for him on the tour. It’s the only performance of his I have a recording of live from the tour. I do believe this was the first time he came in first on DialIdol too.

I liked David A’s “You’re The Voice” studio recording. He was not at his best vocally on this song live but the song itself didn’t really deserve the theme park diss from Simon. David certainly wasn’t praised every week because Simon could be harsh sometimes and Randy and Paula could be lukewarm (which is sometimes more patronizing than outright criticism), imo. Anyway, I’m surprised one of the videos of this performance has over a million views on YT. (Random but I just saw it)

I forgot Jason sang Spanish on the show. I remember David A said he didn’t try it because Jason already did it. lol

Very energetic performance from Michael. I’m reminded why he did this on tour.

Ramiele– that sucked, and Randy was right on. I will never understand why Simon gave her a bit of a pass– in overestimating her popularity and pronouncing her safe despite a subpar performance, he kind of ensured she would be because he downplayed how bad she was.

Jason was good, again, IMO. I liked the whole thing.

Syesha– performance was pretty good, but if the name of the song is If I Were Your Woman (which is grammatically correct), why did she keep singing, “If I was your woman”? That bugged me, but I didn’t know the song, so wasn’t sure if that was the case in the original.

Chikezie: ZZzzz… but the singout was good!

Brooke: surprisingly, agreed with Simon and Randy that it was beautiful to start and got a bit weird when it sped up and the band joined in.

MJ: great energy, tough song, and he pulled it off so major props–the audience loved it, as did I at the time but in retrospect, maybe it was a tad karaoke.

Carly: ooh, this could’ve been my favorite song for Carly, because I thought it could’ve flattered her voice, but it was definitely an off night for her for the high notes. Must’ve been the unfortunate spanx of desperation =P.

Archie: I don’t get the hate, this was pretty cute. The song itself wasn’t the best, but he was in good voice, except maybe one bad note. And it was uptempo and fun– kind of reminds me of his post-Idol performances of Crush actually. I kinda got Simon’s point about theme park and animated creatures, but that’s kind of Archie’s whole Disneyesque appeal that’s so working out for him now. Simon was off the mark here about that being a bad thing, much as he was about DC’s wordnerd video. I’m sad he stifled this side of Archie because if anything his subsequent song choices were too mature and ballady in contrast. Oh, question: Archie was the only one I noticed with an obvious earpiece. Did the other contestants wear them? Just wondering if anyone knew the deal with them.

KLC: not as bad as Rami or boring as Chikezie, but not great.

DC: What more could be said (tm Pauler?). I still listen to that song every once in a while because it gives me goosebumps when I remember this moment.

I couldn’t find this program on my television so wasn’t able to rewatch it with all of you, but I can remember much of it and certainly remember David Cook’s performance. I remember sitting here when the song started and I thought, wow, this must be a different song than the Michael Jackson Billie Jean. I didn’t recognize the song at all until it got right to the chorus. OMG I remember my mouth dropping open and I don’t think I shut it until the song was over and then I called my friends to see if they had watched it and went on the AI webpage to find out more about David Cook.

I liked him before that. I liked Happy Together and his smile and the way he seemed to be enjoying himself. I really got interested in him with All Right Now and felt defensive of him after Simon’s snarky charisma comment. I began to really care if he made it through each week after Hello. But after Billie Jean, I was in love with this performer and just wanted more and more. I called in votes every night for as long as the lines were open from that moment forward.

Having watched American Idol since season one, this was the first time I really connected with a contestant to that degree, the first time I voted more than once a week. I couldn’t get enough of him. I rearranged my schedule to never miss a second that he was on television, taped every performance to watch it again and again, started going to you tube and i tunes to find his performances and download them when I could; and I have to say, that love, that fandom has not diminished. Every performance, every song, every interview, every opportunity to find more about him has hooked me more and more. Meeting him in person on the tour was the highlight of my summer.

Billie Jean was extraordinary because it really showcased his talent for finding the right song and making it his own, his incredible range, and his wonderful willingness to lay his heart and soul on the stage when he performs. For me, from this night forward it was all about David Cook.

I’m so glad you’re doing these threads. I hadn’t found this site at the time that AI7 aired, and it has been fun seeing what everyone said.

RM: She kind of violated two key rules of Idol: Don’t pick songs that other Idols have killed. Don’t pick songs that are bigger your voice.

JC: I love this song, but don’t know that he added much to it. Still, I liked it. I’d forgotten that Simon had said that he could see Jason winning the competition.

SM: Hated the melisma—I preferred it when she was restrained. Better vocal performance than Yesterday, but I thought a lesser overall performance. I had forgotten that Paula had said that SM was a “dark horse.” Man, they were highlighting potential winners left and right these first few weeks of the finals, weren’t they?

CE: Sigh. I liked CE, but not so much with these slow R&B ballads he liked so much. Sigh.

BW: Obviously, bobbling the start. I thought her voice sounded great, even if she didn’t necessarily connect to the song’s real meaning. Randy was wrong on bringing in the band—I thought that was the right decision.

MJ: Best performance since Hollywood. I’m still amazed at how much less I like his performances watching them each night in a row, than last year. I do kind of feel bad for him, that he finally did a really, really good performance in the competition portion of the show, and then it got totally washed away by Billie Jean. (Only kind of, though.)

CS: I did not like this performance. Certainly one of my least favorite vocals from her.

DA: As I said, he’d pretty much lost me Top 11, and this didn’t change anything for me on that score.

KLC: I didn’t mind the song choice, but KLC is no Lee Greenwood. That said, this was one of the few weeks where I was not actively rooting for her dismissal. (I wanted RM gone, stat.)

DC: To me, this had everything. Great song and arrangement choice. Great vocals. Great emotion. Putting those together with that ridiculous glory note, which he ended at the instant that the strings stopped playing. The agitated and then almost infuriated playing with the mike stand.

I began to really care if he made it through each week after Hello. But after Billie Jean, I was in love with this performer and just wanted more and more. I called in votes every night for as long as the lines were open from that moment forward.

Having watched American Idol since season one, this was the first time I really connected with a contestant to that degree, the first time I voted more than once a week. I couldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get enough of him. I rearranged my schedule to never miss a second that he was on television, taped every performance to watch it again and again, started going to you tube and i tunes to find his performances and download them when I could; and I have to say, that love, that fandom has not diminished. Every performance, every song, every interview, every opportunity to find more about him has hooked me more and more. Meeting him in person on the tour was the highlight of my summer.

I have to say I feel the same way about everything you said here (except the watching from seaon 1 part). I have had the same exact “addiction”, if you will. And meeting him this summer and having a picture to memoralize the event are cherished.

Oh, question: Archie was the only one I noticed with an obvious earpiece. Did the other contestants wear them? Just wondering if anyone knew the deal with them.

The producers allowed the contestants to wear an earpiece if they chose to for about two or three weeks in season seven and then they decided against it. Don’t know why as most professional live performers wear one these days. David A preferred the earpiece because he sometimes had problems hearing himself on the big stage with bandzilla and the screaming girls. DA and DC were allowed to wear them again for the finale.

This might be my second favorite night of non-finale AI ever, after Beatles Night Numero Uno.

1) Mr. American Idol….Dayum, dude. Just dayum.

2) Did someone else perform?

Okay, no seriously, my faves of the night….

1) Cook…. Forsooth, I hath n’er partaken of an AI tour, so as goosebumpy as this moment was on my big ol TV, I dont think I fully appreciated the power until I witnessed Man In The Box in person at the HOB. Holy hell, those lucky people in the audience that night. Beyond the vocals, what really killed it, for me, was the intensity. I believed Cook was done wrong by this beyotch Billie Jean.

2) MJ….you know, I still liked ATU better. WATC is such a ubiquitous song, though, and it’s not as easy to pull off as some may think, so good on ya mate. Plus I’m always happy to see them work the stage.

3) Brooke…Weird, it’s a stalker song, but somehow it worked for sweet earnest no real dark side to be found Brooke. It’s like she’s an overprotective nanny singing to her kids or something.

4) Jason….I must be Sting happy tonight, but I liked this more than the judges. The beginning was iffy, but once he got to the spanish parts at the end, there was a little of that Jason magic. I think one of the issues with Jason, maybe, in regards to the judges being so schitzo with him, was that he’s not exactly a large venue kind of performer. What worked well in the smaller more intimate set maybe wasn’t right for the big set, but on TV with all the close ups, we don’t get that vibe. Either that, or he was fodder who needed an occasional bus tossing to keep his fanbase in check until he imploded on his own. Take your pick LOL.

Everyone else…

Carly…oh girl. That’s my favorite guilty pleasure song, and you could have done a lot more with it.

Syesha…I get why some people might have enjoyed this. I, however, did not. I have this hang up…I really love rock-style wailing, which some people might call screaming, but I can’t stand diva-style screeching, which some people might also call screaming. Don’t ask me why. So yeah, this was screechy for me, dawg.

Archie…Um, well, this performance reminds me of Crush. Ohhh ohhhh oh oh oh, and away ay ay ay ay. I don’t dig it. Do not want. Again, personal preference thing.

Chikeze…Aww, suck it, Simon, I liked the hand touching. There’s nothing wrong with working the in studio audience. The real problem? That song is a snoozer.

KLC… :rolleyes_tb: :rolleyes_tb:

Rami…. :mellow_tb:

I liked Archie’s YTV but whenever I rewatch this or listen to the studio version, I keep picturing animated characters singing behind him like Simon said, LOL.

DC’s glory note in Billie Jean gives me absolute chills every time. Much better live than the studio version.

I liked Jason’s Fragile too, it was cool and smooth but I do get what the judges were trying to say that it didn’t seem that he was trying hard enough. I loved Brooke’s EBYT, the studio version even more. I also enjoyed Syesha’s performance.

Ugh to everyone else.

I really liked Archie’s rendition of “You’re The Voice”. It may not have been a well-known song in the U.S., but it was a #1 single for Australian superstar John Farnham. It’s certainly not a fluff song, as the lyrics are quite meaningful, which might have been what drew Archie to choose it in the first place. I thought Simon was pretty ignorant to dismiss the performance as “theme park” and not give Archie credit for a powerful song choice and attempting to introduce the AI viewing audience to “new” music. He more or less did the same to David Cook when he sang Collective Soul‘s “The World I Know” in the Top 2 show.

Ah yes. The much ballyhoo’d “Billie Jean” episode.

After watching this again on the big screen, I have reevaluated. I have to completely disagree with Simon on this one.

Because that was, and is, both insane AND amazing.

I really didn’t see Jason as being complacent during Top 10 week. He learned a song that he had never heard, he learned Spanish lyrics for the song that he had never heard and he learned the guitar music for the song that he had never heard. That seems like a lot of work to me. I don’t get complacent from that. Oh well.

Jason is a bit of a perfectionist so he probably would have loved to have had more time to practice. He had a lot to learn that week and it’s not like they had loads of free time.

I kinda got Simonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s point about theme park and animated creatures, but thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s kind of Archieà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s whole Disneyesque appeal thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s so working out for him now.

I think this is a really great point, sma11ie. I don’t think Archie’s appeal is limited to the Disney crowd any more than I think Cook’s appeal is limited to the so-called cougars. And while I found this performance a little awkward (like Brooke’s all knees-and-elbows twirling from the week before) it does kind of remind me of his ability to convey both a youthful persona and a more mature one. It’s a big key to the passion of his fans and to his current success IMO.

As for the others?

Oh Chikezie, I hardly knew ye. That was death by song-choice right there, when the same affliction should have taken-down Rami instead. I was so tired of her lipglossed poutyface at this point that I didn’t even care what she sang. (But please. ‘Alone’? Nobody goes there.) And Chikesie more than proved on the tour that he deserved a couple more weeks at the very least. I would have given them to him on the sheer audacity and brilliance of ‘She’s a Woman.’ Shame on you, America.

I liked Jason’s ‘Fragile’ enough at the time to buy the studio version, but I will agree upon a second viewing that the performance was a bit lackluster. Still, very pretty, and very Jason.

Didn’t love Syesha or KLC, but when did I ever really? KLC did sort of subversively prove though that she might give the other Cook a run for his money in the strategery department. That girl knew when to play the right cards long after she should have folded.

I think this was the week Brooke really stared to lose me. After forgetting the words and restarting once in Hollywood week, she does it again? And to now know that it wouldn’t be the last time?…wow. Her earnest interpretation of a “stalker song” didn’t bug me so much (next week’s smily, chirpy ‘Jolene’ was more egregous to me). But her EBYT just kind of droned on and got monotonous at the end for me.

Michael and Carly? Big strong voices as ever, but both still not quite making the impact they should. Carly’s frantic desperation was starting to show by now.

And did I mention Cook? Oh yeah. One post back. Insane and amazing. But it bears repeating. The fact that I don’t even think this was his best performance (that would be ‘The World I Know’) speaks volumes in my mind. The dude sure did know how to pull-out a showstopper. It’s stunning, really. Even knowing it was coming.

To be fair though, I don’t think Jason said he didn’t practice much so much so as he told Simon he could have practiced more. Honestly I think that was Jason just being Jason. He never bothered to argue with the judges. If they said something he went with it. I do agree that he didn’t do much to help his own cause though by not arguing Simon’s claims.

I didn’t come into this season until late and this was the first episode I saw. I remember mostly liking everyone but Brooke and Jason were the immediate two that caught my eye. I suppose because they were my type so to speak, but I guess I just never saw Fragile as that bad. FWIW, I do think Jason could have done better that week but it wasn’t as bad as said.

I think Jason pissed Simon off more over the course of last season then almost all the rest of the Idols put together. But whatever, Jason had a strong three weeks following this so maybe his trip to the B3 helped.

Beyond that, most dorktastic group performance ever. It’s also why I partly loved this bunch. They never took the group sings seriously. Instead they just had fun with their own dorkiness.

Warning: I’m a talkative beyotch tonight.

Alrighty then, from best to yuck-fest:

1) My White Chocolate-Chip Macadamein Nut Cookie; I love this man’s voice.
Never, ever in my wildest dreams did I once envision myself attending an American Idol concert, but dammit, I went to one this year and it was only to hear/see DC perform Billie Jean live (I had to know if this performance was all DC or just great sound engineering by AI). I was not disappointed to find out it was all DC. I didn’t think I could ever be more impressed by an AI contestant than I was when I heard David sing “Hello”, but I was oh so wrong. David’s top-10 performance of Billie Jean was spectacularly professional and won AI7 for him; I can’t think of another singer around today who could sing this song as brillantly and on-pitch as DC did this night. David has one of the BEST rock howls I’ve ever heard, as evidenced on the studio version of BJ (and Axium’s cover of “Creep”).

Pacific Ocean sized gap

2) Syesha; I’m not a fan of Syesha or her voice, but I have to give props were deserved, and boy does she deserve them for this performance. Tonite, when Syesha was singing “If I Was Your Woman”, she had someone specific in mind, and that came across in this performance. She displayed emotion, amazing vocal control and I heard not a single high-pitched screach (for once) during this performance. This was her “moment” and those douchebags (Randy & Simon) couldn’t or wouldn’t acknowledge it as such. I liked her enough to download the studio version and I still listen to it today.

3) Sunny-Brooke White; I totally enjoyed Brooke’s performance of one of my favorite 80′s songs. I thought her arrangement and vocal downplayed the stalkerish vibe of the song in a good way and led me to download the studio version. While pretty decent, I enjoy Brooke’s live version better.

4) Tie between M.J. and Jason; Michael finally had a better than average performance, with an uptemp rock number, in which he hit most of the notes, on a song that is notoriously difficult to sing. I also enjoyed Jason’s performance of “Fragile” and I was impressed with his integration and executionof the spanish lyrics.

Red Sea size gap

5) Rami; “Alone” had it’s moments when it sounded pretty good, but then it had moments when it got all screachy and off-key, especially during the chrous.

6) Archie; sang “The Voice,” an unfamiliar message song (with sublimial messages provided by Stage Dad From Hell). A whole lotta mess going on in this performance: a) boring ass song with corny lyrics, b) sand-bagging by the band and/or the sound engineer (the band in the rehearsal clip sounds louder and more upbeat), and c) Archie hits some really off-notes at the end of his song.

7) KLC; is an evil genius and is planning on taking over the world (snerk). Great ass-saving song choice; Enuff said.

Carly; as would become habit with Carly, she started this song in her lower register and she sounded great for the first 30 seconds (I almost squeed thinking she was going to pull off my favorite song from the 80′s), but alas, it was not to be. As the songs nears the end, Carly believes she has to glory-note the end, which inevitably leads to her ending her song yelling and/or screaching off-key lyrics at us. Additionally, the wench sang the wrong lyrics, not once, not twice, but THREE fricken times. WTF?? Who the hell doesn’t know all the effen words to Total Eclipse of the Heart??!!! LOSER!!!

9) Chickey Eze; You (i.e., your song and performance) cannot be this BORING and remain on this show for long.

Note: as the season progresses, Archie will prove me wrong on number nine.
The Results Show Pointy Pose Dance Off would be the best of the season; we have MJ and Jason dorking out in back (did I see them trying to do the Bump?), the Mavid Chest-Bump, and Jason’s wonderfully wacky and on-beat bopping. Damn, I’m missing Michael already and we haven’t even got to IGB yet. :glurps_tb:
——————————–
Peace Out & POKE SMOT :smoke_tb:

The only truly standout performances were Michael Johns and, obviously, David Cook (more on him in a minute). KLC was amusingly proficient and Carly was pretty good as well. I agree with the judges– Brooke should have kept it stripped-down.

Now back to Cook. There are very few performances from AI that I still have on my MP3 player, but this is one of them. I like listening to it because the audience response to it was genuinely like being at a live show. Here’s what I mean–unlike almost every other great Idol performance where people go wild only at the end or perhaps if there’s a break after a glory note, the shrieking– sustained shrieking– began before he even hit the chorus, and was continuous until the end of the performance. The screams, in other words, were one hundred percent organic.

It’s also interesting to see what happened with a couple of online “indicators” after Billie Jean. This was the week Cook grabbed hold of the Itunes lead with a visegrip and never gave it back. But, there was also a “Billie-Jean-coattail-effect” upon his other songs. All of the sudden, everybody went back and decided they wanted the recording of Eleanor Rigby (etc.) too, and almost all of Cook’s other MP3s started to outsell everybody else’s as well.

What took place with regards to DialIdol is most fascinating, though. A lot of chatter takes place to the effect of DI being inaccurate. I find this very doubtful because according to the statistic that I read, text votes were at an all-time high last year but still accounted for only 10% of all votes. As text-voting becomes more popular, DI will become less reliable, but for now, within the given margin of error, it would seem to be pretty much on the mark (and fans should be grateful for this because it’s the closest thing you’ll ever get to a vote-audit).

Anyway, except for one night, voting patterns held throughout the season. The voting patterns early on, of course, had Archie way out in front. In retrospect, it should have been apparent that this was because, unlike other some contestants, he wasn’t splitting votes with anyone. If you trace the head-to-head DI percentage margin between DA and DC, you can observe Cook slowly gather strength as first Robbie, then Amanda, then MJ, then Carly, and then Jason are sent home.

But, like I said, there was one night that produced results that were an aberration on DI. And that was the night of Billie Jean. On top eleven night, DA led DC by seven points on DI. On top nine night, DA was ahead by five on DI. But, top ten night Cook had him by six points.

So what happened, in essence, is that Billie Jean gave Cook a one night boost to the tune of thirteen points on DI. And this wasn’t driven by fans that Cook had gathered to his fold because by the next week, he no longer had that same support. What happened was that the force of the Billie Jean compelled people who weren’t regular Cook supporters to pick up their phones and cast their votes for him to the tune of a thirteen point swing on DialIdol.

What do I love about this night? The big “who gives a bleep” look that Michael Johns gives Simon during his critique. Yes, Michael, you’re a smart one.

Although I think Phil Stacey’s Every Breath You Take was at least one light year better than Brooke’s, I really liked Brooke’s version (although it had little connection to the true meaning of the song.)

Carly/Jason in the same boat. They see the writing on the wall in that they know the judges are against them, but they don’t know what to do about it. Carly tries to sing louder, Jason goes zen. In retrospect, Carly should have gone zen and Jason should have sung louder.

And this week we get the chest bump. Thank goodness Michael has a little scamp in him so he can at least have some fun.

I haven’t watched the repeat yet, but if I recall, the most aggravating moment in the entire evening for me came when Paula asked Archie, “What? You couldn’t find a song by an American songwriter?” or something to that effect. WHAT????!!!!!!!! That might have been one of the dumbest remarks she’s ever made.

I commented yesterday that (in my opinion) some of the most criticized performances were songs that contestants chose because they had some sort of great personal significance. This was Archie’s week for that. I didn’t love his performance, but I do think it was one of those moments when Simon spoke and people listened (just as they did when he called DC “smug”). It was a bit dorky (and I happen to like dorky Archie), but I didn’t think it was all “Up With People” like a lot of folks did. It’s a song that has been covered quite a lot; it didn’t come out of nowhere. And while I am sure it wasn’t intended by Simon, it was a shame that the remark fed right into the newly-forming perceptions about David’s relationship with his dad. I’ll bet this week had a big effect on the choices that David would make for the rest of the season.

I think I am in the teeniest percentage of people that actually did not enjoy “Billie Jean” (although neither did my hubby) – I loved a lot of Cook’s performances, but this one did nothing for me on the show or on the tour.

This was my favorite of Syesha’s performances. I thought she was great.

The rest I don’t remember too well, although I did buy the studio version of “Fragile” and it’s lovely.

I do kind of feel bad for him, that he finally did a really, really good performance in the competition portion of the show, and then it got totally washed away by Billie Jean.

You know what? That’s exactly what I was thinking last night after watching Michael’s performance. Because I did not remember he got good feedback on that one. It could have been a moment for him, but it was totally washed from my recollection, along with most of the other performances that night, by the power of Billie Jean.

That was one hell of a pimp-spot worthy performance, and it hasn’t lost any of it’s strength in repeated viewing. I get shivers up and down my spine right from the start, and it only builds as the song progresses. Breathtaking.
Some favorite moments – I love the first hand clap you see from an audience member at the bottom of the screen. It almost looks in slow motion and for some reason it amplifies the atmosphere of the performance for me. Love love love the thumb tapping against the mic, love DC leaning into the reaching crowd, it’s all so perfectly timed and complements the song… I have to say this is one performance where the intensity was palpable on stage, and it just put the whole thing on another level. I’ll never get tired of watching this.

I think I am in the teeniest percentage of people that actually did not enjoy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Billie Jeanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  (although neither did my hubby) – I loved a lot of Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s performances, but this one did nothing for me on the show or on the tour.

Me too, Lefty. I didn’t like the arrangement and felt at the time that he was getting too gimmicky.

I thought Michael was so good that night even though am not sure WATC was the best choice.

I didn’t see the whole getting desperation thing with Carly, but I do feel that she was letting Simon get to her too much and it affected her performances. It didn’t help that we wouldn’t give her praise for good performances like Blackbird and Here You Come Again. Anyways, I really liked her version of Total Eclipse last night and her studio version is even better-it’s amazing!! Just my opinion.

I did like MJ’s performance that night. It was definitely his 2nd best IMO, with Dolly Parton week being his best.

Carly? It wasn’t my favorite from her because I didn’t like screamy Carly, but I do agree that by this time she did start letting Simon get to her too much. As someone else said, a more zen approach might have served her better. She seemed very focused on trying to please Simon and getting more and more upset each week when he nitpicked or criticized.

This episode is to me the climax of the entire season, the moment when I decided who would be my American Idol (not necesserily the winner, I didn’t want Davic Cook to win because he’d be saddled with the stupid coronation song which, as it turns out, is a song that refuses to die. I’ll repeat – die, die, die, Magic Rainbow, die!). I had that same moment with Daughtry’s I Walk The Line, the moment when I decided that, a star is well and truly born.

I noticed David Cook during Hollywood with his Everything I Do, thought he was outstanding with All Right Now (anyone noticed how glum Robbie Carrico was when he sang that song? Most people were clapping along to David Cook’s song while Robbie simply stood there, probably realising that he had lost the battle.) Billie Jean was the culmination. He seemed to have his rock swagger beaten out of him the rest of the season and I really missed that.

I think David Archuleta made a wrong choice with his song not because it is an unfamiliar song (it was a huge hit in many countries), but because his voice isn’t suitable for the song. He sounded really weak compared to the original. When he sang songs that suited his voice on the show, he was simply outstanding and better than everyone else – like on the finale, but unfortunately for him most people had already decided who they wanted to win before then.

I thought Carly and Syesha did well on their songs, but I never really connected with them all through the season, Carly just seemed too shrill all the time and Syesha never gave me that “wow” moment. Brooke and Jason were dull I thought, KLC and Chikezie underrated, and Michael Johns always enjoyable with the right song. Anyone I forgot to mention?

This was the week I started hating KLC. I have since gotten over that. Seeing this again dredged it back up for a minute. Pulling the patriotism card? Really? That was the smarmiest, most cynical, most pandering move imaginable. I really don’t like when people use stuff like that for their own purposes. Especially when you’ve been coasting for weeks and deserve to go home. It just rubbed me the wrong way. It’s like jumping on the stage holding a baby and standing next to your sick grandma. Whatever.

DC of course was fabulous. But I do remember having a slightly different reaction. As much as I loved it, I was concerned that there would be a backlash because it was such a radical reworking of a classic. Sometimes people don’t like that. Like when Blake did You Give Love A Bad Name. That goodness I was wrong.

Hot Aussie was good. But it was still kinda “really good cover band” good. I still liked it.

Syesha needs to tone the screaming down just a little bit. She has the power to belt, but not the thickness or the emotional heft IMO, so it comes out like someone yelling. Everything she does that is not yelling sounds good. But she still seems like she’s acting to me, sorry.

Brooke was good. Adding the band was a little lounge singery, but I liked it anyway.

Archie sang pretty as always, but it did seem a little odd in tone. Maybe not chirpy Disney, but definitely not contemporary recording artist. I really can see why he had that Josh Groban-ish perception. Those songs choices were distracting form the voice and “cute boy charms the girls” factor.

Rami was very very bad. But I thought the Pinoy vote would carry her forever.

Jason was coasting. Again. He’s so good, but the has to be into the song. And the song has to be fantastic.

Carly. A big shrug from me. If Archie was stuck on earnest, she was stuck on intense and desperate. There was no joy to be found anywhere within 20 feet of that girl.

Chiekeze deserved to go home for boring the hell out of everyone on such a thrilling night.

This was the night that DC hypnotized, mesmerized and made me forget that the world as I knew it existed. For me, Billie Jean was a phenomenal spine-tingling goose bump inducing experience that I will never – ever – forget. That is all.

Nobody stood out for me, most performances were pretty meh.

Loved Michael Johns this week. Thought David Cook and Kristy Lee Cook were good — and I don’t get the need to snark on patriotism, Simon. If it’s okay to use sex appeal to sell a song, why shouldn’t it be okay to use anything else that gets to people? No? Well, guess I’m just different that way. Also don’t understand why adults would want to tell a 17 year old kid with a heart for humanity that they should grow up and stop caring, already, because it’s ‘cheesy.’

Not long before this episode, my kid had to walk through metal detectors for the first time to get into her school, because some other kid had threatened anonymously to bring a gun and ‘get back at haters.’ The lyrics to “You Are The Voice” are ENTIRELY age-appropriate for teens and both my teen daughters (and I) loved David Archuleta’s selection for that reason. You go, David, for choosing differently.

Some were forgettable, so here’s what I remember.

Michael Johns, my dear sweet hot singing boy, you are not Freddie, no one is. Please stop trying to be. Thank you.

Seriously, I truly believe if MJ had just given in to the soulful bluesy god that he is, he’d have fared much, much better. Insisting on doing the big voice arena rock songs — without much variation or rearrangement, aka karaoke — cost him the top 5, in my view.

I truly enjoyed Carly, Brooke, and Jason. And, here’s a shocker for me (and apparently a stand alone one at that), this time around, I really did like Archie! As I listened, I said, hey I’m liking this song alot, what’s up with that? I do wish Simon hadn’t made the theme park comment though, because just as soon as he did, that idea was planted and he was sort of right, to a degree. I could totally see what he was saying, but I still really liked that song and think I missed an opportunity for a great studio version!

David Cook ROCKS. I do believe this is the first time I saw Billie Jean all the way through on the big screen. (I have a 3yo who can be very distracting, and I remember missing all but the end the first time he sang it! On the computer, itunes, youtube, I’ve seen it 1000s of times, of course…) Anywho, oh my. Amazing. Special, indeed. Dude, nailed it! And, I agree, this one is so much more live than studio — still good recorded, but on stage, it’s all that and quite a bit more.

Here’s my unfortunate take on Carly and Syesha on the show. Even though they both seemed, at times, personable and vulnerable, when they performed they shut down emotionally (or so it seemed to me.) I think Carly’s scary eyes were part of her way of closing her soul to our view. We connect with our eyes, and she’d been “beaten down” (her words) enough by “the industry” (her words, but I think she really means, herself for having still-yet-and-maybe-forever-unrealized-hopes-and-dreams), she fashioned a protective covering for herself. If she can share herself again, she’ll be a Star. Likewise, Syesha protected herself with what appeared to be Barbie doll plastic — until Top 3 week where she opened up and got only the props she deserved from Paula and ridiculously undeserved crap from Randy. But, I digress….

I have to give Paula her due. To me, she can really see when a performer is on the brink of make-it-or-break-it self-esteem and she treads appropriately lightly at those times. The others, not so much, and they do some lasting damage. (See Carly Smithson.) Art is hard enough to do, it’s crazy hard to put it on display, and it’s nearly death-defying to toss it out there for open public critique. Kudos to these folks for their courage. May they let it all go and just be…

By this time in the competition, I was so biased for DA, DC, and Jason that I somehow stopped listening closely and comparing the others. I saw those three guys as the ones to watch, and the rest were simply entertaining fillers. Rather shallow of me I guess, lol, but that’s how my mind processed it at the time as I recall, and a rewatch didn’t change that.

Pulling the patriotism card? Really? That was the smarmiest, most cynical, most pandering move imaginable. I really donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t like when people use stuff like that for their own purposes. Especially when youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve been coasting for weeks and deserve to go home. It just rubbed me the wrong way. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s like jumping on the stage holding a baby and standing next to your sick grandma. Whatever.

:laugh_tb: And then singing a song with the lyrics….”I love grandmas and babies, if you don’t love grandmas and babies, vote for someone else…”

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get the need to snark on patriotism, Simon. If ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s okay to use sex appeal to sell a song, why shouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t it be okay to use anything else that gets to people?

Patriotism isn’t a bad thing, just as overt sexuality isn’t a bad thing. If it’s authentic and not calculated. Nobody had a cow when Phil or Josh were patriotic, because it didn’t feel like they were putting on a patriotic shirt and saying, “Please don’t boot me, audience! I love my country! Isn’t my I *heart* USA t shirt awesome?’ KLC was a whole other matter. It felt like a cheesy grasping ploy. Same thing when people play the sexy card, rather than just ARE sexual by nature. Like, hmm, it was gross when Michael Jackson started grabbing his crotch, it was calculated to change his image and snark worthy. But Prince, whose persona was just naturally sexual, shows up on the Grammies in assless pants and it’s like…ha ha, oh that Prince, he’s too much.

As much as I loved it, I was concerned that there would be a backlash because it was such a radical reworking of a classic.

Ha, I was almost bummed that there wasn’t more of a backlash. My favorite performances had typically been more controversial in the past. But mostly I was happy that America got it.

This is when I started hating David Cook.

I got a new gray hair every week when his song choices were revealed.

I really do think that Carly let all that tension go on the tour-she seemed much happier and at ease when performing (and not being judged). She even mentioned that in one of the Larry King interviews-that she wasn’t scared anymore and felt very free on stage. I think she’ll do fine once her album comes out and she’s able to do her own style of music and really “be herself”.

I really do not get that channel but through the magic of youtube and remembering somewhat here it goes.

David Cook could say “Billie Jean was great the problem I would be lying just to go with the flow I just thought it was ok. I do not know maybe just did not like the song that intence. BTW surprised by “Hellow” and hantom” songs showed me the guy would go far and had a bright future.

Jason C and Brook W-A little biased I like thier style and voices but did not mean enjoyed all thier songs..

Chikezee-was undervalued , and who actually looked pretty good moving around more than 5 feet. I wished I could of seen more of him but song choice cost him.

I’m not a KLC fan, so I don’t KNOW the backstory, but I heard that Kristy Lee’s grandfather was a war vet and she chose the song to honor him. Also, she’s a country singer, and as a rule, country music fans enjoy their patriotism. So I’m not sure if it was a ploy. Later in the show, when David Archuleta sang Neil Diamond’s “Coming to America” he sang it to honor his mother and aunts, who immigrated from Honduras.

This is when I started hating David Cook.

I got a new gray hair every week when his song choices were revealed.

LOL.
I don’t know what made me more nervous each week, watching the show itself for the performance or waiting for the TMZ spoilers to appear. I think this week with Billie Jean was the first WFT!Cook song choice I knew about in advance (with Hello I wasn’t yet invested enough to seek out spoilers). I rememeber someone dug up the Chris Cornell version on YouTube so we knew that was probably the version he was going to do, and people were saying it was dreary and boring. I listenend to CC’s version and wasn’t overly impressed by it.
Then came DC’s performance and blew me away. He brought that arrangement so much, he made it his own completely. Another case where I can’t stand listening to the original once I heard the DC version of a song (Well, that’s true for pretty much every song he did on Idol and most of his covers post Idol).

amy, I do agree that Carly seemed so much more relaxed (and as a result better) on tour. But this seemed to be true for all of them. With maybe the exception of Rami who still seemed rather lost on the big stage, I think all the Idols performed better on tour.

KLC–I’ll just have to echo what others said. I mentioned earlier this had been the first full episode I’d seen on the season and while I didn’t know KLC’s history on the show I do remember my first reaction to her singing this was cynical as well. Patriotism is great. But on a show like American Idol, it seemed less genuine and more a ploy to keep herself on the show an extra week.

As much as I loved it, I was concerned that there would be a backlash because it was such a radical reworking of a classic. Sometimes people donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t like that. Like when Blake did You Give Love A Bad Name. That goodness I was wrong.

Ha, I was almost bummed that there wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t more of a backlash. My favorite performances had typically been more controversial in the past. But mostly I was happy that America got it.

It wasn’t his own radical reworking of a classic though. And it wasn’t his original vision for America to get. I love DC and I loved this performance as I already mentioned upthread but it still is Chris Cornell’s arrangement, it’s his vision. Sorry if this came off rude, I just felt the need to point that out.

Yes, I believe this was the week that I started reading & dreading spoilers for what songs they’d be singing and specifically for Cook. Definitely a WTF which caused some grey hairs.

Still flove Cook’s intro package with the alien baby with the massive skull. He was just so self effacing and charming.

Since I was routing for Cook to win from the beginning I do believe my tween high fived me after this performance, lol.

Syesha’s intro package included, yet again, the annoying baby crying imitation. Her performance was actually really good but the intro was a turn off which made me forget what she sang.

Liked Jason’s Fragile.
MJ was pure karaoke but one of his best performances on the show.
Rami wasn’t as bad as I remembered but the pouty lip thing she did while critiquing annoyed the heck out of me.
KLC – blech. This was the week that I remember actively questioning why she was still there.

it still is Chris Cornellà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s arrangement, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s his vision. Sorry if this came off rude, I just felt the need to point that out.

I completely get what you’re saying, but I’m completely exhausted by the seeming need to clarify this point when Ryan introduced it — before Cook sang it — as “Chris Cornell’s version” of Billie Jean. And, then he repeated that very point — at least twice, including that Chris Cornell commented on the performance — on results night. And, then AGAIN, just before Cook did Little Sparrow the next week.

See, I’m getting exhausted just thinking about it. I seriously don’t know where the idea could have come from that Cook tried to play this off as his own, I really don’t.

Rant over. Apologies all around…

I love DC and I loved this performance as I already mentioned upthread but it still is Chris Cornellà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s arrangement, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s his vision.

I’d never heard it before then, so Chris Cornell benefited, I’m sure.

Oy, cover-gate.

I seriously donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know where the idea could have come from that Cook tried to play this off as his own, I really donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t.

Well, I don’t think that and if there’s anything in my post that alluded to me thinking that, I apologize.

My post was because I had an issue with how the points that I quoted were worded. To put it side by side with Blake’s radical reworking of YGLABN (which afaik, is his own original arrangement) reads to me that it’s taking the credit away from the original arranger.

And I too am happy that America appreciated DC’s performance but the wording that America got it reads to me like it’s DC’s vision to make Billie Jean a slowed down power rock song and that America got DC’s vision.

Maybe I just read things wrong, but like I said, I just felt the need to point that out based on how I received what I read.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d never heard it before then, so Chris Cornell benefited, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m sure.

No one’s saying he didn’t.

*sigh*

ALL AI contestants sing covers. Period. I don’t get why that is so difficult for some people to comprehend.

ALL AI contestants sing covers. Period. I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get why that is so difficult for some people to comprehend.

If you’re talking to me, I completely understand that. Please read my post above again to see that I do not have an issue with DC doing Chris Cornell’s version. I have an issue with other people (not DC) seemingly leaving Chris Cornell out of the equation when talking about the rearrangement and reworking of the song.

I should’ve known by now that criticism towards DC would get me this kind of reaction. And I’m not even criticizing him, at that.

All’s good, hardkandy. I’m responding more to the frustratingly baseless mid-season controversy than to you specifically here! No worries.

I agree Cornell benefited from the national exposure of that version of Billie Jean by Cook. I imagine the AI audience is full of folks who don’t readily follow Cornell’s work. And, I doubt that version had seen much light other than with Cornell’s fanbase. Then, Cook got to record another Cornell song and Cornell got an original writing credit on Cook’s first single release. Things have a way of working themselves out. So, happy, happy for everybody.

ETA: “I shouldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve known by now that criticism towards DC would get me this kind of reaction.”

Well, now, I don’t really think that’s fair. This was a well-aired (non)controversy that threatened to (and did for some folks) tarnish Cook’s reputation and paint him inaccurately as a plagiarizer. For whatever reason, he took a lot of heat for using others’ covers of covers. So, your mention of “the need” to point out that this was Cornell’s version — not any seeming criticism of Cook — fanned that flame, whether you intended to or not. But, as I said, all’s good. I just don’t think it’s fair to put this off as Cook’s ridiculously loyal fans unduly defending him from fair criticism. Because, well, it’s not.

Watching AI redux has been great fun. Thanks MJ for creating these threads and your recaps.

Funny how I can better understand Cowell’s frustations with some of these contestants given his incessant chatter on how they need to be musically relevant, unpredictable, and “ON” on performance night. I wanted to reach through my telly and virtually shake some. Maybe it’s stage fright? irreverence? laziness? youth? naivete? a real lack of talent? I’m not sure. It’s sad watching some blow a wasted opportunity or a potentially career opening break. Some are very vocally talented and have untapped potential, but just never brought their A game. No break out or WOW moment – and if they did a great performance, someone (usu one of the Davids) was better. It’s like watching figure skaters tumble during the Olympics. You know they are good, but they landed on their bottoms on the biggest stage of their career. Or they were flat out out-performed by someone more talented and better. But sometimes people never rise to their full potential (see Smithson, Carly or Johns, Michael).

Carly epitomizes this more than any contestant on AI7. She was always out performed by some one else, even when she sang well. She’s so vocally gifted but delivered some really shouty clunkers chased by a desparate need for approval. Unmet potential for greatness. Sad. I wanted to be wowed by her, because I think she’s capable of it. I enjoy Carly the most when she sings songs like Here You Come Again or Blackbird. Soft. Wistful yearning. But Carly wants to be a rocker – and usually ends up being shouty. She needs a vocal coach and management who will help her select songs that fit her and make her different.

As for the Davids. So different and yet so similar in their approach to the competition. Vocally talented yes. Sang their hearts out. Brought their A game. Never rested on their laurels. Experimented. Stumbled, yes, but good for them for trying. Took feedback and tweaked. Developed and grew as performers. Never thought they were too good for AI. And thus earned the respect, devotion and following of millions of voters, fans and critics. They used this platform to launch their music careers.

I can so understand why Archie developed such a devoted fan base. He is just all kinds of adorkable. Didn’t like the song, and not because it was Australian (heh), but I really liked how Archie sang it.

I agree with LadyM, DC’s BJ was insane and amazing as well as with Noctem’s observation on the crowd response. Unbelievable performance – start to finish, unlike anything I’d ever seen. He was brilliant.

You can argue the same with Daughtry’s I Walk The Line of course. A lot of people who were interested to read the spoilers beforehand knew that David Cook would most likely cover Chris Cornell’s version and had watched CC on YouTube first (like I did), and that doesn’t change how we perceived David Cook’s performance. And David Cook’s version is significantly different even if he followed the arrangement of Christ Cornell’s. Sometimes something just clicked, and David Cook did on that song.

BTW, I thought his studio performance of Billie Jean simply stunning.

Baby David Cook looked like an alien.

This was an ok week, much better than the one before but nothing very amazing.

I didn’t get the love for Michael this week though. Very karaoke and he had real vocal problems by the end of the song. I think he did a great choice of song though, cause those two can get epople excited even if you’re just beeing karaoke.

Ramiele, well… she should have gone home if you ask me. Yeah, Chik was boring and all, but he had been so much better the two weeks before. I wanted him to stay.

I’m not american so I didn’t care much about KLC’s song, and I didn’t like her performance. Plus, her stage presence is just bad.

I like Jason and Archie. Not their best, but I enjoyed their performances, two of the best this week.

Brooke was my second favorite of the night, loved that she picked that song and I always like her on the piano. It was a beautiful moment.

Carly was a bit painful to see. But closing my eyes, I liked to listen to her.

David Cook was the bomb. Really amazing. Awesome vocals, and that last note at the end? I can listen to it over and over again, i still get the chills. Also, he just knows how to work the camera. He does the perfect movements at the perfect times.

ETA: Cause I forgot Sy and she was actually my #3 of the night. Amazing. I was rooting for her after this night.

BTW, I thought his studio performance of Billie Jean simply stunning.

This.

I had it on repeat for months.

weareallinnocent said

Michael Johns, my dear sweet hot singing boy, you are not Freddie, no one is. Please stop trying to be. Thank you.

Seriously, I truly believe if MJ had just given in to the soulful bluesy god that he is, heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d have fared much, much better. Insisting on doing the big voice arena rock songs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  without much variation or rearrangement, aka karaoke à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  cost him the top 5, in my view.

I’m a big Michael fan but that is oh so true. Makes me wish he would’ve taken the judges advice in retrospective, live and learn I guess. I read in an interview that for his album that’s what he’s doing- ditching the rock and focusing on blues.

I just donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s fair to put this off as Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s ridiculously loyal fans unduly defending him from fair criticism. Because, well, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not.

I feel like someone saying that I don’t comprehend that people in AI do covers all the time, didn’t even bother to read my post, because I didn’t chide DC for doing Chris Cornell’s version of Billie Jean, at all. So yeah, I do feel it was a little unduly. Not you, btw

I personally had no problem whatsoever with DC using other artists’ rearrangements as inspiration. Based on what I am reading (because I have never heard CC’s version and didn’t much enjoy DC’s) he did not *copy* anyone any more than Archie or Syesha copied Eva Cassidy or Jason copied Paolo Nutini or … These contestants just used their resources well and worked from there.

My ONLY problem was with the judges blathering on about originality of his arrangement. They gave the impression to those who were not listening closely during Ryan’s intro that DC was completely responsible for the reworking of the song. That was not Cook’s fault. But it didn’t do him any favors, because it further fueled the Covergate fire. Luckily for Cook, ABMB proved once and for all that he alone could rearrange a song.

I did notice that as the season went on Ryan tended to mention more often that someone was singing so-and-so’s “version” of a song. He introduced Love Me Tender as “Norah Jones’ version.” (and Archie’s arrangement wasn’t a direct copy of Norah Jones either)

My ONLY problem was with the judges blathering on about originality of his arrangement. They gave the impression to those who were not listening closely during Ryanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s intro that DC was completely responsible for the reworking of the song. That was not Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s fault. But it didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t do him any favors, because it further fueled the Covergate fire. Luckily for Cook, ABMB proved once and for all that he alone could rearrange a song.

This I agree with. Very much.

And the last statement is especially true, thank God for ABMB! And it’s a bigger hit than Billie Jean (at least in the Philippines it is, Song Of The Year, hello!) so it’s a big HA-HA to those who doubted him.

*sigh*

ALL AI contestants sing covers. Period. I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get why that is so difficult for some people to comprehend.

Could we please NOT get testy and defensive when disagreeing?

I shouldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve known by now that criticism towards DC would get me this kind of reaction. And Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not even criticizing him, at that.

And could we also please not question the motives of your fellow posters?

I’m going to start deleting shit soon. So, drop it, please.

Yes, ABMB was quite something!

Cook rearranged Little Sparrow too, and it was gorgeous — studio version and falsetto FTW! BTW, LS was the first song my 3yo started singing along with, so it holds a special place for me, what can I say?! (Even if it is about birds…oh Simon, you really just don’t get it sometimes, do you? LOL)

:thumbup_tb:

ETA: Oops, jumping ahead… Sorry, Can’t wait for tonight. And can I just say, I CANNOT believe I’m getting sucked into this AGAIN!!!! I may need professional help…

BILLIE JEAN!!!

This was actually a very good night for everyone, vocal-wise…I bought into the “most talented group ever” meme. It really did come down to performance chops and “it” factor.

This time around, now that I can actually focus on the other contestants besides DC, I liked Michael, Carly, Brooke, Syesha.

I remember being all *outraged* and yet amused by KLC’s song choice back when it happened but now it’s not such a big deal…primary election season fever then, I guess.

My only worry was…how was DC going to follow THAT up!

The judges actually never said anything about it being his “arrangement.” Go back and listen to their exact words.

Aaaand…..it would have been all downhill for me after this night, had I actually watched it when it aired. Unfortunately, ABMB was the first performance I saw, thought HOLY SH!T, began following Idol and rooting for DC. After Top 3 night, I went on YouTube at my mother and sister’s demands to look up ‘Hello’ and ‘BJ’. My jaw dropped. And I fell. Hard. I’m still seeing stars.

Completely. Different. League.

I still get chills from this, and last night was the first time I’ve ever seen it on a big tv screen as opposed to my computer screen or my little tv (I have a DVD of all David’s performances….that I like to watch occassionally…). This should go down in Idol history, IMO. Poor Ramiele and KLC, did they really think they could measure up to THIS?

The judges actually never said anything about it being his à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“arrangement.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  Go back and listen to their exact words.

I actually don’t need to go back and listen. I think perception is what’s important here. They may not have said the word “arrangement” but they certainly implied it. And I think they might have thought it was his arrangement, actually. I’m sure they don’t always bother listening to Ryan’s intros.

Again, not Cook’s fault.

And just my opinion.

The judges actually never said anything about it being his à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“arrangement.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  Go back and listen to their exact words.

When you call a performance original over and over, it has the same effect.

I tend to believe that some viewers may have had the impression it was his and projected their impressions on to the judge’s comments (having not heard Ryan’s intro or whatever.) Because, I agree, the judges really did not say that, or to me, even imply it.

BTW, I base this retrospective analysis on my own experience — having not heard or listened well to the beginning on the first go around, but then knowing very well and listening this time. Very different impression of the judges’ comments for me. That’s all I’m saying… other than I’m glad this “controversy” is settled. LOL

Poor Ramiele and KLC, did they really think they could measure up to THIS?

Sadly, probably no. But they still got up there and gave it their best shot. I really admire them all for putting themselves out there for untalented people like me to obsessively analyze.

But I do get your point. The talent spectrum in the top 10 last season was pretty broad, for sure.

ETA: weareallinnocent, I’m sure you’re right that it was all a matter of knowing or not knowing ahead of time about the CC arrangement. But I would say that the vast majority of viewers had no clue that it even existed, so they did, naturally, project. Regardless, the result was that most people assumed that the judges were praising Cook’s arrangement as the original. Perhaps a faulty perception, but the perception nonetheless.

Again, not Cook’s fault.

And I, too, am happy it was settled.

Hey hardkandy let me jump in and clarify what I meant when I said I was glad America got it. AI traditionally had a type of performance that was rewarded and lauded as best ever. A formula emerged: big voiced belting ballads are made of win, don’t mess around too much with a classic cuz it ticks people off, and if you are going to tackle a superstar’s signature thing, you best be prepared to be found lacking if you’re anything short of absolutely spectacular. Now, Cook borrowed very, very heavily from Cornell’s version of Billie Jean, so he might not have taken on the brunt of the criticism for the creation of the arrangement, but this decision was far from a slam dunk no brainer to seduce America at large. First, the most iconic version of the song to 90% of the AI viewing public would be Michael Jackson’s version. Cornell’s arrangement is far, far removed from the original. Second, to the people who were familiar with Cornell’s cover version, well, Cornell is to 90′s alt rock what Whitney, Mariah, and Celine are to the traditional AI kind of showstopping song. If you are going to tackle Cornell, or Vedder, or Cobain, you best be prepared to throw down. So, you have a large chunk of the audience who could conceivably be going, “WTF? Why would anyone do this to Billie Jean? You are NO Michael Jackson..the nerve..” and another small chunk who could be thinking, “Dude, you are NO Chris Cornell. The nerve.” Luckily, Cook managed to pretty much out-Cornell Cornell, so there wasn’t a lot of the latter. And like tinawina, I thought for sure based on past seasons there would be more of the former, but there wasn’t. If that makes sense. It does to me, anyway. :ponder_tb:

The judges actually never said anything about it being his à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“arrangement.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  Go back and listen to their exact words.

Yeah.

My gut feeling is that if he would have totally sucked singing this arrangement, no one would have cared. After all, all hell didn’t break loose when KLC borrowed from Lorrie Morgan’s arrangement of “8 Days a Week.”

Thankfully, this was his last cover of somebody else’s cover of somebody else’s cover…. Yeah, that. :rolleyes_wp:

Speaking of KLC, I actually liked her performance this night. If she would have sung it and totally screwed it up, then I’d call it sneaky and playing the patriotic card. However, it was a decent performance. And, since she only had a handful of those, I’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. I was only mad because she had already stayed longer than I thought she should have. But, she wasn’t voting for herself.

I had a laughing fit last night watching Jason freak out over being in the bottom 3. I had forgotten all about that. Now, I compare that reaction to the night he actually got voted off. What a world of difference.

Carly/Jason in the same boat. They see the writing on the wall in that they know the judges are against them, but they donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know what to do about it. Carly tries to sing louder, Jason goes zen. In retrospect, Carly should have gone zen and Jason should have sung louder.

haha. I like your analysis of it, t2.

It wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t his own radical reworking of a classic though. And it wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t his original vision for America to get. I love DC and I loved this performance as I already mentioned upthread but it still is Chris Cornellà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s arrangement, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s his vision. Sorry if this came off rude, I just felt the need to point that out.

MJ, feel free to delete this if you must. But since it was directed at me, I’m responding.

I know who arranged the song. I know who Chris Cornell is, I am a Soundgarden fan from way back. I never said DC re-arranged it. In the point I was making, it didn’t matter. What I was saying was that I was afraid America would not like to see an old favorite changed up so dramatically. I don’t think people stop to say “I hate that – oh wait, he did it himself? Ok then” LOL. They hear something changed and hate it. That’s all.

I understand the need to “point it out” if you think a statement is misleading, but honestly… this was a post on an AI message board, posted to an audience of readers actively engaged in watching the show for a second time. We all know who arranged the song. It was a big huge stink, and we all already lived through it once. It’s been beaten to death. We get it. No one is going to read any posts on here and think otherwise, especially when I didn’t say or imply that DC arranged it to begin with.

And I am not defending DC here. I am defending myself. LOL.

Can we all just get along now?

The only judge who might have gone over the top was Randy, who told DC he was the most original and bold contestant they ever had. He didn’t say “this arrangement is your original creation”, but the word stuck with people enough to create the impression that he did, in some minds. Paula and Simon only used the word “brave”, which IMO DC most certainly was.
The point has been made by other posters that using a radically different arrangement of a big hit is a huge risk, because the audience can very well hate it (see KLC’s 8 Days a Week, and I’m sure there are other examples). You need to be brave and sure of yourself to go for something that will be new to the audience, be it an obscure song or a reworking of a familiar hit.
Billie Jean was brave IMO, and DC deserved the praise he got for it. He was also an original contestant, as proven with his own arrangements of ABMB, Little Sparrow, All I Really Need is You, The World I Know, and Hello (no, it wasn’t based on Incubus), to name but a few.

When you call a performance original over and over, it has the same effect.

It was actually just the one time, and it was David who was called original, not specifically that performance.

My gut feeling is that if he would have totally sucked singing this arrangement, no one would have cared. After all, all hell didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t break loose when KLC borrowed from Lorrie Morganà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s arrangement of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“8 Days a Week.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

Oh, of course … the fact that Cook performed so well led to the praise, which led to the implications, which led to … :wallbash_tb: LOL

I think the flipside is true. Just imagine if KLC had just brought the house down with “8 Days a Week” (heehee) and the judges had heaped on the praise about her originality. Non-KLC fans would have been the first to point out that it wasn’t her original arrangement. (Actually, come to think of it, props to Paula for actually pointing it out that week.)

I’m sorry, but I just think the judges either didn’t have their facts straight, or didn’t express themselves well (not exactly a first there). If “blame” is to be placed, I blame them. But I actually think there’s no need for blame at all. It was what it was. But it would help if the judges had a little more of a clue at times.

When you call a performance original over and over, it has the same effect.

Randy: “Check it out, baby. Check it out. David Cook, I gotta say, I think you’re probably the most original, most bold contestant we’ve ever had. Let me tell you, that performance, right there tonight, on that joint you just did…dude, you might be the one to win the whole lot.”

Paula: “I gotta tell ya, how smart you are, how brave you are, and how willing you are to stretch the boundaries, and you do it right to the edge, without going over….”

Simon: “David that – that…was brave. I mean, it could have either been insane or amazing, and I have to tell you, it was amazing.”

Color me confused, but I still see their “original” as a “step outside the box” compliment.

But…anyway, it’s still interesting, over 10 months later that this performance still creates buzz.

What I find troublesome is not that the contestants are doing covers, or even covers of other singers covers, but that the excessive bs hype that the “judges” heap on the chosen ones. There is really nothing “original” about any of the singers, so for AI to proclaim their contestants as “original” is somewhat disingenuous and manipulative. If the show just let the singers do their thing and let the audience decide for themselves the show and the performers would have greater credibility.

I think this was a great week for both the Davids. Billie Jean – obviously AWESOME! Like MJ, I also liked Archie that week too. Odd song choice, but it was catchy and I thought he performed it well. I would much rather hear an unfamiliar song tried than one that’s been done to death on the show.

sunchick and tinawina, thank you for explaining your posts- like I said earlier, I know I must’ve read it wrong. I’m sorry if you felt I was attacking either of you, I wasn’t.

BTW, I wasn’t implying that you didn’t know who arranged the song – it was just about giving an artist his due no matter how many times it’s been discussed, and how many people know it.. I’m sure DC fans will feel the same about his work when it’s covered in the future.

Color me confused, but I still see their à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“originalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  as a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“step outside the boxà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  compliment.

I guess I see it differently, but mostly it’s because I think Randy is dumb.

brewster, I aiways take their “original” statements to mean “original in the context of the show”. Whenever they say that, that’s what they mean, IMO. Like say, Nadia Turner or Bo Bice… up until that point, no one like them had ever been on American Idol. Now in the real world Bo was one of a trillion Southern rockers and Nadia was a boho chick like half of downtown Brooklyn, but on AI they were fresh and new. Perhaps they should start adding “on AI” whenever they say “original” from now on. LOL.

Hardkandy, no problem.

Paula and Simon only used the word à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“braveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ , which IMO DC most certainly was.

Well, he certainly was, and I’ll give you that.

But you, Jolene, and weareallinnocent and Gwendolyn have, together, all just made a great point. And again, it’s about perception. Because I was one of the uninformed and inattentive masses at the time, I missed Ryan’s intro and because at the time I actually THOUGHT it was Cook’s arrangement, I assumed the judges were referring to the arrangement. And frankly, I thought the judges were right, despite the fact that I personally didn’t enjoy the arrangement or the performance.

It had not occurred to me until your last few posts that for those who actually had the facts in hand, the praise meant something totally different. And he WAS brave to perform it, regardless.

It doesn’t erase the fact that most of us did not know about CC’s arrangement, and most people (including some in the media and plenty around my watercooler) interpreted the situation as I did, and as we all know, everything took on a life of its own.

Again, not Cook’s fault.

Whew. I’m tired.

I agree with tina… As I previously intimated, in the context of AI I think it was pretty original and brave to attempt to cover a dramatically changed up Chris Cornell version of a song made popular by Michael “King of Pop” Jackson. Simon pretty much had it right when he said it could have been insane or amazing. Randy, of course, sounded OTT because he conveniently forgot about Blake’s YGLABN the year before, which was probably the singularly most original and bold performance choice that I can remember* before Cookie decided to go out with TWIK. Typical Randy, though. He’s big on making the “best ever” type of proclamations which lose their impact because he does it every. single. season.

*I didn’t see Seasons 4 & 5…

ETA: no prob hardkandy, and hee about Randy. I bet he still thinks Michael sang an INXS song on AI. Simple Minds aren’t even Australian.

I guess I see it differently, but mostly ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s because I think Randy is dumb.

:laugh_tb:

ETA: I’m still not sure the judges knew that it wasn’t DC’s arrangement. Seriously. Based on their reaction to DA’s choice (“Simon says it’s by an Australian songwriter…?”), it’s obvious they did not do their homework on the contestants’ choices ahead of time.

As for crediting Cornell, the show met its obligation by having Ryan announce it in the intro. Often they don’t even manage to announce the song title, let alone what version of a song it is. And the judges have repeatedly proved themselves to be lacking large swathes of knowledge when it comes to music after 1990.

I sort of blame Randy cause he’s an easy target, but viewers really should take responsibility for themselves if they weren’t paying attention and ran off with the wrong impression.

Randy, of course, sounded OTT because he conveniently forgot about Blakeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s YGLABN the year before

Yep, this was my thought too…Randy’s thrown out the most original tag before (and as much as I love DC, at that point Blake’s YGLABN killed BJ in terms of originality.) And anyway when did everyone start paying attention to Randy’s opinion? :tongue1_tb:

In the context of the show, when the “judges” use the term original, they are proclaiming “originality” in the context of the music industry as a whole. It is obvious that the comments by the “judges” are mostly scripted to advance the producer’s agenda.

I don’t know for sure about Randy, but Simon knew it was CC’s arrangement. IIRC he was asked either on EW or on Ryan’s show and said he did know, and meant DC was brave to use a radically changed arrangement on the show.

Randy is an idiot, regardless if he knew or not.

And Lefy, I agree that perception is important and I agree that those who knew and those who didn’t know the origin of the arrangement had vastly different perceptions of the Judges’ comments.
Which does not take away from the performance itself. And that was the only point I was trying to make.

And anyway when did everyone start paying attention to Randyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s opinion?

When he uses more than five words. I counted a whopping 51!!!!! Heh.

I don’t have too much to add on this episode, other than the fact that Cook rocks and MJ could be the frontman of a Queen coverband. Jason was another one of my faves but this was the first time I disliked one of his performances. I’m convinced he prepared it the night before. Ramiele and Kristy Lee were really starting to overstay their welcome, and I predicted that it would be at the expense of Chikezie. Syesha gave a strong performance but there was a little too much belting and I always had a hard time connecting with Carly (except on Beatles top 12 night). Archie was his usual adorable self but I agreed with Simon. OK, I said more than I meant to.

Regarding Billie Jean: I’ve seen tons of good covers of covers on Idol, but I have never seen a cover artist get as much credit and publicity for an Idol performance as Chris Cornell has for Billie Jean. Not even the original artists of songs get this much mention. So I’m guessing that Chris is quite happy with the outcome. I’m pretty sure there wouldn’t be any controversy if Chris had been able to make the cover famous himself. However, as much as I love Chris Cornell, David took Cornell’s cover to a different level so for that, I think he deserves a lot of credit.

Yep, poor Michael Jackson His name didn’t come up even once.

This makes me feel horribly old but I’m sure there are young’uns out there who watched this ep and didn’t even know about the original song.

Brewster, I am so not going to get into the scripting/producers thing, because that is a discussion in and of itself and probably way too OTT. I will say that I’ve heard the judges use the phrase both ways on the show. In the audition rounds, for example, they often say they are looking for contestants who are “original” as is bringing something new to the table, as in standing out in the real music world. But then I’ve heard then call someone like Taylor Hicks and “original contestant” – which clearly meant his type was new to the show. I think the comments after BJ were in the latter category. But, you know, to each his own on that one.

In the context of the show, when the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“judgesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  use the term original, they are proclaiming à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“originalityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  in the context of the music industry as a whole.

And that is your impression/perception only. Just felt the need to point that out in the context of this thread. Seemed fitting somehow…

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know for sure about Randy, but Simon knew it was CCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s arrangement. IIRC he was asked either on EW or on Ryanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s show and said he did know, and meant DC was brave to use a radically changed arrangement on the show.

Well don’t count on Simon’s word too much. With his ego, I doubt he would admit it to you if he didn’t know, LOL.
But nothing in Simon’s critique alluded to him thinking it was DC’s own arrangement though. Mostly, it was Randy. Sorry I just like to blame things on Randy.

I thought Billie Jean was in a different league to everything I have seen on Idol. I was like, ‘Oh. My. God, this guy is AMAZING’!

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know for sure about Randy, but Simon knew it was CCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s arrangement. IIRC he was asked either on EW or on Ryanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s show and said he did know, and meant DC was brave to use a radically changed arrangement on the show.

I think I am fairly sure that Simon didn’t know that when he made his comment on AI, and only knew it later (he probably rewatched the performance later and picked up on Ryan’s introduction). Rock isn’t his thing, and his comment on Ryan’s show was mostly pretence I think. His comment for Daughtry’s performance of I Walk The Line also suggested that he didn’t know it was an arrangement by Live. Musical knowledge-wise, I think I probably know more than he does. There are a huge number of covers, and it’ll be extremely rare, if not impossible, to find anyone with an encyclopaedic knowledge of all the significant covers done. Personally I’d say that the person with the best general musical knowledge on the show is probably Paula.

David Cook I think mentioned that he specifically credited everyone who did the arrangements of the songs he performed, but those somehow ended up the cutting room floor. If it is anyone’s fault, it’s the producer’s. I’m also sure David told Ryan who did the arrangement, I somehow doubt that Ryan would know otherwise.

There is really nothing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“originalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  about any of the singers, so for AI to proclaim their contestants as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“originalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  is somewhat disingenuous and manipulative.

Perhaps they should start adding à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“on AIà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  whenever they say à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“originalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  from now on. LOL.

In the context of the show, when the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“judgesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  use the term original, they are proclaiming à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“originalityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  in the context of the music industry as a whole.

I agree with tinawina in this exchange. brewster, that may be your impression, but at least among the people I know, none of us watch the show with the idea that the praise heaped on the contestants are in the context of the music industry as a whole. Most of us realize what’s great on this cheesy show might not compare in the real world, but of course AI is all about the hyperboles. Viewers I know are cynical and smarter than that, and know the show is selling the illusion that they are creating/discovering bonafide stars. But can you imagine the judges qualifying every praise in the future with, “Yo Dawg, too bad you’ll never create something that a real artist could, but that was the hottest karaoke vocal I’ve ever heard!” Although, re-reading Randy’s quote above, he actually did qualify his praise into the context of the show. He said DC was the most original this show ever had, and his biggest praise was about his potential to win the show, which is not necessarily an assessment of how he’d fair in the big bad world.

Re: covergate, FWIW, I always got the impression that Randy knew where the arrangement was from. If he didn’t, I would’ve expected his praise would be more along the lines of, dawg I wasn’t sure where you were going with that, but once I got it, it was like WOW, that’s incredible. (Or maybe I’m projecting, because I didn’t hear the CC intro, and that was my reaction– minus the dawg heh.) Instead, Randy’s praises came off, at least to me like he was brave for trying/performing (rather than creating) something so radically different from the original. And actually, the buzz I heard from others about DC post-Billie Jean, was more: wow, he can really sing, and that is a really cool version of Billie Jean. No one I knew was praising the arrangement, and I didn’t know about covergate until I read EW.

Um, y’all realize that it’s a rebroadcast, right? It’s not live and we cannot change what happened? Voting is over. It’s been nearly 10 months of analysis and hindsight about it. On balance, people didn’t buy into “Covergate” and other criticisms against DC. I don’t really care if some people had issues with DC’s cover of Cornell’s cover of Michael Jackson’s BJ. Because DC won the entire show – AI8 winner.

And on Top 10 performance night, DC was all by his lonesome. No Cornell. No Michael Jackson. (Whew). Just a man and a mike stand (Poor thing). He sang the heck out of that song. DC’s delivery and vocal performance were awesome. Memorable.

You can have a fantastic arrangement and still be “pitchy dawg” (tm Randy Jackson), or forget your lyrics (see Castro, Jason) or start over (see White, Brooke) or just lose it because of stage fright (see Smithson, Cary). On Top 12 performance night, MJ was off pitch as all get out. He knew it and Paula tried to help by blathering on about ear pieces. But listening to the replay on results night, it does sound like MJ nailed it at dress rehearals. The perils of a live show.

So, to sum, David Cook won the night. Followed by Syesha, Archie, KLC – the others were too karoake or just meh for me to count.

Thanks for creating this thread MJ.

I think I love the fact that after all this time, only David Cook gets 3 pages of responses. People feel THAT passionately about him. Love him or hate him, just don’t forget his name. I love that he evokes passion.

On Randy’s comments, I also wanted to point out that most critics’ reaction to CC’s re-arrangement of BJ in his own solo album was definitely WTF? and they meant it in a negative way. Sort of WTF and “so what” all jumbled together. CC’s re-arrangement wasn’t this great critically lauded cult hit, so the fact that DC decided to go for it on AI does show that he tooks the risk that he could somehow accomplish what CC failed to accomplish on his solo album and make the damn thing sound awesome and accessible to the AI watching public. That takes balls IMO.

Mmmmm, passion. :smoke_tb:

Seriously, though, it’s quite amazing that a rehash of a season chock full of so called boring personalities could still inspire such a lively discussion. I *heart* Season 7, and Cook, too….she said in imaginary glitter pen. I imagine I’m going to have to surround myself with soft objects that can be safely launched at the TV when Season 8 starts and they commence with the dissing of Season 7.

I always got the impression that Randy knew where the arrangement was from.

CC alluded to that much in his morning-after interview with Ryan – something along the lines of “Randy knows me/Randy has worked with me….”, meaning that he knew where the original arrangement came from.

Well DC himself did say, “Somebody told me, whether you’re pleasing or pissing somebody off, you’re doing something wrong!” (or is it right…hmmmm)

viewers really should take responsibility for themselves if they werenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t paying attention and ran off with the wrong impression.

Well, yes and no. In a perfect world we’d all have our facts straight, but just because someone, for instance, went to the kitchen to get a glass of water during Ryan’s intro and missed the CC reference, I’m not sure it means they need to “take responsibility for themselves” for getting the wrong impression.

In my mind, this is a TV show. It’s supposed to be fun. If fact-checking and research are required, I’m out. I watch TV to relax.

If one were to go on TV, radio, or even online and start spewing a bunch of misinformation, then yes, one should *absolutely* take responsibility for themselves. But for forming a misguided opinion about a performance on a television show … well, in the end it’s just an opinion.

Truthfully, I can count at least three other contestants that night who also had questionable impressions formed of them, their personalities, or their work ethic because of Simon’s remarks. It’s all part and parcel of being a contestant on AI. It stinks, but it’s part of the game.

Sma11ie and Tina,

You validate my point. Within the limited circle of AI fanatics you may be sold on the “originality” and “greatness” of the AI contestants. To many on the outside of the AI circle, just seems to be a whole lot of hyperbole. Don’t misunderstand me, I think Cook, Archuleta, Smithson and a few others, are good singers. What may be hurting their mainstream credibility is the process by which the producers manipulate their images and personas. The whole AI process is really about marginalizing the talent for the benefit of the show, not for the benefit of the singer.

Um, yà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢all realize that ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a rebroadcast, right? Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not live and we cannot change what happened?

:laugh_tb: I was a newbie lurker during the season, so reliving it is oh-so-fun!

I *heart* Season 7, and Cook, tooà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦.she said in imaginary glitter pen

:laugh_tb: :laugh_tb:

First of all I want to thank MJ for bringing AI7 Redux. Over the past week or so I have been doing the dvr thing and watching the performances each night right before retiring. Last night I couldn’t get to sleep after watching this show. It was truly one episode that melted my heart. Clearly DC, MJ, and KLC were the voices of the night. I had to listen to MJ, and DC 3 times trying to savor the moments. I raise my glass to toast AI7 for being clearly a year of fun and talented moments. :drunk_tb:

You validate my point. Within the limited circle of AI fanatics you may be sold on the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“originalityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“greatnessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  of the AI contestants. To many on the outside of the AI circle, just seems to be a whole lot of hyperbole.

I agree with your second sentence. I didn’t realize that was your original point. I thought you were saying something different, but now that I know what you meant, then yes, we are on the same page. I was also trying to say that the mainstream public is smarter than to be so easily manipulated by the OTT praising on the show.

However, I have to explain that this is the first full season of AI I’ve watched, and I didn’t discover this limited circle of AI fanaticism until after the finale, so I was also lumping myself and my casual-viewing coworkers/friends into my description of mainstream viewers. And even now that I’ve been introduced to this “AI fanaticism”, I’d still like to say that Randy or Simon’s comments alone won’t sell me on the “originality” or “greatness” of AI contestants. I’d like to keep making that judgment on my own, and I’m sure a lot of the fellow AI fanatics on this site would as well.

sma11ie, I so agree with you. I’ve watched every season but season 5 and have never given the judges much thought other than whether I agree or disagree with them. Why? I like my opinion much better. I have ears and eyes and heard what I heard and saw what I saw and formed my opinion before any of the judges opened their mouths.

I’ve actually heard not one person say they vote based on the judges opinions….there was the one person who said her grandmother did. I just don’t think what they say matters all that much in the grand scheme of things. That being said, they are great entertainment.

And even now that Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve been introduced to this à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“AI fanaticismà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ , Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d still like to say that Randy or Simonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s comments alone wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t sell me on the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“originalityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  or à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“greatnessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  of AI contestants. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d like to keep making that judgment on my own, and Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m sure a lot of the fellow AI fanatics on this site would as well.

This. And a step further, it is my impression that with most things — and especially with music — people really don’t appreciate being told what they do or don’t, or what they should or shouldn’t, like.

OK, one thing I do have to add about Billie Jean and Covergate – the reason this became such a controversy is because this performance was such a stand out and such a showstopper. Nobody cares enough about weak or forgettable performances for there to be a controversy around them.
As I said earlier, I knew this was CC’s version going into the show, I heard his version to get a sense of what DC had up his sleeve. I wasn’t impressed, I was worried and I thought it could easily backfire and get a poor reception.
I was blown away because of what DC did with the arrangement and the way he performed it, not because of originality. Knowing he didn’t write it took nothing away from how breathtaking I found the performance to be. I don’t expect AI contestants to be original, I expect them to deliver amazing, interesting, emotionally compelling performances.
To me, DC did exactly that with Billie Jean.
Covergate was a byproduct of him rising to frontrunner status on AI, just like the stage-dad rumors were a byproduct of Archuleta being a front runner. The media wants to write (and occasionally tear down) the ones leading the pack. They’re the buzz worthy ones.
In retrospect, these things are all just a part of the crazy AI ride – you take the good with the bad because all it means is people care enough to notice, discuss, analyze and dissect. As others have said – loved or hated, but never ignored.

Again, caught the last 3 performances. Now that tonight will be wittled down to one hour, it’s probable that I’m only going to catch the 2nd half of the results’ show, if any.

Anyway…

David A.’s “You’re The Voice”- Not half boring as I thought back then. I actually kinda enjoyed it this time. Really weird song choice, though, and I agree that it was a them park performance, but hey, he sang it well!

Kristy- She gave a solid performace.. for her.. but it seemed much weaker this time than it did then, so it was weird hearing Simon say “your best performance” like it was INCREDIBLE… but wasn’t. Just good.

David Cook- Great. Just didn’t like the face he makes when he holds real high notes… meh.

—–

Results: Chikezie going home: predictable.

Jason Castro- Why everyone is so surprised he was in the bottom is beyond me. Jason said something like “Well i felt like there was going to be a shock..”

Um… it wasn’t shocking..sorry. He was weak and forgettable on “Fragile”

I actually believe I predicted the entire bottom 3 correctly, based on performance critiques, performance itself, and dialidol.

Not that Syesha belonged there, I just predicted it. I’d have to check back.

Still hard to believe Syesha was there though, considering that Top 10 night had at least 3 or 4 stand out performances, and hers was one of them.

You validate my point. Within the limited circle of AI fanatics you may be sold on the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“originalityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“greatnessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  of the AI contestants. To many on the outside of the AI circle, just seems to be a whole lot of hyperbole. Donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t misunderstand me, I think Cook, Archuleta, Smithson and a few others, are good singers. What may be hurting their mainstream credibility is the process by which the producers manipulate their images and personas. The whole AI process is really about marginalizing the talent for the benefit of the show, not for the benefit of the singer.

Ok, unlike sma11ie, I am confused right now. LOL. I took your first comment to mean you though the judges were trying to say that some contestants were “original” in a real world context. I argued that they were saying some contestants were “original” when compared to other AI contestants. At no time did I ever say what I thought of any contestant’s “originality”. In fact, I actually acknowledged that many contestants are not real-world original. So, I’m not sure what I validated for you!

Now, if you are saying that the AI manipulation and hyperbole associated with the show hurts contestants once they leave the show… that I could get behind. There is a level of skepticism waiting for these contestants that is sky high, especially in the press. And yes, part of that is due to AI overhyping, and part is due to the format of the show itself. But the OMG! BEST TALENT EVAH! thing doesn’t help. And no, they don’t give a crap about the kids. They give a crap about money. So no argument from me there.

I can’t edit, but I just re-read my post and realized I said I agreed with the 2nd sentence that I had quoted from brewster when I meant the third sentence– the part about undertanding the hyperbole, not about being sold on greatness, etc. Oops. Hope that blunder didn’t make my point clear as mud… :wallbash_tb:

ETA: I also agree with tinawina’s entire post above.

Can I just go OT for a second to say that I really hope I don’t like the contestants as much this year, let alone have a favorite. All of this angst is exhausting.

Thanks. Now back on topic…

Just echoing some of Jolene’s sentiments. Nobody gave a flying fig that Kristy Lee’s 8 Days a Week was a cover of Lorrie Morgan’s (I think) version. Because it was horrific. People didn’t care that Archuleta did a cover of Eva Cassidy’s version of Imagine, and that was obviously well received by the judges. I guess it was the originality comment that got/get’s people in a lather. I tend to think that any version of a song that I haven’t heard a ton of times on the radio is more risk taking/original than the karaoke/note for note versions that most of the contestants have taken over the years. Cook was very daring to take such an obscure version of a much ballyhooed classic and perform it on AI. He could very well have been smacked down by Randy, et al with the “nobody takes a michael jackson song & messes around with it” crap that we’ve heard him say about stevie wonder, mariah, whitney, journey, etc…

lefty, I meant those who persisted on getting worked up over the whole BJ-cover issue even after they found out the show covered that base — like “oh, well Ryan said it so fast I didn’t hear it!” (i.e. it is still the show’s fault)

Of course it’s all for fun, which is why I hate when it turns into so much drama which seems to live forever

I meant those who persisted on getting worked up over the whole BJ-cover issue even after they found out the show covered that base

Ok, gotcha. :cool1_tb: Yeah, there are just people on all sides who are so determined to be critical of the competition that they won’t pay attention to the truth. Too bad for them because it makes their whole experience angry and frustrating. And you’re right, it’s supposed to be fun. :happy_tb:

First, LOL at the number of comments on this topic – reruns of last season! LOLOLOLOL! :biggrin_wp:

Hey I didn’t think that there might be folks who wanted to see it who didn’t get to back then though. So this is pretty cool, really, the reruns AND the re-commenting. Fun fun. Thanks, mj.

May I just say, and I have not read all of these comments, that Mr. Cook totally blew me away with Billie Jean this week. Again. And I saw it that night, live on AI. And I saw him do the entire song 3X live on the AI tour. And watched countless videos. And have at least 4 versions of the song on my iPod and 2 different video versions. And he blows me away every time I listen or watch. Still.

Oh drat, am I still in love with David Cook? Sigh. Yep, still addicted…no cure in sight….
:wub_tb:

Don’t fret kathrynTX, we could start a Betty Ford Clinic, only call it the David Cook Clinic and preclude treatment for any addiction unrelated to the Man himself. On day one, there’d be no vacancy and a mile long waiting list. Maybe in these down economic times, I should seriously consider creating such a place. Only potential problem would be no one would be interested in being cured, but familial interventions could still work.

(No offense or intent to trivialize addiction, btw. Just self-deprecating admission of personal obsessions here.)

Ok, I love to recap this because I never did it last year, so fun!

1. It’s beyond irritating that they put down season 7…I am not an AI lifer, in fact this is my first full season of watching, but who cares if there wasn’t a lot of weird personalities to contend with. The talent of this season makes us all want to watch and discuss these episodes a year later for the second time, that doesn’t sound so bad to me.
2. Michael Johns may sing note for note on WWRY/WATC, but the performance he puts on, the passion and the beautiful voice (ok and the looks)…sorry just not karaoke to me. And, if it is I want to know that karaoke bar some of you are frequenting because that must be some pretty great entertainment :lol_ee:
3. David Cook sounded amazing with Billy Jean, and until they all start performing original material on the show they are all copying so really I am ok with him covering Chris Cornell’s version (and CC was probably just wanting to boost his poor sales a little which is why he complained about DCook so I am not going to give him too hard a time).
4. I don’t think Brooke White is meant to sing dark/stalker songs–sad will work, just don’t try to turn a dark song cheerful!
5. KLC that was some impressive exploitation of people’s patriotism–she definitely was working to stay in the game.

Howdy weareallinnocent!

Donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t fret kathrynTX, we could start a Betty Ford Clinic, only call it the David Cook Clinic and preclude treatment for any addiction unrelated to the Man himself. On day one, thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d be no vacancy and a mile long waiting list. Maybe in these down economic times, I should seriously consider creating such a place. Only potential problem would be no one would be interested in being cured, but familial interventions could still work.

(No offense or intent to trivialize addiction, btw. Just self-deprecating admission of personal obsessions here.)

No offense taken! Yeah, it wouldn’t fly, your business model. I don’t think anyone with DCOCD really wants to get over it. That would be David Cook Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. And is it REALLY a disorder? OH sorry, getting WAY OT here!

As for the continuing discussion of originality, bravery, boldness, etc on AI – I take all that to mean “within the confines of the show and its confines.” So far, AI does not allow ORIGINAL SONG night. Until they do, everyone is singing a cover, possibly a cover of a cover. And apparently they are free to do some re-arranging. Or not. All I have to go on is THE PERFORMANCE. I don’t think anyone prior to Season 7 or any contestant on Season 7 could’ve done pretty much ANY of the songs that Cook did and succeeded like he did. I like that Paula called him SMART too because that was a big part of his performances – knowing where to find the versions HE could do best, knowing what he was capable of in the first place, and knowing what he honestly could relate to. Ya gotta THINK about those things. And well I think he also has admirable instincts.

Also, I actually liked Archie 2nd best that night! I liked his You Are the Voice and I didn’t know the song. But he was so HONEST and earnest. I think I’d like to see him LIVE, although I haven’t bought his album.

I think Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d like to see him LIVE, although I havenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t bought his album.

I’m a huge fan and do have his album, which I love, but I think nothing sounds as good as Archie live. For me, there was not a single studio recording of his during AI that topped his live performances – even when he flubbed lyrics. He just seems to thrive on the energy of the audience.

he was so HONEST and earnest

I agree, and it made the performance very endearing! Too bad it turned so many people off as well.

lefty, ya know, I DID see Archie LIVE! 3X. And met him a couple of times, albeit very briefly. He really amazed me. He is really as connected and “into” the music as anyone. He connects with the audience too. And I don’t just mean the 12 and 13 year old girls who think he’s cute. (He IS cute too!) I really truly gasped when he sang Angels at the last AI show in Tulsa. And I thought his You Are The Voice had just as much passion and emotion as his live performances.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm…I just didn’t catch the Archie obsessiveness though. I guess there was no room for it after I was totally sucked in by Mr. Cook.

Can’t wait for tonight! Dolly Parton night, right?

I really truly gasped when he sang Angels at the last AI show in Tulsa.

More than a little jealous that you saw him in Tulsa – that Angels was amazing … the only one I’ve actually kept on my iPod.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦I just didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t catch the Archie obsessiveness though. I guess there was no room for it after I was totally sucked in by Mr. Cook.

Ditto in reverse. :happy_tb:

Canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t wait for tonight! Dolly Parton night, right?

My favorite of all nights. My brother is in town with his family and I’m making them all watch it with me, like it or not. Nearly everyone was awesome for Dolly!

Okay, I’m late to the party as usual. I even watched this online earlier today so I could comment earlier. It didn’t work out though and by now peeps are watching and getting ready to comment on a Little Sparrow, A Mountain, An evil J-woman, Traveling through life and a singer who’s best when he sings R&B. I guess I don’t remember the others so well…

Anywhoo, for some reason Billie Jean on the original night didn’t evoke the emotion that it did for some/most and I’ve had to process why this is. My conclusion: 1) I was already rooting for and pretty much sold on DC. 2) I just didn’t understand music and what constitutes greatness at this point, and I still have a long, long ways to go. That’s what is so awesome about this site AND following someone who fits this mold.

So that night DC started singing and I started to say something and was shushed by my hubby who went up to the TV and knelt down by it as if he was watching Ohio State in the last seconds of playing Texas in the Fiesta Bowl (often seen sight in my home when his fav college or Pro team is playing, AND btw, hubby DOES know music). To say the least, he was stunned and shouted, “He nailed it!”, or something to that effect.

So fast forward to present time and watching this show again online I’ve upped my capacity for music because yeah, DC was head and shoulders above all others that night.

In light of this, MJ really did a great job with Queen, but I now see how karaoke-y he was in past weeks.

Jason and Brooke were my two other favorites on the show and I do believe the band drowned out Jason that night. I did like Brooke the second time around and heh, thought she made a stalker song sound kinda like a love song, maybe?

KLC, love this song! I thought she did a fine job with it, but it didn’t cause me to vote for her.

Archie, I have mixed feelings on this because while I liked his energy in this song, I think the few times I’ve seen him do Crush, he’s much better on that.

Syesha, I was never a big fan, but listening with my ‘new ears’ for music, that girl can sang! Still not my cuppa, but great voice.

Chikezie did blow it this week, poor guy.

RM, never a huge fan and her pouty lips did bug me.

Carely, I love this song and so wanted to love her singing it…

David A’s

You Are the Voice

I could tell David loves this song.

This was the 1st time I had heard You Are The Voice. Since then I have listened to it so many times.

This song was unknown to so many when David sang it. Now many know it and love it because of the risk David took performing You Are The Voice that night on AI.

I think rarely did they mic Jason correctly. Which isn’t an excuse so much and I know I could go grassy knoll there, but it just seemed like they didn’t know how to mic softer singers. Or want to bother trying.

I am one of those people who believe that everything happens for a reason and though it may suck at first, it served a purpose and something better happens in the end.

Once all hell broke loose about Billie Jean//CC…and it wouldn’t die….David Cook had to prove that he didn’t need to do anyone’s cover of a cover again, even when his version was so much better. While everyone else was just preparing to sing songs (mostly karaoke), and I might add–they bored me to tears…David Cook, the artist, emerged. David Cook started to do his own arrangements. It became quite obvious to people in TV land that this guy was in a totally different league than anyone else on that show. He no longer was a contestant–he was a guest performer. What emerged were original arrangements such as ABMB, Little Sparrow, All I Really Need is You (he gave Neil Diamond goosebumps!!!), First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Dream Big and my favorite–The World I Know.

The rest is history.