Topic: Idol-Talk
On last week's results show, it was obvious they were trying to fill up time, most notably with that retrospective video with footage from American Idol history, set to Louis Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World" (which by the way, is my favorite song of all time). But even so, it was great to look back and reminisce.
The week before, we saw Carly Smithson and Michael Johns perform a duet together. During this results show, we saw another AI alumnus, Brook White, take to the stage. She performed "Hold Up My Heart" at the piano, barefoot. If I understood correctly, this is a song from her upcoming June 2 album, High Hopes and Heart Break.
The first contestant from Group 2 to make the Top 12 was Allison Iraheta. A total no-brainer of a decision. I can't wait to see what else she has to offer. If her fantastic performance of "Alone" is anything to go by, then we have a lot to look forward to.
The second in the Top 12 was Kris Allen. I don't really understand this decision. I did say in my last post that he could take that spot, but it wouldn't be our first choice. As I previously mentioned, "I don't know if he stands out next to the best on AI or in the music business." And I still stand by my comment. When you put him up against others like Danny Gokey, Allison Iraheta, and Adam Lambert, he doesn't stand a chance. He may be like Ace Young, who had a nice pop voice, but didn't stand out enough next to anothers in his season, like Chris Daughtry or Katharine McPhee.
At the end of the episode, it came down to Nick Mitchell (aka Norman Gentle) and Adam Lambert. Do the products not know how to keep things fresh? This was the same setup as last week, except with Tatiana Del Toro and Danny Gokey. The wacko vs. the talent. But in the end, as expected, Adam Lambert landed the 6th spot in the Top 12. What I found interesting was that during the results show, Nick was himself, and not Norman as he was during the performance show. Oh well...
And once again, I got two out of three correct on my Top 12 Predictions.
Now onto this week's performance show:
American Idol Season 8: Semifinals Group 3
Airdate: Tuesday, March 3, 2009 [8-10pm]
Theme: Billboard Hot 100
- Von Smith ["You're All I Need to Get By"]: I don't know why the judges loved it so much. There were a few moments where he was good (some of the high notes), but overall I was not impressed.
- Taylor Vaifanua [Alicia Keyes' "If I Ain't Got You"]: I thought it was a very pleasant and enjoyable performance. It's hard to do a good job on a song by someone like Alicia Keyes. But I do agree with the judges that she needs to stand out more. We need to know who she is.
- Alex Wagner-Trugman ["I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues"]: It was just okay. With his age and looks, he could be this year's Kevin Covais. Depending on how the rest of the show goes, I don't think he has a chance.
- Arianna Afsar [ABBA's "The Winner Takes It All"]: There were two major problems with this performance: it was completely the wrong song; and she was off-key throughout the majority of it. But she has potential.
- Ju'Not Joyner ["Hey There Delilah"]: I didn't think this song would fit him, but he made it work by stripping down the song and making it his own, which I loved. The only problem was his lower register at the beginning, but I really enjoyed his version.
- Kristen McNamara ["Give Me One Reason"]: She has potential, but tonight it didn't completely work out. Wrong song, some off-key notes, and forgettable.
- Nathaniel Marshall ["I Would Do Anything for Love"]: I think I've heard this song on a commercial, which didn't help, because this was a karaoke performance. Nathaniel was out of tune; horrible dance moves and this week's Tatiana/Norman.
- Felicia Barton [Alicia Keyes' "No One"]: There were a couple of note problems at one point, but overall this was one of the best performances tonight. I agree with Simon that it was a little copycat, but she has one of the, if not the, best voices tonight.
- Scott McIntyre ["Mandolin Rain"]: I give him a lot of credit, but I will have to judge him the same as the others. He is not the best singer. It was just an okay performance. But I won't be surprised if he moves forward into the Top 12.
- Kendall Beard ["This One's for the Girls"]: There's no denying she has a good voice, even a powerful one. But nothing stood out to me with her tonight. It seems like she is a country singer, but she just needs to make us remember her.
- Jorge Nunez ["Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"]: When I heard what song he was doing, I wasn't sure, but he really pulled it off. He has a beautiful voice, is really passionate about singing, and I hope he makes the Top 12.
- Lil Rounds [Mary J. Blige's "Be Without You"]: She was one of my favorites from earlier rounds, and tonight she did not disappoint. She was current, without sacrificing her power house of a voice, which was great. I just loved this performance. Week 1 was Danny Gokey; Week 2 was Adam Lambert; and Week 3 is Lil Rounds.
Favorite Performances: Ju'Not Joyner, Felicia Barton, Jorge Nunez, & Lil Rounds
My Vote: Lil Rounds [10 votes]
Top 12 Predictions: Scott McIntyre / Jorge Nunez / Lil Rounds
Out of all the twelve who performed this week, Lil is the only one we can safely say is in the Top 12. This week's predictions are harder to make, because there are more than three who deserve to move forward. I chose Jorge for one of those spots because he not only gave an amazing performance, but he is a fan favorite from earlier rounds. But that third spot is a tricky one. I would have gone with either Ju'Not or Felicia, but I think that Scott will take it, not because of the quality of his performance (which wasn't great), but because of the inspiration that others feel from him. Plus, the judges raved about him, which helps for sure. But I believe that if Ju'Not or Felicia do not move forward, then they have a great chance at being selected for the Wild Card Round tomorrow night.
If you want to buy the audio performances from tonight, just head on over to americanidol.com/itunes.
On tonight's results show, three more will be moving forward, taking up spots 4, 5 and 6 in the Top 12. This leaves the rest hoping that the judges pick them for tomorrow's special Wild Card show. As I mentioned at the start of this post, we have been treated to special performances from Carly Smithson, Michael Johns and Brooke White during these past two results shows, so I expect that we will see another former AI finalist.
And speaking of the Wild Card show, I wonder when we will find out who will be performing during that show. It will probably be a surprise and we won't find out until the start of that actual show. I'm looking forward to that.
See ya later...
