Mimi and Cookie!

Well, it looks like Mimi will be on the Idol finale on Wednesday to try and emancipate our Cookie! Idol Blog Live is spoiling that Ms. Mimi and Cookie will be singing a duet that night. In addition, Carrie Underwood WILL be coming on to perform her single, "Last Name". Finally, there will be some "dead" duets during the telecast. Think Celine Dion and Elvis Presley from last year's inaugural episode of Idol Gives Back. Should be interesting. Please oh please do not let them put Lil Boo with an image of John Lennon . . . I'd kind of hope that Chris Brown comes on and refers to Lil David as his Lil Shawty!

USA Today visits Idol

Rona, a reporter/blogger for USA Today visited the Idol performance show during Mariah Carey week. The link below will direct you to the story. She gives us the inside info on what it is like prior to the beginning of the show. Sounds a lot like Rubbertoe's experience. I will be interested to hear his comments on this article. Hit the link to read the story!

USA Today visits Idol

Top 7 Results: One Bittersweet Day!

Ok, so, I had an entire post that LiveBlogged the Results show . . . but it disappeared . . . most of you are probably cool with that because my posts tend to be a wee bit . . . er, um . . . wordy . . .

Anyhoo, THIS is AMERican Idol! And, the Top 7 did a little mix of "One Sweet Day" . . . The Cuteness was a bit nervous . . . The Comeback Kid looked HOT . . . and, er. . . what was Syesha wearing? And why was her hair so Scary Spice circa 1996 . . . "Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want"

Let's start the eliminations . . .

The Cuteness comes out first, and might I say, that chrnoic was PRIMO tonight . . . and, La Seacrest and his shiny sportscoat, sends him to the far side of the stage

Yay . . .we're doing a three on three with one safe block . . .

Rocker David comes out next and is sent to the other side of the stage . . . um, wait . . . a surprise for this evening?

Carly up next and she goes over towards the cuteness . . . Simon says some very nice, and deserving, things about Carly

Next up, The Comeback Kid . . . she heads over towards her Cook brother . . .

Cue the one Idol performer who inspired my favorite Idol sign of all times "Vote Like YAMIN It! . . . Elliot Yamin RULZ! Go dental work!

Next up is is Syesha who joins The Cuteness and The Tattoo . . . what is going on here . . .

Finally, Ms. Brooke (y'all, I am alone on the BW bandwagon . . . it is so lonely here . . . don't think that I won't send out "Let it Be", "Love is a Battlefield", and "You're So Vain" youtube clips out to Rubbertoe, TtownIdolfan, and Allison this week . . .I'm lonely here and L&K have never been here with me . . .so lonely, so cold . . . Ms. Brooke, of course, goes with The Cooks!

Lil David is alllll alone . . . massive suspense would ensue had I not viewed six prior seasons of the Idol . . .

Lil David is, of course, SAFE and is FORCED to go to the group he thinks is safe . . . A LA MD circa AI 6, Lil David sits down and will not choose . . .Ryan switches Syesha and Rocker David and the brings The Rocker, The Tattoo, and The Cuteness to Nigel Lythgoe's Winner, er, um, I mean Lil David and declares them all safe. That leaves Brooke, Syesha, and The Comeback Kid as the Bottom 3. Y'ALL, I honestly think all 7 are awesome . . . but, I need Syesha to relieve me of her presence.


Ugh. Not so much. Syesha is not vanishing . . . she lives on for ALW . . . My Brooke and The Comeback Kid are on the block . . . Suddenly, everyone in the studio thinks this is a foregone conclusion . . . and, it is. KLC is history, yo. I hate that . . .for a performer that I didn't want in the Top 12, she really won me over. She is so cute with Simon at the end. LOVE HER!

Ok, if I'm being BRUTALLY HONEST, KLC was the weakest vocalist of the remaining seven . . . I just HEARTED her for her hutzpah! This is the most talented top 7 in my history of Idol . . . and, I think we have the most vocally talented top 6 EVER! I'm a touch (read A TON) more worried about ALW week than I ever was about Mimi . . .

See y'all in a while!

L's Musings on Mariah

What a weird week (for me) and I am guessing the rest of us Idol bloggers! It is really odd - to have the judges say, time and again, don't choose Mariah, Whitney, Celine - because you don't want to be compared to that..... So then, what the hell, let's just have Mariah as a mentor and then sing only Mariah songs?!

I don't listen to much Mariah - but I did like "Vision of Love" and "Fantasy" (mainly because she sampled Tom Tom Club's "Genius of Love"). So....no one sang the first one (I am not sure who could have, anyway!) and then - no takers on Fantasy? Oh well.

I struggled with the rankings too - but here is my take:

1. David C. - cool arrangment for me, loved the "stalker-ish" vibe! Great performance
2. David A. - I thought much better than "Angels", more mature performance - yay! didnt seem like a little kid and that's why I ranked him above.....
3. Jason C. - so if "The Hotness" was at J's house, then "The Cuteness" left for TX as soon as he finished that song - fun!

The guys rocked! and then, there's the gals: (Who I think had it much harder than the guys, because of the obvious comparison factor)

4. Carly - no one can outdo Ms. Kelly on this one - but she tried. LOVED the first part, not so much the end. But she was confident throughout.
5. Syesha - didn't know the song, but she was consistent throughout the song
6. Brooke - Loved the first part - really thought she was going along beautifully, then she just lost all confidence and it fell apart for me.
7. Kristy Lee - Probably unpopular here with my thoughts - but didn't like it at all, I was distracted by the need to make it sound more country. She has been doing so well lately and maybe she tried too hard?

It was hard to pick the America bottom three, I thought it should be an all girl bottom three though.

America's bottom three: Carly, Brooke, Syesha - going home: Carly (due to position, and the "7" tattoo she got)

K's Take On Top 7 Mariah Madness

(Sorry this is so long - it was a strange show last night, and like you guys have said, other than the top 2-3, it's hard to pick the order. L is teaching a class right now, so she will post her thoughts in a little while.)

I have to say this, especially this week: For best 2nd/3rd analysis of the Idol performances, I suggest listening to the sound through high-fidelity speakers, and take YouTube with a grain of salt - the digital compression algorithm YouTube uses distorts the sound terribly. You might not catch how TERRIBLE Brooke sounded in the 2nd half of her song, for instance.
Also, I am by no means a Mariah fan, though anyone would have to admit she really could really, really sing, back in the day. Now, I imagine there are some "fresher" singers out there (Kelly C?) who could blow her off the stage.

Let's all have a drink from Paula's cup, AND:

David Cook - he's at the top for me because he does what no one else seems willing to do - try something different. There's a lot of bitching on the internet that Cookie "steals" his arrangements - which I say is bullshit. Not that he doesn't lift inspiration from various sources, but who else on Idol is subject to this kind of scrutiny? Do any of the others catch hell for adbdicating the arranging to Ricky, or just going with the same, tired version as the originals? I say, give Cookie props for making the songs sound like something a modern listener would respond to.

David A - maybe the best he's sounded since the Top 12. His voice was strong, he put on a confident show - the only reason he wasn't # 1 was he gave us exactly what we expected. It was very good, a "wow" on the singing, not a "wow" on the star power. Maybe I'm just getting tired of the whole "Up With People" vibe to his performances every week.

Jason C. - the Idol download king, and heir apparent to the Jack Johnson stoner-hippie singer-songwriter empire. Jason did a great job, I would download it off iTunes, but did it really sound any different than last week, or the week before that? (See 1 & 2 above.) Still, love this kid.

Then, after a several-story drop, the ladies.

Syesha - come on, she didn't try to blow out a lung (see Carly), she didn't take us into Bizarro land (see Kristy), and she delivered it with confidence (see Brooke). Still, it was blah. After the cardinal mistake on the Whitney song, and then another on "I Believe", she again commits an Idol faux pas: singing a forgettable song. She knew she was in trouble, going into this week, because did you notice she was working the cleavage? Still, you have to give her cred for taking the $ Idol doles out for clothing and making it seem like more.

Carly - tough week. She looked great, the first part of her song was surprisingly tender - and then she tried to blow the roof off the studio. Not that she doesn't have power - but as Spiderman says, "with great power comes great responsibility". She has to learn to apply the power with a deft touch. She cranked up to 11, however, and kept it there, even through the completely gratuitous end note. We may see another shocker exit a la MJ last week - and her #7 tattoo on her finger might turn out to be prophetic.

Brooke - the only reason I didn't place her at the bottom was the beautiful 1st half of her song. I have to admit, I wasn't expecting much from her: I am coming to expect less from Brooke every week, I know, them's fightin' words. But Brooke out-Jasons Jason in the week-in, week-out clone of her last performance. But this week, I was amazed to find myself drawn in - until after the bridge, not quite when Randy said, but close. Listen to it again: at approximately the mid-point, Brooke either misses a pedal-push or gets caught up in the chord change, but she VISIBLY and AUDIBLY freezes up. L & I were cringing. The entire rest of the song was flat, too fast, and warbly. Her last note, and the tearful look in her left eye, were almost like a surrender, not a glory finish. I don't think she's gone, but she'll be sweating it out in the B3.

Kristy - the Kountry twang was just weird, and it made the song seem twice as long to me. You can't say she wasn't confident, and she didn't really sing badly, it was just odd. Maybe you guys aren't aware of this, but she's the voting pick for a certain subversive Idol group, however - VFTW - so she has made it further than perhaps she should. We are heading into the second half of the 12, and blondes Kristy and Brooke might start looking alike to middle America, so she may soon be in trouble, as well.

America's B3: Syesha, Carly, Brooke - Man, it's competely a toss-up, but I'd say Brooke goes home, if only because Syesha is the last African American left, and the producers might want to keep her in.

- K

TMZ Top 7 Spoiler Link

It may have just been me, but I couldn't link to the Top 7 Spoiler List earlier, so I am reposting a spoiler link here from TMZ! Just click on the title above to get there.

We got an early start preparing for the night - by having frozen Sangria with dinner. I would say that Allison was right about a 2 drink minimum for tonight - but we have a 2 drink minimum EVERY Tuesday and Wednesday with Idol - so I guess we will have to step it up tonight! What are y'all partaking of??

The First Spoilers Are Rollin In . . .

DJ Slim over at IdolBlogLive has posted the first spoilers for tonight's Top 7 foray into the world of Ms. Carey. Very . . interesting . . . choices.

Carly Smithson - "Without You" - we already kinda knew this one
Jason Castro - "I Don't Wanna Cry"
David A. - When You Believe (Originally a duet between Mariah and Whitney)

A few comments here . . .

Again, I think Carly could create a bit of a moment here . . . if she'll just chillax

The Cuteness - Er . . . Um . . . Ok, this song is from La Carey's first cd, and it is a little less divaesque than some of her other ballads . . . but, um, I'm unclear on how this one is going to go . . . He's gonna have to unleash his romantical side and show us some passion. Goofy looks and cute smiles will not sell this one . . .

Lil David - A message song, but not the one I, or many others, thought. I hear there is an alternate version to this song that the wee, little one could be using. I'll try and find it.

Of note, Lil David choosing "When You Believe" could free up Hero for The Comeback Kid.

Hit the link to check out the story . . .

Top 7 Spoilers

More later . . .

Top 7: What Should They Sing? - Another Viewpoint!

Michael Slezak and Dawnie Walton over at Entertainment Weekly provide their weekly videoblog about the Top 7 Idols and what they should sing. I laughed out loud abuot Mariah's "gospel hand" and Dawnie tells Slezak that he is being "nasty" about Lil David. Loves it . . . Click the link so you can loves it too ...

Entertainment Weekly's Top 7 Song Predictions

The Top 7 do Mimi!

I think y'all got the point from several prior posts that I am not thrilled with our Top 7 Idols singing Mimi's songboook; however, we must perservere. Therefore, I'm gonna make a run at some predictions . . . Our buddy DJSlim over at IdolBlogLive has already reported that Carly will be singing "Without You". I'm on the fence about this one. "Without You" is definitely an Idol "moment" song. However, I have horrifying visions of Carly straining to hit those lingering high notes towards the end of the song . . .and Ms. Clarkson did it sooooooooooooo beautifully in season one.

So, with one down and six to go, here are my thoughts/picks for our Idols


Syesha Mercado - Will probably sing Vision of Love . . .but, I wish she would sing "Love Takes Time". LTT is also a ballad from Mimi's first CD, but it's MUCH MORE SUBTLE, and would allow her to acutally sing, and not STRAIN TO HIT NOTES THAT SHE IS INCAPABLE OF HITTING . . . I Will Always Love You performance circa Top 9 week. P.S. Outside shot she might sing "Can't Let Go"

The Cuteness/Brooke White - this duo could have some difficulty adapting their styles to Mimi's songbook. I think that Brooke may have a slight edge here as she has proven an ability to rearrange songs a little better than The Cuteness. That being said, I believe that one of them will sing Mimi's cover of "I'll be there" from her MTV Unplugged album. Ok, ok, I just had a thought, there is an acousticishesque type version of "Can't Let Go" on the unplugged album . . . Perhaps they could split these songs, break them down acoustically, and remain safe . . . as they should be.

The Comeback Kid - Ok, so, KLC could also be on the chopping block this week. Her only hope is to take one of Mimi's songs and simplify it. Don't try all of the runs, just sing the melody and let it build and build and hit the big money note at the end. Worked quite nicely last week. I think one of the songs that could (read: I'm really nervous for her) work for her is "Hero" . . . this song kind of makes me want to throw up lumpy, but it could be simplified in such a way that she could, maybe, pull it off, sort of . . . yikes.

Updated pick: I Still Believe . . . originally by Brenda K. Starr . . . could work. OR . . . just found that La Carey did a remake of "Open Arms" . . . KLC could rock that into a big ball of awesome . . . if they let her . .

Lil David - If he gets his first choice, I think he will pluck "Hero" from the clever hands of The Comeback Kid. Honestly though, there aren't many of these sweeping ballads that Lil Bit couldn't pull off. There are two, however, that I would kinda get a kick out of hearing him singing. First, "I Dont Wanna Cry" from her first CD. I'm not sure if he can infuse the song with the emotion that it needs, but it sure would be pretty. The one I really want him to sing . . . but he won't . . . is an obscure song from Mimi's 2nd CD called "Til the end of time". If this song is edited into 1.5 minutes correctly, it could be one of those idol "moments".

Rocker David - As I have stated in previous posts, Rocker David's niche here will have to be taking one of these songs and turning it into a longing, aching, emo death march. There's a couple of songs I could see him doing . . . mostly obscure. There is one off of CD number 2 called "The Wind". He could totally do this one with an edge, but it would be a bit of a different song for him . . . a little musical growth if you will . . . There's also a really belt-y ballad called "If Its Over" which is really kind of bitchy and angsty and he could probably turn it into something. Say it together now, "Emo Death March" . . . and he'll be safe into the Top 6.

Carly - Without You - we know she is singing this one; however, this may not be a great song if she is eliminated . . . "Well I can't forget this evening or your face as you were leaving, but I guess that's just the way the story goes" Would be bad lyrics to sing as your departing song.

What do y'all think?