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

Bucky Covington

Ok...I just responded to the previous post...and I like Bucky so much, I had to post this link to one of my favorite Bucky songs off the CD. If you haven't heard this song ("Different World") check it out and see if you relate to the lyrics. My favorite line: "No bottled water......we drank from a garden hose".....

CMT Awards

A veritable bevy of Idol contestants were present in the nominees for the CMT awards this year. Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Kellie Pickler were all multiple nominees. Even Bucky Covincton (Y'all know you remember "Fat Bottomed Girls") grabbed a nomination. And the big winner . . . La Pickler . . . She grabbed up 3 CMT awards! Ms. Underwood grabbed one award to also represent for Idol.

A big holla for La Pickler. . .

However, my clip pimpage goes to one Mr. Bucky Covincton . . . I don't know bout Rubbertoe and TtownIdolFan, but Allison, K&L, and myself very much HEARTED this performance! Enjoy!

Top 7 choices: Carly vs. Kelly

Once I saw that Carly was going to belt "Without You", I had to dig up the original . . . one of the best idol performances of all seven seasons. Ms. Kelly Clarkson singing "Without You" on the Final 3 results show from season one. This is the one performance season one that Simon called "The single best vocal of the season".

An aside: I do think that Carly could create a moment for herself with this one . . . ***crossing my fingers***

The Emancipation of the Top 7: Links to Possible Song Choices

Ok, y'all, I am taking a break from writing my dissertation . . . and, I do need a BREAK . . . so, I'm gonna provide some youtube clips to some of the more obscure Mariah songs I suggested for the Idols to sing.

The Comeback Kid - I Still Believe. Originally crooned by Brenda K. Starr . . . kinda simple . . . lots of high notes, but simple enough that I think KLC could bring home the money



Lil David - The obscure song I mentioned in the previous post is "Til The End of Time". This song would have to be edited correctly to work, but, Lil David is probably the only one left who could pull it off . . . I'm sure it will be "Hero", but, I hope it is this little ditty . . .




Rocker David - I would really like him to perform "The Wind". Now, when y'all listen, y'all are gonna be like . . . um, what are you smokin, J? But, just think about it . . . it's very, very subtle and could show a different side of our boy. Y'all know that every rocker needs a soft side . . . perhaps a way for him to shine minus the obligatory emo death march . . .




Just thought I would shed a little light on my choices . . .

Less than 24 hours, yo!

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?

Cardboard Brooke!

TMZ is reporting that Brooke White has found a way to be at her sister's wedding and rehearsing for Idol all at the same time. Her family had a cardboard Brooke constructed to stand in her place during the rehearsal and the wedding. Kind of cracks me up and is sooooooooooo in line with how I think Brooke and her family are in real life. Kind of cooky and fun. Hit the link to read the whole story!

Cardboard Brooke goes to the wedding!

The Hotness: An Exit Article . . .

TV Guide has posted an article about Michael Johns surprise exit . . . sniff sniff . . . from American Idol. The article lists Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban, and The Dolly as fans of The Hotness. The article goes on to report that The Hotness talked to The Dolly about collaborating on a duet. Also of note, the article includes a poll about whether or not we think La Seacrest was cruel in his dismissal of The Hotness. . . 93% say YES!

Read more about the exit of The Hotness!

Oh My-Lanta! Top 7 Theme . . . One Sweet Error in Judgement

So . . . er . . . um, so, like yeah, the Top 7 will have Ms. Mariah Carey as their mentor. That, by itself, should not cause a great deal of alarm. As long as the Top 7 stay 15 feet back, and address her heiness as Ms. Carey, they should be fine. However, what in blue blazes is the idol machine thinking by making this week's theme . . . THE FRACKIN SONGBOOK OF MARIAH FREAKIN CAREY . . . have they lost their rule book? . . . did they stare into Syesha's eyes and become entranced by her baby cry impression? Um, I do believe the judges ALWAYS tell folks not to sing the Big 3 - Celine, Whitney, and Mariah - what will our idols sing? The only two I can think of that will get through this week unscathed are the Davids. I'm sure Rocker David can remix one of Mariah's sugar pop songs into an emo death march . . .And, we all know that these types of songs were made for our little David . . . "Anytime You Need a Friend", "Hero", or "One Sweet Day". Who else can handle these songs . . . maybe Carly, but she gets so stressed when she sings. UGH! These concentrated themes are not fair. They are too limited! Its so much better when they do a broader theme so that everyone gets a fair shake . . . UGH! I fear for The Comeback Kid, but, I think this theme which is so, supposedly made for Syesha, could be the death of her. Don't y'all just know she is going to sing Vision of Love. Tragic.

Thanks to the folks at IdolBlogLive for the story.

Michael Johns Lights My Fire

Alright, so, I know I'm going a little overboard here, but, y'all, I am really kind of heartbroken. I know, I know, it is only a tv competition, and in the larger context, it doesn't really matter . . . but, I still feel like last night's elimination was filled with COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF UGH!

Therefore, I am posting another clip. The Hotness channelling Jim Morrison . . . and Lighting My Fire.

Friendly Little Competition: Week 5 . . . But still grief stricken . . .

As a reminder, I have provided the standings prior to Thursday's COMPLETELY FREAKIN WRONG IN SO MANY WAYS I CANNOT DESCRIBE elimination

1. Rubbertoe - 9
1. Josh - 9
3. Allison - 8
3. L - 8
3. K - 8
6. TtownIdolFan - 7

Results:

Rubbertoe - 2 points (Two of Bottom Three correct)

Josh - 3 points (Two of Bottom Three correct . . . and, sniff sniff, the bonus point for pre-competition pick . . . I gladly would have given this point up)

Allison - 3 points (All of Bottom Three) Congrats, Allison!

L - 3 points (All of Bottom Three) Congrats, L!

K - 2 points (Two of Bottom Three)

TtownIdolFan - 1 point (One of Bottome Three)

New Standings:

1. Josh - 12 points
2. Rubbertoe - 11 points
2. Allsion - 11 points
2. L - 11 points
5. K - 10 points
6. TtownIdolFan - 8 points

Look for a posting on next weeks theme after I find the energy to pull myself out of the fetal position . . .

J

In Memoriam of The Hotness

Sniff, sniff, I'm still in mourning . . . I can't really discuss it . . . sniff, sniff.

To pay homage, I think we all need to see The Hotness sing a little Bohemian Rhapsody . . . sniff sniff

A Sucker Punch Down Under

Wha-?
Did that just happen?
It was a shocker to say the least. Lisa was excited that her bottom three played out, but we were both stunned that Aussie Mike got the boot. With all the predictions from Dial Idol and Tivo to the poll here pointing to Syesha, it seems like some shenanigans are afoot. Was Mike thrown under the bus, as they say? It sure seemed surreal.

Top 8 Results: Um . . . EXCUSE ME!

So, I couldn't do a live blog because Idol came on at 7pm . . . when it always comes on at 8pm . . . UGH!

Anyhoo, I came in when Ms. Sparks was getting her platinum record! Hooray for Jordan! I am very happy for her! Ttown Idol Fan said that she and Chris Brown sounded really good!

When I arrived, Lil David, Rocker David, and The Brooke were sitting on the Couch of Glory!

Up next, The Cuteness and a recap of his little ukulele . . . sooooooo cute! And, of course, he is safe.

Next up, The Comeback Kid (KLC). . . Ryan toys with her a little bit, but she looks confident . . . no "Kristy's Seat" note tonight. As she should be, The Comeback Kid is SAFE!

That leaves The Hotness, Carly, and The Breaker of the Cardinal Rule in the Bottom Three. Carly immediately raises her hand when Ryan teases the commercial with the question "Who has the lowest number of votes?" Not a lot of confidence in tattoo land . . .

Let's skip to the meat . . . Randy thinks that America doesn't really have it right . . and neither does Paula. Simon thinks that he and America are finally seeing eye to eye.

Ryan says that after the nationwide vote, Syesha and Carly are safe . . . um, clearly listening to my ipod for eleventy hours per day has tainted my hearing . . . surely that did not just happen. Ryan tells us that The Hotness has the lowest number of votes . . . But wait, now La Seacrest is reminding us that last year on Idol Gives Back that no one was sent home . . . but this year . . . The Hotness has been eliminated.

Let me just say, I was watching the results with TtownIdolFan, and he was so mad that he turned off the television and slammed the remote down. I cannot possibly express just how cruel La Seacrest was with the teaser that The Hotness could be safe. It was unnecessary! It was just down right mean! Did he wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Did his flat iron have a short? Did he stumble into some unflattering light? What could have possible prompted him to be like that. I realize I shouldn't be so quick to criticize Ms. Seacrest . . . she was probably just reading the script as she was directed, but, I gotta tell ya, it was pretty damned awful.

Hrrrmph! That sucks! The Hotness should have been good on into the Top 5. I'm not happy with America.

Like Allison's sister, LT, I am bitter.

Very, very bitter.

Revisiting the Inspiration!

On the eve of the Top 8 elimination show, I thought I would refresh y'all's memory on my Top 3 picks from Tuesday! Thank goodness for the wonder that is youtube!

1. David Archuletta "Angels"



2. Kristy Lee Cook "Anyway" (Still feels weird to have her in this position)



3. The Cuteness "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"



Here's hoping that these three are safe! Good Luck to all our Idols this evening . . . except maybe Syesha . . . I don't dislike her, but STOP BREAKING THE IDOL COMMANDMENTS . . . someone give this girl a copy of the rules . . . STAT!

P.S. Couldn't post youtube clips without paying homage to . . . .

The Hotness!



Holla, y'all!

Friendly Little Competition - Week 5: A Trip to Inspiration Point

A little reminder of our scores as of last week . . .

1. Rubbertoe - 9
1. Josh - 9
3. Allison - 8
3. L - 8
3. K - 8
6. TtownIdolFan - 7

We have a tight race here, folks . . .

Here are this week's predictions:

Rubbertoe: Bottom 3: Brooke, Syesha, and Carly. Eliminated: Syesha
Josh: Bottom 3: Carly, Syesha, KLC. Eliminated: Carly
Allison: Bottom 3: Carly, Syesha, The Hotness: Elimnated: Syesha
L: Bottom 3: Carly, Syesha, The Hotness: Eliminated: Syesha
K: Bottom 3: Carly, Syesha, and Rocker David. Eliminated: Syesha
TtownIdol: Bottom 3: Syesha, KLC, Rocker David. Eliminated: Rocker David


Remember to give back . . . to someone . . . that you took from . . . and stuff :)

J/K - I hope that Idol Gives Back produces a ton of money! I'm glad the Idol Machine is trying to do some good! :)

L&K weigh in on the Top 8

Hey y'all! We have not had a chance to read the recaps or the lists for this week in-depth - just briefly glanced at them for now, but can't wait to dig into them later this afternoon :) One thing, I think I saw - we all have some different takes on the performances and the bottom 3.

Here we go, first up K's List:

1. Jason
2. Aussie Mike
3. David A.
4. Kristy Lee
5. David Cook
6. Carly
7. Brooke
8. Syesha

America's Bottom 3: David Cook, Carly, Syesha
Syesha goes home

And now, L's List:

1. Jason C. - beautiful!
2. Aussie Mike - yay! he went for the big notes :)
3. Kristy Lee - total package tonight, song, look, voice and no weird, squinty, eye thing
4. David A. - nice piano, and I LOVE Robbie - but thought he kind of phoned it in at the end of the song
5. David C. - what's up here? But still better than the rest of the girls....
6. Carly - looked better, but no on song, and she yells/screeches too much for me
7. Brooke - kind of lackluster, very nervous? should have played piano
8. Syesha - yuck!

America's bottom 3: Carly, Syesha, Aussie Mike(due to placement in the singing)
Syesha goes home

Update from Lunch Review

So ok. Maybe Brooke is not quite as bad as I initially thought, but it still wasn't good for me. Brooke obviously was very emotional over the song, and I felt her emotions when she was talking to the judges, but the performance was lackluster.

Josh still isn't with me at all on the lack of sincerity. So trying to be more concrete -- The hair and dress seemed like a costume to me. Her stage presence felt contrived. Brooke obviously sang the song well, but to use a famous Simon phrase, if that was the first time I heard her I wouldn't get it. And I would really be shocked that she was Top 8 on Idol.

I like Brooke, but I thought this was a weak performance during a night when she could have really shined.

Also on second review, I am more convinced that Syesha is going home.

And, KLC's performance was really good.

KLC in my top 3?

OK...What am I thinking, Kristy Lee Cook in my top 3? Are you kidding? OK...as much as I hate to admit it and want her to "just leave"....I would place her in my top 3 performances last night. It was the first time since auditions that I actually thought she sounded as good as she looked.

Watching last nights show was a little déjà vu. I couldn't help but look at the people in the crowd and say....hey I was there last week....ok....just get over it already.

First up was Michael John - eh....it was ok....I think the stylist needs to work with him a little more. Two weeks in a row with the ascot? Get over it already. He showed that he is no Steven Tyler. The song was pretty good but the falsetto was horrendous

Next up - Syesha. Can I just say that last night I was completely irritated by her. The girl proved once and for all that she has absolutely zero sense of judgement. What was she thinking.....Fantasia's "I believe"...? She has consistently made horrible judgements in song choice and as a result has sealed her own doom. The song was passable but she proved that she is NO Fantasia. The song lacked any of the passion/energy that Fantasia put in the song (especially in the refrain). She took a great song and made it as bland as last years "This is my now". The only positive thing I can say is that it wasn't as bad as Lakesha's "Jesus take the wheel" from last year.

Jason Castro - OK...when I read that he was doing "Over the rainbow" I cringed. It never occurred to me that he would do "IZ'S" version of the song which I love. Jason not only did the song justice....it was great. A few missed notes, but overall pretty dang hot.

Kristy Lee Cook - As I said. Brilliant song choice. She looked hot and sounded great. As much as it pains me.....she gets my props.

David Cook - Horrendous. Pompous (as Simon said) with no justification for it. I didn't get it. The outfit was horrible. David dropped a bunch of rungs with this performance. His "give back" writing on his hand was silly and corny. C'mon David...you are soooo much cooler and better than this.

Carly - I completely disagreed with the judges here. I thought for once it was a great song choice for her. It actually helped me understand who her audience/niche is. I thought she looked good on stage....the aquamarine color (If that is what is what) looked good and I thought he "angry" sound/performance was fitting for her style and the song.

David Archuletta - Best performance of the night....by far. David doing what David does best. Started out a little weak...but by the time he was finished I was once again in awe. The chosen one has returned.

Brooke - Looked horrible and sounded blaise (Is that how you spell it). She takes one of the greatest songs written and performs it as if she herself is bored. (I would not want her as my "friend" if her performance is any indication of our relationship). She also displayed one of my pet peeves about Brooke...her little "I love you" hand signal to her family and her focus on them...was exactly what she did last week. I have nothing against loving your family or appreciating their support...but if she is going to be a "star" she better start realizing that there is an entire audience out there that she has to connect with. Being the "American Idol" is different than singing songs to your family around the living room.


So who SHOULD be in the bottom three: I hate to say it....but it should be Syesha, Brooke and David Cook. (I know....gasp!!!!)

Who will it be: Syesha, Carly and Brooke.

Going home: Duh - This one is a no-brainer for sure......Syesha.


Tonight - 2 1/2 hours!!!! Wh- hoooo!....Idol gives back.

P.s......anyone watching my third favorite show: Hell's Kitchen? Can I say...I love Chef Ramsey!!!!

Rubbertoe.....out!!!

You're the meaning in my life, you're my inspiration

Idols do life anthems. Hmm. I am not completely sure what these song choices tell us about the idols' lives, but we did get some pretty nice performances last night. Here's my run down:

1. Little David -- love to see him at the piano, great voice and song choice. Josh and I had a lively discussion about whether or not he was passionate enough in his performance. I wanted MORE passion. Josh thought the understatement was spot on. As I told Josh, by his number one ranking in my order CLEARLY the lack of passion did not seem to hurt him. Perhaps Little David will develop some more passion as he gets more experience in being an artist. That's what is missing for me. But still a "head and shoulders above the rest" performance from our favorite 17 year old.

2. Jason C. -- I will admit, I was a little worried for Jason C., but I think that the exchanging of the guitar for the ukulele made a HUGE difference in this not being just another signer songwriter night for him. Loved the performance, I would sit for hours in a bar listening to him sing and strum.

3. KLC -- the girl is going to be a country star. Last night proved it. She is beautiful, she has the look, and that song showed off her voice. Sorry Josh and Shep -- I think this girl is SAFE from the bottom 3 tonight.

4. Aussie Mike -- He is just hot. good song choice, pretty good performance. He had a LOT to live up to from last week and I think that his effort was good enough.

5. David Cook -- by no means his strongest performance. Vocals were a little weird for me. But he is a rock star. The jacket got mixed reviews at our idol watching party, but I was ok with it. And I still HEART the haircut.

6. Brooke -- I really hated this performance in its entirety. I know I had a bad attitude going into it because I don't like the song in the first place, but it felt insincere. Until now the one thing I love about Brook is the authenticity she brings to her performances. This did not work for me. Josh COMPLETELY disagrees. We are going to watch it again at lunch today so maybe after a second opinion I will feel better about it. she is ranked 6 for me because her vocals were good and in tune and she did not scream. She won't be in the bottom 3 because she went last.

7. Carly -- As Paula Abdul's traditional "I'm getting ready to tell you that I hated the performance" line, let me start by saying Carly looked great. She was pretty and edgy without looking dated. She is a good performer, but this performance did not work. Probably because the vocals were a little rough (I agree with Josh that there may be something up with her voice).

8. Syesha -- Don't break the rules. Lakeshia almost went home with that song choice last year. And I don't think this girl is going to be so lucky.

America's Bottom 3: Syesha, Carly, Aussie Mike*
Going home: Carly

*My choices for the last spot came down to Aussie Mike and David Cook. I went with Aussie Mike because he was first and because I think the Daughtry fans from season 5 like David Cook and won't let him go to the bottom 3 because they are still bitter about Daughtry's top 4 exit. I know my sister, LT, is still bitter.

Very, very bitter.

She still has not quite recovered from that upset to this day.