American Idol Season 7

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Last night marked the end of the road for Chikeze Eze.  Kristy Lee Cook managed to squeak by yet again - drats!  Syesha Mercado seems to be having a very tough time coming up with enough votes to lock her into the competition.  She did an amazing job this week and it still wasn’t enough to keep her out of the bottom 3.  Apparently America just doesn’t think she’s good enough.  Either that or Kristy is just easier on the eyes.  Whichever it is, it is not looking good for Syesha and I predict she will be booted off in the next 2 weeks. 

 Jason Castro was also in the bottom 3 this week.  I guess it’s time for him to either start packing or get working on wowing the judges.  He needs to do something spectacular if he wants to continue his ride with Idol. 

Anyway, Chikeze left the Idol stage last night so you know what that means - no more salmon suits, calculator wrist bands and Barry White impersonations.  Shucks!  He had a good run but I’ll bet he is kicking himself for going with such a dreadful song this week.  Guess you can’t win ‘em all!

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Michael Johns needs to get off the stage!  Okay so his Queen medley last night wasn’t the worst thing in the world but seriously dude, you need to just go already.  His performance was pretty decent and then at the end he tried to hit notes that were no where near his range of capability. 

David Archuleta picked a strange song I’ve never even heard of before called “You’re the Voice.”  While it started off kind of so-so it actually was very nicely done.  The catchy melody in the chorus made him shine.  Like Randy said, David manages to take songs that are pretty lifeless and turn them into gold. 

Brooke White sang and played piano to the Police classic, “Every Breath You Take.”  The first half was absolutely amazing.  Brooke is wonderful when she sticks to her guns and does everything solo.  The trouble came in during the second half as cheesy backup singers and the band chimed in to build the song.  It just didn’t work out very well.  But you know what?   This girl is going to go places as a solo artist. 

I hate to say this but HATS OFF TO DAVID COOK!  He completely blew me away with a very different arrangement of “Billie Jean.”  After seeing this performance I really think he has a chance of winning the competition now.  I know, that’s a pretty bold statement!  Let’s not get too carried away though.  I can’t stand David’s personality.  There is something incredibly fake about him.  It just seems like he tries to emulate other artists too much and his attitude is way too cocky to really get too far.  But we’ll see. 

Oh brother - Kristy Lee Cook is back again.  Somehow she keeps surviving from getting booted off the show every week.  The female Sanjaya decided to go with “God Bless the USA” last night which pretty much seemed like a desperate attempt to get America to vote for her.  I guess she figures if she pulls out a patriotic song then Americans will get sentimental and ignore the fact that she sucks.  Oops, did I say that out loud?

Let’s see… tonight is the results show and I’m hoping that if Kristy doesn’t finally get the axe then maybe Michael Johns will be on his way out the door.  However, I’m not so sure that Carly, Jason and Chikeze are safe.  Syesha hasn’t been getting as many votes but hopefully her stellar performance will keep her out of the bottom 3.

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My apologies for the late post!  Did you guys watch Idol last night?  Here’s what I thought of it (the contestants are in no particular order - I am going by memory, folks!)

 The theme for last night’s show was songs from the year they were born.  So it was mostly popular 80’s hits and some were definitely better than others.

Can I just take a moment before I start to say - What was Paula wearing???  I guess she’s trying to hide some trackmarks with those gloves.  I don’t know, seems a little suspicious to me.  She seemed either drunk or high on drugs all night. 

Ramiele Malubay did a terrible job of “Alone”.  She was incredibly pitchy and I just couldn’t get over how bad it was.  Ramiele looked astounding although those 80’s style shorts weren’t really too sexy.  Randy put it to her straight and told her it wasn’t good.  But my opinion changed a little when Paula commended her for her performance despite being really sick.  Well… if Ramiele was sick then I have to retract my previous statements and say that she had a good excuse for sounding like a train wreck. 

Jason Castro, the birthday boy did Sting’s “Fragile”.  He has a good handle on being sweet and even sort of soulful when he sings but as much as I like him I think his performances are really starting to get old quickly.  Jason needs to do something else if he wants to stay alive in the competition and the judges agree.

Carly Smithson attempted to do a nice job of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” but wow did she miss the mark!  She seemed WAY too into it and it even verged on sounding angry.  I don’t know what she was thinking but it really didn’t work out for her.  What I don’t understand is that she has such a great voice but she doesn’t really know how to use it.  Her song choices never really seem to show off her skills.

Chikeze Eze looked pretty fly last night but boy does he need to stay away from these boring, corny love songs!!  Everything about his performance was atrocious.  I actually felt pretty embarrassed for him especially when he touched the hands of the screaming girls in the crowd.  It was equally terrible as he hit some really low notes at the end.  I guess it was supposed to be sexy?  Seemed like a total gimmick to me.

Syesha Mercado blew me away with “If I Was Your Woman.”  This was by far her best performance yet.  She nailed it.  The emotion and effort put forth was incredible so props to Syesha for a job well done!  The judges loved the song although I do agree with what Simon said about how she probably pushed her limits and doesn’t really have much else to work with vocally.  The girl is talented but let’s face it - she’s no Melinda Doolittle.

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 Well tonight’s results show was a bit of a disappointment.  Which contestants were in the bottom 3? 

Carly Smithson, Kristy Lee Cook and Amanda Overmeyer

Carly was shocked when Ryan announced that she was safe.  But come on now, she can actually sing.  It shouldn’t have come as such a surprise for her. 

My fingers were crossed as it got down to Amanda and Kristy.  Kristy has successfully slithered out of being booted off the show so many times now that I lost count.  Please, Ryan… tell me that Kristy is getting kicked off… pretty please?

She is STILL safe!  How on Earth is this even possible?  She’s like the female Sanjaya.  She just won’t go away!

Amanda Overmeyer ended her run with American Idol with dignity.  She didn’t cry, didn’t seem jealous.  She is a very humble lady and I respect her for that.  Granted, her vocals weren’t great all the time but I think we may see more of her in another field down the road.  Maybe as an entertainment news anchor or something.  Amanda performed “Back in the USSR” again to close the show.

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Carly Smithson performed “Blackbird”. She looked great tonight, probably the prettiest I’ve seen her. Randy said it was very nice, very controlled. Simon didn’t like it. He said the song was indulgent.

Jason Castro performed “Michelle” which was good but I hate to admit it sounded like he had the kid-in-his-bedroom syndrome again. Randy didn’t feel like Jason was connected to the song at all. Paula went on about his distinct charm, pointing out all the screaming, adoring fans he has managed to attract. Simon wasn’t crazy about it either but let him know that his “face sold that”.

Syesha Mercado performed “Yesterday.” It was nice but since I’m very partial to the original I had a hard time totally loving it. Randy said “great performance tonight.” Paula loved that Syesha showed her vulnerable side and told her that as long as she sticks to that and connects more with her eyes and the audience she will do fine. Simon’s thoughts? He “thought that was probably [Syesha’s] best performance so far.”

Chikeze Eze sang “I’ve Just Seen a Face” and did an awesome job, in my opinion. It started off as an R&B ballad and then he busted out the harmonica midway through. It changed into a country/rock song. Randy said there were some good parts and some bad parts. Paula loved that he showed such a wide scope of talent. Simon hated the harmonica and thought it was gimmicky.

Dear Ramiele Malubay – nice hat tonight! Randy said it was “aight.” Paula wants her to show off her range again. Simon said “it sounded like Chikeze was on harmonica.” He was disappointed that she chose such a lackluster song and didn’t really deliver.

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Tonight’s Idol was 2 hours of more Beatles tunes. How did the contestants do this time around?

Well Amanda Overmeyer performed “Back in the USSR” and while the beginning was a bit iffy, she managed to pull everything off from the middle to the end. Randy said the beginning was pitchy and Simon told her that if she doesn’t watch it she is “in danger of becoming a bit boring.”

Kristy Lee Cook looked terrible tonight in a glittery black dress with hooker boots. This time she “showed off” her lower range, probably to avoid being compared to Dolly Parton on helium again. She did “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away” and it was absolutely horrible, no other way around it. Randy told her she was not emotional enough. Paula didn’t like it but told her “this is the best you’ve ever looked”. Come on Paula. Stop lying about it. Simon compared her to musical wallpaper – you see it but you don’t remember it. She said she was having fun but it really didn’t show. She didn’t even seem like she wanted to be on stage tonight.

David Archuleta came back tonight with “The Long and Winding Road.” Randy said he played it a little safe but did a nice job. Paula called him wonderful and Simon said “I thought you were amazing”. He pointed out that the performance was “a masterclass.”

Michael Johns is really getting on my nerves. His performances all seem the same to me. Tonight he did a little better than usual however. Really belted it out so I have to give him credit for that. I just wish he would do something else with his hands. His body language is very annoying week after week.

Alright, David Cook. You got me. Your version of “Day Tripper” was actually really cool. I haven’t been a big fan of yours but the arrangement on this song tonight was awesome and you really pulled it off. Nice going. Randy said it was another solid performance. Paula said he’s ready to go sell records. Simon said he looked a little bit smug throughout and he’s lost his element of surprise.

I totally missed Brooke White’s performance tonight! Drats!!

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Did I predict this right or what?  It seemed as if the judges were trying to sway America to vote him out and it looks like all the scandal and judges comments worked because David Hernandez is officially gone from American Idol.

The bottom three consisted of David, Syesha Mercado and Kristy Lee Cook.  Honestly, Kristy should have been kicked out tonight but apparently America hates former gay strippers more than blonde country bumpkins with little talent.

 The Ford commercial tonight featured Cake’s “Going the Distance” and the top 12 did a nice Beatles medley.

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 The second half began as the magnificent Brooke White sang “Let It Be” at a piano.  This girl rules!  Simon called it a “brilliant choice of song”, said her performance was very believable and praised her for having 3 weeks of great performances in a row.  Go Brooke!

David Hernandez sang “I Saw Her Standing There”.  It was good.  He was dancing all over and seemed to get out of breath at one point.  He had a big finish with all kinds of runs.  Randy told him that there was too much going on so he was a little lost from the jump.  Paula says she loves his voice but thinks he overdid it.  Simon said, “no no no” and that it was “corny verging on desperate”.  I don’t think it was as bad as the judges made it out to be.  It almost seems like since the stripper news hit the airwaves that the judges are trying to get him booted off the show.  I could be wrong though.

Amanda Overmeyer blew me away tonight.  She looked incredible and she sounded awesome!  It’s about time, Amanda!  She rocked it out to “You Can’t Do That”.  It was definitely the best performance I’ve seen her do.  Randy said “that is the true mark of great songs” and that she “rocked it in a southern bar sort of way”.  Paula says she is a star up there.  And Simon didn’t think it was as good as last week but called her a “breath of fresh air”.

And then came Michael Johns.  He did “Across The Universe” tonight which is one of my favorite songs.  It was no where near as good as the original.  In fact, I haven’t really cared for Michael’s performances in a while.  It’s a shame because the guy can really sing.  Randy wasn’t crazy about it.  Paula thought it was a brilliant performance.  Simon agreed with Randy and said it was good but not good enough.

Kristy Lee Cook is becoming the queen of trainwrecks on Idol.  She has got to go!  Tonight she sang “8 Days A Week” and the arrangement was absolutely terrible.  I mean the music sounded so hectic and the tempo didn’t work with the melody.  It was a mess!  Randy’s thoughts? -  ”half of me likes it, half of me didn’t like it.” Paula didn’t enjoy it and flat out told her she “didn’t get it”.  And Simon “thought it was horrendous” and that she “sounded like Dolly Parton on helium”.  He called it a “very brave but probably foolish thing to do.”

David Archuleta closed out the show but tonight he didn’t bring all the energy and star quality as usual.  He sang “We Can Work It Out” and it was good but it couldn’t top his previous performances.  Paula told him that if he makes a mistake he needs to make sure that the audience doesn’t know about it in the future.  Simon said it was his weakest performance this season.

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Tonight was Beatles night for the American Idol Season 7 top 12.  Let’s go over the first half, shall we?

 Syesha Mercado did a lovely rendition of “Got To Get You Into My Life”.  Randy said she started off a little rough but then she had some fun with it.  Paula agreed and said it began with some pitch problems but she managed to find her “zone”.  Simon thought it was a great choice of song and even though she was a little nervous in the beginning she still did a good job.

Chikezie Eze rocked it out to change things up.  His performance began with a banjo and fiddle version and then broke out into an interesting and funky arrangement.  It seems like his outfits and performances keep getting better so that’s a step up!

Ramiele Malubay did her usual slow and pretty routine.  I don’t know, I really like this girl but I think she’s fallen into a rut.  Randy thought it was pretty but boring and Simon said he expected much better from her.

Jason Castro also returned to his usual routine with his guitar in hand and a sweet little song.  Randy liked it but thought he changed the melody too much.  Paula thought it was good and likes that he shows emotion when he plays.  And Simon compared it to a student alone in his bedroom at night. 

Carly Smithson finally wowed the judges tonight with “Come Together”.  Randy was very impressed and called it a stellar performance.  Paula felt like she was watching a true star on stage.  Simon thought she finally picked the right song.  He compared it to Kelly Clarkson’s breakout performance in week 7 of the first season.

David Cook actually didn’t sound that bad tonight with “Eleanor Rigby”.  He’s still a little too dramatic for my liking but at least he was a little more believable tonight.  Randy thought he proved he could rock out even though he started a little rough.  We all know Paula has a huge crush on him.  She called him the dark horse of the competition and thought he was fantastic.  Simon thought it was brilliant and told him that if the show remains a talent competition and not a popularity contest, he could have a shot at winning.

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I’m sorry guys but Kristy Lee Cook just doesn’t do it for me. She’s a sweetie and all but come on now, she admitted to the camera, “I had my own dog bowl to drink from” and that is frankly kind of strange! Anyway, tonight her outfit was less than flattering – some old lady rags. But she took Simon’s advice and tried to go with a more country route. It is definitely her strong suit but not enough to blow anybody away. Some of the notes she reached for at the end were just painful to hear. She sure looks like a performer but her vocals just can’t cut it. Randy actually liked it because of the country twinge. Paula said it could be a radio hit for her but I just don’t see it. And Simon said it was good to hear the country influence but he still thinks she is forgettable. Agreed.

Ramiele Malubay started off singing beautifully and built the song up nicely. There weren’t any huge notes or anything but it was really nice all around. Randy told her, “you got mad vocals, come on with it” meaning she needs to pick some songs that will allow her to belt out all the good stuff. Paula talked about loving the “colors” and “textures” of her voice and then trailed off into being a total crackhead again. It was very awkward and she ate up a lot of camera time! Simon called the performance “very old fashioned”, a bit predictable and said he wasn’t “jumping out of [his] chair on that.”

My girl Brooke White did an awesome cover of Pat Benetar’s “Love Is A Battlefield”. She sat at the edge of the stage singing while the band played an acoustic arrangement of the song. She turned it into a slower, country ballad and I just loved it. Randy really liked it while Paula felt that the music should’ve been different. Simon dismissed Paula’s comments and like myself, loved her version.

Syesha Mercado was last to go tonight and as usual she looked and sounded lovely. Tonight she sang “Saving All My Love For You”. This girl’s definitely got a spot in the top 12.

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