This week was supposed to have the theme Teen Idols, which would have played right into Katie and Aaron's respective wheelhouses. However, for some reason, the show changed it to the same thing we've been hearing (with the exception of The Rolling Stones last week) since they came out of auditions... Billboard #1s. They ARE going to bring on other themes, right? Or is this going to be truly the lamest season ever?
Our guest mentor was Miley Cyrus. Yeah, yeah... I groaned too. However, she actually did more than play Paula and seal-clap them through. She actually had some fairly well thought out constructive criticism for each and every contestant. Kudos for a good job there. The only thing I found fault with is that the show just had to point out how young she was...not once but at least twice which means that since I was playing the drinking game and the show had officially started, I was already good and tipsy before the first contestant hit the stage (which really didn't improve the performances any).
This week, the Maps seem to be working. They weren't last night so I dropped them a note along the lines of "Dudes, ya Maps fkd up and this has been 2 weeks in a row!". I see they got it rectified during my sleep cycle. I've pretty much decided not to add the links to this season's performance vids as they slow me down alot. However, I've added 2 links above to site you can go to to find the show vids. You will find other links scattered around that demonstrate what I mean on some of my comments.
Lee (The Letter by The Boxtops): I'm not so certain I would have picked this song for him. Kudos for changing it up somewhat. I didn't particularly like the way it was done (I'm partical to Bo Bice's Hollywood round version of it) , but at least the attempt was made to bring it into the '00's. This performance is definitely an acquired taste, I think. What I did like is that he showed a bit more confidence on the stage and I really hope that's enough to keep him around another week because I'm really sure we ain't seen his best yet. Lee seems to be like a meal in a slow cooker, it takes awhile but you know it's gonna be good when it's done. Time to turn up the heat just a little bit though because at this speed he'll be only halfway there by the time the show's done. No wins, no losses on the Maps which gives him a goose egg for the week. Normally, I'd compare the week to week change but since the Maps were broken last week I'll have to skip it this time around. His odds had a bit more than a 200 point slide this week. I don't know if it's because of the first singing position or if it is because not many liked the arrangement. Could be both. As much as I'd like to say he's in no danger, I cannot deny the numbers. He's in danger but certainly was NOT the worst of the night. That would belong to...
Paige (Against All Odds by Phil Collins): Ok hun, here are a couple examples as to how to perform this song and get the wows.... either this way (very nicely performed by a gal, such as yourself) or this way . The latter, couldn't stand this contestant at all, but this was undeniably one of his finer performances and I couldn't find fault with it if I tried. It was simply a very moving moment for him. When someone starts off key, and they KNOW they've gone off track... it really throws the confidence out the window and you never really recover. The only thing is to start over. I think she knew this the moment her mouth opened as you could see it written all over her face. She was off key and pitchy throughout; it was much like listening to nails being drug across a chalkboard. This was undeniably the WORST performance all.damn.season. You know how you know it was bad? Ellen refused to make a comment on the vocals. No wins and a single loss (only one other lost a state this week) puts her at a NEGATIVE 1 for this week. Top things all off her odds crashed so badly it was like the Hindenburg, Titanic and the Challenger all at once. From a +6221 on Tuesday to a +15,344 today (in odds, the bigger the number on the positive side, the worse you're doing...like weight loss)... even Lazarus couldn't come back from those odds. I will be absolutely shocked if she doesn't go B3 this week and almost as shocked if she doesn't get sent packing (nevermind Rickey's theory that the BDND.... black diva never dies).
Tim ( Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen): Working FOR him? The fact he sang after Paige. That's really about all. He needs to be thanking her profusely because her performance may just have gotten him on the tour. It was *meh* at best vocally, TMTH (too much to handle) visually. I've heard better in high school choirs, to be honest. He won one state and lost none so he is rated a 1 this week. His odds are still slip sliding away though. He's in danger of being in the bottom this time.
Aaron ( I Don't Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith): The kids are having a really bad time with some nasty colds and throat viruses going around. Casey's had the flu, Paige was sick last week, and this week it hit Aaron. Guys? Suck it up. We never heard so much about the kids getting ill in the previous seasons because they just handled it. Even when poor Bo was in the finals and vomitting in a bucket off stage between his performances due to the extreme pain he was in (a noncontagious, yet extremely serious condition), we never heard it until AFTER the show was done. My feeling? They saw that Crystal got the pity votes because she was hospitalized (which I doubt were actually pity votes considering the number she's always pulling) for her illness (which is NOT contagious) and they think it'll work for them. It's just lame excuses, buck up and move on or get lost. It was yet another *meh* performance from one of the kids *takes a shot* of this mediocre season. The good news? He won 3 states and loss none for a rating of 3 this week. Better news? His odds are slowly creeping up. I think he's still riding on that nice performance last week. We'll see next week. He could be in danger, but there were others much worse than him. I'd place him in midpack right now.
Crystal ( Me and Bobby McGee by Janis Joplin): You'll notice, I've got my official pick in the sidebar. Do I think she'll actually win? Probably not as in the 6 years of watching I've only gotten it right once (although all my picks are doing fairly well winner or not). I'm not overly a Janis fan, but this is one of the very few of my favorites of hers. I only have two bugs with her... the guitar (which comes across as a crutch sometimes) and the fact she doesn't make as much eye contact as the others. Will she go far? Oh hell yeah. There's only a couple ways to slow her down or get rid of her. Either the public gets tired of her because she doesn't step up a bit more OR a huge scandal of Frenchie Davis proportions. Crystal was the ONLY one solidly in green this week, the first all season pretty much. She's got 13 wins and no losses this week in the Maps and her stock just keeps creeping up. She's not to the point of hitting the negative numbers yet (which would be optimal) but if she delivers an awesome performance next week like she's hinted towards this week, it'll just be a matter of time.
Mike (When a Man Loves a Woman by Percy Sledge): He was my second favorite of the night, edging my favorite guy (Lee) out rather handily. Let's just put it this way... my panties were tucked neatly into the drawer in the bedroom, a good 2 rooms away. They managed to sneak out of the drawer, crawl to the office and throw THEMSELVES at the tv when Mike was singing. I *think* I saw Chicago's hand reach through the monitor to throw the panties back at the set, but I can't be certain. Yes, the performance could have been better if he'd done as Simon said and stripped the hell out of it, but this was definitely worthy of praise. I think once the judges listen to it back, they'll see for themselves. Mike is hubby's pick to win. There was a 2 state win with no loss this week , but his odds have slipped ever so slightly. According to numbers, he needs to be called as in danger but I won't be surprised if he makes it through to the tour.
Andrew (I Heard It Through the Grapevine by Marvin Gaye): Dog, bad pick man. He was on pitch but it was such a boring, lame performance. The only ones worse were Tim and Paige. It's a real shame he did Straight Up when he did because THAT'S the caliber performance he needs to be putting out at this point. Doing it as early as he did just set the bar too high for him to go beyond. As a friend of mine would say, "He shot his whole load on the one performance". Crude, yes, but the truth. On the other hand, if he hadn't done it then, he wouldn't have made it on the show. Andrew's just not bringing it and definitely not improving. One win, one loss (the only other to lose a state this time) gives him a huge goose egg this week. His odds have been steady tumbling since day one. He's definitely in trouble this week.
Katie (Big Girls Don't Cry by Fergie): This wasn't a bad performance but not so great either. I found it rather copy-cattish for the most part and very little was done to make it her own. It was, however, one of her better performances and you can see that she's at least trying... she's just not succeeding too well. No wins, no losses and a steadily falling set of odds pretty much tells me that her days are numbered unless she can pull an Over the Rainbow, Summertime (although I didn't like this girl either, I have to admit the performance was good),or even In a Dream sometime in the next performance. No wins and no losses also puts her in danger this week.
Casey (Power of Love by Huey Lewis): Again. Drop the guitar for a performance or two dude! Unhook the mic and carry it around the stage (as Chicago would say....play on those looks, honey!) and quit cutting yourself off from the audience. It was a nice performance, very good choice for his voice, but it was even more copy cat than Katie's. With 5 wins, no losses and odds that keep creeping up, I think it's safe to say he's made the tour group for this season.
Didi (You're No Good by Linda Ronstadt): This performance had its moments, just not THE Moment that she needs. I will say it's one of her better performances, but it's still not the quality that this show is supposedly looking for. I can't put my finger on quite what it was that I didn't like. It may simply be the way she pronounces some of the words that has me on edge. It was like listening to Megan Joy's voice coming out of Brooke White's body, not a pleasant combination. Based on this performance, I won't be surprised if she is in danger. Even though there were much worse, she's just not that memorable. Let's just put it this way, I'll remember her beautiful dress and the fact Ricky was on stage with that gorgeous standing bass. With 2 wins, no losses, and odds that keep slipping, it's just a matter of time before she's gone too. She's fodder and the only thing keeping her unmemorable butt in there is the lamentable performances of some of the others. According to the figures, she may or may not be in danger this week.
Siobhan (Superstition by Stevie Wonder): This girl reminds me of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. She has got the most awkward, uncomfortable interviews but then she hits the stage. Girlfriend has some serious pipes when she SINGS. This performance started out pretty cool. She had a very edgy look, very nice beginning and then for some reason I think the show jumped season because I could swear I heard Danny Gokey take the stage. Ok, it was somewhat incredible the first time around (albiet off-key then too) and I could understand the judges' first reactions of WOW. However, it's been 3 weeks now and to be honest, we don't need it every.fkn.performance. Even Adam Lambert changed it up week to week. If we had a rocker wail the one week (which was actually SUNG because he was hitting those high notes sans falsetto and not screaming them), then the next week we got a softer more emo-ish performance. This smacks of gimmicky ( and not in a good way like the homey feel Crystal adds with the carpet she brought out this week) and desparate. She won 2 states, lost none and her odds slipped ever so slightly. Even with the pimp spot, it's very possible we'll see her in danger. It's sad that with a pimp spot to help you out, that a mid-packer out performed you to the point of doing 6 TIMES better than you numberwise on the Maps.
Who deserves to go?
Lee: First singing postion doesn't help matters. Only thing that might help is Paige's crash and burn.
Paige: Ouch. That was painful this week. Of all of them she deserves most to go.
Tim: Meh. In a tie in the unmemorable category with...
Didi: See Tim.
Andrew: That was really bad. He peaked in Hollywood and has been a severe disappointment ever since.
Katie: Although Casey was just as Karaoke, if not worse, he's got the bigger fan base and can survive comments like that. She loses out to him there.
Siobhan: Screeches worse than a cat in heat.... it's as bad if not worse than Gokey was.
Rickey.org poll: Paige out
Rickey FROM Rickey.org: Paige out
MJ: Paige out
Me? By the numbers... Paige out. But could be ANY of the others I've listed. If you're not Crystal, you're in trouble.
Will they use the save? Nope. She aint worth it at this point. They'll save it for one of the few that are actually showing improvement.
No comments:
Post a Comment