Not a very strong night for our contestants. The real contenders are separating themselves from the rest of the pack. Based on last night's absolute train-wreck performance, I have to think that Scott will be getting his walking papers tonight. But it's risky to downplay the power of the sympathy vote he gets, so perhaps that leaves Lil or Anoop in danger.
Onward.
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Danny Gokey - "Stand By Me"
Vocal ability: 60
Consistency: 60
Versatility: 55
Star power: 55
Song choice: 55
It was good, but more and more it seems like he kind of does the same thing every week. Namely, he relies on a big, emotional finish to his performances to leave the impression that the entire thing was praiseworthy. He's always good, but really hasn't had a knockout performance to date. As I say every week, this formula works fine for him because he's such a popular contestant, but, on merit, he looks a bit less impressive with each passing week since there are fewer vastly inferior singers left in the field.
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Kris Allen - "All She Wants To Do Is Dance"
Vocal ability: 55
Consistency: 55
Versatility: 55
Star power: 55
Song choice: 50
Very mediocre performance tonight, especially vocally. He'd just been starting to change my mind, but this catapulted me back to my previous opinion that he's terribly overrated. Last week I thought maybe I could come around on him if he continued to show up with interesting arrangements that suit his average voice. But tonight he stumbled in every respect. I don't think one disappointing performance is enough to sink him, but this definitely was a step backward.
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Lil Rounds - "What's Love Got To Do With It"
Vocal ability: 60
Consistency: 55
Versatility: 55
Star power: 55
Song choice: 50
The judges were pretty spot on with their comments. She's a good singer, but she hasn't been impressive, and she certainly hasn't had any memorable performances. And I think that's just what it boils down to. She's good, but she doesn't know how to grasp at being great. It would be one thing if she tried something overly ambitious and had it go up in flames. At least then we'd know for sure that she has nothing more to offer than a series of pretty good performances. But the longer she decides to play it safe, the more certain we become that what once appeared "safe" is really just her best.
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Anoop Desai - "True Colors"
Vocal ability: 65
Consistency: 55
Versatility: 50
Star power: 50
Song choice: 55
He needs to keep things slowed down. He's a very good singer, but not a high-energy singer. This was smart, in that he went back to the kinds of performances that brought him back from the dead in the first place. But if this is the only kind of song he can nail, that's only going to keep him around for another week or two. If he played the piano or guitar, I think he could be a serious contender. His possesses a much better voice than Kris, Matt, and of course Scott. But whereas they can make a real impression by singing pretty well while also playing an instrument, Anoop is stuck strolling around the stage in low-energy performances. In the end, it means he's pretty one dimensional. I won't close the door on him entirely until he tries one more mid-to-high tempo song, but when he does, I don't think he'll pull it off.
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Scott MacIntyre - "The Search Is Over"
Vocal ability: 35
Consistency: 45
Versatility: 40
Star power: 40
Song choice: 40
A disaster. Cheesy and uncomfortable with absolutely abysmal vocals. I don't really want to spend much time writing about it. If you saw it, there's really nothing I need to add. The most perplexing thing about Scott continues to be the restraint the judges show when critiquing him. This would have looked bad in a high school talent show. Again, I wonder what the producers had to promise Simon to keep him from letting loose on this guy.
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Allison Iraheta - "I Can't Make You Love Me"
Vocal ability: 65
Consistency: 70
Versatility: 65
Star power: 60
Song choice: 60
She's the second-best singer in this competition, with nearly as much talent and none of the propensity for irritating theatricality of Adam. She's been good every week, and excellent on a number of occasions. Looking forward, it doesn't seem likely that she'll be able to keep us from an Adam vs. Danny final, mostly because she's already made two Bottom 3 appearances. But I won't count her out just yet, because I suspect she's working her way up people's lists as a second or third choice. And as the field shrinks, that kind of general support will matter as people's first choices gradually disappear. If she makes the top 5, which she absolutely deserves, then it will be time to really take her seriously.
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Matt Giraud - "Part Time Lovers"
Vocal ability: 55
Consistency: 50
Versatility: 55
Star power: 50
Song choice: 50
Umm, I guess because they were running out of time and didn't have enough time to let people boo if the judges said anything semi-negative. This just wasn't that good. Certainly not "absolutely incredible" as Kara described it. I guess he sort of got the Anoop treatment in that the judges hated what he did last week so much, that made it too easy to say nice things this week. There was one especially hideous note in there, but the rest was neither particularly good or bad.
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Adam Lambert - "Mad World"
Vocal ability: 70
Consistency: 70
Versatility: 70
Star power: 65
Song choice: 65
A standing ovation from Simon. Since I'm new this season, I'm not sure if that's ever happened before, but I'm going to guess that it hasn't. This was excellent, though I would say not quite as excellent as "Tracks Of My Tears" from a couple of weeks ago. I'm sure that's partly because that was the first time Adam decided to pull back, strip a song down, and just sing it to death. This was very similar, so there wasn't the same kind of shock and surprise at this performance. But, that said, it was haunting and beautiful, even if he did once again get the benefit of moodier stage lighting than anyone else. He remains the best.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Top 8 Power Rankings
The field shrinks a bit more, and outside of Scott everyone remaining has some potential to do something impressive on any given night. Here's how I think they stand in the public's mind.
Smooth Sailing
1. Danny Gokey
2. Adam Lambert
3. Kris Allen
Treading Water
4. Lil Rounds
5. Scott MacIntyre
6. Allison Iraheta
Drowning
7. Matt Giraud
8. Anoop Desai
It pains me to put Scott above Allison, but his popularity/sympathy vote coupled with what truly was his best performance yet last week puts him in relatively safe territory for the time being. Eventually the similarity and monotony of his performances will catch up with him, but it hasn't yet.
I think Allison would be in fine shape if the judges had actually addressed her good performance instead of just taking shots at her outfit, but at this point it is what it is, and she landed in the bottom three. However, I think the raw deal she got last week will be noted, and I expect positive comments will be bestowed upon her next week in order to make amends.
Smooth Sailing
1. Danny Gokey
2. Adam Lambert
3. Kris Allen
Treading Water
4. Lil Rounds
5. Scott MacIntyre
6. Allison Iraheta
Drowning
7. Matt Giraud
8. Anoop Desai
It pains me to put Scott above Allison, but his popularity/sympathy vote coupled with what truly was his best performance yet last week puts him in relatively safe territory for the time being. Eventually the similarity and monotony of his performances will catch up with him, but it hasn't yet.
I think Allison would be in fine shape if the judges had actually addressed her good performance instead of just taking shots at her outfit, but at this point it is what it is, and she landed in the bottom three. However, I think the raw deal she got last week will be noted, and I expect positive comments will be bestowed upon her next week in order to make amends.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The Morning After
The full analysis is just below, but here's the quick ranking of last night's performances.
I have to believe that Megan is getting sent home tonight. I also won't be surprised to see Allison in the bottom three again, even though she doesn't remotely deserve it. There's even a part of me that's nervous about Allison getting sent home tonight, or at least needing a save to keep her going.
1) Kris Allen - Rather stunning.
2) Adam Lambert - Singing the best counts for a lot.
3) Danny Gokey - Emotional, just like he likes it.
4) Allison Iraheta - She's really, really good.
5) Scott MacIntyre - More "smart" than "good."
6) Lil Rounds - On cruise control, but that's getting risky.
7) Matt Giraud - Could be another tense results show.
8) Anoop Desai - Crashes back to earth.
9) Megan Joy - Vastly inferior.
I have to believe that Megan is getting sent home tonight. I also won't be surprised to see Allison in the bottom three again, even though she doesn't remotely deserve it. There's even a part of me that's nervous about Allison getting sent home tonight, or at least needing a save to keep her going.
1) Kris Allen - Rather stunning.
2) Adam Lambert - Singing the best counts for a lot.
3) Danny Gokey - Emotional, just like he likes it.
4) Allison Iraheta - She's really, really good.
5) Scott MacIntyre - More "smart" than "good."
6) Lil Rounds - On cruise control, but that's getting risky.
7) Matt Giraud - Could be another tense results show.
8) Anoop Desai - Crashes back to earth.
9) Megan Joy - Vastly inferior.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Top 9 - iTunes Top Downloads... or something.
Here's the analysis you crave.
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Anoop Desai - "Caught Up"
Vocal ability: 60
Consistency: 50
Versatility: 50
Star power: 50
Song choice: 50
This just isn't the kind of performance you can afford to turn in when you're leading off the show. Anoop sounded pretty good, but it lacked energy. It's hard to go first, and Anoop had openly accepted the challenge to amp things back up a bit, but he dropped the ball here. It probably won't doom him, but the best he can hope for is that he gets by and this performance is quickly forgotten. He missed an opportunity here, however, to show that the "Beat It" disaster was a fluke and that he does indeed possess some versatility. It's looking more and more like he can only really succeed with the ballads.
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Megan Joy - "Turn Your Lights Down Low"
Vocal ability: 45
Consistency: 40
Versatility: 40
Star power: 45
Song choice: 40
Kara nailed it. For the first time her voice actually annoyed me. I've said before that her voice isn't great, but that I like it. This is the first time I didn't even like her on her own terms. It's hard to see this not going down as the worst performance of the night, and likewise she seems ticketed for another visit to the bottom three. With Sarver gone, Megan looks like the next obvious choice to get the boot, but I'm not ready to commit to that just yet.
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Danny Gokey - "What Hurts The Most"
Vocal ability: 60
Consistency: 60
Versatility: 55
Star power: 55
Song choice: 60
This wasn't nearly as good as the judges would have you believe. It was good, and it's the kind of song choice and performance that make his fans flip head-over-heels for him, but it wasn't show stopping. I'll even agree that it was his best of the finals so far, but wasn't as good as "Hero" from the semifinals. I guess maybe that's too far in the past to matter much at this point, but that's where I think he set the bar for himself, and this wasn't quite on par. Doesn't really matter, though, as he's safe as can be.
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Allison Iraheta - "Don't Speak"
Vocal ability: 65
Consistency: 65
Versatility: 60
Star power: 60
Song choice: 60
Why was all the discussion about her clothes? She's basically been dressing like this all season. Was it a little bit wackier than her previous outfits? Sure, I guess so. But no one took even a moment to comment on the strength of her performance, which once again was really good. It was the kind of commentary that makes you want to break your television, because you can just imagine the lack of attention paid to her singing causes people to think it was worse than it was, and poof, Allison will be in trouble again. I think she's great, but the treatment she got tonight makes me nervous for her on the results show. This was just unfair.
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Scott MacIntyre- "Just The Way You Are"
Vocal ability: 45
Consistency: 50
Versatility: 40
Star power: 45
Song choice: 55
This was his best of the season, though that's not really saying much. And with all the hubbub about Allison's look just a few minutes ago, why not spend the entire time talking about Scott's goofy new 'do and silly leather jacket. His look is more of a departure from the norm than Allison's. And look, now they've got me writing about nothing but appearances one week after I decided to strike that category from my rankings altogether because it just doesn't matter all that much. Or at least it shouldn't. Anyway, this was good for Scott. He did what he does best very well tonight. It's still not impressive, but it'll get him through to next week.
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Matt Giraud - "You Found Me"
Vocal ability: 55
Consistency: 55
Versatility: 55
Star power: 50
Song choice: 55
Tonight just keeps getting stranger. There was nothing great about this, but I was surprised by how unanimously the judges panned it. In fairness, I'm not familiar with the original version of the song he sang, so maybe it was, in fact, too "sound-alike." If so, then that's a fair criticism. But, even so, I thought they were harsher on him than even a derivative performance would warrant. After visiting the bottom three last week, surprising as that was, this isn't a good development for Matt. He might be headed back there once again.
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Lil Rounds - "I Surrender"
Vocal ability: 60
Consistency: 55
Versatility: 55
Star power: 55
Song choice: 50
Well, at least we have a bit of a return to normalcy. This was pretty good, though we got the expected "too serious" comments from the panel. But at least they recognized the singing itself as being good, and they refrained from commenting on her outfit and hair (which didn't fit her at all, by the way). As the weeks go by, though, I'm less and less optimistic about Lil's chances in the competition. She's a good singer, but every week I'm waiting for a true breakthrough performance from her, and it just hasn't come. Though she's vastly superior to Megan, I think I've about reached a similar point with Lil where I just think this is all she has to offer. Good stuff, but nothing show-stopping.
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Adam Lambert - "Play That Funky Music"
Vocal ability: 70
Consistency: 60
Versatility: 65
Star power: 65
Song choice: 55
As always, he's the most interesting, and he's the only one who truly seems interested in doing anything with any real degree of difficulty or risk. There was a return to some of the hair-metal shriekiness of previous weeks -- a bit too much for my taste, in fact. Once he goes up there once or twice, we get it, and don't need to hear it four more times. So, that aspect will keep the haters hating and lovers loving. This was my least favorite performance of his so far, but after the past two weeks, it wasn't surprising to see him revert to form a little bit. Still, it's the best of the night so far.
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Kris Allen - "Ain't No Sunshine"
Vocal ability: 60
Consistency: 60
Versatility: 60
Star power: 55
Song choice: 60
Well, damn, that was really good. This is the first time I've liked Kris this season, and I think he actually just gave the performance of the night. It's always hard to follow Adam, but Kris had the perfect change-of-pace song ready to go. Something more upbeat would have been overshadowed, but this was very nuanced and intelligent. Definitely his best of the season, and the first time his actual on-stage performance made me really pay attention and take him seriously. Until now, he hadn't had any shaky performances, but I also didn't think he'd had any truly great ones. This one was great.
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
Anoop Desai - "Caught Up"
Vocal ability: 60
Consistency: 50
Versatility: 50
Star power: 50
Song choice: 50
This just isn't the kind of performance you can afford to turn in when you're leading off the show. Anoop sounded pretty good, but it lacked energy. It's hard to go first, and Anoop had openly accepted the challenge to amp things back up a bit, but he dropped the ball here. It probably won't doom him, but the best he can hope for is that he gets by and this performance is quickly forgotten. He missed an opportunity here, however, to show that the "Beat It" disaster was a fluke and that he does indeed possess some versatility. It's looking more and more like he can only really succeed with the ballads.
____________________________________________
Megan Joy - "Turn Your Lights Down Low"
Vocal ability: 45
Consistency: 40
Versatility: 40
Star power: 45
Song choice: 40
Kara nailed it. For the first time her voice actually annoyed me. I've said before that her voice isn't great, but that I like it. This is the first time I didn't even like her on her own terms. It's hard to see this not going down as the worst performance of the night, and likewise she seems ticketed for another visit to the bottom three. With Sarver gone, Megan looks like the next obvious choice to get the boot, but I'm not ready to commit to that just yet.
____________________________________________
Danny Gokey - "What Hurts The Most"
Vocal ability: 60
Consistency: 60
Versatility: 55
Star power: 55
Song choice: 60
This wasn't nearly as good as the judges would have you believe. It was good, and it's the kind of song choice and performance that make his fans flip head-over-heels for him, but it wasn't show stopping. I'll even agree that it was his best of the finals so far, but wasn't as good as "Hero" from the semifinals. I guess maybe that's too far in the past to matter much at this point, but that's where I think he set the bar for himself, and this wasn't quite on par. Doesn't really matter, though, as he's safe as can be.
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Allison Iraheta - "Don't Speak"
Vocal ability: 65
Consistency: 65
Versatility: 60
Star power: 60
Song choice: 60
Why was all the discussion about her clothes? She's basically been dressing like this all season. Was it a little bit wackier than her previous outfits? Sure, I guess so. But no one took even a moment to comment on the strength of her performance, which once again was really good. It was the kind of commentary that makes you want to break your television, because you can just imagine the lack of attention paid to her singing causes people to think it was worse than it was, and poof, Allison will be in trouble again. I think she's great, but the treatment she got tonight makes me nervous for her on the results show. This was just unfair.
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Scott MacIntyre- "Just The Way You Are"
Vocal ability: 45
Consistency: 50
Versatility: 40
Star power: 45
Song choice: 55
This was his best of the season, though that's not really saying much. And with all the hubbub about Allison's look just a few minutes ago, why not spend the entire time talking about Scott's goofy new 'do and silly leather jacket. His look is more of a departure from the norm than Allison's. And look, now they've got me writing about nothing but appearances one week after I decided to strike that category from my rankings altogether because it just doesn't matter all that much. Or at least it shouldn't. Anyway, this was good for Scott. He did what he does best very well tonight. It's still not impressive, but it'll get him through to next week.
____________________________________________
Matt Giraud - "You Found Me"
Vocal ability: 55
Consistency: 55
Versatility: 55
Star power: 50
Song choice: 55
Tonight just keeps getting stranger. There was nothing great about this, but I was surprised by how unanimously the judges panned it. In fairness, I'm not familiar with the original version of the song he sang, so maybe it was, in fact, too "sound-alike." If so, then that's a fair criticism. But, even so, I thought they were harsher on him than even a derivative performance would warrant. After visiting the bottom three last week, surprising as that was, this isn't a good development for Matt. He might be headed back there once again.
____________________________________________
Lil Rounds - "I Surrender"
Vocal ability: 60
Consistency: 55
Versatility: 55
Star power: 55
Song choice: 50
Well, at least we have a bit of a return to normalcy. This was pretty good, though we got the expected "too serious" comments from the panel. But at least they recognized the singing itself as being good, and they refrained from commenting on her outfit and hair (which didn't fit her at all, by the way). As the weeks go by, though, I'm less and less optimistic about Lil's chances in the competition. She's a good singer, but every week I'm waiting for a true breakthrough performance from her, and it just hasn't come. Though she's vastly superior to Megan, I think I've about reached a similar point with Lil where I just think this is all she has to offer. Good stuff, but nothing show-stopping.
____________________________________________
Adam Lambert - "Play That Funky Music"
Vocal ability: 70
Consistency: 60
Versatility: 65
Star power: 65
Song choice: 55
As always, he's the most interesting, and he's the only one who truly seems interested in doing anything with any real degree of difficulty or risk. There was a return to some of the hair-metal shriekiness of previous weeks -- a bit too much for my taste, in fact. Once he goes up there once or twice, we get it, and don't need to hear it four more times. So, that aspect will keep the haters hating and lovers loving. This was my least favorite performance of his so far, but after the past two weeks, it wasn't surprising to see him revert to form a little bit. Still, it's the best of the night so far.
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Kris Allen - "Ain't No Sunshine"
Vocal ability: 60
Consistency: 60
Versatility: 60
Star power: 55
Song choice: 60
Well, damn, that was really good. This is the first time I've liked Kris this season, and I think he actually just gave the performance of the night. It's always hard to follow Adam, but Kris had the perfect change-of-pace song ready to go. Something more upbeat would have been overshadowed, but this was very nuanced and intelligent. Definitely his best of the season, and the first time his actual on-stage performance made me really pay attention and take him seriously. Until now, he hadn't had any shaky performances, but I also didn't think he'd had any truly great ones. This one was great.
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Friday, March 27, 2009
Top 9 Power Rankings
As expected, Michael Sarver will grace us no longer with his, well, whatever he brought to the table.
Here's how I see the remaining nine stacking up, for now...
The Favorite
1. Adam Lambert - Too good not to be #1.
The Contenders
2. Danny Gokey - Safest bet to make the final two.
3. Kris Allen - I hate doing this, but he's steady and popular.
4. Allison Iraheta - Best of the ladies.
Contending To Contend
5. Anoop Desai - If he can bring some energy back next week...
Outside Looking In
6. Lil Rounds - Slipping a bit, but certainly not out of it.
7. Matt Giraud - He was good, but a Bottom 3 visit sure ain't.
Danger! Danger!
8. Megan Joy - I've heard she's pretty.
9. Scott MacIntyre - It's time to go.
Here's how I see the remaining nine stacking up, for now...
The Favorite
1. Adam Lambert - Too good not to be #1.
The Contenders
2. Danny Gokey - Safest bet to make the final two.
3. Kris Allen - I hate doing this, but he's steady and popular.
4. Allison Iraheta - Best of the ladies.
Contending To Contend
5. Anoop Desai - If he can bring some energy back next week...
Outside Looking In
6. Lil Rounds - Slipping a bit, but certainly not out of it.
7. Matt Giraud - He was good, but a Bottom 3 visit sure ain't.
Danger! Danger!
8. Megan Joy - I've heard she's pretty.
9. Scott MacIntyre - It's time to go.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
The Morning After
The detailed analysis is here, but here's my short-and-sweet rundown of who hit and who missed last night.
1) Adam Lambert - Rather stunning.
2) Allison Iraheta - Brings it every week.
3) Danny Gokey - Steady as always.
4) Matt Giraud - Danny's still the better singer.
5) Anoop Desai - Comeback complete, now must step it up.
6) Lil Rounds - Disappointing, but she'll survive.
7) Kris Allen - Can't sing with the six above.
8) Michael Sarver - Seems the judges want him gone.
9) Megan Joy - Won't be long now.
10) Scott MacIntyre - Worst singer in a singing contest.
1) Adam Lambert - Rather stunning.
2) Allison Iraheta - Brings it every week.
3) Danny Gokey - Steady as always.
4) Matt Giraud - Danny's still the better singer.
5) Anoop Desai - Comeback complete, now must step it up.
6) Lil Rounds - Disappointing, but she'll survive.
7) Kris Allen - Can't sing with the six above.
8) Michael Sarver - Seems the judges want him gone.
9) Megan Joy - Won't be long now.
10) Scott MacIntyre - Worst singer in a singing contest.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Top 10 - Motown
Here's your Top 10, glorious and inglorious alike.
Here's my previous analysis of the Top 11 and Top 13 in case you'd like to compare my notes.
Oh, and here's what I thought would happen tonight.
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Matt Giraud - "Let's Get It On"
Vocal ability: 55
Consistency: 60
Versatility: 50
Star power: 55
Song choice: 55
Smart to get up from piano when he did. Still don't love his "false" like the judges say they do, but, he's pretty good. It was a modest change of pace from what we'd been getting from him in the previous weeks. It was nothing that radically changed what I think about him, but it was different enough that I stayed interested. He wasn't as good tonight as I thought he might be, but he was still solid. At the same time, though the judges have started talking him up a bit, I'm still not convinced he has anything more than this to offer.
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Kris Allen - "How Sweet It Is"
Vocal ability: 50
Consistency: 60
Versatility: 50
Star power: 60
Song choice: 55
Good on stage. Simon was right when he said Kris is having "a nice competition." He is. People like him, he's been pretty consistent, so it makes sense that he's popular and still in it. I've really tried to listen to him with fresh ears a number of times now, though, and I still just don't think he's nearly as good as a number of other people. I was lukewarm on Matt in much the same way for a while, but whereas Matt has begun to change my mind just a bit, Kris hasn't been able to do that.
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Scott MacIntyre - "You Can't Hurry Love"
Vocal ability: 40
Consistency: 45
Versatility: 45
Star power: 40
Song choice: 45
He did nothing to make me reconsider anything I've written previously, so I won't spend time repeating myself. It wasn't good, and unlike Simon and Randy curiously suggesting otherwise, he just can't do any better. He's the weakest contestant by far.
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Megan Joy - "For Once In My Life"
Vocal ability: 45
Consistency: 40
Versatility: 40
Star power: 50
Song choice: 45
Vocally, she's very limited. I kind of liked it as a performance, but as an alleged showcase of talent it wasn't good. Yes, the camera loves her, but that's not going to be enough anymore. She probably has another week in her, since Michael has to be the likely loser tomorrow night. But she's clearly running on fumes, and was never ever really running on much more.
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Anoop Desai - "Ooh Baby Baby"
Vocal ability: 60
Consistency: 50
Versatility: 50
Star power: 50
Song choice: 60
Anoop can effing sing. He's only shown that he can master ballads thus far after coming back from the Michael Jackson disaster, so he'll have to do more going forward. But this was excellent once again. The problem is that the energy and personality people like about him gets lost when he sings these kinds of songs, and you have to wonder if he'll be able to strike the right balance of pep and technical performance. Randy openly encouraged him to crank it back up, and I agree he needs to do that to seriously contend. But, after "Beat It," call me skeptical that he can pull it all off in the same performance. I'd like to be wrong, though.
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Michael Sarver - "Ain't Too Proud Too Beg"
Vocal ability: 50
Consistency: 45
Versatility: 50
Star power: 45
Song choice: 50
Harsh, harsh words from the judges. I think he's a decent singer and don't believe it was as bad as they said. But, having already been in the bottom two last week, plus a so-so effort this week plus the brutal comments, this likely spells the end of Michael's run on the show. Not much else to say. This was probably his last time on the Idol stage.
____________________________________________
Lil Rounds - "Heatwave"
Vocal ability: 60
Consistency: 55
Versatility: 55
Star power: 60
Song choice: 55
Was a little shouty at points, but she can really sing. Basically, the trouble she had tonight, and that the judges pointed out, is the same kind of trouble that Anoop ran into with "Beat It" (I'm not trying to mention that performance fifty times tonight, it's just happening). It's hard to sing a nearly flawless song when you're also trying to really a performer, too. I mean, when you go see a concert, you don't demand perfect vocals at the expense of general entertainment. I think Lil can really own a stage. She owned it tonight and still sang very well, which I think is something that every contestant needs to do now and then. Singing really well most of the time is most important, but you also want to show some star power. At this stage, she's still good enough to go high-energy and skimp on the technical stuff a little bit and still get by.
____________________________________________
Adam Lambert - "Tracks Of My Tears"
Vocal ability: 70
Consistency: 65
Versatility: 70
Star power: 70
Song choice: 65
Let me get right to the heart of it and just say that Adam is operating on higher intellectual and artistic plane than the other competitors. I hesitate to toss around the word "artist" about people who, though good singers, are still only up there singing other people's songs. But tonight I think he crossed that line for me. He doesn't need this show anymore, and truthfully I hope he doesn't win, just so he can avoid being beholden to too many Idol interests once it's all over. I don't know what kind of music he wants to make, but it's becoming more apparent each week that he can do whatever he wants. He can just do things vocally and interpretively that no one else can. Lots of people hated "Ring of Fire" from last week, but the cold hard truth is that no one else on the show could even have considered doing something so radical. They're stuck thinking in Idol terms, while he's beyond them thinking in artistic terms. Tonight he entirely reinvented his appearance, persona, and style, all while delivering by far the best song of the night. It's one thing to be brave enough to try such a thing, but something wholly more impressive to pull it off so convincingly and effortlessly. I could go on, but I think the point has been made.
____________________________________________
Danny Gokey - "Get Ready"
Vocal ability: 60
Consistency: 60
Versatility: 60
Star power: 55
Song choice: 55
Sure, good, and following just about any other singer it might have even seemed very good. But he drew the unlucky number tonight and had to follow the best performance of the season thus far. He fell prey to the same criticism Lil did, in that his vocals were compromised by the energy he put into the performance. Again, I think that's kind of a cheap shot. Of course you sing worse when you're trucking around a stage. But no one wants to watch someone who sings well but stays rooted in one place like a tree. Heck, even Adam's first two performances had some "shouty" moments, despite the overwhelming praise from the judges. So, personally, I'm not going to be too tough on anyone in that respect. But, that said, while he may still be the favorite to win because his style is more accessible than Adam's, he's not in the same class as a singer.
____________________________________________
Allison Iraheta - "Papa Was A Rolling Stone"
Vocal ability: 60
Consistency: 60
Versatility: 55
Star power: 60
Song choice: 60
I'm very glad my bad feeling about her tonight was completely proven wrong. Hopefully she's in no danger come tomorrow night, because I'm starting to think she's the second-best contestant this season. She hasn't made the leap to "artist" territory that Adam did tonight, but I think if there's anyone else this season who can do it, it's Allison. Though she's clearly quite precocious, her only being 16 will probably still preclude her from pulling off something like Adam did tonight. Her voice is also something of an acquired taste, I think, but it's undeniably good. There are other good singers, but Allison and Adam are the only ones who have moments on stage that make you feel like you're watching their concert, not a television show.
Here's my previous analysis of the Top 11 and Top 13 in case you'd like to compare my notes.
Oh, and here's what I thought would happen tonight.
____________________________________________
Matt Giraud - "Let's Get It On"
Vocal ability: 55
Consistency: 60
Versatility: 50
Star power: 55
Song choice: 55
Smart to get up from piano when he did. Still don't love his "false" like the judges say they do, but, he's pretty good. It was a modest change of pace from what we'd been getting from him in the previous weeks. It was nothing that radically changed what I think about him, but it was different enough that I stayed interested. He wasn't as good tonight as I thought he might be, but he was still solid. At the same time, though the judges have started talking him up a bit, I'm still not convinced he has anything more than this to offer.
____________________________________________
Kris Allen - "How Sweet It Is"
Vocal ability: 50
Consistency: 60
Versatility: 50
Star power: 60
Song choice: 55
Good on stage. Simon was right when he said Kris is having "a nice competition." He is. People like him, he's been pretty consistent, so it makes sense that he's popular and still in it. I've really tried to listen to him with fresh ears a number of times now, though, and I still just don't think he's nearly as good as a number of other people. I was lukewarm on Matt in much the same way for a while, but whereas Matt has begun to change my mind just a bit, Kris hasn't been able to do that.
____________________________________________
Scott MacIntyre - "You Can't Hurry Love"
Vocal ability: 40
Consistency: 45
Versatility: 45
Star power: 40
Song choice: 45
He did nothing to make me reconsider anything I've written previously, so I won't spend time repeating myself. It wasn't good, and unlike Simon and Randy curiously suggesting otherwise, he just can't do any better. He's the weakest contestant by far.
____________________________________________
Megan Joy - "For Once In My Life"
Vocal ability: 45
Consistency: 40
Versatility: 40
Star power: 50
Song choice: 45
Vocally, she's very limited. I kind of liked it as a performance, but as an alleged showcase of talent it wasn't good. Yes, the camera loves her, but that's not going to be enough anymore. She probably has another week in her, since Michael has to be the likely loser tomorrow night. But she's clearly running on fumes, and was never ever really running on much more.
____________________________________________
Anoop Desai - "Ooh Baby Baby"
Vocal ability: 60
Consistency: 50
Versatility: 50
Star power: 50
Song choice: 60
Anoop can effing sing. He's only shown that he can master ballads thus far after coming back from the Michael Jackson disaster, so he'll have to do more going forward. But this was excellent once again. The problem is that the energy and personality people like about him gets lost when he sings these kinds of songs, and you have to wonder if he'll be able to strike the right balance of pep and technical performance. Randy openly encouraged him to crank it back up, and I agree he needs to do that to seriously contend. But, after "Beat It," call me skeptical that he can pull it all off in the same performance. I'd like to be wrong, though.
____________________________________________
Michael Sarver - "Ain't Too Proud Too Beg"
Vocal ability: 50
Consistency: 45
Versatility: 50
Star power: 45
Song choice: 50
Harsh, harsh words from the judges. I think he's a decent singer and don't believe it was as bad as they said. But, having already been in the bottom two last week, plus a so-so effort this week plus the brutal comments, this likely spells the end of Michael's run on the show. Not much else to say. This was probably his last time on the Idol stage.
____________________________________________
Lil Rounds - "Heatwave"
Vocal ability: 60
Consistency: 55
Versatility: 55
Star power: 60
Song choice: 55
Was a little shouty at points, but she can really sing. Basically, the trouble she had tonight, and that the judges pointed out, is the same kind of trouble that Anoop ran into with "Beat It" (I'm not trying to mention that performance fifty times tonight, it's just happening). It's hard to sing a nearly flawless song when you're also trying to really a performer, too. I mean, when you go see a concert, you don't demand perfect vocals at the expense of general entertainment. I think Lil can really own a stage. She owned it tonight and still sang very well, which I think is something that every contestant needs to do now and then. Singing really well most of the time is most important, but you also want to show some star power. At this stage, she's still good enough to go high-energy and skimp on the technical stuff a little bit and still get by.
____________________________________________
Adam Lambert - "Tracks Of My Tears"
Vocal ability: 70
Consistency: 65
Versatility: 70
Star power: 70
Song choice: 65
Let me get right to the heart of it and just say that Adam is operating on higher intellectual and artistic plane than the other competitors. I hesitate to toss around the word "artist" about people who, though good singers, are still only up there singing other people's songs. But tonight I think he crossed that line for me. He doesn't need this show anymore, and truthfully I hope he doesn't win, just so he can avoid being beholden to too many Idol interests once it's all over. I don't know what kind of music he wants to make, but it's becoming more apparent each week that he can do whatever he wants. He can just do things vocally and interpretively that no one else can. Lots of people hated "Ring of Fire" from last week, but the cold hard truth is that no one else on the show could even have considered doing something so radical. They're stuck thinking in Idol terms, while he's beyond them thinking in artistic terms. Tonight he entirely reinvented his appearance, persona, and style, all while delivering by far the best song of the night. It's one thing to be brave enough to try such a thing, but something wholly more impressive to pull it off so convincingly and effortlessly. I could go on, but I think the point has been made.
____________________________________________
Danny Gokey - "Get Ready"
Vocal ability: 60
Consistency: 60
Versatility: 60
Star power: 55
Song choice: 55
Sure, good, and following just about any other singer it might have even seemed very good. But he drew the unlucky number tonight and had to follow the best performance of the season thus far. He fell prey to the same criticism Lil did, in that his vocals were compromised by the energy he put into the performance. Again, I think that's kind of a cheap shot. Of course you sing worse when you're trucking around a stage. But no one wants to watch someone who sings well but stays rooted in one place like a tree. Heck, even Adam's first two performances had some "shouty" moments, despite the overwhelming praise from the judges. So, personally, I'm not going to be too tough on anyone in that respect. But, that said, while he may still be the favorite to win because his style is more accessible than Adam's, he's not in the same class as a singer.
____________________________________________
Allison Iraheta - "Papa Was A Rolling Stone"
Vocal ability: 60
Consistency: 60
Versatility: 55
Star power: 60
Song choice: 60
I'm very glad my bad feeling about her tonight was completely proven wrong. Hopefully she's in no danger come tomorrow night, because I'm starting to think she's the second-best contestant this season. She hasn't made the leap to "artist" territory that Adam did tonight, but I think if there's anyone else this season who can do it, it's Allison. Though she's clearly quite precocious, her only being 16 will probably still preclude her from pulling off something like Adam did tonight. Her voice is also something of an acquired taste, I think, but it's undeniably good. There are other good singers, but Allison and Adam are the only ones who have moments on stage that make you feel like you're watching their concert, not a television show.
Fearless Forecast: Motown
Just like last week, here's my gut feeling about how tonight's performances shape up, best to worst.
1) Lil Rounds - Home field advantage.
2) Danny Gokey - In his comfort zone, as well.
3) Matt Giraud - Could be a turning point for him.
4) Anoop Desai - Good, but not as good as last week.
5) Adam Lambert - God only knows.
6) Michael Sarver - One more pretty good one?
7) Kris Allen - Expect nice comments regardless.
8) Allison Iraheta - I'm afraid she stumbles.
9) Megan Joy - There's a chance she'll look good.
10) Scott MacIntyre - Please fail. Please fail.
We'll see.
1) Lil Rounds - Home field advantage.
2) Danny Gokey - In his comfort zone, as well.
3) Matt Giraud - Could be a turning point for him.
4) Anoop Desai - Good, but not as good as last week.
5) Adam Lambert - God only knows.
6) Michael Sarver - One more pretty good one?
7) Kris Allen - Expect nice comments regardless.
8) Allison Iraheta - I'm afraid she stumbles.
9) Megan Joy - There's a chance she'll look good.
10) Scott MacIntyre - Please fail. Please fail.
We'll see.
Top 11 Stuido Recording Reviews
A little late, seeing as how it's Top 10 day. But, I'll post this anyway.
I love the studios because you see what each person can do when they have a chance to build a song through its natural progression. The often forced 0-60 nature of the live performances can come off awkward at times simply because of the time constraints.
Surely many will take issue with my high ranking of Adam's decidedly un-country recording, but I just think it's fantastic.
So here's my take, with an occasional comment thrown in.
1) Anoop Desai
2) Adam Lambert
3) Allison Iraheta
4) Matt Giraud -- Really liked this. I could come around on him.
5) Alexis Grace -- Had been looking forward to more of these from her...
6) Lil Rounds
7) Danny Gokey
8) Kris Allen -- He's okay, but I just do not get the intense love for him. In his comfort zone, fine, his voice is nice. But he has limited range, doesn't hit his high notes, and is thoroughly unspectacular. I relistened to his live performance a few times, and went into this with an open mind, too. Maybe I was just missing something. But I'm really not. He's unspectacular. I obviously need to account for the fact that many people like him, but he is not a great singer.
9) Megan Joy -- Quirky in a good way? Yes. Particularly good? Not really.
10) Michael Sarver
11) Scott MacIntyre
I love the studios because you see what each person can do when they have a chance to build a song through its natural progression. The often forced 0-60 nature of the live performances can come off awkward at times simply because of the time constraints.
Surely many will take issue with my high ranking of Adam's decidedly un-country recording, but I just think it's fantastic.
So here's my take, with an occasional comment thrown in.
1) Anoop Desai
2) Adam Lambert
3) Allison Iraheta
4) Matt Giraud -- Really liked this. I could come around on him.
5) Alexis Grace -- Had been looking forward to more of these from her...
6) Lil Rounds
7) Danny Gokey
8) Kris Allen -- He's okay, but I just do not get the intense love for him. In his comfort zone, fine, his voice is nice. But he has limited range, doesn't hit his high notes, and is thoroughly unspectacular. I relistened to his live performance a few times, and went into this with an open mind, too. Maybe I was just missing something. But I'm really not. He's unspectacular. I obviously need to account for the fact that many people like him, but he is not a great singer.
9) Megan Joy -- Quirky in a good way? Yes. Particularly good? Not really.
10) Michael Sarver
11) Scott MacIntyre
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Blindsided...
...but there's some comfort in knowing I wasn't the only one? Because really, without the aide of Dial Idol predictions, who would have seen that coming? Alexis had been great, was liked by judges and viewers, and was a perfectly likeable personality at this stage.
And so my Idol education continues. Weird, extremely disappointing things happen, and there's nothing you can do about it. Except vote more. And I think maybe that's the best explanation for what happened this week. Alexis' rendition of Jolene wasn't all that great, but you can see from her other scores that she'd been very well received. She was one of the favorites, even one of the rumored "rigged final four."
So I think a lot of people just assumed she wasn't in any danger and voted for their other favorites. Comeback votes for Anoop. Sympathy votes for Megan. And somehow everything broke in such a way that one of the best contestants is gone way too soon.
I refused to believe Dial Idol could be right about Allison and Alexis being in danger. I'm tempted to ban myself from peeking at the predictions, lest I continue to ignore what unfortunately proved to be good information. We see what we want to see, I suppose. At least until what we want to see is off the show and off the tour and out of sight forever.
And though I've already said I'm okay with the Save Rule in principle, last night was clearly the logical time to use it. Alexis was absolutely worth saving, unless everything the judges had said about her previous performances was pure B.S. The save shouldn't be dependent upon how well you "sing for your life" at the end of the show, because that's an impossible position to be in.
It should be used when someone who's clearly talented and more deserving than others of remaining on the show is inexplicably voted off. Alexis is definitively better than Scott, Michael, Megan, and Kris, and arguably better than others, as well. Were the save anything more than a cheap production ploy, it would have been used Wednesday night. What a tease to say they would consider saving her. A straight-up lie.
I would argue that once you get town to the top 6 or so, there aren't any true "shockers." At that point, everyone should be fairly even and someone will have to go. But because Alexis is so superior to about half the remaining field, this actually qualifies as a shock.
Surely, as we speak, Scott and Michael are drawing straws to see who should resign from the competition so Alexis can be reinstated.
Surely.
And so my Idol education continues. Weird, extremely disappointing things happen, and there's nothing you can do about it. Except vote more. And I think maybe that's the best explanation for what happened this week. Alexis' rendition of Jolene wasn't all that great, but you can see from her other scores that she'd been very well received. She was one of the favorites, even one of the rumored "rigged final four."
So I think a lot of people just assumed she wasn't in any danger and voted for their other favorites. Comeback votes for Anoop. Sympathy votes for Megan. And somehow everything broke in such a way that one of the best contestants is gone way too soon.
I refused to believe Dial Idol could be right about Allison and Alexis being in danger. I'm tempted to ban myself from peeking at the predictions, lest I continue to ignore what unfortunately proved to be good information. We see what we want to see, I suppose. At least until what we want to see is off the show and off the tour and out of sight forever.
And though I've already said I'm okay with the Save Rule in principle, last night was clearly the logical time to use it. Alexis was absolutely worth saving, unless everything the judges had said about her previous performances was pure B.S. The save shouldn't be dependent upon how well you "sing for your life" at the end of the show, because that's an impossible position to be in.
It should be used when someone who's clearly talented and more deserving than others of remaining on the show is inexplicably voted off. Alexis is definitively better than Scott, Michael, Megan, and Kris, and arguably better than others, as well. Were the save anything more than a cheap production ploy, it would have been used Wednesday night. What a tease to say they would consider saving her. A straight-up lie.
I would argue that once you get town to the top 6 or so, there aren't any true "shockers." At that point, everyone should be fairly even and someone will have to go. But because Alexis is so superior to about half the remaining field, this actually qualifies as a shock.
Surely, as we speak, Scott and Michael are drawing straws to see who should resign from the competition so Alexis can be reinstated.
Surely.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Top 11 Results Wrap-Up
Lip syncing. Hooray. Michael loves his kids. Aww.
I'll have more about the show later. I guess if I'd been watching the show for years I'd be pretty unfazed by nights like this, but boy did voters ever swing and miss last night.
I'll have more about the show later. I guess if I'd been watching the show for years I'd be pretty unfazed by nights like this, but boy did voters ever swing and miss last night.
Dial Idol Predictions: Potential Spoilers!
But I'll give you fair warning before writing anything meaningful about it. If you're curious to see who's likely to be in trouble come results time tonight, here's the list.
But, starting now, if you want no hint of what might happen this evening, it's time to look away.
I'll start with the no-brainers. Danny and Anoop are in no danger of going anywhere, and it's the second week in a row the Dial Idol has indicated Danny was the top vote getter. Anoop was much higher last week than his performance justified, but this week he earned the votes.
The middle of the pack isn't surprising, aside from Michael's oddly strong showing. I guess you have to chalk it up to his fan base really liking last night's theme. Still, the performance was bad enough I thought he'd be further down the list.
And so now we arrive at the alleged bottom 3, and the results are surprising. It's not surprising to find Megan in there, but the predictions suggest that Alexis and Allison are the bottom 2. They also had Allison down there last week, but I'm skeptical that she truly was that low. I find it equally hard to believe that either of these two ladies, let alone both, could really be in danger of getting the boot.
Here's hoping it's not accurate, because they've been two of the best so far.
But, starting now, if you want no hint of what might happen this evening, it's time to look away.
I'll start with the no-brainers. Danny and Anoop are in no danger of going anywhere, and it's the second week in a row the Dial Idol has indicated Danny was the top vote getter. Anoop was much higher last week than his performance justified, but this week he earned the votes.
The middle of the pack isn't surprising, aside from Michael's oddly strong showing. I guess you have to chalk it up to his fan base really liking last night's theme. Still, the performance was bad enough I thought he'd be further down the list.
And so now we arrive at the alleged bottom 3, and the results are surprising. It's not surprising to find Megan in there, but the predictions suggest that Alexis and Allison are the bottom 2. They also had Allison down there last week, but I'm skeptical that she truly was that low. I find it equally hard to believe that either of these two ladies, let alone both, could really be in danger of getting the boot.
Here's hoping it's not accurate, because they've been two of the best so far.
Top 11 Power Rankings
Power rankings for the top 11. This is how I see everyone's standing in the overall competition, not a ranking of how everyone did Tuesday night. That analysis is right here.
For comparison's sake, last week's power rankings are here.
The Favorite
1. Danny Gokey - Harder to dislike than Adam gives him edge.
The Contenders
2. Adam Lambert - Polarizing, but he's the most talented.
3. Alexis Grace - Not her best, but no reason to drop her yet.
Contending To Contend
4. Lil Rounds - Other formats will be friendlier.
5. Allison Iraheta - Tempting to bump up, but why rush?
The Sleeper
6. Anoop Desai - An aberration, or a revelation?
The Deep Sleeper
7. Matt Giraud - In need of a breakout performance.
Can't Quite Hack It
8. Kris Allen - I need to accept he's well-liked, but I can't.
9. Scott MacIntyre - Likewise. Don't understand the love.
10. Michael Sarver - Country fan base to the rescue.
Sayonara
11. Megan Joy - Pretty face, slinky dress not enough.
For comparison's sake, last week's power rankings are here.
The Favorite
1. Danny Gokey - Harder to dislike than Adam gives him edge.
The Contenders
2. Adam Lambert - Polarizing, but he's the most talented.
3. Alexis Grace - Not her best, but no reason to drop her yet.
Contending To Contend
4. Lil Rounds - Other formats will be friendlier.
5. Allison Iraheta - Tempting to bump up, but why rush?
The Sleeper
6. Anoop Desai - An aberration, or a revelation?
The Deep Sleeper
7. Matt Giraud - In need of a breakout performance.
Can't Quite Hack It
8. Kris Allen - I need to accept he's well-liked, but I can't.
9. Scott MacIntyre - Likewise. Don't understand the love.
10. Michael Sarver - Country fan base to the rescue.
Sayonara
11. Megan Joy - Pretty face, slinky dress not enough.
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