Thursday, March 28, 2013

Top 8 Results


Welcome back. Tonight we will learn the fate of yet another contestant...that is unless the Judge's Save is utilized. Unless one of the females is in last place it's doubtful that the save will be used based on last night's performances and their Idol run thus far. 

Last night we chose Devin, Lazaro and Angie as the Bottom 3, with Devin narrowly beating out Lazaro as the one to go home. So we will see what happens, and with that let's get to it:

Top 8 Perform
They sing Detroit's own Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock & Roll". The guys continue the trend from last night, sounding horrible. The girls are just so much better than the guys in so many different facets. It's a mess in a lot of places. Obviously, Kree and Candice, and a few other sound decent, but mostly it's an unnecessary time waster.

Top 8 Ford Promo/"Mentor Session"
We then see the Idol contestants driving in their Ford cars and going to mentor kids at a school. Fun stuff. I am sure it's pretty cool for the kids and the contestants to go there, but it's also some product placement, so that taints it a bit.  The kids all practice Phillip Phillips "Home", and then they perform in front of them. It's pretty sweet, but we sure got lots of  views of the Ford cars.

Jimmy Iovine's Take on the Top 8
Candice=Every contestants benefits from watching Candice. She is just who she is. She is not going anywhere but the finals.
Kree & Janelle=Janelle looked like an amateur and Kree looked like a pro. Janelle's performance lowered his overall take on her last night.
Lazaro=Did better than last week. He needs to listen to somebody, even if it's not him.
Janelle=Really redeemed herself. Murdered it. So so transcending. Would put this cover on her album.
Devin=Did a very good job. The judges compare him to himself but they should compare him to everyone else, because if that is done he comes up short.
Angie, Candice & Amber=Loved the trio. Sang well together. Supported each other. Really really really good. Angie worked off Candice and Amber and really was fantastic. Together they were 10 out of 10.
Burnell=Really impressed.  He sang and understood those lyrics. Did great.
Angie=Angie got it wrong, package was really wrong. She is way off from the performer we all know and love.
Amber=Was just great. She is not in Bottom 3 tonight.
Burnell, Devin & Lazaro=They were "Wrong Direction". Terrible. Big difference between the women and the boys. 1 or 2 of them were not prepared. Will effect all 3 of them in the voting.
Kree=Has a unique gift in the top register. She sounds like she is pleading, not screaming.
Final Take=Boys are in Bottom 3, with Lazaro going home.

Musical Performance #1
Colton Dixon, last years finalist returns with his new single "Love Has Come For Me". Since last year we learn that Colton has put out a new album, that put him at #1 on the Christian and Gospel charts.  He is on tour with group "Third Day".  The song sounds perfect for him. It sounds like what he was trying to showcase last season. It's cool that he has done so well.

Musical Performance #2
One Republic and former American Idol Contestant, runner up in Season 5 Katherine McPhee perform together a song called "If I Lose Myself". It's basically just One Republic for the first 2 minutes of the song, then Katherine starts. It's crazy how long it's been since Katherine was on the show, 7 years is a long time ago. Katherine is on that show SMASH, it's not a good show, but her voice is still quite good on it, and here. They perform a fine song, I'm not going on Itunes to buy it, but it's still a pleasant enough song.

Musical Performance #3
For the first time this season one of the judges decides to perform, and that's Keith Urban. I am surprised he is performing so early on in the season, but I guess just because he performs now doesn't mean he won't perform again. He has a concert and I am sure an upcoming new album to promote. He performs "Long, Hot Summer", which is a song that came out a couple years ago. So he is giving people a bit of a taste of what they will see when they see him on tour. The other judges give him a standing ovation.

Results #1
 Kree is SAFE

Candice is SAFE

Janelle is SAFE

Angie is SAFE

Amber is SAFE

BOTTOM 3
Burnell
Devin
Lazaro

Safe?
Burnell is SAFE
Lazaro is SAFE

Last Place
Devin

Judges Save Used?
No. Devin is Going Home. After Randy delivers the news Ryan says "Really? Wow". There is No "Really" here. In the 3 weeks since Top 10 began Devin has been either Bottom 2 or last. It's not really a shock.


Final Thoughts
*As we said, Devin was in the Bottom 3 for the first 2 weeks of the Top 10, then last place this week so it's no surprise that the judges did not give him the save. I give them a ton of credit for not using that save despite a nice vocal last night and tonight by Devin. I feel any of the girls deserve that save given their track records at this point, Burnell has now entered the Bottom 3, so I don't know if he would necessarily get the save. Lazaro won't get the save. Devin's voice is great, but it ended right there, he wasn't a great performer or have anything overly dynamic. Devin is a good guy, but compared to who is left in this competition I am not shocked.

*Well if anyone wasn't noticing how dominating these girls are and how way behind the guys are then tonight cleared a few things given the Top 5 and the Bottom 3. Burnell did a nice performance but the disastrous group performance with other 2 guys and his reaction that he did his part, primarily throwing his group mates under the bus obviously didn't really sit well with fans. Lazaro better stop with the excuses of not getting enough time to learn the songs and really figure things out because he went from 4th place to Bottom 2 in only 2 weeks.

* I know it's called a Results Show, but given that we only get results in maybe the last 10 minutes of the episode it should just be called "Filler Episode & 1 Super Quick Result", because that's basically what it is. I don't remember specifically when these results show went from 30 minutes to 60 minutes, but those were really the days. It's been awhile, but I miss it. They used to maybe have 1 musical performance, a quick Ford promo and then all results. That was good stuff.

That's it. Another night in the books. Another male eliminated. So with 7 people left it is 2 males and 5 super strong females. So come on back here next week for another installment of I'Dol Be The Judge. Check out who we think had the best performance last night below, and until next time, see ya!

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Top 8 Perform: Detroit-Music From The Motor City


Welcome back. Last week we saw the elimination of the second male in the competition, Paul Jolley. So there are 3 guys left, with Devin consistently in the Bottom 3, and Lazaro getting repeatedly poor reviews by the judges and Jimmy Iovine, so Burnell is doing pretty well in comparison. This week the contestants will be singing songs from Detroit: Music From The Motor City, which means a lot of Motown, but basically anyone from Detroit. So we will see who that benefits and who that hurts. Last week Idol did not give out rankings, only told us the Bottom 3, so these week our rankings will be a bit less redundant. So enjoy:

Weekly Rankings
1. Candice Glover-Same Spot As Last Week
2. Kree Harrison-Same Spot As Last Week
3. Angie Miller-Same Spot As Last Week
4. Burnell Taylor-Up 1 Spot From Last Week
5. Janelle Arthur-Up 2 Spots From Last Week
6. Amber Holcomb-Down 2 Spots  From Last Week (Officially Bottom 3)
7. Devin Velez-Down 1 Spot  From Last Week (Officially Bottom 3)
8. Lazaro Abros-Same Spot As Last Week

Solo Performances  #1
This week Motown legend Smokey Robinson joins Jimmy Iovine in mentoring the Idols.  

Candice Glover
(I Heard It Through The Grapevine-Marvin Gaye)
Smokey commends Candice on her singing "I Who Have Nothing" a couple weeks back.  He calls her "singing personified". He tells her to hit the beat and make it more funky. The first week we got very soulful, R&B, last week we got Rock and this week we got some Jazzy cool funky version of the song. I love that she is so diverse. This song doesn't sound like the original, it really sounds like her own version. It's tough to critique her because she sounds like she means everything she is singing, like if there any problems or issues then it's part of the song, everything has a purpose. Very cool way to start the show. Incredibly original and incredibly cool. A
Keith=She raises the bar each and every time. Has a great way of controlling the song. The whole thing is great, loves seeing her come into herself. Best performance so far.
Nicki=Is proud that she stayed int he moment completely. She never overdoes it. Did more of the rocky and bluesy side of herself.
Randy=Came out and just showed everyone what she can do. Believes that she has the best voice in the competition. Amazing and effortless.
Mariah=Epitomizes what this competition is. It was her straightforward giving a soulful, R&B, gritty and pretty performance. Wants more churchy and jazz moment.
Do The Judges & I Agree?: Definitely. Candice couldn't start the night any better.

Group Performance #1
Tonight begins the filler time on the show. Instead of making the show 90 minutes instead of 2 hours they instead decide to have the solo contestants become groups. It doesn't really get judged, nor does it really matter in the long run, so I'm not gonna comment too much about it. 

Kree & Janelle
(Like A Prayer-Madonna)
Madonna grew up just outside of Detroit, so they chose her. They are both country singers so it's a good mix. They work well together, their voices blend really nicely. The judges feel that Kree out-shined Janelle throughout. They liked it, it was fine. Not sure why this is really being judged because it's an individual show, so it's more like a competition in the way the judges are breaking it down. B

Solo Performances #2
Lazaro A
(For Once In My Life-Stevie Wonder)
Smokey tells Lazaro that he is so good when he does what he likes. Jimmy tells Lazaro to just relax and be comfortable. He starts the song very simple with a piano accompaniment, then the strings start in and then the band gets in there. I would have loved to see him do the whole thing without the band and background singers, just the violins and piano. Lazaro seems much more on pitch and in his wheelhouse. Better than last week, but still not in the same company as Candice. But he'll get credit for doing better. B
Randy=Didn't completely redeem himself, but far better than last week. Not perfect pitch wise, and there was still some disconnect.
Mariah=It was a smart choice that was more in his sweet spot and register. Courage and guts were back.
Keith=Exponentially better than last week. Has to make sure that rhythmically and vocally are comfortable before him. 
Nicki=Gave everything and more and needed. Did a great job not listening to Jimmy Iovine.
Do The Judges & I Agree? Kinda. I knew they were gonna say how much better he was then last week, but he is still not completely where he should be at this point.

Janelle Arthur
(Keep Me Hanging On-The Supremes)
Janelle tells Smokey that she is planning to do something different with this version of the song.  Smokey wants her to make the song more dynamic. Janelle starts the song playing her guitar and sitting on a stool. After the verse, the band and background singers accompany her, but it still stays pretty mellow. When Janelle hits the chorus it really picks up and gets moving in the right direction. I like how original and different this version of the song is. I like that she used her creativity and Smokey Robinson's direction to pull this song. Plus that last note was crazy cool, she took it down and then brought it back up. Very nice. A-
Mariah=Janelle at her finest. Anything negative anyone says was just proved wrong.
Keith=Beautiful. Loved the fearlessness and the arrangement of the song. Never heard the lyrics like he did tonight.
Nicki=Always shines when she has her guitar. Thinks her voice isn't exactly where she usually is.
Randy=Absolutely loved it and thought it was incredible. One of her best performances on the show. Loves that even with the other girls she is in it to win it.
Do The Judges Agree? Yep. Other than Nicki who wasn't fully behind it, we all agree that this was easily one of the best times that Janelle has sounded. The arrangement and originality of the song was great.

Devin Velez
(Tracks Of My Tears-Smokey Robinson & The Miracles)
Smokey explains how he came up with the lyrics of Tracks Of My Tears, which is pretty cool. To have the actual singer and songwriter of the classic song explain how he came up with it is so unique. Jimmy thinks that he is singing behind the beat but Smokey maneuvers it so it suits his voice. It's been a few weeks since Devin has really blown away the judges and audience so it's do or die, given his place in the Bottom 3 recently. Devin hits every note right on the button, and he goes for certain runs that really energizes his voice. Devin rebounded for sure tonight. B
Keith=Can see that he relaxed into the song. Can still see that he is thinking way too much.
Nicki=An amazing job tonight. Loved every single choice he made. Felt smooth and comfortable. Loves the falsetto choices.
Randy=Believes that Devin is back tonight. One of the best performance in weeks. 
Mariah=Loved it. Flawless. Knows he restrained himself, but tonight proved how good he is.
Do The Judges & I Agree? Pretty much. This is easily the best Devin has sounded in 2 or 3 weeks. He has been Bottom 3 for 2 weeks running so we'll see how well he can rebound with fans.

Group Performance #2
Amber, Candice & Angie
(I'm Gonna Make You Love Me-The Supremes)
They all take turns playing the Diana Ross role. They looked and sounded pretty cool together. Each of them stood out and had fantastic runs. The judges give them a standing ovation. Mariah tells them A++, I'd give them A.

Solo Performance #3
Burnell Taylor
(My Cherie Amour-Stevie Wonder)
Smokey thinks that at first it sounded like Burnell was straining, but then tells Burnell to relax and make the song more intimate. This song has been done a ton on this show, but Burnell goes for it anyways. Burnell doesn't really change it up like I had hoped he would, but sings it very well. Burnell just has a very pleasant tone, I could listen to him for hours, he is never gonna really amaze me like some of the others, but he is just comfortable. B+
Nicki=Reminded everyone why they fell in love with his voice. Definitely sounds like he could have been part of Motown. 
Randy=Loved his choices. Doesn't always have to do the big runs, can do small twists. 
Mariah=Loves how he looks, and thinks he is shining. Did a really good job with it. Gave a modern flair to the performance.
Keith=Loves everything about his voice. Is so original that he is hard to critique. Really good tonight.
Do The Judges & I Agree? Yup. Burnell is far and away the best male vocal left in this competition and tonight just proved it again.

Angie Miller
(Shop Around-Smokey Robinson & The Miracles)
Smokey tells Angie that he finished writing the song in 30 minutes. Smokey wants Angie to have fun with the song. Smokey wants it to be more bluesy. Jimmy wants her to lighten it up. This definitely isn't the Motown version, Angie makes it more like a pop-rock song. Smokey and Jimmy told Angie to have fun on stage and it sure seems that she followed that advice. I think her vocals dipped at points because she was trying to raise up her on stage personality. I like how she ended the song, it was kind of chopped up and she played with the band. Maybe not best vocally, but really well done on the other stuff. B
Randy=First time that he saw he so pitchy. Wasn't the right key or something.Not great tonight.
Mariah=Rather heard her at the piano. Thinks she could have done another song because this is not what she does best, she does best the stuff at the piano.
Keith=The melody kept pulling her down, but her vocals were up, so her pitch was all over the place. Talent is undeniable and we'll see her next week.
Nicki=Tried to show a different side of herself and she doesn't need to do that. We don't need to see another side of her, we like the side that we have seen.
Do The Judges & I Agree? Not really. I liked that we saw this side of her. She doesn't want to be pigeon-holed and I completely respect that. The judges like what they like, but I think seeing a pop-rock side to her, along with the R&B and bluesy side shows that she has potential to do anything, not just one thing.

Amber Holcomb
(Lately-Stevie Wonder)
Smokey and Jimmy just told her to keep doing what she is doing. She needs to keep stepping it up every week. There has been a number of times that the judges reference Whitney Houston with Amber, and tonight I really saw it. I think the simple background band and lack of background singers and real focus on Amber's voice was just outstanding. When she hit those high notes she did it flawlessly and that last note was just ridiculous. Amber saw she was in Bottom 3 and was determined not to be back there and she won't. She gets a 4-judge standing ovation. Well deserved. Best Amber ever has sounded. A+
Mariah=Tour de force. It was f-ing great.
Keith=Picked the right song, sounded beautifully. It was all mesmerizing.
Nicki=Out of this world. Something very very special. Wants her to just have that twinkle in her voice. 
Randy=By far the best of the vocal of the night. Crazy crazy vocals. Grown so far in this competition. Unbelievable, amazing.
Do The Judges & I Agree? For sure. Best Amber has sounded yet, and that's saying something. First time she has beaten out Candice in vocals, and that's saying a lot as well.

Group Performance #3
Burnell, Devin & Lazaro
(I Can't Help Myself(Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)-The Four Tops
Yikes. Lazaro had a tough time, he forgot words, and lost rhythm. Devin helped carry this performance as much as he could. This was a mess from beginning to merciful end. Just a complete mess, something you would see Hollywood week. Nicki thinks it was like Hollywood Week as well. She also thinks Lazaro fell as flat as a pancake. Tells them to leave the stage. Wow, so after the performance and Nicki laying in on them Burnell said that he doesn't want to throw anyone under the bus but "he did what he was supposed to do". WOW. That is not the thing to say. Lazaro was brutal, but they all were bad. Burnell better watch himself because someone else said things like that and he didn't get too far, and that's Curtis Finch Jr. So bad job by Burnell. F

Solo Performance #4
Kree Harrison
(Don't Play That Song-Aretha Franklin)
Smokey is incredibly impressed by Kree, he tells Kree that he is gonna call Aretha Franklin up and tell her to watch Kree. I love that Kree didn't choose an Aretha Franklin song that has done a million times before like "Natural Woman", or "R.E.S.P.E.C.T". Kree sounds great tonight. Last week her energy was a little off, but her vocals were still good, tonight everything just worked. She looked incredibly comfortable and her whoel on stage persona was fantastic. I think Amber's vocals were a smidge better but Kree delievered as well. A
Randy=One of the best in the compettion. Wasn't perfect but there were points that were just unbelieveable. 
Mariah=Commends her on choosing this song. Loves that she re-invented the song. Is here to stay in this competition. Bravo.
Keith=Loved that she reminds people of the blues and soul in coutnry. Loved that she didn't sound like Aretha just like Kree.
Nicki=Loved her confidence, she is natural. She sang 2 Queens tonight, Madonna and Aretha and Kree is a Queen as well.
Do The Judges & I Agree? For sure. Kree nailed it. It's possible she has sang better before, but not by a ton. Beautiful job by her tonight.

Bottom 3
Devin
Lazaro
Angie

Going Home
Devin. I went back and forth with this one between him and Lazaro. I didn't choose Lazaro because last week he was terrible and didn't even land in Bottom 3, so he must have a lot of fans. It's a tough call because Devin did a better job than Lazaro tonight. I personally think that they might use the save on anyone but Devin and Lazaro, and it's possible based off of Devin's decent night that he won't go, but if we are talking the past couple weeks and who else is left in this competition I think it might be Devin.

Final Thoughts

*With basically everyone doing a solid Solo performance tonight it is possible that the judges' save could be used. The men's group performance was horrible, but I don't know how much stock the audience will put into that. I don't think the judges would utilize the save on Lazaro or Devin, but I think any of the other 6 the judges might. So that tells you how well those other contestants did tonight and have done in the past. Though Burnell should have kept his thoughts about Lazaro messing up to himself, that did not look good. Angie was a little off tonight but it doesn't mean that she deserves to go home, they'd save her if for some reason she was kicked off. Could be an interesting night tomorrow.

*That men's group performance was one of the worst things seen on the Live Idol stage. It's true that in Hollywood week that bad performances like that happen, but usually by this late stage of the competition the contestants are able to handle learning a couple songs. I am tired of Lazaro saying that he had to learn the lyrics quickly and was unsure of them til recently. This is Top 8, you can't keep giving that excuse for messing up. He needs to learn the material. It's a lot of stress, a lot is going on but you have to suck it up and get it done.

*I said it before but having these group performances is ridiculous. If the judges are judging each of them then it's not a group performance, it's a competition. So it's like a song battle round. It's just unnecessary. Make the show 90 minutes, don't stretch to 2 hours. I know FOX doesn't have ton of  30 minute programming but still, it would make the show so much more compact and tight and without filler and fluff.

That's it. Another performance night in the books. A lot of great solo performances, a couple decent group performances and one that was atrocious, so that's about right in Idol world. Come on back tomorrow to see who the next eliminated contestant will be or if the Judge's Save is utilized. So until tomorrow, see ya!

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Top 9 Results


Welcome back. Tonight another contestant will be eliminated. Unless something shocking happens the Judges Save probably won't be used, but ya never know. We predicted Lazaro, Paul and Devin as the Bottom 3 with Paul going home based off of last night's performance. So without further ado let's get to it:

Jimmy Iovine's Take on The Top 9
As always Jimmy has his opinion about how the contestants did during their performance.
Kree-Is Great. Clear that she is great. Tends to over-sing at times but if she uses her power more sparingly she will go a long way.
Burnell-Enjoyed his tone. Did a great recovery from not knowing the song, but not knowing The Beatles is jarring. Has the talent to put himself through.
Lazaro-Easily worst of the night.  Bottom of the pile despite what audience thinks. Needs to just get through it and sing the song. Needs the judges to give the right critiques good, or bad.
Amber-Did a wonderful job. Despite what Nicki said Amber chose the song not the producers, producers just choose genre. Nailed the meaning of the song. Belongs in the Top 3.
Candice-If there ever was a natural it is Candice. Did an incredible job. Best performance of the night.
Paul- Good voice, but not ready for primetime. Not worst of the night, but made some simple mistakes. He'll be in Bottom 3 tonight.
Angie-Is way too dramatic. Is talented but there is something wrong and needs to be fix. If it is fixed she could be the next American Idol.
Devin-Has a great ear, but has to consistently apply it. Very middle of the pack. Promising, but needs to work on his delivery.
Janelle-Great song choice. Her restraint is explosive. She might have been dressed as a greek goddess but is the dark horse.

Results 1
Amber Holcomb
We learn Nothing. Ryan doesn't give any result. Just a time filler of when she was rehearsing and the smoke on the stage made it her to see her. 

Top 9 Men Perform
The men sing The Beatles' "Got To Get You Into My Life". Without the ladies it's pretty brutal.

Results 2
Paul Jolley
His hometown named last Saturday his day but more importantly.... BOTTOM 3

Musical Performance #1
Casey Abrams from Season 10 is back. He and his band play a very jazzy version of "I Saw Her Standing There". He is playing the bass and there is a dude on the bongos. It's a very cool performance. He throws in his growls and scats and all of his crazy stuff in there.

Top 9 Ladies Perform
The women sing "Here, There & Everywhere".  These ladies could be a girl group and sell a million records if they joined up together. Those are some crazy beautiful voices right there. I know the point of the show is being the Idol, but they were so good together.

Results 3
Devin Velez is BOTTOM 3

Lazaro Abros
After another discussion of why Lazaro didn't do well last night and why he is gonna do better in the future we learn that he is...SAFE


Musical Performance #2
Tonight marks the return of last season's runner up Jessica Sanchez. We see a video package of her life since last year. Tonight she is back to sing her new song with Ne-Yo called "Tonight". The song is that R&B/Pop thing that Jessica did well last year, it's very current and could be on the radio. It sounds like it's already been on the radio, it just fits what's out there now.

Results 4
Kree Harrison is SAFE

Candice Glover is SAFE

Angie Miller is SAFE

Janelle Arthur is SAFE

Burnell Taylor is SAFE

Amber Holcomb is BOTTOM 3

Bottom 3

1. Paul
2. Devin
3. Amber

Who's Safe?
1. Amber

2. Devin


Voted Last?
Paul Jolley. 

Judges Save Used?
No. Paul is sent home. He is a nice guy, but this was what we figured would happen.  He just isn't up to the standard of some of the people left in this competition.

Final Thoughts
*I think the most "shocking" part of the night was Amber being Bottom 3, not Paul going home, and Amber's entry into the Bottom 3 wasn't so shocking if you go back and listen to her performance again. There was no way they were saving Paul with people like Candice, Kree, and Angie. The question would have been if Amber was sent home would the judges have saved her? It's possible. Devin has some issues, this is the second week in a row he has been Bottom 3 or 2, so he has some work to do.

*They keep switching up the results show format. Last week they gave us rankings this week they did the standard Bottom 3 and no rankings or order. So who knows what is gonna happen next week. I am fine with just knowing the Bottom 3. It's worked for 11 seasons before and I think it'll work again.It is interesting that they didn't do the rankings, I wonder if Candice, Kree and Angie made up the Top 3 and they just didn't want to repeat themselves and pimp those 3 ladies too much. I don't know.

That's it. Top 9 week is complete and another person is gone. We have 8 people remaining. So come on back here next week for more Idol recap and commentary. Posted below is our favorite performance of the night so check it. So until next time have a great week and see ya!



Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Top 9 Perform: Lennon/McCartney Week


Welcome back. Last week we saw the elimination of Curtis Finch Jr and the introduction of a new format of the results show. They are now including actual rankings for everyone besides the Top 3. This week the Top 9 will be performing Lennon/McCartney songs. Song choice shouldn't be an issue for these contestants given that The Beatles are one of, if not the greatest band in music history. Several years ago during Lennon/McCartney week a few contestants foolishly admitted to not knowing their songs, it'd be wise for the contestants to not look ridiculous and choose wisely.

As we did last week we will do our regular recap as well as our weekly rankings (including where they stand from last week). We know that the show is giving out the actual audience rankings but ours differs because we are thinking more long term rather than just short term/week-week. The criteria of our rankings is again: potential to win, audience reaction, judges reaction, performance success and personality. So with that, let's get to it:

Weekly Rankings
1. Candice Glover-Up 1 From Last Week (Officially Top 3)   
2. Kree Harrison-Down 1 From Last Week (Officially Top 3)   
3. Angela Miller-Up 1 From Last Week (Officially Top 3)    
4. Amber Holcombe -Up 1 From Last Week (Officially 5th)   
5. Burnell Taylor Up 1 From Last Week (Officially 7th)             
6. Devin Velez -Down 3 From Last Week (Officially 9th)
7. Janelle Arthur -Same as Last Week  (Officially 6th)             
 8. Paul Jolley -Up 1 From Last Week (Officially 8th)        
9. Lazaro Abros -Down 1 From Last Week (Officially 4th)


Results of Sing-Off
Last week Charlie Askew and Aubrey Cleland performed for the last spot on the American Idol Tour. 

And the winner is...Aubrey Cleland. Aw, poor Charlie. He at least knows he was the 6th best guy on the show this year, so it's not saying a lot, but it's something. So congrats to Aubrey.

Performances


Kree Harrison
(A Little Help From My Friends)
Jimmy Iovine helps in the studio this week. He calls Kree a natural and she should have a big night with this. She is doing the Joe Cocker version of the song. Jimmy said that this song fits her like a glove and he is right, it suits her. The band and backing singers are very loud this week, but when the band pauses and we just hear Kree's voice it is so strong and beautiful. I wish we heard more her and less band, but given it's Beatles songs I understand. Really well done. Probably not her best but still head and shoulders better than most. A-
Keith=Great way to start. Loves that no matter what song she sings she is herself. Should have no trouble getting by with help from her friends in America. [Nice one Keith...jeez]
Nicki=Doesn't sound like the original, always makes the best musical choices. Loves how she looks, she is starting to become a superstar. The whole package.
Randy=Thinks it was the bomb. Came out and blew the vocals out of the water. The confidence is amazing.
Mariah=Didn't think it was good...it was fan-freakin-fastic.
Do The Judges & I Agree? Definitely. Kree has killed it every time since we have seen her and she did again tonight.

Burnell Taylor
(Let It Be)
Burnell doesn't know this song and he admits that he doesn't know it, so I'm unsure why he chose it. I guess he just didn't know any Beatles songs.  Jimmy thinks if he learns the song well he can kill it. Burnell's voice is incredibly smooth, his hand gestures are still a little chaotic but I enjoy his voice a great deal. Burnell gets 8 backing voices to help him out, not sure why 8 people are needed on this particular song, but there they are. I like the way that Burnell pushed his voice to different places tonight, he really got into the grittiness of his voice. It was a very gentle, sweet version of this song. B+
Nicki=Didn't even sing the song, caressed it. Treated it like a new born baby. The musical choices made her feel like it was church.
Randy=Although he didn't know the song he made it his own, and made smart choices.
Mariah=Always consistent and is so proud of him. Loves the realness.
Keith=Loves the fact that he is the most easily recognizable tone. Is very soulful.
Do The Judges & I Agree? Yup. Burnell did a really nice job tonight. Very consistent.

Amber Holcombe
(She's Leaving Home)
Jimmy thinks that Amber will murder this song. Jimmy says, "Amber, her voice, this song, a winner". This is secretly one of my favorite Beatles songs because of the story-telling of it and the sweetness of the orchestra behind it.  Amber hits some of those notes with incredible grace and ease, there were some lulls in the middle sections of song, but that last note really ended the song in a really wonderful way. B
Randy=Started a little slow and unsure, but by the second chorus she found herself in the rhythm.
Mariah=For someone that didn't know the song she did in a fearless way. She got to the places where it could have went detached.
Keith="Absoutley one of my favorite Beatles song". Although its 46 years old it sounded completely fresh.
Nicki=Vocal is unmatched. Was in her brain too much. Shouldn't ever look defeated because her vocals are crazy good.
Do The Judges & I Agree?Yep. They mostly think she did a fine job but there was a few rocky moments, mainly in the beginning of the song.

Lazaro Abros
(My Life)
Lazaro chose this song. Jimmy thinks it's an ambitious and risky choice. I love the song, but I don't think it did much for Lazaro. I am glad he got out of the chair and stood up but it still didn't go really anywhere. It was nice vocals, but if I was gonna take a nap I'd put this on to put me to sleep. Kinda boring rendition. D
Mariah=Commends him on his bravery. Thinks for such an intimate song he should have went just acoustic and thinks it was a little too low for him.
Keith=Doesn't think the tone of his voice stood out tonight. Knows it is in him but wasn't showcased during this performance
Nicki=Is still not back to the same Lazaro. Doesn't want him to be in the same room as Jimmy. Thinks his confidence is way off. Thinks the outside forces are getting to him.
Randy= Thinks it was his worst performance ever. Out of tune from beginning to end. Wonders where the vocals went. Not hitting it on full cylinders vocally.
Do The Judges & I Agree? Pretty much. We all give Lazaro a ton of credit for going out there and comend him on everything but his vocals just weren't there tonight. I know Nicki wants to blame Jimmy Iovine or someone else in production but at one point responsibilty has to fall on Lazaro even though after commercial Ryan and the judges spoke again about how it might be outside forces changing Lazaro. Idol seems to really want to save Lazaro here.

Candice Glover
(Come Together)
Jimmy think this is a hard song lyrically and Candice has to dig deeper, despite that he thinks she will kill this song and should have no problem with it. I love this song choice, it brings out the rock side of Candice and gets her away from the ballads. She really seems to be having a good time on stage. I love that we are seeing a different side of Candice, it takes her out of a very specific box. Obviously it wasn't as emotionally charged as last week, but that wasn't its goal. Her vocals were pretty flawless and she still hit her runs and big notes when she needed to. A-
Keith=Loved seeing her whole other vibe. Loves the rock chick side of her. Her range is so far out there she could have even went further.
Nicki= Vocal is insane and crazy BUT, sometimes her face doesn't match her attitude.
Randy=The voice is crazy. Loves that she did uptempo and not just ballads. 
Mariah=It is was like a prize fighter. Murdered the song. Can't wait til she gets even more jazzy and creative than she is already.
Do The Judges & I Agree? For sure. Candice's voice is just crazy good, and everyone loves that that she switched it up and moved away from ballads.

Paul Jolley
(Eleanor Rigby)
This is also one of the coolest Beatles songs. Jimmy thinks if puts it all together he can kill this song. Paul starts the song in a weird falsetto. Accompanied by violins, cellos and the band Paul sings a pretty standard version of the song. I feel there were more big moments he could have had. There was a point that he really pushed his voice and it sounded nice, but there weren't enough moments I think it was good, just not great. C-
Nicki=Didn't like the performance. Very safe and bland and forgettable.
Randy=When he hit his sweet spot it was great but it all felt disconnected. Never felt he got there.
Mariah=Thinks it was a great song choice. Needs to give emotion when singing softly as when he is singing at the top of his vocal range. 
Keith=Didn't like the falsetto at the end. There were parts in the middle that allowed some soft-rock. Thinks his voice has some angst to it.
Do The Judges & I Agree? We do. It was a very safe and standard version of the song. I remember when David Cook did Eleanor Rigby he blew it apart and really pushed himself. Paul's version just went nowhere.

Angie Miller
(Yesterday)
Jimmy thinks sometimes Angie oversings and performs but it won't work for this song. He wants her to use her heart not her head. Jimmy thinks she is a natural she just needs to believe that. I'm not gonna lie I thought we'd get Angie doing some piano this week given the band and artists being covered but she goes simple with limited band support and backup vocals. I enjoyed this performance and I love that she pushed herself vocally, I just don't think it was her best performance she has done on the show, but still fantastic job. B+
Randy=One of favorites in the competition. Stellar performance, emoted from the heart. Thinks that she has some fire in her and could throw out some rock.
Mariah=Did a respectful version of the song. Really showed simplicity and loves that there is more sides to her that we haven't seen.
Keith=Felt like there were times she looked like she was thinking about everything but then came back and was great. It drifted back and forth, but she still did a great job.
Nicki=Unbelievably amazing. Loves that she picked the correct key and it allowed her voice to do crazy things. Can do anything she wants with her voice, from movie soundtracks, to rock, to Broadway.
Do The Judges & I Agree? Pretty much. They almost applauded her as a singer and a person more than this individual performance so it's tough to say. But she was really good. They might have liked it a bit more than I did.

Devin Velez
(Long & Winding Road)
Jimmy thinks it was a great song choice. Thinks it was a brave way to alter the song if it comes out right. With last week's safe and boring song choice I thought Devin would go a bit bolder, but he has a voice that is very soulful and maybe he doesn't want to go to the rock/edgier side. I like this performance much more than last week's but I am still not as pumped as I used to be about Devin. I like that he changed the song at points, but it still seemed too safe and a bit predictable. The last note was quite pretty but I am still not blown away.  B-
Mariah=Never ceases to amaze. It was so good. Has done almost all genres and has yet to disappoint. Would be a travesty if he didn't go to the next round.
Keith=Feels like the emotional connection is missing. Loves his voice but his heart wasn't always there.
Nicki=Liked that he is emotional committed. Thinks he is very truthful.
Randy=Thinks he is back tonight. Loves that he brought the swagger back. Doesn't need a run after every phrase.  
Do The Judges & I Agree? Sorta. He did a nice job, but they liked him a whole much more than I did. His vocals are definitely very nice, but it still didn't do much. I agree with Keith the most.

Janelle Arthur
(I Will)
Now this is easily one of my favorite songs. It seems like such a simple song but there is so much to it, and the lyrics are just beautiful. Jimmy thinks that Janelle just needs to breathe. Janelle goes full country for this song so she really switches it up to make it her own. This song allows the singer to go really simple or really complex, Janelle does a good job at finding a middle ground. She made it really sound like someone in Nashville wrote the song, so that's pretty cool. This was the first performance in awhile that I really enjoyed of Janelle's. There were a couple rough notes but overall quite beautiful. B+
Keith=Loves that she knows who she is, and it was all pure and true.
Nicki=Looks like a swan goddess. Thinks she is great, she is everything and doesn't need to yell and scream, can pull it in with all the subtle moments. So authentic to country. Loved it.
Randy=Thinks Janelle is back tonight. One of the best performances of the night. The subtleties are better than some of the big moments.

Mariah=Really thinks she is listening to the feedback and is still so sweet and had such an elegant performance.  
Do The Judges & I Agree? For sure. By far one of Janelle's best performances. I loved her during Hollywood week and bits here and there but I feel like she has been lost along the way, but tonight she really flourished in the final spot of the night aka The Pimp Spot.

Bottom 3 Predictions/Who's Going Home
Bottom 3
1. Lazaro Abros
2. Paul Jolley
3. Devin Velez

Going Home
Paul Jolley.  Would have chosen Lazaro but I think the immense push by Ryan and the Idol producers to try to explain that outside people(Jimmy Iovine etc.,) and not Lazaro are to blame, will help keep Lazaro around. Plus Lazaro cried. So there ya go.


Final Thoughts
 *Kinda feels like Deja vu. The ladies did great, Burnell did great, and the rest were not so good. Lazaro, Paul and Devin were the weakest of the bunch. Best 3 of the night were Candice, Kree and Angie just like last week with Amber and Burnell right there with Janelle surging. If this is the Top 6, and it should be at this moment, then that's one of the strongest Top 6's in Idol history.

*I don't understand who decides on songs. I thought the contestants get final say, but several of the contestants including Burnell and Amber pretty much admitted to not knowing the Beatles and their song choice was supposedly chosen for them. If they don't know The Beatles that is their own fault, but they should still get final say so and not be forced into something. If they weren't forced into the song and Jimmy or someone told them that the particular song would suit them and they chose agreed than that's on them.

*Tonight was the first night the judges switched up the rotation of the feedback. Since the panel was introduced in Las Vegas they have gone Keith, Nicki, Randy & Mariah. Now they are just rotating who goes first. I know Simon Cowell went last for years and years when there were 3 judges, but going last is difficult because a lot of the times what you want to say is already said and it could get repetitive. So if Mariah decided that she didn't want to always go last I'd respect that.


So with that Top 9 performances are complete. Tomorrow we will learn the next person to be eliminated from this competition. We'll see how it all shakes out. So come on back here tomorrow and until next time, see ya!

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Top 10 Results

Welcome back. Last night there were some amazing performances, and there were some not so amazing performances, we will see how it will all turn out. We predicted that the Bottom 3 were going to be Curtis, Lazaro and Janelle with Curtis going home. It's tough at this stage to know what will happen because the audiecne has yet to vote at the same time for both the men and women, but that's our best guess.

We'll also let you know if the Judges will recieve a Judge's Save this season as they have for the past few years. Last year Jessica Sanchez was ridiculously voted off at the Top 7 but luckily they saved her and it allowed her to make it to 2nd place. So if there is a judge's save and it is utilized we will let you know. There are a few performances, a sing off between the male and female contestants who were runners up to the Top 10 and obviously the results. So with that let's get started:

Jimmy Iovine's Take on The Top 10
Jimmy gives his take on each of the contestants after their performance.
Curtis:Can't do this as slow urban gospel form every single time.
Janelle: Completely sold on her, she's not going anywhere.
Devin:  Is a fan of him, but if he continues to do what he did last night he won't be around long.
Angie: A real talent, was really good, but wasn't great.
Paul:  Picked a pretty good song, not understanding his country love because he just doesn't have that feel to him.
Candice: That's what music is supposed to feel like. She nailed it. Won the night.
Lazaro: He has potential but he really needs to work and handle the criticism.
Kree: Knows the material and she can sing. Can pick her own material despite it being difficult to do. She's in the Top 3.
Burnell: Vindicated for the boys. Best guy by 1000%
Amber: Charisma & star pacakge is all Amber. Absoultly in Top 3.

Results Part 1 
We are told by Ryan that we will learn not only the results but learn who is in the Top 3, which is a first for Idol. We will also get random information about the results regarding the contestant.

Devin Velez
Recieved 25% of votes in Puerto Rico. Number 1 in Puerto Rico. WILL LEARN RESULT LATER

Janelle Arthur
Came in 1st place in Tennessee by getting 30% of vote. WILL LEARN RESULT LATER

Candice Glover
Crushed the competition in South Carolina by 42% of vote. TOP 3 & SAFE 


Top 10 Perform
With a little cross promotion between Idol and Dreamworks the Top 10 is singing a song called "Shine Your Way" for the Dreamworks movie "The Crood". Together they sounded rough. Individually all of them were alright, but blended it wasn't so good.

Results Part 2
Kree Harrison
Gets a key to the city of her hometown in Texas. TOP 3 & SAFE

Musical Performance #1
Bon Jovi performs. Seems pre-taped, but either way it's fine. Bon Jovi is usually really good and tonight didn't do anything differently.

Sing Off
Closest runner up guy and girl will perform for a spot on the American Idol tour, so the tour will consist of 11 contestants. 

The guy singing off is....Charlie Askew. WOW! That's just unbelievable, that he was that close to making it into the Top 10 after just a terrible performance last week is crazy. Pepole must have felt bad for the kid because he was brutal. He decides to sing an original "Sky Blue Diamond". He sits behind the piano and goes for it. By far night and day more sane and calm than last week's mess. Still his voice is quite piercing and I don't feel like he is the 11th best person in this comeptiton.

The girl singing off is...Aubrey Cleland. Now this at least makes sense, Aubrey did a fine job last week. She sings  "Out Here On My Own". Tonight was shaky but her tone was quite beautiful and deserving a place on the Idol tour. 

The viewers will decide between Charlie and Aubrey and we will learn that result next Wednesday.

Musical Performance #2
Phillip Phillips is back on the Idol stage with his new song "Gone Gone Gone". I say it every year but I love when the Idols come back to the show that made them famous. Phillip has done a really nice job with his song "Home", it made him a household name. I like this song as well, it's very catchy.

Results Part 3
Angie Miller
Received 17% of vote in Florida. TOP 3 & SAFE

 
Lazaro Abros
Received more of vote in Florida than Angie. WILL LEARN RESULT LATER


Results Part 4
For the first time in Idol history we will learn where the rest of the contestants are ranked, not just learning the Bottom 3. 

4. Lazaro Abros

5. Amber Holcomb

6. Janelle Arthur

7. Burnell Taylor

8. Paul Jolley

9. Devin Velez


Voted Last
10.Curtis Finch Jr. Prior to this reveal Nicki threatens to walk off the stage if Curtis was voted last.

Judges Save Used?
There is a judge's save this year and the contestants have to sing for the judges to determine if they will stay or go. This save can only be used once and must be unanimous. 

The Judges Save Is=NOT USED

Despite Nicki wanting him to stay on the show and her belief that if she had more time she could have convinced the judges it didn't come to pass and Curtis is eliminated from the competition.


Final Thoughts
*I don't really like the format of the results tonight. The fact that we didn't know one person in the Bottom 3 until 50 minutes into the show was ridiculous. This is called the "Results Show" so you'd think we would get at least some results before nearly the end of the show. But between 2 musical performances, a sing-off, and a recap of the previous night and their introduction of the Top 3 they really dropped the ball on the actual results.

*On the other hand I do like that we know where all these people stand. They utilized this on The X Factor last season and I liked that a lot. I am shocked at Lazaro being the 4th best, but he has really had an impact on the show with his story despite having a rough performance. Curtis being last is not surprising nor is Devin's ranking as 9th best. Devin had a really tough night. The fact that the Top 3 were all females and the Bottom 3 is all males is not a shock at all.

 *Nicki threatening to walk off the stage if Curtis was the last one was silly. There are so many unbelievable voices left in this competition and it is way too early to utilize the Save. I am glad the other judges didn't let her emotion get in the way of the correct thing to do. Curtis didn't do well last night and he wasn't all that great for a long time, and his personality/ego didn't help the situation. I am really not upset at this at all.

That's it. What did you think? As we did last season we will post our favorite performance at the bottom of this blog(there's a 20 second promo of the American Idol App, after that is the performance). So check it out and we will see you back here next Wednesday to see how the Top 9 do, so until then, see ya!


Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Top 10 Perform: Music of The American Idols


Welcome back. Well we are finally here, the Top 10 is finally put together and the guys and girls will finally face off against one another. It's a relatively strong Top 10, a lot of good with a mix of mildly decent, so we will see how it all shakes out. Tonight the Top 10 are singing songs that former American Idol Winners have either sung on the show or sung after they left the show. It's a very in-house theme this week. Should be something to see, so let's get going:

Weekly Rankings
This is a new segment we are adding to the Top 10 this season. Each week before the contestants peform we will post our rankings of the contestants. The criteria is their success on the show, personality, judges & audience response and belief that they could win. Each week we will do a new weekly ranking and let you know if they have risen, fallen or stayed flat in the rankings. So with that:
 1.. Kree Harrison               2. Candice Glover       3. Devin Velez     4. Angie Miller       5.. Amber Holcombe         

6.. Burnell Taylor               7. Janelle Arthur          8.. Lazaro Abros   9. Paul Jolley      10..Curtis Finch Jr

Performances
Curtis Finch Jr 
(I Believe-Fantasia(American Idol Winner Season 3) )
Jimmy Iovine is back as a mentor this season and his advice to Curtis was to not be so retro. So with that the beginning of this performance was as shaky as an earthquake in California. Once the chorus and second verse hit with the 8(!) background singers he sounded a little more comfortable. I didn't feel anything close to what Fantasia pulled off during her season. I feel like it should have gone to a level that made us go nuts but it was flat. His vocals were good at points and then messy in others. I don't know. C 
Keith=Picked the right song. Sings a little over the top of the song in the beginning.
Nicki=Nothing she was stuck in traffic and missed this performance.
Randy=Likes his new style. Couple things were great but cautions him to try things a little differently. Knows there is something more than just the inspirational songs.
Mariah=Happy that he had the choir feeling tonight. Wants to hear more of the gospel tinge.
Do The Judges & I Agree? Pretty much. They are more about his past performances than tonight because tonight they weren't as enthused.

Janelle Arthur
(Gone-Scotty McCreery(American Idol Winner Season 10) )
Jimmy's advice to Janelle is pick great songs and push herself. This song was originally sung by Montgomery Gentry. The beginning of this performance was solid when she started moving around she lost some of her breath and sounded a little off key but she regained it back pretty quickly. Then she kind of loses it at other points. I like how she moves around the stage and looks very comfortable with what she is doing. B-
Keith=Loves that a female sang this song. Loves that she put herself into it.
Nicki=Thinks last week's song suited her better. Loves that her confidence is shining but wants her to pick songs that really showcase her beauty.
Randy=Song choice didn't lead anywhere. Looks great and that she worked the song.
Mariah=The aura was giving off star quality. Great performance but would love a ballad.
Do The Judges & I Agree? Kinda. They didn't think it was her best because the song didn't suit her, I didn't think she sounded good and the song choice was alright.

Devin Velez
                                                                (Temporary Home-Carrie Underwood(American Idol Season 4 Winner))
Jimmy's advice to Devin is to not lock into adult contemporary so that he can keep himself flexible. Devin taking a country song and taking it out out of that genre is a good idea. There were some shaky points but he hits some really nice tender moments as well. I don't think this song choice allowed himself a lot places to go. Some of the higher notes were very nice but some was flat, I don't know. This was my least favorite performance of his. C+
Keith=Not one of his better performances. Wrong song choice. Thinks he tried too hard to get out of his comfort zone.
Nicki=Disagree with everything Keith said. Thinks that this was his comfort zone and loved his voice with the song.
Randy=Way too safe, felt he underplayed himself. Way safe.
Mariah=Knows he has the ability to do so much and expectations are high so tonight was a letdown.
Do The Judges & I Agree? Yep. Except for Nicki they all thought tonight was a let down. By far Devin's worst performance on the show.

Angie Miller
(I Surrender-Kelly Clarkson(American Idol Season 1 Winner)
Jimmy's advice to Angie is that sometimes it turns into a beauty pageant during her performance. This song was originally a Celine Dion song and then Kelly Clarkson sang it on the show so that's some big voices to compete with. Smartly Angie decided to not go as booming, she kept it within her wheelhouse. She did go for those big notes but still kept restrained when she needed to. That huge note in the middle-end of the song was fantastic and she hit almost easily. Best performance of the night thus far by a long shot. A-
Keith=Seems to take a song from any era and makes it current. Her vocal range is so beautiful. Knocked it out of the park tonight.
Nicki=Obsessed with the dress. Looked really comfortable. Is perfection on every level. The voice is flawless and just is a superstar.
Randy= The competition started right now. Thinks she can sing anything. Loved every part of it.
Mariah=Stellar. The word says it all
Do The Judges & I Agree? Definitely, Angie really finally started the show, it just took 45 minutes to get it going.

Paul Jolley
(Amazed-Scotty McCreery(American Idol Season 10 Winner) )
Jimmy tells Paul that he perpetually over-sings and although it's great for Broadway but not for recording. This song was originally sung by Lonestar. Paul begins his performance very mellow obviously trying to heed Jimmy Iovine's advice. Even when the big booming parts of the song seem like they are going to happen Paul keeps it pretty restrained. Definitely no over-singing tonight. I liked his vocal tonight more than I have before, definitely a step in the right direction, he still has to work on a few vocal things but really quite good. B
Keith=Thinks it was one of his better performances. Stay on the track. 
Nicki=First time that he stimulated her sexual appetite. Styled quite well. Thinks he has the ability to pick likeable songs. Seemed very comfortable on stage.
Randy=Great song choice.  Feel it go for it if you don't then don't.
Mariah=Loved that he is restrained but doesn't want him to stop himself from being himself. 
Do The Judges & I Agree? Pretty much. Paul's best performance thus far.

Candice Glover
I Have Nothing-Jordin Sparks(American Idol Winner Season 6))
Jimmy tells Candice that she has a fantastic voice and wants her to stay in the moment. Ben E. King originally sang this song. Candice loved Jordin's version and it's still one of my favorites as well. The intro to the song just gets you going when you hear the big boom of the drums then to pair Candice's voice with it is pretty perfect. This song did everything it should and more for Candice. Those big notes were so crazy, the best performance of anyone from this season. She rivaled Jordin Sparks who basically won the competition with that performance. Keith, Nicki and Randy give her a standing ovation. Mariah didn't give her a standing ovation because her skirt was too tight. A+
Keith=Was so completely in the zone. Incredible and amazing.
Nicki=It would be in everyone's best interest to never perform this song again because she just destroyed and annihilated that song and it can never be rivaled. Best performance of Candice's thus far.
Randy= Really worked that song. One of the greatest performance of the season by anyone. Perfect song choice.
Mariah= It's mesmerizing to see her. A singer of her caliber can do whatever and wherever she wants. 
Do The Judges & I Agree? Yes. If I didn't have a computer on my lap I would have given Candice a standing ovation. Wow that was good. If you don't watch Idol and only read recaps(including mine, and thanks for that) I would implore you to go on Youtube as soon as you can and watch it because that was really beyond superlatives.

Lazaro Abros
(Breakaway-Kelly Clarkson(American Idol Season 1 Winner))
Jimmy tells Lazaro that he just needs to learn the song and can't practice too much. I think this was a nice and pleasant song choice. I think the background singers were either intentionally or unintentionally loud at points and overshadowed Lazaro's voice at times. When he was without the background singers his voice was  solid.  A couple times I felt like he didn't finish the note, like he just stopped abruptly to move to the next lyric. It was ok, definitely worse than last week. C
Keith=Didn't think that this song was in his wheelhouse.
Nicki=Least favorite performance of Lazaro. Today he seemed very nervous. 
Randy=The pitch was all over the place. The song was way too big for him. Wrong song choice.
Mariah=People love his vulnerability. There are better song choices for him.
Do The Judges & I Agree? Sorta. They disliked this performance even more than I did.

Kree Harrison 
(Cry-Carrie Underwood(American Idol Season 4 Winner))
Jimmy tells Kree that she has a great shot on this show due to her tone, range and confidence, just tells her not to over sing it and give off emotion with restraint. This song was originally sung by Roy Orbison. I think this was a beautiful song choice, very appropriate. We have heard Kree really go for the big notes and this song allowed us to her subtlety and vulnerability. She still does little runs that make it her own, but it was just as Jimmy said, emotional but restrained. It won't get people as pumped as Candice but vocally it was almost on par. Really well done. A
Keith=Can sing the phone book. Is already there, can put out a record right now.
Nicki=It was smooth, it was delicious, it's like waffles with butter and syrup.
Randy=Loves the voice from note one. Makes him feel good all over. Infectious voice.
Mariah=Obvious that she has an enormous range. Can't help but emote and perform emotionally. Can't wait to hear her again.
Do The Judges & I Agree? Definetly. She knocks it out the park.

Burnell Taylor
(Flying Without Wings-Ruben Studdard(American Idol Winner Season 2))
Jimmy tells Burnell that he can't just do R&B ballads every week because he could be gone in a snap. This song was originally performed by Westlife. So Jimmy tells Burnell not to do a R&B ballad every week and then goes and sings a R&B ballad because he doesn't want to not be honest to himself. Burnell looks 100% better than he did last week when he looked like he was a background dancer in a Minilli Vanilli music video. Even better than his style is Burnell's voice. This is by far my favorite Burnell performance. He does some deep notes and comes back to hit some higher notes in the next breath. Wow there actually is a guy that can sing tonight. B+
Keith= Has a unique timber in his voice. Has a lot of natural ability and a pureness and is magnetic.
Nicki=Loves him and thinks he is well on his way, but a good job, not his best though.
Randy=Loves that he puts his own twist on the song. Loves that he believes, best of the guys.
Mariah=Thinks that his choices melodically were just beautiful. Was very drawn into his performance tonight. 
Do The Judges & I Agree? Yup. By far the best of the guys tonight.

Amber Holcomb
(A Moment Like This-Kelly Clarkson(American Idol Season 1 Winner))
Jimmy's advice to Amber is that she sings great up-tempo and to do that more often. It's crazy that when Kelly Clarkson performed this song when she won the show that Amber was only 6. That makes me feel old. I don't know if I liked the song tempo change, she slowed it down a little and it took a way some of the drama of the song. I would never expect Amber to get to the emotion that Kelly was at when she sang that song, but I would have loved a little more passion. Amber's voice was very controlled and she got into it finally towards the end but I think this wasn't the best way to go with the tempo of the song. Gotta say thought that last note was amazing. Keith, Nicki and Randy give her a standing ovation, Mariah would have again but the skirt is still too tight.  B+
Keith=Great song choice. Sang so effortlessly. It all is so easy.
Nicki=Best performance of the night. Voice and aura was like Whitney Houston's first album.
Randy=Blew the song out of the box. So beautiful and perfect.
Mariah="Hashtag Pow". Sounded magnificent. Has a natural gift that almost can't be explained. Almost can't be critiqued.  
Do The Judges & I Agree? Not really. I think Amber did a beautiful job, but I didn't think it was her best. Still head and shoulders better than a ton of the guys tonight, but I feel she could have put some more into her performance.

Best of The Night?
Candice Glover. Kree Harrison did a beautiful job, but Candice made me want to throw out my relatively expensive laptop off my lap to stand up and cheer for her. So that's something.

Bottom 3/Going Home Predictions
Bottom 3
1. Lazaro Abros
2. Curtis Finch Jr
3. Janelle Arthur 

Going Home
Curtis Finch Jr . He sang poorly and sang first. The judges still love him and didn't destroy him like they did Lazaro, but I still think Curtis is the one to go.

Final Thoughts

*Ladies, ladies, ladies. The worst lady(Janelle) was still better than 4 of the guys tonight. Can it be Top 6 week already because there are gonna be some rough times ahead if the guys continue to perform like they did when they go against the females. This is the first time the guys were up against the girls this season and they killed them. Sure Curtis and Paul and Devin can beat out some guys like Charlie Askew and Cortez Shaw but when they have to go up against Candice, Kree, Amber and Angie it's just incredibly jarring.  It's not even close.

*Taylor Hicks, Kris Allen, Phillip Phillips, Lee DeWyze and David Cook songs were not featured on this episode. Just a note, doesn't mean a ton, just making mention. Most featured was Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, no surprise there.

That's it. This was a pretty mixed night with some unbelievable performances and then some clunkers, so typical Idol. C'mon back here tomorrow to find out which of the Top 10 will be going home. So until then, see ya!