Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Top 4 Revealed & Perform: Soul Songs & Judge's Hometown Songs


Welcome back. 2 week from tonight the next American Idol champion will be crowned. I know that the ratings haven't been great this season, and I know that last season's champion, Caleb Johnson(do you remember him?) has done pretty much nothing since he was named champion, but winning the show is the ultimate goal, despite many non-winner's successes. Anyways, tonight the Top 5 will be performing 2 songs, one song will be "Judge's Hometown" songs based on the judges respective hometowns, New York(Jennifer), Nashville (Keith) or New Orleans (Harry) and the other song will be "Soul" songs, that supposedly define the singer’s “soul". 

We chose Rayvon and Tyanna as the Bottom 2 and have Rayvon going home, though Tyanna was probably worse than Ravyon last week and hasn't been good in awhile. If she goes it wouldn't be a shocker and probably more deserved.

There is no more Twitter-Save, so whoever has the lowest amount of votes will go home. So we will learn of the results pretty early into the show. There is no reason to drag out who goes home until the very end given that no matter what happens or how others perform they are going home anyways. Let's see how it all shakes out and let's get started:

Top 5 Weekly Rankings
1. Clark Beckham (Same As Last Week)
2. Jax (Same As Last Week)
3. Nick Fradiani (Up 1 From Last Week)
4. Rayvon Owen (Up 1 From Last Week) Officially Bottom 2 Last Week
5. Tyanna Jones (Down 2 From Last Week)

Performances & Results Round 1
The Top 5 got to go to Nashville, which is the location of mentor Scott Borchetta's company Big Machine Records. 

Clark Beckham
(Living For The City-Stevie Wonder)
The first notes of the song were a little strange, as if they were falsetto but also not. Clark seemed unsure of himself up there at times. He didn't complete some notes and seemingly went off key. I enjoyed when in the middle of the song he went off to play a little piano solo. When Clark is good, he is real good, but there is some nitpicky things that I didn't enjoy all the way.
Judge's Comment= Keith-The whole thing got in a good groove when he plays. Jennifer-Sounded really good. Is comfortable with instruments, but needs to practice without them. Harry-This is the big leagues. It was solid. Their is a certain pocket and groove that he needs to focus in on more, especially when he isn't playing.
Our Grade=B

Jax
(Empire State of Mind Part 2-Alicia Keys)
I think Jax playing Alicia Keys is so smart, it's someone that has a great voice and really can play the piano exceptionally and make things interesting, and I think Jax is getting really good at that. Tonight Jax played it pretty straight, her voice is obviously different than the original, but it was strong. When she goes for the big note at the end it comes off a little like she was pressing, but there were times that were real good. Not her best, but not even close to the worst.
Judge's Comments=Jennifer-Understands that she can win the competition. Not the best song, didn't feel it, but does think she has the potential to take the whole thing. Needs to be careful with song choice. Harry-Really dug it. Like a mini-showcase of what she can do, playing and singing. Really unique sound despite her sounding hoarse. Keith-Loved the song. Voice hit a beautiful register. Such strong artistic foundation even if she isn't 100% healthy.
Our Grade=B+

Nick Fradiani
(Bright Lights-Matchbox Twenty)
I know I said it a few weeks ago, that Nick's voice is very reminiscent of Rob Thomas, lead singer of Matchbox Twenty, so this pick seems very on the nose. It's a great song, so he has that going, but it's not a seemingly challenging song for Nick. So not a lot of points for creativiely song choice wise, but he did sing the song well. He is becoming a really nice performer and entertaining to watch. Plus he got the crowd going and was so into the song. He put it all out there.
Judge's Comments=Harry-Week to week he is looking most comfortable, by far most comfortable performance he has done. Sang the hell out of the song. Glad he sang a song comparable to Rob Thomas. Keith-Has a killer instinct, keeps going up and up he performers. Getting better and better. Jennifer-He is peaking at the right time. Such a good feeling. Him at his best.
Our Grade=A-

Guest Performance= Harry Connick Jr is singing "City Beneath the Sea". Given no contestant has actually sung a song from anyone's hometown other than Jennifer, they probably should have just called this week New York songs. But it's nice Harry got to represent his hometown New Orleans with this performance.

Results
Going Home=Tyanna. When Top 16 began Tyanna was really killing it. She was fun, having a great time, picking the right songs and sounded great. Over the past many weeks she has faltered. She either tried to do too much, she got bad advice and/or her very young age of 16 and inexperience to her. It's just Jax as the lone girl left in this competition.

Almost immediately after Ryan showed Tyanna her going home "Goodbye Video Package" she was asked to perform her song, which was Beyonce's "Run The World". You know what's easy, being super emotional and having to sing a Beyonce' song. Not. Beyonce' is one of the toughest singers to sing, but  Tyanna did her thing. It was super duper pitchy and all over the place, but she was emotional, and she's going home, so no need to judge her. 


Performances Round 1 Continued 

Rayvon Owen
(Need You Now-Lady Antebellum)
Ravyon has survived yet another week. Dude has got some fans, that's for sure. Good for him for making to at least Top 4. Tonight's performance was a little strange. His voice was all over the place, it was pitchy, it went of the tune. It was overly dramatic and hard to listen to at points. I liked that he changed it up to suit him, but it was too much at points. Just kind of unnecessarily over-dramatic and ambitious.
Judge's Comments=Keith-Likes that he made it his own. Rather had less dramatic more heart. Needs more carefree. Jennifer-All about connection and making it connect to their life. If don't feel they are singing from heart it doesn't carry the weight. Harry-At times he over-dramatized a lyric. Needs restraint to a degree. 100% on point with lyric. Nothing substitutes for singing a beautiful ballad.
Our Grade=C

Guest Performance #2= Martina McBride does her take on "Over The Rainbow". She did a really lovely version of this song.

Round 2 Performances
Mentor Jay DeMarcus from Rascal Flatts came into help out the contestants this week in Nashville. Martina McBride is also helping out. Steven Tyler surprises the Top 5 and gave them his best wishes. 

Clark
(Your Man-Scott Turner)
Jay and Scott listen to the song that Clark chooses that made Scotty McCreery a name on Season 10...you know "Baby Lock Them Doors"...now you remember. Jay wants to see the soul of the man delivering the song. Scott tells him it's not "American Musician" doesn't know what he can do to get him to change. Jay and Scott are not at all pleased at the choices that Clark made with this song. I can see what they are saying it was all over the place. Clark does a guitar solo in the middle of the song and doesn't sing for about 15-20 seconds, so now I see what the mentors were saying. This is a singing competition and it didn't do much for me. In fact, it was pretty boring.  
Judge's Comments=Jennifer-Sang it well, sings well overall. Is this the song he should be singing on this competition. Can this thing win it for him? Doesn't know if this is his soul song. It didn't blow anyone away. Thinks he can win, but let it get away from him. Harry-Extremely hyper-specific song choice is necessary. Needs to think can he win on that song alone, will the audience respond even if I enjoyed it? Not so sure. There were much more exciting performances he has done. Keith-Needs hit singles, not album tracks.
Our Grade=C+

Jax
(Human-Christina Perri)
Martina McBride  and Scott meets with Jax. Martina thinks she has a combination of vulnerability and strength. She thought it was so honest and can't think of anything to say to her. Because Jax is a little hoarse it makes her voice even more raspy then it usually is and it comes out so pretty. This was a great song choice it has anger, and pain and just great lyrics, very powerful. Jax put a ton of emotion into every note, she ends up on the ground on both knees. The only part that actually was annoying was the backup singers were too loud and screechy. I think Jax just on her own was pretty great.
Judge's Comments=Harry-An example of technical versus emotion. There were pitch issues, but felt every word. She completely lets herself go and that trumps everything. Harry-Perfect song. Killed. Really really good. Jennifer-Loved it. Loves how she looks into people's eyes in the audience. Her tone is sometimes so beautifully pure. 
Our Grade=A-

Rayvon
(Believe-Justin Bieber)
Jay and Scott really take in every word that Rayvon sings. Jay sees how deeply Rayvon feels and even gets goose bumps. This is the first time in a long time that Rayvon didn't sing the last or second to last song of the night because he didn't need to be saved, he was fully safe tonight. Must be a great feeling. Ravyon knows how to deliver when he isn't overly dramatic and that's what he did this time. It was much more straight forward, great vocals and powerful. The fact that he did so well on this one makes his first performance even worse, because compared to this, that was nothing, this was everything.  
Judge's Comments= Keith-Sang phenomenally. Loved watching his mom cheer him on. Jennifer-There is a big difference between the 1st performance and that. Is crying how good it was. Needs that every single time. Harry-The writers of that song would be so happy to hear Rayvon sing that song.
Our Grade=A-

Nick
(What Hurts The Most-Rascal Flatts)
It's crazy that Nick picked a Rascal Flatts song before knowing that one of the mentors would be a member of that band. Jay suggests him to singing with just a microphone and stand out on his own and not just a guy in the band. I love this song for Nick. It sounds really good to the ear. Opposed to Rayvon, who tried a country song to not great results, Nick hits it right all the way through. When the band drops out and Nick hits a big note is just lands right on the money. Great way to end the show.
Judge's Comments=Jennifer-Star of the night. Really really great. Harry-Can really hear him singing that on his song. Sounded great. Killed it. Keith-Fans will love that song. It will make a lot of people happy.
Our Grade=A

Best of The Night
Nick. Both of his performances really were great. Although his first song was not creative in terms of song choice, he sang it very well. Nick's second performance was outstanding. His best performance and song choice to date. It just hit so incredibly well.

Going Home Predictions
Rayvon. I think his performance of "Believe" was great, but the other 3 contestants left have been much more consistent over the past number of months. Clark was off his game, but still not terrible, Jax is the only female left and deserves a spot in the Top 3 and Nick was the best of the night.  Though, I have said Rayvon is Going Home for a ton of weeks in a row and he is still here, we'll see what happens next time.

Final Thoughts

*For most of Top 12, and even before that Clark was in the driver's seat. He was either one of, if not the most praised and raved about contestant. But Clark is letting this competition get away from him. He is taking his foot off the pedal and allowing Jax and Nick and even Rayvon (if he picks the right songs) to stroll right on by him. Even if it doesn't happen and Clark ends up winning the whole thing, he is still potentially letting it happen. Good for the others to take advantage of every moment and really make it their own.

*There hasn't been many times, since the contestants started singing 2 songs, that they landed on both, but Nick did so tonight. Both songs were great. I think Jax's "Human" was far superior than "Empire State of Mind", Rayvon was unbelievably better on "Believe" than on "Need You Now" and Clark was just okay on both. Nick did a great job on both of his songs. He has really hit his stride and could be the next Idol winner. This is getting interesting.


*I am thrilled to see that they didn't wait until the last second to give the results. It equals out the performances a bit more so the last person (Rayvon) standing with the lowest vote getter gets to know they are safe before the end of the show and can just relax. I think that's far more fair than revealing it right at the end like they have been doing when the Twitter-Save was put in use.

That's It. Next week the Top 4 get to go visit their hometowns, so expect a lot of emotion out. After next week only 3 will remain. This season is really winding down. Can't wait to see how it all shakes out. Come on back here after the next new episode.  So until next time, see ya!

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Top 5 Revealed & Peform: Arena Anthem Songs


Welcome back. We are inching closer to the finale and are left with 6 contestants, and after tonight only 5 will remain. Last week Rayvon, for the third time, staved off elimination and Joey Cook went home. It's quite interesting that he has enough fans to save him each week, but not enough to keep him out of the bottom at any point. This week the contestants will be performing Arena Anthem songs. 2 members of the U.S.A soccer team will be stopping by Idol, so I guess it's an appropriate theme.

Tonight any contestant that is SAFE will make the Idol Summer Tour. Plus tonight is the last night of the Twitter-Fan Save. So at Top 5 it's whoever is Bottom goes home. So a couple big issues going on tonight.

We chose Rayvon and Quentin as the Bottom 2, and (again) Rayvon as the one going home. Tyanna probably had a tougher time last week, but Quentin had that weird/awkward/uncomfortable moment with Harry Connick Jr, and the general audience sometimes can't get around those kind of things.  Let's see what happens:

Top 6 Weekly Rankings
1. Clark Beckham (Same As Last Week)
2. Jax (Up 2 From Last Week)
3. Tyanna Jones( Down 1 From Last Week)
4. Nick Fradiani (Up 1 From Last Week)
5. Quentin Alexander (Down 1 From Last Week)
6. Rayvon Owen (Same As Last Week) Officially Bottom 2 Last Week

U.S.A Soccer Announcement
The reason that two members of the U.S.A Women's Soccer team is here tonight is to announce that the winner of American Idol will perform the theme song for FOX's coverage of the Women's FIFA World Cup. So that's a pretty big honor.

Performances & Bottom 2 Revealed Round 1


Jax
(Are You Gonna Be My Girl/Guy-Jet)
We learn that Jax's parents thought she was going to be so much that they just kept the name they originally planned. We also hear more about how Jax's Dad was a First Responder on 9/11, so he is really everyone's hero. Tonight I think Jax's song choice was pretty perfect for her. It was fast at times, but it allowed her to add her own personal choices in there. This song is originally called "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" but she changed the pronoun to fit her. It's not bad, just a note. I liked her energy, I liked how she moved around and interacted.
Judge's Comments=Keith-Love the song. Did great. Took a little for her to get loose but once she does it she is great. Jennifer-So ready for tour. Perfect combination of being aware she's performing for an audience but also total abandonment. Harry-Getting a great idea of how great she is on tour because that was strong.
Our Grade=B+

Nick Fradiani
(Harder To Breathe-Maroon 5)
Nick's parents tell us that Nick was a great athlete and actually got a scholarship for basketball. He only gave up basketball when he got injured and then put all his efforts into music.  I think Nick missed his first note and his cue to get into the song. He recovered good enough, but it didn't come off that great, just sounded off. It took a little while for Nick to get into the groove of the song, the beginning was really messy and didn't gel well, but once he hit the chorus it got more calmed down and familiar. It still sounded like he was catching up at times to the veracity of the many electric guitars surrounding him and his playing. It was an uneven performance. Dude got through it and he made it pretty good given everything else going on, so good on him.
Judge's Comments=Jennifer-Getting more comfortable. It was pretty awesome, but he should have gotten the crowd more involved. Harry-That was really scary for everyone else in the competition because he is getting better every week. Great song. Really nice. Keith-Good song, finding his lane. But now it's about centering and stay focused. 
Our Grade=B

Clark Beckham
(Yesterday-The Beatles)
As a young boy Clark and his parents performed for all the residents of his grandma's nursing home, and that's where he first saw that his music gave joy to others.  Not sure how "Yesterday" is considered an arena anthem. Sure Paul McCartney and The Beatles have played this in concerts but how is this an anthem? Hey Jude? Yep. Come Together? Sure. But Yesterday? Don't think so. Great song? Absolutely. Anyways, Clark sounded great, but his stares off into space were a little off. His vocals combined with the violin accompaniment was beautiful, just beautiful, just wish he connected to the audience, and into the camera a tad more.
Judge's Comments= Harry-Didn't use any high notes gratuitously, matched up perfectly with the lyrics. Terrific. Keith-Beautiful. It sounded current, despite being an older song. Doesn't have to be so constrained, release even more. Jennifer-It was risky because everyone knows that song, but his strength is when he moves the audience. Did a beautiful job.
Our Grade=B

Tyanna Jones
(Party in the U.S.A-Miley Cyrus)
Tyanna's mom explains that the letter "T" is everywhere, every kid in her family has a "T" and there are a ton of them. Tyanna explains that although her and her parents were homeless at points she is proud they rose above it. Tyanna took the note of last week to move around the stage more and interact with the audience more. The only thing lacking at first was a great tone to her voice. It was very low and didn't do much. Once she got back on stage and stopped playing with the audience it got a tiny bit better. I still think this was a generic kind of performance. It was good, nothing spectacular.
Judge's Comments= Keith-It was fun. Saw a new side of her. Great choice to hear it in that context. Wishes she chose something with more weight. Jennifer-Saw her the most comfortable. Should be having fun. Harry-That was a smart song choice, so relaxed and killed it. 
Our Grade=B-

Bottom 2 Twitter-Save Performances  #1

Quentin Alexander
(Light My Fire-The Doors)
Quentin tells us he grew up in the 9th ward of New Orleans where people were getting shot randomly, so he stayed inside a lot with his older sisters.  Quentin's mother protected Quentin and worked long hours to support him and his sisters. Quentin gave this song a very Prince, groovy kind of twist. He interacted with the audience and was moving around the stage more than he ever has. His voice really grooved and he got into the song more than he has before. I do think he could have done a few more things with his voice, hit the big notes harder, gel with the lower notes a bit more. But he still did a solid job.
Judge's Comments= Jennifer-Looks super comfortable, just wants a little more vocal POW, his chorus is everything and it didn't hit as much. Harry-It's a rangey song. Sang it conservatvitly but the band did a great arrangement. It sounded cool. Keith-He is his own guy. He is so original. 
Our Grade=B-

Rayvon Owen
(I'm Not The Only One-Sam Smith)
Rayvon was a super organizer. He speaks about the sacrifices his mother did for him and his family.  He is happy he can hopefully pay her back for all that she has given him. Not sure if this is an arena anthem, but it sure is a popular song and great song for Rayvon. His vocals are so pretty, maybe the prettiest left in the competition. When he does ballads his emotions are right at the surface, he looks right into the camera and gives it all. I appreciate that kind of commitment. Really nice job by him.
Judge's Comments= Harry-Favorite part, other than the fantastic vocal performance, was when he flawlessly was able to breathe and hit notes at the same point. He is a true ballad singer. Keith-Perfect song choice. Might be the only one left. Jennifer-Vocals like that will keep him in the competition and maybe bring him to the end. Vocals like that will get him really far.
Our Grade=B+


Performances Round 2


Nick Fradiani
(Maggie May-Rod Stewart)
This is a nice song choice. It's retro but he makes it current. Opposed to the last song which was very hard and all electric guitars this one was more acoustic and relatively gentle guitar playing. Nick sounds great on this song, he really gets into it and I enjoyed it a lot.
Judge's Comments= Keith-Looking cool and is way better. Jennifer-Good song choice. Picking great song choices. Now it's about making moments. Don't want every single song to sound the same. Harry-Wonders if he could sustain a 2-3 hour show on the road, thinks he can.
Our Grade=A-

Tyanna Jones
(Heaven-Bryan Adams)
This was a crazy juxtaposition next to her last song. The other one was her running around a little and the band rocking out with her, this one is her in all the smoke and standing pretty much in the center of the stage and just belting it out.I think she had some really lovely parts but this wasn't her best.
Judge's Comments=Jennifer-Liked this. Different for her. Didn't feel like it was perfect, but it was nice to see different sides. Good job. Not her favorite, but nice. Harry-Wonders what kind of artist she is, because she does so many different types. She's more natural in dancing but comfortable with singing ballads. Keith-Great fusion of different types of genres.
Our Grade=B

Clark Beckham
(Boyfriend-Justin Bieber)
I think this was a smart song choice, it was unexpected and made Clark seem fun. He has been seen as a pretty serious dude, but this was a good change. It was basically just Clark and one other person playing acoustic guitars and slowing it down. I liked the creativity of changing things up, but again he didn't sing the song as an anthem or arena song, he was very mellow with it. I know Clark isn't a stadium kind of singer, but this was as opposite of theme as you can get. So points for picking the song, but points taken away because he didn't make it fit the theme of the week and change things up even more.
Judge's Comments=Harry-Did a disservice by making his bar so high and singing this kind of song. It's fun to change things up, but this wasn't the right song to this on. Should have made it sexy. Keith-Needs to get it out of his head and in his heart and everywhere else. Once he gets it out it will be more natural and sexy and dangerous, as was the original purpose of the song. Jennifer-This wasn't the best thing to show a big performance. Needs to create moments. Not sure if this was the right thing. 
Our Grade=B-

 Jax
(White Flag-Dido)
Jax is back on the piano for this version of Dido's one hit song. Jax takes it really gently with this song and makes the lyrics count. She uses her emotions in all the right spots. The fact that Jax can get the crowd going before and then do a really tender, emotional version of this song is so smart. Just really well done. One of, if not,  the best performance, by anyone, this season.  
Judge's Comments= Keith-Perfect song choice, was completely riveted. Jennifer-Said she needed more gravitas and she delivered. Tells her that her instincts as an artist is perfectly ready to be in this business. So beautiful. Harry-It was phenomenal, great song choice. Nothing to even say.
Our Grade= A+

Bottom 2-Twitter Save Performances # 2

Quentin Alexander
(Shake It Out-Florence and the Machine)
Scott Borchetta tells us that Quentin is an edgy contestant and he just needs to be intense and do his thing. This was a much more Quentin stylized song, it actually was pretty intense and dramatic, but it was also sung well.  It was a nice solid effort. I wasn't blown away like in past weeks, but it was better than his first performance.  
Judge's Comments=Jennifer-Wants to see him on tour. Riveting. Stays glue to him the whole time. Much better vocal performance than the last one. Harry-Pretty good. Harry wonders if the producers would allow him to auto-tune him because he does sing out of tune. Glad to know that Quentin wouldn't allow it. Keith-Is clear in what kind of record he wants to make because he has great instincts.
Our Grade=B

Rayvon Owen
(Go Your Own Way-Fleetwood)
Scott likes that Rayvon keeps getting looser and looser and his experience in this situation might work to his advantage. The band or Rayvon came in a little early, the first verse took a little while for him to settle in. Rayvon's strength is a ballad, and every time he has been saved it was on a ballad, this is not a rock song, but it's not slow either. This isn't as much of a strength for Rayvon as his first performance. He put it all out there for sure, that last note was crazy high. 
Judge's Comments= Harry-Wonders if Rayvon knows what kind of artist he wants to be. Is glad to hear that Rayvon is open to listening to Jennifer-Great way to finish the show. Is such a fighter. Doesn't go down. Wants to be here. Loves seeing him loosen up.
Our Grade=B

Twitter Save Results/Who's Going Home?

Saved? Rayvon. This guy really earned his spot. He has fought so hard every week. Next week there is no save so if he really is the Bottom then that will be it.

Going Home? Quentin. I am not saying he wanted to go home, but the way he was cheering on Rayvon, the way that he just seemed kind of non-chalant about being around any more was apparent. I think we lost 2 of the more creative contestants left in the competition in Joey last week, and now Quentin. Not saying there isn't a lot of talent left in the Final 5, but it's just a different vibe now. 



Best of The Night?=Jax. No doubt about it. Her first performance was fun and cool and an actual anthem, but her second performance was so tender and emotional and powerful. She just needs to keep doing these kinds of performances for a few more weeks and she can really be a contender to win this whole thing.

Bottom 2/Going Home Predictions
 Bottom 2
1. Rayvon
2. Tyanna

Going Home?
Rayvon. No other contestant left has been in the Bottom, so without the save who knows what will happen, but we do know for certain he has had lower vote totals than all of the remaining contestants for several weeks.

Final Thoughts
*Rayvon is the man. He really battled so hard the past several weeks. He sang the right songs, said the right things but just was a little short with the votes.He took full advantage of the Twitter-Save. We will see if his fight and determination will pay off in a few more votes to get him away from the Bottom because there are no more seecond chances.

*On that note, I am so pleased that the Twitter Save is through. I have been so curious the past number of weeks to know who the actual Bottom contestant is, but Idol hasn't told us that.We will know from now on where everyone stands.

*I feel like Jax and Nick are hitting their strides right now and are making a real push to the finals. Clark has been consistently the most consistent every single week, but it's getting a little predictable and a little safe at times. His vocals are still insane but it's very one dimensional in a lot of ways. On the other hand Jax has been really switching things up and taking chances, even if she fails. She pushes herself, and I like seeing that in contestants. I have seen Nick also take the criticism really well and strive to get better. Tyanna has been hit or miss, and we all know Rayvon's situation. So it's gonna be interesting what the final few weeks bring.

That's it. Come on back here to learn who the Final 4 will be. This is a very strong Top 5, should be interesting to see how it all shakes out. So until next time, see ya!

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Top 6 Revealed and Perform: American Classic Songs


Welcome back.This week marks the first time this season that the contestants will sing two songs. The theme this week is American Classic songs. The home audience tweeted out suggested songs for each contestant and then from a select list the contestants picked out the ones they wanted to sing.

With Qaasim's elimination last week we are left with only 7 contestants and no one other than Rayvon has been in the Bottom 2 since the Twitter-Save was introduced. Luckily for him, for the second straight week Rayvon was reprieved through the Twitter-Save. We chose him and Jax as our Bottom 2 and believe that Rayvon will be eliminated this time around. But anything can happen. Let's get started:

Top 7 Weekly Rankings
1. Clark Beckham (Same As Last Week)
2. Tyanna Jones( Up 2 From Last Week)
3. Joey Cook (Down 1 From Last Week)
4. Jax (Down 1 From Last Week)
5. Quentin Alexander (Up 1 From Last Week)
6. Nick Fradiani (Down 1 From Last Week)
7. Rayvon Owen (Same As Last Week) Officially Bottom 2 Last Week

Top 6 Perform & Bottom 2 Revealed Round 1

Tyanna Jones
(Why Do Fools Fall in Love-Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers)
Scott is the only mentor this week. He tells Tyanna to be present at every important meeting or engagement with people because he has seen her with industry people and she doesn't seem engaged all the time.This song was selected by the audience that saw her really do a great job with Rockin Robin, which is of similar energy and style. I think if we compare that performance to this one it lacked energy. Her voice was on point, but it was kind of boring in terms of everything else. Not overly impressed with this one.
Judge's Comments= Keith-Interesting song choice. Good song, not great one for her. Asks her give more edge, get in the moment and get traction on. Jennifer-That was a taste of fun Tyanna, but needs to get back to the place of not thinking. Harry-Finds similarity to Frankie Lymon that had the ability to sing and groove and be easy. Would have loved to see her move around. Suggests she did more movement, even subtle ones.
Our Grade= B-

Clark Beckham
(Superstition-Stevie Wonder)
Scott encourages Clark to keep doing what he is doing. Clark wants to find his full potential.  The beginning of this performance was cool, he just jammed on his electric guitar on his own and did some "doo wops" and scatted a little. Clark's eyes are wide open for this performance and he seems like he wants to connect more with the audience. I think this song was a good choice for Clark and he did a lot with it to make it his own. He really put out a good effort with this one.
Judge's Comments=Jennifer- Lookin good, starting to look like a star. Funky, sounded amazing, all coming together. Harry-Knows he was frustrated last week with the guitar but killed it this week. No critique. Keith- Harmony scatting, guitar solo was cool. Wants him to move more even with the guitar in hand.  
Our Grade=A-

Jax
(Piece of My Heart-Janis Joplin)
Scott encourages Jax to be herself, even if she is polarizing. This is a really great song choice. She stays with the original melody, unlike what she did last week with her song. She brings a lot of emotion, vocal control and stage presence to this performance. If Jax continues to do these kinds of performances and stays more consistent she can be a real contender, because this was a very easy, comfortable looking performance. Really nice job this time around.  
Judge's Comments= Harry-This was somewhere in between the original and another version. Impressive. Sings in the beat and is aware of the rhythm, strong. Keith-Sings really well with the band. Jennifer-Strong performance. Feels like this was her element. This was no small task and she did her thing on it.
Our Grade=A-

Nick Fradiani
(American Girl-Tom Petty)
Scott thinks that last week was the most energetic, and he has a nice arc going. This was another strong pick by America for Nick. I wish he stayed on the mic a little more, he was stylistically doing a thing where he was on and off the mic and it lost me for a second here and there, but overall it was fun, energetic and he really did a solid job out there. 
Judge's Comments= Keith-Such a good song for him. Engaged the whole time. Jennifer- Loved it. Has a radio ready voice, it's familiar but his own. Watching him grow is so awesome. Harry-Whatever just happened for him needs to be remembered. This is precisely the right thing for him. That's all everyone thinks he should be.
Our Grade=B+

Quentin Alexander
(Are You Gonna Go My Way-Lenny Kravitz)
Scott agrees that Quentin needs to rock out and identifies that in himself. Quentin definitely rocks out on this song. This is unlike what Quentin has done in many of his past performances. He rocks out, is very energetic and moves around the stage. In the past he does that super sultry, intense stuff, but this was a nice change. It wasn't spectacularly original or different, but he sang the hell out of the song and really rocked out. I'm impressed at the different facets Quentin has. His pitch still is not great,and it not being original made it not as good as past performances, but it was still a nice job by him.  
Judge's Comments=Jennifer-The whole thing worked. Perfect song, the outfit. The pitch thing is all over the place. Harry-Loves his artistry, but sometimes people can be captivated by the band more than his performance. Nothing different than the original. It was good, but the band really was pushing him around. Keith-Held his own. Liked that he laid back while the band took over. 
Our Grade=B+

*SUPER AWKWARD MOMENT ALERT*
I hate hate hate awkward moments, but because I do this blog I need to record what happened right after Quentin's performance. Right after Quentin performed and got his critiques Ryan noticed that Quentin didn't look right. He asks him what's wrong. Quentin tells him that "[the bottom 2/his BFF Joey] is whack" Basically that they are great and it's messed up they are there. Ryan reminds him that the Twitter save is available for his friend. Then Harry jumps in and says that if he thinks it's whack then he could go home, because it's highly disrespectful that he is talking about the hand that's feeding him [American Idol]. Hold up, Harry thought Quentin was saying that Idol was whack, but in fact he was just talking about the Bottom 2.

THEN, Quentin pops back onto the stage, really close to Harry, maybe a foot apart, maybe closer. He then says that he isn't disrespecting American Idol, he is upset that 2 people that he is super close to are in the Bottom 2 and 1 will  go home. Harry reminds him that this is a competition. Quentin and Harry shake hands, but Quentin is just super angry as he walks off the stage. WOW. Harry took what Quentin said wrong, but I do agree that Quentin shouldn't have been that upset and said anything, even if Ryan was trying to get something out of him.  This is a competition show, if it wasn't Joey or Ravyon who would Quentin have chosen? Someone that isn't his friend? That's not how things work. It was weird, awkward and I didn't really need to see it to enjoy the episode.

Bottom 2 Perform
Joey Cook
Rayvon Owen

Joey Cook
(My Funny Valentine-Frank Sinatra)
Scott wants her to continue to be an artist and be who she is. It's a little surprising that Joey is in the Bottom 2. I mean, she was ranked pretty high for us. But the general audience's tastes and opinions don't always match ours. She has had some fantastic performances, last week was okay, but this again proves that any off week can put you in jeopardy, what you did 3 or 4 weeks prior doesn't necessarily make a difference. Tonight Joey gets a real standard from the American audience. It didn't knock me out, but she put a lot of emotion in it, and it was all in tune and on point.Not sure if this was a great song choice for her, but she did her thing.  
Judge's Comments=Harry-Was a very good performance. Is smart. Really thought about the lyrics. Sang it appropriately. Did a damn good job. Keith-Sometimes reach is beyond her grasp, but goes for it anyways. Doesn't know if that was perfectly well suited, but it should be commended. Jennifer-Such a unique voice. Thought the song would work for her, but it didn't move her. Not sure why, but didn't feel it. 
Our Grade=B

Rayvon Owen
(Long Train Runnin-Doobie Brothers)
Scott applauds him for still sticking around week after week and fighting.  Tonight's song allowed Rayvon to groove and smile again. The last couple weeks he was in the Bottom 2 and he was really intense, this one he moved with the backup singers and have some energy. I don't think this song did him any favors for the majority. I liked the ending when he slowed it down and made it his own. It was good, not great.
Judge's Comments=Keith-Performance wise it was killer, but didn't feel enough. Needs a little edge. Jennifer-Keeps fighting with those vocals. Stepped it up. Harry-Must be hard to be in Bottom and keeps fighting. Thinks he needs a better song. When he gets the perfect song, he'll shut the room down. 
Our Grade=B

Round 2
Clark Beckham
(Moon River-Frank Sinatra)
This is a very old song, it just has to be said. I mean you won't hear this version on your local radio station, but it's super sweet and delicate. Clark plays the piano and has very light band accompaniment.  It's sweet, he sings everything in tune, it didn't have me jumping up and down, but it was lovely.
Judge's Comments=Jennifer-Loved that. Really well done. Harry-Incredibly talented, but instead of sounding like a cocktail sound, but needs to make the song current, use the chords, he is talented. Keith-It was warm and fuzzy. 
Our Grade=B+


Tyanna Jones
(Proud Mary-Creedance Clearwater Revival)
She stands on a little platform in the middle of the stage, and her presence for the first part of the song is great. This song allows her to have the first part of the song super slow and lovely, but then it kicks up and Tyanna moves and gets a lot of energy. That's where she really shines. She looked comfortable, sounded great and hit some crazy notes. This was a great job by her, the song fit her strengths really well.
Judge's Comments=Harry-That was as close to perfect as you can get. Moved, understood how to move the stage, started slow. Keith-That's as good as she is now at only 16. Jennifer-Really good. Got to stretch her vocals. Should always do that, keep picking songs that do that.
Our Grade=A-

Nick Fradiani
(Only The Good Die Young-Billy Joel)
Nick completely flips the song on its head.  He takes the song and makes it more of a ballad. I obviously love the original Billy Joel version, but I like that Nick was being creative and tried something different. He sang the song really well, not sure if I loved the arrangement, but for what it was it was real good.
Judge's Comments=Keith-Loved the arrangement. 10 out of 10. Jennifer-Loved it the whole wait through. Waited til he got up and then loved it. Harry-Applauds him for trying something different. The arrangement threw him off. It was a little self-involved.
Our Grade=B

Quentin Alexander
(The Sound of Silence-Simon & Garfunkel)
This is more typical Quentin, it was slow and more intense. He stares into the camera and into our TV's like he sees us, it's crazy. This is a real classic song. The beginning is quite beautiful, when the band kicks in he goes off tune a little, or his pitch, or the key or something goes astray. I am no musician, but it was off. When it was good it was real good, but there were some off elements to his performance that were distracting.
Judge's Comments= Jennifer-Dramatic and moody. There's a lot of pressure out there, but he needs to control his emotions. Needs to put his heart out there first, over the emotions. Harry-Likes how he is tremendous at interpreting lyrics. When he holds notes it's a beautiful thing to hear. Needs to focus on pitch, but it's part of being a singer, needs to stay in tune. Keith-Is in him to be a great artist. The way he interprets songs is commendable.
Our Grade=B-

Jax
(Beat It-Michael Jackson)
This song was chosen by America.  As everyone knows, it is a very fast song and has a lot of aggression and rock to it. After being criticized for straying too far from the original last week, Jax again stays pretty close to the original. She sang it well, but it wasn't spectacular. Loved her energy and the fact that it was as fast, as the other one was so mellow. Gave a nice balance for her night.
Judge's Comments= Harry-Favorite part was the static electricity in her hair. Wanted to see her run around the stage and act like an idiot. Loved that. It was really fun. Keith-Loved she showed 2 sides of her. Jennifer-Made running around like an idiot look cool.
Our Grade=B

Bottom 2-Twitter Save Songs

Rayvon Owen
(Always On My Mind-Willie Nelson) 
Rayvon has been in this spot for the third consective week, and he has delievered each time. He takes this song and makes it full on ballad. Rayvon always has a beautiful voice and delievers great emotion. Obviously, he has not been connecting to the audience fully, given his place in the Bottom week to week, but there is no denying that this was a spectacular vocal. He couldn't do much better.
Judge's Comments= Keith- Right song, sang it beautifully. Jennifer-Felt something, goosies everywhere. Harry-Is a ballad singer, and when he sings a song as much heart behind it, he stacks up there with the best in the competition.
Our Grade=B+

Joey Cook
(Somebody To Love-Jefferson Airplane)
Joey takes the song and makes it super quirky in her own quirky way. It was as if all you needed was a jar and some spoons and maybe a banjo, whatever it was it all worked. This was a much stronger performance than the earlier one. She was much more comfortable and in her groove. She hit some great notes and made the song completly her own. Joey and Rayvon couldn't be any more different. It's really however the audience feels on a given night. Tough call.
Judge's Comments=Jennifer- Gave the colors of all Joey Cook is. Made it her own. Just perfect. Harry-Hard to groove to or dance to, but she still impressed with her arrangement and presentation. Keith-Shows two extreme edges of who she is tonight. Saw what she did before, and with this and it's nice to see.
Our Grade=A-

Twitter Save Results/Who's Going Home?

Saved?=Rayvon. He is the luckiest guy on the show so far.

Going Home=Joey Cook. Joey had a really good run, but she was maybe too quirky for the general audience. I enjoyed her artistry and creativity. She probably went home a little too earlier, but with the Twitter-Save this kind of thing was bound to happen.


Best of the Night? N/A  Tonight every single contestant had one good performance, and one not that great performance. No contestant really stood out to be the best of the night. It was evenly good, and evenly not so great.

Bottom 2/Going Home Predictions
1. Quentin
2. Rayvon (Should & Will Go Home)

Final Thoughts
*So, Rayvon is safe to sing at least one more time. This is the third consective week that someone facing Rayvon went home. So that means one of two things. 1. That Rayvon isn't the worst every week, but is second worst and his fans come out to support him when they see him in trouble, OR,  2. (and this is more likely) Rayvon knows how to fight at the right moment despite being Bottom  or second worst every week. He sang the right song at the right time. If he sang his first song as his last performance he would have went home. Sometimes it's all about timing and thus far he has it. Joey being eliminated was unfortunate. She was easily one of the more interesting and artistic contestants left in the competition, it's a shame we won't hear more creative performances from her.

*Tonight was a very strange night. No one was bad, no one was extra good. Each contestant got to sing twice, and that was either lucky for them or unfortunate for them. No contestant was able to have back to back great performances, either their first song was great and second one not as good, or the first one was off and they redeemed themselves. I think having to sing two songs was a lot for some of these contestants, we will see how they do for the rest of the season.

*There have been some awkward, weird moments on Idol, but it's been awhile. The moment between Harry and Quentin was so odd. Quentin shouldn't have said what he said, but Harry was actually wrong in interpreting what Quentin was saying. So the whole thing was just weird. That's really the word for it.

That's it. 6 people remain, 4 guys and 2 ladies. Joey's elimination proves that anyone could go home at any point if they have a slightly off week. We'll see what happens next week. So until then, see ya!

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Top 7 Revealed & Perform: Billboard Hits Week


Welcome back. Last week was sort of crazy with the introduction of a new twist and the elimination of a contestant we thought wouldn't leave that soon. For those that didn't read our blog (and where were you...just kidding...not really) and those that didn't watch the actual show, the Fan-Twitter Save was introduced by American Idol. It works as follows: The Bottom 2 contestants are revealed, they sing their song of the week, and then for the last 5 minutes of the show the audience tweets for the contestant they want to save with the hashtag of that person's name. Last week Rayvon and Daniel were Bottom 2 and Rayvon was saved and shockingly, Daniel was eliminated.  Idol hasn't revealed how long this Twitter Save will be in effect for, but if it's a ratings ploy it sort of worked, the show didn't lose any ratings week to week and got about 8.5 million people to watch. It's not great, but it's far from bad. Daniel absolutely deserved to go home, but his "adorableness" and being told he is "cute" all the time was seemingly unstoppable, that is until he was stopped. 

This week the Idol contestants will be singing Billboard Hits. That is a very broad theme and could lead to almost anything. We chose Rayvon and Qaasim as the Bottom 2, and believe that Qaasim SHOULD go Home, but Rayvon WILL Go Home. Though, anything can happen with this twist.

As a side note, since the beginning of Top 12, the contestant that sang first in the night was eliminated the following week, first Sarina-Joi, then Adanna, and 2 weeks ago it was Daniel. Last week Nick sang first, now we aren't predicting him to leave the competition, but it is an interesting fact to look out for.

Country artists Florida-Georgia Line and Jason DeRulo are the mentors for the week. Each of them will mentor 4 of the contestants, chosen by permanent mentor Scott Borchetta. So without further ado, let's get started:

Top 8 Weekly Rankings 

1. Clark Beckham (Same As Last Week)
2. Joey Cook (Up 1 From Last Week)
3. Jax (Up 2 From Last Week)
4. Tyanna Jones (Down 2 From Last Week)
5. Nick Fradiani (Down 1 From Last Week)
6. Quentin Alexander (Same As Last Week)
7. Qaasim Middleton (Same As Last Week)
8. Rayvon Owen (Same As Last Week)  Officially Bottom 2 Last Week

Top 8 Revealed and Perform

Jax
(Poker Face-Lady Gaga)
Scott and Florida-Georgia Line mentored Jax. Florida Georgia Line wants her to nail the song and make a connection. Scott needs to find a strong performance to make it her own over just being a Lady Gaga copy. The song has a burlesque sound to it. She flips the song into her own thing, it has some of the signature aspects of the original but it's pretty different. I think Jax might have done too much to change it up though. It's not that it was unidentifiable, but all the changes weren't needed to make it a good performance. It really wasn't one of her stronger performances. 
Judge's Comments=Keith-Interesting arrangement. Loves her artistry. Jennifer-All for changing things up. But there is a line that it gets dangerous, wouldn't hear that on the radio today. One of the favorites, it is hers to lose. Couldn't relate to that song at all.Doesn't want her to go too left. Harry-Has magic in her voice. No problem taking the arrangement to the left, but has problem with not owning the performance. Didn't inhabit the whole stage. It's more than just rearranging the song. Need to completely inhabit the song. 
Our Grade=B-

Nick Fradiani
(Teenage Dream-Katy Perry)
The mentors want Nick to feel comfortable and relaxed. They give him a tip to look into a mirror while playing. They want to add a different beat to the song so people can vibe to the song. I kind of like this choice for Nick. He changes the lyrics up to fit him and the small pronoun changes are big. He actually does look more comfortable on stage. His voice is on point. He has a very Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty thing going on with his voice an stage presence, and that's a great thing. Very nice job by Nick. After the comments Harry was asked, actually forced, guilted into singing Teenage Dream, and somehow it ended up with Harry basically chasing Keith around the stage and not knowing any of the words, except the ones that Nick graciously fed him. It was pretty silly and a little out of control. Not sure really what happened.
Judge's Comments=Jennifer-So good. Changing the song and making it your own in the best way. Could hear that song on the radio today. Harry-Things were good, especially the energy, but likes when he sings more intense, grittier songs. It was fine. Keith-Killer song choice. The spirit of the song was right and played to his strengths. Sounded like him.
Our Grade=A-

Guest Performance #1
Mentor of the week Jason DeRulo is singing "Want To Want Me". I guess we shouldn't mention that Jason is now the ex-boyfriend of Season 6 Idol winner Jordin Sparks. So because we aren't talking about their seemingly awful breakup we can talk about his performance tonight, and it was alright. Jason's dance moves are far better than the song itself, but it was what it was.

Quentin Alexander
(Latch-Sam Smith)
He was mentored by Jason DeRulo. Jason gives a couple suggestions, wants him to go full voice and not lay back and then go falsetto. Scott thinks that if he hits it right then it will be great. Quentin's voice is so smooth when it's in tune, it just glides. He goes for the falsetto, which is different than he usually does. It was just a little bit, but it was enough, I am glad it didn't go on too long, it made it more special. Quentin's voice does go out of tune at parts, but he made up for it in other parts of his voice.
Judge's Comments=Harry-Looks unbelievable. Strong suit is how easy he can fit into a pocket. This was a little lighter, still some pitch issues, but a strong song choice. Keith-Great song choice, particularly the way he brought out his vocal. Jennifer-Drums overpowered in the beginning, but he got into it when he didn't think about anything. Loved it and the song.
Grade=B+

Guest Performance #2
Singing "Sipping on Fire" is Florida Georgia Line. It sounds kind of like most of the songs I have ever heard them sing, but I admit I don't know them that well. So we will just say they were fine and move on.

Joey Cook
(Wrecking Ball-Miley Cyrus)
Jason tells Joey she has crab hands, her hands get all claspy when she sings. He wants her to do everything in moderation or it could get boring or off-putting. Joey wants to show that she can be current and on the radio today. Joey's dress is a mess and her hair is kind of a mess and purple, but it somehow sort of works together. Joey leaves the arragement alone and doesn't mess with it too much, she just uses her very unique tone to put her own spin on some of the wording and breaks in the song. I probbaly dig her more noir/old-school kind of performances more than this one, but I like that she is showing different sides to herself and her voice. Not great, but not terrible.
Judge's Comments=Keith-Looks relieved. Always does something different, didn't do anything different and when she got to the chorus she held back a little. Liked it. Jennifer-The epitome of uniqueness. Liked the verses but the chorus was too like Miley. Did a good job with it. The quality of her voice stands her apart. Harry-Even when she does a similar arrangement it was still different. It was an okay vocal, but something needed to happen to change the chorus, and it got a little boring towards the end.
Our Grade=B

Clark Beckham
(Make It Rain-Ed Sheeran)
Jason mentors Clark and tells him to share what he is feeling inside with everyone else and command the stage. Clark wants to be brave and unafraid and show his emotion. This song allows Clark to tap into his emotions very fast. Clark has a great talent of choosing great songs, plus it allows him to have a solo with his guitar, which was very cool. There is no doubt that Clark's voice is one of, if not the best in the competition, but he needed to connect with the audience and look comfortable, and I think he did that pretty well tonight. I think last week was better, but Clark's effort is always there.
Judge's Comments= Jennifer-Effortless for him to sing. Needs everything to work together, the style and image have to fit as well as the voice. Has a finale that he could be at, but he needs to have swag to get him out of his comfort zone. Harry-Has an amazing voice, highly gifted. What would have made it better was he needed to sit in the pocket, he rushed the whole way through. Was good but wasn't great. Keith-The guitar got in his way. The end was a killer.
Our Grade=A-

Guest Performance #3
Iggy Azalea and Jennifer Hudson are performing their song "Trouble". This is a coming home reunion  for Season 3, 7th place finisher Jennifer Hudson and a work reunion for Iggy who worked on the crazy, weird, horrible music video "Booty" with Jennifer Lopez. This song was much more tolerable. Hudson's voice is still one of the best out there, it's just effortless and strong.

 Tyanna Jones
(Stay-Rihanna)
Jason thinks the dynamics of her voice is beautiful, and finds her very mature. Scott thinks sometimes she doesn't put in the extra effort to put in the emotion. There is no doubt that Tyanna's voice is amazing and this song allowed the audience to focus only on the voice, no theatrics, no running around the stage, just pure voice. I said it last week, but I think Tyanna's biggest strength is when she is moving a little more and stays young and youthful, this was definetly a mature performance. I enjoyed that it revealed major strengths in her voice. It's cool that she is showing different sides to herself.
Judge's Comments= Harry-Held her emotions in check, extremely touching. Did a fantastic emotional performance. Keith-Extreme maturity in her voice. Would be a hit song for her. Beauitufl. Jennifer-Lost her way the past couple weeks, but this week everything came together in the right way.
Our Grade=A-

Bottom 2
Qaasim and Rayvon will sing their Billboard Hit song and hope to get saved by the audience.

Rayvon Owen
(Set Fire To The Rain-Adele)
Florida Georgia Line wants Rayvon to wait and not put everything out there in the beginning. They want him to simplify his falsetto, but don't drop it completely. The songs starts off really small, just a piano and his voice, then the guitar starts, the background singers and when he gets to the chorus it was pretty amazing with the drums. It was subtle and powerful at the same time. I really enjoyed the arrangement. I think his voice was a little all over the place at times but he did keep himself in check.
Judge's Comments=Keith-Crazy. A guy singing for his life. Missed something in the chorus. Jennifer-Applauds that he took the notes. Felt him dig. Not sure if it was the best song choice. Harry-Sees he has what it takes, but just wants to keep striving and pushing.
Our Grade=B-

Qaasim Middleton
(Hey Ya-Outkast)
Florida Georgia tells Qaasim to keep being comfortable and play around with it. Qaasim admits that last week was his worst night of his life. It's been awhile since Qaasim let loose and performed and not just focused on his vocals. This was a fun performance, and I am sure it was fun to perform, but it did lack some originality and creativity. He got to sing last and he got to perform, rather than worry about his vocals this week. He is what he is at this point and the audience will tell us what they feel about him.  
Judge's Comments= Jennifer-Huge fan of his, that was a tough song but he wowed with his performance. Owned the stage. Harry-Groove is incredibly strong. The vocal wasn't dissimilar to the original. It was good. Entertaining to watch. Keith-Played to your strengths. Great song. Killed it. Makes the most of the moment.
Our Grade=C+

Twitter Save Results/Who's Going Home?

Saved? Rayvon Owen

Going Home? Qaasim Middleton. The voice just wasn't there compared to Rayvon. Qaasim was a great performer, but this is a singing show first. Qaasim was saved by the Judges at Top 11, he made it 3 more weeks. That's about or close to average for the Save. It's not my call to determine if the save was properly utilized or not, given Qaasim didn't get that close to winning, but he was a different kind of contestant than anyone else, so that was something.


Best of The Night=Nick. I think Tyanna delivered a really powerful performance, but I liked Nick's song choice more, and I think he performed the song as well as he ever has. He took a risk picking a Katy Perry song but it worked out. Sometimes big risks fail hard, but this risk paid off.

Bottom 2/Going Home Predictions
1. Rayvon Owen Should & Will Go Home
2. Jax

Final Thoughts

*I think tonight was very middle of the line. I think Nick and Tyanna were the best of the bunch. I think Clark and Quentin were good, but not as great as they could have been. I think Jax, Joey and Rayvon each had good parts of their performances, but also could have done more.

*So far I think the Twitter-Save has worked exceptionally well. The two people that should go home went home in the past two weeks. The general audience has done a great job of creating the correct Bottom 2 and then the smaller, twitter using audience has done a nice job saving the person that really should stay. So far so good.

*This is creatively, vocally and uniquely a really great Top 7. Each contestant has something special about them, and on any given night they could be the best. It might really come down to who steps it up that particular night, and who doesn't step it up nearly enough. It could really be that close. That's kind of exciting.

*For those that care, or go to the American Idol tour, only the Top 5 will be going this summer. In the past it was Top 10, I think one year it was Top 13, or Top 11, but this year only the Top 5. The tours just don't sell like they used to, so less people that are on tour less Idol has to pay them.

That's it. After next week we will only have 6 people left, this season is starting to really fly by now. It's getting really down to some great contestants, let's hope everyone keeps stepping it up. We'll see you back here next week, until then see ya!