T-minus three weeks until the Idol finale, and we are now on the hunt for who will go head-to-head with Adam for the crown. My pick is still Danny Gokey but Kris Allen and Allison Iraheta gave him a run for his money tonight. Jamie Foxx surprised the Idols as the mentor of the week, helping them navigate through the Rat Pack.
Kris Allen sang “The Way You Look Tonight” with Jamie Foxx declaring he would do a record with him right now! Randy stamped it as Kris’ best performance to date. I thought he did a perfect rendition of this song.
Allison Iraheta celebrated her birthday this week … happy 1-7! She belted out “Someone to Watch Over Me.” What an amazing performance. All the judges loved it, but Simon is worried for her because of her supposed lack of confidence. Maybe this “lack of confidence” has something to do with the fact that Idols know they can give an amazing performance but a certain judge still gives a negative review.
Matt Giraud crooned “My Funny Valentine,” a jazz standard he has been waiting to sing. I thought he did a nice job, but I think this is his week to go home. I, along with Randy and Kara, don’t think he did enough to
overcome any of the other Idols. In a twist, Simon agreed with Paula and gave him a “brilliant” with a wink. This could really hurt Allison.
Danny Gokey is still the one I’m rooting for and he did not disappoint with “Come Rain Come Shine.” He has an amazing talent and voice. Wow! If he has been off at all in the past weeks, he is back.
Adam Lambert sang “Feeling Good.” As always he was technically amazing but I honestly didn’t feel the performance as much as I felt the others. Just like Randy, I felt it was a bit over the top, but as Simon pointed out, that is his thing and why most in America love him.
I think that Matt Giraud should and will go home but Simon’s comments to Allison might be enough to sway America against her. What do you all think? Who are you rooting for to make it into the finale?
33 Comments
I totally agree Phil, Matt is on his way home as long as Simon didnt sway the vote against Allison. I think she has an awesome voice. My favorite is still Danny. His performance tonight gave me goosebumps. Adam is amazing as well, although I feel he should be on broadway and not as americas “idol”. I would love to hear Adam sing an 80’s hair band ballad. He would give Sebastian Bach a run for his money. By the way Phil, we can’t wait for your new album to come out!
I love this music. I was born too late because I shou;ld have been a young adult in the late 50’s and 60’s drinking martinis in smoky bars listening to the Rat Pack and their contemporaries instead of suffering through strobe lights and disco in smoky bars drinking pina coladas.
For the first time since David Cook and Jason, I got goosebumps on Kris’ rendition of The Way You Look Tonight. My only complaint was that one random falsetto note. PLEASE stop doing it everyone…PLEASE! He is rather Sinatra like in that you think *his voice is nothing special* yet you are mesmerized by him (or at least I am)
Everyone on the Idol boards predicted Allison would have a hard time with her song. And, if she had sung Stormy Weather or Fever like all of them seemed to think she should have (with the occasional suggestion for Candy Man) she would have done. Her song choice was perfect. I literally bawled as she sang. I’m still teary eyed. Maybe it was Jamie’s suggestion she think of her family as she sang that turned on my waterworks. Maybe it was the Chinese food I had earlier. Maybe it was the wine. Whatever. I voted until my fingers fell off.
Matt Matt Matt. I’m sorry but you didn’t do a good job. Its a big song. Melinda Doolittle did the Idol classic of it and I have no idea why Simon thought it was so great.
Danny Gokey didn’t sing Volare. He obviously did a good job because he was clapping along with the audience in his ovation. He’s going to win so I might as well get used to it.
My new friend Adam disappointed me tonight. Beautiful staging, good arrangement, wonderful vocals but it fell a little flat for me. I’m thinking its because he has set the bar so high each week that this week when it just stayed the same it was a disappointment.
I have no idea what Simon was up to tonight except that he has predicted Gokey and Adam for the finals and doesn’t want to be wrong and thus diminishes Allison and Kris.
Matt should go home. To my untrained ear it was a mess. The rest (yes even though I don’t like Gokey he was better than Matt) were great and thanks for a wonderful theme week.
Also…Jamie Foxx was unexpectedly effective as a mentor. Kudos to him.
Let me be the first to disagree – I liked Matt’s performance. I thought it was authentic. I would enjoy hearing him sing a set like that (in that smoky bar Monica suggests… when do we go???)
Kris to me seemed contrived, sorry. The rest – great. I think it will be hard to send someone home from here on. Allison continues to WOW me.
This was a great show, I enjoyed it tremendously. Yeah, I suffered through disco, too. That’s why I hung out at places like the Beer Mill and Kirby’s instead of Pogo’s.
I just want to say I have no use for Jamie Fox after hearing his filthy mouth and the things he said about Miley Cyrus. He called her a White B**** and said she should make a sex film, amoung other things. He is just another nasty mouth comedian. I changed the station briefly every time they showed him.
s mom..wish I knew where such a bar was. I spent some time at Kirby’s and its counterpart in Lawrence where a successful evening was managing to avoid the puddles to and in the ladies room.
I loved Pogo’s. I worked there the first night it was open and did for a few months. I had the time of my life! My last name was different then, in case you think you know me.
Okay, I’ll comment about the actual show now. No smoky bar or Miley Cyrus references from me. And my actual name is not, nor has it ever been….Hawkmama.
Everyone but Matt and Adam wowed me. Loved Kris and voted repeatedly for him. Ditto Allison. And Danny upped his game tonight with some new twists on his style which really worked. He was amazing! I’ve always liked his voice but didn’t think he showed more than one dimension until tonight. Adam was over the top and theatrical and I didn’t feel he connected to the song at all.
Loved the genre tonight. Challenging vocal elements and the results were very commendable.
Matt should go. He didn’t stink, but he certainly didn’t match the other 4 tonight.
I was at Pogo’s the first night too!!!
Matt or Allison are going home. I think Danny will win. Adam was way over the top tonight. I just shutter when he screams the lyrics. Kris was pretty good tonight, also.
hhmmmm….. i loved adam, and still think he should/will win.
i just don’t get all the love for danny gokey.
i kept thinking “i should vote for allison”, but i kept on voting for adam about a bazillion times. he is so incredibly fantastic! she is really, really good, but adam is better.
I suspect Simon is playing Survivor: American Idol. Using his critiques to position in the top 3 the one he sees as the most financially viable contestant with two lesser contestants unlikely to pull a voting upset.
Still think it’ll be Adam & Danny in the finale.
I’ve always been an Adam fan, but last night he surprised me and was not good, he screamed what should of been a softer song…oh, Adam, you let me down!
I do think Adam is great and I like him but for some reason tonight all I could think about was that he was a robot….like the Stepford Idol or something. White suit all the make-up…maybe this is an acting gig for him. He will be successful no matter what the outcome of American Idol is. OH and to make myself even more hated…I like Kara. Have a great day everyone!!!!
I hope they go back to the original three judges next year.
I loved loved loved Kris! His performance last night made the hair on my arms stand up! It was fabulous. I also loved Danny…as usual! He didn’t impress me as much as Kris did, but i still love him. I think the Kris, Danny and Adam will be the last three standing and I think Matt is going home tonight. He did ok, but once again, I didn’t like his song choice.
It appears to me Gokey has some type of relationship with Lenscrafters. He makes that stupid heart shape with his hands and Lenscrafters is featuring the same in a nationwide campaign.
If that type of advertising would like to be performed after the competition, while on tour, fine by me. Right now it is a huge conflict of interest and is WAY out of bounds. If Fox is involved then it makes you question every aspect of the show; voting, song choice, comments, line-up. If Fox is not involved (and I can’t imagine that being the case) then Gokey needs to be disqualified immediately.
I would be particularly interested in Phil’s comments on this. On a side note, it would be pretty good publicity to get tossed to sign his own deal without being tied down with Idol. I’ve heard this “positive” before about how it can be better by not winning.
Monica, your posts are priceless!
Adam is still the one to beat. He’s also the only one I would pay to see perform. It’s not everyone’s cup-of-tea but it is entertaining as all get out. He has this attitude of “This is who I am. This is how I perform. If you don’t like it, vote me off.” I love it.
Adam is by far the best talent on this show. For those of you who keep saying he is “over the top” and “too theatrical”, you must not understand that once someone wins this show, they will be performing regularly. 80’s rock was my thing, and the rock bands of that day were unbelievable in their live performances. Adam fits that mold! To me, music is meant to be performed live. You can have the studio musicians. At this point, all the contestants can sing, but to me, you need to be much more than just a singer. I find myself anticipating what Adam will do each week and I wouldn’t go see any of these Idols perform live except Adam.
Broncomamma…..I agree with you completely!!! Well spoken!
Adam & Danny in the finals. I was earlier predicting Allison instead of Danny. She has an excellent talent, but I’m not sure she has the emotional maturity to pull this off and stay with it as “Top Idol”.
I also love this music, grew up with Frank, Dino, and Tony Bennet playing on the “record player” in the kitchen while my Dad cooked Sunday dinner. I can still smell the aroma of sauteed garlic and marinara sauce whenever I hear these songs.
I was worried about Alison, but I think she came through in a big way, picked the right song, arrangement, did it up right! And Randy, who I usually don’t even bother listening to, summed her performance up perfectly “looking like Brittany Murphy, sounding like Pink”. She’s a niche singer, but did a great job adapting her song to her style.
Matt still looks too nervous for me to enjoy watching him, if I close my eyes he sounded OK, but he always looks like he’s about to have some sort of implosion. Just no confidence. I could see him having a career though, as a musician,just not as an entertainer/performer.
Kris is really good in a John Mayer-esque kind of way, laid back and understated, could see him having a pretty good following but he doesn’t have the dynamic persona to win this competition.
Danny, oh Danny. Great voice, uncomfortable stage presence, I predict a fantastic career for him in Christian music.
And Adam, the eventual winner, did what Adam does. I loved Simon’s comeback to Randy’s comment that Adam seems too theatrical. “That’s like asking a cow not to Moo! That’s what he is!” And he’s right. Adam has stayed consistently Adam throughout the competition, no identity crisis there! And there’s a lot to be said for someone who is so comfortable in their own skin. He’s flamboyant, over the top, talented, and won’t have the David Cook problem of appealing to a different fan base during Idol than what he wants for the remainder of his career. Cook is doing the college tour in order to shed the image of being the “cougar” pick, trying to get a following of fans under the age of 45! (And hey, I fit into the over 45 category, so I’m not being nasty!) Adam is winning over the type of people he *wants* to have as fans, which is anyone who isn’t offended by his “openness”. I think he’s great, took a while to “get” him, but now I look forward to his performances more than anyone else’s.
So, it’s either Matt or Allison going home (hope it’s Matt) and either a Kris/Adam or Danny/Adam finale. With Adam being crowned the winner. As always, jmho.
I wondered about the heart thing and Danny but left it alone as I was sure to say something not nice about it and my eye is just recovering from the key I stuck in it 2 weeks ago. I remembered seeing that on a commercial recently, but forgot it was Lenscrafters. Jerry may be on to something. Danny did put his glasses back on last night. Hmmm…. probably just wishful thinking.
Check out the commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QQVB0zwvN0
Monica, hope you get healed up real soon (fingers, eye, etc.!)
Allison is my favorite. That girl sings and performs with the confidence of pros who’ve been in the business for decades. I think Simon was a total jerk to say she lacked confidence. With a song like “Someone To Watch Over Me” it really isn’t appropriate to convey a “I’m here to win” fierce determination. Let the performance fit the song, not Simon’s image of what a star should look like on stage when there’s 3 weeks left.
Simon seems to be a lot nicer and a lot more involved (but that’s understandable since he owns the show) on Britain’s Got Talent than he is on American Idol. The show wouldn’t be the same without him, but he needs to cut the crap! Also Paula needs to stop smacking Simon on camera. It’s so immature and annoying. Otherwise, I love Paula. She is often a bit too verbose, but her critiques are still usually the most honest, most of the time, for me. Kara should not be invited back. She’s really annoying!!!
I don’t really like Gokey or that kind of performance that much, but a lot of people really do. Danny definitely pulled out all the stops in his bag of tricks last night.
Adam always sounds better on a ballad than a more uptempo number, but you have to be able to do both. He’s always interesting, even when his tone is nasal and annoying.
Right now, I don’t know if I’d pay to see any of the Idols perform after the show is over. And I’m probably not going to the tour show this year, especially since I’m unemployed. Last year I went 6 times. The Top 10 were such a great group last year. This year can’t compare.
Jerry…I agree. I thought you were making the Lenscrafters remark due the number of glasses Danny seems to own – he wears a different pair every week. That along with the stupid heart symbol I think you’re onto something! I didn’t notice since I fast forward through all commercials – did they play the commerical during Idol?
I forgot to say, Jamie Foxx has not been my cup of tea for a long time. He’s got an angry and sometimes nasty mouth on him, and for lots of reasons he started rubbing me the wrong way and became irritating. I fail to see how playing Ray Charles made him an authority on Big Band or Rat Pack era music. But in spite of these things, last night, I did like him and I thought he did a great job.
I think they should’ve asked Linda Ronstadt to mentor, since she did several albums with Nelson Riddle. They never have enough female mentors on the show.
I agree Cathy you cant compare to last years group!!!! but I would still go this year. (I probably will)
Monica, can we fire Phil and hire you as his replacement blogger? I think I’d actually read the blog and not just the comments…
I didn’t live in Wichita when there was a Pogo’s… but in the 80’s, there was a Pogo’s in Overland Park!!!
Anyway… My favorites are gone… with that being said, I am not an Adam fan, but he is the one to beat. His one downfall may be his screaming.
And speaking of his screaming, when they go on tour, how long will his voice last if he keeps screaming??
I enjoyed Kris tonight but always worry when they get the kiss of death and have to perform first. I think that leads to people getting more excited about the performances more toward the end of the show. Then they dont vote for the first person. I really enjoy Adam sometimes and feel he is more of a total package as far as an entertainer. He doesnt just get up there and sing…he “Performs” the song. Yes…maybe a bit over the top theatrical but like Simon said…thats who he is. Not exactly the cookie cutter “Idol” from past years but different and new. I can appreciate that. I liked what dtimmons said about 80’s bands. Those were shows that were total stage shows…not just singing and I loved them too. I remember seeing Styx and how they had a huge stage production, not just a stage with amps and speakers. It was awesome! Anyway…even though I like Adam ok, I do get a bit tired of the predictability of his screaming at least ONCE in EVERY song he sings. Gimmee a break…not every song demands that and finding a place to do it each week seems a bit desperate and in his case…not at all necessary. The rest of them were ok. I didnt feel like Matt measured up, compared to the rest and predict he’ll be the next one to go.
Adam is amazing EVERY week and should already have a huge record deal! Kris was ok, Allison is my fav after Adam, Danny so over it! If you’ve Ever watched Leaving Las Vegas you will know he didn’t sing that song well AT ALL and Phil though I loved ya before and was rooting and voting for ya you have it all wrong for Danny! Matt was horrible and will be going home! Hope final is Allison and Adam! Adam will win but Allison deserves final two more than one trick pony Danny!!!
Broncomama – I agree completely…and I LOVE Kara. She actually appears to know something about music, unlike Paula, who can’t string two words together without a pause – like she can’t think of what she’s going to say next. She constantly stumbles over her words, and I’m always thinking, “Just get it OUT!” And then when she actually says it, it rarely MEANS anything. She’s all fluff. The only time I’ve liked Paula was when she did the choreography for the group performance. She apparently knows what she’s doing there…just don’t let her TALK!
When the talent is this good, someone has to go, would have made it really interesting if it HAD been Adam, but maybe this really is a fixed contest? Jamie Foxx for a mentor could have only been because he had a movie out last weekend, seriously why else? Beer Mill?
wow I had forgotten all about that place way better than Pogos because they had live music!!!!
It will be Allison and Adam in the finals. They have to keep the female in and unfortunately, Danny will be the scapegoat – even though he’s the best artist of the three.
Can’t see myself going to an Adam Lambert concert, but I’d certainly be down for a Danny Gokey concert!
And Jamie Foxx was an excellent mentor for this genre. “Ray” absolutely gave him the credentials to mentor these kids in the Big Band/Rat Pack sound as he had to study that genre of music to be able to pull the character off. Natalie Cole would have been a good mentor, too, but she sounded horrible last night. I know her illness has a lot to do with it, but still, she sounded horrible.