April 4, 2013 
Last night’s rock show, featured the purist singing I have ever heard in this genre. So strange. Just when I was looking for some grit and growl, these singers took a pure, almost studied approach to this genre. It makes me wonder why American Idol programmed this theme because, truthfully, there wasn’t a genuine Rockstar among this group.
Well, one thing we know tonight. At least one female will have to visit the Bottom 3 on Thursday’s Results show. With only 2 guys remaining, that’s a given.
The question is: who will be the unlucky gal or gals? I have no idea. Amber has visited the bottom a couple of times so it will be interesting to see if she has gained voters over the last couple of weeks.
However, American Idol has some great entertainment in store for the viewers – a nice tension breaker – in the form of American Idol Season 4 Winner and 6 time Grammy award winner, Carrie Underwood and American Idol Season 9 Finalist, Casey James.
Carrie will be debuting her new single, “See You Again”, which she co wrote with Hillary Lindsey, and David Hodges from her platinum selling CD, “Blown Away”.
Casey will be debuting his new single, “The Good Life” from his self-titled CD.
So, it should be an exciting hour of music and results. I wonder if they will have two groups of three, then use singer number 7 to decide which of the two groups is the real Bottom 3? Seems like a tradition, right?
I will be live blogging the show and checking in with all of you in the comments section!!
Most people last night picked the wrong song. Burnell got it all wrong. He was behind the beat. It is obvious that he did not study and will be in the Bottom 2. The duet between Angie and Lazaro was cabaret. They missed the point of the song. Kree did pick the right song and he said that she was poised and dignified. Burnell and Candice sang well but Candice overshadowed him. Janelle did a competent job but did. It pick a great song. She came in fourth, he predicts. Lazaro did a reasonable job but his voice is not ready and he risks elimination. Amber, Kree and Janelle‘s trio was like an outage of Grease. Candice did. It give a great performance. What? Okay! Amber is improving with each passing week and there are not many better singers than her on that stage. Angie gave a beautiful and confident performance. There are times when she is singing from her head and not her heart. He selects Amber, Angie and Kree as the Top 3, although he loves Candice. What? No Janelle love? She is going to be this year’s Hollie Cavanaugh I fear!
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Well…I can’t say as I’m surprised by this show! I did not like the production of the Judges top 3 and I don’t think Niki did either!!!
I hope idol can afford all of the gas that they are going to need for their buses, cause they are certainly getting them lined up!!!
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The bus driver is named Lazaro.
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I hope they get that bus headed in Laz’s direction before he gets more momentum and wins.
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Yup he is the bus driver for sure. Craziness.
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Amber is the golden child…now! willAmerica agree?
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Last year (I think) Lythgoe had a guy on SYTYCD who was basically terrible. But they kept praising him until, suddenly, he was one of the final two. They chose Lazaro because of the background story. He wasn’t as good as a score of other singers this year. They have a real problem legitimacy problem. Imagine if they use the save next week because Lazaro slips through and the following week two go and neither one is Lazaro.
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This week, thanks to the little girls who feel sorry for Lazaro, The American Idol audience just lost another big chunk of R&B fans who will never return (Trust that). Not because Brunelle is gone but because Lazaro is still there. A guy who can’t stay on key and doesn’t remember his words .And once Candace is gone I’ll be joining them. Its not because of he producers or the judges or because I think something is unfair, but there’s just no audience left to support the type of music I like and I look at the show for the music. Not to see who is going to win, and this is just no longer my thing
I like Cree , Candace, Angie, Janelle and Amber but to me … all just good amateur singers. I can’t imagine going to a concert to hear any of them sing., Enough of my blah blah blah. Lazaro in the top 3? Come on now !!
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I think they revealed the Top 3 to encourage the voters to vote harder for the gals. Lazaro could take this crown and this would be the final nail in Idol’s coffin. How can they spin this into a successful win for them?
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Good chance that Lazaro’s inability to remember the words is connected with his speech defect, it has to do with the part of the brain that is affected. Sadly, the show got rid of the men early on. It seems they were tilting the odds in favour of the narratiive that they want this year. Sadly, not sure that Amber will fulfill their dreams of a diva.
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I think they will have big problems with tickets sales for the tour. Who is going to support these singers? Boy, did they get this show wrong this year or what?
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I completely agree with MCL that they revealed the top 3 tonight to implore fans of the other women to vote harder next week. That is absurd that Lazaro was in the top three, but unfortunately he has a lot of fans. I was also sorry to see that the only judge who had Candice in the top three was Mariah. I absolutely love her voice, but I do not think she will win. Actually, I’m very surprised that Janelle wasn’t in the top 3. I figured she would be a favorite of middle America for sure.
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Well, I’m not surprised that Lazaro is still there, although I wasn’t expecting him to be in the Top 3. RIDICULOUS!!! Also, showing the judges picks was a waste of time I think. Either Nigel’s not thinking straight or he’s desperate because AI’s ratings have dropped. By the way, my Top 3 are Angie, Amber, and Candace. I believe Candace has done even better than Cree this season, but anyhoo!
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D.V.
Couldn’t agree more…Nikki compares Amber to Whitney! 😦
Brotherkarl,
I want to watch too until Candice goes home, but after looking at her and Janelle’s face’s when the judges picks were revealed, broke my heart…will she keep that fighting spirit or give in…
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I think that they were heavy on concepts going into this year and eliminated many good artists who did not fit their thesis. Big mistake, you take whoever shows up with the best talent and go with it.
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I do not understand all the Kree love coming from the judges and the producers and Jimmy etc. She seems like a nice girl with a pretty voice but I see no star power there or artistry. Nothing.
How any judge can pick Kree over Candice is crazy. What about Janelle? She screams artistry. The only reason they are not on her bandwagon is because she is a country artist and they don’t want to go there this year.
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Exactly D.V. Simple concept. Pick the best singers and make sure they have some personality. Many of these singers are so low in the charisma scale.
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Vonnie
You know what I think is going on with Candace. The same thing I say every year ….the judges curse. Their over praise of her makes her seem safe and causes the fighters of other singers to vote harder. Lazaro being picked over her is very telling of whats going on with this show. Someone said earlier if he wins this, the show is gone . I say, if he last another week , the show is gone, This guy is not professional at all.
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Unless MCL they are thinking of taking Kree in the direction of Jewel and Sarah McLachlan
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Brotherkarl,
This is so sad, because I feel really bad for Lazaro…but you are so right
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Vonnie. -Jewel or Sara? I don’t see this vibe in her. What does anyone else think?
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What I’m thinking is, they don’t want to go the country route…then it becomes Country idol…she needs to go pop, but she’s not a pop diva, Jewel and Sarah are more pop/folk in a sense, this would fit for Kree
Amber would be their diva…you’re top two, if they can convince America to vote accordingly
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Karl,
I’m sorry that your guy got screwed but I’ll have to disagree with you about how it happened. It IS the fault of the producers, and their mouthpieces, the judges. Lazaro has forgotten his lyrics three times during the top ten alone. I don’t know if it happened before that level or not. You and I both know how many times Randy has told the contestants from past seasons, even as early as the Hollywood week level, that it was unacceptable to not be prepared and not know your lyrics. They chastised Brook White on stage for her famous “start over.”
When they heap praise on a contestant instead of chastising him for repeatedly forgetting his lyrics, singing flat, and having a hokey stage presentation, they are encouraging many voters to vote for him. Their praise of him validates in the mind of some voters that he is actually pretty good. He also enjoys sympathy votes, probably a lot of Cuban American votes, a few “cute guy” votes and a lot of mischievous votes. I’ve never believed that the tweens alone control the voting on Idol as many people say. I think the leaders come from two or more voter groups voting together in agreement.
Last season the audience’s mean age moved above 50 for the first time ever and I believe that is reflected in the themes used on Idol. If that’s the case, the audience still has a strong R&B base. I think the next successful R&B Idol contestant will have to appeal to another voting block in some way. Candice has shown a pretty broad range of styles so she may do better than I have thought previously but I do agree that over praise hurts a contestant.
But more than anything else, a controversial contestant like Lazaro creates a buzz around the water cooler. The old political saying is “I don’t care what you say about me, just spell my name right” applies here as well.
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Oh I see, Vonnie, but quite frankly she doesn’t have the star power thing happening. She seems so detached on stage. Not totally invested.
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There is a long list of great female singers just like Candace who didn’t make it on this show. There was Jennifer Hudson, who managed to find fame in spite of it by getting the movie role of a lifetime. There was Latoya London, Mandisa, Lakiesha and Melinda Doolittle.
It’s not fair for Candace, but I have cried too many tears over all these other women and have none left.
I can actually see Lazaro surviving next week and one of the girls going home. That will be a travesty, but it’s what this show has become.
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Mindy!! Good to see your comment. Hope you are doing well!! I love Candice but I agree she probably won’t win because (in some ways, in my opinion) she’s almost too good to win Idol. I wish she had been a contestant on the Voice. But I think she will do well no matter what & being on this show is good experience for her.. We also know that winning Idol brings its own baggage & is not always a ticket to success. In fact, sometimes it’s the opposite. I didn’t vote last night because my American Idol app did not work right. I haven’t really been able to watch the show in its entirety because I’m too busy. I agree with MCL about Kree – she has an awesome voice but she is not “in” her performance as much as Candice,Amber, Janelle or Angie.
Now I have to get up to speed on the Voice….:).
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Darlene,
It’s wonderful to see you here! Honestly, I came very late to this season because I really did not feel like watching this show anymore. But I finally decided to tune in for top 9 and of course, got hooked on some great female voices this season!
My favorite is Amber. It’s intensely personal when it comes to who we like best, but her voice just reached out and grabbed me the first time I heard her. She just blows my mind with how effortlessly she can take on really difficult songs and just seem to ease her vocals right through them. My favorite performance was last week’s Motown week cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Lately”. There is a depth of feeling and emotion combined with brilliant vocals, that has just made me love this young woman.
However, I am not going to get carried away this season, hence my post above. I have cried too many times in the past when my favorite female singer was voted off. Now I am just going to enjoy the singing and stay in the moment.
I agree with you about Kree. I think she missed a great opportunity to bring down the house with Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart”. She’s got a great voice, but as you said so well she’s not all in her performance. That song has a powerful theme and she didn’t get to the heart of it.
I also agree that Candace would have done better on the Voice. I think she also has an amazing voice and she is my second favorite, right behind Amber. She is almost too good for Idol. At least we can recognize that this is the unfortunate truth. Just as the female singers I mentioned were all too good for this show.
I have to remember to record the Voice. I skipped the last season, but really want to check it out again. I will listen to these great voices, but for me Idol just doesn’t work anymore.
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Rosanne-I agree with you about the judges overpraising of Kree, and thought they were crazy for not picking Candace as part of their Top 3! I felt so bad for Candace. She has been incredible this season!! Janelle has been better than Kree I believe as well. Janelle has definately shown more artistry.
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It seems to me that we’ve now reached the part of the season where TPTB are clearly trying to manipulate things (not they haven’t been all along). I find it very hard to believe that Candice and Janelle were not part of Keith Urban’s top three. I’m thinking that TPTB do not want a final composed of Kree and Janelle so they decided to try to get rid of Janelle. And they won’t want a final composed of Candice and Amber so they’ve decided to keep the one who seems younger, etc. (not that Amber is not great, because she is) I’m wondering if they didn’t have Angie as their winner all along, but then the other girls gave her such stiff competition that she hasn’t always been on top. In some ways, she is sort of the perfec Idol for them–very attractive and talented, but unfortunately she hasn’t always done so well. So they’re trying to make the voting public see that three of the judges have her in their top three.
I agree that Candice is not going to make it, but it’s certainly not because she isn’t INCREDIBLY talented!!! I would love to see her make a career for herself doing the kind of music she did when she sang the John Legend song early in the competition. Wonderful!!! And even though I was thinking that maybe Janelle would make it–not because her voice is the absolute best, but because she is so talented and such a sweetheart at the same time. But they don’t need another Carrie Underwood. Hopefully Janelle will carve out a career for herself as did Kellie Pickler.
I think Kree is not going to make it either. I’m starting to be convinced that TPTB want an Angie/Amber finale. Anyone else agree?
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This show…ugh! I think that the top three will be Kree, Amber and Angie and then a Kree/Amber finale…Angie won’t win because she wants to be a Contemporary Christian Singer, Right? Unless she has changed that genre
Poor Candica and Janelle…Candice can sing circles around everyone on that stage and twice on Sunday!
It was bad enough when we watched the boys deck get so stacked in the girls favor, and Yes! I think Lazaro is doing maybe exactly what TPTHB has intended all along…beat out all of the boys then beat out the girls that are not needed…I said in another post he is top four contender all the way!!!
Randy at any day now is going to start comparing Kree to someone in the Adult Conemporary/Folk type singers to get America’s brain wrapped around her being something more than a country Artist.
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Vonnie-I agree that Candace is the best singer of the bunch. Not only that, but she’s I feel she’s out performed every one of them. And the judges didn’t have her in their Top 3!!!???? Is this season over yet? Yikes!!!!
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Anita,
Right there with ya!!! I don’t know if I can watch much more! Mariah is the only one to have Candice in her top three…I can’t believe that idol did that to these kids!
Candice is going to be the Jennifer Hudson of the bunch…I am just floored
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Vonnie-It’s just disgusting! I would much rather have seen another guy win than see all this ridiculous insanity!!
AI, are you listening???
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Here is a thought to brighten your day. Lazaro is in the top three. We assume that he is third, but he could just as easily be in first place.
Revealing the judges picks for the top three is just a variation on a tried and true Idol manipulation. When your dog is being kicked, you get in the fight, so look for Janelle and Candice’s voters to rally behind their contestant. Janelle, if she has any fans, has a double boost this week because being in the bottom three usually motivates a contestant’s voters. I still think Candice will finish third.
The only difference in this year’s manipulation and that of previous years is that they are favoring a girl. There was really no need to go to the extreme that they have to get a female winner. All they needed to do is quit manipulating outcomes for the boys and let the cream rise.
The way this group of girls is currently arranged, Angie is the only one without a direct competitor. That was one of the factors that made me believe that Janelle was the chosen one earlier in the competition before Kree said she was a country singer and sang one song with a Nashville twang. So now there are two Country singers, although I still don’t see Kree in that role, and two R&B singers and Angie all by herself in her Christian Pop genre. I see Lazaro as a tool, both literally and figuratively, and nothing more. He may make it to the finale, but he will still be in that role.
BTW,
Did any of you think that Burnel was basically dog cussing Lazaro as he sang for his life? The camera angles were a little bit deceiving but it appeared that he made polite hand gestures to Amber and Candice, (and we know Candice and he are dear friends) walked past them and stopped right in front of Lazaro at the point in his song where he was singing “I’m ready” and Lazaro looked like someone who was getting, to be polite, chewed out severely. Then he moved on to Janelle and Kree and returned to the polite hand touching etc.
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Anita…I so Agree!!! Watch for those buses to start revving up!!!
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If TPTB are indeed keeping Lazaro around to get rid of the girls they don’t want, I think that’s a very risky strategy. How can they be sure that the girls they supposedly want to get rid of will actually get voted off? I can see how revealing the top three in the voting could get fans of Candace and Janelle to vote. Also, Janelle’s bottom two result this week could energize her fans. There are a lot of factors at play here and things may not play out the way TPTB would like.
As I said, Candace will join a group of stellar females who have graced this Idol stage in the past. No matter how she finishes, I think there are ways in which she can still have a great musical career. Getting exposure is the most important thing and also making contacts in the business.
I think we could see some surprising bottom two finishes in the coming weeks, given how talented these girls are.
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LOL…Gene I didn’t notice that with Burnell, but I will go back and watch..
I do feel so bad for Lazaro, because he appears to be a warm, funny person who has been placed in a role that he has no control over and I think he feels the strain and don’t know what to do with it…if he goes out and does good, his fans vote…if he goes out and forgets the words, his fans vote harder!!!
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Mindy,
The way I think the Sanjia (sp?) AKA Lazaro,effect works is that it draws votes away from the weaker contestants or the ones who the voters are not as passionate about plus it keeps people talking which is always a good thing. Last year they had the Chinese boy playing the role of Sanjia. Keep in mind that they know what the vote totals actually are. There could be 50 percentage points between first and second. The scary part of it is that it takes two weeks or more to get rid of the Judas goat once they are through with him. The first week that they criticize him harshly he may benefit from the rebound effect. “He’s in it to win it.”
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It surprises me that Mariah was the only one to select Candice in the TOP 3. I know Nicki said she didn’t think their opinions would be on the air, but what did the judges think were going to happen to what they wrote? I actually had Candice and Kree in the Final 2. Kree needs to give me some more personality. I much prefer Janelle bubliness but this is a singing competition [cough cough].
This coming week is so important because whomever goes home will not go to Disney World and earn that $50,000 performance fee. The winner gets $200,000 and the next four get the $50,000. Good spending money. I have a feeling Lazaro will be in the TOP 5. I love the theme for next week, but don’t want all ballads again. I was just as shocked as everyone else to see him in the TOP 3. Oh, my goodness!
I did enjoy reading everyone’s comments! Rosanne, you do a great job with your blog!
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Hey all,
Rosanne- The “Cree love thing” is very interesting. I don’t think her vocal ability is so amazing. What I do like about her though is the confidence she seems to display while performing. I don;t know a whole lot about her but in opinion she doesn’t seem like she’s new to performing and I think thats what vowing the judges. It couldn’t possibly be that her voice is so great. And Jannelle …. well Idol already has a gorgeous blond country winner and country has a lot of those types already. I think they are shooting for something else. And I think it has anything to do with a great singing.
Louise & Vonnie
I’m not sold on and Amber, Angie finale. To me while they both sing well, they’d just cookie cuts. Two pretty girls that can sing. To me, there is nothing striking that makes either of them stand out. They can sing just as good as Kree , Candice or any of the the others and they look like everybody else. And the beggest thing they are not country, and I really really really really think country music lovers now make up the largest part that the Idol audience
Gene
I did;nt notce that about Brunelle. But I know he and Candse are close and he clearly voiced he has a thing for Amber. So I’m not surprosed he stopped ther. I think he even he ion the cheek at the end
RE : The “over praise thing” I’m still convinced of it. It got Jessica in the bottom one episode last season. Its happened meant times. I’ll never forget the biggest one when it got Jennifer, Lotoya and Fantashia all in the bottom that time. I can’t remember one season when it didn’t work. It backfires – people hear it, think the singer is safe and the votes go the other way to someone who doesn’t see so safe. And this season again. Angie has gotten some negative critiques and has not always seemed to so safe. Candice on the other end has always been in the top. None of us thought she wouldn’t be there. She looked as if she was safe free and clear. The judges or Jimmy have never given a negative critique of a performance of Candise They didn’t have her in the top 3 but they never VOICED anythjng negative. If they had, they could be blamed for her not being there but they haven’t. Gene I think you and I just see this a little differently.
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Vonnie,
Like most people, I felt sorry for Lazaro the first time I heard him speak but then I heard him sing and realized that this was not an unknown phenomena (Mel Tillis) and that he stood a chance of competing on a level field with the rest of the contestants.
I lost all respect for him when he allowed his trio mates to take abuse for his failure (once again) to be a professional (he is being paid to be there)and do the job he is being paid for. He just stood there with a sheepish grin. Devin really took it on the chin. He’s in military school and is used to pulling together as a team. He said that right before they went on stage that Lazaro ask him to help him out if he forgot his lyrics. Being a team player, Devin waited for Lazaro to come in and he didn’t make a peep, no humming, no faking it, nothing, so Devin jumps in late at that point and the error appeared to be his. Who gets eliminated? Devin.
Lazaro attracts votes for a number of reasons, but I believe he would have been eliminated weeks ago if he had received the judge’s reviews that he deserved. They didn’t want him eliminated.
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Gene:
Wow That was some bad typing I did there !! LOL . When speaking of Brunelle I meant to say “I think he even kissed her ion the cheek:”
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I’ve been doing some thinking about previous Idol years and remembered that I shouldn’t really try to figure out what TPTB want. Mostly the outcome will be based on how well the contestants do from now on. Each performance is crucial. At this point in the competition, I never, ever would have predicted that Kris Allen would end up winning the entire competition, but his one performance gave him a lot of momentum.
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Woah lots of yaka da yaka da this season here in the MCL community. Let the good times roll!! Ha!
Kariann – I am sorry you have been ill. Hope it is nothing serious and that you are feeling better soon.
In all my years watching American Idol, I have never seen a Season begin with so much promise, only to be flushed down the drain because of unrelenting and stubborn decisions and closed, narrow perspective on the part of the producers.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I wish they would just go back to the top 24 semifinal format where the males and females were equally talented. Plus I loved the diversity of genres.
Remember Season 5 with Taylor Hicks, Daughtry, Katherine McPhee, Kellie Pickler etc. and Season 7 with Davids Cook and Archuleta, Jason Castro, Syesha, Michael Johns, Brooke White, Carly Smithson etc.
What a ride that was!
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Hey Karl,
Believe me, there is plenty of room for different opinions on this subject, and like you said the other day, talking about may be more enjoyable than actually watching the show. I’m pretty sure that is true this season. I think there is one more hair left to split to get us on the same page. I agree with you about *over praise* being potentially detrimental to a contestant. That effect tends to end by the top five though because people have narrowed down their choice by that point. The other side of that “hair” that works to the benefit of the contestant is *failure to criticize.*
I think there is plenty of room for a Janelle or a Kree in Nashville. That may not be where Idol is trying to go but the two of them represent different sides of Country that Carrie does. Janelle is traditional Country, Carrie is more pop than country and Kree is more in the folk soft rock side or even the mellow Kathy Mattah side. Kree BTW, lives and sings in Nashville already. My guess is that she is a lounge singer which gives her that jack of all trades, master of none style that you see in her performances. Versatile is a good word for her.
If I remember correctly, Burnell sort of politely breezed past Amber and Candice just in time to be in Lazaro’s face for the “I’m ready” line. It looked like he was sending him a strong message and that it was recieved loud and clear to me but it may be wishful thinking on my part.
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In addition to Taylor, Katherine, and Kellie in Season 5, don’t forget Elliot Yamin. I loved his voice and he was in the top three.
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Those were great seasons MCL. It was so easy to be a fan of all of them and Simon was the only obvious tool of manipulation. He was unjustly hard on Smithson and Johns’ leading to their eliminations.
Interesting that you would mention Katherine McPhee. I just read last night that Katherine McPhee’s use of “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” is completely responsible for KT Tunstall’s success in the USA. She had previously been an outspoken critic of Idol and shows of its kind because the producers exercise so much control over the artist. She was convinced that when Kat sought her ought for approval to use her previously unknown song on the show that could only be coming from the artist and that she was wrong about the show and allowed the use of her song. Sales soared immediately afterward.
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Well…as the hubby says just before he makes me car sick…sit back and enjoy the ride!!! I guess that is what I need to do with this season of idol…sit back and enjoy the ride!!!! 😦
I’m hoping that Candice is standing on that stage as a contender on finale night! My little fingers are going to start voting to make that possible!
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Louise – oh my goodness. I totally forgot sweet, talented Elliott. What a great season. I miss this so much now. There is just not enough meaty talent on the show anymore. The diversity – in genre, age and experience — is what made American Idol stand above the rest and the ratings reflected that.
Gene – that is a great story about Kat McPhee and Black Horse and Cherry Tree. This is what happens when you have real artists and real talent on Idol. It is good for the show and good for the music industry. Musical gems are discovered and I am not just speaking of the singers but of the songwriters as well.
That is not to say that we do not have great singers on the stage this year. The women are super but it is a very unbalanced a gender-biased Top 10. Hard to get excited about this show from week to week.
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Vonnie:
As Betty Davis said , its definitely “going to be a bumpy ride”. And if Candice wins …itd speak volumes about Idol fans. I just don’;t see it though
Louise
Those were indeed great seasons and Elliot Yamin ….Yes one of my very favorite Idols !
Gene
I went back to look at Brunells swan song …. because I didn’t remember seeing what you said. The camera angles were very weird but Brunell walked over to the contestants and stood directly in front of Candice and Amber and sang to them both and all the girl looked over at Amber as he sang to them and the last words “to prove that I;m ready for love” pointing distinctly to Amber and at the end as the cameras were pulling away he kissed her on the cheek.
One thing for sure, if Brunelle wasn’t upset about Lazaro still being there, when they sang in that group together they clearly showed that Devin definitely had some sharp words for him. Man that dude is burnt toast. What a glorious day it will when he’s gone. And if he gets in the top 3, I will watch because it would UN-believable
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Gene;
The softest judge on that stage is Mariah. I think almost at the end of every comment she says something like “a job well done”. And this week not one judge said anything negative about Lazaro. Thats astonishing ! He was horrible. That dude sings like anybody on the street. Its almost as if they conspired together not to say anything bad about him … may be hoping the audience would thinks he’s safe. They don’t like him and don;t want him to win because, until this week 3 of the judges always criticized him
PLEASE PEOPLE OUT THERE. DO WE WANT IDOL TARNISHED WITH AN WINNER LIKE LAZARO ….COME ON. Idol will be over for sure.
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This is the VOICE that was not put in the judges top 3 except for one judge!!! I think these judges are selling themselves out…and for what? I see now why Steven Tyler said he couldn’t do this any longer!!!
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Vonnie-That’s one of my very favorite performances of the season! I’m still awestruck by Candice singing this song. I remember Amber sang Moment Like This, and yes it was fantastic, but I totally didn’t agree with the judges, saying Amber’s was the best of the night. That was CANDICE’S NIGHT FOR SURE!!!!
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Anita…Same here!!! Candice has still not gone last on this show!!!
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Gene,
I am with you about Devin paying the price for Lazaro’s mistakes. That’s why my empathy and compassion for Lazaro has limits. He has let others take the fall for him and that’s never okay. It’s an absolute fail if any contestant fails to remember the words to the songs and at this stage of the competition, it’s insulting to the others who are making sure to know the words. It’s just basic to singing. I was very unhappy to see Devin leave under those circumstances.
I can totally see Lazaro making it to top five and that really would be an embarrassment. This whole “Sanjaya effect” is just plain risky. I don’t remember how far Sanjaya went, top seven maybe? People were exploding all over the internet. I just think that if they are keeping Lazaro around to get rid of the girls they don’t want, then there could be an unpleasant surprise. Of course, the save hasn’t been used yet so there is always that should we have a shocker next week.
If the judges trash Lazaro, then he gets pity and sympathy votes. They have been easy on him, maybe so as to not encourage people to vote for him for the wrong reasons.
My top three list would have been Amber, Candace and Janelle. Those are the three that I like the most. It has nothing to do with who I think will win, should win or may win. I am not playing that game anymore. I think Kree is being overhyped by the judges. I thought Darlene had it right when she said that Kree wasn’t all in with her performance of the Joplin classic. She has a great voice, but isn’t delivering when it comes to committing emotionally to the words of the song. Angie gave her weakest performance last week when she picked “Shop Around”. All wrong for her. She has a technically strong voice, but just has to get the song right and also let herself feel the words. I thought she did much better this week with a song suited for her voice and style.
I don’t know if Janelle is getting thrown under the bus. I am not sure that Candace is getting dissed either. Janelle has a very distinctive, lovely tone and timbre in her voice and is an energetic performer. I don’t know if it’s just not supposed to country this season or what. Splitting votes with Kree? Maybe. I just don’t feel like using the energy to analyze it anymore.
It’s going to be a crazy ride from here on out!
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Louise,
Thanks for mentioning Elliot. I loved Katherine McPhee, but Elliot won me over with his brilliant voice and kind, decent soul! It’s nice going back down memory lane and remembering the great seasons when there was indeed real diversity and different genres of music represented by truly outstanding voices, both male and female!
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Karl,
I looked at it again and the girls are standing in a different order than I remembered and I agree, he is in front of Amber when he gets to that part of the song. They cut to a different camera angle at about that time, and I think they did it to show the effect that it was having on Lazaro. So, I don’t think he was punishing Lazaro a little bit (darn it) but it did seem to have that effect.
Oh yeah Mariah is almost useless. I had a lot of confidence in her when they announced her for the panel but she has been a total let down. I don’t know why Idol (a) pays so much for their judges and (b) gets such poor results for their overall dollar. For 17 million dollars, the cost of Miriah alone, you could have a panel of competent, experienced, proven, entertaining judges if you wanted to have an actual competition.
When you said that you thought Idol had something different in mind this year, who did you have in mind?
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Vonnie-I forgot about that. You’re right, Candice has never gone last. I don’t think I’ll hold my breath she ever will.
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Honestly. All that money being spent on these judges and still the show is a bust this season. Why? Because the talent is uneven and, if I may be frank, not an interesting and mesmerizing group of singers.
So, stop spending money on the judges because of their star power. It’s not working. Instead, bring in judges who are experienced but work behind the scenes – like producers, agents, managers, vocal coaches whatever.
Then use the money to clear copyright for new songs and to bring in the occasional mentors. Lord, I miss the Barry Manilow, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tony Bennett, Elton John etc. days. Even David Foster and Andrea Bocelli were guest mentors during Season 5.
Looking back, the show had class and high standards. Now, it’s just spiralling down into oblivion. Almost on a path to self-destruction.
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Anita and Vonnie – I bet she’ll go last next week. Either her or Amber.
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MCL…has Amber gone last yet? I can’t remember…I really like Amber, but there was just something really odd to my ears this week with her, the key change up she sounded strained to me and then her phrasing was off…Like I said though, don’t go by my ears!
Do you think our problem this year is just that this is show is getting tired…we seen all of this before and now we are just tired of watching them mess with these kids this way! With the judges pick of top three pretty much equals when one contestant is forced to choose the bottom three group in un-necessary cruelty…
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No Vonnie your ears did not deceive you and, in retrospect, I should have been more constructive in the critique portion of my VM assessment of Amber’s performance.
I did mention that her mouth was not as round as I would have liked but I should have also stressed that this horizontal mouth position negatively affected her tuning. Her voice is very rich, so she does tend to get away with a lot when she sings, but, still, she wavered here and there pitch wise. That darn mouth position!!
Kudos to you for noticing and for keeping me on my toes!
I think Amber went last a few weeks ago.
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Vonnie – I think we are tired of the way TPTB have destroyed what was once a very good singing competition.
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I think you are right MCL..why would they want to fix something that wasn’t broke! This show would run itself if they would let it.
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Vonnie-Amber went last the same week Candice sang I Who Have Nothing.
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Oh! Loved your theme request of Big Band…one of my favorite genre’s 🙂
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Anita and MCL…I had thought that Amber went last but couldn’t remember…I’m a little scatter brained and nutty (the hubby won’t let me out in the fall for fear that the squirrels will hauls me off)…
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Vonnie – you are funny!! Yes, I had to request the Big Band theme. It was the best. Such great music and wonderful entertainment for the viewers
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MCL-They surely have made a horrible mess of this show. You wouldn’t think it could last much longer based on the fact of how far and away it is from the great, entertaining show it used to be. It doesn’t even seem like American Idol anymore. And yes, I’l love to see mentors again. The ones who would give each contestant their undivided attention like Barry Manilow, and even John Bon Jovi!
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Mindy,
Devin and Burnel both were eliminated too soon for me. Devin was really growing on me. I enjoyed every one of his performance even though there were things that I would have liked to see him improve or change a little. He had that ease and comfort of a Perry Como or Andy Williams. Burnel needed to polish his stage craft and broaden his style a little. He would have been better served to wait another year. I would wait one year and then try out for The Voice if I were him. Both guys were head and shoulders above Lazaro.
I agree that playing with the voters seems risky but they have the advantage of having the actual voting data so that takes a lot of the risk out of it. Nigel has no interest in who the next big pop star is, he only needs to draw people to watch his show. I think the controversy draws more viewers than it runs off.
Earlier Vonnie suggested that the issues with Lazaro might take the wind out of Candice’s sails and I have to say that her question helped me to see another reason why the producers may actually encourage the Sanjiya effect. I think Candice and any other contestant worthy of the crown will double down and bring their very best performance next week. If they give up and take a defeatist attitude then good riddance. I don’t think any of these girls are the kind to give up so expect good shows untill the end. It’s on now.
I like your top three and depending on how you ask the question, I could put any one of them at the top of my list. Angie has a lot of potential in the market after Idol and she may win given she is more or less unopposed. She has a lovely voice and a lot of skill but her performance style doesn’t reach me at all. I think this week told us something. Her song didn’t actually fit the theme. It was a far stretch from Classic Rock. I recall Phillip getting by with this same thing last year. So does it reveal that she is the winner, that she is limited in the type of songs she can perform, that she is trying to stay true to her heart and that comes before winning? I don’t know but I have one eyebrow raised at this point.
I think we are all in agreement about Kree. She has potential but I think what you are seeing is what she actually is and that’s a lounge / singer. That’s why she does so many things well but nothing great. I think that Kree, more than anyone else blew it this week. She was the only one in the bunch that I thought could pull off a rock song with no excuses. Maybe her injury held her back but it was her week to lose and it was her week to shine and move into a substantial lead but she didn’t get it done.
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MCL,
I like your suggestions regarding the judges panel. I would take it one step further by having three specialists, much as you describe, one industry member, one vocal coach and one entertainer and instead of having them all repeat the same critique three times, have them only critique their specialty. The performer will critique the contestant’s performance, the vocal coach will talk about their breathing, head position, mouth shape etc and all of those things that you keep trying to educate us about. The industry professional could critique their marketability and what they will have to improve upon to fill the market demands of the day. A forth chair might be filled on a rotating basis by former Idols or other performance specialist like choreographers, wardrobe, band leaders and so on. The rotating judges would have to go through a training program, critiquing video tapes from past shows in real time as if they were on the panel so that they would be up to speed.
I’m mixed on the mentors. Many of them were good but some were more interested in self promotion. I might find the best three of them and have them commit to returning maybe three times during the season so that a real relationship develops and the star isn’t just there to promote their latest album.
I think such a system would cast the judges as respectable experts instead of celebrity figures, would be informative to the viewer and the contestant ad take emphasis away from the judges table and shift it to the contestants.
Like you said, a lot of money would be freed up to pay for some new music. I would be happy if the season began at the top 24 and then we spent more time with the contestants before we began eliminations. They could add a little bit of background and audition footage with the introduction for each performance instead of weeks of auditions for contestants who aren’t going anywhere.
The economy is a big factor right now as well as ratings. Both are bringing Idol’s revenue’s from advertising down right now. Their price per spot should increase as we get further into the season so maybe the show content will pick up as well.
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Gene – what fabulous suggestions. I love your idea of each judge mentoring the Idols in their area of expertise. Genius!! Thank you.
Now, the question is this: will Idol run with your ideas as well as those from other commenters?
I smell another blog topic happening. One that will incorporate the ideas of the readers here in the MCL community. Stay tuned…. 🙂
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Gene,
I agree about Burnell. It was just too soon for him. It would be great for both these guys to try out for the Voice. I thought Devin had potential but this was not to be a guy’s year.
I keep forgetting that TPTB know the vote totals! Yes, so maybe they aren’t taking such a big gamble after all. They know who is really winning this thing. I guess the controversy of Lazaro still being in it does draw viewers, but at what cost? If the show becomes a laughingstock, then they are paying a big price for those ratings. Also, thus far the ratings have been quite bad.
Calling Kree a lounge singer is probably the worst thing I can think of for a singer. I just don’t understand all the hype around her with the judges. I think she’s been getting by on her experience but not really digging deep and trying to challenge or stretch herself. She did miss a huge opportunity this week with the Joplin song. That could have been a moment. The judges aren’t giving her any constructive criticism (what else is new!), so she’s not going to push herself.
I do like your suggestions about the judges. But I don’t see this show doing it. I think it’s a shame that they pour all that money into judges who are just shills. The contestants are the real story. The judges should be there to give them suggestions on specific areas in which they might improve. I definitely think that they have to get serious and pony up money to clear more songs.
I have read people saying on other blogs things like – who needs another pop singer? Guess what! I do! We could use another Whitney, Mariah or Celine! I would love to see the next great pop singer! The good female singers seem to be coming from England right now. I thought with the success of Adele, we might start seeing real talent with good voices. I don’t think we will the next great female pop singer come from Idol.
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Rosanne,
Thank you for the kind words. It gave me a pleasant reminder of my Mom, so thanks again for that.
That new thread sounds interesting. Can’t wait to see it.
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I haven’t been watching Idol this season much at all, but I’ve just stumbled on all Candice’s youtube videos tonight. She is amazing. I think I now have a reason to watch again.
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Mindy,
Yeah I know the connotation that is usually associated with the term “lounge singer” but I meant it in the literal sense, not in the SNL Bill Murray, derogatory sense. She works around Nashville doing demos and singing in clubs. It’s almost a compliment. It takes a lot of versatility to be a cover artist in a small venue with limited accompaniment and a broad range of music styles that your customers want to hear. Some of them are really good but few have their own sound and even fewer are great.
She showed the same tendency to skim across the top of a song instead of digging in when she sang Susan Tedeshi’s “Evidence” earlier in the season. This was also the point that she got my interest because I love Susan Tedeshi. I got to see her and her husband’s band on tour with BB King about a year ago and it was a great show. Her husband is Derek Trucks who has played lead with the Allman Brothers for about 15 years, had his own band that is where the first winner of The Voice came from. Along with Susan singing lead and playing guitar, they are Tedeshi Trucks Band. Anyway, it was entertaining but Kree left a whole lot of that song on the table too. She made points with me for the song choice though. I liked her choice of Roy Orbison’s “Crying” as well, but that was too much song for her. I’ve given up on her doing more with a song.
Here’s a fun fact for you that you may already know. I’ve never known of another original artist for Kree’s song choice “Piece of My Heart” than Janis Joplin until this week. It was actually released about a year earlier by Erma Franklin, whose little sister is better known as The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.
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Gene,
Honestly, I had the sense that you meant the term lounger singer in the best sense of the word. I know that it does have another connotation. I have just become so ingrained with the negative one that I always think of that first. But I do get what you are saying. There is a place for these singers and their versatility is an important quality.
Getting more info on her background kind of explains how she performs. Roy Orbison’s “Crying”? No way she could do that song justice. I have that one downloaded and it’s one of my all-time favorites. Roy Orbison had a voice like no other. If Kree ever wanted to try to learn what it’s all about, listening to Roy Orbison would be a great place to start!
You come up with these amazing tidbits of information! I had no idea that anyone did that song, much less Aretha Franklin’s sister! Unbelievable!
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Thank you for all the observations and comments Just a note: in the main article, it states that Carrie Underwood was “Season 4 runner-up”. Ah, she is the Season 4 winner.
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Yikes Peter! I knew that! Thanks for pointing it out! I feel silly!
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I have been thinking about how idol has a golden child and how of late it seems to be a country singer!!! Brotherkarl hit on something a while back when he said that the majority of the viewers were country fans??? Which makes all the sense in the world why idol would like a country winner each year; Kree could very well be the winner they want! As well as why they may be expanding on the Contemporary Christan contestants (whick I have no problem with, it is what I listen too, so it works for me, LOL)
If you break down where all of the idols have gone after their stent on idol…
Active right now!!! (help me fill in the one’s that I miss)
*Country
Carrie Underwood…Josh Gracin…Danny Gokey…Kelli Pickler…Scotty McCreery..Lauren Elaina…Bucky Covington…Casey James
*Contemporary Christian/Gospel
Jason Castro…Phil Stacey…Mandisa…Rueben…Chris Slye…Colton Dixon
*Pop
Kelly Clarkson…Daughtry…Adam Lambert…Phillip Phillips
*Broadway/Movies/tv shows
Constantine…Jennifer Hudson…Taylor Hicks…Kathryn McPhee
*R&B
Fantasia
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That was half of the reason I chose Janelle as the likely winner. There were several other reasons at the time, but that was before Kree said she was a country singer and sang one song with twang and syrup. I will be very surprised if the audience that voted country one and two and swamp thing last year is going to change a lot this year. I wouldn’t necessarily group the winning style as “country” though. It’s broader than that. I guess how you sort them would be influence by what type of music you listen to and are familiar with. Kree does have that under perform, play it safe, never challenged, never criticized, over praised, theme always suites them thing that we have seen in the last three or more winners. I think she is a very reasonable choice for likely winner. Best singer. No, but they usually don’t win.
I have no problem with the Contemp. Christian singers either, but I think being in that genre explains Angie’s performance style. Staying true to that style will limet her appeal to the larger audience just as it does for the gospel singers. I think Idol has a largely Christian audience though so these singers have a chance at the win, it just seems less likely. Like I have said before, I think you have to attract votes from two or more segments of the audience to win. Angie may do that with a Christian / Pop/ musical theater combo. Who knows? I think we have five girls that you can make a case for wining. Candice, to me is the best singer, and Amber has a nice voice and a great over all marketable package.
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Mindy,
Yeah actually I’m known for my useless information. But who knew? I didn’t even know that Aretha had a sister.
I am a big fan of Roy Orbison as well. His last concert “A Black and White Night “with the all star band was outstanding. It’s a good live album as well.
I meant to ask you which episodes you were watch at Daryl’s House. I’m watching the booker T Jones episode right now. Highly recommended. He is the master of my favorite instrument, the Hammond B3 organ and even offers a little introduction to it during the video.
I found a link that you may not have seen that has a complete listing of all of the episodes. You have to use a little drop down menu “choose an episode” at the upper right to see the whole list.
http://www.livefromdarylshouse.com/archive.html
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Gene,
Oh you are good for more than useless information! Remember Big Mama Thornton? The history of rockabilly and the origin of the blues? I learned all about that from you! I love learning the history of music. You filled in some blanks, so don’t sell yourself short.! 🙂
As for what I have been watching on Live From Daryl’s House, here’s my most recent list –
Smokey Robinson and Daryl Hall – Ooo Baby Baby, Being With You, Tears of a Clown and Sara Smile. I cannot believe how good Smokey was with Sara Smile! Amazing!
Todd Rundgren and Daryl Hall – I Saw the Light. My favorite Todd Rundgren song!
Jose Feliciano and Daryl Hall – LIght My Fire. This was an exceptional jam with Feliciano doing some mindblowing guitar work! I have always loved his version of this song!
Joe Walsh and Daryl Hall – Life’s Been Good
Private Eyes – Mayer Hawthorne, Daryl Hall and Booker T.
That’s just in the last day or two! Goodness knows I love watching these videos! Great stuff!
I just wanted to go back to Idol for a moment and say a word about Amber. I know that some here think that Candace has the best pure voice. But I believe that Amber is much more than a nice voice and someone who is marketable. With the right guidance, she could become the next great pop singer. However, I don’t think they really develop artists the way they did in the past. I think she has real greatness in her, but realizing that is not easy in a music business that goes for the quick buck.
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Thank you so much Mindy, I’ve learned a lot from your post and our discussions as well. Sometimes I don’t think we realize what a miraculous time we live in to be able to make friends all over the world and share common interest.
I can’t disagree with you about Amber. I like her too but I haven’t really made a connection with any of these contestants but I have seen Candice perform more times than Amber and she has some pretty impressive skills. I’m not sure she has the sort of distinction to her voice that makes you say “that’s Candice” when you hear her on the radio though. If you are envisioning Amber filling a Whitney or Natalie type of role, which is the way I see her, I don’t know if this age of throw away pop songs, recorded one musician at a time and laid onto the producer’s computer generated drum and keyboard tracks (yuck) and adding an auto tuned singer performing in a booth by herself will ever produce that level of great singer again. If you watch the complete episode of Joe Walsh at Daryl’s House, he makes some pretty profound comments about today’s music industry along those lines. They do less of the digital production-line style recording in England than they do here, and some of the older established artist record in an old school fashion with live musicians, and quality recording equipment in their own homes or own studios. Shelby Lynn who visits Daryl house records that way at her home. Fortunately there is a trend going back to recording styles last seen in the early seventies but unfortunately, it’s not the big labels that are doing it. Country music tends to be recorded more in a real time environment
You’re exactly right. The investment in artist, musicians and quality recording is less than it has ever been. I’m afraid the future for Amber would be a year of doing throw away pop before the label drops her because “their” vision for her didn’t sell instead of growing her and developing her into a great singer who learns to understand how to work in a live music environment because that’s how she was trained and how she records. I hope she can dodge that bullet but I doubt it. I would go to England if I were her. I wish Smokey would take on a few young artist and get them the type of support and promotion they need to suceed.
I left a step out of how to get to the complete show list for LFDH so go to the link I posted and there is a button for “Show Archives” and once you go to that page you will see the drop down list for choosing an episode. I’ve seen the complete episodes for all of those that you have watched recently except Jose Feliciano and I will try to watch it today. It sounds very good. I had forgotten about Smokey’s work on “Sarah Smile.” Super! What a voice that guy still has and he knows just how to use it. One of my favorite versions of that song is by Joan Osborne backed by the whole Funk Brother’s band, who were the house band from Motown. You can find that on You Tube.
I’m beginning to think that Lazaro will be our next American Idol. He has a little bit of appeal to a lot of groups and unfortunately, it’s a group-ism world today, so they may have their way.
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Gene,
I do think that you are right in saying that we won’t see anyone like a Whitney or Celine or Mariah again, much less a Barbra! The music world has changed and it’s not for the better. I do fear that Amber would be processed into some bland, cookie cutter pop singer. Maybe that’s why I don’t really want my favorite to win on this show anymore. That’s how bad it’s gotten for me!
I know that there have been recent successes with Scotty McCreery and Philippe Philippes. Scotty was the first country singer since Carrie Underwood and there is a huge audience for this music. He did become my favorite, but I sensed that he would be put under the tender and creative wing of the country arm of this music business. He has done well and I’m happy for him. But there is nothing in place for singers of other music genres. I do fear that we will never see the next greatest pop singer and that’s why I spend my time listening to my collection of downloaded music from previous decades. Today’s idea of a real pop singer seems to be Carly Rae Jepsen!
Maybe that’s why watching Live with Daryl Hall has been so enjoyable to me. They are making real music in a creative environment that nurtures the soul and produces special moments. Of course, these are musicians who have had success, who were at the very pinnacle of their chosen profession. It’s great to see them still creating music with passion and joy. Smokey Robinson is a revelation singing material from Hall and Oates. These are the best of the best. I wish that the record companies would do it this way. It’s nice to know that in England some are trying to nurture the creative process with music.
Thanks for the info about the Show Archives link! That will help!
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Mindy,
Tickets are still available for a Hall and Oates concert tour. Thatnks to our conversation on the topic, I noticed a link for tickets and have made plans to travel to Nashville and see them at the historic Ryman. There is one show in California and a few in Vegas I think.
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http://www.buddytv.com/articles/american-idol/american-idol-why-revealing-th-49762.aspx
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