By: Rosanne Simunovic
Once again, out Top 6 Singers came out fighting. And, perhaps, a little more than usual. Each was vying for placement in the Top 5 and an opportunity to be part for the Top 5 tour.
In the end, Quentin was eliminated, losing the Twitter Fan Save to Rayvon.
Did you agree or disagree? Let’s see if we can dig deeper via the Top 6 Vocal MasterClass article, shall we?
I welcome your commentary and suggestions after the read!
Here are my evaluations and, remember, I am reviewing each singer in (first name) alphabetical order. Your comments are always welcome. To quickly access individual singers, simply click on the singer’s link below.
Clark Beckham, Jax, Nick Fradiani
Quentin Alexander , Rayvon Owen, Tyanna Jones
Clark Beckham: “Yesterday” by The Beatles and “Boyfriend” by Justin Bieber
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p style=”text-align:center;”>Clark Beckham – Boyfriend by Justin Bieber – Download from Amazon – Download from iTunes
Strengths:
Yesterday: Clark- now this was classic Clark. Your voice sounded phenomenal from the beginning of this beautiful number. You ascended that melody flawlessly, impeccably and with technical skill that comes from years of practice and refinement.
For me, the buck stops here. This is what it is all about. Singing a beautiful ballad in an acoustic setting, with nothing but your gorgeous voice and heartfelt presence to grab the listener. You needed nothing else Clark, no gimmicks, no back-up singers, no lights and mirrors , no dancers a just your exquisiteLy controlled voice.
You packed a lot of surprises in to this 90 second performance. I absolutely loved the rhythmic change in the bridge. It was totally unexpected and, yet, added another exciting dimension to original melody. Who thought of this? It was brilliant.
And do not get me started on those fabulous sustained moments, where you grabbed a noted and held it with perfect intonation and unwavering style. And, it stands to reason that your visual for the phrasing elements in this song was heartfelt and very creative.
I also noticed that you were more immersed in the performance of this song, worrying less about the technical aspects. And, guess what? The song rose to stellar heights because you stayed fully committed to communicating the heartfelt soul of the lyrics.
I could go on and on about this performance. Every note, every phrase was meticulously formulated and delivered. Standing O, Clark! Congratulations.!
Boyfriend: Clark – seriously, when I heard you were singing this number, I giggled like crazy. A never thought I would hear you sing a Justin Bieber song. Just when I thought I had you all figured out, you pull out a “Biebs” song on me.
However, the playful nature of this song was just the ticket, actually, and I just bet you picked up a couple of new fans along the way with this selection. Like a couple of thousand +.
You delivered this song with punch and pizzazz, adding your inherent soulful take on this number. Your words were distinguishable – as they always are when you perform – and, as a result, your voice was centred and resonating as it should – in your vocal masque.
Great work!
Critique:
Yesterday: Clark – this performance was pretty flawless. One thing, however! The ending was so abrupt. I was confused. The song did not sound complete.
These 90-second time frames are so ridiculous because it gave you no time to finish this song in its entirety.
The only thing that may have helped you, perhaps, would to have established a faster tempo – but then you would have risked losing the slow, gentle pace that this song longs for. Those beautiful sustained moments and “stretched out” phrases would have disappeared and they were the heart and soul of this beautiful performance.
Make sure you think your arrangements through carefully, fully understanding that the endings are as important as the beginning. Tweak the songs until every aspect sounds complete and refined.
Boyfriend: Clark – I think this song was a bit strange in terms of the arrangement. I have to agree with the judges – it was very technical and, perhaps, too sophisticated in texture. I was hoping you would have more fun on that stage with this song but, In fact, the arrangement was so crazy busy that you lost your target – the audience – once again.
Remember your audience, Clark. Keep it simple and fun. Yeah, I know it’s hard but, in the end, people want to be entertained not confused.
Jax: “White Flag” by Dido and “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” by Jet
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p style=”text-align:center;”>Jax – Are You Gonna Be My Girl by Jet – Download from Amazon – Download from iTunes
Strengths:
White Flag: Jax – yeah. You sang this song seated at the piano. Great way to highlight the strength of your musicianship.
Your voice wrapped around the melodic line so effortlessly and so passionately. I loved the sensitively sustained moments in this song, the manner in which you kissed those upper notes.
And, removing your hands from the piano and lifting them at just the correct moments accelerated the dramatic poignancy of this song.
I don’t know how you do it, Jax, but you managed to grab our hearts with such a simplistic, pure approach. Your artistry is so well – honed and, yet, you connect fully and completely with your listeners.
Totally and completely outstanding. Brava, Jax!
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p style=”text-align:start;”>Are You Gonna Be My Girl: Jax – you started this great number with such strength in every area. Your vocals, your ease on stage, your performing ability and your charisma were all there from the beginning and your commitment to this song was pretty much relentless throughout this number.
Also, what really, really impressed me was how freely expressive you are with your voice. You never belt or scream but are extremely committed to using your voice the technically correct way. I heard the gorgeous heady voice throughout this number. You added just the correct amount of chest resonance to add meat and punch to your song.
The rest you did with your body, as you physically commanded that stage. And not a breathy note to be heard! Very well paced. Brava!
And you are a Katharine McPhee fan? Well then, no wonder. She, as well, can emotionally connect with her songs without screaming out every second note. For her – as for you – performance and technical skills walk hand in hand.
This was a fantastic opening performance , Jax!
Critique
White Flag: This was perfectly performed and visualized from start to finish. Congratulations Jax!
Are You Gonna Be My Girl: Jax- I barely had a chance to find a glitch with this song , Jax. I was enjoying it far too much! For me, it was a strong visual and aural performance and so technically secure. Congratulations. –
Nick Fradiani: “Maggie Mae” by Rod Stewart and “Harder To Breathe” by Maroon 5
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p style=”text-align:center;”>Nick Fradiani – Maggie Mae by Rod Stewart – Download from Amazon – Download from iTunes
Strengths
Maggie Mae: Nick – I cannot tell you how thrilled I was to hear you sing this song. It is probably the most beloved rock song from the catalogue of the great Rod Stewart. The charismatic melody and lyrics were perfect for your passionate voice and delivery. You physically and emotionally embraced the lyrics and propelled them toward the audience in a technical yet meaningful manner.
Your articulation of the lyrics was crisp and clean – you told the story so well and with such authenticity. Your voice was brimming with passionate artistry and your phrasing had momentum and drive. And i loved the head voice section. It was brief but it was wonderfully done!
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p style=”text-align:start;”>This song could have been written for you – the key, the range, the style, the meaning – everything came together in a one-two punch. With you at the helm, that imaginary arena came to life on that American Idol stage and I could thoroughly visualize what the fabulous future holds for you, Nick.
Harder To Breathe: Nick – boy you exude a confident and professional persona on that stage. You are so ready for this competition that it isn’t funny.
You sang this song with verve and commitment, immersing yourself in the pulse of the music. Even though you never moved away from the mike stand, you managed to capture your audience with your beautifully projected voice and relentless physicality. At times, your approach bordered on being anamilistic – very basic and gritty and, well, “harder to breathe” Ha!
And midway through the song, your mouth found that all-important circular formation as you were grabbing and sustaining your voice on the pure vowels . At this point, your voice sounded increasingly rich and resonant. That’s what I was looking for!
Excellent performance, Nick! Bravo!
Critique:
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p style=”text-align:start;”>Maggie Mae: Nick- such a great performance deserves to be critique -free. I loved it to the moon and back! And I applaud you confidence and humility – such a great combo!
Harder To Breathe: Nick- at first listen I thought : “Hmm he sounds too much like Adam Levine. And then I realized why. I love Adam, but he tends to sing with a horizontal mouth formation, using throat rather than diaphragmatic muscles.
And, subconsciously, you sort of adopted this in the front part of this song. As a result, your voice sounded thinner, with less meat in the timbre than what we have heard in the past.
Be careful to stay true to your own unique sound. It is so tempting to imitate the original artist and, oftentimes, as I said above, it is done on a subconscious level. However, you must stay true to your own sound – it is what distinguishes you from the pack.
In the end, the real Nick shone through, so good for you. Better that your technical skills kicked in later than never. Congratulations, Nick.
Quentin Alexander: “Light My Fire” by The Doors and “Shake It Out” by Florence + The Machine
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p style=”text-align:center;”>Quentin Alexander – Light My Fire by The Doors – Download from Amazon – Download from iTunes
Strengths:
Light My Fire: Quentin – Quentin – oh Quentin, you “light my musical fire”. Always and forever. You are such a unique entity on that stage.
You established a relaxed, easy groove on that stage, moving around in a controlled, yet rhymically musical fashion. And, yet, you still had great fun with this classic song.
I was particularly impressed with your lower range. It is truly beautiful and you should highlight this area of your vocal range more often during your numbers. In fact, it would be truly neat to hear your sing in a baritone versus a tenor range for a change. It would be a whole different sound for you but I think, in your case, it would be a good thing.
Oh my goodness. How did you make your head go in a circle multiple times when you repeated “try to set the night on fire” at the end of the song? That was mega -cool! What a visual! You are your own special effects.
Congratulations Quentin!
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p style=”text-align:start;”>Shake It Out: Quentin – Now this I loved! Your voice and an organ opening this number! Classic Quentin!
And your pitch was spot on. Even when you sustained that incredibly long note, I didn’t hear a waver, nothing! It was a very controlled and a very brave thing to do as a vocalist, Quentin.
Somehow, I have a feeling that you connected with this song more than the other. I know I did.
Why?
Because your voice sounded determined, on a mission , full of drama and passion. I didn’t hear this on “Light My Fire” – not even close. Your mouth was round and you grabbed those pure vowels like your life depended on it!
This was fantastic with a Capitol “F”. Bravo Quentin.
Critique:
Light My Fire: Quentin – well your pitch problems reared its ugly head again! Shoot! I thought we whipped that problem in the bee-hind!
And, I can’t blame it on a poorly paced performance because you handled the song extremely well – moving with relaxed ease. The song had a groovy momentum, so the problematic pitch issues were confusing to me.
I think, as I said last week, you have problems finding the “bulls eye” of your notes – with a tendency to scoop on to the note rather than singing cleanly on the note. You hit your notes hard, rather than introducing them with pure head voice.
In your case, you need to work on slowing down your songs in rehearsal, almost to halt, and sustain every pure vowel in every lyric. If you really stick to a slow, methodical pace, you will feel the need to access your diaphragm and sustain fully and completely on the vowel
However, you need to keep that mouth consistently round and that jaw relaxed and loose, dropping it when you move to the upper range. This is the only way to correct intonation issues. In fact, this is the only way to correct any kind of local issue you may be having.
Hope this helps you Quentin!! Good luck!
Shake It Out: Quentin – this was a phenomenal performance. That whole tribal thing really worked and permeated my soul to the core. So, in essence, I free you from a critique with this number because you were so connected to the song. Kudos. Your future is so solid!
Rayvon Owen: “Go Your Own Way” by Fleetwood Mac and “I’m Not The Only One” by Sam Smith
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p style=”text-align:center;”>Rayvon Owen – I’m Not the Only One by Sam Smith – Download from Amazon– Download from iTunes
Strengths:
Go Your Own Way: Rayvon – you sang this song with incredible drive and poured your heart and soul and a diva-like high note in to the end! I loved.how you commanded the stage and really tried to keep this very busy song on track.
You know, until you sang this song, I never realized how very difficult it was. Actually, the range is quite wide and ,considering this, you sang it very well and made it to the Top 5. Congratulations!
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p style=”text-align:start;”>I’m Not The Only One: Rayvon – such a perfect song choice for you! Ahh! Perfection! And you sang your heart out! This was such a beautifully nuanced performance. Your expression – vocally and visually – was heartfelt and pure.
This song was an artistic tour de force – from the beautifully sustained notes to the vocal runs you moulded in to the original melody line. Everything sounded effortless but, at its core, I could sense the high degree of practice and professionalism that went in to this performance.
You always exude such a genuine and glowing charisma on stage, Rayvon. With you, it is WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) and we always gain a little bit of peace and inspiration from your performances.
Critique:
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p style=”text-align:start;”>Go Your Own Way: Rayvon – this song started sort of roughly. Almost as if you were not ready for it. I was so perplexed. I think it sat far too low in your vocal range. Darn.
Why didn’t you go with a higher key? You obviously can hit the notes because you gave us a very very high note the very end of the song.
However, at the end of the day, you have to remember to distinctly and crisply articulate your lyrics in every area of your range. Many singers, such as yourself, tend to want to minimize the energy you need when singing through the lower range when, in fact, you need just as much -if not more – energy when singing through the lower range. This is the only way that your lower voice will project towards the back of your audience.
Crisp consonants and well – sustained vowels in every part of your range will ensure an even, cohesive sound. And, believe it or not, a well sustained lower range will kick-start your voice so that, when you move into your upper range midway through song, the support is in place.
I think the song ran away from you, Rayvon. Such a shame. Let’s blame it on the pressure and call it a day, shall we?
I’m Not The Only One: Rayvon – try to remind yourself to maintain a consistently circular mouth position when you sustain your notes. And throughout your entire melody line.
At times, your voice lost its center and some vague intonation issues crept in to this performance. A round mouth, coupled with a relaxed throat and strong diaphragmatic support, will put this problem to rest – with time and practice.
You have a tendency to get lost in your music – which is great for your artistry. We need to see that. However, if the technique is not a natural commodity in your vocal delivery, then you will encounter vocal issues – like poor intonation.
However, at the end of the day, you gave a heartfelt, memorable performance. Congratulations!!
.
Tyanna Jones: “Heaven” by Brian Adams and “Party In The USA” by Miley Cyrus
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p style=”text-align:center;”>Tyanna Jones – Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus – Download from Amazon – Download from iTunes
Strengths:
Heaven: Tyanna – your voice at the beginning of this song sounded so beautiful. That gorgeous soprano quality in your voice was just the ticket for this song and it continued as the song moved forward.
You sang this song with sincerity and sensitivity. And that vibrato was just perfect for the more passionate section of this song. Also, the fact that you could move with ease from pure head voice to full voice and then back again is testament to the strength of your technical skills. Boy, when that technique kicks in it really works big time, doesn’t it?
I would also like to say but you looked beautiful on that stage. It was wonderful to see you in a very classy gown singing like the very classy musician that you are! Youn set a wonderful tone – visually and vocally – throughout this number. It was indeed “heavenly“.
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p style=”text-align:start;”>Party In The USA: Tyanna – now this was a smart song choice. It was current, playful and full of rhythmic momentum.
And, as always, you came out to perform and entertain. You moved effortlessly around that stage and really involved your audience. You are such a generous talented young lady, Tyanna, and this is why you are in the Top 5. You have a natural, real ability to connect with your audience and I can see you filling many stadiums and arenas in the years to come.
Good work!
Critique:
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p style=”text-align:start;”>Heaven: Tyanna – the only thing would suggest for you would be to work on your technique. It is fairly solid but, at times, I worry that you are singing with your natural vocal talent rather than with the assistance of consistent technical skills.
Those beautiful high notes will lower with age and you want to ensure that you can sing those notes forever and ever Amen. And with the same level of purity.
Also, that vibrato is what distinguishes you as a vocalist so make very certain that you never allow it to lose control. You need to turn it on and off at will.
However, it was a beautiful performance. I loved it!
Party In The USA: Tyanna – once again, your pitch became a pesty little nuisance during this performance. Now, as I have said before, part of it is due to your youth, part of it is due to nerves and part is also due to how physically busy you were with this song.
You need to pace yourself during these upbeat numbers. You do not have to “high-five” everyone you see. You can embrace your audience by creating physical space on that stage – visualizing that they are all up on stage with you.
When you hear that your voice is going out of control, give yourself permission to center yourself physically and vocally so you can get back on track again.
Now, the song did sound better towards the end but, in the end, it lacked the fun and frolic I have come to expect from your performances. It lacked conviction. In fact, I am not even sure you enjoyed it. If that was the case, make sure you have a strong tete a tete with your coaches.
However, at this stage in the game, I was personally looking for something more challenging from you because you thrive on vocal challenges.
However, you are in the Top 5 and I am thrilled for you! Brava, young lady!
I am really hoping FOX pulls on this show after the season is through! The crappy stunts and promo that were done all in the name of sabotaging Quentin is the last straw for me. It’s so disgusting. I’ve always had an issue with the fact that some contestants are so blatantly mmisstreated through the years on this show but what they did to Quentin takes the cake! One thing I love the most about THE VOICE is they never treat any of their contestants like crap but are genuinely invested in and care about each one!
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I meant to say I hope FOX cancels this show after this season! They justifiably have it coming!
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After the Quentin/Harry showdown last week, I’m not too surprised by the results.
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The only one I consider an arena song is the Bryan Adams song – Heaven.
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Rayvon must have inherited Daniel’s 9 lives. LOL!
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I guess that for AI, “arena anthems” is defined as “a bunch of songs we could get rights for without paying too much.” 🙂
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I am disgusted and so angry that Quentin went home. Again one of the best of the nights. savequentin trended on twitter saverayvin did not. Fishy I think so. Quentin was so mesmerizing and I enjoyed the tone of his voice. Potential Star.
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Re reader – you always make me laugh with your comments. How true, though!
Aubry – I found it strange as well. Quentin was a sacrificial lamb and for what reason? Adam Lambert was flamboyant and different on AI and everyone praised him to the hilt. And rightfully so! This show. So ridiculous.
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mcl, i wondered what you would say about clark’s bieber song. since i don’t know the original, i have nothing to compare it to. i *loved* it. i was surprised none of the judges did. and wow, you agreed with them. shows how much i know!! 😦 fascinating.
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Hunter – I think what I didn’t like about the song was how detached he was. It was so busy that he was not connecting with the audience. He was too preoccupied and it showed. It sounded much better on the recording but, as a performance, it fell flat.
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i am sooooooooooooooooooooo disappointed that quentin is gone. was it because of last week’s brouhaha? 😦 i was very disappointed with joey’s leaving last week. my two favorites. i was ‘shocked’ that they chose to highlight last week’s brouhaha in the beginning. obviously it is an attention getter.
also, i noted ryan going in for a hug with someone. it brought up a comparison with carson daley. carson is such a supporter of those contestants, so warm and affectionate. warmer and more affectionate than ryan. just different personalities. interesting.
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The tour has become less exciting with Quentin. And Joey. Very, very sad turn of events
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tyanna: at the end of the one song there were still voices singing. what was that? no one mentioned it then, nor here. it sounded like tyanna lip synching, but the real tyanna finishing early? it seems strange that those could have been background singers. odd. did anyone else notice this?
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my other favorite was the guy that i can’t pronounce his name, i think it started with a Q…the ‘ performer extraordinaire’ the young black guy with the long dreads. i was not into his type of music but he was such a genuine sweet soul and team player and wonderful performer that i loved watching him. his spirit made me happy.
this top five thing is missing out on some really good people. i think they need to rethink.
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Hunter – you are thinking of Qaasim. I loved him also. I will have to check Tyanna’s song. Was it the first or second song.
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mcl, ahhh, yes, qaasim, that is it. i’m glad you loved him too. such a joyous spirit. it was tyanna’s second song. the slower one. she has stopped and is responding to the judge’s and there are several (probably two?) ‘sentences’ sung after that.
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speaking of joey: i saw in the tv schedule that on the morning show with kelly the booted idol would be on. i knew it would be joey so i recorded it. wow, she did soo well. she has grown soo much. her appearance and demeanor were definitely different than when we met her, so put together. but in a really nice joey sort of way.
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Thanks hunter. Will check out Tyanna’s performance. And Joey as well. She will go very far.
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mcl, forgot to comment on this. you said about quentin: “Oh my goodness. How did you make your head go in a circle multiple times when you repeated “try to set the night on fire” at the end of the song? That was mega -cool! What a visual! You are your own special effects.” i agree…that head thing was amazing.
another thing that i noted, that i felt uncomfortable with: clark saying, after a certain gig in college that he was so exhilarated that he said to a buddy he knew he wanted to be a star. i wish he had said ‘i want to sing forever’ or something…
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Wow! A bunch of sore losers on these Idol blogs.
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@Billy Bob – Probably the same ones who voted for Taylor Hicks, who used gimmicks to distract from weak vocals.
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To Sam and Billy Bob. What are you talking about? I think what everyone is angry about is the fact that Quentin was manipulated in to some stupid drama fest with Ryan and Harry and it cost him votes. End of story.
Also, I am a huge Clark fan. Just not a fan of his performance of his “Boyfriend” number. The recording was excellent though. End of story!
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billy bob and sam. this blog is about the show. we are discussing the show. i am not sure what you are referring to, but it seems, if you think we are complaining, that you are complaining about the complainers. i don’t think that improves our discussion.
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I don’t think Quentin was manipulated. I think it’s as Idol Girl said in an earlier discussion. That Quentin was upset about his critique and used the bottom two as a cover-up for his “whack” comment.
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quentin received other less than positive critiques, why should he have responded to this one differently?
btw, i recorded the morning show with kelly, that he appeared on today. magnificent!
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I think what Sam and Billy Bob are saying is that Quentin’s supporters only voted for him because of his costumes instead of his vocals, just like the Soul Patrol only voted for Taylor Hicks because of his silly dancing.
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According to MjsBlog, it sounds like top 4 will be doing the hometown visits and maybe a top 3 finale.
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Yes I read that Jane. Thank You. I was thinking the same thing the other night. It is the only way they will be able to incorporate a Performance and Results show in to one evening.
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I found myself only watching for Quentin and Joey. When I read on-line how Quentin would be treated last week, I decided not to watch the show. (I’m on the West Coast.) I’m just disgusted by how he was repeatedly thrown under the bus. I’ve grown to really dislike Harry Connick Jr. I’m done with him. I’m done with AI for this season. I would have tried to make the tour, but without Quentin and Joey, I’m out.
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Billy Bob and Sam have been trolling around on various Idol blogs posting that.
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