"American Idol" 2008 Discussion

[blackcauldron85]

My thoughts on Lennon/McCartney Songbook night:

01. Syesha Mercado- "Got To Get You Into My Life"- She's been my favorite female still in the competition, so I hold her to a high standard. It wasn't spectacular, but it was good.

02. Chikezie- "She's a Woman"- Nice arrangement! So far, so good! Great job!!! Awesome! He has improved ten-fold! He's a great performer and vocally talented! I'm impressed! He also doesn't seem as cocky anymore, which is refreshing.

03. Ramiele Malubay- "In My Life"- Very nice voice! I really like her! She's great! Tied for first so far!

04. Jason Castro- "If I Fell"- My favorite Beatles song ever, so amazing song choice! Good, but not his absolute best performance. It may have to do with the arrangement, since I love the song. Good job, though. I agree with Randy- the switches in the melody messed me up/ it up.

05. Carly Smithson- "Come Together"- I didn't know she had this rock in her! Very nice! I'm very impressed!

06. David Cook- "Eleanor Rigby"- He seems really nice and down to earth- I like that. I think I'm getting sick of his Daughtry-ness every week. I like him, but he sounds the same in many performances- I wish he'd diversify a bit. I mean, stay true to yourself, but show another side of you. Moments were pretty good. Tied for third so far!

07. Brooke White- "Let It Be"- Excellent. Tied for first. Very heartfelt.

08. David Hernandez- "I Saw Her Standing There"- He's great! Tied for 1 1/2. Did Fox pressure the judges to give him bad critiques to kick him off? He wasn't that bad at all!

09. Amanda Overmyer- "You Can't Do That"- I want to like her voice, but I just can't. She seems nice, and she is a good performer. Great song (but they all are tonight!). I'll put her tied for second- this has to be my favorite performance of hers. It got better as it went on!

10. Michael Johns- "Across the Universe"- Great song choice (but, again, they all are!). The first time I've liked Michael- great job!!! Wow- I'm extremely impressed!

11. Kristy Lee Cook- "Eight Days A Week"- I admire her for doing her thing. There are only a few country songs I like, and they're more pop than country- I just don't really like country, so I found the performance to be distracting. I do admire her for it, but it has to be in last place for me- it was boring to me. I agree with Paula- I didn't get it. I completely agree with Simon- it didn't work. I can see her going home.

12. David Archuleta- "We Can Work It Out"- He forgot the words!- even before that, I was going to write that it's not his best performance. He's definitely not untouchable. He's still extremely vocally talented, though. I agree with Simon- his weakest performance so far.

So, my order is:

#1. Chikezie, Ramiele, & Brooke (I voted for all three)
#1.5- Carly, Michael, David H. (I voted for all three)
#2. Jason, Amanda
#3. Syesha, David C., David A.
#4. Kristy Lee Cook

[Widdi]

Ick! Terrible, terrible night. I really didn't enjoy it at all (Where was Danny singing Oh Bla De, Oh Bla Dah? That would have been awesome to the extreme ) There were only 3 performances I liked and they were:

Carly Smithson - Just solidified her spot as a front runner.
Brook White - Every week I like her more.
Jason Castro - He can do no wrong in my eyes, but it wasn't his best.

There were a couple performances that were good to other people, but I didn't like mainly because I don't like the performers. They were:

David Cook
Chickeze Eze

I personally didn't like either of them, but neither will go anywhere tomorrow.

Then we have the "okay but forgettables"

Syesha Mercardo
Ramiele Malubay
Michael Johns

These three should have a sleepless night. None of them are safe.

And finally we come to the truly dreadful who I shall rank from least painful to most ear killing:

1. Amanda Overmyer - I like to be able to understand people when they sing. My girl dropped the ball tonight.

2. David Hernandez - Just awful.

3. David Archuleta - Golden boy screwed up. Was a complete mess. Though he is still untouchable as of now.

4. Kristy Lee Cook - Beatles + Country = BAD!

So the big question now is who will be the bottom 3? The answer is:

Syesha Mercado - Going first and being forgettable is a deadly combination on Idol. It's Bottom three for you.

David Hernandez - Your fan base is the weakest of the four "terribles", and the sexual controversy surrounding you at the moment doesn't help your bad performance at all. Bottom three!

Ramiele Malubay - Doesn't have the big fan base of Kristy (who gets the very large country vote) or the VFTW backing of Amanda. The bad song choice will not help you out at all. Have fun in the bottom three.

So who goes?

Syesha Mercado gets twelfth place and disappears into obscurity forever. You never raked up the fan base of your competitors and were ultimately deemed just another forgettable voice. I hope you didn't quit your day job girl.

[dvdjunkie]

Jason Castro, dread-locks and all, probably picked the worst time to do a song that tested his range, and his smile. I didn't think he was that good, but I don't think it was bad enough to send him home either. Just not his best.

Ramiele needs to get off the schneid and show us what she can really do with that big voice of hers. I believe that she will be in the bottom three tomorrow night, but not going home.

David Hernandez did a pretty good version of "I Saw Her Standing There", but like the judges I don't think he sold it very well. He tried to make more of melodic song out of it than it really was, and that might have him standing in the bottom three.

Kristy, I think, has done her last song on the show. She is my pick to get her ticket home.

The show was really good overall, and the new sets are fantastic, as promised. Tomorrow night we get Katherine McPhee and David Foster and we get to find out who the mentors will be for this season. Should be a fun show.

[Disney's Divinity]

I sincerely hope Davd Archuleta doesn't go home yet; sure, he screwed up. But the whole night kind of sucked (mostly because of the limited song choice). Besides, Kristy Lee Cook was just horrible. There's different degrees of "country," and this was the extreme ho-down/hee-haw kind. Ugh.

[dvdjunkie]

Well, it was David's turn to go home. David Hernandez, that is. All of the negative publicity and his sad performance of "I Saw Her Standing There" added up to him being in the bottom three along with Syesha Mercado and Kristy Lee Cook. I think that America got it right with who should be in the bottom three, but I think we got it wrong with sending David Hernandez going home. What he did before he tried out for 'Idol' should have nothing to do with his being judged as a talented singer, or dancer or whatever. Unfortunately, we aren't as forgiving as we should be, apparently. In my own opinion, it should have Amanda Overmyer in the bottom three with Kristy and Syesha, not David. I don't think that Amanda gets through another week of Beatles music without buying the farm.

[blackcauldron85]

I thought for sure that Kristy was going to go home. I was sad to see David H. go- he was one of my two favorite male contestants.

I bet that Kristy won't do a country version of a Beatles song next week.

I'm happy that next week is another Beatles' night, but I'm shocked, since I don't think there has ever been 2 continuous weeks with the same theme before.

[Widdi]

PLEASE STOP BUTCHERING THE BEATLES AI!

God, this week was worse than last. I didn't like anybody so I shall rank them in order of least terrible to most.

1. Amanda Overmyer - It might have been good if I didn't hate the song. At least I could understand her tonight.

2. Carly Smithson - Decent, but I don't like her singing this type of song.

3. Jason Castro - Cute, but forgettable.

4. David Cook - He doesn't do anything for me at all. He was a believable rock star though.

5. Michael Johns - Not as bad as the judges made it out to be. Not that good though.

6. Ramiele Malubay - I preferred her last week. Was very mediocre.

7. David Archuleta - Predictable to the extreme. Once again I don't understand the hype.

8. Brooke White - Can someone pass the cheese? Oh never mind, Broke already did.

9. Syesha Mercardo - Never, EVER sing that song again. Please.

10. Chickeze Eze - Ugh. That's about all I can say. I HATED IT!

11. Kristy Lee Cook - You are so boring. Go away please.

Bottom Three: Kristy, Ramiele, Michael.

Who goes home?

Kristy Lee Cook - Pack up your cowboy boots and plaid shirts and head on home. You have no stage presence and appeal only to old people who have gone deaf. Bye, Bye.

[Disney's Divinity]

Well, another week wasted with the Beatles. Ugh. Archuleta, David Cook, Syesha, and Ramielle were all pretty good. Chekizie started okay, but just changed too much by the end. I still hope the country girl goes (she hasn't improved that much). Oh, and Amanda sounded the best she ever has, though that's not saying much.

I sincerely hope there's a better choice of songs next week.

[blackcauldron85]

Here are my thoughts, in the order they performed:

01. Amanda Overmyer- "Back in the USSR"- Her voice is fitting for the song- I don't find it as annoying/irritating this week. Nice job! Probably her best performance, IMO.

02. Kristy Lee Cook- "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away"- Much better than last week! I prefered Amanda, though./ And, I'm shocked that she just learned this song- it boggles my mind how people don't know Beatles songs. Kristy was just alright.

03. David Archuleta- "The Long and Winding Road"- Amazing song choice. Very nice.

04. Michael Johns- "A Day in the Life"- Another amazing song! Kind of shaky on the high notes in the first verse. Very nice performance for Michael. I don't agree with the judges- I liked it.

05. Brooke White- "Here Comes the Sun"- I love it- she's awesome! What a great song for her!

06. David Cook- "Day Tripper"- I liked it.

07. Carly Smithson- "Blackbird"- I love this song. I like her lower register. Very, very nice.

08. Jason Castro- "Michelle"- He is still adorable. The French sounds right! He has to be my favorite in the competition. A very enjoyable performance!!!

09. Syesha Mercado- "Yesterday"- My second favorite Beatles song! Nice. It was good, but not my absolute favorite. I think I love the song so much that no one could match the original in my mind. I think her higher range, although nice, bothered me a little?

10. Chikezie- "I've Just Seen a Face"- I wish he didn't slow the song down. Even if he was good, I got distracted by the tempo. Props on the harmonica. An awkward performance. It was everywhere. The vocals were alright, I guess. I didn't like the arrangement.

11. Ramiele Malubay- "I Should Have Known Better"- I really like her. I don't think it's her best performance, but she did an awesome job. Very enjoyable- she's great. It was not bad at all.

My order, from favorite to least favorite, is:

1. Jason
2. Brooke & Carly
3. David A. & David C.
3 1/2. Syesha
4. Michael & Ramiele
5. Amanda
6. Chikezie
7. Kristy

I voted for Jason a bunch of times. I voted for Brooke & Carly a few times. I voted for Ramiele & David C. twice (I don't want to see them go home yet).

[dvdjunkie]

Jason Castro can stay, but those dreadful 'dreadlocks' have to go. This guy would be such a handsome man without that choice of 'old school' dreads. He performed a smack-on version of "Michelle" to secure his position in next week's show. I only hope all the negative publicity surrounding 'suggestive' pictures of Ramiele and Amanda don't spoil it for them. Weakest of the night was Kristy Lee Cook, she just doesn't have the stage presence to go any further. It is either her or Amanda, but I thought Amanda's performance tonight of "Back in the USSR" was pretty darn good. Brooke White deserves to go on, I thought she picked the right song with "Here Comes The Sun". Our bottom three this week will probably be Ramiele, Kristy, and Michael Johns.

I truly believe that Kristy has seen the last of the spotlight on American Idol 2008.

[jeremy88]

I just love Ramiele Malubay...that's all I have to say...

I've voted for like Kelly Clarkson...and like once for Miss Hotlegs...But I vote 7 times for Ramiele

[Widdi]

Boo to America for getting it wrong again. I've underestimated those old people who have gone deaf.

I really wish we Canadians could vote. The show is like, one of the most watched in our country and the winner's CD always sells well here, yet we don't have any say in who stays and who goes.

I hope VFTW doesn't choose Kristy next. She's bad, but she's not entertaining like Danny/Amanda/Sanjaya. Unfortunately I really don't see who else they can deem horrible.

And Carly in the Bottom 3? What was that all about?

[dvdjunkie]

Hallelujah, America finally got it right, and I agree. Amanda Overmyer deserved to go, and now Kristy can "blow the sox off" of Simon Cowell, as she promised on stage Tuesday night.

I really like the choices for mentors this year. Andrew Lloyd Webber should provide all of the contestants with their biggest challenge yet. And I really can't wait for the Neil Diamond week to come, that should really been fantastic.

Mariah Carey should be good, just hope they aren't required to sing any of her songs, because none of them can do them justice. And Dolly Parton has only had a hand-ful of hits in her career, so it will probably be country week and she will just be the mentor like Kenny Rogers did.

Really looking forward to "Idol Gives Back" on April 9th. Sounds like it is going to be a good show.

[Widdi]

I'm loving the fact that there will be a "Broadway" week this year. Though it kinda conflicts with judges criticisms that contestants are too theatrical in their singing. I hope we get to hear some really well known tunes, rather than a bunch of obscure ones.

I'm looking forward to Mariah week and am really hoping to see someone (probably David C or Michael) re-arrange "We Belong Together" into a rock track like my ex-boyfriend's band did when the song first came out. It sounded so awesome.

Dolly Parton week I could gladly pass on. I pretty much hate country music, and the few songs I like can't be performed in 2 minutes.

Niel Diamond week will make my mom wet herself with bliss (as long as they don't butcher the songs like they did the past two weeks) but if there is one singer I could gladly go the rest of my life without hearing it's Niel Diamond so I'm not looking forward to it.

[Disney's Divinity]

I'm loving the fact that there will be a "Broadway" week this year. Though it kinda conflicts with judges criticisms that contestants are too theatrical in their singing. I hope we get to hear some really well known tunes, rather than a bunch of obscure ones.

That's how I felt, too. I've been hoping they would have one, but understood that they might not because the judges make it clear contestants shouldn't really be "theatrical."

I don't mind that they're having a country week so much (they have one every year, it seems), especially since Parton's involved. I love her. I just hope there's no bluegrass. Ugh.

Too bad I'll have to put up with Mariah though; she seems too arrogant to be likable.

[blackcauldron85]

Thanks, Bill & Widdi, for posting the info on the mentors- I missed the first 8 minutes of AI last night!

I thought for sure that Kristy would go home. I've never been a fan of Amanda's voice, so I won't miss her, but Kristy NEEDS to step up her game. She best blow Simon's socks off, or else she's going to go home!!!

Neil Diamond week sounds awesome! I was thinking a day or two ago about Mariah Carey/Whitney Houston/Christina Aguilera songs. If someone totally rearranged the song (I was thinking in an acoustic style, or rock, like Widdi said), then I think it could work; if someone tries to perform the song just like the original artist did, then it may fail. But, if the song is re-worked, then you really can't compare it to the original performance. Like, last night on YouTube, I watched a video of an 11 (?) year old singing a Christina Aguilera song. Sure, it was good, but not compared to Christina's version.

I, too, am excited for Idol Gives Back, but mostly because Miley Cyrus will be on...!

[Disney's Divinity]

Kristy Cook was probably the best she's been before, though I wasn't crazy about the song choice. David Cook was the best of the night. I still like Archuleta, but that song wasn't "my thing."

My choice to go is Chekezie, mainly because I've never been that ecstatic about him from the beginning. I hope Ramiele doesn't go this week.

[Widdi]

Hmm, good night, but I'm going to have to do something a wee bit different with my rankings tonight. I will evaluate 9 of our 10 Idol family members in my usual way, but one of our top 10 needs to be addressed individually.

Lets Begin:

1. Michael Johns - I loved that he didn't try and make the song his own. He just came out and belted it and blew me away. If Mikey doesn't win this competition (and I suspect he won't) then I think Queen should consider adopting him, cause he sure can sing their songs.

2. Carly Smithson - Whatever it was that the judges didn't feel I sure did. I loved it. I think she needs to show more personality though, because she is starting to become a little bit forgettable.

3. Syesha Mercardo - Easily the best she's ever been, but could it be too little too late? We'll have to see.

4. Kristy Lee Cook - In all honesty Christy could have came out and sang the song in Spongebob Squarepants' voice and she'd be safe. It was a clever song choice not because it showed off her voice, but because it plays to the very large overly patriotic portion of the show's fans (Simon obviously caught on to this)."AMERICA RULES!" no matter how you sing it to them. Not that she sang it badly by any means, I just think the song choice will keep her in the competition more than the performance will.

5. Brooke White - I agree with the judges. She should have just played the piano and not used the band.

6. David Archuleta - Gaspy cut down on the gasps but the lip licking was in full effect tonight. Wasn't that bad I suppose, though I really didn't get the song choice and I still don't get why he has such a big fan base. Ah well.

7. Jason Castro - This is the first time I have absolutley hated Jason's performance. I think our dreaded stoner could be in trouble.

8. Ramiele Malubay - Boring and forgettable. Plus she went first which could spell out doom for her.

9. Chikezie Eze - Horrible to the extreme. Wasn't sung very well the performance reeked of Limburger, wasn't enjoyable in the least.

Okay, so you've probably noticed I have excluded David Cook from the rankings and here's why: I do not feel I can judge him fairly on this performance. "Billie Jean" is my all time favorite song and in my opinion he slit its throat, sliced it up into little pieces and put those pieces in a suitcase which he then threw into a volcano.

I was completely revolted by the performance and had to listen to MJ sing it about six times before I felt right again. I think I hated it more tonight then I did when Chris Parnell's version popped up on youtube (so no Randy, it was not original. This feels like the Chris Daughtry/Live thing all over again) a few months back.

Now was it is bad as I feel it was? No, I would say not. But my feelings for the song prevent me from seeing it as anything good. I don't think he'll get eliminated for it though.

So onto my predictions for the bottom three:

Ramiele Malubay - Third time's the charm right?.

Jason Castro - Knock some sense into ya boy. You gotta do better.

Chikezie Eze - Worst of the night.

Who goes home?

It's time to say sayonara to Chikezie. And please take your banjo, harmonica and orange suit with you.

Next week's country week. Should I just shoot myself now?

[dvdjunkie]

Again Widdi, I think it is your age that is getting the best of you, because the best of the Idols tonight were in proper order:

!. David Cook - His version of "Billie Jean" was absolutely spot on as to what the judges and America is looking for. They don't want a Michael Jackson or Lionel Richie wannabe, they want someone willing to put it out there on the line, and he did it with this song tonight. Best performance of any Idol contestant this week.

2. Michael Johns - follows really close behind the David Cook performance. He took a Queen song, didn't do anything but sing his "arse" off, and rocked the house to the foundation. Michael Johns will definitely be in the Top Five with no problem.

3. Syesha Mercado - Finally found what the judges were looking for and she took no prisoners tonight with her song"If I Were Your Woman". Wow!! What a performance.

The rest of the show was good and I believe that the bottom three will be Checkezie, Brooke White, and Ramiele Malubay. And the loser will probably be Checkezie.

Just one heck of a great sow tonight, and I really think each performer came into their own, although Kristy Lee Cook promised to 'blow your sox off" last week to Simon and didn't quite get there, although it was the best performance of her stint so far with American Idol.

[dvdjunkie]

A great big thumbs up for America this week, they got it right. When I saw Jason and Syesha there with Chikezie, I was hoping that it wouldn't be either of them, however, if it was Jason, I wouldn't miss those dreadful phony-looking dreadlocks. He would be such a more handsome man if he came up with another hairstyle that more 'today'.

Anyway, Chekizie is now just a memory, although he will be in the 'tour' this summer as a member of the Top Ten.

Next week - the mentor is Dolly Parton, and this should prove very interesting for a couple of the guys, David and Michael. We will see.