AI Top 10

Motown Week, with Smokey Robinson.  Some of the people I thought would really shine with Motown week (Anoop, Michael, Lil) just didn't really do it for me. 

1. Matt [Let's Get it On by Marvin Gaye]--WOOOO!  Great choice for him!  I really like how he started behind the piano, then got up.  It was a great performance.  I love his falsetto and riffs!  Like Paula said, it had a "sexy, cool vibe".

2. Kris [How Sweet It Is by Marvin Gaye]--LOVED how he started it and I adore him with the guitar.  I really liked his rendition and his vocals and runs were good.  It had great energy and personality.

3. Scott [You Can't Hurry Love by Diana Ross]--I liked the piano part; not the best vocals, though, and the performance didn't hold the energy it should have.  I don't think it was the best song choice for him but I do like that he did a more up-tempo song.  I thought it was cute what he said about the pink pants: "They didn't tell me 'til 10 minutes before".  Funny.

4. Megan [For Once in My Life by Stevie Wonder]--Can you say Carnival Cruise?!!  I thought it sounded OK in the room with Smokey but the band arrangement completely ruined it and her vocals did even more damage.  The outfit, for me, just added to the cruise feel.  Cheezy!!!  Bad, just bad, performance.

5. Anoop [Ooh Baby Baby by The Miracles]--For me, not the very best song choice but the boy can sing.  I love the timbre of his voice.  He did show off his vocals a bit and sounded nice for the most part but I think he could have done a more fun song that still showcased his voice but in a more youthful way; I thought it was good overall, not great.

6. Michael [Ain't Too Proud to Beg by the Temptations]--Should have been a good choice for his soulful voice but it just didn't completely grab me.  I like that he showed off his vocals more than last week but, while it sounded good in some parts, he pushed too hard in others.

7. Lil [Heat Wave by Martha and the Vandellas]--Way too old-fashioned.  She really could have picked a better song that would have lent itself more to her own interpretation; I knew right when I heard the song choice that it was gonna be old-fashioned.  She's a great singer but she has not shown (in the past two weeks, at least) that she can make songs her own.  She sounded great but it was nothin' new.

8. Adam [Track of My Tears by Smokey Robinson]--When they first showed him before the commercial break previous to his performance, I was like "WHAT?!!!  This will be interesting--and not in a good way."  Boy was I pleasantly surprised!  I thought he looked really handsome--I like the "clean" version of him.  What a great arrangement and AWESOME vocals!!  I am in awe of the control he has over his voice.  I loved his toned down side.  Parts of the song gave me goosebumps.  It was such a heartfelt and musical performance.  I loved, loved, loved it!

9. Danny [Get Ready by the Temptations]--It sounded great and it was energetic and fun to watch.  I love how much he moves around the stage.  Probably not my most favorite performance of his but pretty good overall.  I'm definitely a fan.

10. Allison [Papa Was A Rolling Stone by the Temptations]--Great vocals, even though I wasn't really fond of the band arrangement (some weird stuff going on, in my opinion).  She did great, though. 

Sidenote: I was LOL at Simon drawing a mustache on Paula.

Who I voted for (yes, I actually did vote this time): Adam (clear favorite of the night), Danny, Matt, and Kris

Who I think will be in the bottom three: Megan (hope she's the one to go), Michael and Scott

AI Top 11

Grand Ole Opry Night with Randy Travis as the mentor--who I thought was super nice and seemed really genuine. I didn't get to vote, again--I'm gonna have to fight Jared for the TV with the Tivo every week and come home straight from church every Tues. to watch it in time to vote. I think it will be OK this week, as I think my very favorites will be safe. I have to say that this has to be the best group overall for a top 11; I thought they all did really well--some better than others, of course. Here goes:

1. Michael ["Ain't Goin' Down 'Til the Sun Come Up" by Garth Brooks]--I thought it was good, not great; he has a country look and sound but I think he should have done a song that showed his vocal capabilities better; he had fun with it, though, and sang it OK; I liked the personality he showed. Simon said it was "a bit clumsy" which may be a tiny bit true--some of the rhythms were a little lazy.
2. Allison ["Blame It On Your Heart" by Patty Loveless]--Great song choice for her voice; she had fun with it and showed a lot of personality and great stage presence; I would have like for her to make more of a rock rendition, however, than keep it country; she sang it great, though!
3. Kris ["To Make You Feel My Love" by Garth Brooks]--I was nervous for him when Ryan said he'd be singing it without his guitar but his voice REALLY shined. I LOVED his rendition--he really made it different and it was very heartfelt. LOVED it!
   
4. Lil ["Independence Day" by Martina McBride]--Sang it great but I say forget honoring the country genre--this competition is about showing who you're gonna be as a recording artist. But I do think she did great, even if it was a teeny tiny tad bit on the boring side in the verses. I agreed with Simon when he compared her to a wedding singer who is forced to sing a requested song, that she looked uncomfortable.
5. Adam ["Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash]--OMGosh, Randy Travis' reaction to Adam was HILARIOUS! The comment about the nail polish had me LOL--literally! Priceless! Bwahahahaha! OK, on to the performance: Whoa, what a risky choice of arrangement; I was skeptical at first but kind of liked it by the time it was over. I know I say something about his vocal range every week but it really is something spectacular. What I liked about the arrangement was that it showed here is someone who truly knows how to be himself. I nodded in total agreement with Kara when she said it was "strange but I liked it". Still laughing at Randy Travis, though! :)
6. Scott ["Wild Angels" by Martina McBride]--I thought it sounded lovely and I liked that he powered up his voice a bit the 2nd time through the chorus--I appreciated the build to the end. He definitely is a true musician, even if he doesn't have the strongest voice. When Paula was talking about the piano separating him from the audience, I thought Scott was so cute when he said "we could move it closer". I happen to really like him at the piano and agreed with Simon about there being no point to him going w/o the piano when he's so good with it. I also agreed with Simon that Scott's song choices have been a little too similar. I really liked this performance, though.
7. Alexis ["Joleen" by Dolly Parton]--I love her voice but I'm still trying to figure out what kind of music she would record--very confusing. Some pitch problems throughout the song and she over sung it in a few places but who can deny she has a great power voice?
8. Danny ["Jesus Take the Wheel" by Carrie Underwood]--It was painful to watch him make so many mistakes when he was singing for Randy Travis; I felt so bad for him. I wasn't thrilled with the verses but I didn't think it was horrible, either. I LOVED the chorus, though! Not his best performance overall by a long shot but I liked it as a whole. He could use some work on his lower register. I still love 'im, though!
9. Anoop ["You Are Always On My Mind" by Willie Nelson]--Now THERE'S the Anoop voice I've wanted to hear the last few weeks! Gave me goose bumps! And, wow, way to make it his own! That boy can SING!--and in tune! Great performance!!
   
10. Megan ["I Go Walking After Midnight"]--Good choice for her and she DEFINITELY put her own spin on it. The arm movements were completely out of place, though; and, of course, there were pitch problems out the wazoo--as always with her. I loved the arrangement, though, and she looked beautiful, even though I'm not a fan of the tattoos. I wrote the previous statements before finding out she had the flu; I gained some respect in that she was able to do that well being that sick. Kudos to her for being strong enough to push through that. She always sings out of key, though, so she can't blame that on being sick. Just sayin'.
    
11. Matt ["So Small" by Carrie Underwood]--I love that song and I REALLY love what he did with it. He sounded amazing (both voice and piano playing) and I really felt his emotion. I've been thinking the Michael Buble resemblance (that Simon mentioned) from the beginning--I should have mentioned it sooner. I loved his performance! Probably my fave of the night.
    

So my faves of tonight were Matt, Anoop and Kris. I think Michael or Megan might be in trouble (Michael more so than Megan) but they were all pretty good so who knows? I just hope that Matt, Anoop, Danny, Kris, Allison and Adam are safe. I feel like this is such a close competition already--woohoo! SO exciting! :)

AI Top 13

I meant to vote last night but I didn't, argh!  Jared got home from a Young Men's activity at church right when AI was ending and we started watching something else and I completely forgot to vote.  I thought, for the most part, they all BROUGHT IT last night!  I didn't know what the heck they would do with Michael Jackson night but this was probably the best over-all Top 12/13 week one ever!  Here are my critiques (as a side note, I always pause the DVR before the judges speak to write my notes before I hear what they have to say--yes, I know I'm an AI nerd):

1. Lil Rounds {The Way You Make Me Feel}--Good song for her; I really liked her rendition of it to make it more R&B; she's great up on the stage.
2. Scott MacIntyre {Keep the Faith}--I didn't know what the heck he would pick from MJ's repertoire but I think he chose a great song for his style and voice; I just love him on the piano; he doesn't have the strongest voice of the group but it's really pleasant and I like him!
3. Danny Gokey {PYT}--When Ryan announced the song, I was like "Uh oh, what the heck is he gonna do with that???"  I LOVED how he changed the beginning of the song and then how the rest of it was so fun and energetic and soulful!  I love his stage presence and his vocal were amazing!!  I watched it two times in a row.  I can't say enough about how much I like him.  I disagreed with Simon about the dancing--I liked it! :)
4. Michael Sarver {You're Not Alone}--Good song choice for his voice and he sang it well; I liked how he started it seated;  I agreed with Simon's comment "not the best singer but [he] sings with passion, heart and gives it 110%".
5. Jasmine Murray {I'll Be There}--NASALLY!!!  Blech.  It was "beauty pageanty" to me.  Simon hit the nail on the head when he said it was "robotic".
6. Kris Allen {Remember the Time}--He has a great pop voice; I loved the guitar for this song and the personality he showed.  Not the best song for showing off vocals but I really like it.  I agreed with Paula about him being "engaging" with the guitar.
7. Allison Iraheta {Give In To Me}--Not my favorite song but I liked her rock rendition of it; she has such a powerful voice and AMAZING stage presence for a 16-y.o.!
8. Anoop Desai {Beat It}--Didn't show off his voice and I know he has one; the song is near impossible to do and not come off as karaoke.  He's been trying too hard to come off as fun and hip but I just want to hear more of his voice.  Like Paula said, that song is "untouchable" by anyone other than MJ.
9. Jorge Nunez {Never Can Say Goodbye}--Didn't like the song and the arrangement was horrible; it came off as really cheezy to me; he can sing, though; I agreed with Kara that he wasn't "emotionally connected" to the song.  I think he'll make it through off of Hispanic votes.
10. Megan Corkrey {Rockin' Robin}--Once again, I abhor her body/hand movements; I thought it was a good song to match her voice and fun style but it definitely wasn't the best vocals.  And WTH was up with the "caa caa!" at the end?!  Crazy!
11. Adam Lambert {Black and White}--He looks and sings like a star already; very energetic and I liked his spin on it; GREAT vocals and range!
12. Matt Giraud {Human Nature}--I LOVE LOVE LOVE him on the piano; I really dug his version of the song and I love his riffing and falsetto!  Great performance!
13. Alexis Grace {Dirty Diana}--Love her power voice but her low notes aren't as good; I liked her version but there was something about it that I didn't like and I couldn't put my finger on it until Simon said she "over sung" it.  Bingo!

My faves, who I really hope make it to next week: Danny, Matt, Adam, Lil, Kris.
Who I hope will go home:  Jasmine and Megan (but I think Anoop might get sent home, even though I'd like to see what he does next week, as I really want to hear him SING).

BTW, I stayed home from Young Women's last night because I got another steroid injection in my neck yesterday morning--it went well, except for the fact that my blood pressure dropped pretty low in the recovery room after the injection (normal when procedures involve nerve stuff), which is a horrible feeling--nausea, dizzy, hot & cold at the same time, woozy--but it passed fairly quickly. The worst part was having to wait for over two hours for them to get to me. Glad I have another one over with, though!  Please pray that this one works better than the first two in my neck!

Wild Card Night

Well, America didn't get to vote but I still have my opinions on tonight's performances and choices. BTW, my DVR stopped recording the show before they announced the fate of the last four contestants. SUCKY! Oh well, I'm glad there are message boards to find out stuff, ha ha!

1. Jesse Langseth--The song should have worked really well for her voice and style but it just didn't; I couldn't even tell if, when she first started singing, she was in tune or not; I do like her voice, though.
2. Matt Giraud--I smiled from the first phrase on; THAT was what I wanted to see from him! I LOVE his voice and style; he might have added a few too many runs but I still loved it. Finally a performance I was really excited about, yay!
3. Megan Corkrey--Great song choice for her but she can't stay in tune for the life of her. And I can't STAND her body and arm movements. So weird! The last note was horrible. However, I do like that she's different and she's such a cute girl.
4. Von Smith--OK performance, not blown away; very shaky start. I still just do not like his style--sometimes when he sings, if I didn't know, I wouldn't be able to tell if it were a man or a woman singing. Kind of freaks me out.
5. Jasmine Murray--Much better than last time but I CANNOT stand her nasally, nasally, nasally upper register! Blech. I agreed with Randy that the song was too big for her.
6. Ricky Braddy--I thought he sang it well, it was fun, had good rifts and he has a nice range.
7. Tatiana Del Toro--My critique starts before she even sang. AAAAACK!!!! Can you say FAKE accent?! SO freaking annoying!! I think she would do anything and act any way to be famous and the "accent" was part of it. I think she saw how people embraced Jorge and she wanted a piece of that. After her performace, I cracked up laughing when Paula called her out on it. Her explanation was total crap! Total copy of what Jorge said! What a fake piece of crap she is. It's too bad someone like her has a good voice--completely wasted since, no matter how good she sings, people do no want to support someone like her. And I LOVE that Simon criticized her doing the same song over and over. Can you say "one trick pony"??? Ha ha ha! I'm glad this is the last time I'll have to rant about her. DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD! Bwahahahaha!!! :) :) :)
8. Anoop Desai--I really think he could have picked something that showed off his voice better (because I definitely think he can sing) but it was fun and I like how it showed off a different side of him and showed a lot of personality.

My picks:
Matt G. by a MILE, followed by Anoop. Then, I was torn between Jesse, Megan and Ricky only because I really did not want Von, Jasmine or (especially) Tatiana. I was leaning more toward Ricky than Jesse and Megan, though.

Actual Results: I can't believe they put Jasmine through; it was totally just because of her, as Simon said, "marketability". Oh well, she probably won't last long, anyway. Megan--I'm sure she got through because Simon thinks she's "current". She doesn't have the vocal ability to last very long, IMO. And, even though I didn't see it, I've read that both Anoop and Matt (thank goodness) made it. So now there's the TOP 13, instead of 12. Should have seen this one coming. I mostly wanted Matt and Anoop to make it so I'm happy with the results.

Who I'm most looking forward to seeing in the Top 13: Matt, Adam, Danny, Lil and Scott (because he just makes me smile). Can't wait for next week! :)

American Idol Top 36 week 3

For the record, once again, I did not vote tonight. But here are my opinions about each of tonight's singers:

1. Von Smith--I didn't care too much for the song but he did show great range in it; I thought it was a good performance but I don't really like his style, if that makes sense
2. Taylor Vaifanua--Really nice voice but kind of boring--I really wanted to like her, too, since she's from Utah. :)
3. Alex Wagner-Trugman--Cute nerd, ha ha. I couldn't stand all the extra stuff he was trying to do with his voice (all the growling, etc.) and I found his movements to be strange. I loved what Simon said about him being a hamster trying to be a tiger.
4. Arianna Afsar--Such a doll! I liked the emotion she showed but she should have picked a younger song. She has a nice voice but there were way too many off-key notes!
5. Ju'not Joyner--I like how he changed up the song and I liked his upper register--lots of flat notes, though.
6. Kristen McNamara--Great voice and range but her voice didn't match the song--it came off a tiny bit like a lounge singer.
7. Nataniel Marshall--This guy bugs the crap out of me and I thought his performance was uber CHEEZY!!! What was up with the disco arrangment?? I don't even like his voice that much.
8. Felicia Barton--Has a good voice but I felt like she kind of yelled most of it and didn't change the song enough so it was a bit like watching karaoke.
9. Scott MacIntyre--I loved the emotions he showed and his vocals were OK. I like watching him because he puts a smile on my face--he just has a bright spirit. But, for me, (even though I want to LOVE his vocals), his voice just isn't strong enough--it leaves me wanting just a bit more, KWIM?
10. Kendall Beard--I like her bubbliness and I can see her as a country artist, between the looks and the voice; she needs to move around the stage more and there were a few off notes.
11. Jorge Nunez--I have to admit that I didn't think I'd like this guy at all but I did. He stayed on pitch, has a nice voice and good stage presence. I thought it was sweet that he teared up during his post-performance interview.
12. Lil Rounds--Wow, great voice and amazing stage presence--she looked like a star already! I love her spunkiness, too.

I think Lil and Jorge should definitely move on. I'm torn on the third spot between Ju'not, Kristen, Scott, and Kendall. I may be leaning more toward Kristen on voice alone and Scott because of his "likeability". :) I'm not sure what they're doing tomorrow night--are the wild cards performing or are they doing an elimination? Either way, I can't wait to see!