Canadian Idol Fans Watching American Idol

[ross 1]

Thanks for telling me what happened with Amber and Slezak. I've seen mentions of it but I kind of forgot about it when I couldn't figure it out. Heh. That should be a fun interview, when she's eliminated.

I mean, she's just a contestant on a talent show, he's a respected journalist and TV critic, so just because he said that he didn't like her outfit, she's giving him crap on twitter? Oh, and she also retweeted somebody that was saying that Slezak was being a douche. Seriously? Taking yourself so seriously at 18 or whatever age she is, it's not pretty or appealing. I don't always agree with Slezak's sometimes dubious opinions, but I've never called him a douche. And he's given Amber credit much more than he's been criticizing her

I agree it wasn't smart of Amber to come back at Slezak like that. I wonder if she knew at first that he was Michael Slezak, respected journalist and TV critic, vs. just a guy on twitter? Either way, not a great idea. And disrespectful.

Having said that, he criticized what she wore, she didn't like being criticized, so she reacted. Rather than arrogance, it struck me more like, "You put me down? I'm gonna put you down." Very immature, yeah, but she's 18 and even if she weren't, no one likes to be criticized and people don't always act mature. People especially don't like being criticized on appearance. Whatever.

Yeah, I know Amber isn't a target of Slezak, so she overdid it. But some people have been targets. I never really liked it. Slezak (and Cantiello) can be mean. It's not unusual for performers and critics to have feuds because people don't like to be put down.

I never really thought of her as "sweet little Amber." I did see those out-takes a few weeks ago, of her number on the steps, with the smoke, and unless they cut out all her diva behavior and hissy fits, she seemed cheerful and easygoing, in dealing with the production problems. I've never seen anything on the show indicating she's full of herself or hateful. I'm not even defending her, here, because I'm not invested in her at all - I just don't see it.

 

[ross 1]

Michael Slezak's blog today about last night's show.

He asks, "who says" this season is dull (with such great performances from the girls)? Well, I say it's dull!

I want some decent guys in the competition. Is that a crime? We could be rid of a couple of these dull girls, plus we'd be rid of Lazaro if we'd ever had any amazing males.

Anyhow, we have to deal with what we've got. Though I kind of just wish people wouldn't fall in line with TPTB's schemes so easily. I wish there was more annoyance with what they've given us. I guess the annoyance is clear in the ratings.

So we've got these five girls. Two country, two r&b, one "Christian" (not a style of singing. I guess her style is pop). We don't even have a folk rocker, a soft rocker, a hard rocker, or even a Skylar type country singer. We have two classy country singers with beautiful voices who do a lot of ballads.

Haha, this reminds me of Zack Werner's interview with Vote For The Worst a few years ago. He said on Canadian idol they liked to pick a mix of singers and styles, but that American Idol will pick "the best r&b singer, the second best r&b singer, the third best r&b singer." Candice/Amber, Kree/Janelle kind of bear this out, this year.

I think Candice is pulling ahead, since she's showing some creativity in her choices (not a lot, but this year, anything is welcome), as well as singing better.

Mariah's critiques are crazy. How can you go on live TV and ramble like that? She goes off on a tangent and can't get back. lol

 

[ross 1]

Nigel thinks the judges this season have no chemistry (understatement!) though I have to say I kind of enjoy that. What's the fun of everyone getting along? lol Seriously, I kind of enjoy the tension. Maybe it beats the chemistry of "I am Simon Cowell and you two morons are lucky to have a job and will kiss my butt or else" - which is basically how I always saw Simon-Paula-Randy.

Anyhow Nigel seems to imply (or maybe he said) that the judges are why the ratings are low. Not "Songs of Bacharach-David" though. :|

Someone on MJs where I lurked yesterday (where I saw this Nigel stuff) made a good post about the lack of guys being the problem. I think that's true, and should be obvious to idol producers by now. And their families, and dentists. I mean. Guys are popular with Idol voters, and in the music business. Duh. So let's remove them. Especially any who might be hot or play an instrument. Did they expecty ratings to soar? Did I even need to write any of this?

Now...I don't set a store by lots of backbiting and gossip, so this kinda annoys me as well as intrigues me - Lazaro on the radio calling one of the remaining girls a mental case who is crazy-obsessive to win. I would guess he has an axe to grind against one of them, probably Angie, since he screwed up their duet and she may have gotten mad and reminded him he was lousing up her chances to win. IDK.

 

[missaddicted]

Nigel is nuts, the judges are not the reason the ratings are sinking. They may be part of the problem (who really wants to listen to Mariah ramble on and on for several minutes?), but they're definitely not the main problem.

Interesting about the lack of guys being part of the problem, I don't disagree. I get that they want to have a girl winner, but I'm sure they want good ratings more than they want a girl. I still think they should put the best people through regardless of gender and then let the audience choose. Isn't that such a crazy idea? I think it's quite reasonable! Anyway, they'll have their girl this year, maybe next years, they'll let some good guys through.

I was shocked they didn't use the save tonight. I'll be really pissed if it's still good to use next week (and Ryan purposely didn't say that it was the last night to use it tonight). There was uproar when they introduced the save during season 8, but at least, it had to be used before the top 5. Next week, it'll be the top 4, the audience should choose who they want at that point, not the judges. But of course, they just want to be able to use it on Amber, and I have no trouble believing that she'll actually be in trouble next week. Candice is the most consistent, Angie seems to have the most fans and the Kree fans will be voting even more next week due to her appearance in the bottom 2. And they can't give Amber the pimp spot again next week. I'm sure Jimmy sees dollar signs when he looks at Amber's legs, but she just doesn't seem to be connecting with the voters as much as the other three who are left.

I say we just vote for the hot guitar player. He was (inexplicably) so into that Fantasia song tonight that I couldn't take my eyes off him when he was on camera. Yay hot guitar player!

 

[ross 1]

Interesting about the lack of guys being part of the problem, I don't disagree. I get that they want to have a girl winner, but I'm sure they want good ratings more than they want a girl. I still think they should put the best people through regardless of gender and then let the audience choose. Isn't that such a crazy idea? I think it's quite reasonable! Anyway, they'll have their girl this year, maybe next years, they'll let some good guys through.

I wonder how many years this show really has left? It's not a ratings winner this year, sponsors might start pulling out. Anyway, it can't keep going on forever.

I agree, about putting the best people through - in fact, I've come to the conclusion it would be a much better show and way more exciting if the manipulation were kept to a minimum all down the line. Even if the Top 10 turns out to be ten guys playing guitar - so be it. If they happen to have been the best ten people that year - it would work.

I've never agreed with "let's choose 10 guys and 10 girls and then narrow it down to 5 guys and 5 girls." I don't really understand separating talent into genders. One of the best seasons of Canadian Idol - the last - had I think 7 guys and 3 girls in the Top 10, and ended up with 5 guys in the Top 5. But it was not like this season Of A.I. where you end up with 5 girls in the Top 5 and they got there only by manipulating everything to make it happen. Not trying to suggest C.I. was never manipulated, but A.I. is on a whole other level.

I was shocked they didn't use the save tonight. I'll be really pissed if it's still good to use next week (and Ryan purposely didn't say that it was the last night to use it tonight). There was uproar when they introduced the save during season 8, but at least, it had to be used before the top 5. Next week, it'll be the top 4, the audience should choose who they want at that point, not the judges. But of course, they just want to be able to use it on Amber, and I have no trouble believing that she'll actually be in trouble next week.

missaddicted - I'm impressed by how well you know the show, and your analyses. I was surprised Janelle wasn't saved, maybe not shocked. For one thing, she was bussed. (It seemed like definite bussing because she wasn't any worse than usual.) Why bus her Wednesday to save her Thursday?

Still, I figured she would be saved. But in hindsight, I can see why not. If, as it seems, they want someone other than her to win, why keep her around? She could steal the other person's votes, and end up ahead of them.

If a guy was still there, I could see saving her, to stop the guy, since they don't want a guy - but they have no guys, so why not just let the girl go that they don't want anyway? Now they have four they probably like more than her. Or so goes my thinking.

I would also be annoyed if they pulled out the save, at this point. Annoyed, but not surprised.

I'm sure Jimmy sees dollar signs when he looks at Amber's legs, but she just doesn't seem to be connecting with the voters as much as the other three who are left.

True enough - she doesn't. Though I think he hears her voice as well as seeing her legs. She's too young, makes bad song choices, has an attitude on Twitter, doesn't know who she is as an artist - but has a voice for radio or records - that will only improve into her 20's - she has more personality than the others, and she's cute. She's much more "the whole package" than the rest.

Plus the "Idol winner" smile. Never underestimate the smile. They all have had it.

I don't know if she can win (and I don't care, I have no horse in the race), but if giving more bad or meh performances than good ones is no longer a problem (and it hasn't been, from S9, onward - sadly) then I guess she has a chance.

I doubt Jimmy wants to be stuck with a winner in the Christian genre (a first). As for the other two, I don't know what he wants.

Part Deux:

I say we just vote for the hot guitar player. He was (inexplicably) so into that Fantasia song tonight that I couldn't take my eyes off him when he was on camera. Yay hot guitar player

I haven't seen any results shows this season. Which is kinda funny, but I have to work Thursday nights and haven't got a recording device any more, so I've missed 'em all. I guess that means I'll also miss David Cook, since I hear he will be performing. I assume, his new single. Do you like it? (I haven't heard it.) Is the guitar player the one some people think looks like Kris?

It's weird how so many contestants are on twitter, letting it all out, more than we have seen, like, ever. Now Nick Boddington dissed Lazaro's interview with Slezak as disrespectful. And of course what's-his-name (the gospel-y guy who went out at #10) dissed Lazaro, when Laz was still on the show, asking "Why am I home?" - and Angie re-tweeted someone's comment that Burnell should have stayed rather than Lazaro. At my age (or maybe, any age) it all seems very high school. But it's sort of refreshing in limited doses. Since it's what people are thinking anyway.

Lazaro is such a loose cannon, he is like a publicity genius. It doesn't matter if the publicity is bad. He's still around, getting attention, when people have already forgotten the other guys. He's not relinquishing the spotlight without a fight. Not that this surprises me, because with his crying and flashy outfits he's been an attention junky since day one.

 

[missaddicted]

You're right about Janelle, it actually would have been a bit weird if she had been saved. I guess I was more shocked that Ryan didn't say "last time to use the save!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!". I mean, they can't really expect to use it next week and that it'll all be okay? At top 4? Not okay. And if they don't use it at all, well, it comes back to that pesky problem of the finale being a week too late for the number of contestants left. Seriously, who thought of the scheduling and the organization of this season, an 8 year-old kid?

Oh and I agree as well about season 6 of CI. They put the best people through the top 24, even if there were more guys than girls, and it ended up being a great season. I still remember it fondly. I'd say maybe Amberly was cut a bit too early at the top 6, but at the same time, the top 5 performance show with the 5 guys is still to this day my favorite episode of Idol ever.

And yes, David will be performing on Idol on May 2nd. He has a new single coming out on April 30. The snippet I heard from Amazon had a really bad sound quality, so I'll reserve judgement to when I hear the full song. I just hope it does better than the single he released last year and performed on Idol too, which just wasn't a great song at all in my opinion.

 

[ross 1]

And yes, David will be performing on Idol on May 2nd. He has a new single coming out on April 30. The snippet I heard from Amazon had a really bad sound quality, so I'll reserve judgement to when I hear the full song. I just hope it does better than the single he released last year and performed on Idol too, which just wasn't a great song at all in my opinion.

Have all the former contestants been getting a filmed intro segment on results night - like the ones for Colton and Jessica? (I managed to catch these when I was on my break, at work. Kinda overblown. A tad.) Just asking because I'm wondering if Cook will get one. After all, he's a winner (and Colton and Jessica are not - believe it or not!)

I was just looking at MJs. Kris covered Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" (a song MJ says she loves) last night in Chicago, and she said it was an "A+ cover." I can't listen to it right now. Kris is doing a great job on this tour. He's playing guitar again (or ukelele) on every song. Cale is off for a while, the new guy on guitar is Jake, he seems cool - but maybe he's so new, Kris needs to play this much. Being the only guitar player in the band who really knows the music inside out. I really don't know. Maybe he just wants to.

You're right about Janelle, it actually would have been a bit weird if she had been saved. I guess I was more shocked that Ryan didn't say "last time to use the save!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!". I mean, they can't really expect to use it next week and that it'll all be okay? At top 4? Not okay. And if they don't use it at all, well, it comes back to that pesky problem of the finale being a week too late for the number of contestants left. Seriously, who thought of the scheduling and the organization of this season, an 8 year-old kid?

Ryan should have said that. Why didn't he?? Are they really thinking people will forget? I'm getting annoyed in advance. Grr.

Old article about the judges' save.

When one is saved, two have to go home the following week. If they used the save at Top 4, this would give us two Top 4 weeks, followed directly by Top 2. I don't think the show wants to get rid of Top 3 night.

Did you hear about the "Idol surprise" people were speculating about for a while? Turns out the finalists (I'm not sure how many) have already been working on their albums, writing songs, and recording, so that their albums will be released, not after the tour, but after the finale. Not sure how soon after the finale. And they'll be performing some of the album songs on tour. Ditto with singles, I guess.

I'm wondering it this could be what the extra week is all about. Is it possible there could be a week where the contestants just sing to showcase some of these songs, and there's no voting?

 

[missaddicted]

Yeah, most of the other former Idol contestants that performed on the results show were treated to the overblown intro segments. Except Fantasia last week. For some reason, they focused on another girl from that season who is friends with Fantasia. It was kind of weird.

I'm also annoyed in advance for the results show next week (or well, this week).

I heard about the "Idol surprise". It's cool for the contestants, and I understand TPTB wanting to get the most of the end of the season/beginning of tour promotion, but seriously, will these songs/albums have some quality to them? I expect them to be even more generic than the Idol debut albums usually are. Maybe you're right about the extra week, but honestly, if they do that, it probably wasn't planned that way from the beginning. My understanding is that the F2 "coronation" songs will be chosen from songs that the F2 will have recorded during the season.

About the save, yeah, it was the tradition for them to get rid of two people the following week, but they didn't do it last year, probably because there was this guy (Jermaine?) who was disqualified because of his criminal record or something like that. I believe that's what would happen this season as well if the save is used. If they get rid of two people the next week, they still have the same problem with the number of weeks left until the finale!

 

[ross 1]

Interesting points.

I think I was just saying that the original rules involved cutting off the judges' save at Top 5 for obvious reasons - because the original rules included eliminating two contestants the following week, and that would eliminate Top 3 night, and hometown visits.

However, last season (I think) they had hometown visits for the Top 4. So maybe they would also do that this year, and having a Top 3 would not really matter as much.

But that still leaves an extra week. I guess we'll just have to see how it plays out.

I heard about the "Idol surprise". It's cool for the contestants, and I understand TPTB wanting to get the most of the end of the season/beginning of tour promotion, but seriously, will these songs/albums have some quality to them? I expect them to be even more generic than the Idol debut albums usually are.

I think since Interscope took over, it's different. With Scotty, they just wrote or bought some songs and had him choose the ones he liked. His parents helped him. His single was a song in the country vein that wasn't written by country songwriters. It's not especially authentic. I guess P2's is more authentic but I still think Interscope feels - just put out anything, fast, and market it so well, that nobody notices or cares.

 

[missaddicted]

At least with Interscope, they actually promote their artists (well, not all of them, Haley Reinhart didn't really receive any for her more than respectable debut). P2's songs are actually playing on the top 40 radio stations, not only Home, but Gone, Gone, Gone too. They don't usually play any mysic from Idol alums except Kelly and Adam.

Maybe Amber has the voice and the looks to be current, but oh my gawd, her song choices for this week!!!!!!!!!!! Terrible. Even if she was a contestant I liked, I would be appalled at her song choices, it's like she's asking to be eliminated. But of course, the judges will be on their feet no matter what. On the whole, their "one-hit wonder" choices don't make any sense (well, we don't know Kree's choice yet).

American Idol 12 Top 4 Song Spoilers | American Idol, American Idol 12 | mjsbigblog

This is something I'm VERY relieved to read though: American Idol: Judges’ Save Expired: ‘Contingency’ Plan Will Extend Season 12 - TVLine. The save is done! Though it is funny that Slezak's source says that a contingency plan was there all along if the save wasn't used and then says that they have no clue what the producers are planning. Uncle Nigel probably has no clue either. This season is seriously messed up.

 

[ross 1]

So no one went home tonight, and next week they intend to send home the person who got the lowest votes this week and next week. That actually goes against the usual rules, that the person who got the lowest votes that one week should go home.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think it's fair to change the rules in the middle of the game. Does it matter? Well, someone who got the lowest number of votes this week, who normally would have been out of the competition, can go on to win if she happens to be a high vote getter next week. And someone who was not in last place tonight - let's say someone who was second-to-last - can end up going home next week if she has very low vote totals.

Maybe it's also just me, but eliminating no one this week just seems like a judges' save without calling it that. No one went home - isn't that the same thing that happens with the judges' save? Suppose the producers didn't want to send home the girl who was the lowest vote getter tonight. Well, she wasn't sent home. So it worked out. Now suppose they did want to send that particular girl home? They just could have waited until next week to "use" the "no one goes home tonight" twist. And had two Top 3 nights instead of two Top 4 nights.

 

[missaddicted]

I didn't think it was possible, but this season is getting more and more pathetic by the day. I agree with absolutely everything you said. And after last night's disastrous judging, the blatant lie that the producers asked Ryan to say to explain the "extra week" is just the final nail in the coffin of this absurd season. Of course, I didn't expect Ryan to admit that TPTB hadn't planned the season appropriately, but that's exactly what happened. They've never extended the season since they introduced the save! They were eliminating 2 people the next week! And last year, someone was disqualified, which explained why only one contestant was eliminated the following week. I hope someone calls them out on it in an interview or something, it's just ridiculous. I would be pissed (if I was a casual fan and didn't know they had that extra week problem) if I had spent a lot of time voting last night.

Oh! Here's a longer version of David's new song (and a nice interview): 'American Idol' Winner David Cook Unveils a 'New Chapter' (Exclusive Audio)

I love it! Less generic rock and more catchy pop hooks! Right up in my alley!

 

[Elder]

I do not think I will continue to watch American Idol in the future. Pathetic is a very good word choice to describe AI these days. It is so frustrating to view

truly the talented go by the wayside and the less talented singers making it to the top. This is seems to be repeated every year on AI. The awful truth is that most of them are not very talented. This not include Candace Amber Angie.

I have really come to enjoy The Voice. We don't have to go through three weeks of people who cannot sing or adequately perform.
The Voices' private screening process
shields us from the insanity of the painfully untalented.

Also we cannot bear to look at Nicki Minaj and her voice drives us mad. We have to be on the alert to fast-forward through her instantly. We do not want to see her and we do not want to hear her.
And Mariah up until this week sounded like she was on drugs. she could not form an opinion o
If her life depended on it. It's just not very well done.

The judges on the Voice are intelligent, articulate, professional performers who offer their teams valid, useful tips and opinions. They also have a lot of fun which means that we are entertained. Viewers that are not
entertained and enjoying themselves will Not continue watching. So American Idol better smarten up. Or maybe it's time for them to get off the air.

We are also weary of hearing Randy and his meaningless comments like "dawg" and "dat's wha A'm talkin bout" and " she's in it to win it!"
He doesn't have very much of interest to say and it isn't a recgnizable dialect for most viewers.

However Keith Urban has made it tolerable for us. He is excellent judge with sound, useful advice.

Jimmy the mentor is an enigma. He may know music brut he does not seem to know the English language well either.
How could he not know what "McArthur Park " is about? I knew what it was about in 1967, I was 17 years of age, when Richard Harrison. It's an allegorical song like most songs are. The words cannot be taken literally just like most songs.

This is my last year watching American Idol. I just can't take it anymore.

 

[missaddicted]

I agree with you Elder about The Voice, it's a much more enjoyable show than Idol these days. The chemistry between the coaches is awesome to watch. It's a little less about the contestants than Idol though, which is probably why none of the Voice winners have really been popular outside of the show, but as a show, it's vastly superior.

 

[Elder]

I agree with you Elder about The Voice, it's a much more enjoyable show than Idol these days. The chemistry between the coaches is awesome to watch. It's a little less about the contestants than Idol though, which is probably why none of the Voice winners have really been popular outside of the show, but as a show, it's vastly superior.

Hmmmm, I hadn't really pondered that before but you are quite right. We do not hear about former Voice contestants making it big in the music industry.
I looked it up over the Internet and you are quite correct I could not find anybody from the Voice who has made it but I may not have conducted
a thorough enough search.
Hubby just commented that the AI year long tour of the top contestants really helps to jump start their careers.

 

[ross 1]

I didn't think it was possible, but this season is getting more and more pathetic by the day. I agree with absolutely everything you said. And after last night's disastrous judging, the blatant lie that the producers asked Ryan to say to explain the "extra week" is just the final nail in the coffin of this absurd season. Of course, I didn't expect Ryan to admit that TPTB hadn't planned the season appropriately, but that's exactly what happened. They've never extended the season since they introduced the save! They were eliminating 2 people the next week! And last year, someone was disqualified, which explained why only one contestant was eliminated the following week. I hope someone calls them out on it in an interview or something, it's just ridiculous. I would be pissed (if I was a casual fan and didn't know they had that extra week problem) if I had spent a lot of time voting last night.

They always think the audience remembers nothing!

I'm not knollish most of the time, but I seriously wonder if this extra week was put in place as a contingency, a way to save a contestant after the save could no longer be used. Who knows? I wouldn't put it past them. And they did save someone last night. Intentionally or not. But does anyone really believe at this point that things like this are unintentional, on Idol?

Something else I wondered was: maybe they originally intended to have a "surprise" Top 11. I didn't get the point of the sing-off between the 6th-place boy and girl - so that one of them could go on tour. Not a sing-off for a slot in the finals, but a sing-off to go on tour. Nobody seemed to question this! Why would Idol want to pay for an extra person to go on tour? Pay them a salary, pay for travel, expenses, hotels? Somebody who hasn't even performed in the finals! Is Idol just giving the person this opportunity in order to be nice? What's in it for them?

I kinda wonder if they wanted a Top 11, but they didn't end up wanting one of the kids who came in 6th to be on the show. Maybe Charlie Askew. So to make sure he didn't make the finals, they changed it into a sing-off for a spot on the tour.

At least it would explain why they scheduled an extra week. I mean they wouldn't just have an extra week by mistake - because somebody read a calendar wrong? I don't believe it's just due to incompetence.

So these are two possible explanations. Maybe there are others I haven't thought of.

Guess I have some more to say - not about conspiracies but about last week's performance show - but it'll have to wait...

 

[Elder]

Didn't the producers make a last minute decision to add Carly Rae Jepson to the tour back in 2007?
It jump-started her career. Obviously someone in AI had a nose for true talent and took a chance on her.
Here it is 2013 and she is a Juno nominee rising star!!

 

[ross 1]

Didn't the producers make a last minute decision to add Carly Rae Jepson to the tour back in 2007?
It jump-started her career. Obviously someone in AI had a nose for true talent and took a chance on her.
Here it is 2013 and she is a Juno nominee rising star!!

I think you're right about being added to the tour - I know she did the tour, and I think maybe it was originally just going to be a Top 2 tour (Brian Melo, Jaydee Bixbee). She was on Canadian idol (she's from Mission, BC) and CI never had a big tour with all the finalists.

Carly also got lucky later when Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez were in Canada and heard Call Me Maybe, and tweeted their followers about it, as well as getting manager Scooter Braun interested - whose label is affiliated with Interscope, btw.

I was just looking at an old Slezak article - Season 12 Top 20 Results Recap - and someone commented:

"I’m wondering if they’re using a spot on the tour rather than a regular wild card slot because one of the two #6 contestants is Charlie, and they didn’t feel he could handle being part of the competition."

Or maybe they didn't want Aubrey (too much like Amber)! Ugh, must stop - this kind of thing makes me nuts.

Whatever the reason for the extra week, the result is that it served as a save for whoever was the bottom girl last week. Amber, or Candice? Guess we'll never know. I'm guessing Amber.

I never liked Candice until recently, when she's done some interesting things. Some good songs, interesting vocals. If anyone had told me she'd be the one to show musicality and versatility, I don't think I would have believed it. She's the one who's been growing on me the most, this season. Sometimes she reminds me (in personality) of Della Reese. I guess you'll have to look up Della Reese. lol

I like Amber's tone a lot better than Candice - in fact, the most, of the four. She's been singing all the wrong songs for her voice. Not to mention her personality and age. I get the impression Iovine sees her as a pop/r&b diva, though, if she must be plugged into pop, I think she's much more of a pop/r&b princess (a la Jordin). Though really she's neither. Which isn't bad - I think she's much more the type to sing an intimate song for a small audience. But there's no big money or success in that.

Jimmy Iovine may have been successful so far (with male Idol winners, any how - not as much with Lauren, Pia, Haley, or probably Jessica), but I think he's all about plugging contestants into established pop, country, or other molds, instead of bringing out what's unique about each artist. I guess it works when it's someone who can be plugged in.

He's also much better at promoting people who haven't got a lot of musical facets, but do one thing very well. And do that one thing without deviating from it, week after week, on Idol. Scotty, Phillip.

Kree seems like a nice kid but I have to say, if she wins, it will be Idol and Interscope's third year with a winner who never seemed to grow on the show or display any range or really, a lot of personality.

But Kree has some good qualities and she also has grown on me somewhat. Still, I hear so many off notes from her. Not the big notes but the notes leading up to the big notes. Like she feels she just needs to suggest, rather than hit, a note. Nobody's flawless on Idol, but a repeated thing like that begins to bug me and then I can't stop noticing it. I like her, though.

Angie is just my bete noir at this point. I don't know what it is. I don't like singers who just seem to be yelling the notes, because they want to show how big their voice is, so they can win a singing competition. I have to enjoy a singer.

I like how she said in one of the intros that she likes hardcore. I do too. Now most of those singers scream - literally - but I like it - so why don't I like it if she merely shouts? lol. I want to be fair, here. I think it's because she's not trying to be hardcore, she's singing pop music. She supposed to be interpreting covers.

I guess people liked Cry Me A River - the judges did - it sounded nothing like Julie London's original. I didn't like it. Though that was not the reason, the reasons was: Angie just murdered it. Wrestled the song to the ground and stomped on it till it cried uncle.

In fact I hardly recognized the melody. Julie London was famous for her "microphone voice", ironically. (And later, for acting on "Emergency!") She claimed she only had a "thimble full" of vocal talent, that she was not even really a singer, but rather, a "song stylist." She was also famous for her album covers, because she was gorgeous with an amazing body. But I digress. It's odd that Angie chose a song by such a subtle singer, and then proceeded to murder it with her "powerful" vocals.

 

[missaddicted]

Wow, ross! What a post!

I agree with you about Candice, she's also the one who's grown on me the most this season. I wouldn't buy her music, but I applaud that she's taken risks on the show and wasn't always predictable (these last few weeks, she's actually rarely been predictable). The "judges" and Jimmy's critiques about her didn't make any sense to me last week.

Kree still has my favorite tone of all the girls, but I agree that she's predictable and not super exciting. I guess that's the way she is though, she probably would never make "exciting" music. There's just something so likable about her that it was very painful to see the "judges" and Jimmy drive a bus over her last week. I believe I have a pretty good ear as well and I can't say I've heard the bad notes you're talking about, I think it's just her tone that's like that.

Amber. Almost better if I don't say anything. I can't stand her. Partly because of her own attitude and song choices and partly because of the whole "Make Amber Happen" program that going on. I do believe she was on the bottom last week. If it had been Candice, she would have been eliminated and they would have used that extra week at some other point. In my opinion, there's no way she makes it to the finale, she's just not "happening". And if the "judges" are as heavy handed as they were last week, she'll just go home next week. People don't like to be told who to like on Idol, not to that extent anyway. It was so evident last week that she was given a pass on some things, while Kree and Candice (both very superior singers in my opinion) were not. I mean, she's the most predictable of them all, in my opinion, and she makes the most old-fashioned song choices, you can't call her current and not raise some eyebrows! There's a lot of resentment towards her that I don't really see going away next week. It's not entirely her fault, but it's the way it is.

In any case, I believe Angie has this in the bag. She's never been in the bottom, she wants to win really really really bad, and she's pretty consistent. She's not my cup of tea, but I like her tone sometimes, and she mostly knows who she is as an artist. And she fits the "pretty, slim and young girl" meme that they're trying to push on us almost as well as Amber, though she's not trying to as hard as Amber to be "hot".

Anyway, this was a terrible season on almost all counts and if they keep these same "judges" next year, I probably won't watch. Last week, I even started disliking Keith Urban, which I didn't think was possible, since he has that good guy vibe going for him.

 

[Elder]

Wow, ross! What a post!

I agree with you about Candice, she's also the one who's grown on me the most this season. I wouldn't buy her music, but I applaud that she's taken risks on the show and wasn't always predictable (these last few weeks, she's actually rarely been predictable). The "judges" and Jimmy's critiques about her didn't make any sense to me last week.

Kree still has my favorite tone of all the girls, but I agree that she's predictable and not super exciting. I guess that's the way she is though, she probably would never make "exciting" music. There's just something so likable about her that it was very painful to see the "judges" and Jimmy drive a bus over her last week. I believe I have a pretty good ear as well and I can't say I've heard the bad notes you're talking about, I think it's just her tone that's like that.

Amber. Almost better if I don't say anything. I can't stand her. Partly because of her own attitude and song choices and partly because of the whole "Make Amber Happen" program that going on. I do believe she was on the bottom last week. If it had been Candice, she would have been eliminated and they would have used that extra week at some other point. In my opinion, there's no way she makes it to the finale, she's just not "happening". And if the "judges" are as heavy handed as they were last week, she'll just go home next week. People don't like to be told who to like on Idol, not to that extent anyway. It was so evident last week that she was given a pass on some things, while Kree and Candice (both very superior singers in my opinion) were not. I mean, she's the most predictable of them all, in my opinion, and she makes the most old-fashioned song choices, you can't call her current and not raise some eyebrows! There's a lot of resentment towards her that I don't really see going away next week. It's not entirely her fault, but it's the way it is.

In any case, I believe Angie has this in the bag. She's never been in the bottom, she wants to win really really really bad, and she's pretty consistent. She's not my cup of tea, but I like her tone sometimes, and she mostly knows who she is as an artist. And she fits the "pretty, slim and young girl" meme that they're trying to push on us almost as well as Amber, though she's not trying to as hard as Amber to be "hot".

Anyway, this was a terrible season on almost all counts and if they keep these same "judges" next year, I probably won't watch. Last week, I even started disliking Keith Urban, which I didn't think was possible, since he has that good guy vibe going for him.

Yr comment re Angie resonates. I told hubby i do not know why but she makes so uncomfortable. I don't know her. Maybe it is the too white toothy cheerleader persona or the too perfect performances. She strikes me as talented beauty queen-type with layers of make-up hiding the emptiness inside. This emptiness comes thru her music si it does does nothing for me.
I imagine her coming out of a heavy metal concert praising Jesus. It is too eerie.

Have to go with Candace's rich tones and convincing delivery; she gives me good goosebumps. Having said that Amber is such a sweetie and has so much potential that I am torn 'tween the two. The problem is that bible thumping middle America will make sure Angie wins for she is white Christian unless others americans stand up for Candace or Amber. At least that is how it has gone before and the major reason i developed a distaste for AI.