Last night's "Idol Gives Back"

Well, last night was something else. It was American Idol full of telethon-style goodness and schmaltzy "inspirational" songs. And without Sanjaya... it was boring. Really boring! Out of all the performances last night, Jordin Sparks was the only one who really grabbed my attention. What a great performance - it gave me chills!! Melinda was decent, but whoever told her she should wear a big clunky necklace ought to be fired - it draws attention to her short neck. She needs to find ways to look more long and lean! I was also really disappointed in Lakisha's performance - singing Fantasia's winning song seemed indulgent, not to mention that she screamed through most of the song. Tonight doesn't look good for her...

Not long til the elimination...

So who will it be? I guess the best way to figure this one out is to start with who it won't be:

Jordin Sparks - That girl can sing her butt off - wow, I'm channeling Paula. She must be good.
Melinda Doolittle - I really thought she'd have trouble this week, but instead she surprised me. Great job.

Now, who's in the "Maybe yes, maybe no" category?

Blake Lewis - He's been great until now, but honestly that was a pitchy performance. I was not impressed.
Phil Stacey - An amazing performance, but after so many lackluster weeks, will it be enough? Hard to say - depends on how long the memory of the audience really is.

And finally - the DANGER ZONE!

Lakisha Jones - Yipes, shouty, cold and lately her tag line at the end is becoming predictable and oh-so boring. She just doesn't take advice or direction well, and it's beginning to hurt her - singing a Carrie Underwood song was a very bad idea.
Sanjaya Malakar - I love my papaya but this was a darned bad week. It remains to be seen if his charisma can carry the day - whatever happens I'll be pulling for the underdog (as usual.)
Chris Richardson - Nasally (which in country can be forgivable) but snapping back at Simon over it might have been a mistake. The song actually started decent for me, then got progressively worse. Hard to say for sure.

All that said, who do I think will go? After a bottom three of Sanjaya, Lakisha and Chris, I think Lakisha will be the surprise vote out (remember, we haven't had our "shocker" episode yet!) My second choice "shocker" would be Sanjaya - with so many people pulling for him, and in the technically weakest position, his vote out might also be a surprise.

We'll see tonight how it goes. Get that popcorn out!

Latin heat on American Idol

I was really surprised by the performances this week, and not necessarily in a GOOD way. Some random thoughts on what is sure to become an infamous week...

Melinda Doolittle - well of COURSE she sounded good. The biggest shock here was her dress - for once I really liked it. Fit well, flattered her, and made her look like what she is - a star. Well done to whomever got her ready this week!

Lakisha Jones - Uh oh, kiki... that was not a good performance for you. We won't even discuss the dress, except to say that if you're going to be turning your back to the camera frequently, you should probably take a good look in the mirror from that direction. Being almost your size, this is just friendly advice from one 'lady of size' to another. Voice was ok, but honestly? Not in love with the song choice. My worry is that she will get eliminated since her fans may not have come out in record numbers for this week - which would be a shame since she is so talented.

Chris Richardson - sorry folks but I really liked him AGAIN this week! Could he be our dark horse for the final three?

Sanjaya Malakar - OK, now I'm sure of it - he's been orchestrating this whole persona all along just to get the votes - and it worked! He sounded great and honestly I think he is in no danger this week - the tween girls will go nuts for what was one of the better performances of the night. As Randy said - he's one of the smartest contestants they've ever had.

Haley Scarnato - man, oh man, I wish she was going to be out this week, but i have a feeling bottom two may just be her and Lakisha, with Lakisha going home. Please, PLEASE let me be wrong on this one.

Phil Stacey - Another not-so-good performance. I had to look it up just to remember it, which is not good... either he or Haley could be voted off and i'd be happy. However I think this will be the 'shocker' week.

Blake Lewis - Good performance, plenty of latin heat. I think he'll be here for a few weeks yet. And that Marc Antony song, which normally annoys the heck out of me, actually sounded good coming from him!

Jordin Sparks - perky, bright and charming. Good sound, great personality. My concern? Her fans may be so sure she's safe, they may not vote enough. Another possible 'shocker' removal in the next two weeks, but let's hope not.

American Idol - Wednesday the 21st and the "British Invasion"

Wow - that's all I can say. Wow! This week it felt like everyone raised their game. I'm beginning to wonder how much of that has to do with the celebrity coaching sessions - Lulu and Peter really seemed to take time with the contestants and CARE, as artists, about how they did. I found myself nodding my head a LOT to their feedback - and wow, what a difference it made to the contestants! Here are my impressions, take them or leave them :)

Melinda Doolittle: Sang "As Long as He Needs Me" from Oliver
Well, it was a good performance - quite good - but I didn't get the chills. That's a standing joke around my house, by the way... if someone gives me physical chills during the performance, they're not leaving. I've never missed yet! Although NOT having them doesn't mean you will go home - it's just that a really powerful performance give me goosebumps. Anyway, if I was grading, solid A-.

Phil Stacey: Sang "Tobacco Road"
How do I say this? It isn't very nice, and i know it but... how can I get into this song when I'm obsessing over your outfit - again? Every week an oxford shirt and pants, nothing star quality or special - just some guy singing. And even though I thought he sang it well... well... it was forgettable. I hope they get a stylist to work with him. Soon!

Blake Lewis: Sang "The Season for Loving"
I just loved the vocal - seriously. Even the beat box was GREAT! However, the Michael Jackson dancing got more than a bit distracting - but maybe that's my age showing. Overall one of my favorites tonight.

Lakisha Jones: Sang "Diamonds are Forever"
Well, at least she got to wear diamonds. Great voice, but I really have never been a fan of the song - feel like I should be seeing a bunch of half clad girls prancing around and waiting for the movie to start. No chills here, either, but a solid performance.

Jordin Sparks: Sang "I, who have nothing"
Holy smokes. When the season started I wrote her off as a Diana DeGarmo clone.
I. Was. Wrong! This girl is amazing and I will be absolutely shocked if she doesn't make final three - and maybe top two! The emotion, the perfect phrasing and pitch, this young lady has it all. Oh - and I got chills :)

Sanjaya Malakar: Sang "Girl, you really got me"
Wow, talk about a guy who inspires extreme emotions! You either love him, or you hate him. I have supported him from day one but not because of his voice - because with that charisma he could make a recording studio some very respectable moolah! I'd be willing to bet there are a lot of tween girls tonight dialing until their fingers bleed - enough that he will sail through to the top ten. Great song choice as it didn't depend on perfect vocals to carry the performance (and he was fun to watch!) Maybe he read my advice from earlier?

Chris Richardson: Sang "Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying"
Nice. Sweet, tender and lovely arrangement. On the other hand that nasal country 'twang' got in there and made my teeth ache in some of the high bits, and I'm not really sold on his outfit either. I think he's safe, but then again, who really knows at this point?

Haley Scarnato: Sang "Tell him"
Oh, Haley, sweetie. You poor thing. I think she's going to have a tough time sticking around for another week, I really do (but she seems so sweet I hope she does.) Pitchy doesn't adequately describe the performance. Charisma? I don't know, but she sure does show more skin each week, so I suppose she has a good idea of who's voting for her. But if you close your eyes, the song really really grates - I just don't think it was her best performance.

Chris Sligh: Sang "She’s Not There"
Good. I started getting distracted wondering why he didn't put down the microphone stand towards the end, just carrying it in one hand and the microphone in the other. My guess? Still new to the stage, and he forgot - it's funny how when you're that focused on getting the notes right you can totally forget where your hands are or what they're doing. Solid performance, but I'm not sure how much further the 'Fro Patrol' will take him. I'd say he has three more weeks for sure.

Gina Glocksen: Sang "Paint It Black"
You know, a lot of folks are dissing on her for this performance, but the fact is I thought it was pretty good! She had a couple bobbles on the low notes (I hate it when my voice cracks at the bottom of my range, so I'm really probably over-sensitive about it in others) and those bobbles showed up when she started 'forcing' her voice. Probably nerves. Still it was pretty good and despite what anyone else thinks I think she'll stick it out a couple more weeks at least. Why? Because she's got personality and she's memorable (are you listening, Phil Stacy?)

Stephanie Edwards: Sang "You don’t Have to Say You Love Me"
If I had to guess who would be voted out this week, it'd be her. Two lackluster performances in a row at this stage in the competition will almost always take it's toll. I kept yelling 'Tempo, tempo!' at the television as she dragged the beat throughout the whole song. (Ballad does NOT always equal SLOW!) and it was just - it felt mechanical to me. I like her, I like her voice, but I just think that she's about at the end of the road.

So to sum up - I'm guessing either Stephanie Edwards or Haley Scarnato will be voted off this week. But I was very pleasantly surprised by the overall quality of the performances, almost everyone made improvements this week.