Congratulations Kris!

OK, so I have not been the best about updating my American Idol posts. I'm just not into it as much this year. I have loved the competition, but I am not feeling the need to critique like I did last year. So yes, this post is WAY delayed. And maybe it's my last American Idol post. I probably won't do this next year.

So Kris won American Idol over Adam. It was an upset, but I'm pretty happy with it. I think Adam is awesome but his doors are opened much wider to do what he wants to do without having to stick with the American Idol contract. Now he can go on to do the theatre stuff he loves, or whatever else he wants to do. And I really like Kris. I think he's an all-around good guy who is also a great artist. I'm thrilled for him.

Well, that's all I got. I'm out!

Goodbye Danny

This week on American Idol we said goodbye to Danny. I was happy. I really wanted Chris to get through to the finals. Danny was great, but I just liked Chris' personality better. The results this week made me happy!

Goodbye Matt

This week we said goodbye to Matt on American Idol. I knew it was coming, but it still made me sad. He was my favorite. I thought he had a really cool voice and he was amazing at the piano, too (I'm a sucker for good piano). He sang "My Funny Valentine" this week and I didn't love it. But that song was ruined for me, anyway, when I had to sing it opera-style for my voice teacher my freshman year in college. Ugh. Ever since then I have hated that song... so I knew I wasn't going to love it no matter how well he sang it!

Goodbye Anoop and Lil

America got it absolutely right this week. I am thrilled Matt didn't go home, after they saved him last week. He is probably my favorite, though I know he won't win. I just think his voice is so cool, and behind the piano he is amazing. I voted for the first time this week (for him), just to help him stick around one more week! It was much easier to vote with our new AT&T wireless text message option.

Anyway, I liked Anoop and he has a really beautiful voice, but I really didn't like his song this week. It was weird for me (hey, I sound like Randy!). And against the other remaining contestants he just wasn't as strong.

I have been waiting for Lil Rounds to go for awhile now. She has a great voice but she had no originality (OK, now I'm Simon!). And I don't know.... I just didn't like her personality much, either. She just seemed to have a chip on her shoulder.

This is how I hope the rest of the eliminations go: Allison, then Matt, then Danny, then Chris, and Adam wins. I know everyone says it's going to come down to Danny and Adam, and they're probably right. But I think Chris is more original.

I think it will go: Matt, Allison, Chris, Danny, and Adam wins.

We shall see!

Goodbye Scott

So this week we said goodbye to Scott on American Idol. Let me just start by saying I have been ready for him to go for weeks now. I thought he was an incredible inspiration and a great musical talent, but I never loved his voice. It was definitely time for him to go.

However, after the way they treated him in the "sing for your life" portion of the competition, mulling over whether or not to keep him around... hemming and hawing about it... keeping him hanging for the longest time.... After all that I was so upset I wanted him to stick around another week. That was just wrong, to dangle that carrot and then yank it away the way they did. Have I mentioned before that I hate this new part of the competition? The idea isn't bad, but the way they are handling it is cruel.

Goodbye Megan

It was time. I really liked Megan in the beginning but then I got frustrated with her because she didn't seem to be going anywhere. It also got to the point where I felt like she was always forcing her voice, when on her "behind the scenes" footage I would hear this beautiful, effortless tone in her upper register that she wasn't using on stage. I found her last moments on the show tonight awkward, but I think she knew she was going home and was just trying to get through it the best way she knew how.

Goodbye Michael

This week on American Idol we said goodbye to Michael. I wasn't surprised. I thought he had a good voice and he was really likeable, but I didn't see him as a star.

Let me just rant a little bit here: I am getting very tired of the judges playing around and taking time away from the actual show. There have been numerous times where they have to rush a contestants' feedback because they are running out of time (due to their not-so-amusing banter)... and my DVR cut off Michael's final moments this week. Come on.... The show is about the contestants, not about Paula and Simon flirting shamelessly with each other. And this "sing for your life" stuff is really getting to me, too.

Goodbye Alexis

I am very sad today. I really liked Alexis. I actually thought she could be my favorite. I didn't love her performance this week but she definitely had one of the most unique voices in the competition and I wanted her to at least get far enough to go on tour! Big bummer. I was crossing my fingers the judges would use their save on her but I wasn't holding my breath.... It's early in the competition and her "sing for your life" moment (ugh, I hate that new addition to the competition) wasn't great... probably because she was trying too hard and was super emotional! Ugh, anyway. I am sad. I really liked her a lot. I guess I have to work on finding a new favorite!

American Idol Time!

It's time for my American Idol elimination reactions! I know I am late with my first one. I think this season that's just the way it's going to be sometimes. I feel like I have no control over my spare time (or lack thereof) these days. ANYWAY....

Let me just start off by saying I don't have a strong favorite yet this season. Usually by this point I have my favorite picked out, and usually I am really good at predicting the winner. This season I'm not 100% sure yet on my favorite, but I do have a select few I'm looking at. Jasmine and Jorge were not in that group.

Honestly, I was surprised Jasmine made the top 13. I have never been that impressed with her voice, and I feel like she got through because she was "commercial." So I was not surprised by her elimination. I thought Jorge might stick around a little longer just because he was loveable. But, again, I wasn't blown away by his voice so I'm OK with the decision.

Mini rant: I hate how they are handling the new rule where the judges can give one "second chance" sometime within the season. I think the rule itself is a decent idea, but I don't like the way they are working with it. They used to announce who was going home and then have them sing a final goodbye. Now they announce who had the lowest number of votes, that person sings, and then the judges announce whether or not they will use their one "second chance" on them. It's like the contestants have to sing for their lives, and then they just get the boot after that... like they keep the contestant hanging onto a string of hope and then say, "Nah, we're not going to waste our veto on you." It's cold!

Anyway, I don't have anything really profound to say about these two. It's time to weed out the weak links and I think this week just got the ball rolling. I will say, though, that there are some really good singers on this season. Maybe that's what makes my pick for "favorite" so difficult. Or I'm just bitter because one of my favorites from early on didn't make it through to the top 36 (Jamar Rogers). Don't get me started!

Congratulations, David Cook!

Well I am surprised, but pleasantly so! Of the 2 David's (Archuleta and Cook), I definitely liked David Cook better. Archuleta has an incredible voice, but as far as performers go... well, Cook blows him out of the water. While I think the best man won, I almost wish Archuleta had won instead, because I think he needs the contract more than David Cook does. I think Cook would have succeeded either way, but behind Archuleta's amazing vocals he's just a goofy kid with a lot of talent that maybe in 5 years could go somewhere. Right now he's just not marketable as a performer. I'm afraid without American Idol he won't go much of anywhere after this. That being said, maybe that's a good thing. If he were to try to make it now and flop, it would be hard to make a comeback later. If he can stay out of the spotlight til he's matured a little as a performer maybe he could have a shot down the road. Who knows?

Am I making any sense or am I just babbling? Forgive me. Anyway, until next year....

CW.... OUT!

Goodbye Syesha

This week we said goodbye to Syesha Mercado. It was time. I actually thought she should go a long time ago, but she did step up her game in the last few weeks and proved she deserved to be among the top. But I knew it was going to come down to the two David's for the finals.

It will be interesting to see how each of those extremely different artists perform the same song next week!! As you may remember, I am not a fan of that part of the competition but at least this year it could be interesting, because David Cook just may be capable of making a pop song his own to rock it out his own way (if they let him)!

Goodbye Jason

This week we said goodbye to Jason Castro. It was time. I thought he was adorable and interesting, but I got tired of the same old thing from him and at times he didn't seem to take things seriously enough.

I can't think of anything else to say about Jason. I'm a tad sleep deprived right now (more on that in a later post).

Goodbye Brooke

This week we said goodbye to Brooke White. I liked her, but I think her nerves got the best of her, especially when she was behind the piano. A few times when she played she was very weak on the piano and I was always surprised that the judges never called her out on it. I actually thought she was a lot like me that way. I would hear one little flub and from that moment on I would see her get more flustered and nervous, resulting in more and more mistakes. I think she is a great talent, but she isn't confident enough to play the piano on stage yet. I thought it worked for her style, but when her nerves took over she couldn't concentrate 100% on her vocals and by the end of the song she would lose me. But overall I was sad to see her go. I thought she was a sweetheart and had a lot of talent.

Goodbye Carly

This week America said goodbye to Carly Smithson. In the midst of our move this week our cable was shut off and I missed both the performances and the results show. I am very upset about it because I never miss an episode! So, anyway, I won't be able to comment on the performances this week (*grumble, grumble*) but I can comment on Carly overall.

I was surprised to see Carly go home so soon. In my opinion she was the best female singer in the competition, hands down. But she lacked a little of the "likeability factor" and I think Simon was right on when he said a few weeks back that she needed to work with the stylist more. Maybe that's what killed her. That and she always looked angry/serious when she sang. But I have no doubt she'll go on to perform in some capacity after this show.

Update 4/27/08: I just watched Carly's final performance on americanidol.com and I have to say it was nice to see another side to her. She sang very well (as usual) but you could tell she was also having fun and not quite so serious! She went out on a very good note. All the best to her!

Goodbye Kristy Lee

This week we said goodbye to Kristy Lee Cook. I have been waiting for this moment for awhile now. I think Kristy was a sweet girl and she had a good voice, but she didn't have star quality. She wasn't natural on stage. But I have to give her props for hanging in there and giving it her all when she knew she was on the chopping block every week.

Goodbye Michael

Sorry I'm late in this posting. I'm finally back to work after the flu bug took its toll on our house. Phew! We're still not at 100% but doing much better.

So last week we said goodbye to Michael Johns. I was totally shocked. I mean, I didn't think he'd win the thing but I thought he'd go further than this! I liked his voice and you have to agree he's a cutie, but he was a little awkward to watch for me. He didn't move well on stage so I always watched him with my brows furrowed and my head cocked. Though he did provide entertainment watching him try to master the simple "step touch" moves during the group number's choreography. Ha ha!

Goodbye Ramiele

I have been ready for Ramiele to go home for a few weeks now. That girl has amazing pipes but she has had trouble picking good song choices for her voice the whole time she's been on the big stage... and she lacked that "star quality" / stage presence. However, I give her mad props for singing her final song (after she was voted off) as well as she did. In the state she was in I couldn't have done it. She went out with style. Good for her. She seemed like a sweetheart and I'm sure she'll have fun on tour.

Goodbye Chikezie

So this week we said goodbye to Chikezie. I went back and forth on my opinion of him. Before he made the top 12 I was ready for him to go home. And then his first performance on the big stage blew me away. He completely surprised me and I thought I could start to like him. But this week I went back to being ready for him to go home. I was with Simon. The cheese factor in this week's performance made me gag a little. Very talented guy, just a little "shmoozy" for my taste on the ballads. He was a bit self-indulgent (the fact he went by only one name was a little much for me, too).

Goodbye Amanda

So this week Amanda was voted off American Idol. I was a little disappointed but not terribly surprised. I knew she wouldn't go all the way, I just wish she had gotten far enough to do the tour. I think she was what I call a "one trick pony." She was good at one thing, one style... but she wasn't versatile at all in that she couldn't pull off anything else. Watching her do the group numbers every week was a little painful.

But I thought she was a pretty cool chick. She really came out of her shell the past few weeks. Actually I think I liked her better before she did that, because she was really reserved and humble. The last few weeks she turned into more of a rock star. I'm sure she had to because, hey, she's a rocker... but I thought her calm, cool, collected side was endearing and that's what I liked most about her. Bummer, Amanda. I was pulling for you to tour. You were fun to watch and definitely deserved to tour more than some others that got through to the top 10.

It's that time of year again....

Time to start up my weekly American Idol results posts again, where I offer up my "professional" opinion of the Idol contestant voted off each week.

This week David Hernandez went home. I am disappointed. I agree that he didn't have one of the strongest performances this week but in the talent pool I think he had one of the most amazing voices and I wish he had been given another chance. Of course you have to wonder how much of America's decision had to do with his previous profession and all the recent publicity about that. Poor guy. He is a great talent and was one of my favorites from the start. I was very sad to see him go home so soon.