Dear Season 11

It has been a long time since I have written. Not out of enjoyment over the winner and runner-up last year (Love Scotty and Lauren)..I don't know why, really. I just haven't. Let's not dissect the reasons for my actions.

Let's talk some impressions from this seasons.

First of all, what is up with Steven Tyler? He is pulling a Paula Abdul and suddenly going from "You look nice and sounded great" comments 100% of the time to talking about intervals and calling out the one person he thinks deserves to go home. This is very refreshing to me! I can hear. I know if a contestant was off-key. They can hear. They will know it, too. Perhaps that is argument for just telling them good job, but I think it is more of an argument for being honest. Otherwise, why even have judges.

The top 24 week was the worst judging week ever. Everyone was "Great" according to the judges. It wasn't true! It was so frustrating. You can be nice AND be honest at the same time. Take notes from the judges from the Sing-Off. They manage to be polite while still giving honest feedback. I am just glad Randy dared tell a person or two it was less than stellar and Steven actually had the guts to give an honest answer this week.




Now, whose idea was it to have a bottom 6 this week?!?!?!?! You are putting half of your singers in the bottom? Why? I hope there is some good reason for this. Maybe to wake up complacent voters? You could have at least cut it down to a bottom four instead.

Top 13--I was pleased with the top 13. There was no one left in the 24 that I thought deserved to be there more than any of the 13, though I definitely wouldn't have chosen Deandre. I would have chosen Grim.

What is her name again...let's see...oh yes, Jessica (I should be able to remember that--that is my sister's name). Okay Jimmy--best Idol performace ever? Really? I don't think so.

I do not see the hype with this girl. I see that she is a good singer, but what about her singing sets her apart from a handful of singers already out there who are at least as good if not better? What new does she bring?

Colton is my favorite guy this year.











Phillip is obviously not my favorite guy, however I recognize he is talented and unique enough to possibly win the whole thing.

Elise is my favorite girl. I think she is the most unique.

Skylar is also quite good and I could see her winning.

Jermaine should have come back all nice and humble. Grateful. Instead, he is cocky and seems entitled to me. He obviously thinks he should be there. Here is the major problem with that. American Idol winners are not cocky. They are nice. They are humble. They recognize that other singers are good, too. If he really wants any chance of winning, he needs to get over himself. Or, if I am wrong in my assessment, he needs to figure out how to change the appearance of being full of himself.




Sincerely,

Dear Season 11

Dearly Eliminated

  

I can't believe it. I am in total shock. Total.

The night started off right. Stefano landed in the bottom three. Things were looking right.

Then something strange and unthinkable happened.

Pia landed in the bottom three.

Then Jacob--also predicted by me to be in the bottom three.

I assured myself that it would be one of the guys. No worries.

But the worst came true. Pia was eliminated! How is that possible?!?!?!? For real? She no doubt should have been in the final three.

You know who else was shocked? Stefano. Visible shocked.

And who else? The judges. Randy was mad for the first time in my memory--he was not happy.

And the rest of us! What on Earth just happened? Consistently on polls around the web, Pia is ranked first for "favorite" "frontrunner" "predicted winner" and "best."

And this has got to make the other contestants feel really nervous. Really nervous. You are never safe.

I have every right to be mad because I voted for her. I did!

Here are some great performances from Pia:

Dearly Eliminated

Top 9

Well, in case you missed the results show last week, as I predicted, Naima went home and Thia went home. Paul was in the bottom three, which was slightly surprising for me.

I don't have time for a full run-down of last night's show. It was rock week, and really all of the contestants did well. It was hard to pick a bottom three and hard to pick only three for a top.

Top 3:

1. Casey--best performance of his of the season. Really well done. 
2. Paul--it was a lot of fun and enjoyable.
3. Scotty--Really fun and showed some fun personality. 

Middle Pack:

1. Pia--Nothing wrong, just not as much of an improvement as Casey and Paul. You were slightly uncomfortable on stage, which is why Scotty won you out. 
2. Lauren--Very nice. I love that country is always present in your voice. Nothing wrong.
3. James--Good to see you take it down a notch.

It should be noted I voted a lot for the top five listed

Bottom 3:

1. Stefano as the worst. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. It was "eh" and the only "eh" of the night, so he gets to be the worst of the night. 
2. Jacob as second worst. I loved that he stuck to his morals, but the song was just okay. The only "okay" of the night, so here he is.
3. Haley as the third. Her song was good, but there got to be too much growling in it. I am not interested in listening to people growl. If there had been less growling, I wouldn't have put her here.

Predictions:

I really have a hard time calling this one. The pack is great right now. I would obviously like to see Stefano go home based on talent. Nice guy, but without a doubt the least talented of the people there. But you never know how many teenage girls are in love with him...so who knows. I also wouldn't mind seeing Jacob go, but I do think he has more talent than Stefano. I just hope it won't be Scotty, Pia, or Lauren. 

Top 9

Top 11 (Take Two)

Last night was take two of the top 11 performing.

First, I think it is a little odd they way they showcased Casey's save from last week. I don't remember them ever doing that in the past--it makes me wonder if they want Casey to go far in the competition.

But away from the weirdness and on to a different form of weirdness--Elton John! I love Elton John. Elton John has been a part of my music tastes since I was literally a baby. My parents love Elton, and therefore I do. I have been to a concert of his (most entertaining) and in my iTunes I have 9 Elton John albums. So now you know I like his music.

Scotty! Very good! It definitely sounded like a Scotty song and not an Elton John (Country Comfort is a great song, by the way, and performed well by Keith Urban). I loved the nice low note at the end of the song. Excellent move. There really is no need to judge you--it is just like hearing a country singer singing on TV. Nice job. I voted (a lot)!

Niama...oh Niama. I like the Raegae vibe for you. Good call on that. I'm Still Standing isn't necessarily a bad song to do it to--I don't think that was the issue. The issue is that it all seemed so fake and insincere. It was off-pitch at times. You talking in a fake accent was a huge turn-off. We all know you don't have a Jamaican accent--don't fake it.

Paul, it was too whispery at the beginning. Rocket man isn't a whisper song. But good overall and I voted.

Pia--great song choice! Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me is one of my favorites also. You had great attitude. I voted, and I would buy it. And hey, Celine sings mostly ballads, also, so if that is who you are, do it. I voted.

Stefano, I was sitting there listening to you sing and thought, "He just doesn't have real emotion or intensity." Then it hit me that I have complained about that each week with you. It is so emotionless that I forgot in one week that it is emotionless. It was not a good song choice. Tiny Dancer needs real emotional connection to be good.

I loved it Lauren. I will buy this--no doubt. Candle in the Wind is  a great song, and I absolutely loved your interpretation. I voted.

Okay James. Performance-wise, putting-on-a-show-wise, it was entertaining. Vocally...not good. Weak even. Saturday Night's Alright for Fightin' had potential for your. I don't know if it was the theatrics on stage and it distracted you or if this is just an Elton Song...but I think you will be fine.

Thia, I think this is the first week I could say you sounded pretty weak. Daniel is one of my all-time favorites, and it sounded like you were singing it in some high school talent show. (by the way, does anyone remember Wilson Phillips cover of this song? Or Wilson Phillips for that matter?)

Casey, you looked humbled. At times, you sounded a bit scared and humbled. It was very nice, though. It was nicely balanced with some growling but not a whole lot. I love Your Song. Great choice.

Oh Jacob. This was over-the-top dramatic for me. Seriously. I was literally squirmming in my seat. Sorry Seems to Be The Hardest Word is a song to be emotional about...but man. That was too much for me.

Haley, I didn't expect to like it, but I liked it! I have always loved Benny and the Jets. I am a bit reserved about you because I don't trust who you are as a singer, but you might convince me if you stay consistent.








My Top Three

1. Lauren
2. Pia
3. Scotty

My Middle Pack (in this order)

1. Casey
2. Haley
3. Paul
4. James

My Bottom Four

1. Naima
2. Stefano
3. Jacob
4. Thia

My Predictions

I think Naima is gone for sure. Then I think it is a toss-up between Thia and Stefano.

Top 11 (Take Two)

Top 11 Elimination Show

Warning--possible spoilers ahead. If you haven't watched the results show yet and want surprise, stop reading.

Last week, the results show was so predictable and so spot on with my predictions so I never even felt compelled to write about it.

Well, this week I was only one for three in the bottom three.

Our bottom three was: Thia, Stefano, and Casey.

  

Okay, so Stefano was in my bottom three. Casey and Thia were in my middle pack. I was pretty surprised that Haley and Naima were not in the bottom three, but obviously Stefano is going home, right?

Wrong. First Thia goes to safety, then we find out Casey is out. A pretty big shocker from one of the season's early front runners.

Then the judges use their save on him! So we still have a top 11, all 11 will go on tour, and Casey gets another shot.

Here is the bad news. In my memory, no winner of American Idol has ever been in the bottom three, much less saved from elimination. I think that pretty easily knocks Casey out of the running for the winner's spot--but you never know. He might jump back to his "Georgia On My Mind" ways and pull people back to his side. 

Overall I am quite surprised right now. Hence my blogging about it the same night I watched the show.

Top 11 Elimination Show

Top 11 Perform

Dear Contestants,

Wow.

Just wow.

And not the bad wow, but the very, very good wow.

(oh, sidebar, I never wrote about my reactions to last week's bottom three...I was spot on. Spot on. And not sad to see...Karen?...go).

What a great night! Every single person did well...which has literally never happened on a top 11 show. Let's recap:

Casey

Okay, so on the one hand, you did well. On the other, I personally am getting kind of (really) tired of the growling. You are a better singer than a growler. Don't lose your singing voice. I think you are turning people off...I just think that because you are turning me off...so if people are like me, they are becoming disenchanted.








Thia

This was really good. This showed a voice that I really like. You did a good job, although you did forget the lyrics and let it show with that "whoops I just forgot the lyrics" look on your face. Because of that, you will be lower in my rankings than you would have been otherwise. Everyone was that good last night. I would consider buying your track...but honestly in the end I would just never make it to actually buying it.






Jacob

It was a nice job. I didn't hate it, which is good for me and you. The judges were all in love with it. I wasn't quite so enamored, but you did a nice job that I am sure will end up being one of your best (if not your best) performances on the show.







Lauren

This I loved. I love her voice and I love her more modern spin on the sound of the song. I voted a whole lot and I would buy the song.









Stefano

You tried really hard to keep your eyes open and did much better than you have in past weeks. You did well. You are definitely lacking real feeling for the songs you are singing. It sounded good--but compared to everyone else, not up to snuff.







Haley

You sang really well (of course...I said everyone did). I still don't know who you want to be as a singer...but I think you should try to be this. I would consider buying this. I really don't know if you will make it past tonight, though. Fan base is so important and you have confused people beyond being a base for you.







Scotty

Um, I loved this. This was amazing. The judges were not showing enough excitement for this. It was fantastic. They aren't the country music fans that I am. This was my favorite of the night. Loved it. I would buy this (probably will) and I voted for you.








Pia

You are a great singer. Can't really say more than that. You definitely belong in the ranks with Celine and Whitney. I would consider buying this and I voted. One thing, your hand movement is quite distracting. If you follow Jennifer's advice and use the stage, hopefully that will help.







Paul

The guitar was a great idea--it kept your dancing at bay. I am sure lots of people like the quirky dancing, and I don't mind it, but it can be..odd. I liked that you made the song your own version. I voted for you.








Naima

This seemed like you--like who  you are. I appreciate the originality of the whole performance. Without a doubt, it was the weakest vocal performance of the night. I am confused as to who you want to be artistically. You said  your earlier performances were who you wanted to be, but when you do this Jamaican thing, it seems so you (not that I actually know you. I am guessing you have been confusing people too much to build a solid base and I am sure you will be bottom three tonight.




James

Hey that was some smooth dancing! You sang really well--it was a great performance.









Now for Bottom Three predictions:

• Naima
• Haley
• Stefano

Naima and Stefano were vocally bottom three. Haley is there purely based on fan base. I vacillate between who I think will go home. On the one hand, I am guessing Haley has fewer fans than any other, but she really sang well last night and might have picked up some floaters. Naima was the weakest vocally. But I also wonder when a boy will go home.

Top Three:

• Scotty
• Jacob
• Pia
• Lauren
• James

See--there were too many good people I had to put basically half of them in the top three.

Thia, Paul, and Casey are the middle of the pack for me last night. 

Top 11 Perform

Best of Top 12

Dear Readers,

Here are the best of the night.

Scotty


Lauren


Pia

Best of Top 12

Top 12 Perform--Surprising

Dear Top 12,

I was kind of surprised last night. I expected the night to be a hard call, but it was a very, very easy call.

Naima

The vocals were really suffering. I was glad Jennifer finally said something about the pitch issues--you really are better than that (I think). It was not a good night for you.





Paul

You were weak in parts and good in parts. Considering that you were sick, it was great. I am sure you would have done a lot better if you were not sick, and I like that you didn't excuse yourself for being sick.





Thia

Oh the song choice! It was not a good idea. Not at all. You sang it well, but it was nothing memorable other than feeling a bit odd watching a Disney song be sung on American Idol.





James

It was pitchy, but it was the best of the night to that point--though definitely not of the night.






Haley

Okay, I think I have decided that you are a copy-cat singer. The good thing about that is that you are a good singer vocally and that you can sing anything. The really, really bad thing about that is that no one wants to vote for the copy-cat singer. No one knows what kind of album they would get from you if they did, and even if we knew exactly what it would be, we don't need you because we can get those same songs from the original. You need to pick the genre you want to sing in and stick with it--and if you don't know, you will be going home pretty soon.

Stefano

This is definitely the best you have sounded on the show so far. There were no major pitch issues going on. This isn't to say you rocked it, just that you topped yourself.






Pia

No lie, when you started to sing, it was a shock to my ears. In a good way. It was hearing someone who really had a place in the music industry for the first time that night--a singer who could hold her own in the "real world." I didn't love the song--at all--but I loved you singing the song.



Scotty

Another great performance of the night! Really good. The girls loved it, which is always a good thing for votes. I would buy that off of iTunes.






Karen

Very weak. Very pitchy. You have a good voice, but when you put it up next to Pia, very weak.







Casey

It was good. I loved what Randy said, that you are a person who goes for "art first, then commerce." I love that about you. I don't love that song, but you are a great performer. I would love to see you sing something that showed your vocal ability next week and not just your diversity.



Lauren

Very good. I would buy that. It was amazing for the flu, too. I would buy the flu version.







Jacob

There were some pitch issues. It wasn't the worst of the night, but not the best.







Naming my top 3 and bottom 3 is easy this week:

Top Three:

1. Scotty
2. Lauren
3. Pia (I put you third just because I thought the other two did great AND I liked their songs. You did great and I disliked your song--but talent-wise, this top three can be in any order

Bottom Three:

1. Karen
2. Naima
3. Haley

The Rest (from best to worst)--this is definitely slanted by my personal preference for the person him/herself. They all did about the same talent wise, so song choice and my preference is all factored in:

1. Casey
2. Paul
3. Stefano
4. Thia
5. James
6. Jacob

I predict Karen goes home. I do think there is a chance her Spanish singing could have pulled in votes from the Latino community, and if so, then I think Haley will go home due to a dwindling fan base.

Top 12 Perform--Surprising