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 13 Week: Top Performances

For those of you who don't watch American Idol (ahem, Serra), I thought I would provide you with video of the best from last night.

Pia



Casey



Lauren



James



Thia

Top 13 Week: Top Performances

Top 13 Perform

Dear Top 13,

I have to say it was a good night. This actually did surprise me. I thought with your lack of on-air performing prior to top 13, we would have a few disastrous weeks. But really, 12 of the 13 of you did a good job, and most of you did a really good job.

Lauren

You are really good at singing country. This was not your most amazing performance, but a good performance. I enjoyed it better than the original. Of course I voted for you! But it won't be something I ever buy off of iTunes. You are definitely on my list of top five contestants overall.






Casey

How completely perfect of you to sing a Joe Cocker song! I don't think that anyone can argue against you being the best singer technically in this season. You can do amazing things that few singers are ever able to realize. You have undeniable talent. My husband is calling you the winner of the season. This is definitely possible, though I must say will be harder to pull off than it might have been in a season without two stand-out country singers. You are also in my top five best contestants overall. I voted for you. And I would definitely consider buying that performance from iTunes.

Ashthon

I am sad for you because I know you are better than that. You were completely off-pitch. The last two times you sang, you have really buckled under the pressure, which is too bad. It is moments like that I miss Simon on the show, though I mostly just wish they would bring Ben Folds to come judge American Idol because he has the ability to be honest, constructive, and nice all a the same time.



Paul

I didn't love it, Paul. You know I am a fan. You are definitely on my list for best five people this season overall (I had better count this list off; it is filling up fast). I don't think it was a great song to showcase your voice.






Pia

I would have to be an idiot to not include you in my top five best contestants overall (which, in case you are counting, is now up to four people). That. Was. Amazing. Wow. Just wow. I voted for you and I would definitely buy that from iTunes.






James

That was a really good performance and I liked it. You are not in my personal top five, but I wouldn't blame anyone who has you in theirs. I would even consider buying that from iTunes.







Haley

You did a good job. I think you sounded better than the original. There is no doubt you are talented. I think the thing that is holding me back from letting you contend for a top five spot for me is that you just aren't emotionally connected to the song. Your mind is in it more than your heart, and I can tell. The funny thing is that might not matter so much on the radio, but when you are on TV, it matters a lot.




Jacob

It is no secret you are not my favorite, but I do give you props when you deserve it. You did not deserve it last night. The melody changes didn't sit right with me. I think you were in the bottom two last night.







Thia

You really are quite good and you did sound a lot like MJ last night. And Adel--I totally agreed with Randy on that. For whatever reason, I don't have  you in my top 5, but you are my number 6. There is definitely a possibility you will swing into the five, especially if you keep vibing Adel.





Stefano

I am just not that thrilled with you. And right now, I can't even remember what you sang.








Karen

Here is the shocking, cold truth. I actually fell asleep during your song. Really. I have never done that in my American Idol history, which started with auditions back in season one. Not even when I was pregnant. Not a good sign.






Scotty

Not a perfect performance. There were some pitch issues and you hesitated sometimes--bringing some weakness to your song. But you are in my overall top five best for the season and I definitely think you did well enough to make it through. Just work through these jitters before things get really stiff. I voted for you, but wouldn't buy that performance on iTunes.




Naima

That totally shocked me! First, nice dancing. That was cool to see. You don't see dancing like that from Idol contestants. The singing wasn't perfect. I have to wonder how that will be received. I never would have pegged you for that kind of artist based on what you have sung in the past, so it will be interesting to see what your core fan base thinks and if this brings new people to your core. I would advice you to pick a genre you want to do and stick with it, because the wishy-washy never win.



So...my bottom three based on last night:

1. Ashthon
2. James
3. Karen or Stefano. I know that is lame cheating, but that is what I am doing.

My top three based on last night:

1. Pia
2. Casey
3. Thia or Lauren. Again, I know, lame cheating, but my blog, so my rules. James really could be there, too.

The rest:

1. Scotty
2. Haley
3. Naima
4. Paul

Top 13 Perform

Dear Top 9: My Reactions

Dear Top 9,

First of all, Didi gets to stay in the picture for a bit. Second of all, you all did well last night. No one was totally awful. But I also think no one was totally awesome. There wasn't one performance that I will be seeking to purchase off the over-priced iTunes (do you like how I threw that in there?). Here are my reactions and predictions:

Aaron: I didn't like the song and there were some pitch issues. The good thing is that you showed your country edge to your voice, so that will please your country crowd.

Katie: Before you started singing, I told my husband, "This is the song Brooke White sang. There is no way she can top that." When you were done, I declared that you had done really well. That was definitely your best performance ever.

Andrew: First of all, I loved how all the guys said you were their best friend. Everyone's best friend. You sounded good, but it wasn't my favorite performance from you. I won't be buying it. I think I would have liked it better without the horns in the background.

Mike: I really didn't like it. Not much to say beyond that.

Crystal: You did quite well. I was happy to see you be more of yourself. Last week was so strange with the heels and all.

Tim: I fully expected you to blow it as usual, but you sounded good. Randy totally insulted you as he tried to compliment you, but like Simon said, I think you did well even compared to the other contestants.

Casey: So my neighbor, who is a good singer and Beetles fanatic, thinks you did the best last night. I disagree. You did well. You sounded good. But I have finally figured out what I don't really like about you. It is your vibrato. It is too fast for me. If the vibrato was gone, I think I might be able to get on the Casey train. But don't change your vibrato just for one passenger.

Siobhan: Hmm. I didn't like it again. You get so nasally. You swallow your sound unless you are either really high or really screaming. I don't like that at all. Maybe you just need some voice lessons to pull that out.

Lee: You did awesome and were once again the best of the night.

So, what are my rankings?

Top 3:

1. Lee
2. Crystal
3. Katie

Middle 3:

1. Andrew
2. Casey
3. Tim

Bottom 3:

1. Siobhan
2. Aaron
3. Mike

Now for the tricky part. Who will be in the bottom 3?

I don't really know. I have been saying (and seeing) Tim and Katie for weeks now. I think Tim will land in the bottom three just because he needs to, but I don't know if Katie will. Based on last night, she shouldn't. But at this point, things aren't necessarily based on one night. And they shouldn't be.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Aaron in the bottom.

I am going to say (with little confidence): Tim, Aaron, and Siobhan.

Sincerely,

Dear Top 9: My Reactions

Dear Readers: In Case You Missed It

Dear Readers,

In case you missed the singing tonight, here is a video from YouTube highlighting it very quickly.

Sincerely,

Dear Readers: In Case You Missed It

Dear Top 10: Woot Woot!

Dear Top 10,

Wow. Tonight was SO.MUCH.BETTER. than last week. Usher, I will sing your praises in your very own letter, but let me just say you are awesome and you obviously did something right. Do you think it is any coincidence that the week Miley was the, um, "mentor" it was basically the worst week American Idol has had in a long time? Hmmm? I don't. Usher showed us all what it means to be a mentor.

Okay, let's discuss the performances tonight.

Siobhan: I wonder if I will ever be able to type that name without looking it up to be sure. Okay, not good at all. Painfully flat. More screaming. Definitely one of the worst of the night.

Casey: Remember how earlier today I said I could possibly come to like you? Tonight you earned some liking. I thought this was the best performance you have done yet. It seemed very "you" and was a great job. I also noticed there was no head shaking. Maybe you only do it with your hair down? Gotta shake the hair out of your face? *shrug*

Mike: This was also a good performance. Your voice sounded great. However, I have to say I did not like you sitting behind the judges. What was the point of that? Were you trying to get closer to that guy in the far back corner so you could connect easier? And if you are trying to connect to the audience, why did you keep your back to, I don't know, about 10% of them the whole time? That little platform can be nice to visit sometimes, but it isn't a place to camp out.

Didi: I think the judges are unnecessarily harsh on you week after week. I thought your voice sounded good. I do think it would have been much better if you had your guitar, though. I do agree that you should reach to your singer/song writter self. Your voice mixed with the instruments did not work. It was off. The song also seemed too fast for you. You seem intent on showing us all that you are "diverse." There are lots of problems with that. One is that your voice does not lend itself to "diversity." Another is that this isn't a show of "look what I can do." It is a show to find the American Idol--a singer you can get behind and look forward to buying a record from. If people don't know what they will get from your record, they won't get your record. Do you remember Matt Giraurd from last season? Do you remember him switching styles often? It didn't work for him and it won't work for you. I want you to stay. Choose yourself and stay there.

As for Ryan...good job avoiding his questions and you were funny with him.

Tim: So much, Tim. So much. So much was funny about that. A lot of it was the things my husband was saying off to my side (more on that later). A lot was what the judges said. Ellen was right; you did look like you were trying to sneak. You were walking so carefully and you weren't in heels. And I have never laughed so hard watching American Idol as I did at Simon's comment. He is so spot on. It doesn't matter what they say. Not only do you have Vote for the Worst on your side, but likely lots of little girls. Keep in mind little girls move on when they get a bit older, so your fan base won't hold. Little girls grow up and gain real musical opinion--plus you will grow up and lose your teenage charm.

Andrew: Andrew! Yes! LOVED THAT. Best of the night--although Lee was also awesome. So great. I will be buying that off iTunes. That is the Andrew I have been cheering on. And yes, I have been voting for you the entire time I have been writing this post. Fantabulous (yes, I made that word up). I also loved you telling your mom to behave. That was great.

Simon said you were boring and pointed out that Tim is getting through based on personality alone. Well, I don't think you are boring, but I do think you could show more of your personality. Unfortunately, it isn't all about singing right now, so show us that fun side.

Katie: Vocally, that is the best you have sounded in a long time. But it was all a bit too theatrical. You tried to look serious and instead looked semi-mad. Last week, it probably would have landed you in the upper section of the ratings, but this week everyone else stepped it up, too, so you haven't really budged. With Tim taking up Vote for the Worst, you might be in trouble.

Lee: Another fantastic performance. Really great. I really think you will be in the final three. I will also be buying this performance off iTunes. I will also vote for you a few times tonight.

Crystal: That was okay. I wasn't as impressed as the judges were. I was impressed that you can play the piano. I am always impressed to see ability with instruments. But I remember this song sung by Paris Bennett back in the day, and I think she did it better vocally. The shoes were a bad choice. You seemed scared to walk in them and made sure to keep a hand on the piano as you moved. It wasn't authentically you. I mean, you did well and one of the better ones of the night. But if I am comparing you to yourself, not great.

Aaron: You seemed nervous. I think the choice of song wasn't a good one. You sounded good, but it has been done so much on American Idol. It was good, but paled in comparison to many of the others.

Time for my rankings:

Top Three:

1. Andrew
2. Lee
3. Casey

Middle of the Pack:

1. Crystal
2. Michael
3. Aaron
4. Didi

Bottom Three:

1. Tim
2. Siobhan
3. Katie

All in all, it was a much improved night and makes me excited for the future. Hopefully they bring you some good mentors in the future.

Sincerely,

Dear Top 10: Woot Woot!

Dear Top 11: My Reactions

Dear Top 11,

Oh man. Overall, last night was pretty much aweful. Pretty much. And you know what? It wasn't Miley that made it aweful (aside from the smacking of her gum with her mouth wide open all night). She was actually much better than I thought she would be. Do I think she qualifies as a "mentor"? No, but she could maybe be called "helper."

The show started with lots of jabbering among the judges and Ryan. I had to wonder what they were stalling for?

Then came the singing...

Lee:

You did really well. Your voice sounded good and it was technically great. You had some good stage presence. But I also thought it was very strange. You sang Jazz. I might be wrong, but my impression is that you would want to be a Rock singer, not a Jazz singer. Your "rock" fans aren't going to be all excited over a "jazz" performance. Imagine this as you choose your next song. Imagine you aren't in a singing competition and you are just going out on a stage and singing for people. What would you sing? If you could record a song, how would you do it? This is time to show us what we would get if we vote for you.

Paige:

Oh Paige. Okay, I liked the mix up of the melody (even though it wasn't your idea). But the singing was aweful. You just haven't sung well in so long. It really was painful to listen to. Really. I thought you might get through this week after that because I thought you would surely be the pick for Vote for the Worst...but you aen't.

Tim: 

This was not good. As I was watching it, I 100% had the image of Hairspray pop into my head. I was so happy Kara said something. Bad. The sliding was bad, the making yourself into some big superstar was bad. But you are the pick for Vote For The Worst, and you were better than Paige, so I think you will live to see another day. 

Aaron: 

This was really good. This was one of the best of the night. You did really, really well.

Crystal:

This was good, also. I don't ever get excited over your performances because you just aren't my thing, but you are a good singer and defintely deserve to go far in this competition and in the industry.

Michael:

I thought this was really good, also. I absolutely love the song "When A Man Loves A Woman." Love it. You did well and I think the judges were harsh. But the thing is, while I was watching you I couldn't help but think of Ruben Studdard--winner of Season Two. That isn't really good. First of all, we already have a Ruben. Second of all, he hasn't done well in the real world.

Andrew:

Oh dear. This was not good. Not good at all. You were borderline bottom three. If I had watched for the first time last night, I would have thought you were aweful.

Katie:

Again, not good. The pitch was so off I was uncomfortable. You also swallow your sound a lot. I don't think you were the worst of the night, but definitely low.

Casey:

In the context of the show, this was good. It was actually one of my favorites by you. But Simon was right. It wasn' different. See my comments to Paige. You need to sing and choose songs like you would if you were doing a concert right now.

Didi: 

I thought you did a really good job. The judges were overly harsh on you. I really liked it. I thought it sounded current. You actually took the song and made it modern to our day. Loved it.

Siobhan:

Um, I didn't like it. Not really surprising because you are just not my style. At all. You have a good voice, but the screaming at the end of songs is grating on my nerves. Screaming a high note is not the same as singing a high note--even if you are attempting a rock edge. Not ao fan of that.

Okay, my bottom three are:

1. 
   
   Paige
2. 
   
   Tim
3. 
   
   Katie

My top three are:

1. 
   
   Crystal
2. 
   
   Aaron
3. 
   
   Michael

My middle pack are:

1. 
   
   Didi (close to making top three)
2. 
   
   Lee
3. 
   
   Casey
4. 
   
   Siobhan
5. 
   
   Andrew (close to making bottom three)

Sincerely,

Dear Top 11: My Reactions