March 6: Last Chance
American Idol 6, March 6: Last Chance by Betsy Wasser -- 03/07/2007 If the men of American Idol want to make it to the top twelve, this is their last chance. Who will bring his A-game, and who will find himself in danger? Read on! Last week, we said goodbye to four more Idol hopefuls and pretty well guaranteed that no one will ever sing the cursed “Feelin’ Good” on this show ever again. Tonight, the guys will perform, hoping for a coveted slot in the top twelve. Ryan introduces the judges. Randy is wearing a blue shirt with “Randy D. Jackson” on his shirt. He looks like an auto mechanic, except no mechanic would ever wear quite so much jewelry. Ryan tells us that on Thursday, not only will be find out who the top twelve are, but there will also be a big surprise about this season. Is the big surprise going to be that song writing contest? Because that’s not really a surprise. This week, the contestants will each reveal something about themselves. That should be a big challenge on Wednesday night’s show for Antonella Barba, seeing as she’s already revealed quite a bit to anyone with an internet connection. Blake Lewis tells us that he loves improve comedy, character acting, and Halloween. He busts out a silly hat and does a voice. “I love to have fun,” he tells us. Blake is wearing a rust colored t-shirt and some funky plaid golf pants. He’s singing 311’s “All Mixed Up.” Once again, it’s a great combination between his very clear singing and the vocal entendres he excels at. I really enjoyed it and was left wanting more. Blake is the coolest person they’ve had on this show by far. Randy: Randy loves that Blake is the first really current artist they’ve had on the show. Randy doesn’t know the song, but he loves the performance. Paula: Paula didn’t know the song either, but she was totally into it. Simon: He didn’t understand a word of it, but he thinks Blake stands out in the crowd. He’s not karaoke, and he’s very current. He is confident Blake will make it to the next round. Ryan jokes that Blake has the blessing of the judges. Blake says that 311 is his favorite band. I’m honestly surprised that Randy and Paula don’t know the song. Do they only know Stevie, Aretha, and Whitney? Ryan chats with Sundance about how emotional he was the week before. Sundance says that he gets that way, and you wouldn’t want to watch Charlotte’s Web with him. He swears he didn’t know that the camera was on him, and that his emotions were genuine. Ryan then asks the question we’ve all been wondering – is Sanjaya surprised to still be there? Harsh! He says he was shocked when he heard the results, but he’s ready to make the top twelve. Sanjaya’s surprise is that he can dance the hula. He says he can “shake my booty Hawaiian style.” Remember how long we were stuck with Hawaiian Jasmine Trias? I’m just saying… Sanjaya, his hair gorgeously flat-ironed, sings “Waiting on the World to Change.” He’s wearing a sort of army jacket and jeans. To be honest, I think this is the best he’s sounded since his audition. He doesn’t have the cool, smoky sound that John Mayer has, but on the other hand, that means he doesn’t sound like an imitator. It was a big improvement. I am not a fan of Sanjaya and would trade any of the eliminated contestants for him, but I have to give credit where it’s due. And hey, somebody must be voting for him, right? Is it you? If you’re voting for Sanjaya, email me and tell me why. I promise I won’t argue with you about it; I genuinely want to know who his fans are. Randy: Sanjaya lacked energy this week. He hasn’t been as good as his first audition, and this wasn’t that great. Paula: Paula is having a hard time finding her words. She thinks that the older, more experienced guys are helping him improve. She recommends that he try to push out of his comfort zone and to raise his game. Simon: “It wasn’t as ghastly as last week.” But he isn’t a fan of Sanjaya’s “Paula hairstyle.” He is popular, but vocally, Sanjaya’s not the best. Simon wonders if it’s the hair that’s keeping him in. Ryan says that “clearly” Sanjaya’s hair is different from Paula’s. He thinks one of the two has hair extensions, but he’s not sure which one. This completely cracks up the judges. Sundance tells us that he wears a fat suit in TV so he’s not recognized off of TV. This way, we won’t recognize the “supersexy thin guy” that he is. We see a fake photo of a skinny Sundance. Hee! Sundance is rocking both Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy” and a fauxhawk. It’s a very cool song choice for him, and he sounds really good. It’s great to have the Sundance we saw in the auditions back. In fact, I think it’s a lot better than last week’s “Mustang Sally,” which got the anchor spot. Interestingly, my husband, who loves Pearl Jam and filled my iPod with a disproportionate amount of their songs, is considerably less impressed. He may be more of a purist. Randy: There were some pitchy spots, but he likes the Southern rock-meets Pearl Jam thing. Paula: He did really, really well. Simon: Last week was better, but now he’s lost his charm. He was a generic bar singer, and it was a “very indulgent choice of song.” Randy disagrees. Ryan asks if Sundance should stay away from rock. Simon says no, but that he should try to avoid those that are too shout-y. That’s a fair point, actually, and Sundance might have done better with “Alive” or something more melodic. Ryan says hello to Travis Tritt in the audience. Randy is producing his upcoming album. Ryan wonders why he picked Randy. Travis swears he’s a good producer. Chris Richardson confesses that he used to play football and was “chunky.” He’s since lost 40 pounds and feels great. Good for you, Chris! Chris is performing Keith Urban’s “Tonight I Wanna Cry” on the stool at center stage. The audience seems to love him, but I heard a few spots that sounded a bit off-pitch. He’s definitely been better, and I’m just not that into it. Randy: Chris put his own twist on the song and is “in it to win it.” Paula: It was a great song to show off his intonation. He adapted well to the country song. Simon: It was good, but not the best vocal they’ve heard. He found it “cutesy” and a bit nasal. He thinks Chris is capable of better and was a bit timid. He sold it, though. Ryan thinks Simon should avoid using the word “cutesy” in the future. Can we also ban Randy from saying “pitchy” and promising to keep it real, while we’re at it? I’ll let Paula continue to say whatever crazy thing pops into her head. Chris says that this song was for his grandmother. Ryan asks how he lost the weight. Chris starts to explain about eating a healthier diet, but Simon interrupts and tells him to leave the kid alone. Let him focus on the singing. Ryan goes to the lounge to chat with Jared. Jared shows off his face move from last week, and several of the other guys demonstrate for us. None of them are quite as hot when they do it. Jared says he played college basketball and was “pretty good,” but not good enough for the NBA. He’s decided to pursue music instead. Jared is risking Stevie Wonder this week with “If You Really Love Me.” I love his argyle sweater and jeans. It’s a cool rendition of the song - an R&B sound, which makes it different from the song we all know so well. We all know how much the judges give people who do Stevie Wonder a hard time, but I think he really pulled it off. Randy: It was a “solid performance.” Paula: He needs to work on “coloring up the way you sing.” He needs to try using his falsetto, for example, and avoid shouting. That’s actually very good advice. Simon: “I sort of know, amazingly, what Paula is trying to say.” It wasn’t very original and could get lost in the mix. He’s “slightly disappointed” overall because he’s not hearing “the wow factor.” Ryan asks Paula if he belongs in the top twelve. “So far, yes,” says Paula, and Randy agrees. Jared says he understands what they’re saying and hopes to have the chance to take their advice. He says he appreciates the judges’ advice. Ryan then teases us that either Phil or Brandon will sing LeeAnn Rimes this week. Who will it be? Ryan chats with Brandon and Phil. How can they impress the judges? Brandon plans to “leave it all out there.” Phil says that he hopes they remember “how passionately I love them… every one of them.” Ryan says kissing up won’t help him, so what does he really think? Phil says he takes what they have with a grain of salt, but that he respects their opinions. Brandon reveals that he is a classical piano player. We see him playing, and it’s beautiful. He learned how to play by ear. Brandon is wearing the white belt that we saw a few weeks ago and singing “Celebrate” by Sly and the Family Stone. I think it’s a terrible song choice. It’s not a wow by any stretch of the imagination and really does nothing for his voice. Brandon is a good singer, but this song doesn’t give him the chance to show that off. Randy: Randy disagrees with me and loves the song. He thinks Brandon messed up a bit at the end, but it was solid. Paula: It was phenomenal, and he’s proving why he belongs there. Simon: He didn’t represent himself well, and Simon has high hopes for him. He should have chosen a more memorable song, like the girls do. The song may give him problems because it didn’t give him enough of a melody. Simon and I are of one mind. Brandon says he had a great time and hopes the audience enjoyed it, too. He says he’s “as confident as anybody could be” that he’ll make it, knowing that anything could happen. Brandon says he wants to make it to the top twelve “more than you know.” He makes funny faces at the camera as Ryan gives out his numbers. Phil tells us that he used to have hair – long hair, in fact. But he was in a group in college which required short hair. He didn’t like it short, so he shaved it, and now he likes it that way. I love a sexy bald man (just ask my sexy bald husband), so I wish Phil would quit wearing dumb hats all the time. No such luck this week, as Phil is wearing an exceptionally stupid hat that he may have stolen from Kevin Federline. He’s the one attempting LeeAnn Rimes, with “I Need You.” It is terrible. He sounds like he’s singing through several thick layers of cotton batting. Then he gets to the chorus and some higher notes and it’s better, but still just… not good. He tries some high notes and misses. It was a big old mess. It’s so bad that it could do him in. Randy: It was an “interesting” song choice. He has a big voice and reminds Randy of Steve Perry. But the low part was “a little weird” and needs work. Paula: The lower part of his register is “chancy,” and he sounded better when he hit his comfort zone. Not his best performance. Simon: “I didn’t get it at all.” The hat and big eyes at the beginning was “just insane.” Phil offers to change his eyes if that’ll help. Simon thought it was all very odd. Except for a few performances, the guys have been disappointing. Ryan says that Phil was staring Simon down. Phil says he appreciates their feedback, and he was happy to have been able to sing the song. It must not have been a good choice, he admits. He hopes to have the chance to pick better songs. If he makes it, will he squint next week? Phil promises we’ll be surprised. “Bring me back, baby!” Phil begs, as Ryan gives his numbers. Chris Sligh says he used to have short hair. He says he actually used to shave his head and looked like Phil Stacy, only “better looking.” He says the curls are real, not a perm. Chris’s song is “I Wanna Be Loved.” I don’t know the song, and I don’t really like it, so it’s hard to judge. His voice sounds good, but I wish he’d pick something more modern. Chris seems like a cool guy, but the songs he sings really aren’t. I’d much rather have seen him sing John Mayer, for example, than Sanjaya. Randy: It wasn’t his favorite song choice, but he had the best vocal of the night. Paula: Paula agrees that it wasn’t her favorite performance. He needs to “rise above.” Randy thinks it was the song. Paula says overall he needs to stretch more. Chris asks if he was better than last week, as he’s trying to get improve. Paula tells him that last week was better. Simon: The beginning was very good, but in the middle, he shouted. It wasn’t “a great, hook-y song.” He’s done enough in the past to make the finals, but he has the potential to be better. Chris says it’s one of his favorite songs. It’s not well known, but he likes the sentiment. He apologizes for not doing better and hopes for another chance. He is really turning up the humility after he smarted off to Simon before. Chris then demands a hug from Ryan. Randy says only four of the guys deserve to make the top twelve, and Paula agrees. Simon would cut it to three and a half. I tend to agree, and I really wish that Idol didn’t separate the men and the women in the competition. I’d rather see the best singers advance to the finals, regardless of gender. I also think that these performances were underwhelming. The guys were singing more to avoid being eliminated, rather than to gain votes, which makes for a pretty dull night. So, who will it be? If I had my choice, we’d say goodbye to Sanjaya and Phil this week. But I really think we’re stuck with Sanjaya for a while more. Last week, I would have predicted that Jared was in trouble, but I think that he redeemed himself with this week’s performance. Brandon, on the other hand, torpedoed himself with a song that did nothing to show off his voice. He’s going home, and I think that Phil’s song was bad enough to have him go, too.
American Idol 6, March 6: Last Chance by Betsy Wasser -- 03/07/2007 If the men of American Idol want to make it to the top twelve, this is their last chance. Who will bring his A-game, and who will find himself in danger? Read on! Last week, we said goodbye to four more Idol hopefuls and pretty well guaranteed that no one will ever sing the cursed “Feelin’ Good” on this show ever again. Tonight, the guys will perform, hoping for a coveted slot in the top twelve. Ryan introduces the judges. Randy is wearing a blue shirt with “Randy D. Jackson” on his shirt. He looks like an auto mechanic, except no mechanic would ever wear quite so much jewelry. Ryan tells us that on Thursday, not only will be find out who the top twelve are, but there will also be a big surprise about this season. Is the big surprise going to be that song writing contest? Because that’s not really a surprise. This week, the contestants will each reveal something about themselves. That should be a big challenge on Wednesday night’s show for Antonella Barba, seeing as she’s already revealed quite a bit to anyone with an internet connection. Blake Lewis tells us that he loves improve comedy, character acting, and Halloween. He busts out a silly hat and does a voice. “I love to have fun,” he tells us. Blake is wearing a rust colored t-shirt and some funky plaid golf pants. He’s singing 311’s “All Mixed Up.” Once again, it’s a great combination between his very clear singing and the vocal entendres he excels at. I really enjoyed it and was left wanting more. Blake is the coolest person they’ve had on this show by far. Randy: Randy loves that Blake is the first really current artist they’ve had on the show. Randy doesn’t know the song, but he loves the performance. Paula: Paula didn’t know the song either, but she was totally into it. Simon: He didn’t understand a word of it, but he thinks Blake stands out in the crowd. He’s not karaoke, and he’s very current. He is confident Blake will make it to the next round. Ryan jokes that Blake has the blessing of the judges. Blake says that 311 is his favorite band. I’m honestly surprised that Randy and Paula don’t know the song. Do they only know Stevie, Aretha, and Whitney? Ryan chats with Sundance about how emotional he was the week before. Sundance says that he gets that way, and you wouldn’t want to watch Charlotte’s Web with him. He swears he didn’t know that the camera was on him, and that his emotions were genuine. Ryan then asks the question we’ve all been wondering – is Sanjaya surprised to still be there? Harsh! He says he was shocked when he heard the results, but he’s ready to make the top twelve. Sanjaya’s surprise is that he can dance the hula. He says he can “shake my booty Hawaiian style.” Remember how long we were stuck with Hawaiian Jasmine Trias? I’m just saying… Sanjaya, his hair gorgeously flat-ironed, sings “Waiting on the World to Change.” He’s wearing a sort of army jacket and jeans. To be honest, I think this is the best he’s sounded since his audition. He doesn’t have the cool, smoky sound that John Mayer has, but on the other hand, that means he doesn’t sound like an imitator. It was a big improvement. I am not a fan of Sanjaya and would trade any of the eliminated contestants for him, but I have to give credit where it’s due. And hey, somebody must be voting for him, right? Is it you? If you’re voting for Sanjaya, email me and tell me why. I promise I won’t argue with you about it; I genuinely want to know who his fans are. Randy: Sanjaya lacked energy this week. He hasn’t been as good as his first audition, and this wasn’t that great. Paula: Paula is having a hard time finding her words. She thinks that the older, more experienced guys are helping him improve. She recommends that he try to push out of his comfort zone and to raise his game. Simon: “It wasn’t as ghastly as last week.” But he isn’t a fan of Sanjaya’s “Paula hairstyle.” He is popular, but vocally, Sanjaya’s not the best. Simon wonders if it’s the hair that’s keeping him in. Ryan says that “clearly” Sanjaya’s hair is different from Paula’s. He thinks one of the two has hair extensions, but he’s not sure which one. This completely cracks up the judges. Sundance tells us that he wears a fat suit in TV so he’s not recognized off of TV. This way, we won’t recognize the “supersexy thin guy” that he is. We see a fake photo of a skinny Sundance. Hee! Sundance is rocking both Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy” and a fauxhawk. It’s a very cool song choice for him, and he sounds really good. It’s great to have the Sundance we saw in the auditions back. In fact, I think it’s a lot better than last week’s “Mustang Sally,” which got the anchor spot. Interestingly, my husband, who loves Pearl Jam and filled my iPod with a disproportionate amount of their songs, is considerably less impressed. He may be more of a purist. Randy: There were some pitchy spots, but he likes the Southern rock-meets Pearl Jam thing. Paula: He did really, really well. Simon: Last week was better, but now he’s lost his charm. He was a generic bar singer, and it was a “very indulgent choice of song.” Randy disagrees. Ryan asks if Sundance should stay away from rock. Simon says no, but that he should try to avoid those that are too shout-y. That’s a fair point, actually, and Sundance might have done better with “Alive” or something more melodic. Ryan says hello to Travis Tritt in the audience. Randy is producing his upcoming album. Ryan wonders why he picked Randy. Travis swears he’s a good producer. Chris Richardson confesses that he used to play football and was “chunky.” He’s since lost 40 pounds and feels great. Good for you, Chris! Chris is performing Keith Urban’s “Tonight I Wanna Cry” on the stool at center stage. The audience seems to love him, but I heard a few spots that sounded a bit off-pitch. He’s definitely been better, and I’m just not that into it. Randy: Chris put his own twist on the song and is “in it to win it.” Paula: It was a great song to show off his intonation. He adapted well to the country song. Simon: It was good, but not the best vocal they’ve heard. He found it “cutesy” and a bit nasal. He thinks Chris is capable of better and was a bit timid. He sold it, though. Ryan thinks Simon should avoid using the word “cutesy” in the future. Can we also ban Randy from saying “pitchy” and promising to keep it real, while we’re at it? I’ll let Paula continue to say whatever crazy thing pops into her head. Chris says that this song was for his grandmother. Ryan asks how he lost the weight. Chris starts to explain about eating a healthier diet, but Simon interrupts and tells him to leave the kid alone. Let him focus on the singing. Ryan goes to the lounge to chat with Jared. Jared shows off his face move from last week, and several of the other guys demonstrate for us. None of them are quite as hot when they do it. Jared says he played college basketball and was “pretty good,” but not good enough for the NBA. He’s decided to pursue music instead. Jared is risking Stevie Wonder this week with “If You Really Love Me.” I love his argyle sweater and jeans. It’s a cool rendition of the song - an R&B sound, which makes it different from the song we all know so well. We all know how much the judges give people who do Stevie Wonder a hard time, but I think he really pulled it off. Randy: It was a “solid performance.” Paula: He needs to work on “coloring up the way you sing.” He needs to try using his falsetto, for example, and avoid shouting. That’s actually very good advice. Simon: “I sort of know, amazingly, what Paula is trying to say.” It wasn’t very original and could get lost in the mix. He’s “slightly disappointed” overall because he’s not hearing “the wow factor.” Ryan asks Paula if he belongs in the top twelve. “So far, yes,” says Paula, and Randy agrees. Jared says he understands what they’re saying and hopes to have the chance to take their advice. He says he appreciates the judges’ advice. Ryan then teases us that either Phil or Brandon will sing LeeAnn Rimes this week. Who will it be? Ryan chats with Brandon and Phil. How can they impress the judges? Brandon plans to “leave it all out there.” Phil says that he hopes they remember “how passionately I love them… every one of them.” Ryan says kissing up won’t help him, so what does he really think? Phil says he takes what they have with a grain of salt, but that he respects their opinions. Brandon reveals that he is a classical piano player. We see him playing, and it’s beautiful. He learned how to play by ear. Brandon is wearing the white belt that we saw a few weeks ago and singing “Celebrate” by Sly and the Family Stone. I think it’s a terrible song choice. It’s not a wow by any stretch of the imagination and really does nothing for his voice. Brandon is a good singer, but this song doesn’t give him the chance to show that off. Randy: Randy disagrees with me and loves the song. He thinks Brandon messed up a bit at the end, but it was solid. Paula: It was phenomenal, and he’s proving why he belongs there. Simon: He didn’t represent himself well, and Simon has high hopes for him. He should have chosen a more memorable song, like the girls do. The song may give him problems because it didn’t give him enough of a melody. Simon and I are of one mind. Brandon says he had a great time and hopes the audience enjoyed it, too. He says he’s “as confident as anybody could be” that he’ll make it, knowing that anything could happen. Brandon says he wants to make it to the top twelve “more than you know.” He makes funny faces at the camera as Ryan gives out his numbers. Phil tells us that he used to have hair – long hair, in fact. But he was in a group in college which required short hair. He didn’t like it short, so he shaved it, and now he likes it that way. I love a sexy bald man (just ask my sexy bald husband), so I wish Phil would quit wearing dumb hats all the time. No such luck this week, as Phil is wearing an exceptionally stupid hat that he may have stolen from Kevin Federline. He’s the one attempting LeeAnn Rimes, with “I Need You.” It is terrible. He sounds like he’s singing through several thick layers of cotton batting. Then he gets to the chorus and some higher notes and it’s better, but still just… not good. He tries some high notes and misses. It was a big old mess. It’s so bad that it could do him in. Randy: It was an “interesting” song choice. He has a big voice and reminds Randy of Steve Perry. But the low part was “a little weird” and needs work. Paula: The lower part of his register is “chancy,” and he sounded better when he hit his comfort zone. Not his best performance. Simon: “I didn’t get it at all.” The hat and big eyes at the beginning was “just insane.” Phil offers to change his eyes if that’ll help. Simon thought it was all very odd. Except for a few performances, the guys have been disappointing. Ryan says that Phil was staring Simon down. Phil says he appreciates their feedback, and he was happy to have been able to sing the song. It must not have been a good choice, he admits. He hopes to have the chance to pick better songs. If he makes it, will he squint next week? Phil promises we’ll be surprised. “Bring me back, baby!” Phil begs, as Ryan gives his numbers. Chris Sligh says he used to have short hair. He says he actually used to shave his head and looked like Phil Stacy, only “better looking.” He says the curls are real, not a perm. Chris’s song is “I Wanna Be Loved.” I don’t know the song, and I don’t really like it, so it’s hard to judge. His voice sounds good, but I wish he’d pick something more modern. Chris seems like a cool guy, but the songs he sings really aren’t. I’d much rather have seen him sing John Mayer, for example, than Sanjaya. Randy: It wasn’t his favorite song choice, but he had the best vocal of the night. Paula: Paula agrees that it wasn’t her favorite performance. He needs to “rise above.” Randy thinks it was the song. Paula says overall he needs to stretch more. Chris asks if he was better than last week, as he’s trying to get improve. Paula tells him that last week was better. Simon: The beginning was very good, but in the middle, he shouted. It wasn’t “a great, hook-y song.” He’s done enough in the past to make the finals, but he has the potential to be better. Chris says it’s one of his favorite songs. It’s not well known, but he likes the sentiment. He apologizes for not doing better and hopes for another chance. He is really turning up the humility after he smarted off to Simon before. Chris then demands a hug from Ryan. Randy says only four of the guys deserve to make the top twelve, and Paula agrees. Simon would cut it to three and a half. I tend to agree, and I really wish that Idol didn’t separate the men and the women in the competition. I’d rather see the best singers advance to the finals, regardless of gender. I also think that these performances were underwhelming. The guys were singing more to avoid being eliminated, rather than to gain votes, which makes for a pretty dull night. So, who will it be? If I had my choice, we’d say goodbye to Sanjaya and Phil this week. But I really think we’re stuck with Sanjaya for a while more. Last week, I would have predicted that Jared was in trouble, but I think that he redeemed himself with this week’s performance. Brandon, on the other hand, torpedoed himself with a song that did nothing to show off his voice. He’s going home, and I think that Phil’s song was bad enough to have him go, too.