Lilly Scott's (American Idol) Earrings

One thing that stood out for me about Lilly Scott, aside from her obviously talented quirky voice and musical styling was her earring collection. If you're like me and you've asked yourself "Where can I buy Lilly Scott's earrings?" at one point or another, then read on!

I found this Lilly Scott-inspired crochet earrings, the ones she wore when she sang a Patsy Cline tune (and surprisingly got eliminated that week!) here.

Check out Lilly Scott's actual earrings (first two pictures from the left) vs. the inspired version (right-most picture):



You can check out the Lilly Scott earrings at this link:

http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2010/03/american_idol-inspired_crochet.html

American Idol 9: First Set of Girls, Guys Booted Out

The drama that is elimination night has started again this season, and an unexpected set of guys and girls gout booted out this week.

I was afraid that it was the redhead Lacey Brown who was going to be booted out as her performance was lackluster, and she did not fall under the judge's faves category. You could imagine my relief when I realized Lacey was in.

Instead, two of the good looking girl contestants of the season were booted out: Janell and Ashley. It was a surprising turn of events considering the fact that the good looking ones normally get away with a few bad performances (case in point: Kristy Lee Cook).

I wasn't very surprised about the Joe Munoz cut, his performance was very safe. Good but nothing memorable, and nothing that could have spurred me (and apparently America) to vote for him. What surprised me terribly though was the Tyler Grady boot.

I felt 100% for Tyler Grady's comments about the judges giving constructive criticism too little to late. It almost felt as though the judges had plunged a knife into Tyler's back by suddenly doing a metanoia and putting down his 70s vibe. Back in Hollywood week, they were all praises about his "blast from the past" persona and performances, and had never, at one point, advised him to try to explore new territory. Kara had even said that she wanted to be in "Planet Tyler".

After an entertaining "American Woman" that was true to his style (definitely nothing groundbreaking but it was at least memorable), the judges suddenly turned their back on this lovable dark horse, telling him that he should try something new already, criticizing the things they had just praised about last week.

Even Simon Cowell seemed to nod in agreement when Tyler pointed this out. The judges should have at least taken his performance in stride, pointed out more good points about it and based their comments on their love for his old school style, and then suggested him to try something new next week. I blame the judges 100% for Tyler's absence next week.

It might not be the Year of the Tyler Grady this AI season, but I hope a lot of good things come his way.

American Idol: The Drama! Grave mistake of having 2 judges per performance, etc

This week's American Idol Season 8 shows were chock full of drama and happenings that I felt compelled to write a blog post about it.

For starters, the director had this queer idea of having only 2 judges give their thoughts on each performance. The judges would alternate per performance - simon/paula first then kara/randy, and so on. It was in response to the huge problem AI has had for ages - not finishing on time.

For one thing, I'm actually quite shocked that at this point of the game, they still have this problem. There are less performances to judge on now, and the video cuts between the instructor (this week was Quentin Tarantino - a huge shocker for me! I didn't know he had a lot of knowledge in musical coaching!) and the AI contestant were not too long-winded.

I realized, however, that it may be in part due to the addition of the fourth judge, Ms. Artistry herself, Kara.

I think that having only two judges judge per peformance was a HUGE mistake, and cost points against a few of the contestants, most notably Kris Allen, whose performance was absolutely brilliant and soulful, but who sadly got a bad review from Randy. Simon had to comment the day after that he loved Kris' performance but the damage had been done - luckily, Kris didn't get into bottom 3 because of this costly mistake.

If the AI director really wanted to save on time, he should, personally use this strategy instead:

1. Have Simon judge BEFORE all the other judges
2. Have the other 3 judges talk ONLY IF their opinion is different from Simon's or they have something substantial to add on to it. By substantial, I do NOT mean:
- mentioning the word ARTISTRY
- mentioning the word DOG
- commenting about the song rather than the performer (see paragraph below)
3. Lessen Paula's stuttering - I don't know how they're gonna do this, but it's going to be a huge time saver, IMO

In other news, I was so utterly CONFUSED about Paula's comments on Lil Rounds - instead of judging her vocals and/or performance (which I believe Simon commented on perfectly), she just said that the song was a beautiful one composed by . Huh?!

And then when Lil Rounds started defending herself (as she always does - seriously, it's getting very old and annoying already), Paula commends her and says something like "don't ever hold back" - which is needless to say, because Lil Rounds NEVER holds back on comments. If there is anything she is consistent on, it is her final say on her performance.

Meanwhile, Matt Giraud threw a less than perfect performance (but in my opinion, still a good performance none the less), and got cold reviews from Kara and Randy. I don't know if Simon and Paula would have helped him had they been given the chance to speak but Simon did say on the next day, when he performed again to plead for a save, that he wasn't as good that day as he was the day prior, so I'm guessing Simon might have somewhat liked Matt's initial stint.

The crowd was shouting for a save, the judges were discussing it longer than usual, and finally, Matt is given the only save the judges can give (Tears are shed, and the results episode became one of the most dramatic ones I've watched by far), putting Matt up in the book of AI world records as the first person to ever be saved AND as the most times saved by the judges, as he was also saved back in Wild Card round.

Which simply means that Matt has HUGE potential (believe me, try to listen to some of his studio versions, and you'd find out just HOW GREAT HE IS!). I only wish that he could be more consistent and choose better songs because it will be a dang shame if he didn't sail through to at least the top 4.

Simon ends the results night with a buzz kill, telling the contestants not to be so happy about Matt's save because 2 people were gonna go home next week and next week was going to be.... DISCO NIGHT.

Off the bat, I think Anoop is going to have the most trouble during this night, as I recall his Michael Jackson performance. I'm hoping Lil Rounds will be eliminated already, because she's really not listening to the judges and stepping up to the plate. I'm a bit afraid of how Kris is going to pull off Disco Night as well. I certainly hope he'll do good. He's got great talent so he should be able to do this right.

Can't wait for next week!

Josiah Leming is a Sour Grape

NOT!!!

These media people are starting to piss me off. They'll do anything to generate more traffic and buzz, normally at the expense of some unknowing celebrity who's just decided to be honest.

Take this crap for instance:

Click here to read the People Watch magazine article, titled "Idol Contestant Josiah Leming Calls Show ‘Glorified Karaoke’"

If you read the article, the words "sour grape", "ungrateful", and "arrogant" will come to mind. The article reeks of controversy.

Now, read the full MTV article, where People watch magazine got its source:
Click here for the full MTV article.

Doesn't it all come into better perspective in the full article? Josiah Leming on the full article is merely voicing out what he feels. Yes, he says "It's like glorified karaoke." But he also says, "I did it and it was great. I love those people there. They were great to me, and it gave me a great kick-start to my career." True, he still gave American Idol some lip. But hey, isn't there some truth in it?

The kid's got an attitude, but it's not so bad and it definitely isn't sour graping. "There's something in me — call it ambition, call it arrogance, call it cockiness, it doesn't bother me because it's necessary to my music."

It just reminds me of Jason Castro's "controversy" regarding the balloons, where the media put the dreadhead in an ugly light, implying that he didn't appreciate the gift. Seriously, after all the weeks we've come to know him through his video clips, and interviews, do you really think that's true?

Bottom line: take everything you read with a grain of salt. Because these articles are a whole load of bull crap coated with an intelligent choice of intriguing vocabulary.

In defense to Jason Castro

After youtube hunting and reading articles about Jason Castro and the general opinion on him, I am put in a position where I am obliged to say something in defense to him.

Not simply because he is quite good-looking (an observation all female fans alike have realized), but based on his overall package. For me, American Idol is all about people with 1) great, magnetic personality, 2) a unique melodic style, and 3) a good voice. Castro possesses all three of them.

Let me elucidate. If you close your eyes and listen to a Castro-sung song, you can immediately point out that it's the dreadhead singing. If you close your eyes and listen to a Sayesha performance, you will probably have a hard time guessing.

And if you are asked to recall the greatest performances of this season, I would bet that you would remember Hallelujah and Somewhere over the Rainbow, because of how different and beautiful it was interpreted. Not saying that these are the only memorable songs, because I am a true blue Cook fan as well, and I believe that Cook is still more deserving than him.

What I find unfair is when Castro is judged as not wanting it enough, based on the norm of what "wanting it more" is. Castro has always been laid back, and always will be. That's him. Just because he doesn't tell the judges how much he's put his all into the songs doesn't mean he wants it less. Just because he doesn't close his eyes and bob his head and belt doesn't mean he's less passionate.

The main attraction w/ Jason, for me, is exactly the fact that he is different. We don't need replicas of current pop stars, we need new talents. Castro is a new talent. He's a fresh new face, a fresh new voice, and I believe he should be praised for that. He's had his ups and downs in AI, but his uniqueness has always been prevalent in each performance. That's all that should matter.

David Cook and "Innocent"

David Cook surprised me by performing Our Lady Peace's "Innocent" this week. I was obviously thrilled to know that we have the same favorite band, but I felt anxious when he announced his song, because his voice and Raine Maeda's voice are very different. But David Cook is as talented as an American Idol contestant can get, so I was hoping he'd pull it off.

By the end of the performance, I was left with mixed feelings. The beggining was very rough as he tried to find his correct tone, but by the middle, I started enjoying it. As a whole, he was good, but not fantastic. It was an apt song choice based on the lyrics, but perhaps he could have chosen another OLP song.

I still give David Cook props for taking on such a difficult song. I personally believe "Innocent" is one of the hardest OLP songs to sing, because the range stretches from the very low to high. And interpreting the raspy quality to Raine Maeda's voice isn't a no-brainer.

For those who have not listened to the original version of Innocent, here it is:







Just a few minutes ago, I was able to listen to the full length studio version of David Cook's rendition of "Innocent", and it certainly redeemed him big time. He sang it way better! Not as great as Raine in my opinion, but Cook did what he does best - he made it his own! Here it is:







David Cook is amazing.

Elimination Songs from American Idol Season 1 to Season 6

I'll admit it. I'm crazy. I spent some time off my busy schedule to figure out all the elimination songs from season 1 to season 6 and figure out if there are artists that future AI contestants should probably not attempt to sing; that is, songs made by artists that have caused the most number of contestants to be eliminated.

And here are the results!

#1 Killer: The Supremes
Hit List:
Season 2 Where did our Love Go - Julia
Season 6 You Can't Hurry Love - Brandon
Season 2 You Keep Me Hangin' On - Vanessa
Season 3 You Keep Me Hangin' On - Leah
Speaking of Diana Ross, another one on the hitlist by Diana Ross is Season 2's Rickey singing Endless Love

Tied at #1: Donna Summer
Hit List:
Season 1 Last Dance - Ryan
Season 5 Last Dance - Brenna
Season 4 On the Radio - Vonzell
Season 3 No More Tears - Diana

Big Contender: Stevie Wonder
Season 4 All in Love is Fair - David
Season 6 If You Really Love Me - Jared
Season 5 Overjoyed - Sway
This is of course excluding Mellisa during Stevie Wonder Night since one would have inevitably been eliminated because of a Stevie Wonder song that night.

And then a few other contenders with 2 eliminations each:
Alicia Keys
Season 5 If I Ain't Got You - Shontai
Season 4 You Don't Know my Name - Aloha

Bonnie Raitt
Season 6 I Can't make you love me - Amy
Season 6 Something to Talk About - Sanjaya

Elvis Presley
Season 3 Jailhouse Rock - Jon Peter
Season 5 Suspicious Minds - Chris Daughtry

Faith Hill
Season 2 Breathe - Julia
Season 4 When the Lights Go Down - Celena

Gloria Estefan
Season 3 Music of My Heart - John Stevens
Season 6 Turn the Beat Around - Haley

Lonestar
Season 3 Amazed - Matt
Season 4 I'm Already There - Anthony

Nat King Cole
Season 5 That's All - Ace
Season 5 When I fall in Love - Kevin

Nina Simone
Season 6 Feeling Good - Leslie
Season 6 Feeling Good - AJ
Same song, same season, same night... creepy!

Peggy Lee
Season 6 Fever - Nicholas
Season 1 Glory of Love - Christina

Ray Charles
Season 4 Georgia on my Mind - Nikko
Season 5 I Believe to my Soul - Elliott

Taylor Dayne
Season 2 Love will Lead you back - Carmen
Season 4 Love will Lead you back - Mikalah

The Temptations
Season 4 Get Ready - Sarah
Season 1 My Girl - Ejay

Perhaps this may mean something to future contestans... Perhaps not. If you can sing well, then by all means, sing the risky songs (ie Elliott Yamin singing Stevie Wonder). It's just a tad interesting to see an elimination summary (at least it was a tad interesting for me tallying it)

Elliott Yamin's Movin' On in Three Flavors

Movin' on is one of the funkiest, jazzy beats I've heard ever. You just can't help but move to the beat. It's a very catchy song, and Elliott's funk and soul really shines through.

Check the song out in three flavors:

The album version:



Dang this song is so hot.

The live version with all the instruments:



Elliott Yamin has really grown from the first time we saw him. He's more confident, and that shows in all those runs he gives in his performances. He's not afraid to take chances with the song and he really grooves up the performance even more.

The live acoustic version:
is in


http://www.wired965.com/dm_images/audio/070424123851.wma (10:36)

All I can say is: "Wow".

Only problem now is deciding which is the best among the 3 :)

Favorite American Idol Performances for Seasons 4 to 6

These are my favorite American Idol performances for Seasons 4 to 6:

Elliott Yamin: Moody's Mood for Love.
This was the song that really made me fall in love with his voice. I only listened to the song for the first time and I could not get enough of it. The song never ceases to give me goosebumps and a smile.


Blake Lewis: Time of the Season
First of all, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Zombies. And their songs are hard to really sing well, much more sing as your own. But Blake Lewis managed to own that song. He is in all aspects a star, he has a unique talent and good performance skills.


Chris Daughtry: Hemorrhage
Hell yeah. He rocked the house that night. I think it's safe to say he sang it better than Fuel did.


Melinda Doolittle: Funny Valentine
Goosebumps all over. Her interpretation of the song was impeccable


Constantine Maroulis: Bohemian Rhapsody
It's hard to make that song work, but he did.



Mario Vasquez: How Can you mend a Broken Heart
check out time 1:44 especially (loved his performance of How Can you mend a Broken Heart). He was a cinch to win had he not left


anwar robinson: moonriver
His voice was really fantastic but he seemed to have lost confidence on his latter performances (a dang shame)


nick pedro: fly me to the moon
hot. if it weren't for sanjaya, he would have stayed on and showed us what he got.

A HOT AI Night!

This week the males were HOT! They wowed the judges, including the ever critical Simon. And they certainly wowed me!

The night started out okay with Luke Menard. I have nothing against him, but the problem is I have nothing to praise him about either, aside from his similarity with Orlando Bloom. He is, as Simon said, forgettable. Which is why I think he is in grave danger of being cut this week. David Archuleta followed, with a very goose-bumpy performance of an Eric Clapton classic. The judges didn't like it as much. I'd have to disagree with them. I believe that this was one of my favorite David Archuleta moments. I liked the whole piano thing he did at the beginning, until he just focused on his singing. A few pitch problems here and there but he really made the song different. Danny Noriega followed and I was rendered speechless! He must have outperformed and outsassed all the ladies. Vocals weren't quite good, Simon wasn't feeling it again. The arrangement was actually pretty funky.

Then the night was really set on fire! There was David Hernandez singing a female-popularized song and owning it (although it pales in comparison to his hot interpretation of "Papa was a Rolling Stone"). Then there was Michael Johns' deep rough voice and unique stage antics. I'm very glad he's back in the game - last week was a disappointing night for him. David Cook's rendition of the Lionel song was extremely unpredictable and he did a great job! I'm glad Simon is starting to warm up to him. He is one cool guy. And his voice is perfect for that rock scene!

Then there was Jason Castro! He was the absolute highlight of this night, in my opinion. Just as Paula said, he showed his vulnerability, and his phrasing is really what sets him apart. I also love his voice! It has this accent that really makes me want to listen to him sing over and over again. Personality wise, he is a cinch to be my favorite. He is this shy, funny guy type with a bit of a flirtatious side to him. He is ADORABLE!!! I find myself smiling whenever I listen to his interviews and his singing.

Chikezie was the last to perform and I must say that I am starting to get annoyed by his cockiness. Simon asked him a painfully simple question if Whitney sang the song, and he had to show off his musical memory by telling him who remade the song, yadda yadda. His vocals this week wasn't all that good either. Very pitchy. I couldn't relax as I was always trying to adapt to the tone.

All in all, I like 5 out of the current 8 so here's to hoping that the 5 I like get through! Way to go, guys! Go beat the females, who I believe are sorely lacking in diversity this season.

Renaldo Lapuz - THE defining moment of Season 7

I am your brother
Your best friend forever
Singing the songs
The music that you like
We're brothers til the end of time
Together forever til the end of time
I am your brother
Your best friend forever
Singing the songs
The music that you like
We're brothers til the end of time
Together or not, you're always in my heart
Your hurting feelings
Will reign no more

If you're watching American Idol Season 7 then you definitely know this song. You must have endured a few sleepless nights with this tune plaguing your head (or it might just be me).

If you're not watching American Idol Season 7 because you believe that it has nothing more entertaining to offer, then watch it now:



If you're not laughing right now, then you might be dead. Or 99% of the other viewers just have a corny sense of humor ;)

I predict that Renaldo Lapuz will be THE most talked about phenomenon of this season. Just a quick search through youtube.com shows that it's already happening! Check out just a few of the people who have submitted a video singing Renaldo's original composition!



A beautiful version of the song:


If you remain unconvinced, Renaldo Lapuz has his own website! And traffic seems to be pouring in like crazy!
http://www.renaldolapuz.com/

This is just another reminder of how powerful this show really is. Kinda creepy realization if you think about it :)

American Idol Results are in and they're surprising... or not?

If you haven't watched the results night of American Idol then I urge you not to scroll down further.

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Alright then, Melinda Dolittle is out. The ever consistent, goosebump-generating, quirky Melinda was beaten by a teenager who (in my opinion) had a very lukewarm night last night and who never really captured my attention, and the 25 year old stylish, funky, modern beatboxer.

I'd agree with the viewers' choice of voting for Blake Lewis, and I'm quite happy that this show does not always choose the belters over the wild cards. What I'm not too thrilled about is that voters decided to choose the less sensational belter. Clearly, when you listen to Jordin and Melinda, you know who stands out more, and the judges agree.



However, I find that I am not all too shocked about the results, despite the 74% who said they were "absolutely shocked" in the American Idol website polls. I had a creeping feeling that this was how it was gonna go. Why I had this feeling, I don't know. Perhaps it's because American Idol has that knack of shocking you, that I had prepared for the shock already.

The question is: What could have possibly caused Melinda's elimination? Could it be either: (1) the viewers frantically voted for the idol who got less positive comments, assuming that the others would have voted for the idol who was "a cinch to be in the top" (ex. Chris Daughtry) or (2) the viewers got bored by Melinda's consistent greatness?

It's quite ironic that Melinda went to the bottom 3 just when it really counted. But I'm not worried. I think Melinda will release an album. It would be a crime if she didn't.

It would seem obvious from my previous posts and this particular post that I am 100% rooting for Blake, now that it's between the teenager and fresh, hip beatboxer.

Happiest moment of my week

Ahhh sheer bliss.

Country Night at American Idol and Elliott's new Album

I'm really sorry but I really can't appreciate country music all that much. This is a big reason why I do not like Carrie Underwood's music. Because of this, I was not all too excited about American Idol this week.

I'd have to say I only enjoyed Blake's performance. I think Melinda's performance was way too rodeo for my taste; Lakisha's performance was actually quite solid, I liked how she sang "Jesus Takes the Wheel" more than Carrie in my opinion; Chris Richardson wasn't all too bad; I'm not gonna even start with Sanjaya.

I'm wondering why Ryan Seacrest was strongly defending Sanjaya when Simon gave his honest criticisms. Honestly, Simon isn't biased. He gives opinions to every Idol contestant the same way. It just so happens that Sanjaya's performances give way to more criticisms, that's all.

Back to Blake. I just love everything about him. From his looks to his cool personality to the way he dresses to the tone of his voice to the way he performs. He is an idol in every sense and he has miraculously made me like Country music a little more.

On other Idol news, I listened to Elliott's new album and loved it. Wasn't too hot about "Wait for You", but the rest of the tracks were hot!!! "Movin'" On is at the top of my list!!! Gonna buy his album real soon! You can preview the tracks in the american idol official website.

Gina goes home... which means another day in paradise for Sanjaya Malakar

Gina Glocksen is out. I can't say I was surprised by this. Her peformance was really half-baked and lacked personality. The fans, myself included, got confused with what Gina really wanted to express. She can't go hot and cold like that per performance and go from rocker to diva each night. It's just bound to leave the fans cold.

Of course, I am pretty disappointed that she did leave. I felt she held a lot of promise, and she still had a lot to show. Between Gina and the skimpy-dressed Haley, I would have said goodbye to Haley any day. But hey, that's American Idol voting for you. Completely out of whack.

All this means just one thing: It's another day in paradise for our favorite guy: Sanjaya Malakar (please note the sarcasm that is coating each and every syllable of "our favorite guy"). This issue is becoming so huge that Constantine even placed a Yahoo! Answer question about it, and it goes like this:

"How will Sanjaya’s continued success on American Idol impact the show’s credibility? With all of the controversy surrounding Sanjaya’s survival week-to-week, is it too late for American Idol to regain its fans’ trust?"

Is it too late for AI to regain its fans' trust?

I don't think so. Could a lanky kid with poor vocals sabotage a high-rated show built on a 6-year foundation? If anything, AI should use all its experience to innovate and find a way to solve this issue. Perhaps a new way of voting is in order? Perhaps the judges should get the final say?

We can only ponder on the possible solutions to this plague.

1 Cool cat, 1 hip performance, and the "ho-hum" rest of them

Tony Bennett night was a night of great performances. I especially liked Blake's performance. He was 1 cool cat, singing and dancing to "Mack the Knife". Blake Lewis embodied "cool" in every sense - his tone, his moves, his look.



Chris Richardson made a comeback with his hip rendition of "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" and Randy Jackson himself said that he "came out with a vengeance".



I personally didn't like the rest. Melinda and Lakisha sang well but I felt that it wasn't unique enough. They're good belters that's for sure but each AI season has good belters so there's nothing to rave about there. I do have to give props to Melinda because as usual, she interpreted the lyrics flawlessly. Lakisha's sass came back, as Simon said, but I felt the band overpowered her performance.

Gina confuses me - she's supposed to be a rocker and now she's going towards becoming a belter. I think Gina should stick to what makes her stand out above the rest of this year's competitors. She could go tap her sentimental side but there is still a way to maintain her personality in my opinion. Take Garbage, for instance. Garbage's singer Shirley has slow, sentimental songs but the rocker in her still shines.

Haley and Phil are doomed. When Simon starts judging your legs, you're balancing on a thin thread. When Paula starts saying something bad about you, tsk tsk.

Sanjaya Malakar still had a non-energetic performance with his too-loose clothes and too-quiet voice. Simon's comment on Sanjaya was hilarious, saying he was "incredible". I don't get why Tony Bennett had such praise for Sanjaya. It's scary.

Sanjaya is getting very Cocky

Sanjaya is now suffering from what season 4 Scott Savol suffered from as well - a large amount of cockiness. The feeling of being invincible tends to get into people's heads. It's the feeling that they can sing as crappy as crap itself and still escape the bottom 3 - the feeling that even Simon Cowell's influential words cannot sway the voters.

This cockiness will be the downfall of Sanjaya. I absolutely felt like his comment about Simon being jealous of his hair, the way he smiles and grins even though the judges are speechless in disgust, shows that he is starting to love the power that he has over his fans. And I think (at least I hope) this will be his demise. Fans absolutely do not love cocky Idols. This, I think (and as I recall), is why Scott Savol got eliminated after he expressed his confidence in making it to the AI finals. And Scott Savol sings way better than Sanjaya.

Sanjaya, please do leave with your faux mohawk and your faux nice guy personality. Please, for the love of all who know what real good singing is.

American Idol 6 Celebrity Look-alikes

I'm in American Idol mode again, and it just came to me that some of the American Idol Top 12 contestants look a little like famous celebrities. Comment if you agree :)

(Blake, of course, is far cuter than Sean William ;) )

And they're both American Idol contestants! How's that for similarity?

Chris says a lot of people tell him that he looks like Justin Timberlake. I think he looks more like Chad Michael Murray.
They kinda look alike right? :P Their smile's kinda similar too.

They even have the same set of frames! WOAH!

Thanks to my brother who was able to help me find another lookalike for the AI contestants :D

What they Mean when they say Sanjaya's getting better

Here's what I think.

This is the American Idol talent meter:


There's "You are the singer to beat", then there's "Your vocals were spot on", followed by "It was good", and "It was aight" at the neutral side. Then there's "That was not good, dude", "second-rate bar performance", and "absolutely horrendous".

Finally, there's Sanjaya.

His first performance on stage was when he ironically bored us by singing a Stevie Wonder song with the lyrics "I don't wanna bore you". He followed this up with a performance that felt like a "ghastly talent show", with a voice as small as a mouse' and an oversized suit. Yes, Sanjaya fans, I acknowledge the fact that he never sings off-pitch. We got to give him some props for that. Here are the props: Sanjaya, you CAN sing... just make sure it's during family reunions, school recitals, those types of events.

Now, singing shouting the Kinks' "You Really Got Me", Paula and Randy felt he was having fun and felt it was his best performance yet. That just means that currently, he has finally reached the "absolutely horrendous" spot.


Bravo, Sanjaya. You really ARE getting better.

British Invasion Night at American Idol, and some very Strange, Creepy moments

It was British invasion Night at American Idol and I was extremely excited about it, because I really love 60's music (I am a Zombies, Searchers, Hollies, Classics, Applejacks, etc. fan). I was absolutely thrilled that 2 Zombies songs were covered, and were covered well.

For me, Blake stole the show with his ultra cool, suave rendition of "Time of the Season":



Stephanie Edwards lost her spark and doesn't seem sincere enough with the way she sings. Haley didn't sing very well but danced very well hehehe. I don't think Gina followed Lulu's suggestion of making the pitch higher, it seemed she sang the song better during the clip with Lulu... Phil Stacey's performance was also half-baked. Lakisha's "Diamonds are Forever" was hot, I dont know why Simon and co. didnt like it so much. Melinda was spot on with the way she interpreted her lyrics. Chris Richardson's was another great performance. His vocals was close to impeccable:



The creepiest moment had to be when Sanjaya tried to rock it out with "You Really got me Now". He was really just shouting his lyrics, his outfit was sloppy with the overly large blazer, it just didnt work. What made it even creepier was how Ashley on the audience was crying while he performed! Was that creepy or what???



Based on all these comments, I have no idea why Chris wound up in the bottom 2 and why Sanjaya was smiling and laughing sitting down comfortably in his seat, having avoided elimination once again.