Who leaves the island this week? Jesse, Pam, and TeKay think it'll be Chikezie; Mo Pie and I have Syesha. (Mo via rollover from two weeks ago, granted.)
Let's find out!
K.Lo's gonna perform tonight! Yaaaay!
Montage on making the full-length recordings for iTunes.
Montage of last night's performances.
Chikezie... is in the bottom three.
Brooke... is safe.
Carly... is not pregnant, despite news reports to the contrary. Anyway, she's safe.
Ford commercial: "I Want You To Want Me"
Li'l Davy... is safe.
David Cook... is told that Chris Cornell loved the song last night. And he's safe.
Syesha... is in the bottom three.
Michael... is safe.
Question time!
Is Chikezie single? Yes.
Why did David Archuleta choose that song last night? It's one of his all-time favorites.
Simon, how can yonder caller get Ryan's job? Well, it doesn't take a lot of talent, he says.
If Brooke could do a duet with any artist, who would it be? Probably John Mayer.
Does Simon consider himself the most attractive person on the show, and why? Yes; it's not what he says, it's what other people say.
Kimberley Locke is back! Whoo!
In addition to her musical career, she now owns and runs a restaurant.
Idol Gives Back montage.
Ramiele... is safe.
Down to Jason and Kristy... one is safe, one's in the bottom three.
Lee Greenwood was a fan of Kristy's last night... and she's safe.
I am totally okay with this.
Bottom three: Chikezie, Jason, Syesha.
Jason is safe.
Syesha... is safe.
Chikezie goes home.
Jesse, Pam, and TeKay pick up one point apiece!
Tonight's theme: The Year They Were Born.
Rambling reactions follow!
Ramiele (1987): "Hearts Alone"
Thank God we're done with the Beatles.
Anyway. Not bad. Not great.
(Apparently she's sick. Awww.)
Jason (1987 -- go, Jason! It's your birthday!): "Fragile" [playing the acoustic guitar]
Suffers terribly by comparison to the original. Possibly the time constraints are an issue; it's supposed to be laid-back (which possibly wouldn't do him any favors on Idol, though soulful could work for his demographic), but this is closer to frenetic.
Syesha (1987): "If I Were Your Woman"
Yawn.
Chikezie (1985): "If Only for One Night"
Following his heart and going with a ballad... the lyrics of which include "I must be crazy." So sad, so true. Chikezie may actually get booted this time. That was weak, borderline painful.
(Is it just me, or does his jacket look like it was the target of a flock of seagulls? By which I mean actual birds, not the group.)
Brooke (1983): "Every Breath You Take" [playing the piano]
Ooh. False start! ...okay, maybe she won't come in first. Decent performance, but ehh.
Brooke can't stop replying, can she. [sigh]
Michael (1978): "We Will Rock You / We Are the Champions" (I think?)
My landlady called just as this was starting (side note: I just found out my house is being sold this Thursday). I had to turn the volume way down and pretty much missed the performance. It looked good, though... I'll have to YouTube it later.
Carly (1983): "Total Eclipse of the Heart"
S'okay.
L'il Davy (1990): "You're the Voice"
No. Just... no.
Kristy (1984): "God Bless the U.S.A."
(Interesting choice; the season 2 performance stands as one of the greatest moments in Idol history.)
Good selection. The performance itself is just okay, but the song itself carries-- oh dear. What was that key change? Bad, bad key change! This is not a song that needs to be messed with! (Quite the contrary.)
Oof. Destroyed by the arrangement.
David (1982): "Billie Jean"
Oh, I love it. I love it. If I had a lighter on me, I'd totally be waving it in the air. He's got my vote.
(I will await the usual outraged posts explaining who did this arrangement first. [There's a passing resemblance to Neil Finn's take, offhand.] These are all supposed to be covers, people. The point isn't to compose or arrange the song yourself; it's to pick the song, pick the arrangement, and sing it well.)
Looks like everybody thinks Kristy is toast.
(Except Mo, who's out of town, and whose predictions roll over to Syesha in the #11 spot.)
Are we right? I kinda hope not. Spoilers ahoy!
Ryan reveals this year's mentors: Dolly Parton, Mariah Carey, Andrew Lloyd Weber (!), Neil Diamond.
Given that being too Broadway has always been seen as a flaw on this show, I don't know what they're going to do with Weber. But I'm looking forward to finding out.
(Alas, no Manilow this year. I'm not a fan of celebrity mentors in general, but he's actually good at it.)
Crap. They're doing the songwriting contest for the final song again this year. The one-size-fits-all single has never been a good idea, and yet they've had one every season except Season 2. Why? Why?!
Beatles medley.
Recap.
On to the results!
Brooke White: is in the top ten.
Carly Smithson: is in the bottom three.
Paula says America definitely got it wrong. Randy concurs, and blames the song choice.
David Archuleta: is in the top ten.
Michael Johns: is in the top ten.
The making of the Ford commercial!
The Ford commercial! (To "Should I Stay or Should I Go?") (In black and white! With flying saucers!)
David Cook: is in the top ten.
Kristy Lee Cook: is in the bottom three.
Jason Castro:is in the top ten.
Ramiele Malubay: is in the top ten.
Viewer questions. I don't think I'm gonna bother recapping these this week. But they're cute.
And it's the return of Kellie Pickler, singing "Red High Heels."
Idol Gives Back promo, with Fantasia and Elliott Yamin in Africa. No word yet how this will affect the Top 8 results.
Syesha Mercado: is in the top ten.
That leaves Amanda Overmyer and Chikezie.
Chikezie is safe. Amanda is in the bottom three.
Bottom three: Amanda, Carly, Kristy. Who's gonna miss the tour bus? Probably Kristy, but I hope it's Amanda.
Local news teaser: the recap at the end of the show comes from the rehearsal, not the live performance. Huh.
Carly: is safe.
Kristy: is safe!
Buh-bye Amanda!
Nobody gets any points, and I am cool with that. :-)
It's Beatles week. The week after Lennon/McCartney week. Boo, and also hiss.
But, anyway, on to the performances, after the jump...
Amanda: "Back in the U.S.S.R."
Amanda does her Amanda thing. Whatever that is.
[sigh] Explaining why you disagree with the judges is not a great way to sell yourself...
Kristy: "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away"
("Earlier today"? When was that bit of the montage taped?)
She's doomed, of course, hopelessly outclassed, but I confess I like Kristy.
But, alas, this is likely the end of the line. Didn't work, aside from the last note.
David Archuleta: "The Long and Winding Road"
Hmm. He is wearing an in-ear monitor. Have I just not been noticing them?
Anyway... S'okay. Pleasant. Safe.
Sorry, Pam and Mo, I just don't see him winning. (Though the applause level admittedly augurs otherwise.)
Michael: "A Day in the Life"
Did he totally flub that falsetto note, or was that intentional? Anyway, not bad.
...okay, Paula's just confirmed that they're all wearing monitors at this stage. Which is probably for the best, after the season 3 finale SNAFU. (On an unfamiliar stage, Diana ended up in the wrong spot, and couldn't hear herself during her performance. She almost certainly would've lost anyway, but it might have been closer.)
...except that he's not. Oops.
Brooke: "Here Comes the Sun"
...she looks like Big Bird in that dress.
Anyway... okay, but forgettable.
Brooke, shut up. Cutting the judges off to say you're okay with the criticism? Is not listening.
David Cook: "Day Tripper" [playing the electric guitar]
Best so far tonight, not that this is saying an awful lot. (But what was with the posing at the end?)
Carly: "Blackbird"
Third contestant in row whose most memorable moment was last week!
Not bad! Especially once she switched to the upper register. (And impressive that she could do both.)
...that explanation actually supports Simon's claim that the choice was indulgent, doesn't it?
Irony almost demands that she come in 7th place this year.
Jason: "Michelle"
Okay, Pam, I see the error of my ways. He's safe for at least the next few weeks, just on looks and personality.
Syesha: "Yesterday"
...too controlled, all the way down to the vibrato.
(Though maybe Paula's right, it's more the way she seemed disconnected from the audience.)
Chikezie: "I've Just Seen a Face" [playing the harmonica(?!)]
...actually, it got much better once past the harmonica solo.
(And Simon's right, it was gimmicky.)
As it stands, I doubt I'll bother to vote tonight. Ramiele? Save us?
Ramiele: "I Should Have Known Better"
A few good bits. Very few.
This week sucked, all around. Which might make for some weird results, but more likely means preexisting followings will carry the day.
(People in my pool, place your predictions below!)
In the pool, two people have Syesha going home, two picked David Hernandez, and I've named Jason. Let's see what happens next!
(Spoilers after the cut!)
The usual group sing and recap...
Carly, Michael, Jason, and Syesha are asked to stand.
Carly is safe.
Michael is safe.
Jason is safe. (ah well. Pam is right, and I'm okay with that.)
Syesha is in the bottom three. Randy and Paula don't think she should go home, Simon thinks she belongs in the bottom three.
She does a reprise of her song. It's not any better tonight.
Ooh. First Ford commercial of the season!
...to "Going the Distance"! Presidential campaign themed! Whoo!
Filller montage, with the contestants doing photo shoots and checking out Horton Hears a Who! ...which I kinda want to see.
Chikezie, Amanda, Kristy, and David Cook are asked to stand.
Chikezie is... asked to come down, to be told he's safe.
Amanda is safe.
David Cook is safe.
Kristy believes she's in the bottom three, and she's right. (Aww. I tried, Kristy!)
She does a reprise of her song. I don't care what anyone says, I still love it.
...they're taking calls from people on the website, given prescreened questions. Okay...
If Jason could be a judge for a day, which would he be? He's noncommittal.
Do the judges have any advice for somebody who's auditioned six times but never made it? Simon suggests he find another job; Paula suggests he keep singing.
Why don't Ryan and Simon just duke it out on stage? Paula been asking the same question forever... Ryan says roll in the mud, he's ready.
Ryan ignores somebody who wants to say Simon is sexy.
Simon is asked which country he thinks has the best singing talent, America or England? He concedes that America has the best singing talent, but the Brits have the better judging panel. Cute.
(Simon has, in the past, made no bones about America having a much deeper talent pool to draw from, leading to better finalists, so no surprise there.)
And Katharine McPhee is back, singing "Something," accompanied by David Foster on the piano. (Link included lest you think I just didn't catch the song title.) Apparently the in-ear monitors are standard issue for guest performers, though she's only using one, in the left ear.
Jim Carrey cameo. Let's move along.
David Archuleta, Brooke, David Hernandez, and Ramiele are called to the center of the stage.
Archuleta is safe.
Brooke is safe.
That leaves Hernandez and Ramiele.
Ramiele is safe. (Yay!)
Bottom three: Syesha, Kristy, David Hernandez.
I'm pulling for David Hernandez to go home, but I'd be okay with Syesha. Not that any of the three actually has a chance of going all the way, of course.
Was this the right call? Randy waffles, but ends up siding with America. Paula says she's never seen a stronger bottom three, but grants that America got it right. Simon thinks America got it spot-on.
Syesha is safe.
Down to David Hernandez and Kristy Lee Cook. (Please send David home, pleeeease...)
Yay! Kristy is safe! David goes back to the pizza bistro!
And Pam and Jesse pick up a point apiece.
Goodbye montage, with a song by Ruben Studdard.
Welcome to the fifth annual Shmuel's Soapbox American Idol Annex pool! Come one, come all! Tell your friends!
(Edited to make a change I meant to make, but forgot... the prize has traditionally been a mix CD. I'm having second thoughts about that, partly because it traditionally takes me forever to get around to it, but mostly because who uses CDs anymore? I'm open to suggestions for something else...)
Anyway. The rules are the same as last year's—in fact, I'm cutting and pasting wholesale—and they go as follows:
The upshot is that, every week, you're making x predictions, where x=the number of contestants remaining. For example, suppose that this week you were to rank the contestants as follows:
1. Amanda
2. Brooke
3. Carly
4. Chikezie
5. David A.
6. David C.
7. David H.
8. Jason
9. Kristy
10. Michael
11. Ramiele
12. Syesha
Putting aside the fact that there are better ways of making your predictions than going by alphabetical order, this would mean that if Syesha were to leave the show this week, thus coming in at #12 overall, you would get a point for having predicted that. Similarly, if Ramiele were to leave the show next week, thus coming in at #11 overall, you would get a point for that. This would similarly apply to the remaining 10 predictions, up to getting a point if Amanda turned out to be the American Idol at the end of the season.
Next week, you'd get to do the same thing again, that time ranking the eleven remaining contestants to make eleven bets. And so on until the final week, with the final two predictions. This allows for a mixture of short-term and long-term planning: you can pick up points either way, and you can have a lot of points riding on the results of the final few weeks. In fact, 22 points could be at stake between the Idol and the first runner-up, with 11 weeks of predictions riding on each.
The winners of the first two pools did so in entirely different ways. Heather (2004) picked up a few points here and a few points there, hedging her bets so that just about any outcome toward the end would guarantee her a decent placement. Pam (2005) chose Carrie as the winner in the first week, and stuck with it all season long, leading to a massive payoff when she turned out to be right. (Had Bo won instead, she would have come in dead last. A similar gamble on LaToya led to my downfall the year before.) I take this as a sign that the rules work; I wanted that kind of flexibility, rather than boxing competitors in to one strategy.
In 2006, I won by a razor-thin margin, getting the bragging rights. I still owe Pam and TeKay their mix CDs for coming in second, but I've been working on them this past weekend, and expect to get those puppies in the mail by next week. In 2007, I pretty much banked on a Jordin/Blake 1-2 punch the whole way through, and won again, a few points ahead of Frito (who picked up most of his points on #2 Blake, #5/6 Chris R., #4 LaKisha) and Mo Pie (who had a more diversified portfolio than either of us).
Further examples can be found in the explanation of the rules from three years ago, and last year's spreadsheet may or may not help you get the hang of things.
Good luck!
And now the season begins in earnest! The finals begin! New set! New intro!
Ryan is very pleased with the set, and he makes sure we all know it.
This week, it's Lennon/McCartney songs! (Which a montage makes clear is not confined to Beatles songs.)
(As an aside, belated credit where it's due... last week's appellation of "Emo McLips" for Danny Noriega owes a debt to Weetapidol's observation that "this kid is soooo emo." [They ended up dubbing him "Emo Muppet," which was even better.])
(If it's not totally clear that I'm typing the following as I watch... I'm typing the following as I watch, albeit with the occasional minor edit immediately afterward.)
Syesha: "Got to Get You Into My Life"
Started a bit flat, then got into a groove. I like the swinginess she added to the song. Not bad.
Chikezie admits that he expected to be cut last week. Let's see if he can rebound!
Chikezie: "She's a Woman"
I feel like there should be a guy blowing on a jug, and maybe another with a kazoo. If you're gonna go folksy, go all the way.
Ooh, I like his stepping it up a notch from there. Good transition.
I'm not sure about the whole stuttering bit in the middle; seemed contrived.
Still, on the whole, fun performance!
Ryan has finally lost it.
Ramiele: "In My Life"
...mm. I think I just melted all over the floor.
Well, until the last note. I think the last note was a mistake. Otherwise, loved it.
(Granted, I love this song, and have ever since hearing Chantal Kreviazuk's less soulful version on Providence.)
Jason's getting better at narrating his intros.
Jason: "If I Fell" [playing the acoustic guitar]
Starting a bit weak. Continuing a bit weak. Ending... still weak. Oh dear. This performance is everything the judges thought Ramiele's song was.
(Granted, I don't remember ever having heard this song before, though I probably have.)
...aside, just discovered in passing: I never realized that the covers for the three volumes of The Beatles Anthology can be put side by side to make one collage. Cool!
Carly: "Come Together"
And Carly is reminding us why she's the frontrunner among the women. (As Archuleta is among the men, though I'm still rooting for Brooke and David Cook.) This is not the most melodic song, but it's a tough one to pull off, and she nails it. Good job!
Poor David Cook. Neither of his names are unique among this year's finalists. Two other Davids, one other Cook.
...ooh, guitar-smashing in the montage.
(What the heck is going on between Randy and Simon?)
David Cook: "Eleanor Rigby"
Sadly, I don't think this particular arrangement works. I'm not sure if it's too fast, or too rocked-up, or what. Liked the singing, disliked this song.
Brooke: "Let It Be" [playing piano]
...executed well, but too safe. (And the few flourishes seemed artificial.) My favorites are letting me down this week!
The acoustics on stage must be very different from what I'm hearing at home.
Is "pizza bistro" in some code I'm unfamiliar with?
David Hernandez: "I Saw Her Standing There"
First run into the crowd, I think. Not a bad take, but he's not connecting with all the notes. I'd have to score this a nice try, but he's in jeopardy.
...ahh, duelling idioms again. Rabbits and deer can both be transfixed by headlights, and both phrases are well established. I believe rabbit's more common in the U.K.; deer's more common in the U.S.
Some of the contestants are watching the show on T.V. backstage?! That has got to be surreal. (I mean, even more surreal than being on the show is in general.)
Amanda: "You Can't Do That"
...is she singing actual words?
Her pants are actually creating a moire pattern. Possibly a sign that I need a high-def television.
I have no idea how to score that at all. I am not Amanda's audience.
I don't think you've done everything we can think of, Michael. Have you worked in a pizza bistro?
Michael: "Across the Universe"
...ehh. Okay. Too controlled. Solid, but boring.
Kristy: "Eight Days a Week"
I love the arrangement. I wish she'd kicked it up a notch or three after the bridge. But I think it worked.
(It's well established that Simon doesn't grok country. I'm surprised by Paula's reaction, though.)
David Archuleta: "We Can Work It Out"
...this is more or less the Stevie Wonder version, just a bit lighter. (Why lighter? I don't get it.) S'okay.
Syesha, Jason, Michael, and Kristy are probably the most vulnerable. I think Jason was the weakest, which doesn't mean he's gonna go. For my part, I'm gonna vote for Ramiele and Kristy this week.
Finishing up the first pool thread in another window... it should be up shortly. Talk amongst yourselves!
Results and reactions follow!
Blake Lewis is performing! I quite like his album.
(Why does he need earphones in both ears, when the contestants presumably get by with monitors onstage? No clue.)
Paula's video is #1 on iTunes. Imagine how well it might do if it were good...
David Cook... is in the final 12! (And Lionel Richie loved his version of "Hello.")
David Archuleta... is also in the final 12.
Jason Castro... has made it as well!
Ryan's gonna let the rest of the guys hanging and move to the girls after the break. Ryan can be a cruel, cruel man when he puts his mind to it. I respect that.
Brooke White... is going through to the finals, of course.
Syesha Mercado... is pronounced safe by all the judges... and they're right.
Kady Malloy... is going home. (Yay! I called it!) She seems at peace with that.
Back to the guys!
David Hernandez... is in.
Michael Johns... is staying on as well.
Which leaves three people and one spot.
Luke Menard... is obviously leaving.
So, that takes care of the two givens.
The boys are down to Chikezie and Pouty-Face. I'd rather see the latter go, but I can't imagine it'll happen... anyway, back to the girls.
Ramiele Malubay... is in the finals.
Carly Smithson... is too.
Amanda Overmyer... is also in.
Down to Kristy and Asia'h. My money's on Asia'h going.
And we'll find out after the break.
Ryan asks the judges who's gonna go. Randy thinks it might go Asia'h's way, though I'm not sure whether that means he thinks she'll be safe or go home. Paula rambles. Simon thinks Asia'h's probably out.
Asia'h is indeed going home. Kristy goes on to the top 12.
And back to the boys.
Chikezie... is safe!!
WHOO!!
(Looks like Paula didn't see that coming either.)
Next week: the finals! And the return of the Idol Annex Pool, now in its fifth year! Please join us!
(I'll be working on the mix CDs for TeKay, Frito, and Pam this weekend. Honest!)
Reactions after the cut!
Asia'h Epperson: "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)"
If you're gonna take on Whitney, you'd better be good. She's good, but not that good.
Kady Malloy: "Who Wants to Live Forever"
Umm, no. Boring and pitchy. Kady's reprieve ends here.
Amanda Overmyer: "I Hate Myself for Loving You"
Good song choice. I still don't care for her singing, though.
Carly Smithson: "I Drove All Night"
I'm not familiar with this song, but not bad!
Kristy Lee Cook: "Faithfully"
Good choice, good performance. I'm thinking she's safe.
(Uh oh. Professing to be satisfied to come in 10th is a good way to make sure you don't get any further than that.)
Ramiele Malubay: "Against All Odds"
S'okay. A bit flat. I don't know about her chances this week.
Y'know, that Mountain Dew commercial in which women are doing all sorts of high-risk activities in a storm while men get struck by lightning annoys me. I suspect you'll find the reason why most lightning victims are men is because women generally know enough to get out of the rain...
Brooke White: "Love Is A Battlefield" (really? Brooke? Benatar? holy crap.)
She's turned this into a stripped-down ballad! And it works! Brooke is officially my favorite female contestant.
(And I am so with Simon. Bringing in the band would've wrecked what she was doing.)
Syesha Mercado: "Saving All My Love for You"
Good job! She's safe.
I'd say Kady Malloy is going home this week. Probably Ramiele or Asia'h will be joining her. Brooke and Syesha are the only ones I'm confident about declaring safe, though.
The '80s! What a surprise!
Luke Menard: "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"
Falsetto again! Good enough for what it is, but I was hoping he'd show a wider range tonight, and this isn't gonna do that at all. Barring any calamities later tonight, I think he's toast.
David Archuleta: "Another Day in Paradise" [playing the piano]
Did the piano add anything, aside from making more work for the stagehands, and letting us know he can play the piano? I don't know. (Especially since he left it after the first verse, highlighting its superfluousness.) The singing was fine, though. Not particularly exciting, but pleasant.
Emo McLips: "Tainted Love"
Damn. Put aside his incessant posing, and that was actually good. The kid's safe this week.
David Hernandez: "It's All Coming Back to Me"
Not bad. Waiting to see if he can hit the notes at the end... answer: yes, but not with enough power to take it over the top.
Michael Johns: "Don't Choose to Forget About Me"
I thought this was a solid performance, and that was before the first key change. Best so far tonight.
David Cook: "Hello" [playing the electric guitar, after the stagehands get everything working]
I am so glad I voted him through. May not be the best of the guys, but he's officially my favorite.
Jason Castro: "Hallelujah" [playing the acoustic guitar]
I been known to listen to several dozen covers of this for hours, so you might say I like the song. Very decent performance.
(My favorite version's by Clemson TakeNote, incidentally.)
Chikezie: "All the Woman I Need"
Eh... okay.
Luke's definitely going home... Beyond that, I'm not sure, but Chikezie, David Hernandez, and Jason Castro seem plausible casualties, in order from most to least likely. The other four should be safe. (David Archuleta on the strength of momentum, rather than this week's performance.)