Archive for the 'Competition reviews' CategoryThe Top 3May 15th, 2007, 10:02 pm by bgarcia
It’s the moment of truth for Blake, Melinda and Jordin. They’ve each got three chances to win our hearts and a place in the finals. Who’s bound for the crown? Who’s left with the bronze? Find out as the Idol Chat judges take one step closer to the edge. The Top 6 … againMay 1st, 2007, 9:53 pm by bgarcia
Tonight, as Ryan tells us, the Top 6 “tell the stories of Jon Bon Jovi,” the kinky-haired prince of ’80s hair metal. Who gives Jon a good name? Who’s living on a prayer? Read on to find out what the Idol Chat judges have to say as we strap on our fishnet stockings, tease our perms and wade into sex, drugs and schlock ‘n’ roll. The Top 6April 24th, 2007, 8:56 pm by bgarcia
It’s a Very Special Television Event as American Idol Gives Back … after taking so very, very, very much. The Top 6 share their “Life Anthems” with us — and from what we’ve heard of their rumored song choices, it’s going to be a loooong night. Join the Idol Chat judges in praying that we will be spared tunes like “The Wind Beneath My Wings” and “We Are The World” or — gasp — a visit from Sally Struthers. Read the rest of this entry » The Top 7April 17th, 2007, 8:37 pm by bgarcia
The final seven contestants left on Season Six of American Idol take on Nashville, — a yee-haw for some, a hell-naw for others. Will host Martina McBride help our would-be hat acts rope their roots? Or will America take them out to pasture? But most importantly: Is Sanjaya the next Bonnie Raitt?
GLORIA CHEEVER: My heart goes out to the families of the victims of the Virginia Tech tragedy that took place yesterday. I couldn’t possibly begin to put myself in their shoes, so I would like to extend my deepest condolences and sympathy. May God grant you peace and comfort. MARITZA HAMILL: Must have been difficult to begin the show with a tiny sorrow of the Virginia Tech incident. Sucks and I bet most of us are still in shock… Hmmmm… BRANDON GARCIA: Anyone else turned off by Seacrest’s Anderson Cooper impersonation in the dedication to the Virginia Tech victims? I guess it was sort of obligatory to say something, but it felt very insincere to me. I don’t know. I have a real problem with the way the shooting has become such a media event, but that’s another story.
“Where The Blacktop Ends” (Keith Urban) Watch the original J.CANTU & AMANDA: WOW Phil, we had started to think you did not want to be in this competition, but we were wrong. Phil did a superb job today. We had not seen this side of Phil, and Randy is right, KTEX could be playing a country song from Phil sometime soon. It was a great beginning. Hopefully the whole night will be just as good. Phil looked good, relaxed and in his element. We can almost say, Phil has a country sound. He might be barking up the wrong tree here. SCORE: 7 GLORIA CHEEVER: I definitely agree with all the judges on this one! He really shined in this genre! I like that you could really see who he really is with this performance. This is what performing is all about! SCORE: 10 CHRIS BENITEZ: Obviously Phil Stacey improved a lot today. He has been in the bottom three for the last few weeks so hopefully its not to late. I hope not, for he was only 1 of three good vocals tonight. I’m happy he got it together tonight! SCORE: 7.5 CYNTHIA LUNA: Overall, I think this was one of his best performances yet. You could tell he had a lot of fun with the song tonight. I really think he finally showed up to compete this week. He looked nice and I really think country music suits his voice the best. SCORE: 8
MARITZA HAMILL: This is probably the only time that he would have been ok with wearing a cowboy hat, to keep us from being distracted by the light bulb. As much I hate country I can’t believe I’m saying this, country is too good for him. PLLLLLLTTTT!!! :P SCORE: 6 BRANDON GARCIA: Nothing about Phil ever said “country star” to me, but he gave it the go-around tonight — a hoedown on the catwalk, a trip through the audience in which he accosted several frightened men, and he even threw in a “That’s right, y’all” for good measure. It felt a little tepid to me, but in tune overall, and at least he doesn’t have to be known solely as “the bald, undead one” any longer. SCORE: 6
“Broken Wing” (Martina McBride) Watch the original J.CANTU & AMANDA: We remember Kelly Clarkson around this time in the competition, and Jordin is following the footsteps. Jordin has a heavenly voice. She has GREAT control and this is a most improved Jordin since week 1. Jordin will be in the last three if not the final 2. She has the IT factor and the whole package. She is very marketable and we would go see a Jordin Sparks concert anyday. She is going to make it. SCORE: 8 GLORIA CHEEVER: Wow, she looks beautiful! I love to hear her sing such strong songs. What a beautiful, instrument she has! She looked a little nervous tonight, but she did a phenomenal job. I love everything about this song…and I think she did this justice! SCORE: 9 CHRIS BENITEZ: She’s knocking on the door of Doolittle. Well, so I thought before Melinda preformed. It was solid though, a great recording voice. She looks good on stage as well. I think she will be in the top two. SCORE: 8 out of 10 CYNTHIA LUNA: She looked gorgeous! I loved her performance. I felt her emotions through her singing. She is so talented and deserves to be at the finale. She is a young singer that I know will go far because of her great vocals and her awesome personality. SCORE: 10
MARITZA HAMILL: Remind me that she’s 17. Nuff said, Sigh……. SCORE: 10 BRANDON GARCIA: Jordin looked terrified during the first half of her intimate country ballad moment. Relief literally poured over her face as the end came and she was free to storm through the big notes like a two-story-tall Little Orphan Annie. Sparky’s face looked stunning, but below the neck it was a mess, more of a shower curtain from Target than an actual dress. Simon drops the “you could win” bomb, but I’m seeing more and more Diana DeGarmo. SCORE: 6
“Something To Talk About” (Bonnie Raitt) Watch the original
J.CANTU & AMANDA: We have heard the past several weeks we are just being to MEAN to Sanjaya. “He really does have some talent” We rest our case. My dog has more talent. How can anyone with any decent hearing still say Sanjaya has a place on American Idol after tonight’s presentation? He was more than horrible. HORRIBLE! If Sanjaya does not go home tomorrow night, then we can expect him to be in the final 3. He is almost pushing the envelope now. He is choosing the most horrible songs just to make a mockery of AI. He knows he is going through so he chooses the worse songs. All jokes aside, Sanjaya is horrible. SCORE: 1 GLORIA CHEEVER: He should’ve brought this up at least another half step. He struggled through the low notes, and the rest of the song was just unentertaining. He just shouted through the end. He’s giving us all a whole lot to talk about…and what we’re saying is not that great. SCORE: 4 CHRIS BENITEZ: If there was ever a time to boot Sanjaya it’s now. I feel his ego is now bigger than his hair, and way bigger than his voice. Please, lets get him off once and for all. SCORE: 3 CYNTHIA LUNA: I think its time he went bye-bye! I feel like his voice is not big enough to wow anyone no matter which song he sings. He’s a very interesting individual and he makes the show fun but let’s face it, the other singers are way more talented vocally. I agree with Simon, his performance was very karaoke. SCORE: 6
MARITZA HAMILL: ITS AUNT SANJY-MA!!!!! Look at him shakin his little bootie. He’s so silly. He’s ready to spring clean… Then Simon goes and makes him do his puppy face that all the wittle girls vote for. Ahhhh. He’s not goin home, or is he???? DON-DOn-don! Stay tuned to find out! SCORE: -3 BRANDON GARCIA: Sanjaya’s hair presents … The Jemimah: A tangled tuft of curls wrapped like celery in a bright-red doo-rag. Another winner for the mop — not so much for its owner. Sanjaya subversively hoped to give the viewers “something to talk about” by singing this Idol country-night standard. Simon called his drunken rendition “utterly horrendous.” It wasn’t up to the towering levels of Idoliciousness that Sanjaya has attained in the past, but it was hilarious nonetheless. I’m praying he makes it all the way to the finale. SCORE: 3
“Jesus Take The Wheel” (Carrie Underwood) Watch the original
J.CANTU & AMANDA: Lakisha shouldn’t have chosen a song that is all over the radio. We want to hear Carrie Underwood’s voice. This is not the song for Lakisha. She was a duck out of water. Her vocals were very weird. She almost looked like she was not comfortable at all. There are a lot of other country/gospel songs she could have chosen. We talked about how it was getting kind of the same o same o for Lakisha with her 70s song. Now we know why, because that is the only genre she can sing. SCORE: 4 GLORIA CHEEVER: I’m getting tired of her. I don’t like her outfit tonight and she left me cold. This wasn’t very convincing. I was hoping that she would do an awesome job on this song because it’s so powerful, but she looked like she was just going through the motions. I think she is either getting tired of being on the show, or just flat out picking the wrong songs. Maybe not tonight, but she’s headed home. I don’t think she’ll win this thing. SCORE: 5 CHRIS BENITEZ: Terrible. Sharp then flat then sharp again. She couldn’t find the pitch. Her time is coming as well. It could be tomorrow, but regardless she is going home. Lakisha sounded like she was on her way up a few weeks ago. I guess not. She is just not what everyone made her out to be. SCORE: 5 CYNTHIA LUNA: I have to disagree with the judges. I thought her song choice was a good one and that she did a great job. I just don’t think country music suits her voice. She’s a GREAT singer and she deserves to stay on. SCORE: 8
MARITZA HAMILL: I thought she was going to rock this song, but she was a bit shaky…. Hmmm, she had everything going for her. Sadly, I just thought maybe she was forcing the song. Sadly. SCORE: 7 BRANDON GARCIA: Woe is she who scavenges Idols of the past. Not taking into account that there are literally trillions of better songs to pick, it’s brought nothing but misfortune when current contestants try to tackle their colleagues’ material, and Evil Carrie’s wrath was particularly vengeful toward LaKisha. She sounds like her sinuses are as swollen as raw hamburger patties. A queasy, shouted performance that might be her death knell. Somewhere Carrie is sitting on her throne of frozen tears and cackling, “Mwah-hah hah hah! Don’t **** with me, kiddies!” SCORE: 2. Free half-point for the solid gold stiletto boots.
“Mayberry” (Rascal Flatts) Watch the original J.CANTU & AMANDA: I do believe he went about the genre that best suited him. The lead singer from Rascal Flatts has the same kind of voice as Chris, just about 100 times better. He said he had some country roots, but they must have been dead. Chris did not sound country at all. How can anyone sing a country song with basketball shoes on? Chris is in real trouble this week. I do not believe I have ever seen Justin Timberlake sing a country song. This was not a good week for Chris. SCORE: 3 GLORIA CHEEVER: I’ve always thought that he could really sing country well. He had a few pitch problems, but overall, I really liked this. They keep picking on him for his voice being nasal, but I’ve commented before that the nasality is a characteristic of his voice and is the result of a small voice overcompensating. I don’t think Chris realizes that. SCORE: 7 CHRIS BENITEZ: Weak!!!!!!!! I really do not care for Chris Richardson. I don’t even like talking about him. He will go home soon. SCORE: 5 CYNTHIA LUNA: I’m not sure if I liked the song too much. However, I do think this is a good genre for him. Randy was right, he sang just ok. I felt no emotion from him. He has had way better performances. I still like him though. SCORE: 6
MARITZA HAMILL: Pitchy pitchy, boring, boring…. To me he was just as bad as Sanjaya, but much more attractive. The eye candy that keeps him getting voted for. He made the puppy dog face also… please vote for me! Riiiiiichardsoooooon, Riiiiiiiichardsooooooon, YOU SUCK!!!!!!! SCORE: 4 BRANDON GARCIA: Chris made huge strides on his journey from irritating to hate-inspiring. He cattily defended his undercooked, nasal stab at country with an idiotic yet arrogant excuse that he intended it to sound that way — always a big no-no to argue with the judges. What topped it off was his last-minute shoutout to the college shooting victims — sounded more like a last resort to me. SCORE: 0
“Trouble Is A Woman” (Julie Reeves) Watch the original
J.CANTU & AMANDA: Everyone says she can sing anything, because every week, she is great. The thing is that she always chooses the right songs. So it just appears she can sing anything in the world. Every week Melinda is coming out and doing great. We know Melinda is in the final two, the race is for the other person. SCORE: 8 GLORIA CHEEVER: She really made this song her own. I love this fun, sassy side to Melinda! This made me love her in the first place. She was amazing tonight! SCORE: 10 CHRIS BENITEZ: Melinda Doolittle!!!! Man, she was on tonight. She made Jordin’s performance seem kind of second rate. She is too good for all the other contestants. SCORE: 10 CYNTHIA LUNA: I LOVE HER! She’s so REAL! Melinda had another wonderful performance. I really liked her look tonight, casual and stylish. She definitely deserves to make it to the finale and honestly to win it all. She really knows how to sing and how to WOW! us. You Go Girl! SCORE: 10
MARITZA HAMILL: Wow, this by far her best look…. SHE HAS A NECK!!! And some ~sASsyness to her~. I like the hair extensions too. She definitely proved tonight that she can sing aaaaaanything. Done matta wut it iz! HOWDAY PARTNER! SCORE: 10 BRANDON GARCIA: Ahhhh, there we go: a sultry, commanding Melinda who looks and sounds perfect for Stardom ’07. Singing, coincidentally, the most twangy song of the evening, Melinda silenced critics (yours truly included) who said she was a walking antique. That Tina Turner comparison was very much deserved. I’ve picked my horse for this race. Giddy up, Doolittle! SCORE: 9
“When The Stars Go Blue” (Tim McGraw) Watch the original
J.CANTU & AMANDA: Blake took a Tim McGraw song and Lewised it. This is what is great about Blake. He always makes all the songs his own. Reminds us of Daughtry. Daughtry did not win by doing the same, but is now to become a millionaire. Blake is in the same place. He could be very marketable as well. Blake did a great job. SCORE: 7 out of 10 GLORIA CHEEVER: I like to hear him sing songs that are a little more serious. I think he pushed a little on that note that was climaxing to the chorus, and it was a little (I can’t believe I’m going to use this word) “pitchy,” but it was still OK. SCORE: 7 CHRIS BENITEZ: Blake just continues to get worse, and worse, and worse. This guy started off as the strongest dude? I think the song was like the last type of song he should ever sing. What I was most surprised with was how the judges weren’t that hard on him, I think he was surprised. SCORE: 4 CYNTHIA LUNA: Great song choice! I really enjoy watching him perform. He has such a unique style. He’s my favorite male singer. Tonight’s performance wasn’t his best but it was still a good one. He really knows how to entertain us plus he has a great voice. SCORE: 8
MARITZA HAMILL: You know what makes this guy, he has a look like STING. This is why everyone keeps voting for him. Cause he is pretty regular singing kinda guy but has that performer look to him. He stares at the camera and then hypnotizes everyone with that twitchy lip. “Is it going to curl…. wait for it…WAIT FOR IT…… NOW!” SCORE: 7 BRANDON GARCIA: Again, all the elements were there for a winning performance — melodic song, trippy lighting, not much dancing … and again, another strikeout. Blake looked like a lost frat boy in the argyle, and there were spots in the vocal that weren’t even up to American Idol’s standards for “in tune.” The judges lapped him up like warm milk, but Blake is growing rancid to me. SCORE: 4.5
J.CANTU & AMANDA: We thought Phil was the next one in line, but after tonight’s performance this might no longer be the case. We don’t know if this is just too little to late, but he did his best. Sanjaya is now becoming the biggest joke. How can ANYONE say he has talent after tonight. Sanjaya go home. The last two standing will be Melinda and Jordin. They are the ones to beat. The guys did all right, but none better than these two girls. MARITZA HAMILL: Notice how everyone was like, “Yea these were the songs I listen too growing up” or ” i look up to yada yada singer” and the classic ol’ “i knew country was my calling” all a bunch of liars!!! BRANDON GARCIA: Tonight will only serve to reinforce Simon’s hatred for the genre. Interesting how the theme turned into an advantage for Phil and Melinda, and how pretty much everyone else failed.
GLORIA CHEEVER: Phil & Melinda CHRIS BENITEZ: Melinda Doolittle by a mile. CYNTHIA LUNA: Melinda Doolittle
MARITZA HAMILL: Jordin Sparks BRANDON GARCIA: Melinda, easy
GLORIA CHEEVER: Sanjaya
CHRIS BENITEZ: Sanjaya Malakar of course. CYNTHIA LUNA: Sanjaya Malakar MARITZA HAMILL: Sanjaya BRANDON GARCIA: Chris
J.CANTU & AMANDA: LaKisha Jones
GLORIA CHEEVER: LaKisha (but Sanjaya really needs to go)
CHRIS BENITEZ: Chris Richardson CYNTHIA LUNA: Unfortunately, I think it will be Phil Stacey.
MARITZA HAMILL: Hmmm, I think it may be Sanjaya’s turn….. But we know I’m always wrong right??? Hmmmmm…….
BRANDON GARCIA: LaKisha. I think people will buy Chris’ smarmy “sincerity,” and Sanjayamania still has at least another week before it fizzles. ——————————— Another week where our judges say LaKisha’s number is up. Will it come to pass? Or is it the end of the line for Sanjaya or Chris? Come back tomorrow at 8 p.m. for live results. The Top 8 FinalistsApril 10th, 2007, 7:09 pm by bgarciaWill taco-flavored kisses from the “unstoppable force” that is Jennifer Lopez help our Top Ocho get in touch with their inner Menudo? As could be expected, Latin Week on American Idol turns out to be more Rico Suave than Celia Cruz. On the happy side, Idol Chat welcomes RGV Calendar Girl Deborah Flores, our guest judge for this week!
Deborah Gayle Flores is 25 years old, born and raised in Harlingen, Texas. Currently, she is a junior at UTPA, majoring in business marketing. She has a full-time job working for Love Copier Solutions. Her goal in life is to be a successful business owner. Her hobbies include working out, boxing and going to the park with her dog, Duke. Last yea, she competed in the Miss RGV pageant as well as the Miss Texas USA pageant. She is also Miss June for the Rio Grande Valley Calender Girls. In her spare time, she volunteers at schools, participates in the Relay for Life, and last but not least, spends time with her family and friends.
MARITZA HAMILL: I am curious to see the ruling of the queen of Latin herself, Jennifer Lopez. This episode may be interesting having all these gringos sing and act Latin. But hey I know it can be accomplished. We shall see … te-he…. GLORIA CHEEVER: Is it just me…or did ALL of the contestants seem like fish out of water this week?!
“Sway” (Dean Martin)
MARITZA HAMILL: The song was a good choice, but so typical Melinda. I love you Melinda, you’re good… but Simon is right with the whole the winner is going to have to WOW everyone. This week was the same as usual. SCORE: 7 J. CANTU & AMANDA: We don’t know if J-Lo’s advice on Melinda to be a little sexier was good. We hadn’t seen Melinda and sexy in the same sentence all season long, and it shouldn’t have happened tonight. Melinda can sing, but leave the sexiness to others. It look like she was to worried about the moves and it took away from her vocals … but just a little bit. Melinda IS Melinda and you can’t deny it. This was probably the worst performance she has presented all season, but it is still above the rest. We do remember Jennifer Hudson leaving after her 1st bad performance…. deja vu? NOT! SCORE: 7 GLORIA CHEEVER: I LOVE THIS SONG! I don’t know if I totally loved how she performed this, but I guess it was ok. It wasn’t her best, but she did have a fantastic vocal. SCORE: 7
DEBORAH FLORES: Great voice! I feel that the song did not bring out her personality, but she hit all pitches and overall good performance. SCORE: 7 BRANDON GARCIA: Hasn’t Melinda already sung this song? Hasn’t she been singing it for the past seven weeks? Aunt Melinda is looking better below the neck, even approaching seductive, but it all still feels like something on TMC — they may as well show all of her performances in black and white. Simon gave her some flak, but the backlash is probably a good cattle-prodding for her fans. SCORE: 6
“Conga” (Gloria Estefan) Watch the original
MARITZA HAMILL: NOOOOOOO!!! Not the gyrating bust bouncing out everywhere mess….. oh such a sweet dress and lovely hair and great makeup.. but not the dancing all over the place. Paula was right with the “safe” Lakisha thing. It is a cute song, but no vocal range to WOW at. SCORE: 7 J. CANTU & AMANDA: Lakisha, we had said last week we were getting bored with your performance, then you do something like this. This is NOT what we had in mind either. What was that Lakisha? Did she had fun doing her rendition? It did not show her vocals. Just a fun song, but she had trouble with it. Umm…she really can’t move like J-Lo, and she shouldn’t try that again. Be careful Lakisha…. SCORE: 5 GLORIA CHEEVER: She looked really uncomfortable the entire time she was singing. I agree with Paula and Simon that it wasn’t her best. I just haven’t been impressed with her since the very first performance that had the “wow factor.” I’m a little sad to say this, but I think she’ll be packing really soon. SCORE: 6
DEBORAH FLORES: Entertaining song. She has a great voice but needs to feel the rhythm of music more. SCORE: 6 BRANDON GARCIA: This song has, like, a three-note range — LaKisha’s rhythmless rendition highlighted that. Even Paula looked depressed trying to dance along. J. Lo advises, “Everything should feel natural.” The only natural thing in the performance was LaKisha’s obvious disappointment in herself — and LaMammaries. Time to taste the Bottom 3. SCORE: 4.5
“Smooth” (Santana featuring Rob Thomas) Watch the original MARITZA HAMILL: Rob Thomas??? What are you doing singing off key? Oh my, this was really bad. Most people miss a few notes when they sing, this guy missed most of the notes and got a few notes right. Jennifer Lopez… snick, snick….. bad choice for him. Contrary to the judges opinions, we at home could hear the off tune vocals….. SCORE: 6 J. CANTU & AMANDA: Chris Timberfake. He keeps on doing the same thing over and over and over again. He does the same runs in every song he sings. When Rob Thomas did this song, he was accentuated with Santana’s masterful guitar playing, and they played off each other, voice and guitar. No Chris, you are far from doing anything close to this. You did not measure up to the band and it showed. The boy has not personality; we are seeing the same guy we saw at tryouts. SCORE: 4 GLORIA CHEEVER: I still think it was a little too low for him, but Mrs. Lopez-Anthony was right in bringing this up a whole step. I kinda liked this. He didn’t sing his best, but the dancing and delivery was exciting. It was the most promising performance so far. SCORE: 8 DEBORAH FLORES: Wow! What a cutie…Awesome voice!! I feel he started a little low on pitch but quickly fixed it. I would like to see him move a bit more to the music. SCORE: 9 BRANDON GARCIA: How Latin can you get if you’re having trouble saying “muñequita?” You can take the boy out of the boy band — Chris doing darker, grittier material is a good thing — but still, you can’t take the boy band out of the boy. Chris’ tame vocals made Rob Thomas’ version seem like Rob Zombie. Even so, it’s easily the best Chris has done so far. SCORE: 7.5
“Turn The Beat Around” (Gloria Estefan) Watch the original MARITZA HAMILL: I am no longer going to call her Haley. Legs is her name. She has enough to give everyone a few feet. Legs shouldn’t have worn the red lipstick that made her look slightly cartoonish though. Fun song? Leg song is more like it. You go HALEY! Home that is. SCORE: 4 J. CANTU & AMANDA: San Antonio in the house….could have been the west side because that is where all the strip joints are. Those shorts keep getting smaller and smaller and smaller. The tops are not doing any better. Simon has finally called her out. Degarbo sang the same song to win second place on Idol, and Hailey did not come near the American Idol runner up. She is getting the Antonella vote and will keep her on this week. She sounded like a last minute gig your brother in law got for your wedding cause your DJ cancelled. If she would have shown up, I wouldn’t have paid her…maybe at the strip joint. Amanda thinks this is the end of the road for those shorts. Men are hoping Amanda is wrong! SCORE: 2 GLORIA CHEEVER: Props to her for getting all of those words in! I sort of liked this. It was a good performance considering that she is not one of the strongest singers in the competition. I think she did her best, and it was actually ok. SCORE: 7 DEBORAH FLORES: I feel that the song chosen did not complement her voice enough. She is a very attractive girl. I feel she struggled to keep up w/the words to the song. SCORE: 6 BRANDON GARCIA: Haley missed a bet by passing up the chance to Selena-cize herself. Instead she gave us her Meth-Tweaking Barbie routine. It was mildly amusing to watch her last bits of dignity vanish into another pair of hotpants. “Wear as least amount of clothes as possible,” Simon suggested. “And have fun.” Just the sort of star we should idolize, right? Let me hear an amen. SCORE: 4
“Maria Maria” (Santana) Watch the original MARITZA HAMILL: Flatline….. For some reason I can always tell when he is going to what I consider ok. Yep it’s when he wears a hat, because you don’t get distracted with the crazy shiny head. Vocals were mmm’k. But I’m not in love with the whole thing. Yawn…ZZzzzzz SCORE: 6ish J. CANTU & AMANDA: Phil, what is going on? Phil has not shown up to compete the last few weeks, he has just been lucky. J. believes this is the end of the road for Phil. He does not have ANYTHING that will keep him in this week. He was very empty tonight. The song did not help him either. What was that about the cow? He almost sealed with his rhetoric. Does not seem like he is into the competition anymore. SCORE: 2 GLORIA CHEEVER: Good thing he wore a hat again this week. This was a little boring for me, at least until the very end. The last few big notes were good. He sounds like he’s having some difficulties this week, though. I heard the voice crack a few times. Not his best performance, but it was still ok. SCORE: 7 DEBORAH FLORES: I feel that the song chosen was boring. Flat towards the end of the song as well as cracked voice. SCORE: 5 BRANDON GARCIA: Phil’s potential home-run was marred by a couple of unfortunate vocal cracks and a Jon Secada-esque song that’s basically musical wallpaper. Flashes of brilliance, the kind that gave J. Lo “goose pimples” (ew), peaked through a vague look of nausea painted on Phil’s face throughout the performance. Phil needs to thank the guitar player for adding the only spice in the song. SCORE: 6.5
“Rhythm Is Gonna Get You” (Gloria Estefan) MARITZA HAMILL: Not love the song, but loved the outfit. The look was very pretty for her. She is proof that hair extensions are for everyone. But the song. Eh…. ZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzz Despite the lameness of it, she is still winning. I may be in last place but the only thing I may have right is choosing her as a winner. SCORE: 7 GLORIA CHEEVER: I could’ve done without the “shoulder shake,” but this was ok. I don’t even know if I really loved the big notes at the end. She, too, looked really uncomfortable while she was singing. SCORE:7
DEBORAH FLORES: Great performance! Very difficult song to sing and she hit all pitches. SCORE: 7 BRANDON GARCIA: Jordin forgot to take her Adderall this evening and was back to being insufferable, giving Seacrest bunny ears and giggling in her hyuck-hyuck way. Worse, she’s back to bleating her notes. Another dull dance performance from the LaKisha Discotheque collection. SCORE: 5
“I Need To Know” (Marc Anthony) Watch the original
MARITZA HAMILL: Is he pushing an accent??? What?? Te he….. I need to know? Tell me baby girl because I need to know. He needs to put the mike closer to his mouth because we lost him a bit. But I think he did a good job for the most part. Of course of the guys he’s my favorite, so even mistakes and all, I like him a lot. SCORE: 8 J. CANTU & AMANDA: Blake keeps getting better and better. Could this be THE GUY that is going to give the women trouble? If any guy is, it’s Blake. He was the only one tonight that was better than last week. Everyone else either stayed flat or took a step backwards. He made the song very hip and youthful. He has done that week after week and it seems to be working. It was another Lewis-esk week. SCORE: 7 GLORIA CHEEVER: I kinda knew Blake would do the best in this genre. This was a downright awesome performance! This was the best performance of the night! It was sexy, sultry, and full of flavor! SCORE: 10 DEBORAH FLORES: Definitely best overall performance … song very capturing to his voice. (Watch out Marc Anthony … Blake Lewis coming through!) SCORE: 7 BRANDON GARCIA: Blake made the mistake of stepping into Chris Richardson territory, picking an aggressively irritating song and trying to copulate with the camera. Looking like a boozy expatriate, Blake fell flat, his delicate vocals overwhelmed. He’s just too Middle America to be convincing as a Latin lover. A fan sign in the audience said it best: Shake N Blake. Now with mild salsa. SCORE: 5.5
“Bésame Mucho”
MARITZA HAMILL: Hmm, Marc Anthony? No it’s Prince?? No it’s Sanjaya. I must text right now. Besame mucho…. Como si fuera esta noche la ultima ves. He he he he….. Now that’s what I wanted to have a reason to text about!! YAY SANJAYA!!! SCORE: 7 oh yea baby J. CANTU & AMANDA: Do we really need to talk about him and waste valuable space? Besamo no more Sanjaya…GO HOME! J’s petulance is getting worse and worse. Simon said it wasn’t horrible, compared to what. A headless chicken? He is just choosing the most ridiculous songs he can find in order to go with his clown image. He sounded like the guy with the organ at the local Spanish restaurant. SCORE: 1 GLORIA CHEEVER: This actually wasn’t that bad. But what’s up with the weird moustache? I wonder what the competition will be like if he’s voted off? He sure can bring some amusement and fun each week, whether his hair is on his head or his face. SCORE: 6 DEBORAH FLORES: Very sexy song! Low notes are a little off pitch but GREAT romance voice. SCORE: 9
BRANDON GARCIA: Ryan called Sanjaya “the embodiment of Latin passion,” but the joke was on him — this felt realer than any of tonight’s other performances to me. Some screw-ups aside, Sanjaya’s light touch was perfect for the song, and even his Spanish wasn’t half-bad. A solid, charismatic performance by the joke of the season — Sanjaya’s opponents should feel humiliated. SCORE: 7.5
MARITZA HAMILL: Mmmmmmmm… not bad, some good performances in this night. And when I say some i mean 2 people… Blake and … gulp… I can’t believe I am saying this, Sanjaya. Who said he suucked?? Hu hu? Who??? he he he….. J. CANTU & AMANDA:We have no earthly idea why American Idol would chose J-Lo to give advice on a vocal competition. Every CD she has done has been mastered. Why don’t you think J-Lo hasn’t done a live tour? J-Lo cannot sing and much less give advice on singing. Her husband would have been the perfect guy for the Latin week. Now HE can sing. I hope American Idol does better. We think they are putting Sanjaya last so people will not leave after Sanjaya the anti-Christ sings. This is one of the worst Idols I have ever seen. Same reason the ratings are starting to decline.
MARITZA HAMILL: Blake GLORIA CHEEVER: Blake Lewis DEBORAH FLORES: Blake Lewis BRANDON GARCIA: Sanjaya, no irony here. Chris comes close.
MARITZA HAMILL: Haley AGAIN!
GLORIA CHEEVER: LaKisha Jones DEBORAH FLORES: Phil Stacey BRANDON GARCIA: Haley, LaKisha nipping at her heels
MARITZA HAMILL: Haley Scarnato….. you guys know I’m actually right this time. GLORIA CHEEVER: Ok, I’m going to make the stunning prediction..Lakisha Jones, then Haley BRANDON GARCIA: Phil — I think he slipped permanently under the radar tonight. LaKisha and Haley are alternates. DEBORAH FLORES: LaKisha Jones —————– LaKisha?!?! The once-frontrunner gets two votes from the panel tonight. Who’s going home tomorrow? Check back at 8 p.m. Wednesday for live results. The Top 9 FinalistsApril 3rd, 2007, 8:27 pm by bgarciaHow did the Top 9 contestants fare with songs 40 years older than they are? See what the Idol Chat judges thought as American Idol takes a blast from the past … wait, that’s every week, isn’t it?
BRANDON GARCIA: The very thought of Standards Week made me drowsy. How these crusty pop tunes are supposed to bring out the best in the superstar of 2007 is beyond me. Since it’s an obligation every season, I’m just glad we’re getting it out of the way early. MARITZA HAMILL: BEETLEJUICE! BEETLEJUICE! BEETLEJUICE!! Paula…. why are we wearing this?? Do we WANT people to make fun? DO we Do we? Well in a wonderful world of criticism-less folk that we are not, she may have been looking to receive a back lashing from the American Idol voters she calls fans. (Lets tune into Talk Soup this week to find out what they have to say about this vile excuse for attire.) And Oh Sanjaya! I long to hear you sing…..(with a crescendoing voice) {{{{muahA! HA! HA! HA!}}}}
“Mack The Knife” J CANTU AND AMANDA: Smooth and great start. Was a cute performance. Who thought Blake could be a little crooner. Very fashionable and love the moves as he sings. The big band sound helped very much. He hasn’t done the beat box thing the past couple of weeks, but hasn’t needed it. Keep it out until it is useful. Blake will be ok this week. SCORE: 6 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: Right out of the box, Blake exemplified why Standards Week is such a drag — for American Idol contestants, singing standards is like playing dress-up. Tony Bennett reminded Blake that “Mack The Knife” is “pre-rap” i.e. no beat-boxing. Blake obliged, and while Simon, Paula and Randy raved about how cool he was, all I gleaned from this performance was more wobbly, vaguely pitched vocals and handicapped robot dance moves. SCORE: 4.5 CHRIS BENITEZ: I get sick of the camera stares. It started off strong because well the beginning was not that demanding. I don’t know if his persona is strong enough to cover his mediocre vocals. Blake Lewis has not impressed me lately SCORE: 6 GLORIA CHEEVER: I really liked this…He sang this genre beautifully, and even added a little of his own personality with it. The song fit into his range really well, too! I like the outfit, too. Score: 7 MARITZA HAMILL: Tonight he looked super cute. Very fun to watch and I would buy his music. Personality was great. And this guy is definelty a finalist. Like I’ve said, voice, eh?!?.. But he can put on a show! (Now is it just me, or does he kinda look like a rugged version of our local broadcaster Will Ripley?) SCORE: 8 out of 10
“Night And Day” J CANTU AND AMANDA: Phil, Phil, Phil…..very bad song choice. This song didn’t even make you sound like yourself. Very weak. ONE good note at the end. BORING! He had the Omar Guerrero look in the court room after he was caught the first time. We have seen him do alot better. This is going to cost you dearly Phil. You are going home. Both Amanda and I believe this is the end of the line for you. WE dearly hope it is Sanjaya, but you know how that goes..by Phil. SCORE: 3 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: After taking a week off, Phil headed back to the undead in both sound and appearance. While his voice was more or less in tune, it was like listening to a lounge singer on a ferry to the afterlife. Pretty much a dead-on-arrival song. I’m glad Tony Bennett gave Phil his proper props, because voters won’t. SCORE: 3.5 CHRIS BENITEZ: Man that felt short. Did it sound like he was changing his voice too much to sing this style of music? Paula is crazy again comparing him to Frank Sinatra, just like she compared him to Steve Perry a few weeks back. Not very impressive at all. SCORE: 5 GLORIA CHEEVER: I know the judges hated it, but Phil has to be one of my favorite voices. He probably should’ve picked a song that was a little more up tempo. I do agree that it was a little “disconnected,” but the wife dedication thing might score him some points with the ladies. Score: 7 MARITZA HAMILL: MY PRECIOUS!!!! AHHHHHH! Fill Stay c, now that singing was a kinda good, but just a teeny bit distracted with his look. He needed to smile and snap like the old man told him to. A stiff board or a funeral director telling the people, riGhT this way my pRETty, is not going to win American Idol. “I want to zuck jour vlood.” SCORE: 7 out of 10
“I Got Rhythm” J CANTU AND AMANDA: Again, it is Melinda…then everyone else. A little sexy start…then the explosion, but a controlled explosion. Melinda could just about sing anything she wants, but she doesn’t, she sings the perfect song every week. Love the way she changes the look according to the song. She is a bang. SCORE: 8 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: Melinda finally approached sexy in a silky Japanese dress and a gel-soaked mop of hair. At this point, she could’ve skipped the show entirely and still made it to the next round. A slightly rough start turned into a dynamic circus of a performance. It’s nothing that new for Melinda, but thank God she kept it lively. Still seems more Ziegfield Follies than MTV. SCORE: 8 CHRIS BENITEZ: She sang perfect!! I’m giving her a ten because she was strong in her performance as well. Very Strong!!! No need to find anything wrong with her since there is more than enough greatness. SCORE: 1 GLORIA CHEEVER: She looks really beautiful, but that dress is distracting. That being said, time and time again, she picks the right song! She sings with passion, power, yet grace! I don’t think anyone can touch this girl..She’s soaring high! Score: 9MARITZA HAMILL: I KNEW SHE HAD A FIGURE UNDER THOSE FEW POUNDS! So cute and meant to sing. I like the hair and dress, shoes….. song was a good choice also. Tina Turners daughter is beginning to shine. She’s so good that she could totally be a back up singer! Oh wait…. SCORE: 9 out of 10
“Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” J CANTU AND AMANDA: He came out a little different this time. Not shaking his hands would be different. A little different look for Chris. Was a bit suprising this week with some vocals on the line. We guess he actually spent time over the week practicing how to sing, not imitating Justin Timberlake. WE finally saw some of the real Chris, and it was NOT a letdown. Chris is being held by the little teen girls…you are safe. SCORE: 6 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: The Moonwalker hat makes another appearance. It’d be kind of cool if everyone were required to wear it one night. More of the Lambertlake drivel from Chris — a performance made better with the mute button. Again, I’m seeing nothing “modern” here. He’s becoming the new Stephanie Edwards — a reliable imitator. SCORE: 5 CHRIS BENITEZ : He was pretty good tonight. First time I actually liked Chris. The vocal runs were cut out which works way better. This is going to help him become the front-runner in the males. I don’t count Sanjaya by the way. SCORE : 8 GLORIA CHEEVER: I love Duke Ellington! This was downright exciting! He brought his own personality in, especially with his outfit. I think he should’ve brought it up at least a 1/2 step or so. I felt like he struggled a little in his chest voice. This was definitely better than the last couple of weeks. Score: 9 MARITZA HAMILL:MICKEY!!!! MOUSE!!! PUB!!!! “You know, you know, you know what was cool about you?”…. Said the dawg, “Nothing.” Said Maritza. Wow, this guy is cheese rolled up into a ball. Making him a cheeseball. Don’t get me wrong, he did a good job, just not feeling it. SCORE:7ish out of 10, and only because know my comrades will vote well for him (I think?)
“On A Clear Day” J CANTU AND AMANDA: Was a happy go lucky song. We waited for the birds to be chirping, the flowers blooming, following the yellow brick road. She stepped it up at the end and had a fantastic ending. She has learned some ULTRA-voice control and she is displaying it this week. Great recovery from last week. SCORE: 7 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: Jordin looked like a waitress at Olive Garden. Tony says she’s “very much in tune, which is rare these days.” A nice big torch song for her. A solid performance, though that last note was extended beyond all reason. SCORE: 7 CHRIS BENITEZ : Very pitchy tonight, and her wardrobe was a little strange. I didn’t like it the way Paula liked it, but it was decent. Being likable can only go so far right now, with the Sanjaya mania and Doolittle schooling everyone. She either needs to bring it talent wise or go on stage and do something nuts like Sanjaya. Her choice SCORE : 7 GLORIA CHEEVER: Thank goodness! She brought her cute, fun self back to the show! And you can really hear how she’s grown vocally in the last several weeks. This is definitely the best vocal so far. Simon, sometimes old-fashioned is fun! Score: 10 MARITZA HAMILL: Oldie but a goodie. This gal can sing. Makes it look so easy. Contrary to Simons comment on Chris, I think she did sing with personality. Not her fun bubbly typical song, but she did well. Yawn, I’m tired of seeing her do well. ZZZZzzzzz…. Darlin’ you won already. SCORE: 8 ½ out of 10 “Smile” J CANTU AND AMANDA: We have seen another side of Gina…and we liked it! We were tired of the rock Gina every week, and this has finally proven to us, she REALLY can sing. Way to go Gina. We know she is the the belter, but Gina is holding her own. We liked the softer side of Gina. She is the sleeper in this competition. SCORE: 6 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: I had no idea Charlie Chaplin wrote songs. Gina kept her grin wide and her eyes bright, but it definitely looked like a chore for her. A tender-ish performance by a non-tender sing a la Chris Daughtry’s “What A Wonderful World” last season. I wasn’t moved, but it was a passable Gina job. She now wears the “Most Ridiculously Dressed” sash. SCORE: 6 CHRIS BENITEZ : As long as Gina Glockson sings in key and picks a good song, I usually like her performances. Might I mention that if Simon wants Sanjaya out of the competition he needs to not be so harsh on the contestants who are singing pretty all right. I liked this performance and thought it was a little safe, but the song didn’t require a massive vocal anyways. Pretty good. SCORE : 7 GLORIA CHEEVER: This was a different side of Gina. Soft, sensitive, and gentle…She has a beautiful voice, but I wasn’t really excited after hearing this. However, I think she sang the song appropriately. I think she will go through to the next round. Score: 6 MARITZA HAMILL: Yawn… go home …. I agree with Simon… not her best The song is a good choice but I guess I am not a Gina fan. I don’t long to see her, I don’t care if she does good or bad, and I am not going to text vote for her anytime soon. I think America may feel the same too. Gina, you’re a nice gal, in a I want to sing about nails that are nine inches kinda way. But not Americas Idol. SCORE: 7 out of 10
“Cheek To Cheek” J CANTU AND AMANDA: Sanjaya was ready to host Fantasy Island, not only because of his look, but that is his hometown. The hair looked better than ever. The cowlick look. NOT and entertainer…well, if a clown counts as an entertainer…then by golly, he is an entertainer. We just can’t write anything more. What curandero is it going to take for this guy to go home? SCORE: -2 ouf of 10 and does it really matter? BRANDON GARCIA: Aw, fun Sanjaya is gone. Now all we have is Ellen DeGeneres with a deep tan. He doomed himself right from the start in the pre-performance clips saying he wanted to prove his mettle as a true singer. Fake facial hair aside, it’s more in tune than usual, but not as outlandishly enjoyable. Even back in low-key mode, he stood out more than some of his competitors i.e. Phil, Blake. I liked how Tony had his back, too. SCORE: 5 CHRIS BENITEZ : Hmm, he is becoming cocky. Get him out of here. Or please get it over with and release your record under a major label now. Big sales for one record!!!! That’s the industry for you. SCORE : 4 GLORIA CHEEVER: He sang this in a very old-fashioned manner. It was OK, but I still think he should’ve gone home a long time ago! He doesn’t sing with power or passion. This poor, poor guy. Those heading that one website I won’t dare mention are really doing an injustice for everyone, including Sanjaya. Score: 5 MARITZA HAMILL: Better today, but hey, it’s still Sanjaya. I want to buy a Sanjaya doll. Eat a Sanjaya cookie. Hear Sanjaya music. Buy Sanjaya pajamas. Put a Sanjaya poster on my wall. Drink Sanjaya soda. Chew Sanjaya gum. Read Sanjaya teen magazine. Put Sanjaya cut outs in my binder. Draw Sanjaya hearts on my wrists. Wear a Sanjaya t-shirt. Make Sanjaya shaped macaroni. Tattoo Sanjayas name on you. Wear Sanjaya pony hawks. Name my kids Sanjaya. Put a Sanjaya bumper sticker on my pinto. Cry annoyingly for Sanjaya in a crowded elevator. Stand on a street corner with a sign that reads, ” WILL WORK FOR SANJAYA.” Turn in my idol reviews feeling odd that Sanjaya was a big topic for me. SCORE: Sanjaya out of 10
“Ain’t Misbehavin’” J CANTU AND AMANDA: Her vocals did not improve, but the stripper moves did! She is REALLY trying to make the sexiness work for her. She is very pretty but she is really pushing it now. She could win a talent competition, but for Miss USA, not Idol. Maybe she would sound a little better if she would practice on her vocals as much as she practices on a pole. SCORE: 5 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: After so many weeks of loathing Haley, I now like how she’s embracing her role as this season’s hooker with a heart of gold, perfectly embodied when Tony had to remind Haley not to address her love song to every man in sight. And while the judges basically called her a tramp who can’t sing, I thought Haley worked it with what she’s got: killer legs and flirty moves. She sounded like any 35th place pageant queen, but it was the only performance tonight with a sense of humor. SCORE: 6 out of 10 CHRIS BENITEZ : Wow the judges didn’t really know what to say, I do, she should go home. Pageant voice, not much of a performer, I can’t believe she is still around. SCORE : 5 out of 10 GLORIA CHEEVER: Wow, she looks beautiful! I think she sang her absolute best. This song is kinda meant for someone with a strong belt, and Haley has more of a pretty sound without all the power behind it. She did ok, though. I thought Simon’s comment was really out of line. I could see how she could’ve been offended by it. Score: 7 out of 10 MARITZA HAMILL: She is finally taking my advice, the little Mermaid outfit is prepping her for Disney. Come on American, vote Disney for Haley! It was nice knowing you doll. Here’s looking at you kid. Bu-bye! SCORE: 5 out of 10
“Stormy Weather” J CANTU AND AMANDA: We just don’t know about Lakisha. She has a great voice, if not the best voice, but her look and her delivery has been the same since she started. She sings the same way, comes out with the same look, demeanor, etc and does not change it. That is what Melinda has over her. Something different Lakisha, maybe you set the bar so far up, that is as high as she can go. We will see. SCORE: 7 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: I was hoping LaKisha would finish the show with something unique, like Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit,” but alas, it is LaKisha. She went back into Broadway mama mode and brought back the sass that’s been missing the past few weeks, but nothing new. I want to like her, but I’m coming to accept that it’s just not meant to be. SCORE: 6.5 CHRIS BENITEZ : The low notes in the beginning sounded hilarious. Her power is intimidating, and I’m hoping she can stay on track. Today she did what she does well and that’s sing big notes. My second favorite of the night. SCORE 8.5 GLORIA CHEEVER: I knew this week would be a good one for Lakisha. I definitely don’t like the dress, though. It’s too busy! She sang this beautifully and with lots of passion. Another great performance from Lakisha! Score: 9 MARITZA HAMILL: It isn’t over till…… Beauty sings. I did like this song….. the attitude was what made it. MMMM, giiiiiiiirl! Yep, I like!!!! Nice and went well with the show….the dress did sorta remind me of Ursula, but a pretty version of her. Even though she didn’t hold the note like Tony suggested, she did a great job. SCORE: 9 out of 10 sASSy! A cha-cha-cha-cha-cha!
BRANDON GARCIA: It’s only been two hours, and I’ve already forgotten everything about tonight’s show. Dull, dull, dull. It was Exhibit A in the drop in the ratings. CHRIS BENITEZ: Melinda Doolittle, Lakisha Jones, and Chris Richardson GLORIA CHEEVER: Jordin Sparks MARITZA HAMILL: Melin-DUH! Do-lots
CHRIS BENITEZ: Sanjaya, Haley, Phil, Blake GLORIA CHEEVER: Sanjaya Malakar MARITZA HAMILL: Haley Scarnato J CANTU AND AMANDA: Phil Stacey BRANDON GARCIA: Phil seems most likely. CHRIS BENITEZ: Phil Stacey GLORIA CHEEVER: Gina, then Haley (because we all know Sanjaya probably won’t) MARITZA HAMILL: Haley Scarnato ——– Survey says …. Phil, then Haley. Tune in tomorrow at 8:00 to find out how our predictions match up. The Top 10March 27th, 2007, 10:43 pm by bgarcia
A far-from-perfect 10 are left — which contestant decided to make good use of Gwen Stefani’s rad music selections? Which decided it was disco night? Find out as Idol Chat reviews the Top 10 of American Idol.
BRANDON GARCIA: Tonight the Top 10 tackled Songs By Singers Gwen Stefani Likes. While it’s definitely one of the most oddball theme nights in memory, Gwen Stefani has surprisingly good taste in music, and overall it was the best setlist of the season, the only concert I’d have paid to see. I came across a spoiler list of tonight’s song choices, and everyone performed more or less as I expected them to. Gwen, subdued and icy without lipstick, seemed a little disappointed overall, perhaps because not one of her Top 10 pupils heeded her only piece of advice: Stick to the melody, lose the Idol-isms. I feel ya, Gwen. And while tonight couldn’t compare to last week’s Idol On Acid, it was miles better than Diana Ross Week. MARITZA HAMILL: Oh dear me, another night of Idol fun. Or at least this is what the night lends itself to be. After an epic Sanjaya performance last week, I’m sure a number of us long for what he has up his delicate sleeves next. Sit back and take in the Idolicious fun.
Click on the contestants’ pictures to see their performances from last week on YouTube.
“Last Dance” (Donna Summers) Watch the original J. CANTU AND AMANDA FLORES: Wow, LaKisha looked 10 years younger than last week. That was an impressive start. We hope the rest of the night will be just the same. The women, again, are a lot more powerful than the men. Great energy from LaKisha, like always. This is Amanda’s favorite song, and LaKisha did it justice. We just hope she doesn’t get stuck in the same ole ‘70s rut because that is what she sings better. SCORE: 7 BRANDON GARCIA: Well, that settles it: One way or another, LaKisha will find a way to sing the dullest, most tired song available. On a night when her opponents chose cool songs by The Police and at least attempted to outdo No Doubt, LaKisha gives us Donna Summer’s “Last Dance” in a dress that made her look like a black Buddha standing on rickety prosthetic legs. LaKisha’s confidence was nowhere to be found and her reliably in-tune voice took the night off. She basically dared voters to send her home. She just might get her wish tomorrow. SCORE: 3 CHRIS BENITEZ: I really don’t care for LaKisha’s voice. Bold statement? Well, I feel it is powerful but lacks feeling and character. Tonight, she was OK. If she wants to win, she has to blow everyone away. I don’t think that is happening. SCORE: 6.5 GLORIA CHEEVER: I really liked her outfit tonight! I’m glad Simon commented about her dress a few weeks ago because it’s been better ever since. This was a great choice for her. I wasn’t blown away — but it was really good. SCORE: 8 MARITZA HAMILL: Well, well, my darling, ‘tis the season to be singing fun songs. Congrats on the song choice — I see this wonderful voice now being put to good use. The other songs can get a bit dreary … so with this bit-o-joy, I can say I like what I hear. SCORE: 8
“Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” (The Police) Watch the original J. CANTU AND AMANDA FLORES: Chris has let us down the past couple of weeks. He tends to get off-tempo every week and we don’t know why. Is he still getting nervous? He hasn’t had the coming-out party we have been waiting for, and time is running out. He needs to step it up NOW. His highs were off and again; every week, he tends to be faster than the band. Doesn’t he rehearse all week long? SCORE: 5 BRANDON GARCIA: As soon as I heard he was going to sing this, I knew it’d be bad news. Instead of bubbly and charming, we got off-tempo and aimless. Like LaKisha, Chris sounded overwhelmed — even he looked annoyed at his performance, which ended abruptly on a particularly foul note. And while he looked sort of ruggedly well dressed in a wool-lined leather jacket, his meandering around the stage and stilted gesturing were even more stomach-turning than usual. Chris is usually better heard and not seen; tonight, neither option was tolerable. SCORE: 5 CHRIS BENITEZ: Chris Sligh started off pitchy; his tone sounded strong until the chorus. I always feel like Chris is going to crack, and he finally did today. He looked sloppy, and he sounded vocally tired. Like I’ve said before, I don’t know how much better Chris can get. SCORE: 5.5 GLORIA CHEEVER: I didn’t really love this. He has a great voice, but this didn’t do it justice. It was definitely less than entertaining. SCORE: 5 MARITZA HAMILL: Oh, dear … not another cool song that can’t be sung cool. If that makes sense. Gwen was right with the whole pitchy sound. I am counting the days for this guy … I think he may be next to go home. Nice guy, REALLY?!? Dunno?? I can quit him. SCORE: 4
“I’ll Stand By You” (Pretenders) Watch the original J. CANTU AND AMANDA FLORES: Our rocker girl really turned it up this week. She chose the perfect song for the occasion. It was a great recovery from last week. She looked very good. A classy rock girl. Is that an oxymoron? She wasn’t. We hope this is the step up for Gina, and we will see great things from her. SCORE: 7 BRANDON GARCIA: “Stand there and be very emotional,” Gwen Stefani recommended. It’s hard for me to buy Gina as “emotional” or vulnerable when she’s dressed as go-go dancer from a Marilyn Manson video, but the restrained vocal approach was refreshing. Gina’s pretty convincing in this lighter rock style, but I wish it hadn’t been so rough around the edges. Too many pointless vocal runs and longing glances at the camera for my taste. SCORE: 7 GLORIA CHEEVER: Wow, she looks great! What a great performance! I think she was really emotionally connected to this song, and that really made a difference for her. She has a fantastic instrument! SCORE: 9.5 CHRIS BENITEZ: It started off really good, spot on! I was not too crazy about the arrangement towards the end. Not her fault in my opinion. The song was a great choice, better than Evanescence was for her. I think Gina has a lot of potential, but picking the right songs is so vital to her. I really don’t know how far she will go. We will see. SCORE: 7 MARITZA HAMILL: Ohhhhhhh, gooodie! Gina has made a 180 and makes me want to vote for her!! Woooo! I’ll stand by you, Gina. Ignore the galantince set up for you last week. I change my mind, you can stay. Loves! SCORE: 8
“Bathwater” (No Doubt) Watch the original J. CANTU AND AMANDA FLORES: Go away, Sanjaya!!! A village has lost their idiot. Why is he still here? Just hearing him makes our blood boil. My poor TV always takes the brunt of it. Bask in the fact that people are voting for the worst-sounding person in order to throw a monkey wrench into American Idol — it’s time for you Sanjaya to enjoy the limelight. I wonder if he knows how he is still in the competition. Would it bother him? Go home! SCORE: 1 BRANDON GARCIA: Oh, Sanjaya’s Hair. Week after week you’ve made bold choices that have usually worked in your master’s favor. I can’t explain why you transformed into a Pomeranian tonight. Maybe you got too big for your britches. Maybe an Idol stylist with an agenda was out to make sure Sanjaya suffered for humiliating the company last week. Even though he gave a competent if not edgy reading of one of Gwen’s better songs, no one paid attention to him — all eyes were locked on you. With Crying Fanatic Girl locked up in the mental ward and Sanjaya singing lines like “I know I’m diving into my own destruction,” it’s back to hard shower water and Herbal Essences for you after tonight. SCORE: 4 CHRIS BENITEZ: This guy is riding his own wave! Where will it take him? I sure can’t tell you. I’ll tell you what, if Sanjaya and Lakisha had CDs released right now, I think Sanjaya might out sell her. I would buy neither, but you get the point — he is getting a lot of votes. Music is crazy, isn’t it? SCORE: 4 GLORIA CHEEVER: What in the world?! No, Sanjaya …you’re not Nadia Turner. You can’t get away with the crazy hair! The vocals weren’t that bad, but I think he should’ve gone home a long time ago. Thank you to all the great Web sites out there … you’re really making a difference. SCORE: 5 MARITZA HAMILL: Snick, snick, snick….. Even the judges are at a loss for words. The pony hawk, no mas, no! He he he he… Sanjaya, you’re loved … just not by me. SCORE: Coo-coo out of 10
“True Colors” (Cyndi Lauper) Watch the original J. CANTU AND AMANDA FLORES: San Antonio did a little better than last week. She still has the annoying Sandy-from-Grease voice. There is no way she will be able to change that, so song choice has to be at its utmost with her. Haley, again, did not choose a good song. A lot of people have done this song, and I think I heard a better rendition of it last week at a local karaoke. Sorry Haley, we think you are going be to Remember the BRANDON GARCIA: Haley’s momentum came to a grinding halt the moment she opened her mouth and little old lady sounds emerged as she perched innocently on the stage. The talentless sex kitten we were introduced to last week has left the building. The talentless pageant queen is back, the Dainty Hand of Profundity has returned to haunt us and we were reminded of Haley’s true colors: Tedious, too sweet by half and terrible, through and through. Gwen called Haley’s inept vocal acrobatics “so unnecessary” — kind of like Haley herself. SCORE: 2 CHRIS BENITEZ: I think her time is coming. What time you might ask? Well, she is not going to win so what do you think? Yeah, she is fortunate to even get this far. Her pageant voice kind of came out again today. I would be very surprised if she doesn’t go home tomorrow. SCORE: 4 GLORIA CHEEVER: This was kinda nice. It was all a little too soft for me. I think that’s in part to the fact that she kinda struggles with her “belt.” She sings everything in head voice — so it doesn’t have that power behind it. SCORE: 7 MARITZA HAMILL: Nope! Lost it this week. Flattery will only get you so far. I think Paula thinks you’re hot though … but your voice did not land you a safe spot in the Idol Zone. Sorry Haley, you may be going home too … tear for you. But look on the bright side — Disney is hiring right now. SCORE: 4 out of 10
“Every Breath You Take” (The Police) Watch the original J. CANTU AND AMANDA FLORES: Phil is back. We loved the way he looked on stage this week. We believe Phil is the strongest of the men. We loved the hat, made him look a lot more comfortable and his vocals this week were great. Did it almost sound like Sting? Maybe if you lowered the volume on the TV … really low. Very smooth, Phil. SCORE: 6 BRANDON GARCIA: I imagined the worst when I heard Phil was going to sing this song — bumbling low notes, agony faces, etc. On the contrary, Phil was calmer and more collected than he’s been all season (‘80s is his ticket, I’m telling you). He kept the Idol-esque vocal runs to a minimum, and his voice came out sounding pure and unfettered. Gwen was “pleasantly surprised.” Me too — this performance inspired me to cast my first vote of the season. Please keep a hat on forever, Phil. SCORE: 8.5 CHRIS BENITEZ: Phil Stacey actually sang pretty well tonight, but would I buy his CD? No, I wouldn’t. Why? I could buy so much better with my money. I find him as interesting as Sheetrock. With that said, he did sound OK today. On the judges, does Paula actually think you can just belt a whole song? Well, you can, but the dynamics would be lost. Don’t listen to her — she is pretty crazy at times. SCORE: 5.5GLORIA CHEEVER: He’s such a great singer! I really liked this! It was solid! This was a great song choice for him. He’s my favorite tonight! SCORE: 10MARITZA HAMILL: You go, Phily boy! Good song choice; last week you were the scary-looking stalker, this week the smooth singing gentleman … goodie goodie. SCORE: 8
“Heaven Knows” (Donna Summer) J. CANTU AND AMANDA FLORES: Melinda is from another planet. She should NOT be on American Idol. It is not fair. Every week she blooms even more. Just when we think she cannot do any better, she does. A lot better! We loved the good up-tempo song she did this week. It’s Melinda …then everyone else. SCORE: 9 BRANDON GARCIA: I want to grab Melinda and LaKisha by the collar and demand to know why they have to pick such mediocre material — “Why must you make me hate you?!” Sure, we heard some velvety deep Melinda singing and the obligatory “lil’ ole me?” modesty, but does this show really need another Donna Summer song? As gifted as she is, these cut-rate lounge acts are going to do Melinda in. SCORE: 6.5. Free half-point for the warm pink makeup tones. CHRIS BENITEZ: Head and shoulders (minus the neck of course) above everyone. Melinda is an awesome performer and vocalist. That’s all that needs to be mentioned — the only great performance tonight! I thought she looked nice as well; Simon didn’t like her shirt or whatever, but who cares at this point? Win this competition for all the talented artists out there! SCORE: 9 GLORIA CHEEVER: Fun, fun, fun! Is this girl ever going to sing poorly? This was a great vocal, but I have to agree with Simon — I didn’t really like the outfit. SCORE: 9 MARITZA HAMILL: Simon no likey the outfit, and neither does America. But oh boy is the singing was good. But still giving us the surprised looks I see Melinda …”OH REALLY! Me singy goody? Ohhhh!” Thanks, Melinda, You need not apply for acting school. Singing you can do. SCORE: 8
“Lovesong” (The Cure) Watch the original J. CANTU AND AMANDA FLORES: Should have been Amanda’s night because they are all singing her songs. We thought Blake did well with the composition he did of the Cure. That R&B sound of his is going to take him places. He did the right thing by not adding any beatbox to this song. We saw some really good vocals from Blake tonight. He gets better every week, but next week, he has to turn it up a notch — it is time. SCORE: 6 BRANDON GARCIA: Blake’s quasi-hipness and aggressively irritating beatboxing have become next to unbearable, so it was nice to get a break this week. He couldn’t have picked a better song to highlight his wistful, gentler tones. Sounds a bit like Boy George (a compliment). I still feel like his thin voice sometimes chokes on its good intentions, but so did Chris Daughtry’s. Nothing a little ProTooling can’t fix. SCORE: 7 CHRIS BENITEZ: Remember when Blake Lewis was the best male in the competition? Yeah, I believe those days are gone. While he might be popular, his voice is weak! I don’t see him getting much better either. Blake is comfortable onstage, but he shouldn’t be anymore; he needs to work on those vocal pipes of his. SCORE: 5 GLORIA CHEEVER: This was good. I think it showed a different side of him. I’m still cooling off from last week’s performance, so I have to say it wasn’t my favorite Blake performance. I like Phil just as much, contrary to what Simon might say. SCORE: 8 MARITZA HAMILL: Thanks for not smoking…. Errrr I mean beatboxing, whatever it’s called. Now it is clear that this guy’s voice is not WOW, but there’s something about this guy that just makes me stare. He puts passion into the song and I think the guys may be a bit jealous of him. He’s that type of guy that mesmerizes you with the style of singing, not the talent. SCORE: 7
BRANDON GARCIA: Jordin gets props for trying to make something out of the worst No Doubt song in existence, but no dice. Paula said she looked “hip and young” — she looked more like Little Hooker on the Prairie to me in that checkered tablecloth blouse and those skimpy boots. The band was barely audible, exposing the minefield of mistakes in Jordin’s vocals. Despite the judges’ rosy comments, this was Sanjaya-level dreadful. SCORE: 3 CHRIS BENITEZ: Jordin, I didn’t hear the greatness tonight. No not at all. That song wasn’t one to wow audiences with. Now you said you wanted to have fun and try something different … well, it really wasn’t different and it wasn’t that fun. You know what would have been different and fun? An awesome performance tonight! There is no time to waste; do it, and do it right. SCORE: 7 GLORIA CHEEVER: I hate her outfit! She took a step backward in song choice. Some of the pitches were way too low. It was all kind of weird and imitated to me. Sounds like the judges agreed. Not her best. SCORE: 6 out of 10 MARITZA HAMILL: This girl is so cute. The song choice in my opinion didn’t showcase what she can do though. I still can’t believe that no one knocked the song. Yeah she did good, but definitely not her best performance. She is so talented that this made her sound karaoke-ish. SCORE: 6
“Don’t Speak” (No Doubt) Watch the original J. CANTU AND AMANDA FLORES: OK, Chris, we are tired of the same ol’ thing every week. You sing the same way, no matter what song you pick and ou dress the same and the moves … I could train my dog to do the same thing you do. Wave those hands, move without your neck and bounce all over the place. We want to see something else, Chris. You ride the fence and stay on it. You are a pretty boy and that will probably keep you in this week, but let’s see something else. SCORE: 5BRANDON GARCIA: Chris’ Timberlake affectations are becoming as painful as canker sores, I can’t stand his white tennis shoes and I love how Gwen called him out on his “vocal Olympics.” That aside, it was better than I expected; Chris made his first real connection with the camera. I got burned out on this song 11 years ago, so the R&B twist was refreshing and well executed. While Chris is easily a better singer than Gwen, that’s not saying much, and all in all I’m just not a fan. SCORE: 6CHRIS BENITEZ: I don’t think the R&B goes with that song at all. But I do think his performance was better than Blake’s today. I really don’t know what else to say. I will say that all the contestants are finding their own style and there are fewer bad wardrobes. That’s positive right? SCORE: 6.5 GLORIA CHEEVER: This wasn’t my favorite Chris performance, but it was kinda nice. This was a better song choice — more entertaining. I’d like to see him go back to his fun sense of style, though. SCORE: 8 MARITZA HAMILL: Better than last week’s choice. In fact better than all his choices. Made for a nice little ending for American Idol. This guys gets my attention only every other song. He seems to be getting better, but then he throws a curveball of boredom. This week was good though. SCORE: 7
BRANDON GARCIA: Phil Stacey. Then Blake. Then Gina.
CHRIS BENITEZ: Melinda Doolittle, Gina Glocksen
GLORIA CHEEVER: Phil Stacey
MARITZA HAMILL: I can’t believe I’m saying this: Phil Stacey.
BRANDON GARCIA: Jordin Sparks. Haley nipping at her heels.
CHRIS BENITEZ: Sanjaya Malakar, Blake Lewis, and Haley Scarnato
GLORIA CHEEVER: Chris Sligh and Sanjaya Malakar
BRANDON GARCIA: Sanjaya. Haley or (gasp) LaKisha wouldn’t surprise me.
CHRIS BENITEZ: Haley Scarnato
GLORIA CHEEVER: Chris Sligh
MARITZA HAMILL: Chris Sligh ——————————– Will Chris Sligh be the unlucky one? Or will it be Sanjaya or Haley? Tune in Wednesday at 8 p.m. for results. The Top 11 FinalistsMarch 20th, 2007, 11:25 pm by bgarcia
The Austin Powers mojo brings a much-needed dose of surprise as the sixth season of American Idol is taken over by the British Invasion. The producers remind us that the show isn’t just a singing competition — it’s a chance to thaw out forgotten stars like Lulu and Herman (of Hermits fame) after decades in the cryogenic chambers for one last, glorious moment in front of millions and millions of fanatic preteen girls — a girl named Ashley, in particular.
“Don’t let the tattoos and the motorcycle fool you,” she says. While Motorhead might safely assume she’s in the fan club, Ashlee Simpson and Justin Timberlake may be surprised to find they have an unlikely admirer in Miriam Ramirez, a features reporter for The Monitor and the first of our guest judges here on Idol Chat. “I love Judas Priest — I’ve seen them twice,” Miriam says, followed immediately by: “I love *NSYNC — I’ve seen them twice.” Miriam is also a sucker for Kelly Clarkson and tonight will be contributing the same critical view she brought to Laguna Beach as a blogger for Pop Culture Junkies (popculturejunkies.com). But while “Since U Been Gone” might follow “Two Minutes To Midnight” on her playlist, it’s not such a tough call when it comes down to picking favorites. A Kelly Clarkson-Justin Timberlake once-in-a-lifetime concert, or Iron Maiden’s final tour of all time? She thinks for a second. “Iron Maiden.”
BRANDON GARCIA: The early weeks of the finals are the most exciting every year — all the really boring contestants are usually gone, and these sadistic theme nights really make for some unforgettably off-the-wall television. Tonight exemplified that trend: British Invasion Week gave us a peek at Lulu’s amazing tarantula eyelashes circa 1962, one of the best ever so-ungodly-it’s-good performances courtesy of Sanjaya … but most of all, we got to meet Ashley, the Jan Brady of the 21st Century. Sitting in the audience, Ashley clasped her hands and wept, literally wept in ecstasy over tonight’s star-studded lineup. It was as if Jesus himself were on the Idol stage singing and shaking his hips just for her. Ashley’s speechless mouth hung open for two straight hours as strands of mousy blond hair streamed down her apple cheeks and over her braces. One thing’s for sure: Ashley needs to become a permanent fixture in the auditorium. She embodies everything that this show stands for. MIRIAM RAMIREZ: This week, it was a combination of nerves and excitement. I knew the British Invasion theme would be fantabulous and we would get to hear a lot of the songs re-emerging on the pop scene today. However, for R&B-drive singers like LaKisha, Melinda and Stephanie considered the stronger of the bunch-I was nervous to see how they would take this style and make it their own. Brit pop isn’t easily executed and even harder to digest if you’re not familiar. Nonetheless, I was pulling for all 11 Idol hopefuls because every week the stakes get higher and someone must go home. GLORIA CHEEVER: This week was so much better … and the girls looked amazing! I felt a better vibe — maybe even a more competitive vibe this week. This was much less disappointing than last week.
Click on the contestants’ names to see their performances from last week on YouTube.
“Tell Him” (The Exciters/Billie Davis) Watch the original J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: Oh, Ms. Haley. Was nice to see her kick it up a notch. Finally it is something better than Sandy in the Broadway musical Grease. Her choice of song was pretty good. She will not be here very long, but she is smart by wearing what she is wearing. She will get the same vote Antonella was getting. Good move, but that will only take her so far. Haley is not an American Idol. Sorry Haley. SCORE: 4 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: Knowing she doesn’t measure up to her competition on a technical level, Haley stripped down to a pair of hotpants and let her legs deal with getting votes. She threw down the gauntlet tonight, even going as far as giving the little girls in the front rows a soft-core lap dance. Playing the harlot card coincidentally gave a little boost to her anemic vocals, and all in all it was probably the best she’s done so far. Not sexy, but at least a good imitation of sexy. SCORE: 4.5 out of 10 MIRIAM RAMIREZ: So she’s cute and flirtatious. Performing a Billie Davis song perhaps suited her this time, with the spunky attitude and all. Does she have what it takes to be an American Idol? Not this time. Our Texas gal did well tonight but should really work on keeping up with the singing. She got a bit winded from time to time (climbing steps in heels is hard work) but overall delivered a pretty good, not wonderful, performance. I think she’s safe, for now. SCORE: 5 out of 10 GLORIA CHEEVER: She looks amazing! In the words of my husband, “her outfit was a little distracting.” I don’t think he’ll be the only one. I, on the other hand, was listening to her sing and I thought she did really well. The song showed off her voice more than any other song she’s done. I think she’ll be back next week. SCORE: 7 out of 10 MARITZA HAMILL: I just came from Disney World and I didn’t see here there. That’s because she finally stepped it up notch. Haley, you were cute. Simon is right, right about people ain’t just going to be talking about the singing tonight. Although she did not look comfortable walking in the heels. Attire was almost perfect, the shirt was a bit to shiny or outdated, but altogether it did work. She may not be the next American Idol, but she put on a good show tonight. Disney’s still got it. SCORE: 7 out of 10
“Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying Tonight” (Gerry and the Pacemakers) Watch the original J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: Chris tried to shy away from the Justin thing, but he will not get out of the teeny bop thing. He is the centerfold in Tiger Beat magazine … is that still around? Chris once again chose a song that is very safe, does not show any vocals and he will rely on his looks to get ahead. He does not push the envelope. Sings and looks like he belongs in the boy band. I hear Menudo is making a comeback. The boys are so much more weaker than the weakest woman. SCORE: 5 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: Guest coach Peter Noone (Herman) begged Chris Richardson to lay off the Timberlake. Chris obliged, and it made for a pleasing performance if not anything you’d mistake for “fun.” The song sounded like something playing over the loudspeakers at Dillard’s, and despite an earnest, mature rendition, Chris seems even more bereft of star quality when he can’t mimic his *NSYNC idol. Placing him next to the B.B. King-ish guitar player at the beginning made him seem even more like an amateur. SCORE: 6 MIRIAM RAMIREZ: Yawn. I think I took a snack break. Sure he’s a good singer and did well, but if the judges say tonight was his best? Yikes. His song choice was safe, though pitchy at times, and overall made it through in one piece. But like the Gerry and Pacemakers, which could never quite catch up to the Beatles, Chris might not be able to catch up to the better singers in this competition. SCORE: 4 out of 10 GLORIA CHEEVER: This song was a little boring, but I did like the guitar and the performance. This was definitely a different side to him. I have no comment on the vocal aspect of his performance. It wasn’t pushed — just a nice, controlled sound. SCORE: 7 out of 10 MARITZA HAMILL: This guy needs to shave … call me old-fashioned, but the scruffy look is just not good. There are only few and far between who can pull it off. He needs to be bald by choice; it works for him. The song. No girlish screams here. I know he is a favorite, just not mine … SCORE: Lame out of 10
“You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me” (Dusty Springfield) Watch the original J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: What in the world happened? Did she not talk to the band during rehearsal? She was in a completely different key. Stephanie has been driven by her vocals, but the bottom came completely off tonight. The song was not what she needed. She needs to choose a soulful song. Sorry Stephanie, but there wasn’t any soul here. It really looked like her nerves overcame her. She did not perform like a person who is competing in American Idol. You are in trouble, Stephanie. SCORE: 4 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: Knowing full well where this runaway train was headed, Lulu stabbed Beyoncé in the eye by comparing her to Stephanie tonight. Stephanie sang this torch song as if she were having a tapeworm pulled yard for yard out of her stomach. From the first note, she looked petrified in her turquoise tube skirt; each moment she tried to abstain from bursting into her usual vocal-run orgasms was excruciating for both her and us. Season 4’s Nadia Turner did a bang-up job with this same song, and that fond memory only emphasized what a humiliating stumble this is for Stephanie. Just to make sure she doesn’t get any sleep tonight, Simon topped it all off by telling her “I think you’re losing your soul.” See, Steph? Don’t mock the Request Line. SCORE: 3.5 out of 10 MIRIAM RAMIREZ: I definitely have to agree with Simon tonight. Stephanie is a good singer but is slowly falling through the cracks. Maybe this week’s theme threw her off a bit, but it’s obvious she’s a great singer and she needs to bounce back in to the ring. It was an appropriate song choice, along the lines of Motown as Dusty Springfield was known for, but it wasn’t an earth-shattering performance. She’s safe, though. SCORE: 4.5 out of 10 GLORIA CHEEVER: She looks beautiful! This gal is so classy (could’ve done without the boots, though). Her last note went a little sharp. The song is great — it just wasn’t a great choice for her. Not my favorite performance. SCORE: 6 out of 10 MARITZA HAMILL: She needed more air in her voice … not enough volume. She blends in like a smoothie. Nothing really separates her from the others. Kinda liked half of the outfit… but not enough to make this song GRRRRRR….. the big guys are going to begin to trample her sweet voice. SCORE: 6 out of 10
“Time of the Season” (The Zombies) Watch the original J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: Blake is starting to come around for the guys. If anyone has a chance, it is Blake. He made an old song sound cool again. Smooth and jazzy. We really liked Blake’s presentation tonight. He did not change it like last week, but did make it his own. We believe he has figured out what making it your own means. Good job. That song could be on the radio. He added his beat, but not too much, just enough to make it his own. We had to rewind and hear that twice. SCORE: 7 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: “Don’t let ‘the business’ get in the way of the song,” Peter Noone implored, but Blake brushed off his pleas and gave us more obligatory beatboxing and another arrangement that felt oddly empty. Blake fared a little better tonight, his performance drifting occasionally into mesmerizing before descending back into vertigo. I recommended this song for Stephanie (who’s crying now?), but Blake charged it with a hint of the wistful Morrissey-esque style he sometimes feels like sharing. Even with the neato Wonderbread-logo lighting, Blake sank under the weight of his poor lower register and his pitiful dancing. SCORE: 5.5. I docked him a whole point for that Elvis move similar to the one Brandon Rogers did last week, the one he’ll regret for the rest of his life. MIRIAM RAMIREZ: And then there’s Blake. I’m really not sure what to think of this boy band clone. I like him, or don’t I? I just don’t know. For his rendition of “Time of the Season,” I was entertained and pulling for him but I got worried with the range. Blake’s got great style, a very contemporary and marketable look, but I’m over the whole beatboxing. He will be a force to be reckoned with, I’m afraid, in the coming weeks. His charisma will take him pretty far. SCORE: 6.5 out of 10 GLORIA CHEEVER: This was so provocative in such a subtle way. I really liked how he makes the songs his own. He is one talented guy! The dancing didn’t hurt, either. SCORE: 9 out of 10
MARITZA HAMILL: “WHO’S YOUR DADDY? Is he rich like me?” Not bad Blake. You got me sick of the beep-pooping and practically wiped it out. Good call. And super good song choice. He was (as the DAWG would say) “In the zone.” Tonight I think was his best….. very likeable. And a cool-cat-daddy-O performance. SCORE: 8 out of 10
“Diamonds Are Forever” (Shirley Bassey) Watch the original J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: LaKisha should have paid attention to the instructions she was given. She should have chosen the second song. The song she chose did not have the intensity she had on the previous weeks. She is LaKisha and she has a great voice, but her song did not help her any. She also took a step backwards with her wardrobe. It was “sing a ‘60s song,” not look like the ‘60s. Good attempt, but we know she can do a whole lot better. SCORE: 7 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: LaKisha once again showed her utter disregard for the guest coach’s opinion by choosing this song over the one Lulu thought she should sing — unlike last week, it was a good move. This characteristically trippy theme from one of the early 007 movies gave LaKisha a chance to be someone other than Jennifer Hudson, producing some mixed results in the process. Her seldom-heard deeper notes were soothing but wildly off-pitch at one point. And even though she looked fetching in — you guessed it — lots of diamonds and a green dress that barely kept her mammoth breasts from crushing the audience, there were moments when she simply seemed absent. I liked the change of pace, but I wish she would’ve added more of her bawdy Miss Piggy outbursts to the mix. SCORE: 6.5 out of 10 MIRIAM RAMIREZ: Absolutely adored her song choice (and of course it reminded me of Kanye West’s version) but again, I agree with Simon. She aged a few decades and became this overzealous lounge singer-minus being draped on a piano. LaKisha has a set of pipes and competitive talent. She’s got to maintain that ‘wow’ factor to stay on top. Otherwise, Melinda will sniper her out of the competition. SCORE: 7 out of 10 GLORIA CHEEVER: She looks beautiful! I love how this was presented — the lights, her jewelry. I don’t think it was her absolute best, but even on a bad day she can sound sensational. SCORE: 8 out of 10 MARITZA HAMILL: RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT…….{{{{{TA TA TA TA TA}}}}}}}}…..007 at your service! As soon as I heard this song I dropped to the floor and began slithering across my tweed throw rug…. Looked up with a devilish half grin and then realized that my friends were not impressed… “wHaT tHe hEcK are you doing Maritza,” one asked as he sipped his SlimFast martini with a twist of marshmallow (don’t dare ask). Although I felt invincible for a second, LaKisha was, dare I say, not … to the judges. She picked a cool song, but a song that indeed made her sound old. Sorry Lakey, you get a … SCORE: 7 out of 10
“Tobacco Road” (Nashville Teens) Watch the original J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: Everyone in this competition has a nook that is helping them push through the weeks; unfortunately, Phil does not. He did not choose a good song this week. His vocals had been better every week, but this song did not explore his vocals. Was a super fun song, but those are the ones people sing on their way out of American Idol. Phil is not a rocker and shouldn’t attempt to be one. We believe Phil is going home this week. We don’t see anything keeping him in this week. Sorry Phil. SCORE: 4 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: In the past Phil has reminded me of Steve Buscemi and Gizmo, but tonight it felt like watching the skeleton from A Nightmare Before Christmas trying to rock a blues revival. Phil was corny and manic where he needed to be smooth and nasty, and his “gritless” voice was neutered by the B.B. King lookalike guitar player. His voice works best with middle-of-the-road soft rock, plus he’s one of more rough-around-the-edges contestants who could benefit from a few more weeks to find his footing. As much as he’s grown on me, I think it’s back to sailing the ocean blue in an ice-cream parlor uniform for Phil after tomorrow. SCORE: 4 MIRIAM RAMIREZ: Next. Seriously folks, when will this torture end? He’s a decent singer and picked an OK song but he stepped outside of his wholesome box and pretty much eased his way out the door. He has no style and lacks the edge needed to channel your inner rockstar. I’m afraid he’s a goner. SCORE: 3.5 out of 10 GLORIA CHEEVER: I don’t like his outfit tonight. However, week after week, I comment on how much I like his voice. He has great technique! It’s never pushed. I hope he doesn’t go home. I think he has lots of potential. SCORE: 6.5 out of 10 MARITZA HAMILL: Beam me up, Scottie … you’re going home, Spock. Phil singing with backup singers. Phil screwing up the backup singers groove. Not the best choice of song. This guy kinda creeps me. He is soooo hit or miss. I am not impressed, just a bit freaked out. SCORE: 3 out of 10
“I Who Have Nothing” (Shirley Bassey) Watch the original J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: This is the person to watch out for. Women are so much more powerful than the men. She really listened and turned this song into a winner. She can sing! Her notes were so much in control and so smooth. Her great personality doesn’t hurt either. Awesome, Jordin! SCORE: 8 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: I’m just going to pretend Jordin never said the song that most described her as a human being is “I’m So Excited” by The Pointer Sisters. Jordin played for keeps tonight with a passionate performance that was miles ahead of the juvenile Disney retreads she’s done in the past. Even though she hasn’t been my favorite contestant, I predicted last week that she’s going to win this year, and tonight she managed to both confirm my forecast and suggest that she deserves it. She showed her immense skills as a singer, met the melodramatic song on its level and hinted at something resembling artistic vision. Or maybe the flat-ironed hair just threw me off. SCORE: 8.5 out of 10 MIRIAM RAMIREZ: Love her! Hands down my absolute favorite. Jordin could’ve opted for a much cuter outfit, though she looked dazzling nonetheless. Her song, performed by the great Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey and Ben E. King, was moving and although dark, a tremendous performance. Simon says it was depressing (and it was) but tears will get you everywhere! With Jordin, she could be singing about the end of the world and I would love it. I truly believe she is Melinda’s biggest competition. SCORE: 8.5 out of 10 GLORIA CHEEVER: She’s so beautiful! This was once again a fantastic vocal from her. There’s lots of power in that young voice. I’m glad she’s picking songs that show off her voice because I didn’t realize how exquisite her sound is until last week. SCORE: 9 out of 10 MARITZA HAMILL: WHO’S YOUR DADDY! Your still Maritza’s favorite since day uno! Woooo-whoo! The new hairdo make her look like a pretty version of Ugly Betty. I normally don’t like them ballads, but oh dear this one was one to hear again. She is winning this game, she has found her voice. SCORE: 9 out of 10
“You Really Got Me” (The Kinks) Watch the original J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: Not matter what Sanjaya does now, there is no way he can pull out of this. Who was this and what did you do with Sanjaya? It almost sounded like someone else. Don’t get us wrong, it is still as awful as ever, just a different awful. Is lip-syncing allowed on AI? It almost looked like it. Sanjaya, GO HOME! The little girl crying is what is keeping him in week after week. There is no way we could ever put a song by him on the radio. Ya! SCORE: 3 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: “Crocodile Rock” by John Stevens. “Cry Ev’ry Mountain” by Anthony Federov. They left us sitting bewildered in front of our televisions, stunned at seeing human civilization sink to a new low, disturbed and exhilarated by the unrivaled joy we felt at being there to see it. And now, “You Really Got Me” by Sanjaya Malakar. Tonight, America’s favorite androgynous matinee idol gave us what will come to be known as the zenith of bad A.I. performances. The producers chucked the show’s last morsel of credibility into the bonfire and gave us exactly what we wanted: Sanjaya as the night’s “rocker;” Sanjaya completely abandoning the melody for a stupefying howl; but most of all, Ashley, her wide eyes alight with transcendence. Forget that it would have been jaw-dropping for any non-Idol watcher who just happened to flip the channel. Forget that it’s a huge step forward for Sanjaya, who countered weeks of whispered ridicule by dropping an atom bomb on America. “I think the little girl’s face said it all,” Simon said. Folks, this is as good as it gets. SCORE: 8 out of 10. “8?!” you ask. Trust me. This was a classic. MIRIAM RAMIREZ: Does his mother know he’s playing “rockstar” tonight? Pobre. OK, so he broke out of his shell a bit, but he butchered one of the best Kinks songs ever. I think we’ve come to a point where we don’t pay much attention to this young singer, hoping his turn will be up soon. Trust me, it will be soon. SCORE: 3.5 out of 10 GLORIA CHEEVER: Well, this was much better, but still a little scary. It was pushed, but his performance has improved somewhat. He still has a lot of work to do, but at least we could hear him this week. SCORE: 5 out of 10 MARITZA HAMILL: …………….. Howard Stern, stop it already. OK, OK … now I think I want to even vote for this guy. Sanjaya, you need to send Howard a big basket of dollars and beer. His little fan in the audience is the crazy now. But oh soo cute… this guy has the vote. Heck if he ran for president … OK I wont go there. SCORE: 5 for making his fans cry of happiness out of 10
“Paint It Black” (The Rolling Stones) Watch the original J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: Our rocker girl. She is still trying to prove she is a rocker, and too much at that. We know you rock, Gina, show us something else in that leather. It was very high energy, and we know this was a rock song, but too much of a rock song for AI. Tone it down a bit and show us what you can do. You are very good and have seen better. SCORE: 5 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: Gina did her best to “devour” the Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black” as Lulu suggested. I would have chosen “Gimme Shelter” for some depth, but she couldn’t have asked for a better tune to establish her image as the goth-rock chick. Gina’s performance proved once again how difficult it is to do rock on Idol. Like Phil but not as bad, Gina lost track of the melody amid the blaring noises of the band on overdrive. Simon noted that some parts were “moments of complete torture,” and while that phrase makes me smile, I didn’t agree, and I thought she did a superb job with the end. SCORE: 7 out of 10. I should dock a half-point for meeting her criticisms with the standard “Well, I had fun” answer, but oh well.MIRIAM RAMIREZ: I think Gina forgot she could sing. And unfortunately channeling her inner Rolling Stone didn’t help much. With Gina, Simon says it’s style over content and I somewhat agree, but just because she’s got a few red highlights and a couple studs in her belt doesn’t mean she’s gotta be the next Joan Jett. I think Gina is confused about what direction she should take musically. She has a few more shows on her side but Gina is no American Idol. SCORE: 4.5 out of 10 GLORIA CHEEVER: The vocal was good — but I didn’t love the performance. I think she should’ve taken it up still another half step. She had a hard time on the low notes. I like Gina — I hope she stays. SCORE: 6 out of 10 MARITZA HAMILL: Bad girl. Bad song choice … bad, bad, bad. Yeah this is up her alley, but sang so wrong. Off key, and out of tune. I wanted to smack her with a big mop named Sanjaya. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, no. SCORE: 4 out of 10
“She’s Not There” (The Zombies) Watch the original J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: Thank god the glasses are back. We don’t know what he was trying to do. We are still on the Chris bandwagon, but it’s time to turn it up a notch. C’mon, Chris. Use the stage; you don’t have to high five everyone. Show us some power behind that voice. It is lacking. Our Chris is back, but he is starting at the beginning and has to work this way up again. SCORE: 6 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: My advice for Chris S. was to get over himself when he takes the stage, and he listened. He’s the first contestant this year to perform entirely on a cheesy promenade through the audience. While he loses himself on the bombastic chorus (as he’s done before), he voice is note-perfect on the verses, and it’s a very good fit for the song. And while I didn’t feel one note of sadness in Chris’ rendition of this lovelorn tune, I did appreciate the return of his snarky attitude. SCORE: 7.5 out of 10. A free half-point for “Bring Chubby Back.” MIRIAM RAMIREZ: Doing a Zombies song is tough, so I’ll give Fro Patrol some credit. But Chris to me is one of those performers that needs a few more years to hone in on his talent (meaning sing in a few cover bands to realize he has some talent). I liked him a lot at the beginning of the season but he hasn’t done much for me lately. He can carry a tune well and seems like a wonderful person so I hope he’s not given the boot just yet. He’s too nice. (I wish I was) SCORE: 4 out of 10 GLORIA CHEEVER: This was OK for me. The song showed off his voice — but it still wasn’t my favorite. He is a great singer, though. SCORE: 5.5 out of 10 MARITZA HAMILL: Singing= good, Boring= yes… I thing this guy is good but is a flatline. No more standing out in a good way. He’s not going to make it to the end because he is not eye candy. I like his song choice very much so, but the American Idol vote is just not strong enough for this guy. ttfn…. SCORE: 7.5 out of 10
“As Long As He Needs Me” (From Oliver!) Watch the original J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: WOW! What can we say about Melinda? She is somewhere else. She should not be in this competition because it’s not fair for the others. She is a woman among kids. She wraps you in her voice like a used San Marcos blanket. She really kicks it up a notch a là Emeril. We are so excited to see what else she has coming. Melinda … you rock! SCORE: 9 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: “Me? Talented?” I’m no longer buying Melinda’s aw-shucks act. She’s easily the best singer in the crowd and it’s impossible to believe that she doesn’t realize that, especially when everyone — the viewers, the judges, the media — is talking about her. Tonight she gave her weakest performance yet, which in perspective is still light years beyond some of her opponents’ best work. And not coincidentally, she was meeker than ever, even adding a dash of The Goonies’ Sloth to her incredulous face. She claimed she was out of her comfort zone, but this is a Broadway/cabaret song over 40 years old — how is it any different than anything else she’s sung? How does this torch song even count as British Invasion material? Melinda is playing the Idol game: She absolutely must seem like an underdog if she hopes to win. No one in their right mind would wear that hideous gray smock on national television without an ulterior motive. It made her boobs look like really high lonjas. If that isn’t enough to earn her personal “stylist” a trip to the gallows, I don’t know what is. SCORE: 7.5 out of 10 MIRIAM RAMIREZ: I like the sign in the audience tonight, “Melinda Do Lots” which explains to what height Melinda will go in her career. She owns this competition, vocally, but the question still remains if Melinda can carry herself off the stage too. As Idols, they have to be charming, energetic and steal the spotlight … with Melinda I want to shake her up a bit and tell her to buy some confidence on the way in. Modesty is one thing; sheepish personalities are best left for backup singers. (Gosh I’m on a rampage tonight, people). Melinda has nothing to worry about (except her wardrobe) which means she will be around until the deciding vote. SCORE: 8.5 out of 10 GLORIA CHEEVER: What was she doing as a back-up singer?! Lord, this girl can sing! Week after week, she comes back and just brings it! Boring song turned fabulous! I think she’s going to take this. I love how you can see the story in her eyes — that makes a good performer great. SCORE: 9 out of 10 MARITZA HAMILL: She is a good singer, yes we have established this. In a league of her blah…. The best blah….. Come on Melinda….. gimme some funky crazy song… not this beautifully predictable bologna. And the surprised looks…. Sigh…. Stop.. or you’re getting some Sanjaya slaps too. SCORE: 7 out of 10
BRANDON GARCIA: Jordin Sparks, for connecting with me on a (relatively) emotional level. Several others who were just as good.
MIRIAM RAMIREZ: Jordin Sparks, Melinda Dolittle
GLORIA CHEEVER: Jordin Sparks
BRANDON GARCIA: Stephanie
MIRIAM RAMIREZ: Phil Stacey, Sanjaya Malakar, Gina Glocksen
GLORIA CHEEVER: Sanjaya Malakar
J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: Phil is going home.
BRANDON GARCIA: Phil. Each year we get one “terrible” singer in the Top 12, and in the past they’ve usually been sent home the week they did their best. But Sanjaya’s performance lies beyond the boundaries of logic, and I think he’ll survive. Sucks for Phil.
MIRIAM RAMIREZ: Phil Stacey or Sanjaya Malakar
GLORIA CHEEVER: Gina or Sanjaya
MARITZA HAMILL: Gina Gina Bo Beana
——————————————————– The Idol Chat judges are split between Gina, Sanjaya or Phil to head home tomorrow. Come back at 7:30 p.m. for live results. Much thanks to Miriam Ramirez. The Top 12 FinalistsMarch 13th, 2007, 11:13 pm by bgarcia“Look at all your smiling faces,” cried Diana Ross, her mounds of fro bristling like tumbleweed in the wind. She was talking about BEFORE tonight. American Idol’s obsession with music of a bygone era struck most of the Top 12 contestants of Season 6 like a wall — for the others, it was basically a Pass Go and Collect $200 night that ensured they’d be safe until next week. Take a cruise on the Love Boat From Hell as the Idol Chat judges take on … Diana Ross Night on American Idol.
BRANDON GARCIA: You know my sentiments on this theme week after reading my Request Line for tonight’s Diana Ross-a-thon. I wonder why the producers even try to hide their motives — it might as well have been Bind The Contestants Like Pigs And Whip Them Till They Pass Out Night. For modern-ish singers like Blake, Chris and Gina, it was pure torture. For LaKisha and Melinda, it was pennies from heaven. For everybody else, it was an easy way to expose their shortcomings. For those of us who like this show, it was another reminder of why so many people think it’s the joke of the music industry. At heart, tonight was a contest to see which Idol hopeful could seem least boring in the face of unblinking blandness. GLORIA CHEEVER: My problem with “Diana Ross Week” is not the actual songs, but more that she is a legend and it is difficult not to imitate her. Personally, I don’t think I myself would be able to do any Diana Ross song justice. The producers of the show really need to stray away from asking these American Idol hopefuls to sing songs of artists that are in a league all their own. They should select themes that are more generalized, like they did on the first season such as: Big Band, Musical Theater, etc., so we can select a better-rounded American Idol.
*Click on the contestants’ names to see their performances from last week.
“You Can’t Hurry Love” Watch the original J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: Not a very good start to the night. We have never liked BRANDON GARCIA: Diana Ross knew it was a lost cause to try to be the vocal coach — instead she opted for Zen guru, handing out ambiguous advice such as “go to your center … your heart place” like a fortune-cookie dispenser. “Background” Rogers was the first to take the Top 12 stage and will be the first of the Top 12 to go home. Even before I noticed he’s almost as tiny as Ryan Seacrest, I thought the stage dwarfed Brandon. He repeats Jared Cotter’s mistake of picking a white-bread song that even the old robotic-bear band at Fun Time Pizza would consider crusty and predictable. Add some of CHRIS BENITEZ: Brandon was weak, forgettable and he screwed up a great song! This guy believes he is way better than what he is. Predicting who is going home has proved to be pretty tough, but this guy is definitely going home at some point, very soon. It even bores me just thinking of his singing. SCORE: 4 out of 10 GLORIA CHEEVER: Yikes! Cracks in his voice (which he probably couldn’t control), notes that were too low, memory slips … I don’t think even the last note could save him. This was not a good start to the night. Eek… SCORE: 4 out of 10 MARITZA HAMILL: Oh, you CAN hurry love if you’re gonna sing like this. Boring, he started off the night and somewhat set the mood also. Or maybe im just fighting the flu? I think my congested ears made him sound extra lame. SCORE: 4 out of 10
“Home” Watch the original J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: Melinda looked a little weird, but right after the first couple of notes, she could have been wearing a toga and we would not have cared. Melinda is amazing. She is in a complete class of her own. The old sports cliché “she left it all out on the field” fits perfectly here. She had the out-of-body experience, and you could see it. Her emotions after she sang were very obvious; Melinda is definitely here to win. Powerful! SCORE: 9 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: Melinda tries to out-LaKisha LaKisha with this torch song from The Wiz, the forgotten Afro-American version of The Wizard of Oz starring Diana Ross and a pre-psychotic Michael Jackson. It’s a fireworks display of a song — loud, pretty, but you can’t remember anything about it five minutes later. Looking like Lily Tomlin in 9 to 5, Melinda gave a heartfelt performance that left Paula Abdul in a mess of tears and mascara, but I was pretty unmoved. Though I think Melinda did just about everything possible to make it work, the song left me dry. She’s probably the best singer in the group, but I’m not convinced she’s going to win this year. SCORE: 7 out of 10. CHRIS BENITEZ: Well, Melinda is way above everyone else, even without a neck : /. I liked this performance — it’s crazy how she was so freaked out with the large crowd yet at the same time she looked like a pro while performing. She is so natural on that stage. Another great week for Melinda!!! SCORE: 8.5 out of 10 GLORIA CHEEVER: She brought it again! Wow! It was a boring song, but she brings such a passion to the stage with her that you forget all that. SCORE: 8 out of 10 MARITZA HAMILL: Of course, she was goood. What did you think? Although the facial expressions I can do without, the innocent and surprised look is starting to become a bit predictable. “MELINDA, YOU’RE GOOD, STOP PRETENDING YOU ARE SHOCKED!” And I love you … SCORE: 9 out of 10
“Endless Love” Watch the original J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: This is our boy — we have followed him since the beginning, but he let us down this week. Chris has a great voice, but he is trying too hard to be different that he forgets why he is there. Not because of how different he is, but because he can sing! Show us you can sing, Chris. The arrangement for this song just did not do it for us at all. Who arranged it? This song is too much of a classic to make it into a Coldplay remix. Chris should be here another week, but he has to step it up. We believe he is the only one who has a chance from the boys, but not at this rate. C’mon, Chris! SCORE: 5 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: Chris took my advice and ditched the Rivers Cuomo glasses. He looked a little naked, like a plus-sized tortoise out of its shell, but I disagree with Simon — the glasses kept him from using his facial expressions as a performance tool, and he’s better off without them. I also thought Simon and the others displayed some unnecessary roughness in their criticisms. Chris made this hallmark of every late-night-lovers-by-the-fireplace compilation CD sound like one of the bonus tracks on a U2 greatest-hits album. All I know is that the original made me want to drown puppies, and Chris’ version only made me want to muzzle them. SCORE: 6 out of 10. CHRIS BENITEZ: This is where I go back to what I said last week. I don’t know how much better Chris Sligh can get. I think it really is about picking good songs. So far, Chris has not shown anything all that impressive. I mean the voice is strong, and his pitch is good, although I do see a problem with his vocal range. He tries harder than anyone in my opinion; he even took the glasses off. I don’t mind that — that really is up to him. I like Chris Sligh, but I feel he needs to worry about his vocals more than anything else. That is what will get him places! SCORE: 6 out of 10 GLORIA CHEEVER: This was a boring arrangement of the song. This sounded too much like Coldplay’s “Speed of Sound.” I was unimpressed and bored. I was initially excited to hear he was singing this song, but he completely botched it with that terrible arrangement. SCORE: 5 out of 10 MARITZA HAMILL: He tried to remake a song that sounded a bit dragged on. He was ok, but I’m not loving this guy. Maybe it’s the look that I’m not feeling. Dunno? Seems like that nice guy everyone wants to invite to his or her party to sing a few songs … and that’s it. SCORE: 6 out of 10
“Love Child” Watch the original
J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: Our rocker chose the perfect song for her, but Diana pointed out at the beginning that the words had to be articulated only made it more obvious she did not do this. Some words were not understandable. She is a good singer, but this was all loud all the time. The highs were not very good here. Gina is a rocker and she will do better in other genres of music. She is in the Top 5. We just didn’t get what she was doing here. SCORE: 6 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: Gina’s close-but-no-cigar performance showed how deceptively simple some of these relic songs are. She swore up and down that she’d taken Diana Ross’ advice to tell a story, but can you recall the song’s epic tale after hearing Gina’s rendition? Didn’t think so, but that’s possibly because it doesn’t have one. Diana Ross Week was tailor-made to make an outsider out of Gina. But even though it’s obvious she’d be your typical Midwestern milkmaid minus the punky hair and duds, Gina is still one of the brighter crayons in this dull palette, and that really does count for something. SCORE: 5 out of 10. I’m finding it hard to dis the contestants tonight, probably because we share an equal loathing for these songs. CHRIS BENITEZ: Singing Diana Ross songs is a task that is far beyond a lot of the contestants. Some benefit, some are not good enough and some just don’t go well with it. Gina Glockson just doesn’t go all that well with this style; the good thing is she got through positively. Her time will come; it just depends on what she sings. SCORE: 6 out of 10 GLORIA CHEEVER: This wasn’t her best, but it was OK. I’m in agreement with Simon — it was not a memorable performance, but I am glad she kept with the “rocker” persona that was suggested for her. SCORE: 7 out of 10 MARITZA HAMILL: Wow, I hated her at first but this song was a better choice. She looks a lot more confident singing a song that was right up her alley. This suited her well. It’s about time! SCORE: 7 out of 10
“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” Watch the original J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: What is it going to take for this guy to go home? He must have some kind of curandero that is helping him out. He has NO BUSINESS on American Idol. We get so mad as he is performing just thinking he stole someone else’s spot who is 100 percent better than him. This was Amanda’s alltime favorite song, and he just ruined it forever. My poor T.V. took the brunt of the rage. We want to take this time and apologize to Diana R. for this. He talks about how he did not have any idea on what Simon was talking about. Yes, Sanjaya … you do not have a clue. Stop voting for him! SCORE: 1 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: Sanjaya’s hair undergoes another daring transformation, cementing its status as the most adventurous player on American Idol Season 6. One night it’s Jessica Alba — the next night it’s Lamb Chop. Throw some Abercrombie on him and add two teaspoons of soul, and suddenly Sanjaya isn’t the joke he was two weeks ago. Sanjaya has set the bar so low for himself that this performance seems like a work of art in comparison. His hair needs to do the thinking from now on — it’s a crafty one, I tell you. SCORE: 4 Moment of the Night: Who wants to bet there’ll be a Diana Ross Night next year after Simon called her a “whale” on live TV. You’re a saint, Mr. Cowell. Thank you. CHRIS BENITEZ: Sanjaya better hope his fans like his hair now. Paula tells Sanjaya to go after the songs — HE CAN’T. The funny thing is he believes he should be there, what a kid. Eh, then again all the guys kind of sucked tonight. I would say he is going home but this dude has some how squeezed through this far. I just don’t know. He is terrible! SCORE: 3 out of 10 GLORIA CHEEVER: This poor little guy doesn’t quite have a voice large enough to fill that enormous hall. He certainly tried his best, and it was better than last week, but I certainly cannot see him winning this competition. You can tell he was really pushing — especially at the end. I think he has potential to be a decent vocalist, just not to win this show. SCORE: 4.5 out of 10 MARITZA HAMILL: Heh heh heh heh … this guy makes me giggle. He’s not good at all but is such a sweetheart. Oh boy is he not going home, but it’s not because of his vocals. He has the pre-teen vote. I don’t even know what to say about him … he’s Sanjaya … I don’t want to say anything mean for fear that the gods of all that is cute and fluffy might smooch me to death. SCORE: 9 out of 10…. HA HA HA.. J/K SCORE: 3 out of 10
“Missing You”
J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: Haley looked good tonight, better than last week. The low notes she sang were very good … then the high notes came around. She sounded like a Vegas airport singer on the verge of getting fired. Again, another one that forgets the words. She is not here to win. She did not sound very good. Then Simon throws her a lifesaver. She is drowning, and Simon might have saved her this week. We believe when her re-hears it again, he will retract what he said. SCORE: 4 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: Haley lets it slip that she and her fellow contestants are “doing anything and everything” backstage to get ready for their performances. Hmm. Haley gives a shout-out to her guiding light Biggie Smalls by giving a stilted, terrified rendition of “Missing You.” Beyond a few brief flashes of tenderness, Haley sings like her All-American fiancé is holding up a sign saying “I’m Leaving You” in the audience. The soft parts were almost inaudible, the loud parts startled me, and overall it’s like Olivia Newton-John performing the day after getting out of rehab. The good news is she’s got some killer legs. Oh, but you’re tired of hearing you’re pretty, aren’t you Haley? Save it for your “friends” down at the sorority house. SCORE: 3.5 out of 10 CHRIS BENITEZ: Tonight, I was hoping Haley would show us something different. Her look was much improved today, no blue jeans. The only problem was, of course the same problem she has always had — she just doesn’t sing well. Although she forgot the lyrics, Simon still found something positive to say to her. That might actually help her stick around another week. Not much has changed with Scarnato. SCORE: 4 out of 10 GLORIA CHEEVER: This was too soft and maybe not intense enough at the beginning to make it a really solid performance. I think Simon’s comments will change everything for her. Those that were thinking she might go home will vote for her. She has potential to be really good — and she is really lovely. SCORE: 6 out of 10 MARITZA HAMILL: Today was the first time Simon actually told her something nice. Although she was a bit boring she did do better than usual. But it is apparent that she is not so comfortable singing. This will probably end up being the reason she leaves. SCORE: 4 out of 10
“I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” Watch the original J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: After the last couple of people, Phil was a sigh of fresh air and that might have just saved him for another day. He was positioned very well after two miserable presentations. Phil sounded better than he ever has. He had very good presence. He looked a lot more comfortable than other times on stage. This might be the coming out for Phil — we are sure we will see him next week. SCORE: 5 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: Diana Ross implores Phil to connect with his audience, assuring that they’re “real people” just like she and Phil are. There are so many things wrong with Gizmo — his rocky pitch, the way he pats his heart to imply emotion, his oh-so-Idol habit of leaning back to hit the big notes. But when Phil is able to wrangle his naughty donkey of a voice, it gets to work. His towering money notes are pure and invigorating, and tonight even his lower register was game. His goofy smile is disarming and he’s definitely the least irritating of all the men. SCORE: 7 out of 10. CHRIS BENITEZ: He finally took the hat off! I thought it was pretty good; he did go for bigger notes a little more than he should have. So by the time the ending came he had already done it all, too much. His voice has power, but at this point he needs to have something else as well. I just don’t see him getting that much attention from here on. Hell, he never got that much attention anyways. SCORE: 5 out of 10 GLORIA CHEEVER: Woo! This was a great song choice for him. His voice is fantastic! I think he sang well and really confidently. It didn’t sound or look like he was pushing as Simon said — but that giant stage can change a lot. He gets my vote for the best of they guys. SCORE: 8 out of 10 MARITZA HAMILL: I liked his singing tonight, he did a good job. I normally don’t like him but today he was good. He actually had me smiling, which I quickly wiped off my face and made sure no one was looking. But good job, señorito Phil. SCORE: 7 out of 10
“God Bless The Child”
J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: She immediately looked very classy in her dress. So different from the first week. She has taken Simon’s criticism very well. OH my god. She is amazing. LaKisha has such a great voice that she knows it. She teased us over and over through out the song. She would almost hit that great not, but would have the control not to let us have it all until the end. This is making a song your own without changing it. AWESOME. SCORE: 9 out of 10
BRANDON GARCIA: LaKisha opts for the standard diva package of out the Idol catalogue and turns in yet another blustery performance, this time in an angelic gown under some dramatic spotlighting. She completely disregarded Diana Ross’ advice on using a microphone stand, but Diana got the last laugh: LaKisha looked like a stray blimp floating across the stage with nothing to anchor her. LaKisha’s singing is admirable, but there’s nothing flirty, no irony, no pizzazz in her rendition. Basically, she’s just good at not going outside the lines in the coloring book. SCORE: 6.5 out of 10. The nails, one inch longer than last week, earn her another free half-point. CHRIS BENITEZ: If any day was the day for LaKisha to shine, it was today. So did she? I think so. But was it strong enough to be the best? I don’t think so. As big as her voice is, I just don’t put her with Melinda. She doesn’t have that magic or spark that I see in some others. Not that she is in any trouble; she seems to have enough fans to take her all the way to the Top 3. She can still win this competition, by the way; she just needs to find a way to really challenge Doolittle. SCORE: 7 out of 10 GLORIA CHEEVER: What were the words at the beginning? This wasn’t my favorite performance of LaKisha’s. In fact, I haven’t liked her performances as much as I liked the first one. However, it was still really good. I think she has a style all her own. SCORE: 7 out of 10 MARITZA HAMILL: She was good, of course, and actually tries to fix the problems the judges say. She is so very, very passionate. Moving is the word. Her passion for singing is somewhat overwhelming. Yep, she in a league of her own. But I’m sure does not have enough teenybopper votes to win this contest unfortunately. Tear. SCORE: 9 out of 10
“You Keep Me Hangin’ On” Watch the original
J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: Sorry you had to go after LaKisha, but someone had to. Blake really took the term “make it your own” to heart and mauled the song. This sounds like a remix and a bad one at that. He is trying too hard to make himself be different than the others and it is btting him in the rear. Sing, Blake, just sing. Everything else will fall into place. He looked like the performer who is trying to please a crowd not matter what. SCORE: 5 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: The Blake Remix featured some strutting/dancing that would make Pee-Wee Herman cringe and more evidence that Blake needs to go back to the drawing board as far as his image goes. He was slow on the rhythm, he tumbled off pitch — it felt like a rehearsal. Halfway through, it suddenly dawned on him what a mistake he had made. The arrangement wasn’t as nauseating as the judges made it seem, and they again displayed their bone-headedness by insisting the original song shouldn’t be toyed with. What about Kim Wilde’s dance-club version, one of the biggest hits of 1987? This is strike three for Blake, and at this rate he’s going the way of the Constantine. SCORE: 4.5 out of 10. He gets one sympathy half-point for trying to jazz up the night with something original. CHRIS BENITEZ: I like Blake, but not tonight. It was all screwed up for him. Or was it because he was finally put with the girls who totally out shined him and the rest of the boys? I didn’t like the way the song was revamped — it’s a classic, and he doesn’t have enough clout to do that yet. Vocally it was weak as well, very weak. GLORIA CHEEVER: I think the most mesmerizing thing about this performance were the lights. I didn’t care for his arrangement of this. He really is a better singer than he showed us tonight. Not his best. SCORE: 6 out of 10 MARITZA HAMILL: Typical Blake, and he’s good, but becoming too predictable. Guess since it’s his style, he might be too scared of losing the votes if he tried something else. Problem is you can only hear so much of his style and begin to think: “Am I over it?” SCORE: 6 out of 10
“Love Hangover” Watch the original J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: The women are rocking tonight. She has great control over her voice. We loved that, but she left us with our corsage and did not take us to the dance. We were waiting for the great fast part, and it never came. She said it would have made it too long, but I have seen other arrangements that do make it through. She ALSO forgot a couple of words. Stephanie reminds us of Fantasia, but has yet to come through. She was on the verge of opening it all up tonight and she failed. SCORE: 5 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: “Love Hangover” is probably D-Ross’ greatest song, and of course Stephanie blows the opportunity to make something of it. Like Beyoncé on all of her songs, she grips this woozy, punch-drunk disco tune much too firmly. She dumped the fun part of the song because it was too much “improv,” meaning she couldn’t handle it. What makes it worse is that she couldn’t handle the boring part either. Shrieky and overcooked, it was like the ghost of Sabrina Sloan was haunting her. Pretty smiles and a cute figure only get you so far, Steph. Better watch it. SCORE: 5 out of 10 CHRIS BENITEZ: I really don’t know what to say about this one. I guess it was OK. I wonder how many fans Stephanie has. Could she go home tomorrow? It is possible. She is the Amy Krebs of the Top 12 in my opinion, and things didn’t go very well for her. Maybe not this week but soon I think. It is just kind of stale in my opinion. SCORE: 5 out of 10 GLORIA CHEEVER: This was OK. She’s beautiful, but I didn’t think this was a wonderful performance. I didn’t like the song choice. She sounded great, but it was just all a little strange to me. Her outfits, on the other hand, are always tasteful and classy. SCORE: 6 out of 10 MARITZA HAMILL: Like her a lot, but today she was not memorable. She is beginning to blend in, and is just becoming the “Oh, who just sang that song?” kind of girl. SCORE: 6.5 out of 10
“The Boss” Watch the original
J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: STOP IT with the Justin Timberlake thing. This is so totally obvious. Tonight he looked like a person imitating Justin imitating Diana. You follow? He relies too much on JT. He have yet to see who C.R. is. This will only take him so far even though he is literally riding Justin’s coattails. The teens love him, but we do not. SCORE: 2 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: Together, Chris and Blake remind me of Frodo’s nitwit Hobbit friends trying to make it in L.A. Another white suit is accompanied by another failed attempt at bringing Diana Ross to a new generation. Chris’ performance was livelier than anyone else’s, but each off-pitch note was like an arrow piercing my flesh, and there were many of them. Chris is the first contestant this season to make use of the infamous Catwalk of Despair behind the judges’ desk. SCORE: 4 out of 10. Four of those points are for showmanship alone. CHRIS BENITEZ: His vocal runs sounded awful. Like a Chihuahua howling. In a singing competition the singing comes first. Tonight Mr. Richardson went straight to performing, and not very likable in my eyes. This was one of my least favorites tonight … SCORE: 4.5 out of 10 GLORIA CHEEVER: He looked like he was having a good time. This was a pretty exciting performance! Yeah, the vocals weren’t all that great, but I don’t think there is much more he can do to please Simon. His voice isn’t huge, so we won’t ever hear a big booming sound from him. SCORE: 7 out of 10 MARITZA HAMILL: I never liked this guy in the beginning, but now I am starting to. His interaction with the audience was nice. I think he miiiight make it to the end since he is pleasant-looking. But it is definitely not because of his talent. SCORE: 6.5 out of 10 “If We Hold On Together” J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: We forget she is 17. She is so mature for her age and so likable. She has a glow around her that it is difficult to say anything bad about her. She sang very well tonight. We thought there were only two tonight that were good, but we were mistaken — Jordin is definitely in it. She has great transitions from falsetto to her regular voice. Jordin has some great stuff coming. SCORE: 8 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: I didn’t realize The Land Before Time had a love theme, but now I know why — it’s a dinosaur of a song that should’ve stayed extinct. Jordin stakes her claim as the Cartoon-Ballad Queen of Season Six just when I was hoping she’d seen the light. The overwrought melody rips her apart like a raptor, but I’m going to make another of my stunning predictions: Jordin Sparks will win this year’s American Idol. Here’s why: She’s female, she’s cute and she’s young, meaning she’s the anti-Taylor Hicks, who has yet to sell a single copy of his CD. She’s got a decent voice with some flaws that wouldn’t be hard to eliminate with lots of money and a good studio, but more importantly, she’s mainstream as they come. Things may change, but they way they’re going now, we’re going to have to hear Jordin weep through a song much like this steaming pile of excretion while confetti showers down on her after she’s crowned in May. SCORE: 6 out of 10 CHRIS BENITEZ: I really liked Jordin today, and I liked the song choice. It was very melodic and gave her a chance to just sing. I get tired of hearing the same old vocal runs and big notes, blah, blah, blah, which is why I liked this. This week she was a breath of fresh air and I put her right under LaKisha, who is under Doolittle. Last week, Glocksen owned the fresh air compliment, but this week she’s passed it to Sparks. Keep it up. SCORE: 7 out of 10 GLORIA CHEEVER: This was really different for her. I really liked it! I think she sang the best I’ve ever heard her tonight. I really enjoyed it. This really allowed us to hear her range and potential. Way to go, girl! SCORE: 8 out of 10 MARITZA HAMILL: She is always good. She just needs to control her voice. Although I think she is my favorite, I still thing she need a few years to compete with the others. SCORE: 7 out of 10
J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: We have two groups on American Idol right now, Melinda, LaKisha, Jordin and … the others. Again, the girls brought it tonight, with the boys falling way behind. The only ones who decided to change the arrangements of the songs were the boys. The girls stayed true to the songs and rocked the house tonight. We don’t think the boys can ever recover and we will see them leave one by one. BRANDON GARCIA: Apparently everyone forgot their lyrics tonight — could’ve fooled me. As wretched as the night was, I’m thankful we no longer have to deal with the boys pitted against the girls, like some kind of sick hopscotch match. Much thanks to the Top 12 for reminding me why I’ll never buy a Diana Ross CD.
BRANDON GARCIA: I’ll go with Phil just for variety on a very weak night. Melinda was probably better, but I hated the song. LaKisha was a distant third.
CHRIS BENITEZ: Melinda Doolittle, Jordin Sparks and LaKisha Jones
GLORIA CHEEVER: Jordin Sparks
BRANDON GARCIA: Haley, again.
CHRIS BENITEZ: Sanjaya Malakar, of course.
GLORIA CHEEVER: Brandon Rogers
J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: We wish Sanjaya would be going home, but
CHRIS BENITEZ: Brandon Rogers
GLORIA CHEEVER: Brandon
MARITZA HAMILL: We all know I can’t predict for beans … but hey, let’s give it a shot. HALEY SCARNATO! ——————————————————————————————- Who can’t wait for the grand diva herself to perform on Thursday??? Anyone? Anyone? Well, at least we can watch Brandon (or Haley) sing for the last time. The Top 8 GirlsMarch 8th, 2007, 3:03 pm by bgarcia American Idol takes a sober turn as Ryan Seacrest ditches his usual metrosexual duds for an outfit borrowed from Anne Robinson of The Weakest Link, and the female contestants shoot to prove that they, in fact, are the dullest group of Season 6. What do the Idol Chat judges think of the final round of the Semifinals? Should anyone here actually be crowned the next pop superstar, or should they just call the whole thing off?
BRANDON GARCIA: Asked why Paula had been MIA for a moment or two at the start of the show, Randy further elevated his playa status by answering “She was under the desk … getting something for me.” This delightful bit of raunch easily ranked as the night’s best moment. From there on, it was yet another long slog through the forsaken desert of Easy-listening Land. That is, until Melinda took the stage.
*Click on the contestants’ names to watch their performances from last week.
“Heartbreaker” (Pat Benatar) Watch the original J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: Jordin’s energy is more than the total of all the men. She should choose a song that relates to her youth. The song was an ’80s song that was not her. She will be in the Top 12. Her youth does not compare to other young people on American Idol before. She has great talent and will go far. Way to start the night, Jordin. SCORE: 6 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: Jordin blows our minds by revealing she’s a football fan. I mean, yeah, her dad is ex-NFL player Phillippi Sparks. And she is built like a linebacker. But who would’ve guessed, right? Jordin comes out with guns blazing, determined not to let Antonella or Haley steal her spot in the Finals. Normally, Pat Benatar’s “Heartbreaker” is a death sentence for Idol contenders — it’s basically “My Sharona” disguised as hard rock, and at this very second, it’s being sung at 33 karaoke bars across the United States. But apart from a late start and a few nails-in-the-eardrum notes, Jordin injects the overdone tune with just enough vitality to get her a passing grade. SCORE: 6 out of 10. She gets one free point for tossing back her mane of hair at the end of the song. GLORIA CHEEVER: She seemed kinda out of breath — but she did a good job starting off the night. I think nerves had a lot to do with her performance being a little on the weak side, but I think she’ll be in the Top 12. SCORE: 6 out of 10 CHRIS BENITEZ: So yeah, Jordin did all right. But tonight was not even good enough to make the Top 3. She was pitchy at times. I really don’t have much to say about her, she just didn’t impress me much today. Not her best showing. SCORE: 4.5 out of 10 AVERAGE SCORE: 5.6
“Don’t Let Go (Love)” (En Vogue) Watch the original J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: Good night for Sabrina. She can sing, but we don’t think she has ever chosen the correct song for her. She looked natural on stage tonight, but she has to step it up for the rest of the competition. Her range was off from other nights. She has talent and can go far with some love. The girls so far are a lot better than the men. SCORE: 5 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: Barely clothed in a leopard-print cocktail dress, Sabrina gives us an idea of what Howard Stern would look like as the star of Showgirls II: Back In The Habit. She throws out the opportunity to be low-key and seductive with this stormy En Vogue song and instead shoots for shrill and overwrought. Sabrina, I thought you were a fun little sex kitten, but it was all an act. You’re not the girl I thought you were. SCORE: 4 out of 5. Minus a half-point for giving me flashbacks of The Crying Game. GLORIA CHEEVER: Some of those pitches were questionable. Not crazy about the song choice, either, but she was okay. She does have a nice voice, and I hope to see her grow on this show. I’m not convinced that America loves her, though. I think she may also be sent packing, even though I think she’s talented. SCORE: 6 out of 10 CHRIS BENITEZ: I believe Sabrina is one of the best here, but it’s all about songs for her. If she picks a song that works for her, she will have a good week, and vice versa. Her voice sounded very pitchy. I see Sabrina and I think she has a pretty good combination of looks, and talent, I think there is a good market for her. But if she chooses songs that don’t reflect her talents she could be in trouble. I think she will do better next week. SCORE: 5 out of 10 AVERAGE SCORE: 5
“Put Your Records On” (Corinne Bailey Rae) Watch the original J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: She can talk better than she can sing. Well, let’s face it, she can do a lot of things better than she can sing. She is horrible. It would be unjust if someone else does not make it to the Top 12 and she does. How can anyone vote for her? I couldn’t wait for this song to appear on AI, but not with her singing it. It was better than other weeks, but that is not saying much. I don’t think BOOBYGATE will help her out this time. Bye, Antonella. See ya! SCORE: 4 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: Oh, Antonella. Not one note was in tune during your entire performance, and worse, no one’s buying that you’re an innocent virgin just because you play the violin. Here’s my advice: Forget Corinne Bailey what’s-her-name. Forget Celine. Think Gloria Trevi. She sings worse than you do, and she’s an international superstar. Take up the woman-of-ill-repute role that Sabrina will leave vacant when she’s voted off tomorrow. Run with it. And when they ask you if that’s you in those pictures, just smile and wink slyly. You’re gonna be a star, babe. SCORE: 1 out of 10 GLORIA CHEEVER: I hope this girl finally goes home. Out of all the songs in the world that she could’ve picked, I can’t believe she picked this song. I’m sorry, but by the time she got to the last note, (which apparently was the only good thing about it), I don’t think I was listening anymore. It was a dull, boring performance. The song was just entirely too low for her and just not the right one. Not that she can help it, but the other girls really are much stronger singers. I see her heading home … SCORE: 4 out of 10 CHRIS BENITEZ: Well, this could be bad news for people who hate Antonella. She had her best performance tonight, on a crucial week. Now it wasn’t great or even good by any means, but when you combine the fact that she had fans without any real talent, I feel that tonight will only help her. I mean, I could pick her to leave tomorrow, and she might because in the end she is the worst singer, but I see her sticking around one more week. If it was up to me, Antonella would go home tomorrow with Haley Scarnato. Maybe she will, who knows? SCORE: 4 out of 10 AVERAGE SCORE: 4
“If My Heart Had Wings” (Melissa Manchester/Faith Hill) (No YouTube video available J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: We forgot we were watching American Idol. We thought it was that Grease competition. Sounded like Sandy’s character from the Grease broadway. We do think she has some vocal range, but the song was awful. I will apologize for Simon, that was not nice. She looks and acts like that song. Too peppy with no charisma. She is another pretty lady, but we think she is going home. See ya, Haley. SCORE: 4 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: As a nod to her failure as a junior gymnast, Haley picks a song that was born to accompany an Olympic floor routine — perky, stout-hearted, beyond unlistenable. Her wafer-thin, Nutrasweet voice makes my kidneys scream for dialysis. My fellow panelist Maritza compares Haley to Belle from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and it’s completely true: She may as well be skipping around in a tiara with a sparrow on her shoulder. Every time she glances off into the distance with those dewy eyes, every time she reaches out with those delicate fingers, I fantasize about the Beast on a particularly grumpy day, hurling Haley from one of his castle’s towers into the chasms below. SCORE: 2 out of 10. She gets one point for being slightly better than Antonella. GLORIA CHEEVER: What’s up with these song choices?! This was a decent performance, but probably not enough to get her into the Top 12. I didn’t care for this song choice, either. She has a good voice, but it does need a lot of work — particularly with the jaw tension. This wasn’t memorable. I think she’s going home. SCORE: 5 out of 10 CHRIS BENITEZ: Ok, first of all Faith Hill sings this song great. It wasn’t a bad song choice in my opinion. It’s just that Haley has a very thin, pageant-sounding voice. It doesn’t really shine to any song in my opinion. I believe Haley is going home tomorrow. SCORE: 4 out of 10 AVERAGE SCORE: 3.8
“Sweet Thing” (Rufus & Chaka Khan) J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: Stephanie really reminds us of Fantasia. The problem tonight was that she sang it just like Chaka. She did not make the song her own. I would rather hear Chaka sing it. Her personality does outshine, but that can only take you so far. She looked very nice. What is with the “flawless” from Paula? What was SHE hearing? SCORE: 5 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: I think I’m going to have to take back my earlier prediction. Though I wouldn’t call anything she’s done thus far “enjoyable,” I think Stephanie’s done a better job of being consistent and will now proceed to the Top 12. Sabrina, in fact, is the third Dreamgirl. Tonight, I swear Stephanie sang the same song she sang last week. Her originality is now officially limited to her wardrobe, and though she looks dashing, I’m still not convinced. Her voice completely vanished during the low notes; at another point, I felt like I was listening to a goat in labor. None of it sounded like a singer I hadn’t heard before. SCORE: 5 out of 10. Begrudgingly. GLORIA CHEEVER: Wow — she looks amazing! I love her style. She is always so elegant! She did sound like she was struggling tonight. Her voice cracked more than once. However, I think America will see past all that. I hope to see more of her in the top 12. SCORE: 7 out of 10 CHRIS BENITEZ: I think she had a pretty decent night. She has a powerful voice, but I also think she gets over shadowed by the Top 3 girls. She has kind of stayed a little under the radar — that’s not something that sells records you know. Whenever Stephanie steps up to sing I’m like, “Oh yeah, I forgot about this girl.” So yeah, I see her sticking around but not for too long. SCORE: 6 out of 10 AVERAGE SCORE: 5.8
“I Have Nothing” (Whitney Houston) Watch the original J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: Oh my, LaKisha. She has never let us down. Love the way she sounds. Her voice just fills up every nook and cranny of the room. She WILL be in the Top 12. She is one of the ones to see. Up to now, no one else comes close to her. LaKisha turned it out … talk about the “Yo” factor. LaKisha IS the “Yo” factor. Classy! SCORE: 8 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: You’re killing me, LaKisha. I’m not sure which song I would banish from existence first: “I Have Nothing” or “Midnight Train To Georgia,” which you sang last week. Like Chris Sligh, you’ve got a great voice and you’re throwing it away on songs that do nothing to distinguish you as a real musician. On the plus side, you — yes, you — looked sexy tonight. Keep it up and we won’t have to resort to the paper bag. And send your mom and grandma back to the Dirty South. You’re getting classy, and they’re only holding you back. SCORE: 7 out of 10. One free half-point for her awesome eight-inch fingernails. GLORIA CHEEVER: She had me hooked from the very first note! This girl doesn’t even have to try to be awesome! I know I’ve said this before, but she has such a passion for what she does and it makes her performance that much better. And she DOES look beautiful tonight. Top 12 for sure! SCORE: 9 out of 10 CHRIS BENITEZ: Yeah, she looked great tonight, and the power was kicking. Lakisha came on and schooled everyone at this point. I had a feeling, though, after she performed, that it wouldn’t be good enough to win the night’s best. I think tonight it was the second-best vocally, but the third-best overall. It’s a singing competition, but when it comes down to the top players, little things set you apart, and I think she needs a little something. We will see. SCORE: 8 out of 10 AVERAGE SCORE: 8
“Call Me When You’re Sober” (Evanescence) Watch the original J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: A rocker girl has never won the competition, or even come close. We think Gina is about to break that. She has it to run into the finals. Can’t wait to hear her now that she has broken out of her shell. This was her coming-out party. She ROCKED. SCORE: 7 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: Thank God Gina decided to murder her inner diva. The way things were going, I feared we would have to endure Gina’s version of Kelly Clarkson’s “Because Of You.” Even though her singing was the equivalent of firing a machinegun blindfolded, and there’s nothing remotely edgy about a song called “Call Me When You’re Sober,” I understand what the judges see in her. She stands out, like the marshmallows in Lucky Charms. Now that she’s for sure got a spot in the Top 12, all she needs to do is pick songs that aren’t too hard for her unreliable voice and/or by laughable goth-“rock” bands. SCORE: 5.5 out of 10 GLORIA CHEEVER: This song was definitely her style. It’s funny how I was just thinking she should do some Evanescence, and she sings this song. She is incredibly talented, and so edgy. I hope to see her do well in the Top 12. SCORE: 8 out of 10 CHRIS BENITEZ: I like this girl, and I like her style! I think she can still pick some better tunes though. Amy Lee from Evanescence sings this song in a soft falsetto and head-voice tone so naturally that singing it in chest voice is going to be a little tough. I think she did it strong enough to keep her going on American Idol. I think her performance was the second best tonight. Has she dropped a few pounds??? She looks great regardless… SCORE: 8 out of 10 AVERAGE SCORE: 7.1
“I’m A Woman” (Peggy Lee) Watch the original J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: You are the ONE Melinda. You have come out every single week and set that precedent. Others are good one week, but not others. Melinda is consistent. She finally added some spice to her presentation and it hit the mark. She brought out the attitude. FINALLY. Melinda is going to be the one to beat. SCORE: 9 out of 10 BRANDON GARCIA: Here’s your frontrunner, folks, out of both the girls and the guys. She’s so much better than anyone else, even LaKisha, it’s not even funny. Tonight she gave a bawdy, bluesy, ballsy performance I liked even more than than last week’s “My Funny Valentine,” which had everyone drooling. Her growl was authentic, the rapid-fire beginning was convincing and her confidence was undeniable. The only thing that stands in her way now is what killed Fantasia: She has not yet proven she can sing songs that would be played on the radio today. That and her pitiful “personal stylist.” SCORE: 9 out of 10 GLORIA CHEEVER: Woo! She’s a very talented W-O-M-A-N! What a way to close the show! She is a phenomenal singer and artist! I think she’s my favorite. SCORE: 10 out of 10 CHRIS BENITEZ: Like I said before, get her a contract. The level difference at this point is huge. I think the gap is only going to get wider. She is a diamond!!! Enough said. SCORE: 10 out of 10 AVERAGE SCORE: 9.5
J. CANTU & AMANDA FLORES: The women are here to COMPETE, unlike the amateurs we saw last night. I can’t believe they have to get rid of two boys and two girls. This week, it should be ALL boys. They did not come out to compete. It is going to be very interesting next week when they ALL come out to compete on the same stage and the boys will go home one by one. We have two different American Idol show this season, completely different. Can’t wait for next week.
BRANDON GARCIA: Melinda Doolittle, no question. LaKisha hovers way beneath her.
GLORIA CHEEVER: Melinda Doolittle (yet again!)
CHRIS BENITEZ: Melinda Doolittle, Gina Glocksen BRANDON GARCIA: Haley Scarnato
GLORIA CHEEVER: Antonella Barba
CHRIS BENITEZ: Haley Scarnato and Antonella Barba
BRANDON GARCIA: Haley and Sabrina GLORIA CHEEVER: Antonella and Haley (maybe even Sabrina)
CHRIS BENITEZ: Haley Scarnato and Antonella Barba ————————————————————————————– It’s looking like bad news for either Haley and Antonella, and possibly Sabrina. Tune in to Idol Chat tonight for live results. |
This week we’re welcoming Cynthia Luna as a guest judge. Cynthia is a first-grade teacher at Midkiff Elementary in Mission. She was named a 2006 semi-finalist for H-E-B Teacher of The Year. She has also judged various pageants and cheerleading competitions. Cynthia is a graduate of the University of Texas Pan-American, where she earned a Masters’ Degree in Counseling and Guidance and a Bachelors Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a minor in Earlychildhood and Bilingual Education. 
