S19.E14: Oscar Nominated Songs

[peachmangosteen]

Quote

The Top 12 contestants perform Oscar-nominated songs in the hope of securing America’s vote into the Top 9. Lionel Richie opens the show with a special performance of “Say You Say Me.”

Airs April 18th.

[DietCokeJunkie]

I totally expected Madison and Beane to get the boot tonight, but Ava was a surprise. 

[Koalagirl]

I’m bummed out that we lost Ava. I would gladly have swapped her in for Caleb or DeShawn.  It annoyed me to no end that Katy made a point of asking Grace what kind of record she would make but not question Casey who did a complete 180 from rocker chick to a classic Judy Garland song.

[Annber03]

Yeah, I would've kept Ava over Caleb, too. 

Outside of that, I'm okay with the top nine overall. 

[Diana Berry]

8 minutes ago, Koalagirl said:

I’m bummed out that we lost Ava. I would gladly have swapped her in for Caleb or DeShawn.  It annoyed me to no end that Katy made a point of asking Grace what kind of record she would make but not question Casey who did a complete 180 from rocker chick to a classic Judy Garland song.

Sorry judges.  With everything that’s going on in the world, I needed Grace to sing Happy.  Also, love that young girls with body issues feel empowered by her.

i actually liked casey’s Non rock song.  I really don’t think she’s a true rock chick.  

[LexieLily]

Why is Luke back already? Hasn't it only been a week?

[paul4295]

I didn't think Cassandra was very good last week or this week.  I would've kept Ava over her.  I also don't get the appeal of Hunter.  He seems like a nice kid and has had a couple of good performances, but I see possible future talent more than current talent.  I also find DeShawn boring in general, but I actually found his performance tonight (of a potentially boring ballad) much more interesting than last week's attempt of an up-tempo number.  His voice is very good, but I often forget about him by the end of the show.

[MarylandGirl]

Note: Written without reading other people's comments.

Grace: Wrong song choice, though she sang it well. Judges made a good point: Who does she want to be?

Ava: Bad song choice, sounded too old and vocals more affected than usual, so not surprised she went home.

Caleb: Song choice made sense (I must have missed that on the list!), but I feel he did too straight of a version of it.

Hunter: I really liked his performance here. And his mistake at the end was rather endearing, plus his getting emotional about it--I've seen quite a few pro musicians mess up in live performances, and that's part of what makes it real.

Madison: OK, I FFed through part of this. It wasn't terrible, maybe even good? But also not surprised she was voted out. She just doesn't have anything that makes her unique.

Chayce: Bad song choice for his voice, and I didn't like the arrangement.

Beane: That was very cruise ship performer. Also not surprised he went home.

Alyssa: Great performance, and she seemed to really put herself into it.

DeShawn: Good vocals, but boring and dated.

Casey: Unexpected. Not her best vocal, at least to my ears. Are they not allowed to play with arrangements of songs at this point? Because I feel like she could have done something interesting with it, sped it up a bit.

Cassandra: This was really good. At first I was like, "Oh no, another slow, dramatic song," but she sucked me in.

Willie: Powerful. Again, it was a case where he really put himself into the performance, and that came across along with his talent.

I'm thinking that the difference this week (maybe at this point in the competition?) isn't so much about whether they have the talent, but about those who really felt the songs and showed it.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Snap(ish) Thoughts:

Seriously judges? Hunter blew lyrics twice (twice!) in one song, and still has a voice that's nails on a chalkboard. And yet between his sobbing and your ludicrous affirmations..he gets into the Top 10 at the expense of Ava.

Oh look, Willie sang another slow song by a female artist. What are we up to, maybe 7 carbon copy performances?

I like Casey wandering off into left field, I just wish she would've saved it for next week (Disney). We really needed to rock out with Blaze of Glory or Footloose instead.

I really wanted Cassandra to do "Falling Slowly". All of this confidence she's gaining is not being channeled correctly. She's still at her best when she's more an ethereal manic pixie dream girl. She doesn't need to be attacking huge songs like she's competing with Alyssa, Grace, & Willie..

Deshawn brings literally nothing to the table at all. He has dead eyes in almost every performance and he sings things in the most old-fashioned/out-of-date way possible.

When Madison was standing there waiting to sing, I just hallucinated that she was actually Miss Arkansas and she had just answered a question about how to empower teen girls in Sub-Saharan Africa to a completely different panel of judges.

Alyssa needed to get Ava's critique. It would be okay for her to pretend to be young, fun college girl in her late teens/early twenties. She doesn't need to present herself as an already established, 37 year old Diva on every performance.

That was probably as comfortable and confident as Caleb has sounded. I originally thought 5th/6th might be about his ceiling, but I maybe reconsidering that.

Grace was okay (like 7.5 out of 10 okay) to start the show. While I didn't love Katy (and Luke/Lionel) suggesting that she should only do iconic belty songs from here on out I do think she could think a little more about the types of songs that would work best for her on a hypothetical record.

While I felt bad for Ava and absolutely thought she deserved Hunter's spot in the Top 9..I never really got the sense that she was ever going to be comfortable singing a quote unquote "age appropriate" fun song like Shake it Off, or something by like Meghan Trainor or even a Galway Girl type song by Ed Sheeran..

Bye Beane, it was real.

I hate baseball, but watching Chayce's Bryan Adams cover was like expecting a hitter to get a home run and then having them only hit a double or single. It wasn't a failure by any stretch, and yet my expectation for him on that song (I was literally hearing him sing it in my head before he started) weren't anywhere near lived up to.

[Quickbeam]

So happy Beane left. I found him irritating and not terribly good as a vocalist. I’ll miss Ava, I enjoyed her. Madison can leave at any time, thx. 

[leocadia]

30 minutes ago, paul4295 said:

His voice is very good, but I often forget about him by the end of the show.

Sadly, this is my reaction to all of this season's contestants for the most part.  Add in the judge's nonsense and the irritating Bobby Bones segments and I find myself wondering why I bother.  Maybe it's just my mood as of late, but unless the "Comeback" next week is someone interesting, I may be out this year.

[Blissfool]

Very glad to see Madison go.

I never liked Ava's voice or musical style so I'm glad she's gone too.

I actually might be the only one here that likes Beane so I was sad to see him go.

 

Can someone explain what happened with Hunter. I know he forgot the lyrics, but he continued to move his mouth and I could still hear the song. Are they singing along to a recording? Reason I say that is because it seemed like his mouth was not moving along to the words, but I was still able to hear the nervous laugh he let out.

[waving feather]

Sorry to see Ava go because she's truly a gifted kid. But I guess there are others who doesn't like how she pronounces her words too. She's better than some of the others like Caleb and Alyssa though. I truly don't see the hype around Alyssa. Her style of singing is a dime a dozen and she doesn't have a powerful voice like Grace or Willie.

I'm glad Cassandra seems more comfortable now on stage. I wish they would not encourage her "cry" so much though. She is lovely in her lower register and better when she's giving a nuanced performance. 

[thefog]

In all fairness, Hunter should have left instead of Ava.  When Catie Turner messed up, she was voted off.

That was uncomfortable with Hunter - he kept crying and crying.  And there was Cassandra crying about fans being mean for last week's performance.

The music industry is very tough.  Kelly and Carrie would be to first to say they get criticism all the time.  It comes with the territory. 

 

 

[TheGreenKnight]

Wow, I was *not* expecting Ava to go so soon. I thought she and Casey would be the best chances for the women this year, and would at least make the top 7-5 area. I personally prefer Grace to both of them—she’s the only one left I’d like to win—but I can’t really see her taking it, sadly. I know this is a weird comment, but tonight I couldn’t help thinking how much her face reminds me of Sarah Chalke.

I thought it was a mostly good night. Not that I thought everyone was perfect, but even the people I don’t really like were decent by their standards. Well, except Beane. Last week was his best performance and this week's was probably his worst; I have a feeling he just went out to have fun pretty much expecting to be eliminated regardless. If we’re going to end up with another WGWG this year, let it be Hunter.

Edited April 19, 2021 by TheGreenKnight

[Vermicious Knid]

They were almost all uniformly bad. Ava deserved to be eliminated just for trying to be a carbon copy of Taylor Swift. Would have kept her over Caleb though, who I would like to see drop into a deep, dark hole. But of course he made it through as the sole remaining country act.

The tonguebath Hunter got after forgetting the words was very 'everyone gets a gold star!' Chayce is a bland, unremarkable WGWG which pretty much guarantees he gets at least top 5.

[Diana Berry]

4 hours ago, Blissfool said:

Very glad to see Madison go.

I never liked Ava's voice or musical style so I'm glad she's gone too.

I actually might be the only one here that likes Beane so I was sad to see him go.

 

Can someone explain what happened with Hunter. I know he forgot the lyrics, but he continued to move his mouth and I could still hear the song. Are they singing along to a recording? Reason I say that is because it seemed like his mouth was not moving along to the words, but I was still able to hear the nervous laugh he let out.

I’ll have to rewatch.  I thought on the first ‘ live’ show they seemed to be lip syncing.   But no one commented so I figured it was my local station was out of whack.  

[radiochik]

7 hours ago, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

I like Casey wandering off into left field, I just wish she would've saved it for next week (Disney). We really needed to rock out with Blaze of Glory or Footloose instead.

 

Ohhhhh!  I would have loved to hear her do Blaze of Glory!  I loved her Over The Rainbow though.  For a second, I thought she might try to do the ukulele version since they were playing that under the Bobby Bones segment but I'm so glad she didn't.  That belongs to Jason Castro to me.  

I was a Chayce fan until tonite.  That Bryan Adams song displayed every weakness in his voice and now I'm firmly off his bandwagon.  I couldn't believe Luke called him a frontrunner after that performance.

 

[MarylandGirl]

7 hours ago, Blissfool said:

Can someone explain what happened with Hunter. I know he forgot the lyrics, but he continued to move his mouth and I could still hear the song. Are they singing along to a recording? Reason I say that is because it seemed like his mouth was not moving along to the words, but I was still able to hear the nervous laugh he let out.

He was singing the wrong lyrics (like wrong verse), then realized it partway through and switched to the right ones. At least that's how I experienced it. I'd have to watch again to be sure.

I imagine it's especially difficult to sing songs on here, especially if it's one the singer already knows. Because they're aren't singing the entire song at this point, just like 2 minutes of it, so stuff gets cut out. I could imagine if I were singing on here (not that I'd make it past the auditions!), I'd mess up and sing a verse that wasn't supposed to be in the AI version if it was a song I knew well.

[cinsays]

4 hours ago, Vermicious Knid said:

They were almost all uniformly bad. Ava deserved to be eliminated just for trying to be a carbon copy of Taylor Swift. Would have kept her over Caleb though, who I would like to see drop into a deep, dark hole. But of course he made it through as the sole remaining country act.

The tonguebath Hunter got after forgetting the words was very 'everyone gets a gold star!' Chayce is a bland, unremarkable WGWG which pretty much guarantees he gets at least top 5.

Yes, Caleb picked a boring song and did a very boring performance of it!  I would have kept Ava or even Beane over him, but guess we have to have a country guy at the end of this mess.

My vote is for Willie or Allyssa to win this thing and, stylists please put Grace in something fitted to the waist and then flared out to NOT have the focus on her large bottom. She's a pretty girl but these clothes are not flattering at all.

[Maya]

I’m confused by the real-time voting and eliminations. Doesn’t the person who sang first have a huge advantage over the person who sang last? 

 

[MarylandGirl]

27 minutes ago, Maya said:

I’m confused by the real-time voting and eliminations. Doesn’t the person who sang first have a huge advantage over the person who sang last? 

 

I had this thought as well. Though apparently singing early didn't help Ava! Or could viewers vote for anyone the whole 2 hours, even if they hadn't sang yet? Because that might suggest that the votes were more on general popularity instead of last night's actual performances (well, I mean, it's often that way anyway).

[cinsays]

9 minutes ago, MarylandGirl said:

I had this thought as well. Though apparently singing early didn't help Ava! Or could viewers vote for anyone the whole 2 hours, even if they hadn't sang yet? Because that might suggest that the votes were more on general popularity instead of last night's actual performances (well, I mean, it's often that way anyway).

yeah, they really need to shorten the interviews or something and then just let everybody vote at the end with the same amount of time after the performances are over, otherwise, you just have to vote for your favorite regardless of how they do tonight.

[leighdear]

The Wizard of Oz is not a Disney movie, BTW. I actually put a Youtube link yesterday to the Jason Castro performance of SOTR in the Speculations thread.  Still love it so much. 

I thought Chayce was fine, better at the end than the beginning.  If he records, I will probably buy his music.  The only other AI folks I've actually paid to listen to are Carrie, Chris Daughtry and Scotty Mc.  But I hatehatehate the cutesy spelling of his name.   He could have done "Power of Love" from "Back to the Future".  I think Huey Lewis songs would fit his voice perfectly.  

It was time for Beannie to Jet.  Seriously.  

Willie will never be able to perform a song I'll take seriously or think should put him in the top. I think he has as little emotion, expression and life in his eyes as Deshawn.  

Of COURSE Caleb was gonna pick a Willie song.  It was so monotone, the melody barely changes registers, so all the verses sound the same.  If he would have maybe picked "9 to 5", that would have been a gutsy and cool move.  But no, he will NOT leave his lane.  He can go anytime.   

 

Edited April 19, 2021 by leighdear

[Annber03]

27 minutes ago, leighdear said:

The Wizard of Oz is not a Disney movie, BTW.

LOL, yeah, my mom and I looked at each other at that part and were like, "...what? Disney?"

[SnarkAttack]

Hunter's voice was like fingernails on a chalkboard last night.  And yes, the crying went on far too long.  

Glad Madison went, glad Beane went.

I like Ava's voice, she may try to be Taylor Swift but she doesn't have the same voice at all.

Caleb, again, no personality.

Disappointed in Chayce, but sure nice to look at.

It was nice seeing Grahamm that was funny!  I sure liked him, fun guy with a nice voice.  Hope to see him again.

Casey for the win.

[waving feather]

Hunter in that outfit really looks like Trent Harmon, a past American Idol winner. Now that I think about it, they both have that beautiful nasally kind of tone. But Trent is a powerhouse of a singer compared to Hunter.

Edited April 19, 2021 by waving feather

[thesupremediva1]

I was critical last week but my theory was correct that they were saving some good stuff for tonight! That was one of the finest top 10 nights on this or any other talent show. Many great performances and varied, inspired song choices. 

Grace - absolutely killed it. She can honestly sing whatever she wants. I did not understand or appreciate Katie's "critique" - I think I know exactly who Grace is and what she's going to sing on her album. We can't pick on her flawless voice, so let's pretend she has no identity? No, I'm not here for that. All that came off like was a lot of jealousy and an attempt to bring down a confident woman who can sing circles around the entire field. 

Hunter - I love that song and didn't even realize he flubbed the lyrics til he cried. I appreciate how badly he wants to be there and how invested he is in doing his best, but the coddling from the judges was in stark contrast to the coldness they showed Grace moments ago. I do not understand them sometimes. I was kind of appalled. Hunter needs to buck up a bit. 

Ava - Sleepy McSleeperson. I do not like that movie or that song, so there was no way this could be a win for me. Ava is beautiful but I just find her disconnected and her choices perplex me. 

Caleb - He did his thing, but he wasn't my country guy and I keep expecting him to be eliminated. If he's not gone by now, he's probably making top 3. 

Chayce - That was his worst performance ever. I don't know if he couldn't find a song to suit him, but this seemed like a home run and it just wasn't great. He couldn't find his register in he first half and the second half lacked real depth. I was le sad. 

DeShawn - Pure class. Sang like Sinatra and looked like Bogey in Casablanca. One of my favorites of the night. 

Madison - Gosh I love her, and she looked absolutely stunning, but no one should ever sing Whitney. Ever. Her normally perfect voice was all over the place at the climax. I don't know why America doesn't like her - she's ten times better than most of this field - but song choices like that cannot help.

And Katie, what are you talking about with the "pick a winner" advice? I don't need someone to sing a well-known song in order to vote for them. Back in the day, it was considered "safe and boring" to do that. You needed to pick something unexpected and "make it your own." But Madison's plight illustrates what's wrong with this shorter format. I'm a broken record and I say it every year, but I hate how these singers work so hard to get to top 10 only to be culled in Hunger Games style each week. For me, it's glaringly obvious that Beane would have been the lowest vote-getter and gone home. In the old format, Madison would have had a whole other week to continue building a fanbase and find her groove. Same for Ava. Now with this silly open-format voting, it's nothing but a prewritten popularity contest. You have to pick 3 decent warhorses to sing well if you want to get to the finale. That's weak sauce for me. I do not want to hear "What kind of artist are you?" as a critique when you're also telling them to pick relatable songs so they can get votes in this stupid format that does everyone a disservice. I'll go on about this forever but it still irks me. 

Beane - All I could hear was Simon Cowell and the words "cabaret" and "cruise." He peaked in Hollywood, unfortunately. 

Alyssa - She sang this well and looked nice but I can't help thinking she is dating and aging herself unnecessarily. She doesn't need to be a 40-year-old diva. Her voice isn't even the biggest in the competition. She should stick with more modern sounds like Alicia Keys and Lauryn Hill. Or even some Lady Gaga and Pink might work for her. That said, this was a well-delivered vocal so she deserved to advance.

Willie - That was really lovely. He looked and sounded great, and I know he meant what he was singing. But I'm starting to fear this competition is having a swiss cheese effect on his voice - more and more I'm hearing holes and empty pockets and weak spots. I'm afraid he's gonna blow his voice totally before the finale.

Casey - I saved this for last because her performance made me stabby. WTF was that? And why did these idiot judges stand for it? First of all, no one other than Israel K. and Eva Cassidy should ever attempt the untouchable legend Judy Garland's masterpiece. Sadly, both of these talented artists have passed on, so that leaves ZERO living humans allowed to sing this song. I'll be honest, I hated Kat McPhee when she did it and she at least stayed within the Eva Cassidy zone. This? Was total.fucking.trash. I am a belter and I would never sing this song. It is not meant to be belted. It is not a powerhouse showcase. It's about nuance and depth and lilting and sorrow and hope and fear and a million other things that Casey couldn't possibly understand. Judy did, because she was a once-in-a-lifetime performer with a ton of emotional damage even in her teens. The tongue-bath for this incensed me. Casey was also a quarter tone flat the whole time, so that didn't help. It's even more frustrating that she has TONS of range and songs to choose from and still made this misstep. Have some general awareness, folks. Some adult should have had the sense to steer her better. 

 

[peachmangosteen]

12 hours ago, LexieLily said:

Why is Luke back already? Hasn't it only been a week?

Thank you. So much for their claim that they're 'strictly adhering to covid protocols' lol. ETA: And I forgot about how they're all going to travel to Disney World now. Sigh.

1 hour ago, MarylandGirl said:

Or could viewers vote for anyone the whole 2 hours, even if they hadn't sang yet? Because that might suggest that the votes were more on general popularity instead of last night's actual performances (well, I mean, it's often that way anyway).

Bingo! People can vote for anyone all throughout the night so yes, as it always has been since day 1, it's a popularity contest.

45 minutes ago, SnarkAttack said:

It was nice seeing Grahamm that was funny!  I sure liked him, fun guy with a nice voice.  Hope to see him again

Damn, I missed this. I fast forward through anything that isn't the contestant packages and performances. Where was the Graham appearance?

I continue to absolutely love this season. I genuinely like everyone of the Top 12 outside of Caleb. I mean, I like Caleb just fine, but his singing style is not for me. That being said though, I did think last night was his best performance. Which isn't saying much lol.

I love Hunter but that was hard to watch. I appreciate how open he is with his emotions but fucking hell the secondhand embarrassment lol. I love his voice though. But Kris Allen is unmatched on that song imo.

I really thought Deshawn would go in addition to the obvious boots of Madison and Beane. I was shocked it was Ava. 

[leighdear]

37 minutes ago, thesupremediva1 said:

Madison - Gosh I love her, and she looked absolutely stunning, but no one should ever sing Whitney. Ever. Her normally perfect voice was all over the place at the climax. I don't know why America doesn't like her - she's ten times better than most of this field - but song choices like that cannot help.

Way back in the day, Simon Cowell said the contestants should never, never ever sing Whitney, Mariah or Celine!   He's still right.  

[sempervivum]

27 minutes ago, leighdear said:

Way back in the day, Simon Cowell said the contestants should never, never ever sing Whitney, Mariah or Celine! 

At least until Season 7, when the show actually had 'Mariah Night' (remember David Cook's 'Always Be My Baby')?

Disappointed Ava is gone, she was my favorite. I think she and Cassandra probably had similar fan bases, and Cassie gave a more memorable performance.

If, as rumored,

Spoiler

Arthur Gunn will be one of the S18 returnees

 

it'll be amusing to see which gravel-voiced hunk wins out.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Ava????  I'm really shocked!  I'm not exactly a "fan" but wow!  She definitely picked the right song, I think.  I guess AI voters really aren't film nerds like myself!

My favourites from last night:  Lionel (LOL), Hunter, Willie.

But I pretty much enjoyed the whole show.

DeShawn picked the wrong song.  That's a great song with the right singer, but it isn't DeShawn.  

I also think Chayce picked the wrong song.  I like that song, but the performance felt kind of cheesy.  

[ForReal]

I found most of the performances bland, with a few surprises.

Grace - I like Grace and I like the song she picked, but it didn't feel like a good song choice to me. She just didn't wow me, like she usually does.

Chayce - I liked his performance, didn't love it but had no complaints.

Casey - I was surprised by how much I liked her version of "Over the Rainbow;" it showed me how strong her voice really is.

Ava - I like her but I'm not really surprised she went home -- I think she needs some time to develop.

Caleb - I found his performance utterly dull and devoid of the joy I usually feel from that song. 

DeShawn - I thought it was bland. I kept thinking about the movie and the looks between Streisand and Redford, especially at the end, and I thought that all of the emotion of that song was wasted in this performance.

Madison - I'm sure she's a nice person, but she just feels so perfectly packaged to me, I can't warm up to her at all.

Beane - It was right that he went home.

Alyssa - She sang better this week with less diva posturing, but she must be still finding her way. At her audition, I thought she'd take the whole thing, but I haven't thought that for awhile now.

Hunter - I felt like Katie's over-the-top pep talk probably helped him get votes, votes he didn't deserve. I am tired of the lack of confidence. I get that he may not have it, but he's going to need it to go anywhere in this profession.

Cassie - She is likable and talented but I can't seem to get invested in her.

Willie - He does what he's good at, and he is awesome at that. Not sure if that's enough to take the cake, though.

It's amazing to me how differently we all see things and yet everyone gets along. Nice.

[Ms Blue Jay]

8 hours ago, Diana Berry said:

I’ll have to rewatch.  I thought on the first ‘ live’ show they seemed to be lip syncing.   But no one commented so I figured it was my local station was out of whack.  

I thought Beane was too!  His mouth didn't match my audio.  I was confused.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

While I agree with the comments about dressing Grace in a way that is more flattering to her figure I checked out her FB page and she has posted many pics in the same style of cinched waist and form fitting the rest of her body.  I think she is quite happy with her appearance which says a lot for her confidence.

Madison’s profile on FB is full of herself and self promoting!  

I am afraid Willie is the 2021 Ruben Stoddard.  

Hunter should have gone home.

 

[SnarkAttack]

1 hour ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

 

My favourites from last night:  Lionel (LOL), Hunter, Willie.

 

Lionel totally talked that song, he didn't sing it.  I was disappointed.

Maybe Luke had COVID for awhile before last week, making it okay to return last night.  Do we know when he was diagnosed? 

 

[MarylandGirl]

1 hour ago, SnarkAttack said:

Lionel totally talked that song, he didn't sing it.  I was disappointed.

Maybe Luke had COVID for awhile before last week, making it okay to return last night.  Do we know when he was diagnosed? 

 

Yeah, I listened to about 30 seconds of Lionel, then fast-forwarded.

With Luke, someone pointed out in a different thread that the shows hadn't been live until the one he missed. So it was likely longer than 2 weeks total there.

[Eolivet]

7 hours ago, MarylandGirl said:

He was singing the wrong lyrics (like wrong verse), then realized it partway through and switched to the right ones.

I actually thought that was better than Chayce's "I mixed up my cue cards" version of Bryan Adams. It was like everything I do (is one word off the original). I've been listening to that song since the early '90s, and last night made me question if I knew the words at all.

4 hours ago, thesupremediva1 said:

It's about nuance and depth and lilting and sorrow and hope and fear and a million other things that Casey couldn't possibly understand. Judy did, because she was a once-in-a-lifetime performer with a ton of emotional damage even in her teens.

I found Casey's performance incredibly pageant-y, and though I admittedly only started watching during the live shows, she proves my crotchety get-off-my-lawn attitude of, "high schoolers should not sing certain songs because they don't understand them." Like last week: do you get what "House of the Risin' Sun" is about, Casey?

On the other hand, I had to laugh that Ava got eliminated with "City of Stars" (which has all the depth befitting a high school vocalist) because I always thought it was an overrated, forgettable song with no real melody ... and the voters proved me right!

[ljenkins782]

16 hours ago, escape said:

In all fairness, Hunter should have left instead of Ava.  When Catie Turner messed up, she was voted off.

That was uncomfortable with Hunter - he kept crying and crying.  And there was Cassandra crying about fans being mean for last week's performance.

The music industry is very tough.  Kelly and Carrie would be to first to say they get criticism all the time.  It comes with the territory. 

Yeah, but tears can save a person on this show, especially if it's a shy young guy. Idol voters have always skewed toward a certain demographic (older females), so Hunter's tears probably brought out the mama bears in the voters.

It seemed to me like Beane completely went off the rails with his lyrics. At first I thought maybe it was just that the song was shortened, but then he seemed to mumble his way back to the spot I thought he was originally headed for. But he didn't cry about it, so he didn't get the judges' affirmations about how mistakes are good or whatever they were going on about.

I didn't mind Cassandra bringing up the things that were said online. It's always good to remind people that there are humans behind the people on the TV and that words thrown around on the internet might be read by them. People can go way beyond "that performance sucked" into all sorts of personal attacks that can stick with a person long after this show is done.

But I loved her performance, so maybe the mean comments were a good motivator, lol. Her performance last week was quite awful, but this one reminded me of why she got through.

I have a soft spot for Caleb because he's a dead ringer for a young family member of mine. And his little video clips are always kinda funny in a monotone way. I think there's a big opening in the country music world since Morgan Wallen destroyed his career in a single day and Caleb has a similar tone (and is also a songwriter, I think?) So if Caleb can make the most of this, he has a better chance than most of them to actually catch on with a record deal, IMO.

Ava chose poorly with that song and it cost her. It was dull and only highlighted her "old before her time" vibe. I wasn't all that sold on her voice (she had some nice spots in each performance, but not my cup of tea over all). 

I guess America decided that the judges got it wrong and sent both judge's picks [re]packing. Beane's voice had some interesting potential, but he didn't hit those moments often enough. And Madison stands out to me more for her hair, clothes, and makeup than for her voice, which was really good, but unremarkable in comparison to a ton of other people.

DeShawn is the one who keeps mystifying me with his advancement, I truly do not remember him from any of the audition rounds and nothing about his performances connects with me. Good voice, but I always forget him until someone says his name.

Hunter's march through the rounds is also confusing, he has a nice voice, but zero presence and his fuzzy hair bugs me. Can he throw some product on that or cut it shorter? A halo of frizz isn't a great look.

[KHenry14]

Well, not a great night. Some pretty good, but mostly a lot of meh.

 

Grace--The biggest voice in the competition...and she picks a song that doesn't show it off. With that said, she was pretty good

Ava--City of Stars wasn't a bad chice IMO, but it wasn't the zowie song she needed to stay in the competition

Alyssa--Another good performance, but I want more from her. I thought she would win it all when I first saw her...now im not so sure.

Chayce--picked the wrong song. I mean if he could have  done Bryan Adams songs like Cuts Like a Knife or Summer of 69 he'd have done a lot better. But he couldn't pick those so he gave us a snooze fest. 

Hunter--frankly I didnt notice his mistake since he'd lost my attention by that point. Him beating out Ava is a travesty

Caleb--I don;t get this kid at all. He's not a particularly good Country singer, and he picked a boring song. Why he is still around is a mystery to me.

Casey--OTR should be banned from singing competions for over use. With that said I thought she was really good. I still want to see he rip thru Heart's Barracuda or Janis Joplin's Piece of my Heart though

Cassandra--better this week than last. But she isn't long for the competition I'm afraid. Which is too bad since she seems to be such a nice girl. Like the kinda girl you'd like your son to date kind of nice.  Here's hoping she calms her nerves and goes out on a high.

Madison--as others have said, she does have that pre-packaged feel to her. With that said, she was just ok

DeShawn--I don't get him. Streisand? Really? And he didn't do Higher Ground very well the week before either.

Beane--another show, another bit of Beane mediocrity. C-ya

Willie--The big man can sing, there is no doubt of that. But he is kinda one style kind of guy. Frankly i'd much rather have had him take a run at Higher Ground than DeShawn.

Very curious to see tonight's group.

Edited April 20, 2021 by KHenry14

[LexieLily]

14 hours ago, MarylandGirl said:

He was singing the wrong lyrics (like wrong verse), then realized it partway through and switched to the right ones. At least that's how I experienced it. I'd have to watch again to be sure.

Sometimes that can give us something really great, though, like the infamous Trenyce "I need you like murder" performance.

[String Theory]

11 hours ago, thesupremediva1 said:

 ......who Grace is and what she's going to sing on her album. We can't pick on her flawless voice, so let's pretend she has no identity? No, I'm not here for that. All that came off like was a lot of jealousy and an attempt to bring down a confident woman who can sing circles around the entire field. 

@thesupremediva1 I couldn't agree with you more.  That was my exact thought when I heard her "critique" of Grace, who in my opinion is one of the best this season.  Since AI changed its format,  I've yet to hear any of these judges give any type of constructive criticism. (I never thought I be wishing for Simon to return). Katie's response was particularly glaring and uncalled for.  

Honestly, I'd like to see a completely "Judge free" competition.  They could still go across the country for auditions & contestant selection, but once they decided on the top contenders, they would step away.  I feel Ryan could easily present the "big stage" nights and let the viewers watch/make their own decisions as to whom they like to move forward.  I know none of my votes have been made based on any comment from Katie, Lionel or Luke.  JMO.

 

 

 

  

[waving feather]

Aw, I like Hunter's blonde halo curls. I have enjoyed all of Hunter's performances; he may not be the most powerful singer but I think he has a gift for song delivery. He connects every time.

[ruffy666]

omg beane what were you thinking... i have to admire his confidence i suppose, but that outfit along with that performance, hoooo boy it's like we were trapped on a COVID cruise and we've already cycled through the good talent.  

i am a little surprised ava went home.  her performance was kinda sleepy but her vocals were pretty remarkable especially for someone so  young.  i would've kept her over cassandra, who's had some good performances in the past (but not lately   o_O)

i have much dislike for hunter's voice.  i thought he picked an excellent song that suits his 'vibe' but there's something about the tone of his voice, it just grates on my nerves.  someone dip this boy in Flonase!

on average i think this is one of the most talented crop of finalists we've had in a long time... but these theme nights always seem to bring out the worst in everybody :)

Edited April 20, 2021 by ruffy666

[Swenson]

On 4/18/2021 at 7:27 PM, LexieLily said:

Why is Luke back already? Hasn't it only been a week?

My best guess.....this was the first "live" show....all the previous ones were taped ahead of time right?   Maybe they just didn't want to go public with it until they had to explain why Paula was suddenly there.

 

[UniqueHandle]

On 4/18/2021 at 10:37 PM, Blissfool said:

Very glad to see Madison go.

I never liked Ava's voice or musical style so I'm glad she's gone too.

I actually might be the only one here that likes Beane so I was sad to see him go.

 

Also glad to see Madison go... I loved her hair but the rest of her was just... too blah.

I could never figure out the hype with Ava. Her voice reminded me of the sounds in a haunted house.

I loved Beane from his first audition. I felt like he was really finding himself every week and I really enjoyed watching his journey.

[Blissfool]

5 hours ago, UniqueHandle said:

Also glad to see Madison go... I loved her hair but the rest of her was just... too blah.

I could never figure out the hype with Ava. Her voice reminded me of the sounds in a haunted house.

I loved Beane from his first audition. I felt like he was really finding himself every week and I really enjoyed watching his journey.

I am you. You are me.

(But I didn't like her pretentious hair)

Haunted house?....I support this comment. It's like she was making ghost noises.

[leighdear]

15 hours ago, UniqueHandle said:

I loved Beane from his first audition. I felt like he was really finding himself every week and I really enjoyed watching his journey.

I called him "Sybil" because that personality he "found" every week was a completely different personality from the week before!  *LOL*

He did have some appeal, and I can see him becoming if not a real professional singer, then a musical theater guy.  I think that fits better than pop star.   

He was very gracious & smiley upon exiting.  Good form, Beane!

[UniqueHandle]

2 hours ago, leighdear said:

I called him "Sybil" because that personality he "found" every week was a completely different personality from the week before!  *LOL*

He did have some appeal, and I can see him becoming if not a real professional singer, then a musical theater guy.  I think that fits better than pop star.   

He was very gracious & smiley upon exiting.  Good form, Beane!

I agree with you about Beane becoming a musical theater guy. As much as I liked him, he was always very wedding singer to me. I didn't think he was Idol winner material by any means, but I did like him from his first audition and was sad to see him go. Every week that curly haired country singer gets up there, sounding just like he did the week before, and I think "why is Caleb still here?" 

Maybe Beane reminds me of the freaky teenager I was... driving around in my VW Rabbit, in my Doc Martens, wearing plaid, listening to the Violent Femmes or the Dead Milkmen, wearing too much blue eye shadow. *sigh* Those were the days.

[leighdear]

8 minutes ago, UniqueHandle said:

 Every week that curly haired country singer gets up there, sounding just like he did the week before, and I think "why is Caleb still here?" 

I keep thinking....."There's a Caleb?"

*LOL*