S20.E20: Grand Finale

[Ms Blue Jay]

May 22, 2022

Quote

The Top 3 perform, and a winner is chosen.

Guest performers:  Carrie Underwood (? Are they sure?), James Arthur, Sara Bareilles, Gabby Barrett, Michael Buble, Deana Carter, Earth Wind & Fire, Melissa Etheridge, Flo Rida, Ben Platt and more.

By the end of it, I really thought Huntergirl was going to win.  I was wrong about that.  I was very glad for Leah to get eliminated first, sorry to her fans, but she really wore on me like crazy.  Congratulations to Noah.

The Nicolina and Sara B. performance was great.  Jay sang great on the Earth Wind & Fire songs, really high notes there.  Mike sounded wonderful on that Deana Carter song, I guess I like that song now!

You know what's crazy?  TO THIS DAY, I still listen to Hunter Metts and Katy Perry singing "Thinking of You" together.  Has it really been a whole year?  I honestly can't believe it.  Because I still listen to that song and I didn't even notice the passage of time.  I love that performance so much.  Leah and Katy doing Firework?  Oh my god.  Really really paled in comparison.

I'm so glad they sang Lionel's "You are (the Sun, you are the rain)".  Oh my god I LOVE THAT SONG!

 Thanks everyone for helping me get through this season!  Thanks for all your posts and recaps!  Especially @Annber03!  It's been fun!

 

Edited May 23, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[Vermicious Knid]

The thing is, Noah and Hunter as performers are a dime a dozen. They have nothing special, or unique, or even makes them stand out from the pack. I'm sure they will have mediocre to good careers but they're both pretty forgettable.

Maybe Jay will get invited to perform regularly with Earth, Wind and Fire? It worked for Adam Lambert, he gets to appear in the Queen's Jubilee.

 

[LennieBriscoe]

Noah was TCO from at least that video bit with his baby. He strikes me as boring, insipid, and mediocre. 

There is no comparison between Jay and Adam, nor between E,W,& F and Queen. J/ S. 

[KWalkerInc]

1 hour ago, Vermicious Knid said:

Maybe Jay will get invited to perform regularly with Earth, Wind and Fire? It worked for Adam Lambert, he gets to appear in the Queen's Jubilee.

I was thinking that same thing!  When Maurice White was still alive but had retired from performing, they would sometimes have younger singers in the group to cover his parts on songs, etc.  I think it was like that when I saw them in '99.  In more recent years, they've had percussionist Ralph Johnson handling more vocals.  He does fine, but I think Jay would be really good with them.

I was not surprised by the outcome (either third place or the win).  I think Huntergirl knew too.  She looked rather resigned when it was time for the announcement--not in a rude way, but just like she could tell Noah was going to win.

I had always thought Carrie was just to going to send them some performance from her Vegas residency, not be there in person, so I was surprised they didn't have anything filmed.  (My friend said her performance on Billboard Music Awards was from the residency.)

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Surprise, surprise, Noah won!  Boring Noah I should say….Huntergirl looked like she already knew the outcome and Noah didn’t look that surprised, not that he could because he is one note to me with his display of feelings.

I love Earth, Wind & Fire and also thought Jay did great.  Loved Lionel singing You are the Sun!  Also one of my faves along with September by EW&F and also the song Luke sang with HG by Travis, always love that song too.  Forget the name.

 

[Diana Berry]

I think Noah has a good voice.

side note, I saw a red bird/ Cardinal on Saturday. It swooped down while I was walking.  I did say hello to some relatives that had passed away.  So I was in tears during Hunter’s song.  Maybe she can focus on her songwriting ? Or carry the vet program she works with further. She did seem very sincere with the vets. 

[Annber03]

That felt like a long three hours last night. Probably could've whittled it down to two :p. 

Totally not at all surprised that Noah sang "I'm on Fire" when they were doing the Bruce Springsteen songs. I had a feeling he would pick that one. I love how the show made a huge deal out of the contestants doing Springsteen songs at the beginning, meanwhile the performances themselves all just seemed to kinda rush by and that was it, time to move on to the next thing. 

Based off last night's performances alone, I'm also not surprised that Noah won. I think he did put up the strongest set of performances overall - I especially liked his performance of "Stay", though it helps that I also just like that song in and of itself. And he was the lone guy among two girls, so yeah, I figured he'd probably get a lot of votes from women. Like I've said before, his style of music is not my thing, personally, I can't get into the brand of country he wants to do for a living. I would've preferred a non-country winner, myself. 

But all that being said, congrats to Noah on his win, and to HunterGirl and Leah for making it as far as they did, too. Hopefully they will all do well within their respective musical niches. 

5 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Thanks everyone for helping me get through this season!  Thanks for all your posts and recaps!  Especially @Annber03!  It's been fun!

Aw, thanks :). Same to you!

[Boudreaux]

I love Noah. I voted for him when ever I watched the show live. Country is super popular right now and his single hit the charts and was number 2 between 2 Morgan Wallen songs. I think that shows what America is into right now. I love his style and I think he will grow a lot in the business and could be the next Tyler Childers ( who I also love). Yes, he is humble and wasn’t freaking out over winning but I think that’s what people love about him. Congrats to the top 3. They really all are wonderful. 

[SnarkAttack]

4 hours ago, Vermicious Knid said:

The thing is, Noah and Hunter as performers are a dime a dozen. They have nothing special, or unique, or even makes them stand out from the pack. I'm sure they will have mediocre to good careers but they're both pretty forgettable.

Maybe Jay will get invited to perform regularly with Earth, Wind and Fire? It worked for Adam Lambert, he gets to appear in the Queen's Jubilee.

 

I thought of that too!  That was fun.

[peachmangosteen]

1 hour ago, Boudreaux said:

They really all are wonderful. 

Right! I would have been happy with any of them winning. Hell, any of the Top 10!

[sas616]

I've been a Country Music fan for a number of years, but don't follow it as much these days because I don't care for the current "trend" with many "artists" sounding exactly the same., including the country songs being written.   I think Noah and Hunter Girl sound no different than what's out there in country music right now.  So, of the two, I prefer Noah as the winner because he is what American Idol was originally meant to be about:  finding a singer who is green, with little exposure.  And if he/she is down to earth, humble and from small town all the better.   That's Noah to a T.  Apparently, Hunter has been performing in Nashville clubs for while is certainly more polished.  And that MAY have been why Noah won.  (In addition to being a young, fairly attractive guy with an adorable baby!)  I don't know though.   His lack of emotion when he was called the winner made me wonder if he was going to thank his best friend for encouraging him to audition.   Think it finally dawned on him what he's gotten himself into.  Not sure he's really hungry enough for success/fame.   Hope he has someone that can help him make the right choices and not take advantage of his inexperience.

[ForReal]

1 hour ago, Annber03 said:

I love how the show made a huge deal out of the contestants doing Springsteen songs at the beginning, meanwhile the performances themselves all just seemed to kinda rush by and that was it, time to move on to the next thing.

They all made their Springsteen songs so pop music-y! The disconnect between the lyrics and the singing drove me nuts. My husband kept saying it was because they are too young to know the songs, but geez. The edgy feeling of "I'm on Fire" was completely missing. I didn't even recognize what Leah was singing, and Hunter's rendition of "Dancing in the Dark" was also missing that hint of desperate restlessness. I guess if I didn't know those songs as Bruce Springsteen songs, I would think the performances were alright. I guess.

I thought Huntergirl was convinced she was going out first, and when Leah left she kind of bounced back little. Good for her, she seemed the least confident of the three of them. I think Leah will be fine, and I daresay Noah will be, too.

[Maya]

That may have been the least amount of excitement when the winner was announced , ever. Including the Covid year when no one was even there in person lol. Was everyone just not surprised? Bored to death? Disappointed that Hunter didn’t win? Hard to say. 

[Babalooie]

I was thrilled to see Jay and Christian again.  Was it my imagination, or was Tristen on the far right singing backup for Earth, Wind, and Fire???  If Ryan mentioned, I missed it - twice.

Edited May 23, 2022 by Babalooie
added content

[Babalooie]

37 minutes ago, Maya said:

That may have been the least amount of excitement when the winner was announced , ever. Including the Covid year when no one was even there in person lol. Was everyone just not surprised? Bored to death? Disappointed that Hunter didn’t win? Hard to say. 

I agree.  It even looked like both sets of parents knew the outcome before Ryan announced the winner.  IMO, HunterGirl is a well-established musician.  She will be fine.  Geez, she was given the Platinum Ticket performing in Luke's club, wasn't she?   Noah is their rags-to-riches story.

[SnarkAttack]

Kudos to all of the musicians and back up singers!  I could even sound pretty good with them backing me!

Edited May 23, 2022 by SnarkAttack
added a thought

[TheGreenKnight]

So happy Noah won! Literally the only reservation I had was Idol's history of horrid WGWGs which always makes me root for the women on principle. But Noah is actually really talented unlike most of them!! (Laine, Kris, and Cook are the only other ones I'd say that about, unfortunately.) Noah had 4 great moments this season--"Stay," "Landslide," "Working Man," "Painted Blue." The only performance he had all season that I thought was outright bad was Disney week, although he was drowned out by the band on "So Small." And he was the only one I liked in the Bruce Springsteen round tonight. Glad to see someone I like win on the 20th anniversary, too. Really hope he has success post-show!

Hunter Girl, I was never crazy about aside from when she was singing her original songs (I would've still been happy if she won for that reason). That said, she and Noah both went out a high note tonight--"Riot" and "Stay" were both great.

Gabby Barrett really has been getting songs I like ("Pick Me Up," "The Good Ones"), it's too bad I've never liked her voice and it sort of ruins them for me. But I am happy she's managed to have success even though I've never been a fan. Buble, Melissa Etheridge, and James Arthur were good. Sara Bareilles and Ben Platt's duet was the highlight of the show, and I loved seeing Bareilles duet with Nicolina, too. Platt is so cute with the facial hair.

[Mellybelly]

1 hour ago, Babalooie said:

I was thrilled to see Jay and Christian again.  Was it my imagination, or was Tristen on the far right singing backup for Earth, Wind, and Fire???  If Ryan mentioned, I missed it - twice.

Oh my gosh!!  I thought that was Tristan too!  They kept panning over the backup singers so quickly, I couldn't tell!

[twilightzone]

Worse Duet -  Emryson should not have been partnered with Gabby.  Gabby made it all about herself and relegated Emryson to being a back-up singer.  She deserved better.  And there was no need for Cade to be there.  She could have just asked someone from the band to accompany her.

[MissPriss]

3 hours ago, TheGreenKnight said:

Sara Bareilles and Ben Platt's duet was the highlight of the show,

Absolutely. Just proves stellar talent can hold an audience.
No need for “stage presence”, showmanship, light shows, etc. 

[Cryonix]

I liked Noah but I got the impression he really didn't want to be there, & what about his *girlfriend* she was not really mentioned as part of his life, only his son & his Grandmother.

Where was Tristan, I didn't see him anywhere, I don't think Ryan said anything about him singing with E W & Fire, he only said Jay was.

[Annber03]

9 hours ago, ForReal said:

They all made their Springsteen songs so pop music-y! The disconnect between the lyrics and the singing drove me nuts. My husband kept saying it was because they are too young to know the songs, but geez. The edgy feeling of "I'm on Fire" was completely missing. I didn't even recognize what Leah was singing, and Hunter's rendition of "Dancing in the Dark" was also missing that hint of desperate restlessness. I guess if I didn't know those songs as Bruce Springsteen songs, I would think the performances were alright. I guess.

I got a kick out of how, during Leah's version of "Cover Me", Lionel acted like he didn't seem all that familiar with the song, and was going on about how it wasn't one of Springsteen's more well-known songs*, and then later he's going on about how he's just a big ol' Springsteen fanatic. Like...???

*I do know "Cover Me", but that's largely because my mom played the crap out of that song when I was a kid :D. I like that song. Leah's version was...a mixed bag. I could appreciate what she was trying to do with it style-wise, but I don't know that it quite landed. 

[SnarkAttack]

8 hours ago, TheGreenKnight said:

So happy Noah won! Literally the only reservation I had was Idol's history of horrid WGWGs which always makes me root for the women on principle. But Noah is actually really talented unlike most of them!! (Laine, Kris, and Cook are the only other ones I'd say that about, unfortunately.) Noah had 4 great moments this season--"Stay," "Landslide," "Working Man," "Painted Blue." The only performance he had all season that I thought was outright bad was Disney week, although he was drowned out by the band on "So Small." And he was the only one I liked in the Bruce Springsteen round tonight. Glad to see someone I like win on the 20th anniversary, too. Really hope he has success post-show!

Hunter Girl, I was never crazy about aside from when she was singing her original songs (I would've still been happy if she won for that reason). That said, she and Noah both went out a high note tonight--"Riot" and "Stay" were both great.

Gabby Barrett really has been getting songs I like ("Pick Me Up," "The Good Ones"), it's too bad I've never liked her voice and it sort of ruins them for me. But I am happy she's managed to have success even though I've never been a fan. Buble, Melissa Etheridge, and James Arthur were good. Sara Bareilles and Ben Platt's duet was the highlight of the show, and I loved seeing Bareilles duet with Nicolina, too. Platt is so cute with the facial hair.

I thought Melissa Etheridge sounded really bad.  I love the song and was really disappointed.

[leocadia]

Perhaps I misheard, but it sounded like Ryan announced the duet as Dee-ANNA Carter and Mike Parker.  I'm not even a country fan, but I know that she pronounces her name DEE-na.  Seems like a pretty big faux pas for a professional like Ryan.

[Vermicious Knid]

They all sounded terrible on Springsteen. He never has allowed his music to be used on one of these shows, but he sold his catalog and no longer controls the rights.

[paul4295]

43 minutes ago, Vermicious Knid said:

He never has allowed his music to be used on one of these shows, but he sold his catalog and no longer controls the rights.

I was thinking that's how this "tribute" happened, and why Springsteen didn't seem to be involved in it at all.

Also, Lionel Richie is old enough to know that Cover Me was a top 10 hit on the charts back in the day.  Maybe he meant that some younger viewers wouldn't know the song, but it is not an obscure Springsteen song by any means.

3 hours ago, SnarkAttack said:

I thought Melissa Etheridge sounded really bad.  I love the song and was really disappointed.

Same here.  I've been a fan of hers since her first album, and I'm seeing her in concert for the first time next month (a Covid-postponed date from 2020).  My expectations have now been lowered.

[LexieLily]

1 hour ago, Vermicious Knid said:

They all sounded terrible on Springsteen. He never has allowed his music to be used on one of these shows, but he sold his catalog and no longer controls the rights.

Dancing In The Dark - Taylor Hicks (S5, Top 3, Clive Davis Pick)

[Vermicious Knid]

I looked it up and Clive got permission personally from Springsteen. So it was the one time as a personal favor for Clive Davis. Also forgot Taylor won a Grammy.

[ruffy666]

Doesn't a Bruce Springsteen theme land pretty squarely in Noah's wheelhouse (at least, in comparison to Leah or Huntergirl?)  I had a feeling right away that this all but guaranteed a Noah win.

3 hours is a lot of American Idol.  I ffwd through most of the "critiques" since there's only so many times you can hear, "You're not just a star.  You're a SUPERSTAR."  ugh  and it still felt long.

Sara Bareilles and Nicolina was a nice duet.  Even though I think Christian has a fantastic voice and I'm glad he got the opportunity to sing with Michael Buble, I don't know that more duets are in his future 🙊

[Foghorn Leghorn]

I wondered why Buble kept putting his hand on Christian’s shoulders especially when Christian was really belting the song?  It seemed he was trying to rein him in somewhat…just a thought.

[TheGreenKnight]

3 hours ago, ruffy666 said:

Doesn't a Bruce Springsteen theme land pretty squarely in Noah's wheelhouse (at least, in comparison to Leah or Huntergirl?)  I had a feeling right away that this all but guaranteed a Noah win.

Personally, I think they wanted Noah to win this whole time. His audition was the first one this year and I could tell immediately he would be the winner then because he was so good and country--a lethal combo on this show. Then the week before the finale, they switched the order at the last second for him to have the final spot (the pimp spot) over Nicolina to ensure he'd get into the Finale. Then on the finale, they broke the voting into parts. If the voting was split three ways and the third and second place weren't revealed until the last 10 minutes along with the winner, one of the women might've actually had a shot at winning, but zero chance in a one-on-one vote the way they broke the show in halves, and Idol knew that.

Personally, I don't mind it since Idol has always had their favorites (we have a Grassy Knoll thread here somewhere) and I do like Noah. The Voice does the same thing to get the winner they want; I don't know why Idol didn't think to do a 5-person finale last year to help Willie or Grace win. Anyway, they probably wanted a star on the 20th anniversary they can promote in the coming years and hedged their bets thinking they might be able to get success with a strong country contestant since Gabby Barrett was the most recent "success" story they've had (and Carrie, Scotty, and Alaina are all still having hits--the latter two not as consistently as the former, but still). It's much harder to push a pop winner now with Idol's diminished audience than it is with a country contestant; most pop listeners and young viewers aren't watching Idol for it to translate to success these days, which makes it an uphill battle post-show.

21 hours ago, Cryonix said:

I liked Noah but I got the impression he really didn't want to be there, & what about his *girlfriend* she was not really mentioned as part of his life, only his son & his Grandmother.

Probably a calculated decision to get the sympathy vote. They did the same thing with other contestants who've had a baby (like Fantasia, La'Porsha, etc.). And they did the grandmother thing once already this season with Nicolina's grandmother, so... (I remember something similar happening with Elliot Yamin's mother back in the day.) I admit I did find Noah's grandmother really sweet and the fact that the baby had his eyes was so apparent.

Btw, didn't say it before, but I love the single cover of Noah's song. I wish the song itself had been better. Yeah, yeah, all coronation songs trend towards bad, still this one was weaker than usual.

Edited May 24, 2022 by TheGreenKnight

[MissPriss]

1 hour ago, Foghorn Leghorn said:

I wondered why Buble kept putting his hand on Christian’s shoulders especially when Christian was really belting the song?  It seemed he was trying to rein him in somewhat…just a thought.

I wondered about all the contact as well. Buble practically had him in a stranglehold a few times. It appeared Christian was trying to wrangle free. All in all a very strange duet that neither seemed to enjoy very much. Weird. 

[twilightzone]

1 hour ago, TheGreenKnight said:

Personally, I think they wanted Noah to win this whole time. His audition was the first one this year and I could tell immediately he would be the winner then because he was so good and country--a lethal combo on this show. Then the week before the finale, they switched the order at the last second for him to have the final spot (the pimp spot) over Nicolina to ensure he'd get into the Finale. Then on the finale, they broke the voting into parts. If the voting was split three ways and the third and second place weren't revealed until the last 10 minutes along with the winner, one of the women might've actually had a shot at winning, but zero chance in a one-on-one vote the way they broke the show in halves, and Idol knew that.

Personally, I don't mind it since Idol has always had their favorites (we have a Grassy Knoll thread here somewhere) and I do like Noah. The Voice does the same thing to get the winner they want; I don't know why Idol didn't think to do a 5-person finale last year to help Willie or Grace win. Anyway, they probably wanted a star on the 20th anniversary they can promote in the coming years and hedged their bets thinking they might be able to get success with a strong country contestant since Gabby Barrett was the most recent "success" story they've had (and Carrie, Scotty, and Alaina are all still having hits--the latter two not as consistently as the former, but still). It's much harder to push a pop winner now with Idol's diminished audience than it is with a country contestant; most pop listeners and young viewers aren't watching Idol for it to translate to success these days, which makes it an uphill battle post-show.

Probably a calculated decision to get the sympathy vote. They did the same thing with other contestants who've had a baby (like Fantasia, La'Porsha, etc.). And they did the grandmother thing once already this season with Nicolina's grandmother, so... (I remember something similar happening with Elliot Yamin's mother back in the day.) I admit I did find Noah's grandmother really sweet and the fact that the baby had his eyes was so apparent.

Btw, didn't say it before, but I love the single cover of Noah's song. I wish the song itself had been better. Yeah, yeah, all coronation songs trend towards bad, still this one was weaker than usual.

The Chosen One was Kenedi Anderson.  Idol has been wanting a female Pop winner forever.  Huge missed for them with the recent success of Lauren Spencer Smith.

This is the 3rd Country winner with ABC Idol.  No diversity.

All coronation songs bad?  Phillip Phillips HOME is the best selling Idol song of all time.

[sempervivum]

1 hour ago, TheGreenKnight said:

Personally, I think they wanted Noah to win this whole time

Eh, I think they wanted a female winner. Remember how they stacked the top 24 with14 girls/10 guys (before Kennedi dropped out)? They just couldn't control things once public voting started. By Top 14, the judges had to save 3 girls (only 1 boy) to keep it at 7 girls, 7 boys.

6 minutes ago, twilightzone said:

The Chosen One was Kenedi Anderson.

I agree Kennedi was their horse, although I still don't think she could have overcome the audience demographics (JMO). 

I suppose TPTB will have to continue with the Platinum Ticket crap for at least another year. If they can't get one of the ticket holders to win next year, it'll disappear.

[TheGreenKnight]

3 hours ago, twilightzone said:

This is the 3rd Country winner with ABC Idol.  No diversity.

All coronation songs bad?  Phillip Phillips HOME is the best selling Idol song of all time.

Chayce was not country.

I believe I said "all coronation songs trend towards bad," thanks. "I Believe" and a couple of others are also good, but most of them are bad...

Edited May 24, 2022 by TheGreenKnight

[twilightzone]

8 minutes ago, TheGreenKnight said:

Chayce was not country.

I believe I said "all coronation songs trend towards bad," thanks.

Chayce is signed to a Country label, just like Laine and Trent were.  With Noah, Idol now has 4 male Country winners in a row.  So it makes no sense they would have wanted another another male Country winner.

[TheGreenKnight]

2 hours ago, twilightzone said:

Chayce is signed to a Country label, just like Laine and Trent were.  With Noah, Idol now has 4 male Country winners in a row.  So it makes no sense they would have wanted another another male Country winner.

Chayce may be country now, he wasn't on the show (much like Casey James), he was a rock contestant. And, anyway, I believe you're missing Samantha Diaz in there....

And I deleted it before because I was unsure before checking it further but: "Home" was #1 at one time (like "Stronger" before it, and  "No Air" before that), but apparently "Before He Cheats" has passed it over time because of continuing sales; at least "Home" is listed as 5.4 million and Before He Cheats 6.8 million (with a 7X Platinum certification). At first, I thought that was simply sales of the album BHC came from, but the album is certified 9X Platinum, so the 7X Platinum for the single must be accurate.

[twilightzone]

2 minutes ago, TheGreenKnight said:

Chayce may be country now, he wasn't on the show (much like Casey James), he was a rock contestant. And, anyway, I believe you're missing Samantha Diaz in there....

And I deleted it before because I was unsure before checking it further but: "Home" was #1 at one time (like "Stronger" before it, and  "No Air" before that), but apparently "Before He Cheats" has passed it over time because of continuing sales; at least "Home" is listed as 5.4 million and Before He Cheats 6.8 million (with a 7X Platinum certification). At first, I thought that was simply sales of the album BHC came from, but the album is certified 9X Platinum, so the 7X Platinum for the single must be accurate.

The last 4 male winners have all been Country.  My point - it doesn't make any sense that Noah would have been The Chosen One.

Of the guys left, they would have opted for Fritz.

What is your source?  Wikipedia?  That info is not current.  It's reporting back to 2015 - 7 years ago.   Besides, we were talking specifically about coronation songs.

[TheGreenKnight]

2 hours ago, twilightzone said:

The last 4 male winners have all been Country.

Quite a step around what you actually said. But that would still require we agree that Chayce was a country contestant, and we don't.

Quote

What is your source?  Wikipedia?  That info is not current.  It's reporting back to 2015 - 7 years ago. 

Comes from 2020, apparently, and the song's probably sold more in the two years since with her Gospel and Christmas albums putting her name out there on a loop.

Edited May 24, 2022 by TheGreenKnight

[gingerella]

On 5/23/2022 at 12:42 AM, Vermicious Knid said:

The thing is, Noah and Hunter as performers are a dime a dozen. They have nothing special, or unique, or even makes them stand out from the pack. I'm sure they will have mediocre to good careers but they're both pretty forgettable.

Maybe Jay will get invited to perform regularly with Earth, Wind and Fire? It worked for Adam Lambert, he gets to appear in the Queen's Jubilee.

^This^

On 5/23/2022 at 2:13 AM, LennieBriscoe said:

Noah was TCO from at least that video bit with his baby. He strikes me as boring, insipid, and mediocre. 

There is no comparison between Jay and Adam, nor between E,W,& F and Queen. J/ S. 

^This^

On 5/23/2022 at 6:51 AM, sas616 said:

I think Noah and Hunter Girl sound no different than what's out there in country music right now. 

^This^

20 hours ago, Cryonix said:

I liked Noah but I got the impression he really didn't want to be there, & what about his *girlfriend* she was not really mentioned as part of his life, only his son & his Grandmother.

Where was Tristan, I didn't see him anywhere, I don't think Ryan said anything about him singing with E W & Fire, he only said Jay was.

Yeah, he seemed emotional distant and checked out most of the time, didn't he? And what WAS the deal with his baby momma? He didn't kiss her or hug her hello when he got home, only his baby and grandma. He literally never mentioned her or referenced her at all. He kept saying all competition that he's doing this 'for his family' didn't he? Is she like a local yokel one night stand that went too far? I thought even the judges and Ryan not mentioning her was just plain rude and fucked up.

3 hours ago, ruffy666 said:

Doesn't a Bruce Springsteen theme land pretty squarely in Noah's wheelhouse (at least, in comparison to Leah or Huntergirl?)  I had a feeling right away that this all but guaranteed a Noah win.

3 hours is a lot of American Idol.  I ffwd through most of the "critiques" since there's only so many times you can hear, "You're not just a star.  You're a SUPERSTAR."  ugh  and it still felt long.

Sara Bareilles and Nicolina was a nice duet.  Even though I think Christian has a fantastic voice and I'm glad he got the opportunity to sing with Michael Buble, I don't know that more duets are in his future 🙊

Exactly this! It was totally unfair to use a Springsteen songbook for this finale because it lands exactly in Noah's wheelhouse, he could have done any Bruce tune and it would have sounded okay. But for the girls it didn't, nor was it ever going to work in their favor at all. That's some bullshit right there.  Springsteen songs don't really highlight the singing part do they? He's a story teller with a rough voice, how is that a good idea for, yanno, a SINGING competition?

Nicolina is better suited for Broadway IMO, and I think she could do well there. I could see her performing at Disney, etc. She'll be fine once she finds her place.

Christian though, I've been off him for a while now. He's just too damn much, like, all the time. He over emotes to the point where I think he's going to bust a nut and give himself a hernia. It's over wrought and just over done. I can see him performing at a dinner theater restaurant but that's about it.

I was happily surprised that Leah made it to the final three because of all of them, when she's allowed to sing what she wants to sing, she is heads and tails above the rest of this bunch. She is an artist and she's got a beautiful voice and a gorgeous way of telling a story that holds the audience. I think she will do very well and I hope that someone gives her some mentoring and a contract.

Lastly, what DID happen to Tristan?! Could it be that he has already jumped on a tour train somewhere or got himself a deal that said 'ditch Idol and come with us'? As much as I loathed him from the auditions through a lot of the competition, he grew on me, like mold, and I came to appreciate what he was doing once he calmed the fuck down and listened to the judges advice.

[twilightzone]

36 minutes ago, TheGreenKnight said:

Quite a step around what you actually said. But that would still require we agree that Chayce was a country contestant, and we don't.

Comes from 2020, apparently, and the song's probably sold more in the two years since with her Gospel and Christmas albums putting her name out there on a loop.

You are comparing BHC 2020 numbers - to Home's 2015 numbers.  So unless you have more current numbers for Home, the comparison makes no sense.

Fact is Chayce is marketed as a Country singer, signed to a Country label.

I don't think Noah was the chosen one all along as you claimed.  It had to be one of the Platinum ticket holders.

[TheGreenKnight]

2 hours ago, twilightzone said:

You are comparing BHC 2020 numbers - to Home's 2015 numbers.  So unless you have more current numbers for Home, the comparison makes no sense.

Well, BHC has a 7X certification and Home has a 5X certification. Certifications aren't handed out by Wikipedia, so...

What Chayce is marketed as has nothing to do with what he was on the show since the show has little control over what happens to them with the label afterwards. We can simply agree to disagree, but I'm not sure that's what you're interested in here. My opinion isn't changing, if that's what you're expecting.

[twilightzone]

5 minutes ago, TheGreenKnight said:

Well, BHC has a 7X certification and Home has a 5X certification. Certifications aren't handed out by Wikipedia, so...

What Chayce is marketed as has nothing to do with what he was on the show since the show has little control over what happens to them with the label afterwards. We can simply agree to disagree, but I'm not sure that's what you're interested in here. My opinion isn't changing, if that's what you're expecting.

Certifications aren't always updated and current.   5X for Home was from 2015.  Common sense - considering how popular the song is, there is no way it will still be at 5X - 7 years later.

My point - Noah was not TOC all along as you claimed.  It was one of the Platinum ticket holders.

[ruffy666]

1 hour ago, gingerella said:

I was happily surprised that Leah made it to the final three because of all of them, when she's allowed to sing what she wants to sing, she is heads and tails above the rest of this bunch. She is an artist and she's got a beautiful voice and a gorgeous way of telling a story that holds the audience. I think she will do very well and I hope that someone gives her some mentoring and a contract.

I haven't been much of a fan of Leah's all season long, but I will absolutely concede that when she sings her own material, she's pretty great.  For this show, singing other peoples' songs, it never seemed to work in her favor (IMO of course).  Her voice, her style, and whatever tweaks they made to the original melody-- whether that was her doing or producer tomfoolery-- it always felt off to me.

[TheGreenKnight]

3 hours ago, twilightzone said:

Certifications aren't always updated and current.   5X for Home was from 2015.  Common sense - considering how popular the song is, there is no way it will still be at 5X - 7 years later.

Yeah, but Phillips Phillips hasn't had any hits out since that would trigger people to look back at his old music like Carrie Underwood does, so it's not a reasonable assumption at all. By that logic, No Air would've eventually passed Home if merely existing meant more sales accrued; Carrie is still in the limelight unlike Phillips and Sparks, that's the difference. Stronger has more of a chance of having grown with time than Home considering Kelly Clarkson is everywhere these days. You're the one who made the statement "Home" was the highest-selling song--prove it, because the 7X certification CU received at the Grand Ol Opry says otherwise.

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My point - Noah was not TOC all along as you claimed.  It was one of the Platinum ticket holders.

And my point to you is your "claim" has no more weight than mine does. IMO, he was TCO. He was packaged as the first audition of the season like many of their other TCOs.

[peachmangosteen]

Now I'm curious, who were the first auditions shown in the other ABC seasons?

[inandout]

1 hour ago, TheGreenKnight said:

And my point to you is your "claim" has no more weight than mine does. IMO, he was TCO. He was packaged as the first audition of the season like many of their other TCOs.

Nah.  If he was the chosen one, he would have gotten a platinum ticket.  The track record for Idol winners in recent years to succeed has been poor.  Speaking of Phillip Phillips, he was the last successful winner from Idol, and that was 10 years ago.

Edited May 24, 2022 by tealeaves

[sempervivum]

4 hours ago, gingerella said:

And what WAS the deal with his baby momma? He didn't kiss her or hug her hello when he got home, only his baby and grandma. He literally never mentioned her or referenced her at all.

I think he may have wanted to protect her from social media. He's a handsome guy and was getting a lot of drooling on SM, maybe he figured out (or was advised) that it would be wise to keep her out of the limelight. 

[TheGreenKnight]

4 hours ago, tealeaves said:

If he was the chosen one, he would have gotten a platinum ticket. 

A country guy--or a White guy of any genre for that matter--doesn't need help going far on American Idol. The Platinum Tickets were more about keeping the top 10 diverse to keep the audience watching more than anything.

[ljenkins782]

On 5/23/2022 at 3:42 AM, Vermicious Knid said:

Maybe Jay will get invited to perform regularly with Earth, Wind and Fire? 

I thought the same, that was the most comfortable he's looked and I was really impressed by the remaining members of Earth Wind and Fire, they were still performing full out even with their advanced ages. That might have been my favorite performance of the night.

I've apparently mellowed with age because I really had a soft spot for all 3 remaining contestants and was sad to see any of them lose. 

Leah and her dad were touching to me, I loved that they had that kind of special bond of music for her whole life and the juxtaposition of the two of them playing to an empty square vs all the hometown crowd was very sweet.

I haven't been overly impressed with Huntergirl thus far, but the footage of her with the veterans was really affecting and made me root against her to win because I think the work she's doing there is more important and I hope she keeps it up. 

Noah seemed like a lock to win it the whole way so his hometown visit backed that up. 

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And what WAS the deal with his baby momma? He didn't kiss her or hug her hello when he got home, only his baby and grandma. He literally never mentioned her or referenced her at all.

I think he may have wanted to protect her from social media. He's a handsome guy and was getting a lot of drooling on SM, maybe he figured out (or was advised) that it would be wise to keep her out of the limelight. 

that could be, but I also wonder if she's a bit worried about his win. they aren't married and it's a huge difference to have an unexpected teen pregnancy with a guy from the back of beyond than with a guy who's suddenly in the spotlight. She's got to be nervous about what's to become of their relationship from this point. 

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They all sounded terrible on Springsteen. He never has allowed his music to be used on one of these shows, but he sold his catalog and no longer controls the rights.

I was not a fan of any of the Springsteen choices, he has so many good songs and they didn't hit any of them. I especially thought Huntergirl's choice was a head-scratcher and like Carrie Underwood week, I thought that was a terrible choice for her. She's not an entertainer in the sense of the getting the crowd up on your feet type, so Dancing in the Dark was so awkward.

Noah's choice was better than the others, but I still think he could have chosen a darker, more working man's song Bruce Springsteen songs seems like a slam dunk for Noah, but I didn't love it. Also, the tempo seemed super fast, much faster than the original and I didn't get it.