S21.E08: Hollywood Week Part 2

[Ms Blue Jay]

Quote

607 - Hollywood week part 2.  - Duets round.

Original air date:  April 3, 2023.

I'll try to add songs that were sung here as I am watching.  Feel free to post.

• My Girl - The Temptations
• I Put a Spell On You - Screamin' Jay Hawkins
• You are the Reason - Calum Scott
• (Country song? I don't know?  Sorry LOL)
• I'm Still Standing - Elton John (First Round) - Oh my god this is majorly cringe.  From Katy's dancing and cheering to the performance - what an utter trainwreck lol.  I actually can't believe it didn't go worse but I could barely watch. (Isaac?) made a big mistake focusing way too much on choreography.  If you can't remember a song, then don't fucking choreograph dancing.  How beyond frustrating was that entire thing.
• Don't Stop me Now - Queen
• Buy Dirt - Jordan Davis ft. Luke Bryan
• The Weeknd - Save your Tears - Holy crap.  When I realized what song it was, goosebumps everywhere.  Sorry yes, his name is Iam.  Thank you to all who pointed that out, I have been spelling it wrong.  
• I'm still standing by Elton John (Second round) - Trio. Well they really showed up Zachariah and Isaac.
• Hit em up Style by Blu Cantrell - Such an odd choice by this show.  It was such a one hit wonder, wasn't it?  I loved this song but that was 20 years ago and people of this generation shouldn't know this song.  Do they?  LOL.  Very creative and fun performance though.  Very confident.
• Listen to the Music - The Doobie Brothers
• Whatdya Want from Me? - Adam Lambert

The fact that Matt Wilson made that girl audition for him, LOL.  Gee.  I thought he was humbler than that. 
They also played The Golden Girls theme song "Thank you for Being a friend" and "That's not my Name" by the Ting Tings.
Also some John Legend song I think.  "Never Break" by John Legend.

 

Edited April 4, 2023 by Ms Blue Jay

[MarylandGirl]

I was laughing hysterically through much of the first round of I'm Still Standing. It was a total trainwreck, but at least entertaining! Don't know that either deserved to go through, but I like both of them, so I'm OK with it.

And if you're going to pick a song where you don't know the lyrics, pick one with fewer lyrics! Or figure out an arrangement that involves less of them.

[DietCokeJunkie]

The whole situation with Adin made me furious. The producers KNEW they had an uneven number. Why did they wait until Adin had a complete breakdown before they said something? It was cruel and unnecessary. Bless those girls for taking him in, and Lionel was right—their behavior deserved to be rewarded. 
 

There were definitely mental health issues tonight that needed compassion on other teams as well, but while Katie was patting herself on the back for showing grace, they should have stopped the cameras from rolling and intervened a lot sooner. 

[Annber03]

11 minutes ago, MarylandGirl said:

I was laughing hysterically through much of the first round of I'm Still Standing. It was a total trainwreck, but at least entertaining! Don't know that either deserved to go through, but I like both of them, so I'm OK with it.

Agreed. I think a large part of the judges' decision in a situation like that is based on how good the singers are at being quick on their feet and learning to improvise and roll with it if things go off the rails. That's a very important skill to have in this industry, as a performer, so if you have that ability, that'll benefit you in the long run, for sure. I think that definitely helped tip the scales in those performers' favor here.

So much drama and chaos in this episode in general! People dropping out and not showing up to rehearsals, people choking under the pressure, people struggling to find partners... Whew! I'm not surprised some of these singers struggled in this round - some of them struggled to overcome their nerves at their auditions, so it's not surprising they may still have some difficulty with that here, too. 

But more importantly, some of them have some...very deep emotional struggles they're dealing with, too, and I do think that affects some of them in terms of their ability to be in the public eye like this, too. Some of these people, they love playing music, sure, but they have a much harder time with the public performing/having everyone's eyes on them/being judged aspects. Which I totally don't blame them for, mind - that's scary no matter how talented one is. Professional singers still freak out about that stuff, too. So I totally get it. Just that it might make it harder for them to go far in this competition, 'cause unfortunately, this industry will eat people alive, and if you're not prepared for that, well.. 

On the plus side, at least, it's better that some of these singers realize their limits now, this early on in the competition, instead of getting too far in and having an even more difficult time adapting. 

I liked Jayne showing up to help Fire at the end when her partner dropped out. I felt bad for the girl who left, though - everyone's talking about Fire being abandoned and all that, but her partner got sick, it's not like she just decided not to show for the hell of it. You can't help your body crapping out on you like that. 

Even with all the drama, though, there were some good duets throughout. 

Edited April 4, 2023 by Annber03

[Diana Berry]

1 hour ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I'll try to add songs that were sung here as I am watching.  Feel free to post.

• My Girl - The Temptations
• I Put a Spell On You - Screamin' Jay Hawkins
• You are the Reason - Calum Scott
• (Country song? I don't know?  Sorry LOL)
• I'm Still Standing - Elton John (First Round) - Oh my god this is majorly cringe.  From Katy's dancing and cheering to the performance - what an utter trainwreck lol.  I actually can't believe it didn't go worse but I could barely watch. (Isaac?) made a big mistake focusing way too much on choreography.  If you can't remember a song, then don't fucking choreograph dancing.  How beyond frustrating was that entire thing.
• Don't Stop me Now - Queen
• Buy Dirt - Jordan Davis ft. Luke Bryan
• The Weeknd - Save your Tears - Holy crap.  When I realized what song it was, goosebumps everywhere.  Sorry yes, his name is Iam.  Thank you to all who pointed that out, I have been spelling it wrong.  
• I'm still standing by Elton John (Second round) - Trio. Well they really showed up Zachariah and Isaac.
• Hit em up Style by Blu Cantrell - Such an odd choice by this show.  It was such a one hit wonder, wasn't it?  I loved this song but that was 20 years ago and people of this generation shouldn't know this song.  Do they?  LOL.  Very creative and fun performance though.  Very confident.
• Listen to the Music - The Doobie Brothers

The fact that Matt Wilson made that girl audition for him, LOL.  Gee.  I thought he was humbler than that. 
They also played The Golden Girls theme song "Thank you for Being a friend" and "That's not my Name" by the Ting Tings.
Also some John Legend song I think.  "Never Break" by John Legend.

 

Hiding my head in shame, wasn’t familiar with save your tears but that was a fantastic duet.  Their voices were great together. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

How many episodes have been devoted to the drama that surrounds Fire?  This is 3 now, or has it been four?  It is very, very, very hard for me to believe this isn't completely manufactured.  I understand people get sick, but, there's a lot I'm very suspicious about here.  It feels like a producer writing a story.

23 minutes ago, MarylandGirl said:

I was laughing hysterically through much of the first round of I'm Still Standing. It was a total trainwreck, but at least entertaining! Don't know that either deserved to go through, but I like both of them, so I'm OK with it.

And if you're going to pick a song where you don't know the lyrics, pick one with fewer lyrics! Or figure out an arrangement that involves less of them.

LOL.  You're making me see this in a new light.  I should watch it again with your attitude.

3 minutes ago, Diana Berry said:

Hiding my head in shame, wasn’t familiar with save your tears but that was a fantastic duet.  Their voices were great together. 

They performed it in a very pared down, acoustic way.  It made me see the song in a whole new light.  It doesn't sound like the original.  It was really cool.

Edited April 4, 2023 by Ms Blue Jay

[Blissfool]

Future AI contestants, take note: if you don't know the lyrics to song, write them on your guitar. The judges will think it is so cute. Do not, by any means, read the lyrics off your phone. We ain't tele-prompting it here, folks!

[LexieLily]

4 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

• Hit em up Style by Blu Cantrell - Such an odd choice by this show.  It was such a one hit wonder, wasn't it?  I loved this song but that was 20 years ago and people of this generation shouldn't know this song.  Do they?  LOL.  Very creative and fun performance though.  Very confident.

I'm not even going to lie, the only reason I know that song is Mikalah Gordon performing it in the semifinals back in season four and namedropping Paula in the lyrics, lmao.

Edited April 4, 2023 by LexieLily

[Annber03]

I remembered that song from my high school days :p. Been a while since I'd heard it, so hearing it tonight gave me some flashbacks, LOL. 

But yeah, I did like the performance of it here. 

[Vermicious Knid]

I believe that's the first time we've had freestyle jazz on the show? They certainly had a mind meld on that. 

Not only was I'm Still Standing a trainwreck with forgetting the lyrics and wavering off key, it was a weird arrangement of the song. They should not have been rewarded for that. 

I don't blame for Nutsa for going to bed. The people who stay up all night end up sick or are too tired to perform well. 

[JayDub1987]

So man things annoyed me in this episode, and then there were so many that made me genuinely smile. I'm terrible with names, so I'll share my thoughts as accurately as I can muster. 

The "I'm Still Standing" fiasco. I'll be honest, I woulda just cut both the guys from the show. There is absolutely no reason to perform with your cellphone in your hand, and they both seemed to think it was just no big deal. Either learn the song or freaking pick a different one! They didn't have to do that song. Surely they could have found something that they knew. It's Hollywood week. Focus on learning your lyrics more than your painful dance moves. Maybe in addition to learning the words, they should have also tried learning the melody because that was pitchy as hell. 

Nutsa's partner shouldn't have been cut. It's hard to practice a duet when you can't get your duet partner out of bed. The show has managed to cut corners to help people out multiple times throughout the young season, so cutting her seemed kinda pointless. Nutsa has a good voice, but she comes across as someone who already considers herself a superstar. She's not. Katie can tell her to have some more grace, but the girl is obviously already a diva. Hoping she crashes and burns sooner than later.

Speaking of partners I felt bad for, poor Cam. He should have just told J that he wasn't working with them because they walked out and then refused to communicate. Screw all that. I'm not risking my chance to let you jump into the spotlight for a performance when you refused to put in the work. 

Now, some positives. 

The Camo Cousins were fun, but the judges made the right call. I do believe the one they cut may have had slightly better vocal ability, but he was obviously struggling to catch his cues. I'm assuming that he's used to playing a guitar for himself and himself alone, which is fine. But when he was trying to sing along with the AI band, it would have likely only gotten worse. 

I'm guessing that the kid who put a portion of the lyrics on top of his guitar learned that from his dad who was a professional musician (IIRC). One of the oldest tricks in the book, and it allows you to get through some lyrics that you have some issues with without starting at a phone screen. Most people in the audience will assume that you're just glancing down at your guitar. Also, glad that Luke told him they would get the guitar his dad gave him fixed. That touched me. 

Absolutely loved the girls signing up to work with the young man with autism. Big risk on their part, but way to step up and do something kind.

Am I correct that the girl who jumped in to sing with Fire was also in that duo? I haven't rewatched the show and I really struggle with keeping people/names straight. Whoever it was didn't only do something kind, she did something smart. She got herself back in front of the judges for a performance that couldn't hurt her chances, and could only improve them. Sometimes kindness pays off. 

 

 

Edited April 4, 2023 by JayDub1987

[sempervivum]

Once again, I would really love to see the song choices that were available to these people. I can't believe 2 couples picked 'I'm Still Standing'. 

 

[gingerella]

1 hour ago, JayDub1987 said:

So man things annoyed me in this episode, and then there were so many that made me genuinely smile. I'm terrible with names, so I'll share my thoughts as accurately as I can muster. 

The "I'm Still Standing" fiasco. I'll be honest, I woulda just cut both the guys from the show. There is absolutely no reason to perform with your cellphone in your hand, and they both seemed to think it was just no big deal. Either learn the song or freaking pick a different one! They didn't have to do that song. Surely they could have found something that they knew. It's Hollywood week. Focus on learning your lyrics more than your painful dance moves. Maybe in addition to learning the words, they should have also tried learning the melody because that was pitchy as hell. 

Nutsa's partner shouldn't have been cut. It's hard to practice a duet when you can't get your duet partner out of bed. The show has managed to cut corners to help people out multiple times throughout the young season, so cutting her seemed kinda pointless. Nutsa has a good voice, but she comes across as someone who already considers herself a superstar. She's not. Katie can tell her to have some more grace, but the girl is obviously already a diva. Hoping she crashes and burns sooner than later.

Speaking of partners I felt bad for, poor Cam. He should have just told J that he wasn't working with them because they walked out and then refused to communicate. Screw all that. I'm not risking my chance to let you jump into the spotlight for a performance when you refused to put in the work. 

Now, some positives. 

The Camo Cousins were fun, but the judges made the right call. I do believe the one they cut may have had slightly better vocal ability, but he was obviously struggling to catch his cues. I'm assuming that he's used to playing a guitar for himself and himself alone, which is fine. But when he was trying to sing along with the AI band, it would have likely only gotten worse. 

I'm guessing that the kid who put a portion of the lyrics on top of his guitar learned that from his dad who was a professional musician (IIRC). One of the oldest tricks in the book, and it allows you to get through some lyrics that you have some issues with without starting at a phone screen. Most people in the audience will assume that you're just glancing down at your guitar. Also, glad that Luke told him they would get the guitar his dad gave him fixed. That touched me. 

Absolutely loved the girls signing up to work with the young man with autism. Big risk on their part, but way to step up and do something kind.

Am I correct that the girl who jumped in to sing with Fire was also in that duo? I haven't rewatched the show and I really struggle with keeping people/names straight. Whoever it was didn't only do something kind, she did something smart. She got herself back in front of the judges for a performance that couldn't hurt her chances, and could only improve them. Sometimes kindness pays off.

So much YES to your above post. My thoughts:

The cell phone lyric duo would have been cut on the spot if the OG judges were there. That said, I do agree that their quick thinking was amusing and they didn't give up so there's that. But damn, have they never watched the show before, to think it's okay to sing off their phones?!?

I agree, Nutsa's partner should not have been cut. And for the record, Nutsa is an entitled bitch who thinks she's all that, but she's not. She sings like an airport lounge singer, OTT. I loathed her attitude, then trying to gaslight her partner by suddenly saying 'we need to practice until we get it right' when she's the one who went to bed early. She pulled that bullshit because she was getting camera time and for no other reason. I really don't think her duet partner was bad either, she should have gone through instead of, say, Fire. Just sayin'.

And that brings me to Fire and Kaya Stewart. First of all, I'm not really sure Kaya was all that sick, she didn't sound or look that ill. And if she was, why was she not masked and being watched for Covid? I got the distinct impression that during her audition she thought she was the shiz, then she shows up for Hollywood Week and realizes that she's not all that good after all, and she's probably going to get cut soon. So instead of getting cut publicly she quits citing she's sick. Whatever. People who really want to be there fight through that, last season didn't the winner get Covid during the competition? Yeah, that. So Kaya auditions with her famous daddy to get a spot on a competition show that, if she was any good she wouldn't need what with her daddy's contacts and all. It pisses me off when people like her, and the mother who quit to go back to her babies - these people aren't serious about this and they've taken spots away from people who really wanted it badly. Fuck that shit. Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, Fire. I get it, the judges fell in love with her daughter and feel sorry for her because she's had a hard life thus far. But as others have already stated, she can't sing for shit. Like, not at all. There is no way she's even coming close to Top 10, so why prolong this? Who's watching her daughter right now? When she gets cut what is she going to do? Suddenly be able to become a singer in an airport hotel bar, or go back to stripping? If the judges really cared about her, they'd have had a convo amongst themselves and then offered her this: "Look you're not at the level to make a career of singing, but we want to help you. So we're going to pay for you to go back to school and get a degree in something that will allow you to support you and your daughter without stripping. We will pay all your housing and expenses while you're at school so you can stop stripping and get your degree faster." That? Would have been heaps more helpful than allowing her to think she's going to sing her way out of stripping and poverty.  Which brings me to so many of these contestants who think THIS IS IT. That their lives will change after AI. I'd like to know how many who don't make Top 10 go back to what they were doing before AI. Okay, enough ranting...

They tell us Ophrah didn't make the cut to Duet week but she was like the best singer in all the auditions, at least to my ears. Most of those they showed getting through were awful, again IMO. So why didn't we see her in Week 1? Did we see her and I forgot? I feel like I'd have remembered because she was that good.

RE: Cam and J, that was so self centered of J, and Cam should have said, "Sorry but no. This is too important for me and I was up all night rehearsing so I could since myself." That said, I don't really understand if Cam was up all night working on his song so he'd be ready to sing alone, why wasn't he more prepared when he was on stage? I would have sent J packing after that stunt. If you are so up your own ass that you cannot see the gift you've been given, then you're just not ready for it. Also worth saying, I didn't think Cam was all that in his audition either. I just think the judges were voting based on the raw deal life had dealt him. He sings marginally better than Fire but not by much. And again, it would be more helpful if they helped him get a college degree instead of being on this show because I just don't see him coming close to Top 10 either. It's cruel to send these kids, based on their hardship stories (which I also feel for them), because WTF are they going to do the day after they're cut loose from this show?

[Ms Blue Jay]

11 minutes ago, gingerella said:

They tell us Ophrah didn't make the cut to Duet week but she was like the best singer in all the auditions, at least to my ears. Most of those they showed getting through were awful, again IMO. So why didn't we see her in Week 1? Did we see her and I forgot? I feel like I'd have remembered because she was that good.

Very good point.  So sick of them hyping up people in audition rounds and quietly cutting them during HW with no clip or explanation.

12 minutes ago, gingerella said:

And that brings me to Fire and Kaya Stewart.

I'm now starting to wonder if Fire made some kind of deal with a producer to get exposure on this show, so she could get a lot of social medial followers or something.  Because the soap opera that they're writing for her is so complicated with so many episodes, there has to be some kind of reason.

I too don't understand why Kaya didn't just sing sick, also, gross, she was so close to Fire so she could have easily spread the sickness to Fire, no masks, no quarantine, nothing.  The whole thing is weird AF!

[Annber03]

3 hours ago, gingerella said:

And that brings me to Fire and Kaya Stewart. First of all, I'm not really sure Kaya was all that sick, she didn't sound or look that ill. And if she was, why was she not masked and being watched for Covid? I got the distinct impression that during her audition she thought she was the shiz, then she shows up for Hollywood Week and realizes that she's not all that good after all, and she's probably going to get cut soon. So instead of getting cut publicly she quits citing she's sick. Whatever. People who really want to be there fight through that, last season didn't the winner get Covid during the competition? Yeah, that. So Kaya auditions with her famous daddy to get a spot on a competition show that, if she was any good she wouldn't need what with her daddy's contacts and all. It pisses me off when people like her, and the mother who quit to go back to her babies - these people aren't serious about this and they've taken spots away from people who really wanted it badly. Fuck that shit.

My mom was saying the same thing about testing her for Covid. Even if that wasn't why she was sick, still would've been good for her to be checked out and keeping her distance and whatnot. 

I thought it was strange that someone with such a famous parent would get on a show like this, too, for the reasons you note. 

Quote

They tell us Ophrah didn't make the cut to Duet week but she was like the best singer in all the auditions, at least to my ears. Most of those they showed getting through were awful, again IMO. So why didn't we see her in Week 1? Did we see her and I forgot? I feel like I'd have remembered because she was that good.

This! I was sad to hear about her being cut, I agree that she deserved to be there over some of the other people who got through. 

[gingerella]

19 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

This! I was sad to hear about her being cut, I agree that she deserved to be there over some of the other people who got through. 

It's totally suspect that we never saw Ophra's performance that got her voted out, yet we get Cam and J and Fire shoved Dien our throats...something smells rotten

Edited April 4, 2023 by gingerella

[sempervivum]

Ophra and Lucy Love were too similar for the purposes of this show (like I would know!) We can have a whole bunch of skinny blondish waifs and hairy gravel-voiced guys, but only one overweight Black diva, apparently.

Fire will be bald by the time she's 30 if she doesn't stop with the Croyden Facelift hairdo.

[Gemma Violet]

11 hours ago, gingerella said:

The cell phone lyric duo would have been cut on the spot if the OG judges were there.

Lol, Simon would have eaten them for lunch.  I wish they had at least one good opinionated judge who wasn't always worried about hurting someone's feelings.  

[gaPeach]

19 hours ago, gingerella said:

RE: Cam and J, that was so self centered of J, and Cam should have said, "Sorry but no. This is too important for me and I was up all night rehearsing so I could since myself." That said, I don't really understand if Cam was up all night working on his song so he'd be ready to sing alone, why wasn't he more prepared when he was on stage? I would have sent J packing after that stunt. If you are so up your own ass that you cannot see the gift you've been given, then you're just not ready for it. Also worth saying, I didn't think Cam was all that in his audition either. I just think the judges were voting based on the raw deal life had dealt him. He sings marginally better than Fire but not by much. And again, it would be more helpful if they helped him get a college degree instead of being on this show because I just don't see him coming close to Top 10 either. It's cruel to send these kids, based on their hardship stories (which I also feel for them), because WTF are they going to do the day after they're cut loose from this show?

I must have missed J's audition because I did not recognize him at all.  And I agree that was pretty shitty of J to walk out the night before only to show up when it is time to sing stating he changed his mind.  At first, I felt for J as he really seemed overwhelmed by the process and left right then, even though he knew he was screwing his partner.  But when he showed back up it was a completely different person ready to sing while giving Cam sympathy looks in front of the judges, making Cam look bad.  Cam on the other hand was so thrown off by the whole thing and pretty much sucked while J watch on with mild amusement on his face.  I am glad the judges kept Cam because he was screwed by J.  That being said, Cam is not all that great but got the Platinum ticket because of his back story....like a lot of the mediocre singers that got through.........I am looking at you Fire.

I was hoping we would see a lot of the contestants that did not get the personal press releases and media exposure from the auditions.  Nope.  Saw glimpses of many people I never saw only to realize we were still not going to see them as they get picked off one by one.  So basically, the ones deemed worthy of moving through the process are the only ones we get to see.

This season is not based on talent but based on how sad your back story is.  Example: Fire.

[ruffy666]

22 hours ago, JayDub1987 said:

The "I'm Still Standing" fiasco. I'll be honest, I woulda just cut both the guys from the show. There is absolutely no reason to perform with your cellphone in your hand, and they both seemed to think it was just no big deal. Either learn the song or freaking pick a different one! They didn't have to do that song. Surely they could have found something that they knew. It's Hollywood week. Focus on learning your lyrics more than your painful dance moves. Maybe in addition to learning the words, they should have also tried learning the melody because that was pitchy as hell. 

I don't know anyone's names either but I think these two guys were feeding off of each other's nerves re: forgetting the lyrics.  I've never once thought "I'm Still Standing" was a particularly complicated song lyrically but once you get in your head about it and you've got a partner to try to be responsible for and THEN that guy insisted they also do choreo... I can see how that is a trainwreck waiting to happen.  At least it turned into a moderately entertaining trainwreck.

[JayDub1987]

16 hours ago, Gemma Violet said:

Lol, Simon would have eaten them for lunch.  I wish they had at least one good opinionated judge who wasn't always worried about hurting someone's feelings.  

It’s part of why I hate having Luke and Katie, and to a lesser degree, Lionel. They all have “brands” to protect, and no one can be the “mean judge” because of it. Labels would get mad, managers would freak out, etc. 

The show needs one person who is a record exec or something who can tell people “hey, you suck. Stop singing.”  
 

Part of the problem is also that we live in a society that would cancel the first judge who absolutely popped off on somebody. 

[KWalkerInc]

On 4/3/2023 at 10:05 PM, LexieLily said:

I'm not even going to lie, the only reason I know that song is Mikalah Gordon performing it in the semifinals back in season four and namedropping Paula in the lyrics, lmao.

I have no idea why, but it suddenly popped into my head today that the "Hit 'Em Up Style" performance was by the very nervous Janay Castine, who was cut in the semis (but I don't think on that song).  She name-checked both "Miss Paula and Mikalah."  The thing that might have stirred my brain was that I heard the song "Young Hearts Run Free" and remembered Mikalah's performance of that song where she tried to flirt with Randy.

[ForReal]

On 4/3/2023 at 7:26 PM, DietCokeJunkie said:

The whole situation with Adin made me furious. The producers KNEW they had an uneven number. Why did they wait until Adin had a complete breakdown before they said something? It was cruel and unnecessary...they should have stopped the cameras from rolling and intervened a lot sooner. 

While I was watching, I thought the same thing with the same fury -- they focus on how hard it is for him to find a partner then leave him to be the odd man out of with 149 contestants? But when they were filming him while he was melting down, he said something like, "It's important for people to see this part of my disability," and I thought maybe he agreed to let them film all this to bring awareness to the struggles autistic people face (although being the only person without a partner in a group of 149 would be anyone's nightmare, IMO). I still think it was not great TV, but I have to/want to believe he wasn't being treated cruelly.