S21.E09: Hollywood Week Part 3 - Showstopper/Final Judgement Part 1

[Ms Blue Jay]

608 - Showstopper / Final Judgement Part 1 

Air date:  April 9, 2023.

[Annber03]

All that with Fire and that's how it ends? Especially surprising since, based off what we saw of her performance in "Showstoppers",  thought that was probably her best performance thus far. 

Katy really enjoyed teasing a lot of these contestants tonight. "We don't think you're meant for the top 24...you're more like top 10!" Like, really? 

The sing-off thing is an interesting angle, but I feel like it should only be used the one time. A lot of these decisions the judges are claiming are so hard for them, I think it's not really that difficult, myself, but...*Shrugs*

[Ms Blue Jay]

I'll start with the negative, cuz there isn't that much for me to say, but I thought 

1)  Michael Williams.  Katy thinks he's really hot.  He's handsome, but that performance was so bad.  I feel badly for whoever's spot he's taken.

2)  The blonde girl who sang "Bird Set Fire".  ouch, that was not good.

 

Positive:

I absolutely ADORED the two R&B singers.  PJ and Malik.  I don't believe for a second they cut someone to let both of them through, I think it's just manufactured TV drama.  Whatever.  In the end, it doesn't matter.  They're both amazing and if one of them had gotten cut for Michael Freaking Williams or someone else I might have set something on fire.  I think I teared up during either one or both of their performances I don't even remember if it was the showstopper or the sing off.  All 4 of the performances really moved me.

Zachariah certainly picked the right song with "Don't Stop me Now" and blew the house down.  That was great!

 

Song choices:

Kiss from a Rose is wonderful, the performance wasn't, and she was cut.

Always Remember us this Way from A Star is Born is wonderful.  The performance was kinda cool, kinda off, but I'm intrigued.

Picking the Ruben Studdard song.  Sigh.  I love Ruben and all but I don't know that song.  I hate when they pick a past Idol's song.  Not a good choice for me.

Edited April 10, 2023 by Ms Blue Jay

[Annber03]

2 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Kiss from a Rose is wonderful, the performance wasn't, and she was cut.

Yeah, that performance was...ehhhh. That's a big, dramatic song - there may be a way to do a quieter version of it that works, but that was not it. 

Quote

 

Picking the Ruben Studdard song.  Sigh.  I love Ruben and all but I don't know that song.  I hate when they pick a past Idol's song.  Not a good choice for me.

 

That was the song he sang when he won, wasn't it? Pretty bold whenever someone picks a song from a former contestant. I did like that performance, myself, but yeah, that's always a risky move for a contestant. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

3 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

That was the song he sang when he won, wasn't it? Pretty bold whenever someone picks a song from a former contestant. I did like that performance, myself, but yeah, that's always a risky move for a contestant. 

I just don't ever know those songs.  I think I only know Fantasia's?  LOL.  And I don't even like her winning song.  I love Ruben, I love Philip Philips, blah blah blah but I don't know any of those winning songs.  So the entire performance I'm just distracted because I don't know the song enough to judge the performance.  I'm sure she's really talented, based on Katy's reaction to her earlier performance, so I just wish I saw something different so I could see that for myself.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Kaylin getting cut retroactively shows us that she was the platinum ticket winner basically because it went really well w/ the military dad getting leave to surprise her at her audition side story. Especially as we went on to see much better teen female singers. Haven, Paige Anne, even Phil Stacey's daughter was right there with her.

I looked up the entire list of Showstoppers singers, and there were 25 (or very close) names who we haven't sing once this entire season. Out of 54 or 55 total. Must have been fun for them watching this knowing they were cannon fodder literally the entire season.

No surprises that Adin & Fire were cut. Their stories outshined their actually singing voices the entire season. It still feels brutal though, when someone like Fire gets their dream crushed & you realize that they now have to return to a very very uncertain home life..

Maybe the only real surprise of those making it through was the Michael guy from Ohio. Warren was a no brainer, Pjae was a no brainer, Malik (when you think of the very few AA male singers we've heard) makes some sense, Tyson gave them a reason or two to cut him (but after Kaylin they weren't cutting half of their Platinum Ticket winners in one night). I don't get the guy who sang Queen. I don't think he's anywhere near as good as he thinks he is..but yet we saw him every step of the way. And the fact that he bombed his duet and it didn't matter in the least made it pretty clear that he was always bound for the Top 24.

Zero surprises on the girls side. Kaeyra was awesome, We gets a chance to finish Top 3 on Idol & the Voice both, the AA lady w/ kids has been a no-brainer this whole time despite have absolutely no chance to do anything Post-AI singing the kind of style she sings, Haven and her original songs has been the chose teen this whole season, & Nutsa is Nutsa and apparently has to be pushed through because they need someone that everyone is going to hate & not vote for at all during week 1 of the Top 24.

 

[LexieLily]

48 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Picking the Ruben Studdard song.  Sigh.  I love Ruben and all but I don't know that song.  I hate when they pick a past Idol's song.  Not a good choice for me.

 

44 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

That was the song he sang when he won, wasn't it? Pretty bold whenever someone picks a song from a former contestant. I did like that performance, myself, but yeah, that's always a risky move for a contestant. 

(I still don't know how to embed one tweet into another, otherwise I would have done so. Pretend the first tweet is embedded into the second one.)

But, yes! "Flying Without Wings" was Ruben's winning song :) 

[gingerella]

Adin, Fire, and that nice guy who raised his siblings all should not have gotten to Hollywood, but AI used them fortheir backstories and now what? Adin seems to have a good family support system and a good job teaching so he will be fine, and I believe Lionel will call him to write something so he's fine. But Fire? While I agree that her ahow stopper was her best singing to date that we've seen, you could tell by her face that she actually thought she had a chance to go farther, whi h tells me the judges et al blew a shit ton of smoke up her ass. Oh hoe I long for Randy's honesty - Look, Dawgs, singing just ain't your thing man, yannowhatImean? All this bullshit mumbo jumbo of 'Now you've got the fire and you're fire isn't going out again...you're gonna be fine...go on and do good rhings...or whatever the hell bullshit they told her. What the actual fuck do they think she's gonna do when she gets home? Start auditioning for dinner theater restaurants or hotel and bar lounges? She's not that good. She'll go right back to stripping because she needs money. If they really cared they'd tell her they'll pay her bills abd college fees while she goes to school and gets a degree in something useful. I hate how they use vulnerable people and act like they're doing them a favor. It's so damn cruel.

Edited April 10, 2023 by gingerella

[Rorysmom]

We Ani is simply spectacular. 

[Kenz]

1 hour ago, Rorysmom said:

We Ani is simply spectacular. 

Agreed. Aretha Franklin is my all time favorite singer, and I think We Ani did her justice! I hope she wins it all.

Edited April 10, 2023 by Kenz

[PhD-Purgatory15]

It will be interesting to see whether the Idol voting public votes as strongly for We as the Voice voting public did a few seasons back. She finished 3rd overall on her season of the Voice, and correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think she ever needed a Coach or Twitter instant save to move past a given week. 

I would have a lot more respective for her singing voice, if she dropped the ridiculous baby vocal fry act of her supposed "speaking" voice..

[Rorysmom]

I didn't know she was on The Voice. I don't watch that show. Glad she's gotten another chance.

I believe that is her real voice. Some people sing in a totally different key range than their natural speaking voice. 

[sempervivum]

I just looked at the Voice stats on Wiki (as I don't watch the show), and We placed 3rd on 'season 11' in 2016. That must have been a bitter pill for her, as the winner was the former Idol contestant Sundance Head (yet another gravel-voiced beardy non-entity). 

Michael Williams' performance was actually worse than Fire's, so I'm guessing Katy pushed for him to go through to top 24?

The only actual 'showstopper' performances, imo, were Chaeyra(?) and We, and maybe Lucy (although she picked a nothing song).

So does Warren Peay ever take his hat off/ have any hair on the top of his head? 'Killing Floor' was a lazy choice.

HATED the format of this episode. I much prefer to see the performance, make my own decision, and THEN hear from the judges. The cut-up way this was edited was infuriating.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

100% agree on hating the format. Why couldn't we have had a two hour episode last night where we actually could here the bulk of the 55 who made it this far (including the 25 or so that we haven't heard once this season!!) & then follow that up w/ a two hour episode tonight where we then learn the Top 24??

**Obviously the very cynical portion of that answer is that the show would have to air some of these people for the first time, and then we as the audience would know that at least a handful of them (or probably more) are fundamentally better than some of the contestants they've chosen to focus on this season and will ultimately end up in this Top 24..

Edited April 10, 2023 by PhD-Purgatory15

[gingerella]

2 hours ago, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

100% agree on hating the format. Why couldn't we have had a two hour episode last night where we actually could here the bulk of the 55 who made it this far (including the 25 or so that we haven't heard once this season!!) & then follow that up w/ a two hour episode tonight where we then learn the Top 24??

**Obviously the very cynical portion of that answer is that the show would have to air some of these people for the first time, and then we as the audience would know that at least a handful of them (or probably more) are fundamentally better than some of the contestants they've chosen to focus on this season and will ultimately end up in this Top 24..

TIIC have neutered this show beyond recognition at this point. Remember Ms. Ophra? She was only like the best singer out of all the auditions. And she mysteriously gets 86'd during Week 1 of Hollywood week and we the viewers never even see what her Hollywood week performance was like? I call bullshit on this. Also, the auditions used to be a lot more interesting but now we see a handful of try outs dragged out over an hour or two, and pretty much all sound like ass to viewers but they all get tongue baths by the judges and let through? Again, bullshit.

This show has become all about the sob story. If you have a tale of woe that is compelling enough, apparently it's going to get you to Hollywood week now. And the setting up vulnerable people (Adin, Fire, and the other dude who raised his siblings) for a big fat fail, then send them home with a trite, "you're going to continue doing great things now that we've showed you what you can do...blah blah blah fishcakes!" These aren't judges, they're just playing a part in a producer-driven game.

[twilightzone]

4 hours ago, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

It will be interesting to see whether the Idol voting public votes as strongly for We as the Voice voting public did a few seasons back. She finished 3rd overall on her season of the Voice, and correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think she ever needed a Coach or Twitter instant save to move past a given week. 

No one from The Voice has ever won Idol.  Also, being the best singer in the competition, is the kiss of death.  They don't win. 

[peachmangosteen]

UO I guess but I (maybe irrationally) hate We. She reads as so completely fake to me. Also, I think it's kind of embarrassing she got to Top 3 on The Voice and is now on Idol. It's giving singing competition famewhore lol.

I didn't think any of the performances last night were very good tbh. I can't believe they are trying to sell this as the best season ever. Even every other season of the ABC version was better than this!

[pezgirl7]

21 hours ago, Annber03 said:

Katy really enjoyed teasing a lot of these contestants tonight. "We don't think you're meant for the top 24...you're more like top 10!" Like, really?

I absolutely hate how she has to tease almost everyone instead of just giving them the news straight. I guess you could argue that it's ok, because she only does it to those that are going through, so in the end they are getting good news. But I think it's cruel to toy with their emotions. The show could change someone's life, and she seems to enjoy messing with them.

Edited April 11, 2023 by pezgirl7

[gingerella]

I looked up Fire's IG and she has all these photos of her and her boyfriend, he also has a daughter that she considers a daughter. In Feb I think, she said she got into her 'dream' school, a dance school in NYC, then last month, March, she posted her and her kid on a plane moving to England to be with her boyfriend. So her sob story? WTAF?!?

ETA: @iamfireofficial

Oh, and she was also in the Army...I mean, was Adun actually autistic? Did Cam really raise his siblings alone? Are any of these sob stories real or are they just yanking our chain?!?

Edited April 11, 2023 by gingerella

[Ms Blue Jay]

1 hour ago, gingerella said:

I looked up Fire's IG and she has all these photos of her and her boyfriend, he also has a daughter that she considers a daughter. In Feb I think, she said she got into her 'dream' school, a dance school in NYC, then last month, March, she posted her and her kid on a plane moving to England to be with her boyfriend. So her sob story? WTAF?!?

ETA: @iamfireofficial

Not even 1% surprised.  Her story has felt like producer manipulation from the jump.

[Ms Blue Jay]

11 hours ago, gingerella said:

TIIC have neutered this show beyond recognition at this point. Remember Ms. Ophra? She was only like the best singer out of all the auditions. And she mysteriously gets 86'd during Week 1 of Hollywood week and we the viewers never even see what her Hollywood week performance was like? I call bullshit on this. Also, the auditions used to be a lot more interesting but now we see a handful of try outs dragged out over an hour or two, and pretty much all sound like ass to viewers but they all get tongue baths by the judges and let through? Again, bullshit.

This show has become all about the sob story. If you have a tale of woe that is compelling enough, apparently it's going to get you to Hollywood week now. And the setting up vulnerable people (Adin, Fire, and the other dude who raised his siblings) for a big fat fail, then send them home with a trite, "you're going to continue doing great things now that we've showed you what you can do...blah blah blah fishcakes!" These aren't judges, they're just playing a part in a producer-driven game.

I'm still very curious about The Ophra Story.

[gaPeach]

On 4/9/2023 at 11:51 PM, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

I looked up the entire list of Showstoppers singers, and there were 25 (or very close) names who we haven't sing once this entire season. Out of 54 or 55 total. Must have been fun for them watching this knowing they were cannon fodder literally the entire season.

No surprises that Adin & Fire were cut. Their stories outshined their actually singing voices the entire season. It still feels brutal though, when someone like Fire gets their dream crushed & you realize that they now have to return to a very very uncertain home life.

I have not watch AI for years and I must say I do not recognize it at all.  Sad back stories get you through if you are a mediocre singer.  And the top 24 apparently were picked from the initial auditions since those are really the only people we have seen actually singing.  The brief shots of the other contestants sitting in the audience waiting their turn showed a lot of unfamiliar faces that we still never got to see.  We basically have only seen the contestants AI picked.  Gone are the days of total pandemonium during Hollywood week, sleepless nights, fighting and a lot of crying.  I remember during Hollywood week, poor Scotty McCreay couldn't get a group to take him.  I think the first group secretly decided they did not want him on their team because another contestant needed a team and they apparently liked the other guy better.  Loved the fact that Scotty WON that season.  

I feel for the contestants that showed up, passed auditions only to be relegated to background scenery for the actual contestants the show has already decided who was going through.  The rest was just for the cameras. Did they even get a #????

I found this format boring and staged.  And Katey torturing contestants with "We did not pick you for the top 24......(dramatic pause).... YOU put yourself through!  Congratulations!"  I wish one of the contestants would have slapped her for that crap.  So Mean.

And I was worried about Fire as she looked completely devastated and Katey was sooooooooo nonchalant about it.  It was almost uncomfortable to watch.  They pumped Fire up so much only to yank the rug out from under her.  Katey didn't even pretend to care at this point.  But reading post upthread that she is not as desperate as they led us to believe........shocking!

[SoCalAgain]

I’m sorry.  I can’t stand Nutsa. Her performance was  very cruise ship.  I don’t understand how she’s top 24

[Katie111]

15 hours ago, gingerella said:

I looked up Fire's IG and she has all these photos of her and her boyfriend, he also has a daughter that she considers a daughter. In Feb I think, she said she got into her 'dream' school, a dance school in NYC, then last month, March, she posted her and her kid on a plane moving to England to be with her boyfriend. So her sob story? WTAF?!?

ETA: @iamfireofficial

Oh, and she was also in the Army...I mean, was Adun actually autistic? Did Cam really raise his siblings alone? Are any of these sob stories real or are they just yanking our chain?!?

Yes and there are pictures of her in Spain, FL, New Orleans, and Virginia Beach.  Seems to do a lot of traveling for a poor single mother who is an exotic dancer.

[Ms Blue Jay]

1 hour ago, Katie111 said:

Yes and there are pictures of her in Spain, FL, New Orleans, and Virginia Beach.  Seems to do a lot of traveling for a poor single mother who is an exotic dancer.

When it's revealed that Fire's story is not what the show portrayed

[Ms Blue Jay]

19 hours ago, gingerella said:

I looked up Fire's IG and she has all these photos of her and her boyfriend, he also has a daughter that she considers a daughter. In Feb I think, she said she got into her 'dream' school, a dance school in NYC, then last month, March, she posted her and her kid on a plane moving to England to be with her boyfriend. So her sob story? WTAF?!?

ETA: @iamfireofficial

Oh, and she was also in the Army...I mean, was Adun actually autistic? Did Cam really raise his siblings alone? Are any of these sob stories real or are they just yanking our chain?!?

It's @Imfireofficial.

@Iamfireofficial is a Scandinavian band.  

[ForReal]

On 4/10/2023 at 5:26 PM, pezgirl7 said:

I absolutely hate how she has to tease almost everyone instead of just giving them the news straight. I guess you could argue that it's ok, because she only does it to those that are going through, so in the end they are getting good news. But I think it's cruel to toy with their emotions. The show could change someone's life, and she seems to enjoy messing with them.

It was especially cruel when she did it to Nutsa, who as a non-native English speaker really didn't get it and so suffered needlessly. I also thought it was ridiculous that Nutsa had to apologize to Katie for actually showing what I consider to be grace under fire when her duet partner threw her under the bus. I think Katie should have apologized back.

Edited April 13, 2023 by ForReal

[Ms Blue Jay]

I don't know.  Nutsa was rolling her eyes and mouthing things to the crowd about her partner while standing right beside her, wasn't she?
 

Can you remind me how her partner threw her under the bus, because I honestly forget.

Edited April 14, 2023 by Ms Blue Jay

[MissPriss]

I’m not going to rewatch but I recall Nutsa appearing peeved that her duet partner was upset. I think Nutsa did her wrong, caused a ton of stress, and then acted innocent. 
 

I want her gone. She’s not all she thinks she is. 

[peachmangosteen]

On 4/13/2023 at 10:50 AM, ForReal said:

It was especially cruel when she did it to Nutsa, who as a non-native English speaker really didn't get it and so suffered needlessly. I also thought it was ridiculous that Nutsa had to apologize to Katie for actually showing what I consider to be grace under fire when her duet partner threw her under the bus. I think Katie should have apologized back.

This.

[thesupremediva1]

Woops never mind

Edited April 17, 2023 by thesupremediva1
Double post

[JayDub1987]

On 4/13/2023 at 10:50 AM, ForReal said:

I also thought it was ridiculous that Nutsa had to apologize to Katie for actually showing what I consider to be grace under fire when her duet partner threw her under the bus

She went to bed instead of practicing a duet. What was the partner supposed to say? "We decided not to practice?" Forget that. If I go down because you didn't want to practice, I'm gonna make damn sure everybody knows that. 

[ForReal]

22 hours ago, JayDub1987 said:

She went to bed instead of practicing a duet. What was the partner supposed to say? "We decided not to practice?" Forget that. If I go down because you didn't want to practice, I'm gonna make damn sure everybody knows that. 

Without being there, it's hard to know if they got in enough time practicing before Nutsa went to bed or not. Some people want to practice all night until they are exhausted, and some people believe they perform better when they are well-rested. We will never know what really happened because the show looooves the drama.