S21: Top 12 to Top 10

[JayDub1987]

Guess we’re ditching two of these people tonight. Hopefully Lucy is one of them. I’ve already thrown my votes on people I like more than her….which came to pretty much everyone. 
 

add on:

oh fuck all.we’re gonna hand her a crying baby on stage to drum up sympathy for somebody America already proved they don’t like. I can’t with this shit. 
 

add on x2

So Adam Lambert tells Oliver his rendition is boring. Oliver agrees, talks about changing it….and then does a very boring version. Ok

add On x3

Marybeth Byrd is still my pick to win, but damn that was dull. 
 

add on x4

We absolutely nailed that. That’s how you make a song your own. 
 

add on x5

Nutsa….kinda has a bit of a mullet going on. That’s about all I’ve got. 
 

add on x6

Megan covering Bonnie Raitt is almost too perfect. Love her voice!

add on x7

i guess this is better than making a ton of posts. Anyway, Zachariah is just too much for me. The whole flamboyant over the top thing just exhausts me from him. I’m still not sure that he isn’t a plant. 
 

final add on 

This is the first time I’ve understood the love for Iam. Great vocals on this one. Up to this point, I’ve just seen him as another guy with a sob story. Having said that, I still don’t think he’s as good as the people chanting his name seem to. I think his story has helped him build a following. Milk it kid, milk it. 

Edited May 1, 2023 by JayDub1987

[dizzyd]

Adam Lambert 🥰 He gave good advice but it was lost on most of them. Their performances were all pretty boring and forgettable. Has this been the worst batch of top 12 performances ever? Ok I’m posting this after 7 but still. 

America, can we puhleese get rid of Lucy this week?

Do you think AL actually getting up there and showing them how it’s done will help the 2nd half? 🤔

Edited May 1, 2023 by dizzyd

[JayDub1987]

1 minute ago, dizzyd said:

Adam Lambert 🥰 He gave good advice but it was lost on most of them. Their performances were all pretty boring and forgettable. Has this been the worst batch of top 12 performances ever? Ok I’m posting this after 7 but still. 

America, can we puhleese get rid of Lucy this week?

So far, it appears that Warren and Colin are the only two to listen to Adam. Warren tweaked the vocal approach, and Colin did a song that he wasn’t considering. Everybody else has just kinda ignored an incredibly prolific performer. That amazes me. 
 

I did get a kick out him telling Lucy to smile. Somebody should’ve told him that she can’t smile. Her schtick is a down on her luck, angry single mother. 

[Diana Berry]

Voted for everyone but… so we get the Ritchie song and the sympathy vote going on.  Does the judges get a save tonite or is it all the audience ? If they do, Ritchie will vote for her again.

If Simon was still a judge , he would say Tyson was broadway . Yes he is but wow he has some pipes. He does need to go the broadway route.  ( remember when he said Adam was too broadway).

marybeth is cute as a button.

[JayDub1987]

2 minutes ago, Diana Berry said:

Voted for everyone but… so we get the Ritchie song and the sympathy vote going on.  Does the judges get a save tonite or is it all the audience ? If they do, Ritchie will vote for her again.

If Simon was still a judge , he would say Tyson was broadway . Yes he is but wow he has some pipes. He does need to go the broadway route.  ( remember when he said Adam was too broadway).

marybeth is cute as a button.

If there isn’t a judge save tonight and Lucy gets the ax again, I fully expect them to institute a judge save so Lionel can save his new daughter.

[Annber03]

11 minutes ago, JayDub1987 said:

So far, it appears that Warren and Colin are the only two to listen to Adam. Warren tweaked the vocal approach, and Colin did a song that he wasn’t considering. 

Yeah, they were good. As was We. 

I kinda feel like "Dancing Queen" might've been a better song for Haven to do. Her version of "Livin' on a Prayer"...those lyrics against that kind of breathy dance-ish sound was a strange mix :p. 

Really liked Adam's performance. I got a bit of a George Michael vibe in spots with the way he sang that song, it worked. I remember that song being sampled by Missy Elliott for her "Supa Dupa Fly" song back in the day. 

 

[JayDub1987]

2 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

I kinda feel like "Dancing Queen" might've been a better song for Haven to do. Her version of "Livin' on a Prayer"...those lyrics against that kind of breathy dance-ish sound was a strange mix :p. 

I’ve not been a Haven fan at all. When I found out what she was doing, my eyes rolled back in my head. Without boring you all with shit nobody cares about, Bon Jovi music legit changed my life. 
 

Anyway, back on point. I didn’t hate her version. I felt like her songwriter approach came through in a story-song. I didn’t throw her 20 votes (if they matter), but I liked it more than I expected. 

[JayDub1987]

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHHAHAAHHAA

 

F your judge saves!!!!!

[dizzyd]

The results that should have been last week had it not been for the judgery intervention. Now all’s right with the world. TY America!

[JayDub1987]

Just now, dizzyd said:

The results that should have been last week had it not been for the judgery intervention. Now all’s right with the world. TY America!

Absolutely made my day! America basically said “hey, we didn’t like these two and you can’t make us like them.”  Makes me think votes really do count. 

[twilightzone]

They should just do away with the Judge's Wildcard - and just let the public vote land wherever it lands.  The Saved contestants don't last long as is.  And No Saved contestant has ever won.

Edited May 1, 2023 by twilightzone

[Diana Berry]

Yes the audience votes count.  Did you see the judges nervousing? 
 

And she waltzes off the stage still not showing any grace. Just a peace out. Good grief. 

[redpencil]

I don't mind judge's saves when we're cutting 10 people all at once, because it's certainly possible that there is a jumble in the 8-14-ish range that could change based on performances on a given night. But it's very clear that in this case they saved two contestants that people just didn't like. It was even pretty clear last week when nobody agreed with their choices. I suspect that there could have been other saves that might not have been kicked off the very next week. Oh well. Probably none of them would have gone to the end anyway.

Edited May 1, 2023 by redpencil

[Blissfool]

Collin is reminding me more and more of David Cassidy style-wise. I wonder why they don't style him like a country rocker.

[TheGreenKnight]

Maybe I was just in a good mood, but I felt a little less negative about the top 12 that I did last week. Still... Most of them are just "okay," We and Iam are the only ones delivering great vocals for me.

Good Lord, I don't know why these judges are so dumb as to ever put 4 WGWGs or more into the top 20 knowing that the audience will always carry them farther than they deserve--especially when we've had two WGWGs win two years in a row (only one of which was good, and I'm referring to Noah). Ugh. If one of those types is going to derail yet another season, hopefully Oliver will be it. At least he just seems to be himself unlike the one guy trying to be Chris Stapleton and the other one trying to be last season's winner. If I close my eyes when those two are on stage, they're not completely terrible to listen to, it's the gimmicks that get me. We has the speaking voice thing, too, which is unfortunately going to have some of the audience against her which is why I think Iam is probably the only one who might be able to keep this season from ending a crapshow.

Tyson... It's funny someone else brought up Simon in regards to his performance because I thought of Simon when watching him, too, only it was thinking how Simon would've raked him over the coals for the way he was dancing and the shirt with all the hearts, lol.

The contestant who did "Dancing Queen" sucked every bit of energy out of that song; that isn't a song that should be "mellow"... Very strange choice. I'm reading a lot of hate for Nutsa here, lol, but I found her kind of endearing somehow? Maybe because she owned her OTT-ness and love for diva classics. Admittedly, I do skip most of the auditions and skim through Hollywood episodes, only really start focusing when everyone gets uninterrupted solo performances, there may be things I haven't seen.

I think Megan is great at...IDK, resonance with the songs she sings? I wouldn't be mad if she won, although her voice can be grating at times (not because of the way she sings--she doesn't go for notes she can't hit or anything like that--it's just...you know, sometimes you like a voice or you don't). This performance and her one last week were both interesting to me even despite her voice being only so-so for me simply because she connects a great deal with what she's singing.

[TheGreenKnight]

4 hours ago, redpencil said:

I don't mind judge's saves when we're cutting 10 people all at once, because it's certainly possible that there is a jumble in the 8-14-ish range that could change based on performances on a given night. But it's very clear that in this case they saved two contestants that people just didn't like. It was even pretty clear last week when nobody agreed with their choices. I suspect that there could have been other saves that might not have been kicked off the very next week. Oh well. Probably none of them would have gone to the end anyway.

Yeah, both their choices last week were clearly sympathy-based, not about contestant potential. Basically: "Hey, you're the two who will get the most joy out of getting to be on a stage--any stage--one more time and since nobody we save makes it long anyway, enjoy!"

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Kaeyra & Matt were avenged!! I'll take it.

I boycotted listenting to Lucy & Nutsa tonight in hopes that America would do the right thing..and somewhat amazingly, America did. I'm boycotting the fake one (and one time almost winner of the Voice) for other reasons. Obviously.

What did Warren do to HOTRS?? The words in the verses were so clipped sounding, it made the song sound very strange.

I will grudgingly admit that Zachariah does have a voice (and he accessed some falsetto that I did not know he had in his toolbox). That being said, he is exhausting to watch how much he leans into his cheesy OTT stage persona. He's going into end up headlining a Carnival or Princess Cruise post-AI if he's not careful.

Colin really does seem like he's conquered his stage nerves. And his vocals (on a pretty repetitive song) were solid. 

Iam too. Colin & him truly are growing in confidence in real time, each time they get up on the stage.

I can't decide if Megan is playing this whole thing for show considering she made a reasonably far run on the Voice (not all the way to the finals like We, but she made it farther than Mary Beth and the recently departed Michael Williams). She does have an instantly recognizable voice, I will give her that.

I'm afraid Oliver & Haven might get lost in the shuffle tomorrow when we go from 10 to 7. I feel in the raspy guy category, Oliver probably trails both Warren & Colin and he doesn't always have super memorable/dynamic performances. I'm not sure where Haven sits in the voting order. My best guess is she's outside of the Top 6, so she doesn't have much wiggle room if she wants to survive one more week. I actually half-liked what she did on Bon Jovi, and I thought she had more strength & control in the chorus than she sometimes does..

Tyson was a little cheesy doing Stevie, but still sounded pretty good.

[thesupremediva1]

Again with the egregious overpraising. It's worse than The Voice at this point. This show used to create superstars. One of them showed up tonight, and most of this bunch chose to ignore his advice. Why wouldn't they? Those three jokers keep telling the contestants they're on their way to a career. Adam Lambert offered more in a few sentences than these three have in 6 seasons. 

Someone upthread said Zachariah might end up a cruise ship performer. In the Simon days, when the show was promising Kelly Clarkson-like success, that was a dig. Now, that's a pretty favorable outcome. Anything where you can make a living singing is a win.

Tyson has a great voice but he doesn't know how to use it yet. The performance felt corny and rehearsed. "Cabaret" as Simon would have said - but I've done cabarets and if I could get paid to do them and make a living I'd be thrilled. I don't think he's in any danger of leaving, so good on him.

Warren was great. I really liked his rendition of that song near the end, and I have high standards (Hailey Reinhart's version from season 10 is magnificent). I can't believe they don't put him near the end more often. Something tells me he's killing it in votes. It's not everyone's cuppa tea, but there's a market for his voice and I think he could be quite successful. He picks great songs and puts palatable spins on them, which tells me he has a high level of musical taste. 

The tongue-bathing of Haven must stop. I think she could be another version of T-Swift, but not doing other people's covers. She's better on her own songs. I thought this Bon Jovi rendition was ill-conceived, though she looked great. If she wanted to use breathy tones then it should have been a straight stripped-down acoustic version. The band drowned her out and she was often off-key. It was a mess for me, dawg, but the judges freaked out over it like it was gold.

What's with the major close-ups on Katy? It was such an odd choice. Not the normal reaction shots. 

Oliver is so awesome, but this was another coffee shop performance that, as Adam pointed out, went nowhere. He was missing dynamics - his voice did some amazing things but the arrangement was all one level. The band just didn't get to have a lot of fun. I'm still waiting to see something that moves me like Broken Halos. He NEEDS to pump it up tonight or I think he's in danger which will break my heart.

Colin was good, but not as good as last week. That said I doubt we are getting rid of him anytime soon. Very odd to me that he was like the only one they chose to critique even slightly. 

We was excellent, obviously, but I'm a purist when it comes to that song. Only Etta and Christina can really do it justice. I just didn't like the arrangement, but it doesn't make what she did any less great. I want to get behind her, but I just don't find much about her authentic (nothing to do with her speaking voice). It's like she knows she has the biggest bag of tricks and she can't wait to show them off. I get no sense of what her album would sound like.

Megan was the only one who I think deserved the high praise she received. I wouldn't even really listen to her kind of music outside the show, but her voice is incredible. Vocal DNA for real. And the endorsement from Adam Lambert won't hurt. I hope his words help the rest of the audience to see her in a new light and bring her to front-runner status. 

Mary Beth - yikes. How the judges side-stepped that landmine is beyond me. That was truly awful. Devoid of passion, fun, rhythm, emotion - what an anemic rendition. She also looked matronly in that lighting and getup. What stylist did she piss off? She looked great in her session with Adam!

Iam - man he's likable. The comment about the fly on his head was everything. That was a lovely performance but it's all getting a little sleepy for me. That's just my personal taste - it's not a knock on him or his talent. He's a good fit for this show in that I know what I'm getting each week, I know it will be good, and I know what he's going to do after this. I think he'll have success in his lane, and that makes me very happy.

I really enjoyed Zachariah like always. He makes smart choices and delivers. However I prefer his stank-face to the self-conscious smile. I'd much rather keep him than sleepy Haven, Tyson, or Mary Beth. 

Bye bye Lucy! I couldn't believe they brought her kid on stage. That was pretty good if not great. But judges' saves never go far. 

SEE YA LATER Nutsa! America did me proud. Now they can stop trying to make Nutsa happen.

[peachmangosteen]

1 hour ago, thesupremediva1 said:

However I prefer his stank-face to the self-conscious smile. 

I liked that he just abandoned trying to smile about 5 seconds in lol.

This is 100% the worst Top 12 of the ABC era but I still mostly enjoy watching.

[MarylandGirl]

59 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

I liked that he just abandoned trying to smile about 5 seconds in lol.

This is 100% the worst Top 12 of the ABC era but I still mostly enjoy watching.

Yeah, at first he seemed like, "Oh right, I'm supposed to smile!" then would give a fake-looking grin. I felt a bit relieved when he stopped.

I'm also still mostly enjoying watching.

[MissPriss]

4 hours ago, thesupremediva1 said:

most of this bunch chose to ignore his advice. Why wouldn't they? Those three jokers keep telling the contestants they're on their way to a career. Adam Lambert offered more in a few sentences than these three have in 6 seasons. 

So true! These “judges” are just cheerleaders. They just want their 3 mugs on TV. Adam can sing circles around all 3 of them. The contestants are too wrapped up in their 15 minutes of fame to actually think Adam had some words of wisdom. Perceived stardom really makes idiots out of young people. 

[MarylandGirl]

14 minutes ago, MissPriss said:

So true! These “judges” are just cheerleaders. They just want their 3 mugs on TV. Adam can sing circles around all 3 of them. The contestants are too wrapped up in their 15 minutes of fame to actually think Adam had some words of wisdom. Perceived stardom really makes idiots out of young people. 

Agreed! I'd like to think that if I were there, I'd be trying to soak in whatever advice I could from mentors. I mean, OK, maybe I wouldn't throw my hat. But other stuff, about song choice, stage presence, etc.

[JayDub1987]

25 minutes ago, MissPriss said:

So true! These “judges” are just cheerleaders. They just want their 3 mugs on TV. Adam can sing circles around all 3 of them. The contestants are too wrapped up in their 15 minutes of fame to actually think Adam had some words of wisdom. Perceived stardom really makes idiots out of young people. 

I still say that having people who have active singing careers serve as judges is a bad idea. PR plays such a major role, and since we live in a society where everyone is so damn sensitive about everything, there is no way to get these people to be critical. Hell, Katy told Nutsa to be less glittery and got booed. They need to bring in judges who aren't so reliant on keeping up a public image. If these judges say anything "mean," their labels, managers, and others are going to lose their shit.

1 minute ago, MarylandGirl said:

Agreed! I'd like to think that if I were there, I'd be trying to soak in whatever advice I could from mentors. I mean, OK, maybe I wouldn't throw my hat. But other stuff, about song choice, stage presence, etc.

Thank you! Yea, I think throwing a hat is a little dumb, but when Adam Lambert (one of the best pure entertainers of this generation IMO) tells you to do something, you should probably try to do it. Unfortunately, a lot of these people seem to think that having a shit-ton of followers on IG, TikTok, or whatever else makes them some sort of expert. 

[twilightzone]

4 hours ago, thesupremediva1 said:

We was excellent, obviously, but I'm a purist when it comes to that song. Only Etta and Christina can really do it justice. I just didn't like the arrangement, but it doesn't make what she did any less great. I want to get behind her, but I just don't find much about her authentic (nothing to do with her speaking voice). It's like she knows she has the biggest bag of tricks and she can't wait to show them off. I get no sense of what her album would sound like.

We is basically doing the same stuff she did on The Voice, where she finished in 3rd place.  I am unclear what will be different for her this time.  She is a professional singer with a working resume in the industry.  Idol is supposed to be an amateur singing contest to give unknown names an opportunity.

Edited May 1, 2023 by twilightzone

[sempervivum]

24 minutes ago, twilightzone said:

She is a professional singer with a working resume in the industry.  Idol is supposed to be an amateur singing contest to give unknown names an opportunity.

It's funny, because this was exactly how I felt about Adam Lambert back in 2009 😉 Personally, I can't stand his voice, but even I had to admit he was so superior to everyone else on season 8 that it didn't seem like a fair competition.

The last 4 performances (Iam, We, Megan, Zach) made sitting through the rest of the show worthwhile, imo. 

3 more out tonight- hope it's not going to end up an all-male final 7.

[Katie111]

I hate how they go from 10 to 7 tonight.  It all just moves too fast now.  I think that's a major reason we haven't had any real stars come out of this show in years.  We've gone from 20 to 7 in 9 days.  

[Foghorn Leghorn]

3 hours ago, Katie111 said:

I hate how they go from 10 to 7 tonight.  It all just moves too fast now.  I think that's a major reason we haven't had any real stars come out of this show in years.  We've gone from 20 to 7 in 9 days.  

So true!  Who knew AI would turn into a drive through!?!  They aren’t around long enough to know their names.  I won’t get invested in anyone until down to 5 or so which is likely Sunday the way it is going.  

The judges are a waste of space and are only there to self advertise!

Edited May 1, 2023 by Foghorn Leghorn
Changed their to there!!!

[JayDub1987]

1 hour ago, Foghorn Leghorn said:

The judges are a waste of space and are only their to self advertise!

Exactly! This is why the show worked best when you had Randy (a session musician who most people wouldn't have known if they had seen him out), Simon (a guy with music industry experience who didn't need the approval of fans) and then Paula who pandered relentlessly (probably because she was still occasionally performing and her name had some weight). 

I know the show thinks we need recognizable names as judges to get viewers, but I just don't think that's the case. I'd rather see Brian Blade (an absolutely iconic session musician who is also an accomplished songwriter), Scott Borchetta (head of Big Machine Label Group), and then someone like Mariah Carey or Reba. Someone who has cemented their legacy in music like Paula had. That person probably won't be overly critical, but they could at least lend some respected advice without fear of public outcry. Hell, make Adam Lambert the third judge, although he may be too "active." 

Yes, it's sad that I've put thought into who I think would make good judges, but these three have been annoying me for a while. 

[thesupremediva1]

1 hour ago, Foghorn Leghorn said:

So true!  Who knew AI would turn into a drive through!?!  They aren’t around long enough to know their names.  I won’t get invested in anyone until down to 5 or so which is likely Sunday the way it is going.  

The judges are a waste of space and are only their to self advertise!

It’s turned into that for no reason, IMO.  6 weeks of auditions is ridiculous when you only give the top vocalists 4 weeks on a big stage until a winner is crowned.

2 weeks of auditions, Hollywood week, Hawaii week, then the big stage so these people have time to get comfortable and we can actually get invested in them. I have no idea who came up with this format or why they think it’s a good idea, but it’s sucked for 6 seasons now.

[MarylandGirl]

1 hour ago, Katie111 said:

I hate how they go from 10 to 7 tonight.  It all just moves too fast now.  I think that's a major reason we haven't had any real stars come out of this show in years.  We've gone from 20 to 7 in 9 days.  

Agreed. You don't get to see that many songs performed by those that get cut earlier on. And people in the industry who could potentially give them recording deals also wouldn't see them.

[MarylandGirl]

4 minutes ago, thesupremediva1 said:

It’s turned into that for no reason, IMO.  6 weeks of auditions is ridiculous when you only give the top vocalists 4 weeks on a big stage until a winner is crowned.

2 weeks of auditions, Hollywood week, Hawaii week, then the big stage so these people have time to get comfortable and we can actually get invested in them. I have no idea who came up with this format or why they think it’s a good idea, but it’s sucked for 6 seasons now.

It's probably partly about money. I read--either here or on the subreddit--that it's much more expensive to produce live shows. So it's cheaper to show a bunch of prerecorded auditions. Plus, I guess Hawaii week is prerecorded.

But I think it would be better to spread the live performances out so that it's once a week. That would give contestants more time to practice each song. Plus it feels like a bit much as a viewer to watch two 2-hour shows in 2 days (or last week, the one was 3 hours!). 

Another issue with the eps this week (and I think until the end) is that you can only vote during the time the show is airing. So if someone can't watch it in real time, they might not bother watching at all. Or might just watch tonight's if they missed yesterday's.

[TheGreenKnight]

9 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

This is 100% the worst Top 12 of the ABC era but I still mostly enjoy watching.

I agree with this. Not quite as bad as the Harry Connick, Jr. seasons or the Kara-Ellen season back on FOX, but easily the worst of the ABC years.

4 hours ago, Foghorn Leghorn said:

So true!  Who knew AI would turn into a drive through!?!  They aren’t around long enough to know their names.  I won’t get invested in anyone until down to 5 or so which is likely Sunday the way it is going. 

Honestly, I think they should have top 5 finales like The Voice does. Not only would that give all the contestants a chance at winning, it also means the viewers would get a touch more time with the contestants in their scheduling since they only have to narrow down to 5 before the finale rather than 3 (or 2). I don't think it would be weird for them to change, since they're already doing finales with 3 people where the show used to only have 2 people in the finale.

[dizzyd]

3 hours ago, MissPriss said:

So true! These “judges” are just cheerleaders. They just want their 3 mugs on TV. Adam can sing circles around all 3 of them. The contestants are too wrapped up in their 15 minutes of fame to actually think Adam had some words of wisdom. Perceived stardom really makes idiots out of young people. 

Adam is a ⭐️, period! I’m not going to remember any of these 12 in probably a month. Such a waste of an amazing mentor who gave intelligent advice compared to Noah Cyrus or any of the 3 judges who are just pointless or as evidenced last week, a hindrance.
 

Btw why is Katy performing for the king, is he deaf? I mean even in her prime, I didn’t think she was amazing enough to be given this honor. But that being said, when does she leave and someone else start filling in for her? 

[LennieBriscoe]

KP got to sing Carol Burnett's theme song TO Carol Burnett. WTH knows why Katy is the cat's pajamas these days.

I don't care for Iam. I haven't  watched every episode so: Has he sung the inevitable Hawaiian "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" yet? 

I thought Nutsa was great! She also wore the dramatic red that Adam had advised another to wear (nope, not paying enough attention to names here). 

We was awesome. Zachariah has a crazy vibe to him, like, let me sing or I'll kill you. But he is talented! 

[ichbin]

1 hour ago, TheGreenKnight said:

or the Kara-Ellen season back on FOX

I somehow had completely erased that from my mind! I guess I needed a reminder that things could indeed be worse.

 

1 hour ago, JayDub1987 said:

and then someone like Mariah Carey

Ummmmm, yeah, season 12...been there, done that and it's not exactly something to look back upon fondly.

 

Just give it to We Ani this year.  She could actually be a star with looks, talent, stage presence, etc.  even though her regular speaking voice sets my teeth on edge.  

[ljenkins782]

7 hours ago, MarylandGirl said:

Quote

I liked that he just abandoned trying to smile about 5 seconds in lol.

Yeah, at first he seemed like, "Oh right, I'm supposed to smile!" then would give a fake-looking grin. I felt a bit relieved when he stopped.

Yes, I was relieved too. That first self-conscious smile came off so creepy, I was hoping he wouldn't continue. I'm okay with him sticking around just because he's having a blast and he can actually sing underneath all the cheese. 

With the exception of We, Iam, Zachariah, and Nutsa, the show felt very muted and sleepy. MaryBeth's performance in particular was painfully dull. I honestly think she felt it herself as the song was limping to its conclusion, she had a look on her face like she couldn't wait for it to be over either. 

I don't know if it's a sound mixing issue or what, but sometimes the band seems to be drowning out the singers entirely. 

Adam Lambert is getting pretty chunky, those trench coat outfits are not flattering on the beefier frame. Ryan Seacrest continues to be one of my favorite parts of the show, I just knew it was killing him to look so short next to Adam's giant platform shoes. For as smarmy and nakedly ambitious as he was when the show started, he has really grown into a fixture of American culture and I have such a soft spot for him. 

[JayDub1987]

6 minutes ago, ichbin said:

Ummmmm, yeah, season 12...been there, done that and it's not exactly something to look back upon fondly

Hah! I totally blocked that out! Guess that’s a terrible idea. Just go get somebody who isn’t Katy. 

[Blissfool]

 

1 hour ago, LennieBriscoe said:

I don't care for Iam. I haven't  watched every episode so: Has he sung the inevitable Hawaiian "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" yet?

I don't really care for him either. Unpopular opinion: I saw no tears all those times he cried about his father during the auditions and Hollywood. I'm sure he misses his father and is sad about his loss, but ....again, unpopular opinion,....I think he overplayed the emotions in order to gain sympathy and popularity. It worked! 

I believe he did SOTR to close the show in Hawaii. It wasn't part of his performance. Ryan was closing the show, all the contestants were gathered around Ryan, someone gave Iam a guitar (ukulele?) and he sang that ubiquitous song while the show went to closing credits.

Smells like AI"s sweetheart...and that's why I am not a fan 🤷🏻‍♀️

Lol, I enjoy his performances but I don't think they are winner-worthy.

 

[Gemma Violet]

4 hours ago, dizzyd said:

why is Katy performing for the king, is he deaf? I mean even in her prime, I didn’t think she was amazing enough to be given this honor. 

3 hours ago, LennieBriscoe said:

KP got to sing Carol Burnett's theme song TO Carol Burnett. WTH knows why Katy is the cat's pajamas these days.

I'm guessing Katy's got a fantastic publicist.  I read once that the selections for People's Sexiest Man Alive issues are totally publicist-driven.  I guess a tough SOB who will fight tooth-and-nail for you will usually get you the gig.

Edited May 2, 2023 by Gemma Violet

[SnarkAttack]

3 hours ago, ljenkins782 said:

Yes, I was relieved too. That first self-conscious smile came off so creepy, I was hoping he wouldn't continue. I'm okay with him sticking around just because he's having a blast and he can actually sing underneath all the cheese. 

With the exception of We, Iam, Zachariah, and Nutsa, the show felt very muted and sleepy. MaryBeth's performance in particular was painfully dull. I honestly think she felt it herself as the song was limping to its conclusion, she had a look on her face like she couldn't wait for it to be over either. 

I don't know if it's a sound mixing issue or what, but sometimes the band seems to be drowning out the singers entirely. 

Adam Lambert is getting pretty chunky, those trench coat outfits are not flattering on the beefier frame. Ryan Seacrest continues to be one of my favorite parts of the show, I just knew it was killing him to look so short next to Adam's giant platform shoes. For as smarmy and nakedly ambitious as he was when the show started, he has really grown into a fixture of American culture and I have such a soft spot for him. 

Ryan is excellent at what he does.  He and Tom Bergeron.

[redpencil]

I actually prefer the relatively muted criticism of the judges these days (and a narrower gap in between their degrees of praise vs. criticism). I'm guessing there is more coaching/feedback that goes on between shows with the vocal coaches and such. There were days of the old AI where it became way too harsh (and sometimes personal), and I felt like often the judges were using their critiques in an effort to sway voting way more blatantly than they do now. And then sometimes we got the dreaded sympathy vote if they totally bashed someone. I also appreciate that this group seems to genuinely like each other, unlike some past judges.

But I 100% agree with hating the speed of kicking these people out. I think there are probably a decent amount of winners (or at least top 5-ish contestants) from the early years that would never have gotten that far in this format. Maybe in some cases that would have been preferable, but I think for the most part not so much.

[RoxiP]

I haven't watched AI in years but watched the show with Adam Lambert on it because - well - he's Adam Lambert, whom I consider the best person to have ever been on American Idol.  I thought he did spectacularly (although I would have preferred a little less eye shadow because you couldn't see his beautiful eyes in either his coaching sessions or his performance).  Speaking of his performance - he killed it - his range is amazing and he truly knows how to sell a song.  I also think he gave spot on advice to the contestants even though I didn't know anything about them.  I like the fact that he still supports the show that made him a star and acknowledges it.  I also liked when he was talking about not trying to copy Freddy Mercury on the songs because trying to channel Freddy Mercury would be a fool's errand.

Having said all that nonsense, the only contestant whom I cared about enough to watch their entire performance was We.  I didn't know she had been on another show, but she absolutely knows how to get an audience involved in her performance and I thought she was amazing.