S14.E19: Top 12 Revealed

[Tara Ariano]

The Top 12 finalists are revealed.

[auntlada]

Anybody know if they are performing for votes tonight or just announcing the top 12?

ETA: Never mind. The thread for tomorrow night's show appears to answer my question.

Edited March 11, 2015 by auntlada

[ari333]

Is there still a tour? I always think of that when it gets chopped down to... what? How many go on tour? Tia

[riley702]

Joey got nervous and started overdoing that winking at the camera thing, but thankfully, she seemed to realize what she was doing and reeled it in. I really liked her performance tonight. Agree with most of the choices, surprisingly. They haven't revealed the two wild cards yet, but I was accidentally spoiled (on another site).

 

ETA: Aww, Quentin cried! Cannot believe they had to save him - he's one of my favorites. And Adanna was on fire - what the hell was America thinking, not voting these two through?

Edited March 12, 2015 by riley702

[ShutUpFlanders]

Have I said I hate the way that the Idols are announced as safe and then have to sing? Because I do.

 

Sarina-Joi – That was… not great. She slayed that song in her original audition, so I was expecting good things. Something was really off about the arrangement, her pitch, and the delivery was overbaked. Then again, being told you've made the Top 12 after four years of trying to get to the voting rounds and then having to sing…

 

Rayvon – He's still a bit lacking in charisma, but it's hard to deny the vocal technique, especially coming off the heels of Sarina-Joi's pitch issues. Dat note.

 

Daniel – How shocking. The cute, struggling tiny teen made it into the top 12. Well, we haven't had a Sanjaya contestant in a long time, so there's that. His tone is pleasant, but he won't grow into in while he's on the show. I cannot believe he got more votes than Quentin!

 

Maddie – I know Carrie Underwood was stiff on her season of Idol, but Maddie is just so… wooden and stoic facially. And she doesn't have the voice to make up for that like Carrie did.

 

Tyanna – She owned everything about that performance. Sarina-Joi and the some of those guys better watch out; Tyanna might come from behind and take the whole shebang.

 

Nick – He's good vocally, a solid performer, but he doesn't really blow me away. I don't see star quality with him. Always comes across as "Daughtry-Lite."

 

JAX – She did too much with the song. JAX could've had one of those Idol moments with the slowed down arrangement; it was simply gorgeous and pristine. The sped up part of the arrangement was silly and superfluous.

 

Qaasim – Performance is an A, as always, he can engage the crowd. The vocals are unfocused and spotty at best. He will not survive on mania alone.

 

Clark – The movements are little Taylor Hicks-ish, but that boy can SANG the living daylights out a song. It's like Joshua Ledet and Phillip Phillips had a love child.

 

Joey – I love this chick. She's not going to win, but she's sorely underappreciated. Great voice, potentially the clearest and most distinctive tone out of the girls.

 

Quentin – He lost out on votes to Daniel?! Joyous performance. That's a great example of how to correctly rearrange a song.

 

Adanna – That girl has star power, but she needs to reign in her voice. If she figures out the trick to sort that out, she could last a bit longer than anyone expects (I wish the judges would point out that when she goes high, she gets too loose and she loses control; that seems to be her problem because her lower tones are beautiful).

 

The Four Boots – I'm shocked that the judges didn't keep Loren. I'm meh on all of them leaving, though I would've taken Mark over Daniel.

 

Top 4 – Quentin, Clark, Tyanna, Joey
Worst 3 – Maddie, Qaasim, Daniel

 

Likely Bottom 3 – Adanna, Maddie, Qaasim

Going Home – Maddie or Adanna

[Biggie B]

I am overwhelmed at how terrible some of tonight's performances were. Look, I totally get that they are high on adrenaline and are slightly in shock, and have what seems to be mere moments to go from hearing their name called to singing - but holy smokes, I actually had to mute a few of them. I was embarrassed to listen - it felt so utterly wrong. Really, what is going on here? I can't fathom paying even .99 cents to download anything by these singers - forget about paying for a concert ticket! At this point, if the competition was ending tomorrow, I'd pray hard that the winner is confined to the studio, where the engineers can work some auto tune magic to create a product that does not make my teeth ache. Am I hate-watching at this point? I don't want to - I really want to hear some good music, I want to sit up and take notice, I want to feel compelled by someone's music. But right now, I feel really, really repelled.

[pally]

Nothing like being told that it wasn't the right song when the producers forced them to sing their audition songs.

[riley702]

Good point. Presumably at the time of the auditions, they're still very green, may not know what songs complement their voices and are just singing a song they like.

[WhineandCheez]

Tyanna and Clark sponged-mopped the stage with everyone else (except Quenton-very poignant performance).  Tyanna has Beyoncé or Whitney Houston-like natural voice and performance talent.  Its like God gave it to her . But she is Sporty Beyonce.  Clark can sound amusement park singer-like, but this was a great song for him.  Sarina--oy vey--last week when Harry said she was out of tune and everyone poo poo'd him--she was probably out of tune.  That was bad. The Embryo being there is wrong and someone was robbed out of a spot..  They made over Jax--great job, she looks pretty now, and she didn't before.  They gave her Gwen Stefani hair, scrubbed off the fake tan.  Wow, she sang great.

 

Did I doze off when Quassim sang?  Because I saw him dance, I saw him perform, but I did not see him sing.  The backups did that for him.  Not fair.

Edited March 12, 2015 by Mya Stone
Sorry! Just had to delete it!

[ari333]

I thought Adanna's screeching was horrific.

[radiochik]

Ugh.  I'm stuck with Daniel and Maddie for another week. I thought the judges may keep Maddie as a wild card but I cannot believe America keeps putting her though.

 

Harry has finally realized that maybe they shouldn't have pushed the kid thru - his comments that he's not ready yet and hasn't been very good lately were telling but where were these thoughts when they were putting together the Top 24?

 

At least I don't have to watch the comedy that was Adam Ez anymore.  Felt bad for Mark.  I was hoping they'd put him through and have 2 male wild cards because i really didn't care either way about Loren or Adanna.  Alexis was horrible last week.  There was no way she was getting though.  Shocked Quentin had to be a wild card.  Who is voting for Daniel?  The tweens?

 

This new format is still so bad.  Having to perform after being told your safe just isn't working for me.  Sarina Joi, who I love, was horrible.  Quassim ruined Sir Duke.  Adanna was all over the place with that Gaga song.  None of them really stood out to me with the exception of Tyanna and Clark.  

[car54]

I know they are trying to change things up from prior seasons but the whole show seems very disorganized and amaturish--like a high school talent show.  I think Seacrest was annoyed at the end when all of them were onstage screaming while he was trying to give his closing remarks.

 

While it might have gotten boring the prior seasons were somewhat professional in how they would present things, this seemed really sloppy and haphazard  and the choices of performers seem so inexperienced.    Hopefully they will grow as they do it more.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Quentin and Clark were dope as fuck.  I was blown away.  Especially by Quentin.

[KR Vermont]

SO GLAD Quentin was saved, though I hope that doesn't translate into him being gone next week, if he doesn't get more support...his performance tonight was beautiful (that includes the way the band and singers enveloped him--words are failing me how to express the vibe I got from it, with a song I don't even like, heh).

I wouldn't be impressed by Daniel at a high school talent show, let alone top 12 of AI. :/

Qaasim: more singing and less over-performing please.

Joey seemed to tone down the quirk and had a clearer singing voice, it was good.

Nick didn't need to be reminded he's almost twice as old as some fellow contestants. ha

[TheGreenKnight]

I liked Tyanna, Rayvon, Clark, and Maddie tonight. Adanna was a mess and I hope she's the first to be eliminated. Then Qassim and Daniel can go.

 

I really hope Sarina-Joi picks up, because her performance two weeks ago is the best I've heard this year so far.

[areca]

I cannot beLIEVE we almost lost Quentin. That would have been horrible. I'm hopeful that was producer shenanigans. Who WAS that dude in the crowd for him??? Enjoyed him, Joey, Tyanna, and Clark. Everyone else can bugger off and I couldn't care less.

[tobeannounced]

I'm so glad Quentin was saved.  He's my only dog in this fight, except for maybe Sarina Joi.  Usually I'd worry about a wildcard getting booted next week, but he was so good and there was so many hideous performances (unfortunately, I'm looking at you, Sarina), I'm really thinking he's going to make it through to sing another day.

 

Daniel and Quassim were the bottom of the barrel for me.  Daniel just bugs me on a personal level, but also the sound of his voice is just weird and unpleasant to me. He sings like he's got peanut butter stuck in his throat.

 

Quassim didn't even sing, and did the same shtick he's done every week.  I thought the judges would tear him apart, so of course, they loved him.

 

I do like Joey's voice, but I wish she would tone down the quirky pronunciations.  King of Spine?

Edited March 12, 2015 by tobeannounced

[mojoween]

I still love you, Loren.

I like both Qaasim and Quentin but I am shocked Quentin was not voted in and had to be the one picked.

Daniel is so bad. So bad. Like John Stevens is actually Frank Sinatra compared to Daniel. That was horrific, AND he fucked up the lyrics. When Paula Abdul can outwit you, it may be time to re-evaluate.

[designing1]

 

Quassim didn't even sing, and did the same shtick he's done every week.  I thought the judges would tear him apart, so of course, they loved him.

 

Really, with the exception of the first few lines, all the singing was being done by the backups. I honestly have no idea if the guy can sing. Why he got voted through and Quentin was a wild card is beyond me; I guess the people who vote have a greater appreciation of hyperactivity than I do.

[riley702]

Daniel is so bad. So bad. Like John Stevens is actually Frank Sinatra compared to Daniel. That was horrific, AND he fucked up the lyrics. When Paula Abdul can outwit you, it may be time to re-evaluate.

And he was totally smiling through a "spurned lover" song. *sigh*

 

Thanks all for reminding me to go throw 20 votes at Quentin.

[riley702]

Me, either, Shira.

[Packerbrewerbadger]

Isn't it past Daniel's bedtime? Love Clark!

[Nedsdag]

The love for Kevin Corvais 2015 is astounding. He's neither cute nor charismatic. Plus his voice is still in the Peter Brady puberty stage.

 

I do not have any love for Joey. But I must admit that was her best performance. I still don't believe she'll wear well over the course of the competition.

 

Sarina-Joi is COASTING through the past few weeks and it would not surprise me if she's a shock boot. Tyanna in my opinion has surpassed her as the best female singer. 

 

Can Qaasim STAND STILL AND SING A DAMN SONG???? For goodness sake, we get it! You can dance. You have stage presence. But this isn't the X Factor. You still need to sing a song.

 

I bet that Big Machine guy is keeping his fingers crossed for a Maddie/Clark final with a Jax third place finish. He sees "marketability," especially with Maddie and/or Jax.

 

Quentin a wild card? WTF? Loren, Alexis, and Marty Allen? Buh-bye!

[auntlada]

I know they are trying to change things up from prior seasons but the whole show seems very disorganized and amaturish--like a high school talent show.  I think Seacrest was annoyed at the end when all of them were onstage screaming while he was trying to give his closing remarks.

 

I couldn't hear what he was saying. It sounded like he was announcing someone special was going to be there. Did anyone catch it?

 

Still love Quentin and Tyanna, but not enough to vote. After season 2, I decided I was never voting again and never again getting that caught up in caring who wins or loses. It was exhausting (and didn't change my life one bit).

 

I kept thinking Maddie was starting to show some emotion in her eyes, but then they'd go dead again.

 

I did not recognize Nick on the stools (in the lounge, whatever) without that hat thing on his head. He looked an awful lot like Adam Levine to me.

[Rick Kitchen]

Little Daniel was terrible, but the criticisms will just encourage the tweens to vote for him over and over again on every device imaginable.

 

Tyanna was really good.

I kind of liked Nick, but wasn't blown away.

Ugh, I hate Jax.

Well, it sounds like Qaasim's backup singers made the tour.  Not too sure about him.

Clark was great.  He has star quality, I think.  Maybe it's his looks.

Joey is so weird.  The weirdness turns me off sometimes.  Last week she was good, tonight, not so.

Quentin was boring.

Damn, Adanna, way to eyefuck the camera. But she was really good.

 

My faves:

Clark

Nick

Adanna

Tyanna

 

That mentor's Fu Manchu mustache ...

 

What are they going to do for two hours on tomorrow night's show?

Edited March 12, 2015 by Rick Kitchen

[Sparkling Beth]

 

I do not have any love for Joey. But I must admit that was her best performance. I still don't believe she'll wear well over the course of the competition.

Totally agree.  Joey is one of those singers whom you hear once and think, "Oh, she's quirky and interesting and a pretty good singer."  And then she does the next song exactly the same way.  And the next.  And by that time you just want to throw a shoe at her.

 

I just have one question, and you have to picture me looking really stern when I ask it.  WHO IS VOTING FOR THE EMBRYO?  I can't even say that he's good for a fifteen year old.  He isn't.  I suppose there's someone out there besides JLo who thinks he's adorable, but I haven't met those people. 

 

Qaasim really doesn't sing that well, does he?  I can only assume that by the time he's done leaping around and bending over and pointing at nothing in particular, the audience is so dizzy they accidentally vote for him.

 

I thought Clark was amazing tonight.  He and Tyanna are the best singers this year, IMO.  I also really like Nick and was happy to see him in the top twelve, even though tonight's song wasn't all that compelling to me.

 

I wasn't especially sorry to say goodbye to Adam, Loren, or Alexis, but I sure wish Mark had been put in the top twelve in place of the Embryo.

[Guest]

Scott Borchetta just seems like a douche.  Is he going to wear that stupid jacket every night?  I miss Jimmy Iovine.  

 

I thought Clark was the only good one tonight.  

 

Harry's pissing me off with his lousy understanding of lyrics, and that's about the third time he's commented on them.  I was glad when Keith corrected him on 'It's a Mans World'.  If he's going to lecture singers on understanding songs, he needs to stop with the ignorant comments himself.  

 

And why is 'top 12' the biggest show of the season, except for the finale (according to Ryan)?  

Edited March 12, 2015 by Guest

[peach]

Agree that announcing the winners and then RUSHING them to the stage is affecting their performances.  12 singers could actually fill a two hour show, so I think the effort to cut things back this season has gone too far in that direction.  But it's STILL better than dragging it out.

 

Sarina-Joi – I feel terrible for her, because she definitely got the short end of the stick on the format change.  That was awful, and if someone just started watching they wouldn't know how good she has been.

 

Rayvon – Boring, as usual.  Blank.  Smooth voice but never has any connection to the song.

 

Daniel – The best kid at the 8th grade talent show.

 

Maddie – Blow up doll.  Her eyes are so vacant that it actually freaks me out.  This was the best I've heard her sing, however.  Still dumb for a 15yo to be singing about finding lipstick in her husband's briefcase.

 

Tyanna – Wonderful.  Besides her great vocals, she has such a light about her, and I love her style.  Potential winner!  Love her.

 

Nick – Generic.  I'm pretty sure he's never seen the light, the heat, in your eyes.  I need to go listen to Peter Gabriel's version so I can remember how it makes me feel. 

 

Jax -- I like her.  I'm always interested to see what she's going to do.  I liked her performance, and my husband said her voice reminded him of Olivia Newton John during that song. 

 

Qaasim – I absolutely do NOT get it about this guy!  Two words:  fast forward

 

Clark – Love him.  Possibly because he looks like a cross between my first boyfriend and my nephew.  lol  But I love his singing, and he seems so into what he's singing, and not like it's put on for a performance. 

 

Joey – Really like her.  My favorite performance was when she sang the Keith Urban song, that was fun.  Hope she sticks around.

 

Quentin – Love.  Like most of you, I can't believe he had to be a wild card.  I want to see his creativity.  Really hope the voting turns around for him.

 

Adanna – Mixed feelings.  I think she's good, and I like her passion, but she's almost like a filly who hasn't grown into her legs yet.  Not enough control.  But she has a lot of potential.

 

I wish Mark had made it over Daniel or Qassim, but I'm not surprised.  He is just sooo laid back.  But I enjoyed him.

 

Favorite Guys:  Clark and Quentin

Favorite Girls:  Tyanna and Joey

 

I think it will come down to Clark and Tyanna at the end.

[Prairie Fire]

Harry's pissing me off with his lousy understanding of lyrics, and that's about the third time he's commented on them.  I was glad when Keith corrected him on 'It's a Mans World'.  If he's going to lecture singers on understanding songs, he needs to stop with the ignorant comments himself. 

 

And that? Was the best moment of the night.

 

As was Rayvon and Sarina-Joi celebrating after he performed. They just seem like two really, really cool people.

 

Jax is also growing on me. Qaasim is still one of my favorites but the over-performing, oh my. He seems like the heir apparent to Taylor Hicks.

[crocosmia]

Sarina Joy -- not her best performance, but perhaps her pitch got lost in the excitement of being the first announced to go through to the top 12.

 

Rayvon -- Yay!  I really like this guy.  His voice is just so pretty.   

 

I had a feeling that Daniel would be voted through based on the cute factor and probably also because of Jennifer's gushing.   But Harry is right.   Daniel is way too inexperienced to be this far into the competition.   I don't know why Harry didn't notice that weeks ago.   

 

Since Maddie with her bleeding hair actually got plenty of votes, I made the effort to pay more attention to her tonight.  She wasn't really that bad and was a lot more tolerable than some of the other girls.

 

Tyanna -- I really like this girl.   She's an excellent singer,  she has an appealing and natural stage presence, and she radiates emotion when she sings. 

 

Nick -- I like his voice, but whoever said he's like a Daughtry-light is right.   His voice is a shade less rich than Daughtry's, but that still isn't bad.

 

Ugh.  Jax.  I don't like those nasally little girly voices that are so trendy, and hers comes across as more affected and unnatural than most.

 

Qaasim -- can this guy even sing?   And when he does "sing," I can't understand a word.   He's all about prancing around with no real voice.    He's like the opposite of Rayvon.

 

Clark is really good at this.  Great voice, and he emotes power and feeling.

 

I guess I just don't "get" Joey and her clownish appearance, silly facial contortions, and atrocious pronunciations.

 

I like Quentin and am glad the judges picked him.   It wasn't his best performance, but he's talented and so serious as a performer that I find him very appealing.

 

Adonna was awful.  Turn it down, girl. 

 

I'm sorry to see Mark go.   He has a great voice.

[UsernameFatigue]

I thought the best performers tonight were Tyanna, Clark and Quentin. In fact I teared up at Quentin getting so emotional at the end of his song. He deserves to be there, and really seems to appreciate that he is. Unlike some others (I am looking at you Jax) who give off an air of entitlement. Actually only one other. Jax.

 

If there is going to be a quirky performer I would much rather see Joey there than Jax.

 

The mentor/record company owner must be horrified at the thought the Qaasim might win. Not that I think he will, but how in the world could you make a record with someone who is only interested in bopping around the stage and dancing? I have no idea at this point if the guy can even sing - I certainly haven't seen any indication of it as yet. I did think it was hilarious that Ryan imitated Qaasim by running around the stage.

 

On an shallow note, I am so glad that Quentin removed his nose ring (it is the first time, right?).

Edited March 12, 2015 by Mya Stone
Reminder: Joey's teeth? OFF LIMITS.

[viajero]

I made the mistake of watching last night’s episode of The Voice just before watching this. Won’t make that mistake again, because now I’m not sure if most of these contestants flat out sucked or if they were just suffering in comparison. But it seemed like pretty much every single one was off tune at least part of their song.

 

Not that this show has any credibility left anyway when someone like Daniel gets voted in above someone like Quentin.

 

Of course it also didn’t help that previous front runners like Sarina Joi and Nick had off nights. What I was left with is that among this sea of mediocrity, I thought Clark was the best of the night.  Anyway, here’s my evaluation of the performances going from best to worse:

 

Clark Beckham:  The only competent performance, without any problems.

 

Quentin Alexander: Though the pitch suffered a bit from his being so emotional, but that same emotion actually added to his performance.  And I really liked his arrangement of the song.

 

Tyanna Jones:  Pretty good oveall, though she also got slightly pitchy in places.  That permanent smile on her face when she sings could start getting old.

 

Jax:  Would have been the best of the night had she stayed at the piano.

 

Joey Cook: One of her better performances, but she is limited vocally and repeating the same quirkiness every week is getting even older as Tyanna’s permanent smile.

 

Maddie Walker:  No major problems with her vocals, other than the fact that they are kind of weak.  But those dead eyes and wooden performance makes it seem as if it were a barbie doll up on stage rather than a real live girl.

 

Rayvon Owen:  He kind of put me to sleep until he hit that big note at the end.  At least his vocals were a little smoother than most of the rest, but even then not quite up to his usual standard.

 

Adanna Duru:  Some real pitchiness dragged down what was one of her better performances.  At least she was good in places.

 

Sarina Joi Crowe:  Where did the real Sarina go?  It was almost like she couldn’t hear the band.

 

Nick Fradiani:  He started okay, but completely lost it during the middle part.  That song requires that the vocals begin to soar and instead he descended into a breathy drone.  Way to wreck a classic song.

 

Qaasim Middleton: How can you judge a contestant in a singing competition if they only sing the first 10 seconds or so and then just dance to the backup singers?

 

Daniel Seavey:  Just plain awful.  Not only did his upper register completely disappear in places, but he completely lost track of what the band was doing.

 

Taking into account past performances, I would send Daniel and Qaasim home. Instead it will probably be Adanna and Qaasim, unless the voters are completely nuts and let Quentin down again.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

The edits are absurdly amateurish and off-putting.  If I had submitted that hack job at college, I would have been lucky to get a gentleman's "C".  The last thing this show needs is to give off desperation, most especially since we have the most frenetic and desperate and amateurish Top 12 evah.  I did love Sprinkle's wry remark about remembering how great it was to be #1, though.

 

Ameriker almost got it right.  However, keeping Daniel over any of the rest was very, very, bad form.  How they failed to keep Adanna was most puzzling.  Then again, she was turrible tonight.  Maybe Ameriker were a prophet?  

 

My favorite moment, and it is in the pantheon of favorite moments in AI histoire, was when Keith followed HCJ's comment about Qaasim needing to show actual singing to move forward and Keith's instantly jumping all over that with his dead-on observation that Qaasim is playing the game to perfection by packing in as much as he can in such a super-short window of performance time and thereby standing out.  Were this a real singing contest, I'd be on HCJ's side.  Now, if this was some HCJ ju jitsu to screw over Qaasim and get him off his game, color me a happy camper!

 

I'm personally sad that Adam Ez got launched, but I have no anger.  The rocker won it all last year.  Once a decade is about right in this cray cray music world. 

 

So, two weeks (Top 10) until the tour cast is established, right?  How many more vetoes will the jidges have?

[Kromm]

Is Infant going to be another of those impossible to banish joke contestants?  We get it. He's small and cute.  But he SUCKS.  

 

Does that site that supports bad contestants as protest votes still exist and are supporting him?  I guess I'll go check. (EDIT - no, that site is gone. If Daniel being around is some kind of protest vote, it's spontaneous on Ameriker's part).

 

Although at least we got rid of the nightmarishly bad Loren (one of the worst diva "over-singers" I've ever heard on this show--even though the judges on previous episodes slathered all kinds of bullshit praise on her).

 

Adam not getting through seems like BS with Infant making it (unless as I said, the kid is some kind of spontaneous protest vote against the whole show). I was ok with Quentin being a widcard though.  But Adonna? (coughing into hand) "bullshit" (but not as much as Loren would have been).

Edited March 12, 2015 by Kromm

[radiochik]

I know they are trying to change things up from prior seasons but the whole show seems very disorganized and amaturish--like a high school talent show.  I think Seacrest was annoyed at the end when all of them were onstage screaming while he was trying to give his closing remarks.

 

I couldn't even hear/understand what he was saying. It almost sounded like his mic wasn't loud enough.  This show really has become a mess. 

[ari333]

Adanna, if you are planning to stick around, get a bra. ThanxK.

[gaPeach]

What a mess.  I do not like this new format either.  I like that they got rid of a lot of filler (the Voice needs to do the same) but now its so rushed and the contestants do not seem ready to sing so we get crappy performances. Oh yeah.

 

And why does JoLo wear dresses that she is obviously uncomfortable in?  She comes out every week with a short short dress on and is tugging at it as she walks across the stage.  And when she walks to the end of the stage to say hello to the fans, can't they see right up her dress?  She could wear anything on stage why does she always pick something she has to worry about?  And man they are SHORT.

I love Harry and Keith.

[auntlada]

Harry's pissing me off with his lousy understanding of lyrics, and that's about the third time he's commented on them.  I was glad when Keith corrected him on 'It's a Mans World'.  If he's going to lecture singers on understanding songs, he needs to stop with the ignorant comments himself. 

 

I had a whole post about how I think he's right, and then I clicked the wrong button. Anyway, it's a man's world. The men do everything. The women are there to make them feel good about it. That seems misogynistic to me. Putting women on a pedestal doesn't make a man a feminist or anything. And the "girl" part is creepy. If he's old enough to sing about having a woman, he's too old to sing about having someone underage. If she's not  underage, she's a woman.

[Kromm]

Yeah, James Brown was no feminist.  Rolling Stone in their "Top 500 songs of all time" list, famously referred to the song as "biblically chauvinistic", so I don't know why people think Harry just pulled that interpretation out of his ass.  

 

To make the song doubly ironic, there was a big ugly legal tussle if Brown wrote the song, or a lady (a girlfiend of his) named Betty Jean Newsome did and he stole the credit (and even if a woman DID write it that wouldn't stop it from being chauvinistic). 

[Branchop]

I was headed to say same thing: Harry said chauvinistic.

Song is 100% that. Didn't feel that Keith disagreed with Harry, quite the opposite, Keith was agreeing with him.

(This was at second watching - my daughter was watching it before school)

[cinsays]

   Well, I can't say that I am blown away by any of these people, but all my votes are going to Clark, Rayvon, Tyanna and Quentin.

   As others have said, Daniel is a little cutie, has an ok voice at times for a child, but totally is lacking in emotions to match what he's singing about.   And, he kind of has an attitude of entitlement, like he thinks there was no doubt he'd make it.  No thankfulness in his reaction at all.

   Maddie dead-eyes.........nice voice, absolutely no connection to the song.  And I hated the song too.

   Agree with others that say -  Quassim can't sing.  The few notes he actually did attempt were not good at all.  Can you imagine him trying out for The Voice, where his big jumping around performance isn't there to entice the judges?!

   I like Adanna, but her attempt to be a sexy siren was a little distracting.  Is she trying to be a JLo mini-me?

 

   

 

   

[proserpina65]

Tyanna was definitely the best of the night, followed by Jax, Joey and Nick.  Sarina-Joi disappointed me with her performance - it's like she started off in the wrong key and never really got back on track - but since I loved her previous performances, I'll give her one off night.  Quentin wasn't as good as usual, but I'll credit that to emotions since he was a wild card; dude is one of my favorites so I'm glad they chose him and I hope he gets through to next week.

 

I'm mostly okay with the Top 12.  I wish Savion and Katherine had made it through.  And I'd rather have had Mark than Daniel, who really is just too young and green, Rayvon, who has a fine voice but is so bland or Qaasim who annoys the hell out of me with his overdone performances, mediocre voice and what I'm starting to think of as 'resting smug asshole face'.  (Qaasim's probably a nice person and seems happy for his competitors when they make it through so that's most likely just his face and there's nothing he can do about it, but it annoys me anyway - irrational, I know, but I can't help it.  If I enjoyed his performances, I probably would learn to ignore it pretty quickly.)

[Ms Blue Jay]

Nick Fradiani:

 

His voice is way too affected for me, and not in the way I like.  It's too distracting for me and I can't hear the song.

 

I'm not a Joey Cook "fan" but at least I can see why people like it.

Edited March 12, 2015 by Ms Blue Jay

[Jynnan tonnix]

Sarina Joi - Definitely sounded as though there was something wrong with the way she was hearing the band...Her pitch seemed internally spot-on as usual, but it was just not in the exact same key as the band or something. She has sounded much better over the past couple of weeks, though, so I'm hoping she gets back on form because she's probably my favorite of the girls with Tyanna a very close second.

 

Rayvon - I do like his voice a lot, but agree with what most have said about him just lacking life and charisma. If they could mash him up with Qaasim they might have something. Still hoping he comes out of his shell, but it could just be that what we are seeing is all there is.

 

Daniel - So not ready for this. I do still think that he has more musicality locked up in there that he's just not mature enough to really access, but getting put through every week is not going to do him any favors. He's gone far enough that there's some name-recognition there which he might be able to parlay into a career in a few more years, but if he sticks around any longer he'll just become more disliked in general.

 

Maddie is so pretty. If there was more life to her she would be stunning. I suppose that's as much as a lot of singers need in today's market, though. It's almost certainly what got her through to this point and what is keeping her in. Though, to be fair, she does have a halfway decent voice and some potential. If she were to suddenly show some real growth in her performances she could be hard to beat as a "whole package" contestant.

 

Tyanna - Despite being the youngest girl there (is she also younger than Daniel? I can't remember...they were both 15 when they auditioned, right?) she is a more complete performer than almost anyone else this year. Great voice, not a trace of nerves - totally natural onstage. Nothing to dislike at all. The only thing which puts her second to Sarina-Joi in my ears is that we haven't (to my recollection) heard her access a more sweet-sounding head voice and I do like to hear more of a dynamic range, which Sarina has in spades.

 

Nick - I kind of feel I have to root for him given that I'm from Connecticut, and, truthfully, there is a lot to like there. I can't say I see him as Idol material, per se. but he sings well and is reasonably easy on the eyes, so I have no problem with seeing him stick around for a while.

 

Jax - I like that she puts her own spin on everything, though sometimes it's done to a fault. I did like what she did at the piano. The breathiness of her high notes did get a bit annoying, but  I'm always interested to see what she will do, and can see her having a career in the business eventually.

 

Qaasim - If I had a fast-forward button, I'd use it on him. He can entertain, yeah, but even at whatever length of time they are allowing them for their truncated songs, I'm tired by the time he is done. He may even have a decent voice in there...sometimes I think I can hear in in the first few seconds, but it's totally buried and forgotten by the time he winds up.

 

Clark - I hate to be shallow, but I just can NOT look at him. There's something about his looks which rubs me completely the wrong way. He has a good voice, but I'm finding it very hard to appreciate it. Unfortunately, I tend to being very visual, and even when I turn away from the screen I know that face is there. Sorry :(

 

Joey - If she just toned everything down a tiny bit, I think I would really like her. I enjoy her style, her voice, her quirkiness, but it all gets to be just a bit much. The pronunciation in particularly bugs me. They criticize others for singing with a twang they don't speak with, but I don't remember that criticism being levelled at Joey. I think that if she just toned her whole persona down a couple of notches and sang with slightly more of a melodic sound (which I think is easily within her capabilities as I suspect she might be a bit of a vocal chameleon who has just honed this particular facet) she would find a much wider audience. But maybe that's just not who she is.

 

Quentin - Easily the best of the guys...I love that brooding, haunting quality that he brings to everything. He's the one in this competition who has a unique persona which does not feel forced or cultivated. It's simply who he is. I don't understand how he didn't get voted through either. Despite having almost religiously watched this show since the very first episode, the only times I have ever voted were for David Cook in his season (only because David Archuletta seemed forever poised to take over the lead) and for Bucky Covington  (don't judge...I knew he was going to be gone far sooner than later, but he was eye candy, and I did like his voice despite my not even being a country music fan and his inability to stay consistently on pitch ). But I digress...point being that I think I am going to need to pick up that phone and start voting again.

 

Adonna - Also needs to dial it back...I think her nerves, excitement and enthusiasm are getting the best of her, but she does have a raw talent and a passion that could be very, very good if only she could harness them. Will have to see whether she has that capability if she sticks around, though I suspect she will be among the first to go.

[auntlada]

I was headed to say same thing: Harry said chauvinistic.

That's the word. I knew misogynistic wasn't right, but it was early, and I hadn't had breakfast, caffeine or even a shower yet.

[worleybird]

JLo had MULTIPLE orgasms during Clark's song.

[Sparkling Beth]

 

On an shallow note, I am so glad that Quentin removed his nose ring (it is the first time, right?).

I was happy to see that too.  It was very distracting.  I just don't get the "I have a bad cold but no Kleenex" look.

[Guest]

I was headed to say same thing: Harry said chauvinistic.

Song is 100% that. Didn't feel that Keith disagreed with Harry, quite the opposite, Keith was agreeing with him.

 

Keith sang it at the Dec. CMT Artists of the Year show so I'm thinking he's ok with the song.  He killed it, even.

 

One of Harry's goofs this season that wasn't open to interpretation was when Daniel sang the line, "I'll be loving you until we're seventy", thinking it was sevenTEEN.  Or maybe he was asking JLo if Daniel would be 70 in two years.  

 

Edited March 12, 2015 by Guest

[ari333]

Why are they blaming the fetus for being a fetus? Didn't they know that going into top 24 ... the 24 ones  who they chose on purpose  (supposedly?)

 

Joey reminds me of  Cyndi Lauper wanna be and she'd be not bad if she took it down a notch or twenty. I hate the weird pronunciation. (Is that a thing now?) but that is a peeve for me a la JENA not Jenna HONDS OPP! from last season.  

 

But then weird things drive me batty. Singing last night IIRC, some version of "mah BIDE-dee" (my body) and "I nide yoh er loaf" for "I need your love" just examples. Or maybe I'm grumpy or confused or both . :) That 's what I get for binge watching eppies of this show and trying to catch up heh.

 

I kind of wish Adam Ez or whatever his name is had made it instead of fetus or screecher adanna. I cannot listen to her screech all season please god.

 

Qaasim red suit long hair should have SUNG the chorus on that song instead of whatever he did because that is the hook Sheesh. Leaving it to backup was a bad move since it's a great song with a great hook. [/rant]

Edited March 12, 2015 by ari333

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Nothing like being told that it wasn't the right song when the producers forced them to sing their audition songs.

 

Agreed, any judge making that remark last night of all nights does not deserve the millions of dollars being paid to them to comment, all they had to do was pay attention!