S14.E20: Top 12 Perform

[worleybird]

I closed my eyes when Joey was singing and it was like a 1970s Bette Midler singing "Twisted".

[Padma]

To be fair, neither does McCartney - I've read it was about his dog at the time, or a pony, that his use of suffragette didn't mean anything, but still it drives me BONKERS when contestants know NOTHING about the song they're singing, so I was with Harry. 

 

Joey singing Fancy might be the coolest thing I've ever seen on Idol.  I can't stop watching it and it's made me search out the band Postmodern Jukebox because it was SO COOL.  Also, her pre-song interview where she said that they're all spunges and should be soaking up everything they can with the people they get to work with?  Awesome.

Yeah, "about his dog at the time, or a pony, that his use of suffragette didn't mean anything...".  So why should Harry pick on him over it? And, if memory serves re: poster upthread (and it might not), Harry -did- ask him what "suffragette" meant, not why McCartney used it. (As if anyone, including PM or Harry, actually knew).

 

Even if he'd asked, "So what is 'Jet' about?" it would have been a fairer question than that "gotcha" move (that failed, btw, Harry.) And it wasn't like Harry knew any more about the song than anyone else. HE didn't know it was about a dog (or a pony). Nor did I, although maybe lots of "party song" choices aren't exactly going to be filled with meaning.  Harry just went on about relations with women, too. He knew zip about it himself which is why I thought he was just trying to discredit/embarrass Qassim (and failed).

 

If he asked each and every singer, "What was that song about?" all the time, I'd have no objection, though. Even when it's open to interpretation, you hope they've all given it a thought.

[thesupremediva1]

Qaasim is a horrible singer. All the performance ability in the world can't overshadow his lack of vocal skills. I have no idea why people are voting for him.

 

Little Daniel is adorable but far too green for this show. Likable? Sure. But he has no maturity on stage or with interpretation. I can only hope he and Qaasim are next to go.

 

Adanna finally proved she can sing in tune! Good for her. She's not my favorite by any stretch, but she can work a mic and a stage and I really appreciate how much energy she gives her time on stage. Her Bruno Mars song was one of my favorites last night.

 

Clark is a beautiful man with an exceptional voice. I'd like to see him on my TV for many weeks to come.

 

Nick is a hottie with a great voice that just isn't as good as Clark's. But I want to date him in real life, so I'm hoping both he and Clark stick around. Nick's voice is more my cup of tea, but Clark's is technically more proficient.

 

Tyanna is an effortlessly effervescent singer and performer. Maybe the best 16-year-old since Paris Bennett back in the day. She could win this thing.

 

Maddie is an utter snoozefest. I've dubbed her Carrie Underwhelming. Janelle from season 12 was edgier, and that's not saying much. I imagine she'll stick around for a few more weeks though.

 

Quentin is good to great depending on what song he picks. Last night was a total winner for me.

 

Jax. Ugh. No words. When you come off as a poor vocalist compared to T-Swift, it's time to hit the bricks. Her shtick grates on my nerves. She just comes off as highly inauthentic, which wouldn't bother me at all if she had a great voice. But she doesn't.

 

Contrast that with Joey. I'm by no means a fan of her style or her twitches, but she sings in key and I believe that's who she is. I'm not saying I'm right or wrong, but I can buy her personality as something authentic. She's a bit of a novelty cruise ship act for me, but she might be able to carve a decent niche for herself if she stays on long enough.

 

I've forgotten everyone else except Sarina Joi. Poor thing. An Alexis Grace-type unceremonial boot. Sadly, she was grossly off-key in her singout. There was no way to activate the safe off of that.

[JMarie99]

I can't believe I am saying this but I really liked Joey last night.  For one thing, without the distraction of that hat, the thrift-shop clothes and ukulele, I was able to focus on her singing performance for once.  She always looked like a clown to me, and last night she actually looked pretty.  And her rendition of "Fancy" was very entertaining.  I am glad she gave credit for the arrangement - I had never heard of Postmodern Jukebox, but I was watching with my son and he practically fell off the couch when she mentioned them.  He's a big fan of theirs, and he played me a video of them doing a doo-wop version "We Can't Stop" by Miley Cyrus that was amazing.  So anyway, I feel like I finally get what Joey is trying to do.  I'm also amazed that she was able to rattle through all the lyrics of "Fancy" without a hitch, and yet she couldn't seem to remember the simplest lyrics to a song in the early auditions.  In any event, I finally understand what a lot of people on this board have seen in her all along.  And like many others, I can't wait to see what she does next.

 

So Qaasim decided to show us his singing ability.  Now I can see why he focuses on the dancing.  NOT good.

 

Adanna was surprisingly good last night - I'm glad she got through.  I'm very disappointed that Sarina-Joi did not.  Tyanna was a shoo-in - she seems to have it all, talent and personality.  NIck and Clark are good and definitely deserved to stay.  Maddie is the only country singer so I'm sure that works in her favor.  Jax and Daniel can leave at any time ... the sooner the better.

 

Aww ... Quentin ... I was so afraid he was going to be sent home.  I actually screamed out loud when he got through.  He didn't overwhelm me as much as he usually does - I was hoping he would bring more drama to the song - but he's still my favorite.  There's just something about him that's mesmerizing.  And I'm glad the issue of his teeth is settled - it was mentioned a few threads back that his teeth looked like they had some kind of decoration on them, but Ryan mentioned last night that he had his braces taken off, so that's a relief - he wasn't defacing his teeth after all.  And hopefully the nose ring is gone for good.

[Rick Kitchen]

 

Harry so knew he had stepped in it with Qaasim.  Then he went and mocked a gay.

 

I missed that.  Whom was he mocking, and how?

[Duke Silver]

I knew Daniel would stick around for ahwile when both of my aunts (mid-50's & avid Idol watchers) exclaimed "He is such a cutie & it would crush him to go home now!!"

 

I'm not upset about him staying & Sarina leaving (though I was really enjoying her up through top 24).  She blew it badly her last 2 performances.  No one ot blame but herself.

 

I won't get worked-up about Daniel because this show isn't about singing ability anyway.

[Shannon L.]

 

I knew Daniel would stick around for ahwile when both of my aunts (mid-50's & avid Idol watchers) exclaimed "He is such a cutie & it would crush him to go home now!!"

I was thinking he'd get a lot of these votes, too.  I don't dislike him as much as others do, but he is too inexperienced right now.  I think if he continues to focus on singing and performing, he'll be very good in a few years. 

 

I love Clark and Tyanna. Last night is the first time I liked Joey.  She sounds like some of the singers from decades ago (40s? I'd look for You Tube videos to be sure, but I've got someone in the room watching tv).

 

Nick is good, but not too exciting to me.  He looks like Stanley Tucci's character in The Hunger Games (only not clean shaven).  And, I agree that he looks just like his dad. 

 

I like Harry and agree that with some songs you need to understand the lyrics, but some are either nonsensical or so personal to the writer that, unless you happen to read/hear what the writer means by the lyrics, then you're just not going to know (I'm thinking Jet is one of those songs).  Tell me Harry--what is Blinded by the Light about? 

[waving feather]

I'm not too heartbroken about Sarina going home because her last 2 performances were really bad. Not a few pitch problems bad but she was singing in a different key from the band. My favorite in the competition is Clark but I would have been okay with him going home after his Tracks of My Tears performance too. I don't mind when performers have an off night but so off that 80% of the performance sounds horrid is not acceptable.

People I want gone next: Qaasim, Daniel and Rayvon (not a fan of his singing style)

Huh. So the guys are weaker than the girls for me. I like all 5 girls for their different styles.

[rab01]

I fast forward through Daniel but I'm totally unsurprised by his sticking around and not really angry about it. Some of the other singers are still pretty forgettable and indistinguishable from each other. Daniel adds something different to the telecast so he gets votes.  (Whether I hate what he brings to the show or not is besides the point.) I figure he'll go out between 7th and 10th place.  Admittedly, I will be getting seriously annoyed by the time he does leave.

 

I would like to add one drop of praise for the show as whole this season: this seems to me to be a much more diverse group of contestants than they usually have -- both in singing style and background. Isn't it usually a sea of white guys, some girls that get picked off and a few token minorities? This group is more authentically varied and it's led to some more interesting shows.

[Padma]

It's true, I like the greater variety, too. Too bad that after all those auditions, they didn't wind up with a F12 of really great singers. (Daniel? Qaasim? Several others that can't stay on pitch depending on the night?) With The Voice on the two previous nights, the contrast between the talent on both shows is kind of amazing (even when "TV" is down to Final 48).  I'd attribute it to there being no upper age limit on The Voice, except that their young teens are better, too.  Strange, but I think it's the way they eliminate people differently on both shows before the judges even get to hear them. 

[Prairie Fire]

I too love Postmodern Jukebox and immediately thought of them when Joey launched into "Fancy".

 

But it seems to me like that put her in a no-win situation. Her comments about PMJ seemed like they had to be made, but came off a little like, "Here's this group that does amazing stuff, and....I basically just copied them." PMJ got a well-deserved shout-out but it took the focus off her and really stole some of her thunder after a great performance.

[Amy Beth]

I don't mind Harry probing the contestants' knowledge of their songs if that is relevant to the performance. If the lyrics convey a certain emotion and the singing isn't matching that emotion, go for it.

But when the show assigns the theme "Party Songs", asking about lyrical content makes you look like a pretentious blowhard. The purpose of party songs is to get people moving physically, not emotionally.

[Simon Boccanegra]

I wonder how much Sarina-Joi was hurt in the voting by people like me, who have started skipping the first two months of AI preamble filler and tuning in when it starts to be a real horse race, around this point in the season. Someone who only started watching on Wednesday would have a single terrible performance to go on with her. I gather from what I read that it would be easy enough for me to find better ones from prior weeks, the all-girls shows and the...auditions, Hollywood week, boot camp, airplane hangar group sing, whatever they did this year for January and February. But I had her and Daniel as the bottom two in quality on the Audition Songs night, and I knew he wasn't going anywhere for a while, because he has that proven voting bloc of tweens who want boyfriends and older viewers who want grandchildren. She just picked a bad night to have an off night.

Edited March 13, 2015 by Simon Boccanegra

[Foghorn Leghorn]

But when the show assigns the theme "Party Songs", asking about lyrical content makes you look like a pretentious blowhard. The purpose of party songs is to get people moving physically, not emotionally.

 

So agree.  They sing their audition songs and some get roasted for song selection yet the song was good enough to get them through then last night we have party songs and Harry goes for lyrics?  

[PamelaMaeSnap]

I would love to see PMJ perform on AI ... and ironically I got turned onto them by seeing a clip of their version of "Stacy's Mom" with Casey Abrams singing lead ... so I don't think it's totally out of the realm of possibility that the shoutout on the show and Joey's use of their arrangement is not 100% coincidental.

 

Maybe they'll revive "Big Band" night and feature them? One can dream ...

Edited March 13, 2015 by PamelaMaeSnap

[rereader2]

I don't mind Harry probing the contestants' knowledge of their songs if that is relevant to the performance. If the lyrics convey a certain emotion and the singing isn't matching that emotion, go for it.

But when the show assigns the theme "Party Songs", asking about lyrical content makes you look like a pretentious blowhard. The purpose of party songs is to get people moving physically, not emotionally.

 

I understood his point to be that someone understanding the lyrics wouldn't use that song as a party song, not that a party song should have meaningful lyrics.

[MarkHB]

Maybe they'll revive "Big Band" night and feature them? One can dream ...

Personally, that's one of the things that's always bugged me about the show: they tell them "Be young!  Be fresh!  Be relevant!  As we take you through Beatles Night... Lennon and McCartney Night... Rolling Stones Night... Big Band Night... Great American Songbook Night... Rat Pack Night... Carole King Night... "  For most of these young performers, trying to find anything original to do with a lot of the prescribed material is very much an uphill task.

[Guest]

I am too.  And he should know what it meant.  It's not a made up word he's singing about.  These contestants should look up words they don't know if they don't know them.  They should also research the song to at least get a sense of its origins.  I don't know why that's so hard.

 

Jet, is a song that doesn't make much sense to me in general, by the way.  It was about a puppy.  Or a pony.  If I were a contestant, I'd make sure I knew what the song may have meant and what it now means to me.

 

I loved Joey but Fancy feels like a song that is better sung.  I wish she would have gotten up. Otherwise, it was by far my favorite performance of the night.

 

 

Yeah, "about his dog at the time, or a pony, that his use of suffragette didn't mean anything...".  So why should Harry pick on him over it? And, if memory serves re: poster upthread (and it might not), Harry -did- ask him what "suffragette" meant, not why McCartney used it. (As if anyone, including PM or Harry, actually knew).

 

Even if he'd asked, "So what is 'Jet' about?" it would have been a fairer question than that "gotcha" move (that failed, btw, Harry.) And it wasn't like Harry knew any more about the song than anyone else. HE didn't know it was about a dog (or a pony). Nor did I, although maybe lots of "party song" choices aren't exactly going to be filled with meaning.  Harry just went on about relations with women, too. He knew zip about it himself which is why I thought he was just trying to discredit/embarrass Qassim (and failed).

 

If he asked each and every singer, "What was that song about?" all the time, I'd have no objection, though. Even when it's open to interpretation, you hope they've all given it a thought.

 

This is why I was complaining yesterday about Harry and his lyrics comments.  If he's going to rake contestants over the coals, HE should know the lyrics and what they mean.  He didn't know what McCartney meant but said neither did Qaasim.  I think Qaasim knew better than Harry.  It's a party song about nothing.  

 

I make up so much stuff. It means something to me when I do it, and it means something to the record buyer, but if I'm asked to analyze it I can't really explain what it is. 'Suffragette' was crazy enough to work. It sounded silly, so I liked it.

—Paul McCartney, Paul McCartney: In His Own Words

 

Harry's paid millions to make a couple comments about a few songs.  He takes no times to understand them.  Sure, a lot of casual listeners hear "17" in the Sheeran song but probably only the first time, because it doesn't make sense and it doesn't rhyme with 23, but we're not paid millions to comment on the songs, and we don't act as if we're the experts on the lyrics and their meaning.

 

Besides music is an art that is subjective.  If Harry finds "Man's World" the most chauvinistic song in the world, he's free to not sing it.  The show approves it, others sing it, he's not the final word on music interpretation.  

 

But he's still my favorite judge.  But I wish he'd knock the Mr. Know It All act down a peg.  He's not Ben Folds.  Heh.  

Edited March 13, 2015 by Guest

[areca]

I don't know where to put this, but I LOATHE the new format. I know they said they were doing the elims this way to handle one night showings, but please, for the love of God, do it at the top of the hour. The suspense dragging out over the course of the show results in declining performance quality as people get closer and closer to thinking they're going home and the entire working methodology of the show has been destroyed. The pimp slot is almost always a snoozer now - the poor person there just had about 15 seconds of safety and is filled with adrenaline in the bad way still. Not feeling this AT ALL.

[Stratego]

One of the "hooks" of AI is to see the "end"--when we learn that a contestant has been eliminated.  If that was the "lead", I think a huge portion of the audience would change the channel after learning who was eliminated.

[4leafclover]

When Jet first hit the radio waves, (yes I know this ages me drastically) I thought the verse was "the major was a lady--suffer again!" Well, listening to it now, my version makes more sense than Paul's.

[clarkbar]

I want to sit in a bar, drink martinis, and listen to Joey sing for hours.  Yes, she is quirky, but in the best possible way.  It's not just about the quirky, she has the vocal talent to pull it off.  Go girl.

[Kromm]

One chair, two chair, red chair, green chair.  Um.  Kind of annoying, even if it saves time.
 

And Harry looks like a total douchenozzle in that "You're Talented" T-shirt.  If it's sarcastic, it's insulting, and if it's NOT sarcastic, it's trite.
 

BTW: Love that the little extra Talking Head bubbles all night are Keith and Harry and don't include J. Lo (because she can barely come up with enough to say for the actual live part).
 

----------------------
 

Rayvon - Yawn.  And with his squealy off-pitch falsetto, let me add "yuck".  The judges are on crack.  Not HORRIBLE, but boring in the first part, then just lame when he hits the bad falsetto.

 

Maddie - I'm tired of her red-tipped hair already.  Clearly skeevy Taylor Swift Mentor Scott likes pop-leaning Country Girls, but man her voice is marginal.  Then again, I suppose Taylor's was back in her early days too.  Jason Aldean is kind of paint-by-number easy go-to Country music too, isn't it?  Hardly challenging.

 

Joey - Her voice was a bit off, but it was at least very original.  I hope Skeevy Scott, who I have reason to think knows anything about Jazz, isn't getting in the way.  Props to Joey, by the way, for crediting who ACTUALLY came up with that arrangement (the group she mentioned is one I've seen on YouTube--I know EXACTLY who she's referring to).

 

Empire Song I Mostly Don't Give A Shit About - Er. Okay. Not bad, but odd for this audience. Maybe they assume it's the SAME audience as Empire (which has been getting killer ratings an hour later).

 

Clark - Very technical proficient.  That said, for some reason it felt soulless to me.  A clean vocal and no "gut".

 

Jax - I know, I know.  A lotta people think she's a total fake/poseur. I think it's just homeschooled arty girl weirdness. I actually like that she didn't change "Blank Space" that much (J Lo and Harry in fact seemed to be CRITICIZING her for that). She kept the familiar melody, as Joey got criticized fairly for NOT doing.  It wasn't a GREAT performance to me, but it felt sincere.

 

Quaalude, er... I mean Qaasim - Actually for all the drug jokes, his problem isn't being too laid back, as you would be with Quaaludes, it's more like he's on Speed.  Every time he performs its TOO FUCKING FAST.  It's just 90 miles an hour every time.  Harry maybe is online reading this board, because he mentioned this tonight ("crazy energy") and I was totally in his corner over that.  Maybe a Quaalude is what Qaasim needs before a performance.  To slow his ass down. Harry's other comments (the questioning about what McCartney meant by "suffragette" sounded a bit dickish... but even so maybe this show needs that a bit.  Because even delivered like a Dick, Harry was right.  KNOW WHAT THE SONG MEANS AND THE ARTIST INTENEDED.

 

Adanna - She's done some major bullshit on this show, but this actually might be her pocket.  Not a home run, but tons better than we've seen from her before.

 

Tyanna - "Tightrope" is a STUPID hard song to sing.  Really hard.  Unfortunately I think Tyanna missed by a few inches. It didn't deserve the giant praise it got, but I do think it was close.  She lost the vocal quality a bit in the dancing and energy, but it was still very good.

 

Infant - Sucks. Infant either needs to go NOW or stay till the top 4 as a protest vote.  No middle ground here. Because he sucks.  A lot.  I don't know what was up with Harry gladhanding him this week though.  Was that maybe an attempt at a reverse fake out on the viewers (where they knee-jerk do the opposite of what the judges say)?

 

Quentin - IMO the more interesting of the two "Q" guys. I mean Prince is an old man. Lenny Kravitz is old hat. Quentin is trying for that vibe.  It's not a home run, but it's original compared to what's usually on Idol.  His vocals don't ever quite hit 100%, but they're only off by a tiny bit.  He's not a huge voice, but he's a fun one.

 

Nick - Yawn.  Fucking boring.

 

Sarina Joi being on the bottom? Sure she had a pretty bad week, but it's still WEIRD given how great she's been otherwise.  Even her WORST week was better than Daniel's best week.  And add in a lot of mediocre performances on this episode making her boot seem even more ironic.

Edited March 14, 2015 by Kromm

[Kromm]

Joey singing Fancy might be the coolest thing I've ever seen on Idol.  I can't stop watching it and it's made me search out the band Postmodern Jukebox because it was SO COOL.  Also, her pre-song interview where she said that they're all spunges and should be soaking up everything they can with the people they get to work with?  Awesome.

I hope Joey having the class to mention them gets them the attention they deserve and LOTS of people doing exactly what I suspect you did--putting their name into Google and landing on their YouTube page. I stumbled into them awhile ago and have enjoyed what they do a lot.

 

To save people the TROUBLE of a googling, here's a direct link to their YT: https://www.youtube.com/user/ScottBradleeLovesYa

 

Because Scott Bradlee was unfortunately not on the ball enough to name the YT channel after the band, it's not natural to look under that. 

 

All of their performances are good so embedding any one of them is equally good.  Here's them doing "Blank Space" for example.  Jax DOES suffer in comparison by the way, as much as I didn't totally hate what she did (not that Jax, unlike Joey, was doing Postmodern Jukebox's arrangement).

 

[awaken]

Wait, why was the seat on the top left corner empty? I watched twice and didn't hear an explanation.

Loathe. Jax. The name, spray tan, tattoo, voice, and false humility. She showed her cards by singing "normally" and sounding awful. Taylor swift she is not.

And nicks hair. Ugh. So unflattering as mentioned above. Little tuft on top and bald all around. Weird faces when he sings.

[Kromm]

This is why I was complaining yesterday about Harry and his lyrics comments.  If he's going to rake contestants over the coals, HE should know the lyrics and what they mean.  He didn't know what McCartney meant but said neither did Qaasim.  I think Qaasim knew better than Harry.  It's a party song about nothing.  

 

I make up so much stuff. It means something to me when I do it, and it means something to the record buyer, but if I'm asked to analyze it I can't really explain what it is. 'Suffragette' was crazy enough to work. It sounded silly, so I liked it.

—Paul McCartney, Paul McCartney: In His Own Words

 

Harry's paid millions to make a couple comments about a few songs.  He takes no times to understand them.  Sure, a lot of casual listeners hear "17" in the Sheeran song but probably only the first time, because it doesn't make sense and it doesn't rhyme with 23, but we're not paid millions to comment on the songs, and we don't act as if we're the experts on the lyrics and their meaning.

 

Besides music is an art that is subjective.  If Harry finds "Man's World" the most chauvinistic song in the world, he's free to not sing it.  The show approves it, others sing it, he's not the final word on music interpretation.  

 

But he's still my favorite judge.  But I wish he'd knock the Mr. Know It All act down a peg.  He's not Ben Folds.  Heh.  

Even if Harry's not on target with McCartney (who's known for occasionally being kind of shallow with song meanings--it was a bone of contention in fact between him and John Lennon), his comment on "Man's World" wasn't really the same kind of off-the-cuff assumption,  I think I said it in yesterday's thread as well--that interpretation of that song being heavily chauvinistic is very common--Rolling Stone and many music critics have gone on about that aspect of it long before Harry Connick said it, so while his interpretation is hardly gospel, it's certainly not out of left field or solely his 2 cents either.

[Sparkling Beth]

One of the "hooks" of AI is to see the "end"--when we learn that a contestant has been eliminated.  If that was the "lead", I think a huge portion of the audience would change the channel after learning who was eliminated.

As ShutUpFlanders suggested above, they could announce the bottom two at the beginning of the show.  They would perform first and the judges would have the entire show to decide whether or not to use The Save on the one who got the lowest number of votes.  The other contestants would know from the beginning that they were safe.  At the end of the show, the lowest vote-getter would be announced and then either be saved or sent home. 

 

That would spare the contestants the agony of having to sit through a long period of time worrying about being eliminated and then having to perform with all that anxiety still coursing through their veins, but there would still be the suspense of not knowing who was being sent home until the end of the show.

 

 

Wait, why was the seat on the top left corner empty? I watched twice and didn't hear an explanation.

That was Maddie's seat.  They said she was in some kind of pain before the show, so right after her performance she went backstage to be looked over by a doctor.

Edited March 14, 2015 by Sparkling Beth

[WhineandCheez]

Anyone see the awesome looking dude that sits with Quenton's family?  Uncle, older brother?  I see that style runs in his family.  I wouldn't be surprised to see Bootsy Collins sitting there as his grandfather.

 

Speaking of style, I would think that forgetting that sad thrift shop clown schtick would be Joeys best move.  Tonight was the first night she looked attractive.  Because of her I looked up Postmodern Jukebox and i understand what she is doing more.  Her hair looks 1000% better curly.  Anyway I think we can expect her to eventually cover "All About That Bass"

 

Adanna was great.  Quassim is such an enthusiastic young man.  His supporting of his fellow contestants is fun to watch.  All of Daniel's phrases/singing lines (don't know the actual word for this) are cut off.  He does not complete the line/phrase, this is what amateur singers do. I think Nick will go soon.  Tyanna deserves the win--I said before, she is such a natural innate talent, like a young Whitney Houston.  She just KNOWS who she is and what she is doing. I think they will make Maddie into a star, she is exactly the same as Carrie and look at her now.

Edited March 14, 2015 by WhineandCheez

[Kromm]

Speaking of style, I would think that forgetting that sad thrift shop clown schtick would be Joeys best move.  Tonight was the first night she looked attractive.  Because of her I looked up Postmodern Jukebox and i understand what she is doing more.  Her hair looks 1000% better curly.  Anyway I think we can expect her to eventually cover "All About That Bass"

Yeah, but dare Joey do a Postmodern Jukebox arrangement twice?  Being honest about who she took from means people will be keyed in enough to notice if she's cribbing (even if she admits it) every time.

 

So... if she DOES do "All About That Bass" hopefully it won't be while PLAYING a bass.

 

 

Of course, the ironic alternative to PLAYING a bass to the song would be SINGING it in bass.  Which I doubt Joey could ape!

 

Edited March 14, 2015 by Kromm

[BogoGog24]

IMO no matter how they choose to format the show, some people will have a problem with it. I personally like the 2 hour format once a week. Even the half hour results shows last season were fine. But it's tough to get another show to fill up that half hour time slot (I think right? Maybe I'm wrong). I think that is why they are preferring to scrap the results show entirely. I think the idea of announcing the bottom 2 or bottom 3 at the start of the show and then having them all sing first, then at the end of the show the judges decide if they'll use the save, while all the other contestants get to perform as normal, is the best compromise. Announcing the lowest vote getter in the beginning would not only put a damper on the show, but people would tune out once they found out the result. Had they done that on Thursday night when Sarina was eliminated, I think people would have been so angry they'd have tuned out of the show. 

 

Rayvon - The only song I like him singing is Wide Awake. He's otherwise bored me. I agree with Harry that he relies too much on his falsetto, which sometimes sounds off. He sounded out of breath on the Ellie Goulding song. I don't think he's capable of singing anything other than ballads or smiley songs like My Girl. He'd be more suited for The Voice, IMO.

 

Maddie - I thought Maddie had a great audition, but she's never lived up to it since. Even when she reprised the audition song. I give her a pass for Thursday night because I guess she was ill. She did a decent job for being sick, IMO. But she doesn't stand out really amongst the dozens of other young female blonde country stars that are out there right now. And she's not as good as any of them either, IMO. The voice has shades of Carrie in it but since she's still young, her voice is just not very strong yet. And she's still learning how to perform. She's very inconsistent. If she had the vocal prowess of someone like Carrie, Lauren Alaina, or Danielle Bradbery, she'd be running away with the competition, but since she doesn't, the advantage of being the only country singer left isn't going to carry her till the end. I suspect she'll stick around for awhile because of that, but she won't win.

 

Joey - Easily my favorite performance of the night. The examples of Maddie and Joey prove to me that you cannot judge how good a contestant is or will be based on their auditions. I loved Maddie's audition and hated Joey's. But now I greatly prefer Joey as a contestant to Maddie. I've gotten the sense from the beginning that she wanted to be a '30s/'40s-esque jazz type singer, but I guess doing a Postmodern Jukebox cover really drove the point home for the rest of the audience that didn't catch on early. I knew of PMJ because they did a collab with Casey Abrams recently. That is definitely the style Joey is going for, my only concern is how she would make that fit into today's music scene. If she's not looking to be a huge mainstream popstar, then I think she could make a living playing in clubs and touring doing that kind of sound. Joey is so polarizing, but for all the right reasons IMO, and I think she is a dark horse in this race. And I am glad she gave proper credit to the original arrangement of that song. IMO it was the right thing to do, so many contestants in the past have gotten bashed for passing off someone else's arrangement as their own. IMO it doesn't matter who came up with the arrangement, she had the artistic instinct to choose that song and that arrangement and she pulled it off. She showed that this is what kind of music she would do and people got that. Many people who didn't like her before really enjoyed this performance from her. I don't think Joey will win, but like I said, she's one to watch.

 

Clark - I liked him in Hollywood Week and I think he is a technically very good singer. But as a lot of other people are saying, man he is so dull. He's very attractive but he's dull. Part of the problem is he keeps picking such old songs. The best he can come up with for Party Songs is Takin' It To the Streets? I get that his style is very old-school blues, but take a page from Joey and find/make up an arrangement that will work for you then. "Stay With Me" by Sam Smith is an example of an old-school song that sounds modern, he should sing something like that. I am curious about what he would choose if the theme were 2010s or something.

 

JAX - I am on the fence regarding JAX. I think she's very inconsistent. I think she's very green when it comes to performance instincts. She will take lots of risks when making choices (dramatic pause in You and I, singing Blank Space, playing piano on I Want To Hold Your Hand and then making it a rock song halfway through) but sometimes her risks don't pay off. I don't think she knows yet what's going to work and what won't. The ironic thing is that I read she was in a band that was successful enough to perform at the Warped Tour, which is a huge tour for indie artists. I don't know how she can come off so inexperienced. That being said, I enjoy seeing what she's going to do every week. I may not necessarily end up liking it, but I appreciate that she does take risks and tries different things. I'm always interested to see what she will sing, how she'll sing it, and what she'll wear. So I vote for her regardless just because at least she interests me. She is polarizing, but unlike Joey, it's for the wrong reasons (pretentious stage name, orange tan, bleached blonde hair, face tattoo, affected voice). I'm on the fence about her but she interests me. Her performance on Thursday night was bland and karaoke. I think she should have done Ain't It Fun by Paramore and I'm kind of surprised that song was not chosen by anyone. I don't think JAX will win because she is inconsistent and too polarizing, but I do think she has the best chance of being a marketable artist after the show. 

 

Qassim - I don't have as much dislike for him as other people do, I guess. Part of it could be because I used to watch him on The Naked Brothers Band show (yes I am young enough to have watched that show). At least he isn't boring. I do think there is a voice in there if he can learn to control his pitch and energy a bit more. I don't mind him staying for a little while longer. At least he's more entertaining than some of the others.

 

Adanna - Runaway Baby was probably her best performance yet. But still not uber impressive IMO. When she loses control she sounds horrid. I don't know, she's too much for me. I think she tries way way too hard sometimes. She could potentially be the next eliminated.

 

Tyanna - Love love love Tyanna and she is one of my favorites, but I don't think Tightrope was her best performance. Of course, her worst is still miles better than some of the others' bests. But I don't think the song choice allowed her to really show what she can do. She had good energy and the call and response thing allowed her to show off some showmanship though. I see big things for her, whether she wins or not. A young Janelle Monae.

 

Daniel - I don't hate him as much as other people do, but I agree it's his time to go. Thought his performance of Straight Up on Wednesday was terrible and thought that because votes are limited now, he wouldn't have a chance of staying. I guess even being limited to only 20 votes per method now isn't making a difference. He must have a lot of family, friends, and his whole high school voting for him. Le sigh. His rendition of Happy was an improvement over Wednesday but still not Top 11 worthy. I'm sad for Sarina that she got booted over him.

 

Quentin - I don't get the hype over Quentin. His performance of Royals was really good. But to me he's another contestant who is inconsistent with performances. I think his taste in fashion is actually kind of ugly, not exactly "cool" or "edgy" or "interesting." Just bad styling. I've already forgotten what his performance of Rolling in the Deep was like and really how is that a "party" song? I can live with never hearing another Adele song on any of these shows ever again. PLEASE. I think he should have done Chandelier by Sia instead.

 

Nick - He's from my home state so I feel like I have to root for him. I always throw him 20 votes but man, he's another dull one. He'd probably be relatively successful in today's mainstream rock/alternative market, but I don't see a "star." 

 

Sarina-Joi - I feel like she got screwed. Being announced safe first on Wednesday night did her no favors. She's usually pretty spot on with her pitch, I thought maybe something wasn't right with the sound/band. It didn't seem like they had much time to get set up. But maybe she was really just nervous, she was singing in an entirely different key from the band. It really was horrid. And her "save me" song wasn't much better, there were still nerves/pitch issues. There was no way the judges were going to use the save that early in the season, unfortunately. I feel so bad for her that she tried out FOUR times just to make it this far and then she has it snatched away from her because of some poor production choices (which seem to have affected all the contestants in a negative way, not just her) and her spot gets taken by a mediocre 15 year old who has time to come back next season. But something a lot of you/the audience may not remember is that Idol has instilled a new rule since season 12: Only those who make Top 10 cannot come back again. So Sarina is still eligible to try out a 5th time, if she's up for it. Man did her and Savion get so screwed this season, although part of it is on them. But people who come back should be rewarded, like an instant pass to the judges or something. Whatever happens, I hope this has helped open doors for her because she deserves it. 

 

I predict next week it will be Adanna, Quentin, or Rayvon that leaves. Probably Rayvon. 

 

As for the format, I am liking the 2 hours much better than the 1 hour. The pacing on the second night seemed to help the contestants get their bearings much better before performing. But yeah I don't know how the elimination part is helping them out at all. Hopefully they get the bugs worked out and maybe next season they'll announce the B2/3 at the start of the show instead. However they do it on DWTS/other shows that do this is how they should do it, if it's a format that's worked for other shows.

Edited March 14, 2015 by BogoGog24

[designing1]

 

"Stay With Me" by Sam Smith is an example of an old-school song that sounds modern

 

Or he could just sing "I Won't Back Down."

[Padma]

. I've already forgotten what his performance of Rolling in the Deep was like and really how is that a "party" song? I can live with never hearing another Adele song on any of these shows ever again. PLEASE. I think he should have done Chandelier by Sia instead.

Maybe instead of picking on Qaasim over the meaning of "suffragette", Harry should have asked Quentin why he chose Rolling in the Deep to be his party song. I didn't understand that either, especially with all the upbeat, uptempo songs they have to choose from.

[Guest]

Yeah, Rolling in the Deep is a 'fuck you'/break-up song.  Kind of the opposite of party in my book.  

 

A tiny, tiny nit to pick- Jax's x isn't actually a tattoo, she just draws it on.  It/she reminds me a little of that X-Factor contestant who drew paw marks on her temple... CeCe Frey.  

[Sparkling Beth]

Maybe instead of picking on Qaasim over the meaning of "suffragette", Harry should have asked Quentin why he chose Rolling in the Deep to be his party song. I didn't understand that either, especially with all the upbeat, uptempo songs they have to choose from.

Harry did point that out to Quentin.  I had to do some Googling to find the exact quote.  He said, "One of your greatest gifts is being able to dig deep down in a lyric. I thought that it was a relatively shallow interpretation. We didn’t get to see you do what you do every week. You were floating around smiling, I may be wrong, but that song is supposed to be about saying screw you to an old lover.”

[BogoGog24]

Yeah, Rolling in the Deep is a 'fuck you'/break-up song.  Kind of the opposite of party in my book.  

 

A tiny, tiny nit to pick- Jax's x isn't actually a tattoo, she just draws it on.  It/she reminds me a little of that X-Factor contestant who drew paw marks on her temple... CeCe Frey.  

 

I've heard/read from various sources that it is a tattoo. That's also not her real hair color either. According to the artist profiles on MJs, she was part of a band called Meadowland which recorded an EP and was successful enough to do a couple of the big indie tours. Then she cut her hair, dyed it blonde, and got a face tattoo. http://www.mjsbigblog.com/jax-american-idol-2015-season-14-top-24.htm

[BogoGog24]

  This is what JAX looked like before the makeover.

[auntlada]

Even if Harry's not on target with McCartney (who's known for occasionally being kind of shallow with song meanings--it was a bone of contention in fact between him and John Lennon), his comment on "Man's World" wasn't really the same kind of off-the-cuff assumption,  I think I said it in yesterday's thread as well--that interpretation of that song being heavily chauvinistic is very common--Rolling Stone and many music critics have gone on about that aspect of it long before Harry Connick said it, so while his interpretation is hardly gospel, it's certainly not out of left field or solely his 2 cents either.

 

I think Harry had a good point: If you can't figure out a meaning for the song -- even if it's not the writer's original meaning but a meaning you came up with for you -- then maybe you should pick a different song. Sure, Harry might not know what the song is about, but then I've never heard him singing it, either. But I've always thought that was a stupid song that no one should sing, even Paul McCartney, who seriously needed John Lennon to let the sap out of him when writing songs. Together, I thought they were great, but separately, Paul was full of sap, and John was full of pretentiousness.

[Guest]

I've heard/read from various sources that it is a tattoo. That's also not her real hair color either. According to the artist profiles on MJs, she was part of a band called Meadowland which recorded an EP and was successful enough to do a couple of the big indie tours. Then she cut her hair, dyed it blonde, and got a face tattoo. http://www.mjsbigblog.com/jax-american-idol-2015-season-14-top-24.htm

If so, I stand corrected.  I read that it's not a tattoo.  

X marks the spot

The jeweled "X" on the left side of her face just under the corner of her eye is not a permanent face tattoo, as some news sites reported. Rather, it is part of Jax, her name and who she is as a performer. It can be interpreted as a kiss, marking the spot or the treasure you find after a long search. Whatever it may be, the "X" catches the audience's eye — and her singing holds their ear.

For those that need to know, Jax does have a tattoo — a phrase from "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon and Garfunkel.

"Sail on silver girl," Jax said.

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/middlesex-county/2015/02/03/jax-american-idol/22810835/

 

I mainly figured it wasn't though because I'm almost certain she's appeared without it on Idol, but I suppose she could be covering it with heavy makeup.  But it seems like the time I saw her without it was in a casual scene, as in not before a performance.  She seems to not have it in several of these shots-

http://www.americanidol.com/contestant/jax

Edited March 14, 2015 by Guest

[Sparkling Beth]

I wonder why Quentin was given the go-ahead to sing "Rolling in the Deep" on Party Song night. I've seen this before on Idol, where a theme is announced but the real theme seems to be "A Song I Know."

It will always be argued among viewers as to whether Theme Nights are good or bad. For the record, I like them. I could say it's because it challenges the contestants to go outside their wheelhouse or find a way to adapt a song to their wheelhouse and that's partly the case, but mostly it's because on Theme Nights there's a chance I will be familiar with most of the songs. I haven't listened to the radio to any great extent since the Nixon administration because I find so much of today's music repetitive and annoying. I'm sure there are some gems in the trash pile, but it's not worth the headache to pick them out.

[awaken]

That was Maddie's seat.  They said she was in some kind of pain before the show, so right after her performance she went backstage to be looked over by a doctor.

Thanks!  I don't know how I missed that!  I hope she's ok- I'm sure it would have to be fairly bad if she couldn't make it through the show!

 

I was going to say, I wonder how Jax would look with her normal hair color, skin tone, and singing with her regular voice- I am willing to bet she'd be 100% more attractive! the picture above is very illuminating- I definitely prefer her in her "natural" state!  

 

Somehow I find the idea that she might draw on the face tattoo even more pathetic than actually having an X "kisses" tattoo on one's face.  And is her name actually Jax?  If not, what is it?

 

To me, even if Adanna, Rayvon, and Nick sing well and enjoy performing, there's no "there" there.  Nothing hooks me with them.  Rayvon isn't complex enough, just too darn happy and bouncy.  Adanna i still feel like I don't know at all, and Nick is just dime a dozen WGWG.

 

Tyanna is definitely one of my faves.  She just has natural exuberance and talent, and clearly is thrilled to be there.  I thought it was a tad too "on the nose" as a Janelle Monae interpretation, though.  I always look forward to what she will bring next!  

 

Maddie is no where near where Carrie was during her run on the show, IMO.  I remember being awed and blown away by several performances of Carrie's even back then.  I don't feel that at all with Maddie.  

 

I love Quassim as a person and performer, but have to agree, that song choice and his voice were terrible :(  I hope he does better next time because I'd like him to stick around a while!  At least he's unique!

[BogoGog24]

If so, I stand corrected. I read that it's not a tattoo.

X marks the spot

The jeweled "X" on the left side of her face just under the corner of her eye is not a permanent face tattoo, as some news sites reported. Rather, it is part of Jax, her name and who she is as a performer. It can be interpreted as a kiss, marking the spot or the treasure you find after a long search. Whatever it may be, the "X" catches the audience's eye — and her singing holds their ear.

For those that need to know, Jax does have a tattoo — a phrase from "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon and Garfunkel.

"Sail on silver girl," Jax said.

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/middlesex-county/2015/02/03/jax-american-idol/22810835/

I mainly figured it wasn't though because I'm almost certain she's appeared without it on Idol, but I suppose she could be covering it with heavy makeup. But it seems like the time I saw her without it was in a casual scene, as in not before a performance. She seems to not have it in several of these shots-

http://www.americanidol.com/contestant/jax

Hmm maybe it isn't a tattoo then. I know Ryan did ask her about it, but all she said was it symbolized a kiss. I don't know if she said it was a tattoo or not.

Thanks! I don't know how I missed that! I hope she's ok- I'm sure it would have to be fairly bad if she couldn't make it through the show!

I was going to say, I wonder how Jax would look with her normal hair color, skin tone, and singing with her regular voice- I am willing to bet she'd be 100% more attractive! the picture above is very illuminating- I definitely prefer her in her "natural" state!

Somehow I find the idea that she might draw on the face tattoo even more pathetic than actually having an X "kisses" tattoo on one's face. And is her name actually Jax? If not, what is it?

To me, even if Adanna, Rayvon, and Nick sing well and enjoy performing, there's no "there" there. Nothing hooks me with them. Rayvon isn't complex enough, just too darn happy and bouncy. Adanna i still feel like I don't know at all, and Nick is just dime a dozen WGWG.

Tyanna is definitely one of my faves. She just has natural exuberance and talent, and clearly is thrilled to be there. I thought it was a tad too "on the nose" as a Janelle Monae interpretation, though. I always look forward to what she will bring next!

Maddie is no where near where Carrie was during her run on the show, IMO. I remember being awed and blown away by several performances of Carrie's even back then. I don't feel that at all with Maddie.

I love Quassim as a person and performer, but have to agree, that song choice and his voice were terrible :( I hope he does better next time because I'd like him to stick around a while! At least he's unique!

Jax's real name is Jackie. Jax is not an uncommon nickname for Jackie. Edited March 14, 2015 by BogoGog24

[PamelaMaeSnap]

Thanks, Kromm, for sharing that second "All About the Bass" video ... coincidentally, the amazing Mario Jose made it as far as group rounds during Season 12 before being cut (some may remember that as the "we will do anything to get a female winner this year" season of Candice Glover, where some great guys fell by the wayside before getting to the voting rounds) ... he was a total star (and all-around good guy) during his time at Berklee as well. Understandably. 

[awaken]

Wait, why was the seat on the top left corner empty? I watched twice and didn't hear an explanation.

Loathe. Jax. The name, spray tan, tattoo, voice, and false humility. She showed her cards by singing "normally" and sounding awful. Taylor swift she is not.

And nicks hair. Ugh. So unflattering as mentioned above. Little tuft on top and bald all around. Weird faces when he sings.

[MarkHB]

Wait, why was the seat on the top left corner empty? I watched twice and didn't hear an explanation.

 

Explained previously; that was Maddie's seat, and after her performance she left for medical attention.

 

Re: "Jet," given this quote by Sir Paul repeated above:

I make up so much stuff. It means something to me when I do it, and it means something to the record buyer, but if I'm asked to analyze it I can't really explain what it is.

To me, that's just screaming "I was stoned when I wrote it."  I also have a hunch that if anyone claimed to truly understand what the song is about, or what it's trying to say, The Man would promptly come along and make them pee in a cup.

[viajero]

A tiny, tiny nit to pick- Jax's x isn't actually a tattoo, she just draws it on.  It/she reminds me a little of that X-Factor contestant who drew paw marks on her temple... CeCe Frey.

 

 

 

I just assumed she was paying homage to Marina and Diamonds.  Marina paints a little heart on her cheek that is about the same location and size as Jax's X.  While vocally they are very different, I can see why Jax would be drawn to Marina stylistically.  In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Jax ends covering this song at some point (though likely with a different arrangement - assuming they could get the rights):

 

 

Not to say CeCe might not have also been influenced by Marina and the Diamonds.  But in her case, a cover of the following would have been more in character:

 

Edited March 15, 2015 by viajero

[Simon Boccanegra]

To me, that's just screaming "I was stoned when I wrote it."  I also have a hunch that if anyone claimed to truly understand what the song is about, or what it's trying to say, The Man would promptly come along and make them pee in a cup.

 

I laughed, and I agree.  

 

I remember a recorded interview with Elvis Costello, a literate and often superb lyricist. The topic of one of his early '80s songs was raised. The interviewer said, "I've always been curious what you were trying to say with that one. I can get things out of individual lines, but I can't see how it all adds up." You could tell the interviewer was really hoping this mystery was going to be solved for him at last. Costello laughed and responded, "Oh, I don't know. I was taking so many drugs in those days." Then he did make some attempt to tie it together, but as far as I was concerned, any mystery had been solved by the first part of the answer. 

Edited March 15, 2015 by Simon Boccanegra

[rereader2]

Heh. They think they're being all modern, but it's essentially the same thing as patches from 17th and 18th century Europe...

[Padma]

Harry did point that out to Quentin.  I had to do some Googling to find the exact quote.  He said, "One of your greatest gifts is being able to dig deep down in a lyric. I thought that it was a relatively shallow interpretation. We didn’t get to see you do what you do every week. You were floating around smiling, I may be wrong, but that song is supposed to be about saying screw you to an old lover.”

I guess that's why I'd make a lousy contestant on AI (other than the lousy singing). I wouldn't be able to stop myself from saying, "Harry, seriously. Party songs are usually pretty shallow. I know RiD has a potentially more serious theme, but I thought I could make it more upbeat, like CeeLo Green's 'F-U'". Or something. HCJ would be right about RiD but if he accepts it as a choice to begin with (as apparently he did), then you gotta be prepared for someone to "party it up".

 

I don't dislike him all the time, but sometimes Harry is just too pretentious (and wrongly so, or unfairly so), imo.

[Guest]

I just assumed she was paying homage to Marina and Diamonds.  Marina paints a little heart on her cheek that is about the same location and size as Jax's X.  While vocally they are very different, I can see why Jax would be drawn to Marina stylistically.  In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Jax ends covering this song at some point (though likely with a different arrangement - assuming they could get the rights):

 

 

Not to say CeCe might not have also been influenced by Marina and the Diamonds.  But in her case, a cover of the following would have been more in character:

 

It seems more likely it's just something to help her stand out than an homage to a little-known Welsh indie artist.  

[Sparkling Beth]

I was watching Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides last night and realized where Jax got the inspiration for her facial decoration.