S14.E23: Top 8 Perform

[Tara Ariano]

The Top 8 singers perform; one contestant is eliminated.

[kechara]

phew!

[radiochik]

Kelly Clarkson is my favorite Idol of all time so I have high hopes for this evening. 

 

I'm now completely convinced the judges were told to use their save early in the season so they could institute this The Voice-like Idol fan save thing. 

 

Daughtry-lite:  Man, that wasn't good.  I'm not too terribly familiar with that song of Kelly's but I thought it was all over the place.  I don't see how the judges thought it was a good performance.  Side note: Nick looks just like his dad.  And J Lo had the best line of the night so far when she mentioned the singer who used to be her husband.  I actually laughed at that.

 

Jax (or as Creepy Borchetta put it - America's pop punk princess) - Beautiful Disaster is one of my all time fave Kelly songs.  And I still LOVED this.  Beautiful.  She actually sang and showed some vocal chops instead of all the affectations.  

 

Please put us out of our misery and get rid of the Craptastic Group Sing.  It's never good.  Tonite was no exception.

 

Thankfully they skipped the Cheesy Chair of Doom part to let Tyanna know she made it through.  She looks fantastic but I'm not feeling any of this emotion they say she needs to bring to the song.  She still looks a bit blank in the eyes.  But I continue to adore her.

 

Seems it's Idol Reunion nite.  Ruben, Vonzell and Candace who has the girls on display tonite!

 

Joey:  Huh.  I dunno.  So far, she's the only one to make the song her own but I prefer the original.  It's a ballsy version and it wasn't bad. It just wasn't my thing.  I don't see why every single song has to be changed up completely.  To me, it would have been different for her to rock out on the song the way it was intended to be sung since she always quirks up every song she does.

 

Quentin!  Holy crap - all my faves are through early and I'm okay with any of the others going. Sweet!  The performance? Didn't hate it but didn't love it.  A ton of bum notes didn't help either.  (and J Lo erroneously pats herself on the back for "saving him". Wrong guy, honey.  She tried to save face by claiming she meant the wild card but we know better.)

 

Qaasim: We're stuck with him another week. Ugh.  And again, he starts out smiling through a song that isn't happy.  This performance exposes his lack of vocal ability.  The strong chorus of this song was the weakest part of this with a lame falsetto.  (As my sister said, the background singers were better than he was.)

 

My girl Kelly just topped J Lo's line with her remark to Harry about his kids: "You didn't bring them? You're kind of a crap dad for that."  Gotta love live tv.

 

Clark:  They keep wanting to make him happen but meh. The end was all kinds of shouty.   All this night has shown to me is that Kelly has more talent in her little finger than any of these kids have in their entire bodies.  

 

The Save:  Daniel - this started out bad and the laryngitis has nothing to do with it.  Rayvon - I thought these kids were scared of Since You've Been Gone since we hadn't heard it yet. I'm just so frustrated that anytime we have a song that rocks out, no one rocks out.  They slow it down.  WHERE IS THE ROCKER IN THE GROUP? Also, can he stop with the damn falsetto? It's not good.  Harry hit it on the nose:  all chops and no gravy.  One vote per twitter account. Luckily, I have 3.  Even Dr. Drew's official twitter account tweeted #SaveRayvon.  The sad thing is - it's not cuz he's good. It's because Daniel is so bad. 

 

THANK YOU AMERICA.  *drops mic*

[ari333]

phew!

indeed.

[riley702]

Cynically, I thought this was another way to keep Daniel in, assuming his tween fans would be more likely to be on twitter. But Rayvon wins! Yes! We finally got rid of Daniel!

[katycat74]

Laryngitis?  What was the reason for the last twenty times you sucked, Daniel?

[ShutUpFlanders]

Kelly Clarkson herself had to come back and realign the Idol stars. All is well after this episode, though bringing back Sarina and Adanna would make me ecstatic… despite being totally unfair.

 

Nick – The definition of meh. Lower parts were rough, couldn't hear him well over the band. Forgettable, but not awful.

 

JAX – That was another solid vocal, but I couldn't understand what the hell she was saying. I didn't like what she did with the bridge, it got a bit choppy.

 

Tyanna – Decent vocal though she was off at the beginning. She was pretty engaging. She needs to find her footing again, she seems a bit lost still.

 

Joey – Those low notes, the dress, the arrangement, all of it was everything I needed. Best female of the night, my favorite performance of hers outside of "Fancy." Sublime.

 

Quentin – That was his best pure vocal performance and, despite singing that song pretty straight, it sounded like something he could release. Shut up, Harry. He told Quentin to think more about the technical and it's clear he has taken that on. Last season's CJ didn't get half of the crap critiques about pitch and he could not sing in tune whatsoever. UGH.

 

Qaasim – That was a sick arrangement. Too bad he can't sing at the level he needs to. Then Harry doesn't mention his pitch, just talks about the runs (which are there to mask the fact that he can't sing a note straight to save his life). WTF. A for arrangement, D for vocals.

 

There will never be another Idol contestant or winner quite like Kelly Clarkson. This show was lucky to find her.

 

Clark – Fan. Tas. Tic. The idol 2015 champ. I want a Joey/Quentin/Clark final 3 at this point. Anything else would be dissatisfying.

 

The Sing-Off:

Daniel – His best performance by far, but I'm not sure if I feel like that because 1) I was relieved he was in the bottom 2, 2) because the background singers covered up most inconsistencies and 3) there have been so many awful renditions of that on the show that this, despite being mediocre, was the best performance of this song.

 

Rayvon – This was his best performance, too. He seemed vulnerable, into the music, and connected in a way I haven't seen since the Top 12 performances. Thank goodness he was saved if only because it meant Daniel was going.

 

Top 3 – Joey, Clark, Quentin
Bottom 2 – Nick and Qaasim
Going Home – Qaasim?

[TiredMe]

I'm irrationally happy to see Daniel go. Damn I'm in my 40s, should I be ashamed at my happiness?

Clark was good until the last note busted my ear drum. My fav again was Quentin.

How hilarious is Kelly? Girl has no filter, like none.

[RandomWatcher]

It's the 14th season of American Idol. I'm betting that half of the viewing audience were barely born when Kelly Clarkson won

[riley702]

How hilarious is Kelly? Girl has no filter, like none.

That's one of the things I love about her!

 

And we saw a return of Kelly Belly! For you young'uns, she'd frequently touch her stomach as she sang on Original Recipe American Idol. So it was something we talked about.

Edited April 2, 2015 by riley702

[Diana Berry]

Kelly is so the best. These guys on this show can't compare.

[TheGreenKnight]

Wow, Kelly Clarkson night brought out the best of most of these weak contestants. Even Quaasim wasn't quite as bad as he usually is. My favorite performances were Rayvon and Quentin; Clark is shrieky to me when he goes into the high notes, but overall decent.

 

I have no doubt the Twitter Save was there for Daniel (who has almost 3x as many Twitter followers as Rayvon). I'm glad it didn't work out. Will we never see the Twitter Save again now that Daniel's gone? I'd like if it became a regular thing, actually. I just find it funny that three girls go in a row, but every time a male contestant is about to be eliminated they pull out some kind of save.

[SedruolZenitram]

Having Kelly perform *twice* just illustrated how lacking many of the Idol performances were tonight. Also liked seeing Ruben, Vonzell, and Candace in the audience.

 

Loved Joey, Clark, and Jax. Quentin was good, but didn't knock it out of the park.  The others were different degrees of *meh*.  So HAPPY Daniel is finally gone from the competition. He was the only one I actively disliked because he was so clearly out of his league. He needs at least 10 years to hone what musical talent he has.

[yourpointis]

Worst. Season. Of. Idol. Ever. I didn't think the last two seasons could be topped, but damn if those producers didn't go and select another hodgepodge of dreadful singers. Poor Kelly. Your catalog should have been available to The Voice contestants this season. 

[mojoween]

I abhor the Idol Save in any iteration. You receive the lowest number of votes? Get to steppin'.

But dear lord Daniel was bad, so whether he was the lowest or was tweeted there, I'm a-ok with it.

I don't get it. Hoff comes out last week and vomits cheese all over the stage, and this week, we get an ACTUAL Idol winner, and he's just trotted out to dump off the envelope and then we see him once in the audience. I was all about Clay in season 2, but I still would have liked to hear Ruben sing. Maybe he can't, didn't he have health problems that precipitated his appearance on The Biggest Loser?

I'm so Mrs. Robinson and he's young enough to be my kid but damn Quentin is a good looking man.

[proserpina65]

Given how hard Kelly's song are to sing, this could've been a train wreck week, but it was actually mostly really good.  What we saw of Kelly's mentoring wasn't particularly impressive, but who knows what else happened that wasn't shown to us, so I'll cut her a break.  She sounded really good, even if I don't like it when singers ornament At Last so much.

 

Nick - He sounded really good, as always, and seemed to connect to the camera better.  I preferred last week's performance, but it was still a great way to start the show.  I still think he will make the finale.

Jax - I really enjoyed hearing a softer, less affected tone in her voice, and think that was a lovely performance.  But did she raid Stevie Nicks' wardrobe for that outfit?

Tyanna - Not her best vocally, although miles better than Circle Of Life (but then again, what isn't), and she didn't connect to the attitude of the song as much as I would've hoped.  Seems to me that she's fading as the weeks go by.  Too bad, because I had high hopes for her.

Joey - That was absolutely terrific.  I know she has even more affectations to her singing than Jax, but somehow it seems like less of an act for Joey and more an intrinsic part of who she is.  Jazz is obviously her niche.

Quentin - Like Harry, I heard a few bum notes, but I loved it anyway.  I wasn't familiar with that particular song, but Quentin's arrangement of it seemed to fit his vibe.  I like that he understands how soft moments can be as effective as loud ones; I wish he'd added a few more of them, though.

Qaasim - Again this week, he really only sound the least bit good in the mentoring session.  He started out okay, but once he started doing those runs, badly, it all went pear-shaped.  He simply couldn't keep it in key for more than a few notes at a time.  He's a very mediocre vocalist at best, and unfortunately, quieter performances betray that mediocrity.

Clark - THAT was not only the performance of the night, it was the performance of the season so far.  He knocked it out of the park.  Again, not a song I knew, but one that I want to know now, at least the way he sang it.

Daniel - From where I was in the kitchen, he didn't sound too bad.  In fact, he actually sounded better with laryngitis this week than he has for the past few weeks.  But I'm not going to weep over him going home.  He has talent, but is just too green and young for this competition.

Rayvon - Of course he made it into a ballad!  A completely boring, passionless, dull one at that.  He took all the fire and attitude out of that song, and didn't sound particularly good doing it either.  He has a lovely voice, but no presence, either vocally or performance-wise.  Wouldn't have missed him if he'd gone home this week.

 

Should go next week: Qaasim or Rayvon

Will go: Rayvon or possibly Tyanna

[MrsMoltisanti]

Thank God I have a really good cross stitch project I'm working on while I watch the show. It is hardly worth watching these days. Random observations - Daniel seemed scared out of his pants but really gracious at the end. Clark channels Taylor Hicks in way for me. I do like Harrys observations but JLo always interrupts him and contradicts him like she is on the same musical level. These singers leave me as soon as they sing and that is sad. I long for the old days of Kellie Pickler and Daughtry And others.

[msburg]

I was damning Kelly's stylist tonight -- what did they do to her?  I have absolutely no problem with the baby weight ( I only just finally shed mine ten years after my third child), but what the hell did they do to her?  How ridiculous was the second performance outfit? 

 

And on the same styling track....  Loved the Joey vibe, totally distracted by the violently clashing lavender hair and ruby red dress.  Did it have to be a red dress?

 

Most grateful Daniel is gone.  He was a boy among falsetto-voiced men.  I though Rayvon sounded alright, but Daniel suffered greatly in direct comparison.

 

My only favorite performances tonight belong to Kelly Clarkson, who killed it on pitch even with faulty audio.  This! is your true American Idol. 

Edited April 2, 2015 by msburg

[Simon Boccanegra]

It was a pretty good night. Clark's was, in my opinion, the best performance again. He's just good. He can do all that soulful belting in a well-trained fashion that doesn't have a lot of stress and tension in it, so if you catch him 10 years from now, whether he's achieved lasting post-Idol success or he's singing in a small club, he'll sound as he sounds now. He won't have blown his voice out, and that's owing to good vocal hygiene. I don't like to say "It's his to lose," but it's hard for me to see what would derail him. A strip-club past? Taking to Twitter to praise (or condemn) the Indiana legislature? Getting into a final with Nick and having a bad night while Nick performs "God Bless The USA"? I really don't know. He's a good-looking younger white guy with an agreeable personality, plus a more pleasant voice and more reliable musicianship than some of those of the type who have won. I wouldn't be surprised if he's been running away with the votes. Now watch him get Pia'd.  

 

I enjoyed Joey's performance, although Harry wasn't off the mark with his complaint (more or less) that it put ironic quotation marks around jazz. But we know she's influenced by Postmodern Jukebox, and their videos are very archly retro (and great music). She's gotten more out of what initially struck me as shtick than I might have predicted, and she's endearing.  

 

Quentin was fine, as was JAX. Tyanna consistently stumbles out of the gate and gets better as the song goes on, and at some point very soon the stumbling is going to sink her, because some of the others are good throughout. Qaasim got astute critiques from both Harry and Keith. I did like the arrangement; his so-so vocal just let it and him down. Rayvon had much the better of the two bottom-dweller performances. No one was terrible; even Daniel was "okay" on his own curve, but it was well past time for him to go (and he sang "Breakaway" as though the words meant nothing). 

 

Kelly C. was delightful. 

 

The Joey sequence was knollish. It made me think they really want to keep her around for a while, maybe not to win but for some "air versus earth"-themed finale with Clark. They addressed her poor "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" several times, she got a big production number, and then we got her fiancé for good measure. 

Edited April 2, 2015 by Simon Boccanegra

[WhineandCheez]

Show of hands...who out there is following Scottt Borchetta's Twitter feed prominently displayed in the upper left window?  Doesnt that sound like a blast?  #80s hairgoateejacket.

 

I want to know who was paid to smuggle in Rhinovirus Bacteria #9 into Daniel's Mountain Dew? I can be magnanamous now--take away the cold and Daniel sounded great, liked the song for him. Not Idol great, but #150 guy in audition line great.  he certainly has a lot of confidence doesn't he?  Will do him good in life.

 

Rayvon took a lively rock woman empowerment song, sloooooooowed it down and sucked the life out of it like Dyson sales demonstrator.

 

Joey has a cute guy!  Maybe they smoke together.  Taking off your shoes to perform on TV in stocking feet like its midnight at a wedding reception is about the most uncool thing I can think of besides rolling your Golly Gee eyes and grabbing your Golly Gee face

each and every week.

 

Nick needs to keep his god damned eyes open while singing.  He should go to the Justin Guarini School of Eyefucking.  

 

I love Tyanna's raw talent but she isn't adding anything new to her performances.

 

Jenny's outfit was cute and appropriate.  Loved the husband jokes--she seemed real tonight

 

quentin had the most awesome White Clouds of Spirituality in the background.

Edited April 2, 2015 by WhineandCheez

[BogoGog24]

Nick: Ironically for a song called "Catch My Breath" he seemed to have trouble doing that. I'll cut him a tiny bit of slack for being called first, but he is the oldest and most professional of the group and should know how to handle nerves better than that. He seemed really nervous. Nevertheless, I tossed 20 votes his way because he's from my home state.

 

JAX - A decent performance from her. She didn't do anything interesting with the arrangement though, it is an arrangement Kelly has sung for years and was featured on her Breakaway album. I kind of wish she had tried to do something more original with the arrangement.

 

Tyanna - I disagreed with the judges that she didn't connect. I thought it was a decent performance. Not her best but definitely not her worst.

 

Joey - Possibly the best performance of the night. I do think Harry made a good point about the jazz novelty thing though. But I just love how she keeps changing up pop tunes to fit her style and making them sound cool. I also noticed the affections in her voice were nearly gone in this performance, so that was a plus. I'm happy for Joey that she seems to be at a good place in her life, getting engaged, just turned 24, and she's now in the Top 8. She really came back from that awful performance last week.

 

Quentin - I normally don't care for Quentin but I thought this was one of his better performances. He does need to watch his pitch sometimes though.

 

Qaasim - This was seriously awful. He could not hit those runs if his life depended on it. I don't know if it's just nerves or he actually lacks proper technique or ability. I think his time is up.

 

Clark - Pretty much the only guy I like. It was overall a great performance but every time he reaches for the high notes he sounds thin and shrill. If he can work that out, he could be unstoppable. Also, I would like to hear him do something more modern for a change. It's amazing that even when forced to pick newer songs (Sunday Morning, The Trouble With Love) he manages to make them sound old fashioned still. If he manages to win, he won't sell doing songs like that unless he can modernize them a la Sam Smith, for example.

 

Daniel - Breakaway is a hard song to sing? Erm, no. It's actually one of Kelly's easiest songs to sing. And Daniel still struggled with it. In a few years I think he could be great, but he just wasn't ready yet. I'm glad the Twitter Save did not work out in his favor, like the producers probably wanted it to. Ha.

 

Rayvon - Okay, I think Rayvon is boring but his performance was far better than Daniel's. I'm glad America was able to save him. Based on that performance, he deserves another week.

 

B2 should be Qaasim and either Nick or Rayvon, with Qaasim going home.

 

When Kelly sang it really showed how bad some of the other contestants are. Even the better ones probably still can't measure up to her, even when she was only 20. I thought she gave great advice in the mentoring sessions and was so sweet and kind to everyone. I'm not a massive fan of hers, I'm more of a casual fan, but she seems so kind and encouraging to all the contestants. I feel bad for her every time people bash her for her weight or clothes. The woman can sang, so shut up. Also, the contestants did a lot better with the theme than I was expecting. 

[Stratego]

Cynically, I thought this was another way to keep Daniel in, assuming his tween fans would be more likely to be on twitter. But Rayvon wins! Yes! We finally got rid of Daniel!

My take is just the opposite--I think daniel had more votes last WED and "The Fan Save" was contrived to make Daniel compete 1:1 where he would be completely exposed and lose!

[Ketzel]

Who was Jax's stylist tonight - the lovechild of Stevie Nicks and Michael Jackson? And please, girl, don't stomp around in your bare feet while wearing a gown with a long train. This is not a classy look. Although I did like how she snapped at Daniel for stepping on it and tearing it. But it's not that hard to manage a train, Jax. You're supposed to sweep it up and over your arm when you walk (assuming you don't have a bunch of bridemaids walking behind you to carry it) not drag it around tripping your co-contestants and picking up dust from the floor.

I liked how production literally put her on a pedestal to sing. So very subtle!

Edited April 2, 2015 by Ketzel

[Stratego]

I abhor the Idol Save in any iteration. You receive the lowest number of votes? Get to steppin'.

But dear lord Daniel was bad, so whether he was the lowest or was tweeted there, I'm a-ok with it.

I don't get it. Hoff comes out last week and vomits cheese all over the stage, and this week, we get an ACTUAL Idol winner, and he's just trotted out to dump off the envelope and then we see him once in the audience. I was all about Clay in season 2, but I still would have liked to hear Ruben sing. Maybe he can't, didn't he have health problems that precipitated his appearance on The Biggest Loser?

I'm so Mrs. Robinson and he's young enough to be my kid but damn Quentin is a good looking man.

Sorry to disappoint, but the Idol Camera (with caption) was on Quentin's friend tonight.

[KR Vermont]

Was enjoying Jax's less affected singing until the audience's sudden clapping and whooping before the song finished took me out of it.

 

Joey's jazzy spin made me smile. Wish this week's hair color choice complemented the lovely red of her dress. Congrats on the engagement!

 

Quentin's performance was probably my favorite of the night--though considering the weak competition, that isn't much of a high compliment.

 

Seems odd that the pros are giving out rudimentary tips on how to sing and perform at this stage of the show, top 9. Note to Keith and J-Lo: I'm not feeling your authenticity when you say this is a talented, great group of singers.

 

Each week I struggle to hear Daniel's voice over the musicians, he was definitely the right one to leave.

Edited April 2, 2015 by KR Vermont

[yourpointis]

Clark - Pretty much the only guy I like. It was overall a great performance but every time he reaches for the high notes he sounds thin and shrill. If he can work that out, he could be unstoppable. Also, I would like to hear him do something more modern for a change. It's amazing that even when forced to pick newer songs (Sunday Morning, The Trouble With Love) he manages to make them sound old fashioned still. If he manages to win, he won't sell doing songs like that unless he can modernize them a la Sam Smith, for example.

 

 

This beared repeating.

[Rick Kitchen]

I hate the idea of live tweeting for results when it means only the East Coast and Central Time Zone get to have their votes counted.

 

Nick's hair in the clip of him singing his song with his band is so much better than what he has now.  His lower register was really bad.

 

Is Jax trying to compete with Joey for the quirky one?  What the hell is she wearing? Is she channeling Stevie Nicks? And her performance was horrible.

 

Tyanna slayed with one of my favorite Kelly songs.

 

Joey's arrangement sounded like something Postmodern Jukebox would do, but I don't see them doing it on YouTube.  I liked it, jazzy and cool.  Totally different from the original.

 

Quentin's pants are too short.  They're just silly.  But his performance was good.

 

Qaasim was terrible.

 

Kelly killed "At Last". Loved her shade at Harry.

 

Go Clark!  Damn, he was good.  Best of the night. Nobody else was even close.

 

Daniel's voice was painful to listen to.  Poor kid. And he looked nervous as hell.

 

Rayvon was actually pretty good.  Glad he was kept.  Though I was never as much a Daniel hater as so many others were.

 

Daniel's "I am calm.  I'm fifteen and I'm on American Idol" was sweet.  He seems like a nice kid.

 

Ryan: "I've just been handed the votes right here, with one second to go."  So, what, he got the vote count before the voting was over?

[stcroix]

I don't understand the Jax love.  I find her an ordinary singer who thinks she's extra-ordinary and is being bolstered by the judges to believe that,too.  Her cutesy act leaves me cold. 

 

I hear Kelly C. sing and mourn the loss of Idol days when we were entertained by TALENT.  These contestants are so.... eh. 

 

I start the show with anticipation and a treat and as soon as the treat is consumed, I'm just bored.  And watching 2nd (or even 3rd) rate singers being touted as 'stars' is not entertaining.  We all know whoever wins this season is forgotten immediately.  I had to strain to remember who Candice was-- and I LIKED her in her season! 

[niklj]

Clark had his Idol moment tonight. Daniel got booted. Kelly was adorable, funny, and fantastic.

 

Too bad that couldn't have been the entire episode.

[Asp Burger]

When they showed that very fine looking young bearded guy who was dressed like a Western "dude" clapping in the audience, kerchief around his neck, hat on his head, I was going to come here and ask if he was the star of some Fox show I don't watch. It was like we should have known who he was. Then they revealed it was Joey's guy. Go, Joey. Totally thought he was an actor. 

 

Clark is just great. Someone above mentioned Sam Smith? If "they" are smart, that's the "lane" (tm Jennifer) they will put him in if he is the winner. Sam Smith type heart and soul, but more eye candy. I think he could be a Scotty/P2 success, more than Kris/Lee/Candice/Caleb. 

[Lonesome Rhodes]

I was furious with Harry for choosing to make a meta point with Joey when she took a yooge chance, even for her, and was marvelous as a chanteuse.  Unlike countless other wannabes through the years, is there much doubt that she was integrally involved with the orchestration?  The risk she took in alienating the clueless core audience for this show was enormous.  And Harry chooses to go after her for style?  

 

Harry, you dick, it is fundamentally who she is as a freaking artist, you jerk.  She is not some poser.  She was being real.  If you had an issue with the musicality (again, she showed more understanding of musicality than all the others put together tonight) or tonality or something related to the sound, say so.  You were/are great when you subtley, and sometimes not so subtley, skewer an ignorant singer.  You took a shot at the wrong person, Harry.

 

Now, HCJ did redeem himself somewhat with his brutally frank assessment of that mess Qaasim offered up.

 

I am kicking myself 'till I am bruised because I didn't offer my certainty the night the jidges' saved was used that we had not seen the last save.  It was not merited based on the contestant and the timing was crazy.  Zero doubt in my mind that TPTB told the jidges that another save, or saves, were on the way.  Since they do not like being the bad guy every week, they jumped on the chance to rid themselves of the responsibility.

 

To my ears, Tyanna was horrible.  She chose a step or two too high and she was off key.  Ew.

[Rick Kitchen]

Strangely, Daniel is still showing up on the vote page on the AI website.

[viajero]

I thought Jax and Joey were the best of the night.  Their vocals were spot on and I liked the way they interpreted their songs.  This was the best I've heard Jax since the live shows began.

 

I’d put Quentin and Clark a step below, mostly because their vocals weren’t quite as good.  Quentin had some minor pitch problems.  As for Clark, I agree with BogoGog24 that “every time he reaches for the high notes he sounds thin and shrill.”

 

Tyanna and Nick kind of fell into a middle ground for me.  They did straight up covers of their songs that weren’t bad, but did highlight the weakness of their vocals compared to Kelly.

 

My problem with Rayvon is that I hated the arrangement.  He sucked all the life out of that song.  On the other hand, I actually really liked Quaasim’s arrangement, but his vocals just aren’t there.

 

Daniel was an utter disaster and I’m glad were finally rid of him.

[Nedsdag]

JMHO:

 

• Who'd thunk with his butt on the line that Rayvon would give one of the best performances of the night? It sad that it had to come to a Twitter save for this to happen.
• I liked Joey's performance, but Harry needs to chill on the technical aspects. The fact that she sings jazz is something this show needs more of.
• Clark showed why many in here think he's the front runner, even though he was off a bit on his cresendo towards the end.
• Quentin is getting better, but should also watch out for some bum notes.
• Tyanna sounded good, but it'll take some time before returns to her peak from three weeks ago.
• As for the rest? Nick was pedestrian, Jaxative was lucky Stevie Nicks didn't go on stage and pull a Cinderella's stepsister's tear-a-dressathon, plus the fact that Scott is madly in love with her is annoying. Finally, Qaasim is a parody of Quentin.
• Can I vote for Kelly Clarkson? And where did they dig up Vonzell Solomon from?
• JLo can't tell two African American guys apart? You SAVED Qaasim, not Quentin. LOL!
• Bye, Danjaya!

Edited April 2, 2015 by Nedsdag

[RetailTherapy]

Wow.  That was just painful last night.  While Kelly has never really been my favorite, it was glaringly, sadly obvious how far this show has fallen since the early days.  It reminds me of Lola, the fomer showgirl, sitting at the bar in her ratty old yellow feather costume. 

 

Purple hair was probably the best of the night and her voice grates like fingernails on a chalkboard.  The rest ranged from forgettable to just plain bad.  And what were they all wearing?  Did they fire the stylists in an effort to save money?  Purple hair's red dress looked like something she made in Home-Ec and those white culottes - oy.

 

Here's my take on why they took every single upbeat KC song and dumbed it down to a draggy ballad.  None of them have the vocal ability to even come close to hitting any of the notes that KC does.  The ones that tried sounded thin, weak, tinny and off key. I think that the term "Making it their own"  is code for  "Making it a song that is singable by a marginally talented singer".   

 

Speaking of code, is laryingitis the new term for the voice changing that occurs during puberty?

[auntlada]

I DVRed the show, and Quentin was the only one I watched all of the performance. I started all the others, but got bored halfway through and fast forwarded to the critique. Quentin's was over before I realized it.

 

I like Kelly a lot, although I wish if she was going to recycle a song that she sang during her season, she'd done Stuff Like That There.

 

I also think that if they'd shown the other singers from season 1, this crop would look a lot better in comparison. Sure, they may not be as good as she is (I don't think they are, although I think several can grow into it), but she was head and shoulders above almost everyone else her season. These singers are way better than R.J., Ryan, A.J., Ejay and Jim. I also like them better than Nikki, Tamyra and Christina, but I never liked them as much as other people seemed to.

[OakGoblinFly]

I've never been a fan of Kelly Clarkson or her music, however, I do appreciate her honesty and her work ethic.  She was a delightful mentor and I thought she gave really good advice.

 

Joey and Clark were the only standouts last night - they have such a strong sense of who they are and it shows week in and week out (plus they have the vocal chops to execute their artistic/musical vision).  The rest of the group (excepting Tyanna - who is still very raw) is cannon fodder to me.  I fear that one of the three (Joey, Clark, Tyanna) are going to be a "shocking" boot in two weeks.

 

And congratulations on the engagement Joey, I now know why you looked so happy during the show.

 

Everyone else ranged from meh to downright awful and a big thank you Harry for finally calling out Quentin's over reliance/focus on "artist" and not enough on "technique" (read "sing in tune, dude") and Qaasaim's inability to stay in tune.

 

Scott, I don't care what you say --- you are never, ever, ever, going to make me like Jax or think of her as anything but a highly affected poser.  And Jax, "Hello, beautiful people."  Really?  You and your "Jax Pax" can go away.

[proserpina65]

My problem with Rayvon is that I hated the arrangement.  He sucked all the life out of that song.  On the other hand, I actually really liked Quaasim’s arrangement, but his vocals just aren’t there.

 

Maybe Rayvon should've done Qaasim's song?  That might've actually been interesting.  What Rayvon did is the very definition of boring, just like pretty much every week for him.

[designing1]

Maybe I missed something, but unlike others who've posted, I didn't hear Harry criticize Joey's musicality, arrangement, tonality, or singing style. He loved and appreciated her jazzy arrangement. What he didn't love was her presentation of jazz as something that happened in the past, with the retro microphone, cocktail dress, etc. I think he has a very strong point, given both his own love of jazz and the marketability (particularly in AI's narrow scope) of someone who presents themselves as retro. Idol is looking for a big cash cow (which: best of luck with this bunch) and a retro act, regardless of how authentic and talented, will never be huge. He was challenging her to "do her thing" (TM Randy Jackson) but make it seem current -- show that jazz is very much vibrant and alive -- and I think that's valid advice.

 

What's not so excellent:

- Joey's constant eyerolling and hair grabbing. Enough.

- Qaasim. He really needs to leave next week (and never should have been saved.)

- Clark's final note. Painful. Also, his Grandpa trousers. My dear, departed 89 year old Dad had the same pants.

- Tyanna's not getting her groove back yet. I fear she will be gone too soon.

 

What is excellent:

- Daniel finally leaving.

- Jax surviving the Claire's Accessories explosion that apparently happened before her mentoring session.

- All things Kelly Clarkson (though I don't really like her new song), especially her calling Harry "a crap Dad" for not bringing his daughters. Never change, Kelly. 

Edited April 3, 2015 by designing1

[proserpina65]

I also think that if they'd shown the other singers from season 1, this crop would look a lot better in comparison.

 

I didn't start watching until Season 6, but when I compare the overall quality of singers from various seasons, I don't see that much of a decline myself.  Sure, there were seasons with a lot of stunning talent (Season 7, for example), but most seasons had a wide range of pretty inconsistent vocalists.  So while maybe this season doesn't live up to my favorite ones, it sits pretty comfortably compared to some of the worst ones, like Season 6.

[Stratego]

I'm beginning to conclude that when the judges call a singer "artistic" that it is meant as a negative. Like, "you're trying hard, but you aren't commercial", or "way to screw-up a hit song", etc.

[thesupremediva1]

All last night did for me was confirm that Kelly is / was the best female singer ever on American Idol or any other talent show. I can't say best ever because there was also Adam Lambert, and they are neck and neck in vocal ability.

 

I like Nick and I like Clark. The rest can go any time.

 

Loved J.Lo's ability to poke fun at her romantic misadventures. More often than not, I find Harry's not direct enough with his criticism.

 

Still unsure as to how or why Qaasim was saved.

 

I'd have rather heard Ruben and Candace and Vonzell sing than most of the contestants. That's not a good sign.

 

Kelly is not just an incredible singer but a really cool person. I love how unaffected she seems by her huge success. Loved her comment to Ryan that "It's been 13 years, brother." Now I feel super old. Thanks, KClark.

 

AI should really end next year. 15 years is a nice, complete number for a cultural icon and once-great show. At this point, however, the alum hold more lore than the new contestants. And the fact that they stole the Voice's Twitter save just made my skin crawl. Bottom vote-getter should be shown the door, sans hijinks.

[PamelaMaeSnap]

I wonder how much Scott Bruschetta has to do, though, with the areas that the judges (mostly Harry) are choosing to stress ...

 

Arguably (well, I'd argue it) the potential front-runners on the show, Clark and Joey, are both throwbacks (with Joey being more emphatically a one-of-a-kind unique performer), something HCJ addressed in his critiques, whereas the guy who is going to be Making A Hit Album With The Winner! probably does NOT want to work with them for that very reason. He wants someone CURRENT and RELEVANT and then, ideally, young enough to let him make all the creative and technical decisions (a la Jax). 

 

I am sure that the idea of Joey Cook winning this thing gives Bruschetta nightmares. He might be able to deal a little better with Clark because he could market him as a Sam Smith but there isn't anyone that's YOOGE right now that's like Joey. And that is a loss to music ... 

 

I'd posit that Quentin may pose the same dilemma for him, though he's not AS throwback ... and I think HCJ gave fabulous advice and insight ... not enough that it will change where I think Quentin will land in the competition, but hopefully advice that he will take to heart and use as he progresses in his career ... but as much as I adore him and am captivated and mesmerized etc., I don't think he'll make it as far as Top 5. I always feel like he's right on the bubble ... I'm guessing we'll lose Qaasim and Rayvon, in one order or another, and then Quentin (unless Tyanna is a shock boot in the middle there) and be left with Joey/Jax/Clark/Nick the last 4 standing.

 

So, is this new fan save thing going to be permanent or did they just trot it out to get rid of Daniel? 

 

And just to add ... I actually have watched the show since the beginning, though I started about a third of the way into Season 1 ... Kelly's "Stuff Like That There" was a highlight I remember, and she has always struck me as a lovely and talented winner. Ruben was my FAVORITE winner, though ... 

 

And I just want to argue, for the sake of a previous post, that strictly IMHO the best female vocalist ever on this show was Melinda Doolittle. 

Edited April 2, 2015 by PamelaMaeSnap

[Guest]

Wow.  That was just painful last night.  While Kelly has never really been my favorite, it was glaringly, sadly obvious how far this show has fallen since the early days.  It reminds me of Lola, the fomer showgirl, sitting at the bar in her ratty old yellow feather costume. 

 

Purple hair was probably the best of the night ...

 

Oddly enough two women had purple hair.  And two men had purple pants.  I was wondering if it was 'purple Kelly' night or something.

 

While Kelly was head and shoulders above the contestants, she's had 13 years to hone her craft since being in their shoes.  Though she may well have been much better than them all in 2002, too.  

 

I never noticed Joey clutching her head while singing until this week because she kept going for it and then stopping herself.  I wondered if the hairdressers told her to cut it out or if the lavender was a spray-on product that was going to come off on her hands or something.  

[auntlada]

I forgot to say that I would love to have a show that was just Harry and Kelly talking.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

LOVED LOVED LOVED CLARK!!!  He has it all and I would love to see him in a suit sometime.  He reminds me of Harry in his appearance.  He and Kelly doing At Last were the highlights of the show and I am thankful I dvr'd it and replayed both a few times this am!  

 

I didn't see where Jax went at Daniel about stepping on her dress, when in the show so I can go catch it, would love to see it, snark snark!!

 

Joey does need to find something else to do with her hands and eyes.  Kelly gave great advice to Clark to use a microphone stand and I think she might have given Joey some similar advice about affectations if she had seen them in rehearsal which we don't know.  She needs to learn to stare deeply into the red light like Quentin and connect but her vocals were incredible.  Kelly's version though can't be beaten!

 

Thanks for sending Daniel home.  Qassim is next I hope.  Quentin is very good no doubt but would like to see him dress somewhat normal for once.  Rayvon strikes me as a know it all and he is boring boring boring, another ballad?  Turns a beautiful song into nothing.  

 

Jax, those gloves gotta go.  You are not Stevie Nicks, there is only one!  Hair was horribly bleached and unhealthy looking, where is Wen when you need it?!

 

Tyanna was ok but there is something just ok about her.

 

Kelly Clarkson is AMAZING.  She is unscripted and unfiltered, love it!  She was very sweet as a mentor.  I only wish her outfit for At Last was a bit more flattering to her.  And the white stockings with black shoes...nope.

 

I thought Harry seemed especially cranky last night!     

 

Kelly is not just an incredible singer

 

WOW, that is the last thing that I could say about Kelly!!!  

[thefog]

Kelly Clarkson was the best alum mentor, unlike a certain winner/mentor from last year whom I thought came off condescending.  I say sign her up to be a judge.

[ari333]

I think the real time twitter save is more brutal than the judges save. Did anyone get the feeling that Rayvon or at least Daniel already knew? Just me? Alrighty then. I kind of hate any save. But Daniel needed to go. Ouch.

 

(small voice) I liked JLo's slit sleeve blouse. Is that one of her items in her clothing line? I noticed she wears those sometimes.

[howmanywords]

I dont think they knew the results, but logically since Daniel has like triple the amount of followers than Rayvon, if I were Rayvon I would have been nervous as hell.  Luckily actual singing ability played a part in who won this Twitter save.  The funny thing is #SaveRayvon was trending even a good 3 hours after the show ended  so it probably wasnt even close.

 

I really like Tyanna but its probably not a good sign that I could barely remember what she sang by the end of the episode.  Same with Nick.

[The Real Chon]

Kelly's rendition of her audition song, even with the monitor mishap, should serve as a reminder to this year's contestants that they have zero game, and it's time to dig deep. She won the season this year, too.