S15.E16: Top 10 Revealed And Perform

[TheGreenKnight]

Trent and Gianna were horrifically bad. No way they (and Lee) aren’t in line for the early eliminations. Tristan and Olivia won’t last long either, even though they’ll be pimped.

 

Sonika was the best performance for me, partly because she did so unexpectedly well with “BMtL.” If she can do more of that, she might make it to top 5-6. She deserves to go farther than that to me, but I’m being practical.

 

I don’t really get all the praise for La’Porsha, but she’s leagues better than other black women these three judges have praised before (Malaya, Majesty Rose, Tyanna, etc.). Dalton was another one overpraised tonight, but he is TCO.

 

Kelly was spot on with Avalon. I hate the artists she picks from, but somehow I like the songs when she sings them?

 

Why they didn’t get Kelly to be a judge instead of JLO, I have no idea. She’s fantastic.

 

Listening to Kelly's album, I always have to skip that song to avoid the emotions that come with it, so I wasn’t surprised to see all the judges and contestants (except for fake-ass JLO) with tears down their face. I wish she could stay, too, Keith!

Edited February 26, 2016 by TheGreenKnight

[27bored]

All these fucking remembrances from Kelly and you didn't show "Stuff Like That There?" What the hell, show.

 

Oh snap, good point! That was one of her best performances on the show. I'm glad she talked about going up into the high note on "Natural Woman". I don't think anyone has hit a whistle register note on stage since (I know it's been 15 seasons, but still). Even when they had a Mariah Carey night, nobody went for that note.

 

 

 

La'Porsha take lessons...that thing on your head makes you look 20 years older than you are...and drop the Renea part of your name.  If you are going to drop your last name just La'Porsha works fine.

 

I agree. La'Porsha is twenty-two, but she looks like she's pushing forty. And the fact that she wears drape-y dresses and is plus-sized makes her just look old. And I agree about her name too. She should drop the La' and go by Porsha and whatever her last name is.

 

Kelly was spot on with Avalon. I hate the artists she picks from, but somehow I like the songs when she sings them?

 

Well, she tends to do songs by male pop/R&B singers who tend to do too much preening and swaggering. So when you see Avalon, with her long pretty hair, and her sweet, friendly voice, they sound charming. At least, that's how I felt because I agreed with Kelly, too. I tend not to like the songs she chooses, but I like her doing them. I think a full half of this cast just wants to get on stage a cruise by on what they know, but Avalon's slightly better at it. She seems a little less calculated and less self-aware, but more self-assured, than the others.

Edited February 26, 2016 by 27bored

[Pepperminty]

Jeneve looked so cute tonight. She should have dressed like that the other nights.

 

I'm bored already. I wanted Lee to advance and he did, so that's nice. But I didn't watch anyone sing.

I think Dalton will win and there's nothing anyone can do about it so I'm going to half-watch.

[Meliskee1]

Kelly is not just the first American Idol. She is THE American Idol. Holy Christ I love her more every time I hear her, see her, simply hear her name. I feel so meh about this season's contestants. Dalton is the only one I liked tonight.

I goddamn love KC.

[TeeMo]

All these fucking remembrances from Kelly and you didn't show "Stuff Like That There?" What the hell, show.

The recap made Olivia sound worse than she was and I thought she was pretty bad.

Dalton is fun, and for that I love him.

Right? That was the moment in Season 1 when I sat up on my couch and said "Oh, what do we have here?" I can't belIeve it wasn't mentioned.

Loved having her on the show tonight.

[Sparkling Beth]

La'Porsha (BTW, what purpose is that apostrophe supposed to be serving?) has a lovely voice with great control, but does she have to turn every syllable into twelve?  Enough with the runs!  I hope in the near future she will deign to give us a run-less performance just to show that she can.

 

Awhile back I said Olivia reminded me of someone and I couldn't think of who.  Peach, I believe it was, suggested Elle Fanning, and for awhile I really thought that was who it was--there's definitely a resemblance.  But tonight I kept getting flashes of someone else, and something told me it was a famous woman from the past, so I looked through a list of movie stars and found it.  Shirley Temple.  Not little Shirley, and not Ambassador Shirley, but Shirley around the era of The Bachelor and The Bobby Soxer. 

 

[areca]

I did want to say that Harry was right to ask McKenzie about the lyrics to his song - and McKenzie completely failed the answer.  That song is very clearly a warning song for anyone with ears to hear and a slightly more than cursory knowledge of Tolkien.  At the same time, I wasn't sure how else Mac could have truly answered that question in less than 5 minutes, much less 5 seconds.

Edited February 26, 2016 by areca

[Jextella]

15 years later and it's clear why Kelly won and why she is still around and still adored.   She brings emotion to every performance.  I "feel" it when Kelly sings.  Plus, she has a versatile voice - she can go high, low, loud, soft.  And, she is really good song writer.  Toss in perpetual good energy, an authentic and playful personality, and overall cuteness, and we get magic.

 

Showing the scene of her performing in her season when she was persevering through a cold was interesting.  She understands what she needs to bring the stage and she'll power through and deliver each and everytime.

 

I don't think they could have had a better 1st season winner than her, and there has never been another who even compares IMO (Carrie Underwood may be making more money these days, but her voice, personality, and stage presence are flat and boring to me.  I get the love..it's just not to my taste).

Edited February 26, 2016 by Jextella

[ShutUpFlanders]

I'm shocked we lost Jenn and Jeneve, but I guess the quirk cancelled each other out. (I kind of thought Jenn wouldn't survive a vote after that horrid "Sorry" performance last week).

 

Honestly, and you can take away my taste card for this, but my new dream judging panel consists of Kelly Clarkson, Keith Urban, Nicki Minaj, and Simon Cowell.

 

From Best to Worst:

 

La'Porsha – Y.E.S. I was missing this from her. There was a Mad Max element that was insane. If Idol were completely about voice and voice alone, everyone else should go home after that.

 

Sonika – Sonika came to play and rivaled La'Porsha vocally. Who knew she had that in her? Damn.

 

Olivia – She's probably the most similar to Ms. Clarkson in terms of stunning vocal prowess. I still think she's a little stiff and unnatural presence wise but man that's a killer voice.

 

Dalton – So he sings "Hey There Delilah" like a Billy Idol song? He's engagingly confusing. I love that.

 

MacKenzie – Good job, but it seems like he's better with his own stuff. I missed a bit of her personality in this.

 

Avalon – It felt like a cool Idol single in spots. She won't win, but I would love it if she did. HA! Kelly Clarkson has the same problem I do: Avalon makes me like songs by douchebags.

 

Trent – He was good, but there was an oddness tonight. After the one two punch of La'Porsha and Sonika, this kind of felt a bit like it belonged in the first act if that makes sense.

 

Lee – I'm partial to the Birdy version of that song. Good, not great, no emotion again. But he's got a Tracy Chapman tone to him. I'd really like to hear him in about 5 years but he's not ready.

 

Gianna – Waste of a Top 10 slot. She's not even a trainwreck. Good voice on an incredibly immature performance. OMG SHE DOES NOT HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO MAKE IT TO THE END J-LO, STOP IT.

 

Tristan – Kermit McPhee. Yikes. The pitch on the backend of that was awful.

 

Should go – Gianna and Tristan, who really didn't belong in the Top 10 in the first place
Will go – Avalon and Gianna

[Rick Kitchen]

I want to be BFFs with Pregnant Kelly Clarkson. (And Kelly Clarkson not pregnant, but she is seriously THE BEST PREGNANT.)

 

Kelly and I got into a bit of a Twitter battle a few years back, but I still like her singing.

 

wtf was Jenn wearing?! :o We thought Jeneve was weird. And Jeneve didn't even dress like Howdy Doody tonight.

 

Ugh, Olivia and her tutu.  Go away. And I think she was making dogs howl tonight.

 

Man, they started out with Olivia and Gianna.  Are they TRYING to drive me away early? Ugh, Gianna was awful.

 

Lee was really good.

 

Avalon's favorite Idol moment was from when she was seven years old?  Okay.  She looked nice tonight, though, even with the dress down look. She's def. growing on me.

 

Dalton didn't sound very good tonight.  I hope he can pull it together.

 

Tristan looked beautiful, and sounded really good. I don't know the song, though.

 

Will Lee and MacKenzie have a duel to see who gets to sing the most Ed Sheeran songs? MacKenzie was very good, though.

 

La'Porsha's hair was like a cloud.  Too many runs, just sing it.  She's got a nice voice, she doesn't need to do all of that.

 

Damn, Sonika slayed!  Best of the night.

 

What's with Trent and the hat?  And no guitar.  I like him a lot, though.

 

The only two I want to see go are Gianna and Olivia, but that isn't going to happen. But I wouldn't be surprised to see Lee and Avalon gone, though.  Not that I want that.

[blaase]

Gianna, Tristan and Avalon are so just beyond mediocre.... some of the weakest girls ever to make the top 10.

[Blissfool]

Keith will never be happy again. Thanks, kelly clarkson.

If the whole AI thing doesn't work out...."Makeup Tips by Dalton."

[BogoGog24]

To be honest I'm shocked Thomas was cut, not shocked at all about Manny or Jeneve, and while I think Jenn could have possibly made it through, I'm not shocked she didn't. I am very shocked Gianna made it through, it doesn't seem anyone likes her, she must have a ton of friends and family/Brenda K Starr connections voting for her. I don't think Tristan should have advanced but am not shocked she's there. I personally would have swapped out Gianna and Tristan for Jenn and Thomas, just to quirk it up a bit. They were at least interesting to me, Gianna and Tristan to me are underprepared teenagers staying way past their welcome.

 

Olivia - By the time we got to the end, I had already forgotten about this performance. I don't think this was a good song choice for her. She has a stunning voice but needs to pick better songs than this. I'm not sure that high note sounded exactly good either. She still comes off too Disney for me, even in spite of her amazing voice. That dress just killed it for me tonight.

 

Gianna - Again, shocked she even made it through at all. If this performance isn't her ticket home, I don't know what is. She can sing, but she's proven time and time again she has no connection to songs and that she is far too immature/doesn't have the necessary life experience to sing them. Come on, she is not top 10 worthy. This is getting ridiculous now. 

 

Lee Jean - Hooray, he finally sang something besides Ed Goddamn Sheeran (of course we still had to hear it tonight courtesy of MacKenzie). His vocal tone is gorgeous, that's really the only reason I don't mind him staying. But he veered off pitch a few times and he still doesn't have any connection to what he's singing. Far too immature, young, and green right now. That being said, I voted for him anyway because I'd rather see Gianna and Tristan leave first.

 

Avalon - All of her songs are beginning to sound the same. I'm not a fan of this particular song she chose. She has a great, radio friendly current sounding voice that works well for the songs she chooses generally, but all her performances are starting to run together for me. And this song in particular was not that great. I voted for her though.

 

Dalton - My baby! <3 Even as one of his biggest fans, I will admit he doesn't have the best voice in the top 10. Nowhere close. But damn it to hell if he doesn't have the most star quality I've seen on a contestant in years. He just looks and performs like a star every time he gets on that stage, especially tonight. He didn't look like a contestant at all IMO, he looked like a guest performer. I loved the pop punk rendition of Hey There Delilah. It was unexpected and showed his fun side and that he can do other things besides emo rock opera. I just can't get over him. I haven't been this excited about an Idol contestant, or probably any artist in general, in years. He just has that intangible quality, that X factor that people are always talking about, but so few actually possess. He is just so magnetic. Something about him draws me in every time and I get so excited to see what he'll do next. Without him this season would be so boring. He's funny too and really cute, humble, and likable. SUPAH STAH It goes without saying that I voted for him.

 

Tristan - This song was sooooo bad. Not just for her voice but in general. She doesn't know how to pick songs. I understand she wants to be country for whatever reason but I really don't think it suits her at all. Kelly was spot on with her critique about her going back to the quiet piano songs. If she does that next week (if she gets through) maybe things can turn around for her. But she and Gianna can both go at any time. Neither are worth their hype. Both talented young ladies but just so awkward right now and not ready. They're both overstaying their welcome now.

 

MacKenzie - I hope Ed Sheeran enjoys all the royalties he is getting from how many times his songs have been sung this season. Well at least this time it was an Ed Sheeran song I actually know and like. I think it was a good fit for MacKenzie's voice but he has no range. Like honestly. His voice becomes super weak whenever he tries to belt. I like Mac but I think out of the entire top 10 he might seriously be the weakest vocalist. He's gotta find some way to stand out, like Dalton does with his song choices, because his voice is nowhere near the others. I kind of liked his answer to Harry about what the song meant to him. The song was actually written specifically for The Hobbit movie, so it's not like there are a zillion different interpretations for it. For someone who asked, I think Mac just uses a smaller guitar than average. It is a guitar though. I threw some votes his way.

 

La'Porsha - I don't know if it was as good as the judges were saying it was, but it was damn good. Those runs honey! She is absolutely flawless and dead on when she does those runs. Her styling improved a lot tonight. The hair still needs work but overall the clothing was much much better. She looked like a star. The only other contestant tonight besides Dalton IMO who looked like a guest performer and not a contestant. I'm concerned about her staying power though, it doesn't seem like a lot of people are here for her. A shame because she's probably the most technically gifted singer this year and at least vocally would be a deserving Kelly bookend. Voted for her.

 

Sonika - What a tough act to follow but I think Sonika pulled it out, much better than I was expecting. I don't know if it was as good as people are saying it was, I still think she has some work to do on emotional connection and taking risks onstage, but she definitely improved A LOT in such a short amount of time. The song choice was really unexpected (although I'm not sure if it was the best song for her voice. It sounded like what Ariana Grande would sound like if she tried to sing a rock song). She took some risks tonight and tried to show more emotion onstage, move around. I'm not sure on that last note though. She still looked like a Disney princess but more gothic and edgy. She is taking steps in the right direction. Voted for her.

 

Trent - One of my favorite guys this year. I would say the best technical singer of the males this year (not that there's much competition). I'm not sure I liked his falsetto but the rest was very good. He does need to work on the weird faces though. But overall he's a solid vocalist and engaging performer. I want to see him stick around awhile, at least to top 5 or 4. My ideal top 3 though is Dalton, Mac, and Trent. Voted for him.

 

As much as I loved some performances tonight, the best performance of the night hands down goes to Kelly. Man, that was just one of the greatest performances I have ever witnessed anywhere. I was tearing up right along with Keith and La'Porsha (I think Dalton looked like he was crying too). Ladies and gentlemen, this is the reason why this woman is our original American Idol. She was fantastic as judge too, even though she took forever to spit things out, but she was so funny and dorky and awkward and it made for great entertainment and she played off the other judges well. I'd rather see her on the panel than JLo (even though JLo made some very good comments tonight that I really agreed with). Kelly <3 Who doesn't love some Kelly Clarkson?

 

Other thoughts:

 

I hated how dressed down Keith was in comparison to JLo and Harry. 

 

 

So I voted 50 times each for Dalton, Mac, Trent, Avalon, La'Porsha, Sonika, and Lee. 

 

I want Gianna and Tristan gone. I think Gianna is definitely a goner, not sure about who the other will be. It could end up being Tristan as the others all either did really well or have big fanbases. I'm thinking it will be Tristan or Lee.

Edited February 26, 2016 by BogoGog24

[Swedish Chef]

Oh, Kelly. You will always be my idol. She is just the best. It's hardly fair to have her perform next to these contestants. She's just so wonderful. I have had the pleasure of seeing her live in concert, and she is just an amazing singer and entertainer. And she broke poor Keith.

I really enjoyed La'Porsha, but I think Olivia is my favorite. I agree with you all that she is the most Kelly-like of the bunch. She seems the most versatile, which has always been Kelly's hallmark.

And one last thing about Kelly: she sings standards really well, and it would be awesome, given their rapport, if we could see Harry and Kelly perform together. You know, since they didn't give us "Stuff Like That There" tonight. (And it speaks volumes abput Kelly's versatility that she could throw down equally well with Keith. I'd include J. Lo, but Kelly would simply destroy her.)

[viajero]

I thought it was a night of extremes.  Sonika and La'Porsha were outstanding, while Tristan, Gianna and Lee were just plain bad, miles behind everyone else.  Kudos to Sonika in particular for finally breaking out and giving us a real performance to go along with her gorgeous voice.

 

I would slot Olivia into a distant third, slightly ahead of the rest.  While she struggled slightly with timing a couple of times, she was able to show off her full range and there were parts that gave me goosebumps.  Plus, I liked her arrangement much better than the original.  I hope she isn't hurt by the fact she went first.

 

Dalton may the most comfortable on stage, but that song highlighted the relative weakness of his voice. Plus, he performs every song the same way and its beginning to come off as a bit exaggerated.  I know he's supposed to be the favorite and most commercially relevant, but he's just not my cup of tea.

 

Mackenzie has been one of my favorites, but tonight he uncharacteristically lost a bit of vocal control and then descended into a bit of a monotone, which took away some of the emotional punch of that song (which is why I think Harry was right to ask him about what the song meant to him). 

 

Avalon was hurt a bit by song choice, which kind of took her out of it at the beginning. She does better on more R&B infused songs than straight up pop.  But I do think the second half of her performance was pretty good. 

 

As for Trent, when will these contestants learn not to do Sam Smith unless they are superb polished vocalists?  Trent is good, but not that good.

 

What is a good sign towards the rest of the season is that I think that there are 7 contestants capable of giving us a good performance on any given night.  Now we just need to get rid of Gianna, Tristan and Lee.

[GreyBunny]

Can we send this top 10 home and vote for Kelly again?  

 

The only one who can bookend Kelly is Kelly herself.

[Neet]

 

 

Dalton: What is this Five Seconds of Summer ass shit? And why did they like it? Dalton has good pitch, but he sings under the music...if you want to even call that singing. It was Disney Theme Park goodness.

Does anyone else think Dalton gets smoke blown up his ass every week just because of his looks? I mean, shit, just because he changes the melody of every song he performs does not automatically make it revolutionary. The formula is essentially slowing down a fast song or speeding up a ballad while strutting around the stage and then pouting into the camera for the last note. Kelly noting how comfortable he is on stage might come from being in a Disney boy band for years, which clearly puts him above the teens who are essentially performing for a crowd for the first time. I always re-watch certain performances to make sure I'm not being dumb, but I didn't change my mind. Dalton's voice is not very strong and I think the "changing up songs" praise is overrated compared to what he's actually been churning out. Like you said, the music overpowers him and he ends up singing underneath it. He (and Olivia, too) reminds me of the Mickey Mouse Club or whatever it's called; it's generic, safe, filler pop marketed towards kids.

Oddly enough, I think Mackenzie is even better looking than Dalton and while his looks are brought up fairly often, I don't think it makes up such a big part of his appeal. His performances are hit and miss for me, but at least I feel like they receive more accurate, non-biased opinions. I don't mind Dalton, but I think he's (song-wise) a 5-6 being pushed as a 9+. 

I'll admit I fell into the mass reaction for La'Porsha for a while. Good thing I watched it again, because wow, the cheering really makes a difference in how I remembered it. She was pretty good, but I'd never go back and listen to it for enjoyment.

Lee Jean getting told he's found his lane was evident to pretty much everybody. He's in a bike lane, because that one style is all he can do and I doubt it's just because he wants to sing that way constantly. There's no chance he has anything up his sleeve besides more mellow coffee shop jingles. Why are there so many quiet singers this year? Avalon and Mackenzie are other examples of the benzodiazepine tone, it's so fucking dull. Though I don't really mind them, I just hate the lack of variety.

Sonika finally did something more exciting, which was great. I don't think her voice is rough enough to match Amy Lee, and I hated how she didn't get critiqued for her pageant behavior of grabbing fans' hands while singing about something dark. Still, an overall improvement from anything else she's done.

Kelly's song at the end was pretty good, though touring for over a decade will no doubt make her outclass everyone else. I'm probably out of the regular demographic for this site, as I thought she was insufferable at the judging desk, which is kind of good because I'd feel weird finding a 33 year old pregnant woman relatable. The main reason, though, is because the judges (Jennifer/Harry, mainly) already come off as desperate for attention and another person sitting there made it into a 2 hour look-at-me-fest with everyone interrupting each other to tell lame jokes and be quirky for the cameras. Her pregnancy was being given nearly as much attention as the contestants, and I hate feeling like I'm watching a friend group talk amongst themselves instead of doing their job.

I guess a show that dragged on for so long and yielded performances like these makes me get easily annoyed.

 

[sandrajane]

Tristian: Tristian has a beauty pageant insincerity that doesn't work for country. She has a full-bodied, expressive voice, and I kind of wish she would do sort of sophisticated R&B in the vein of Tamia or Alicia Keys or Chante Moore or something like that. I think her colorless delivery would work for those kinds of songs. Or, maybe crossover-country/adult contemporary stuff like "I Need You" by Leann Rimes or "I Hope You Dance" by Leann Womack. There is a market for that sort of almost anonymous country/adult stuff and I see her as doing that. But straight-ahead Country? No.

 

Tristan do R&B?  The girl has no rhythm.  She should stay far away from doing anything with a beat.

 

La'Porsha (BTW, what purpose is that apostrophe supposed to be serving?)

 

Nothing.  It's normal in the black community to have unique names, and that includes adding that extra apostrophe.  I have a niece and nephew named Na'Teesha and Te'Kwon.

 

What’s up with black names, anyway?

White Names vs. Black Names: Freakonomics Movie

[27bored]

Tristan do R&B? The girl has no rhythm. She should stay far away from doing anything with a beat.

I get what you're saying, but I mean she would do better with ballads from those women than mid-tempo country songs. I think she had rhythm, though, just not rhythm for those songs. And she does better with ballads than uptempo material.

[OakGoblinFly]

What the bleep was that? I thought at least half or more of La'Porsha's runs were were either wildly unnecessary or poorly executed (especially in the higher part of her register)...and she gets a ridiculous Big Tent Revival overreaction. Don't get it. At all.

Points to her for not doing Aretha karaoke I guess...

 

Can I get an "amen?"

 

There's no question that the girl can sing, I just don't understand the over the top reactions (and this is only week one!).  I thought a great deal of that song was self-indulgent drek.

 

Harry should have given his “run speech” on La’Porshca’s performance not Trent’s.

[PamelaMaeSnap]

I think they've already done those last two.  Last year it was Idol 'top 5' at small venues.  Here's a flyer.  Look at those venues and cities.

https://www.mesaartscenter.com/download.php/media/press-releases/201516season/american-idol-returns-this-summer-with-its-14th-consecutive-american-idol-live-tour

 

Which shows exactly how much attention I paid to the Nick Fradiani tour and ... who was it? Candice Glover? I liked bow-tie guy. Did he even make Top 5? Getting old and having brain issues sucks except when I can happily forget the existence of Nick Fradiani.

[Blissfool]

Only 6 weeks til the finale?! I hate that they're really rushing this season.

2 eliminations next week?! I hate that they're really rushing this season.

Does anyone else think Dalton gets smoke blown up his ass every week just because of his looks? I mean, shit, just because he changes the melody of every song he performs does not automatically make it revolutionary. The formula is essentially slowing down a fast song or speeding up a ballad while strutting around the stage and then pouting into the camera for the last note. Kelly noting how comfortable he is on stage might come from being in a Disney boy band for years, which clearly puts him above the teens who are essentially performing for a crowd for the first time. I always re-watch certain performances to make sure I'm not being dumb, but I didn't change my mind. Dalton's voice is not very strong and I think the "changing up songs" praise is overrated compared to what he's actually been churning out. Like you said, the music overpowers him and he ends up singing underneath it. He (and Olivia, too) reminds me of the Mickey Mouse Club or whatever it's called; it's generic, safe, filler pop marketed towards kids.

Oddly enough, I think Mackenzie is even better looking than Dalton and while his looks are brought up fairly often, I don't think it makes up such a big part of his appeal. His performances are hit and miss for me, but at least I feel like they receive more accurate, non-biased opinions. I don't mind Dalton, but I think he's (song-wise) a 5-6 being pushed as a 9+.

I like dalton and all but i agree, he's not the first person to change up songs. And you're right, he's not THAT good-looking. Also, being that he has prior experience, i think that he has that "aw, shucks" demeanor down pat every time the judges fawn over him. He knows how to work it and everyone is falling for it, including myself.

MacKenzie: he seems to be getting skinnier each week. His face looks so sallow and sunken in. His teeth are looking too big for his face and his head is looking too big for his body,especially with his big hair. I am seriously beginning to wonder if he might have an eating disorder. Also, he seems much younger than 23. He's very boyish, as opposed to manly. And his song Roses...the lyric about removing the panties seemed all kinds of wrong coming from such a "boy". Especially a boy that got all flustered when lauren alaina was flirting with him. I really liked him at the beginning, but not so much now.

[Primetimer]

Performers perform, judges kinda-sorta judge, and Kelly Clarkson makes us fall in love with her all over again.

Read the story

[peachmangosteen]

All these fucking remembrances from Kelly and you didn't show "Stuff Like That There?" What the hell, show.

 

I barely paid any attention to anything because I just kept waiting for them to show Stuff Like That There again. And then they didn't. I was aghast!

 

Kelly and I got into a bit of a Twitter battle a few years back, but I still like her singing.

 

Ooooh, details, please!

 

I mostly liked this episode tbh. I thought everyone was ok-good. Which tbh made it a bit boring but still.

 

I like La'Porsha and think she's stunningly beautiful, but her style of singing is just not for me. At all.

 

I was basically hating Sonika until last night but now she's like the second fave. She looked like she was crying right before she had to sing, i.e. right after La'Porsha sang, and I was loling over that.

 

I still love Dalton and he's still my fave, but I wish he'd do something different soon. He's getting a bit boring.

 

I love Trent. He's so bizarre lol.

Edited February 26, 2016 by peachmangosteen

[Maya]

Olivia's singing voice has a weird vocal fry thing going on. I don't like it.

[Qoass]

Now that Judy Doody and T-String are gone, I find this show genuinely entertaining with very little to annoy me.

 

It's true that Sonika has the looks and the voice (and apparently a closet full of pageant gowns) but not a whole lot of charisma.  Meanwhile Dalton is all appeal and no voice.

 

I'm surprised La'Porsha is so polarizing but maybe after the show she can get together a group with Judith Hill and LaToya London.  Kim Locke and Frenchie Davis can be the opening act

 

If all else fails, it appears that most of the female contestants are all set for Easter dresses this year.

 

Love Kelly.  Love.

 

ETA:  do you think the producers spent any time investigating how they could get Kelly to give birth during the finale?

Edited February 26, 2016 by Qoass

[proserpina65]

That was, surprisingly, a mostly good night of singing.  Tristan and Gianna were easily the weakest performers, with Lee and unfortunately Avalon somewhat better, but the other six turned in really good to great to amazing performances.  I love MacKenzie's sound, although he could've used more energy last night.  Olivia still needs to relax and loosen up on stage, but her singing was spot on.  Dalton and Trent were both wonderful.  Sonika finally brought some energy and life to her stage presence; her voice has always been great but before she was a lifeless robot.  And La'Porsha?  Well, her style is not something I normally care for, and I generally hate runs and melisma, etc., but sometimes a song and a performance can really make it work, and hers last night did.  As JLo pointed out, La'Porsha can control the runs and use them strategically rather than just throw them in anywhere, and on this show, that's a rare thing.

 

Still, Kelly blew them all away with her performance.  (Even if she was sort of babbling as a judge.)

[Ohwell]

My UO is that I hope we've seen the last of Kelly and the Kelly worship.  I never liked her in Season 1 (I voted for Justin) and I haven't liked her singing since then.  She just grates on my last nerve.

[proserpina65]

I've been waiting for years for someone to do that song on this show.

 

It's been done on AI twice already, by Angie Miller in Season 12 and Jena Irene in Season 13.

 

Edited to note that I thought Gina Glocksen had done it in Season 6, but that was another Evanescence song, Call Me When You're Sober, which she did in the semifinals.

Edited February 26, 2016 by proserpina65

[proserpina65]

She had on that damn hat again, so I know it was about to be some more bullshit.

 

Actually, she didn't.  Except for the bandanna hanging from her belt, she was dressed far more normally than I'd ever seen her.

[proserpina65]

The recap made Olivia sound worse than she was and I thought she was pretty bad.

 

Are the recaps still from the dress rehearsal?  They used be, or at least I thought they were.  She did sound worse in the recap, and if that was her dress rehearsal, it would explain why they put her first.

[Fishy]

Love Kelly Clarkson but last night she looked like a Walrus, especially when she started waving her arms about.  Catty, I know.

[inandout]

Which shows exactly how much attention I paid to the Nick Fradiani tour and ... who was it? Candice Glover? I liked bow-tie guy. Did he even make Top 5? Getting old and having brain issues sucks except when I can happily forget the existence of Nick Fradiani.

It's interesting that the Idol label head, Scott Borchetta, is now pimping MacKenzie Bourg, another WGWG.  And they have yet to release Nick Fradiani's CD. 

[Sparkling Beth]

Love Kelly Clarkson but last night she looked like a Walrus, especially when she started waving her arms about.  Catty, I know.

My quarrel with Kelly is just with her fashion sense--or lack thereof.  She dresses like a toddler.  I think she needs to go for long, soft, flowing dresses or pantsuits instead of short puffy dresses.  On the other hand, she's Kelly Clarkson and she sings like a dream and she writes powerful songs, so Imma shut my piehole and let her dress however she's comfortable!

[scatteroflight]

Love Kelly Clarkson but last night she looked like a Walrus, especially when she started waving her arms about.  Catty, I know.

She's eleventy billion years (or 33 weeks) pregnant. (If you didn't catch it the multiple times it was mentioned, lol.) 

[Guest]

Which shows exactly how much attention I paid to the Nick Fradiani tour and ... who was it? Candice Glover? I liked bow-tie guy. Did he even make Top 5? Getting old and having brain issues sucks except when I can happily forget the existence of Nick Fradiani.

 

Candice?  lol.  I think last year's top 5 were Nick, Clark (was he bowtie guy?), Jax, Rayvon and Tyana.  And, yes, I had to google it.  I had heard somewhere that Jax was the highlight of the tour.  I think that for like $20 more you could attend a 'meet and greet' with the idols before the show, too, possibly.  Kind of sad.  I remember friends going to see David Cook's season's top 10 at like America West Arena.  

 

It's been done on AI twice already, by Angie Miller in Season 12 and Jena Irene in Season 13.

 

Edited to note that I thought Gina Glocksen had done it in Season 6, but that was another Evanescence song, Call Me When You're Sober, which she did in the semifinals.

Speaking of David Cook's season's tour, I think Carly Smithson sang Bring Me to Life, and killed it at least on the youtube version I saw.  She always sounded a lot like Amy Lee.  

[proserpina65]

Kelly's song at the end was pretty good, though touring for over a decade will no doubt make her outclass everyone else. I'm probably out of the regular demographic for this site, as I thought she was insufferable at the judging desk, which is kind of good because I'd feel weird finding a 33 year old pregnant woman relatable. The main reason, though, is because the judges (Jennifer/Harry, mainly) already come off as desperate for attention and another person sitting there made it into a 2 hour look-at-me-fest with everyone interrupting each other to tell lame jokes and be quirky for the cameras. Her pregnancy was being given nearly as much attention as the contestants, and I hate feeling like I'm watching a friend group talk amongst themselves instead of doing their job.

 

I wouldn't go quite as far as this, but I agree that I didn't find her to be that good a judge.  She had some good comments here and there, but overall I just wanted her to stop babbling and actually say something coherent.  It was a bit like watching Paula again.  And yes, far too much attention was devoted to the judges rather than the performers, not that there's anything new there.  That said, I do find KC likeable in general, and her performance was amazing.

[proserpina65]

Speaking of David Cook's season's tour, I think Carly Smithson sang Bring Me to Life, and killed it at least on the youtube version I saw.  She always sounded a lot like Amy Lee.

 

Didn't she replace Amy Lee for awhile during the Evanescence split?

[TeeMo]

Usually at this stage in the game I have at least 2-3 people I am actively rooting against because I can't stand them. While I am not in love with all of the contestants this season, there is no one that I actively dislike in this year's top ten. So Season 15 has that going for it I guess.

[Guest]

Kelly was a mentor/judge/whatever on that singing reality competition show called Duets, a few years back.  She was ok.  She looked fabulous.   She was on that with Jennifer Nettles, John Legend and Robin Thicke, I think.  

 

I've never been a huge fan of her music but I think she sings fabulously and seems like a great person.  

 

Oh, I didn't know that about Carly!  This says she and the dude from Evanescence started their own new band, but it didn't last long.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carly_Smithson

[WordFreak]

Where to start? Well, I'm not sorry about any of the four who didn't make it. I'm especially glad that Jenn is gone, with her contrived quirkiness, as well as Jeneve, who I felt massive secondhand embarrassment for in each performance.

 

That said, can we take a moment to once again acknowledge the awesomeness of Kelly Clarkson? I just love her. I love her total lack of pretense and her self-deprecating comments; she just seems like a really genuine person to me. And, her talent is undeniable. That song she sang was so moving; let's just say Keith wasn't the only one who was crying...

 

On to the contestants:

Olivia - She reminds me of Taylor Swift, and I can't stand her. Pronunciation also drives me up the wall. Can go at any time.

 

Gianna - Not feeling it; tired of hearing about her famous mother. Meh overall.

 

Lee - Good raw material, but needs to work on enunciation and pitch.

 

Avalon - I find her to be a nice antidote to the more pageant-y singers here (Sonika, Gianna). Agree with KC in that I don't like the artists whose songs she chooses, but she makes the songs enjoyable.

 

Dalton - He's great. I like how he switches up the songs, and I get a kick out of his personality. Great stage presence.

 

Tristan - Meh. Good voice, but was terrible and pitchy tonight. Too hit-or-miss for me.

 

Mackenzie - I like him, but admittedly, I tend to like WGWGs, unlike many other posters on here.

 

LaPorsha - I like her. Can't stand Rihanna in general, but LaPorsha made me like this song.

 

Sonika - Gorgeous voice, but was very pageant-y previously. Enjoyed seeing her try something different tonight, and it worked.

 

Trent - Can't decide what I think of him. Alternate between thinking he's good and awful. Only time will tell...

 

So, while there are some people here I can root for, mostly I just wish we could crown Kelly Clarkson again!

[goodbyeglittergirl]

Tristan was awful. Please stop with this charade. Please let her go home.

 

Geneve, in case you are reading this: You looked lovely last night. That was a beautiful look for you, but still held true to who you are trying to be. So much better than a giant hat.

 

I thought Dalton was lackluster last night. 

 

Kelly's performance had me full-out sobbing. Her dad's a real ahole. 

[ZeroMyHero]

I enjoyed Kelly Clarkson overall, but I felt bad for the other contestants when she called La'Porsha as the winner. I guess she was caught up in the moment.

[goodbyeglittergirl]

I enjoyed Kelly Clarkson overall, but I felt bad for the other contestants when she called La'Porsha as the winner. I guess she was caught up in the moment.

 

I did too, and I felt like she maybe didn't do La'Porsha any favors by doing so.

[kili]

I felt bad for Olivia when Harry said that La'Porsha should have started the show because she was so good, she inspired those that went after her. That the show would have been better that way (I think it was during Sonika's  judging). They showed the chairs and you could see Olivia flinch.

 

I get praising a good performance, but I kind of hate it when the judges go over the top like that and bleed it all over the show. La'Porsha was good. She didn't invent penicillin. Concentrate on the person you are judging now. Sonika deserves praise for her performance (not everybody can follow a standing O like that and not get intimidated) and La'Porsha should not get credit for it. Likewise, stop backhanding those that went before.

 

If there is justice, Giani and Tristan should go home this week. They just aren't ready yet. Lee isn't either, but he has such a charm about him that I at least like watching him perform. Giani looks so desperate to please her mother and Tristan so lost that they make me kind of uncomfortable.

 

La'Porsha was the best vocalist. Sonika was the most improved. Dalton controls the stage the best. Trent is always interesting. MacKenzie whiffed the ball. Avalon dropped it. All six should stay because they make me want to tune in next week.

Edited February 26, 2016 by kili

[PamelaMaeSnap]

Candice?  lol.  I think last year's top 5 were Nick, Clark (was he bowtie guy?), Jax, Rayvon and Tyana.  And, yes, I had to google it.  

 

-- EEEK now I can't get out of the box! Let me out of the box! Anyway, no, I meant that I couldn't even remember who the idol winner was the year BEFORE Nick Fradiani ... was that Candice Glover's season? And I remembered (yay!) that by bowtie guy I meant Burnell. I liked him. Was he Candice's season? Damn. I can remember EVERYONE from Season 2 and a lot of people from the next several seasons but the last few have been a total blur. I COULD NOT STAND JAX though I did love Joey ... glad she's hooked up with the PMJ deal. 

[waving feather]

I love Trent. He's so bizarre lol.

Heh. That's 40% of what I like about Trent. I do like his voice but he's always strange / interesting enough to be really compelling to me.

[kili]

Anyway, no, I meant that I couldn't even remember who the idol winner was the year BEFORE Nick Fradiani ... was that Candice Glover's season?

 

Candice won season 12. The winner before Nick was Caleb (the guy who dueted with Sonika). Kelly-Ruben-Fantasia-Carrie-Taylor-Jordin-David C-Kris-Lee-Scotty-Phillip-Candice-Caleb-Nick

 

And I remembered (yay!) that by bowtie guy I meant Burnell. I liked him. Was he Candice's season?

 

Yes.

Edited February 26, 2016 by kili

[worleybird]

I would love to see the babies Dalton and Trent would make. Those boys are fiiine!

[WhineandCheez]

La Porsha's hair looks less old broccoli-ish because they put a light brown rinse on it to take out the yellow-green cast it had.  They won't be changing the big fro style though, she seems to be pretty proud of her hair per the intro photo shoot that kept highlighting it.

 

I really love Olivia, both her look and her voice.  However, my moral code would not allow me to vote for someone who took on the fake last name "Roxx." Same with Jax last year.

 

I'm totally surprised that America "got it right" last night.  I was 1000% expecting Daniel Seavey, I mean, Jeneve Rose to be thrust upon us for weeks and weeks.  Same with Jen. this year's Joey.  And Hiccuping Boi.   Here's hoping Gianna and Tristan are ousters next week.  Afraid  for Lee and Avalon, becuase they're both pretty low key.