S15.E17: Top 8 Perform

[MarkHB]

America has spoken! Find out which finalists have made it to the Top 8 and who will have to say goodbye. (550th episode)

[AshleyLyn]

Holy cow talk about being surprised! I expected Avalon to be sacrificed but thank you for Gianna being gone!

I think Dalton is having confidence issues. I hope he overcomes that.

Trenton did very well.

Edited March 4, 2016 by AshleyLyn

[TheGreenKnight]

I was wrong to feel optimistic about this season after last week. Didn't care for any of the performances tonight except for Avalon (even Sonika and La'Porsha disappointed). Thank God--for once--these judges picked the one deserving to stay and not the one they've pimped. So glad Olivia is gone!

 

I'm predicting Sonika will go next week, since women pretty much go one after another at the beginning. And of course Tristan won't go this week because of the Christian pandering. *rolls eyes* I'm glad this show's going out.

 

I realized Dalton looks like he could be Jena Irene's brother. They are very similar now that I think about it; eyeliner, pop-rock, muddled words, etc.

[Diana Berry]

Right decision by the judges. But Gianna does seem like a very sweet girl.

[Suzysite]

Am I the only one who can't stand Avalon?  I was really really hoping she was going home.   It actually shocked me that she was saved.   But then again these are the same judges who liked Jeneve.

Edited March 4, 2016 by Suzysite

[designing1]

 

I was wrong to feel optimistic about this season after last week. Didn't care for any of the performances tonight except for Avalon (even Sonika and La'Porsha disappointed). Thank God--for once--these judges picked the one deserving to stay and not the one they've pimped. So glad Olivia is gone!

 

I agree with all of this and I'm shocked the judges chose the right contestant to stay. I hope Avalon recovers from whatever was giving her facial twitches tonight (nerves? makeup allergies? stifling a sneeze?)

 

I hate that they're already predicting top two. Do they always do that? Before last season I hadn't watched in forever. 

 

Biggest lesson from tonight's show: If your grandchild is competing on American Idol, be sure your health insurance is up to snuff.

Edited March 4, 2016 by designing1

[mojoween]

Doesn't MacKenzie know that is the song opens the Seal? Watch out grandma! Tsaggy is coming for you.

Balls I really wanted Avalon to be the one guaranteed safety, even if she did say "hashtag en fleek."

Ugh again with Tristan's tears. There is just nothing endearing to me about that girl.

I'm still bitter that the show would not clear "When a Man Loves a Woman" for Clay because he would have KILLED IT but yet the next year some chick sang it.

[Jynnan tonnix]

Am I the only one who can't stand Avalon?  I was really really hoping she was going home.   It actually shocked me that she was saved.   But then again these are the same judges who liked Jeneve.

I'm not huge on Avalon either. I guess she is probably more "current", which does nothing for me, really, since I'm an old fart. And she's probably a bit more unique, but since it's all really not my style, it's harder for me to appreciate her strong points.

 

Olivia is very much more a pop princess, and quite shallow, but darn if I didn't find her way more entertaining than Avalon this evening. It will be interesting to see whether she gets picked up by Disney or something, as I do think she could be quite marketable to that crowd. Her range really impressed me tonight as well. She may have been groomed to this from the cradle, but she does seem to have drive of her own. I was quite surprised that they universally preferred Avalon given those two performances.

 

Gianna was definitely the weakest tonight, and it was time for her to go.

 

Initially I was surprised that Tristan went through both Avalon and Olivia by votes, but thought she was legitimately very good tonight.

 

No one else really did much for me, to be honest, though I'd liked Dalton and Mackenzie thus far.

 

Sonika lost whatever spark she found last week, though I hope she can recapture it.

 

La'Porsha is a impressive singer, but is starting to bore me. She looked like a star, though!

 

I can't warm up to Trenton even though he probably has the best male voice this season just as far as having a good, pure tone. I just don't really care for the way he uses it.

 

I like Lee, but still always manage to forget he is there.

 

Is that everyone, or is there still someone even more forgettable in there?

 

edited because while I may have thought Tristan was good tonight, she was not god.

Edited March 4, 2016 by Jynnan tonnix

[rereader2]

I hope Avalon recovers from whatever was giving her facial twitches tonight (nerves? makeup allergies? stifling a sneeze?

 

I was thinking she got some mascara in her eye, or maybe a fake eyelash or something.

[HelloLucy1]

Let's be real..Trent & La'Porsha can easily dominate IF they play their cards right.. Avalon is good...but she won't last, she is stuck in box..although I think she had the third best performance tonight..After Trent & La'Porsha. Something is off about Tristan, she isn't thesame girl from the audition.AND I'm sick of the sob stories.I think Lee has so much potential..his performance tonight was good..but it could've been better..same with Sonika, her song choice sucked. McKenzie... And Dalton simply have the votes to stay longer IMO & that's all I can say when it comes to them. Olivia sent her self home with that song choice and Gianna needs my vocal training, she wasn't ready from the get go.

Edited March 4, 2016 by HelloLucy1

[27bored]

What is wrong with Demi Lovato? She has a strong voice with little singing ability.

[HelloLucy1]

Also...I need Trent & La'Porsha to switch it up..Both of them are so good..to the point you can predict what they will sing..all they need to do is switch it up. I think it will be easy for La'Porsha to do..especially looking at her YouTube channel (Chandelier, Roar.. etc)... Trent, hopefully he can pull out a few surprises.. Although they are good at what they do, it will help them more.Both of them are in their own lane..so they should play their card's right.

Edited March 4, 2016 by HelloLucy1

[Waldo13]

Why doesn't Jennifer just pick the winner and screw the voting. Jennifer hates cute blonde girls who have way more talent than she does. It use to be Randy who had the same comments every year and that has now been taken over by Jennifer. Keith and Harry aren't far behind. This is the final and worst season of them all.

[HelloLucy1]

"the Top Six will sing the AMERICAN IDOL Songbook, featuring the most-performed songs from past seasons of AMERICAN IDOL"

Seriously, and IFY another double elimination next week.. Obviously.

Edited March 4, 2016 by HelloLucy1

[PhD-Purgatory15]

I feel like tonight on the whole, emphasized the limitations and where these contestants are lacking more than doing anything else. I'm still floored that the judges saved Avalon. When it got down to Fifteenness and her in the last 4 I just assumed there was no way she would survive without the fan vote. Even after she dominated Olivia and Gianna in the sing for your survival bottom 3, I thought JLo's words about taking everything into consideration was going to be cover for choosing Olivia to go forward. Super happy for Avalon even though I think her AI expiration date is next week or two weeks from now. I don't see her (even if she gives Earned It level performances) cracking the Top 5 really.

 

Dalton was underwhelming. When you do a song that has been done to death in the audition rounds and Hollywood week it needs to be fresher than that. He needs to go back to left field choices like Phantom of the Opera or was it Patsy Cline he did in HW? He needs to shake himself out of a funk.

 

Lee clearly has more fans that I thought. I had him pegged for the bottom 3. His range is almost non-existent so I'm afraid critiques like JLo's go bigger or stretch yourself farther might be the kiss of death. Even worse pitch issues may arise if he does that. I would like to see him just sit at a piano (like he was in the behind the scenes clip they showed) and sing a song. Maybe the pitch would get better and he could engage into the song better.

 

Sonika I made a similar comment in her own thread, but if you are trying on an "angry girlfriend" persona to connect with and sell a song....and you yourself have not been any kind of girlfriend, that would be a giant flashing caution sign to me IMO. Despite that, I'm still pulling for her (and maybe some residual goodwill from last week and doing a super well known Kelly song will help) because she to me has the most attractive voice that with the right team behind her could appeal to the widest spread of fans. Unless I'm crazy biased. With Lee and Tristan's vote totals this week, she or Avalon are probably doomed next week regardless.

 

MacKenzie Still felt like this was MacKenzie on cruise control. If he has the option, I'd do another original next week.

 

La'Porshae Following up Rihanna with Beyonce. You could've knocked me over with a feather lol. The inevitability factor (reminiscent of the last three Voice Seasons) and how they are using her to basically pat every other contestant on the head is just annoying. I thought the first half of that song was underwhelming. When she strips out the majority of all her vocal gymnastics....she doesn't have a particularly captivating voice. Can she sell one particular kind of performance? Yes. Was the finishing break a different/unique way to do that song? Yes. But Borchetta has to feel his heart sink with every drawn out audience cheer. He will drop her like a hot rock or find a loophole in the contractual language to keep BM from ever dealing with her. And that would be less than a fitting end to AI.

 

Trent I liked how he is working on his facial expressions. I get some of the same sensations listening to Trent as I do Sam Smith and Adele in that whether I like or dislike how they are singing can change word to word and sometimes even in the middle of individual words. This performance I mostly liked....although you could tell he didn't quite pull of the ending the way he wanted to.

 

Tristan The fact that she was at least 6th or 7th in the voting following a trainwreck performance doesn't bode well for those of us who'd like to see her gone. Then on top of that she pulls one out of the Kristy Lee Cook or pick any inspirational song ever sung on The Voice playbook. Tristan and Borchetta get a slow, knowing head nod for that decision. She's better when she doesn't move around the stage and she's best at the piano. So I expect her to sail through next week too.

 

Avalon Definitely picked the right song. She had to set the bar so high going first, I think they wanted any reason to keep Olivia cause they didn't see her falling in the Bottom 3 this quickly. She's still one of only about 3 who I might keep up post-AI to see how their careers take off (or don't).

 

Would've traded Olivia for Tristan or Lee. Vocally she has ability.....but she also seemed programmed by RadioDisney when it came to her stage presence. Like she was mimicking step for step move for move other music video/live performances she'd seen over and over and internalized.

 

Bye Gianna....no matter how much smoke JLo blew in your direction you had no business in the Top 24 in the first place. The fact that you got to Top 10 is just ridiculous. With that said, I'm sure your Mom will trot you out again for AGT 2017 or 3 Voice seasons from now. We'll see how ready you are then...

 

That HCJ song was.......interesting.

Edited March 4, 2016 by PhD-Purgatory15

[ShutUpFlanders]

From Best to Worst:

 

La'Porsha – La. Freaking. Porsha. Nuff said.

 

Trent – I'm kind of feeling a Sonika/Trent/La'Porsha final 3. That was easily the best male performance since the semis and finals began.

 

Avalon – She dug her heels in. Man, she should've sang this last week. Damn it all.

 

Sonika – Not sure she should've gone with a Kelly Clarkson song a week after Clarkson decimated the stage with "Piece by Piece." I do appreciate that Sonika's trying to show up some pop chops and upbeat qualities. Killer vocal.

 

Tristan – The best she's performed by far. I'm not sure how competitive she can really be, there were still a few pitch problems, but this was her at her most connected. However, why the hell are they giving her a standing ovation though. Did they not hear Trent and La'Porsha? Also, I'm going to hell for this but I'm over the whole Tristan crying thing.

 

Olivia – Victim of the first slot of doom and cute boys. She just did way too much vocally for my tastes, but the performance was solid. She should not have gone home. Robbed.

 

MacKenzie – I like him but this was not the right song for him. I thought he was smarter than that.

 

Lee – Well, you can't say he didn't try. He was alright, but his pitch isn't where it needs to be.

 

Dalton – That was pretty plain and went nowhere interesting. It really exposed him as a meh singer when he's not hiding behind a rearrangement.

 

Gianna – Could she have had a worse pre-performance clip? "I know I shouldn't choose this, but screw you guys!" Kind of like the Pia one during Elton John week.

 

Should Go Home next week – Lee and Tristan (too little, too late)
Will Be Bottom 3 – MacKenzie, Lee, and Avalon.

[cmahorror]

I am thrilled that Avalon was saved but she needs to start exploring the back catalog of R&B and find some things that stretch her vocally and allows her to interpret the song. I agree with Kelly from last week - I usually don't like what she sings but I like the way she sings it.

 

Expected Gianna to be gone but thought Olivia would hang on for at least another couple of weeks.

 

LaPortia is just too much for me - I would love for her to sing a song straight without any runs or melisma. These people need to watch Kelly's performance from last week and see what simple singing and emotion can do. Hell, just watch Stuff Like That from her season of AI - that was a moment that changed a lot of people's opinion about her and probably led to her eventual win.

[Rick Kitchen]

Dalton wakes up with his eye makeup already on?

 

Lee Jean has great stage presence.  He knows how to play the crowd and use the mike.

 

Damn, Demi's screeching was enough to make the dogs in the neighborhood howl.

 

Didn't like Sonika tonight, and I've liked her before this.  Her performance was pretty lackluster, and off key pretty bad.

 

Ugh, did not like Mackenzie this time at all.

 

What the f*** is La'Porsha wearing!!!!!?????  They talked about her hair, but did they dye it?  That angel stuff behind her was ridiculous, too.  But she was good.

 

Harry has a "current hit"?  On what radio stations?

 

Trent was good, though he was still pulling faces.  That's him, Borchetta, just stfu.

 

Wow, Tristan was really good.

 

I LOVED Avalon!  She killed it!

 

wtf was that song Olivia allegedly "sang"?  That's a Grammy winning song? Yeah, there were things in her voice we have never heard before, and we don't want to hear it again.

 

Oh, shut up, Gianna.  God doesn't care who wins this thing.  Not very good, but then, I've never thought she was very good. I'm sure her mother will find her work in the industry.  Maybe sweeping stages after her performances.

[TeeMo]

I have liked Trent all along and I loved him tonight. I would buy his album, I would see his show and I can't say that about any of the rest of them. He also seems to be working really hard at making himself work in this format and that is appealing.

So glad they saved Avalon. I could not watch another week of the Disney Channel pink pop rocker Olivia with her weird pronunciations. I loved that Avalon addressed the makeup stuff. Can we all stop debating it now?

Tristan needs to cheer up and stop bursting into tears week after week. Vulnerability is fine but this girl seems as fragile as a baby bird. She seems too young and ill-equipt to deal with the brutal nature of the music business at this point. She'll be eaten alive. Gianna doesn't have the voice but seems better suited to working in this business.

Mackenzie, Lee and Dalton were all snoozefests. Sonika was just so-so for her. LaPorsha grew on me as that performance went on.

[niklj]

I hate how they are doing a sing-off thing this year, it makes our votes seem less powerful.

 

Hope Sonika is the dark horse of this season, she's got growing to do, but I'd rather listen to an album of her than LaPorsha.

[UsernameFatigue]

The only performances I liked tonight were Trent, Avalon and Tristan. Though Tristan's age really showed when she was crying because Scott didn't like her song choice. Aren't she and Lee the only really young contestants left?

 

After the discussion of Keith eating cauliflower, when I saw that La'Porsha had dyed her hair black all I could think when she was singing was that it was a good thing she didn't go for a platinum blonde colour or Keith may have tried to snack on it. 

 

Dalton is normally my fav but I hated his performance tonight. But then again I hate that song. I did really like Harry's performance though.

[Swedish Chef]

That pretty much proved to me that they are not going to find the next Kelly. What a snooze.

I think La'Porsha, Avalon, and Mackenzie are the only ones left whom I still enjoy. The rest are meh to bad. Sonika's Since You Been Gone was bloodless and dull and undid a lot of the good will she earned from me last week.

Too bad that Olivia is going, but she still has some growing to do vocally. I could see her becoming something in a few years, though, which is more than I can say for most of the remaining contestants.

Thank Jeebus I don't have to listen to Gianna butcher another song next week. Small favors.

[Neet]

Dalton - He has a really weak voice and further hurt himself by doing one of the most covered songs of the past few years. It's hard to tell if his self deprecation is genuine or not, since the idea of him possibly losing out this early in the season to somebody like Gianna has crossed nobody's mind. J Lo said "I heard you in your package, don't get in your head. It's not about trying to top what everybody else does." She must not have paid enough attention (as usual), since Dalton explicitly said he was trying to be the best at the specific things HE does that sets him apart.

Lee Jean - Even when he tries something else, I still get the same effect from it. His voice sounds the same on every song, and this might as well been a heavier Ed Sheeran cover for all the freshness he gave it.

Sonika - I heard no "angry girlfriend", more like "abused girlfriend". She didn't give much fire to the song, it was almost sappy.

Mackenzie - I really wish he'd do something above a 5/10 at best because I keep assuming he's going to do the performance of the night until dropping the ball. He's so monotone and devoid of power, I thought I heard Scott say he had to work on that before singing.

La'Porsha - So much of the song was a cappella, it at least showed how well she can sing compared to some of the younger guys. It's easy to notice how much needless fluff/runs she tacks on, though.

Trent - The comments about the faces he makes were distracting to me, since that was all I was looking for during his performance. Still pretty good, and it's nice that he's making an effort to stop the expressions because a lot of people were pointing them out. Of course, worrying about that may have hindered his singing a bit.

Tristan - Maybe her next song choice will be Janis Joplin's version of 'Cry Baby' with all of the breakdowns she has. I had no reason to think she wouldn't be in the bottom three, but she ended up doing quite well with the song that replaced 'Clarity', which probably wouldn't have been as good. Also, I thought it was weird she said her Grandpa "found out he broke his back". It sounds like a pregnancy announcement, as I'd imagine breaking your back would be rather obvious in the moment.

____
French Montana vs. Hannah Montana vs. ....Gianna:

Avalon - The Weeknd always sounds difficult to cover, so I was opposed to this until about halfway through when I pretended it wasn't his song. She was pretty solid.

Olivia - She probably knew she was going home, so there was no reason not to do everything on the stage. I liked it, and it's kind of weird how she seemed to be pushed as a bit of a front runner only a week or two ago.

Gianna - Going out with a whimper, IMO.

It felt like a waste of time for Avalon to go first and then have two lesser performers sing and then get cut, but whatever. 
Not a terrible show, though Demi singing her first song with the Idols was awful and I thought Harry's voice was incredibly lame given the music theory he used to spout. It sounded like he was talking more than singing. The song he did wasn't that great, either.

I wonder how much longer Dalton has if his mediocre voice is beginning to show. Soon enough I'll believe his shocked reactions to going through every week when it gets down to the top 6, 4, etc...

[Sentient Meat]

As the era of competitive reality shows slowly closes in on its second decade, I'm always mystified when I read comments like "This show should have ended ten years ago.".  Maybe it's because I look at them more as a distant cousin of sports programming where some seasons are better than others but if you get the right cast of contestants sometimes magic still can happen.  Clearly like Survivor, The Amazing Race, or Big Brother, the show still has a small but loyal following, and short of a brilliantly conceived Empire spinoff, my mind boggles at what Fox could possibly come up with next January that could even pull close to a 2.0 rating every week.  And mind you, it pulls those ratings in spite of the repulsive Scott Borchetta, a panel of competent but boring judges, and a terribly uninspired song selection process.

 

Imagine if someone with Pharrell's charisma replaced Scott... and they used old alumni like Kelly, Adam or Clay as judges.  It wouldn't beat TBBT or Modern Family but it would easily pull NCIS or Survivor type ratings.

 

Anyway, sorry for the off topic rant... I'm just disappointed to see a promising season fall apart under this rushed format.  Maybe they need to do a show with alternating Idols and Idolettes... like the Bachelor/Bachelorette so talented women don't keep getting prematurely eliminated by less talented male singers.

 

I'm glad Avalon was saved over Olivia but it really should be Lee that left along with Gianna. 

 

The thing always liked about Idol over The Voice is how it would give you time with the contestants so that you would truly get to know them over the course of the season rather than racing through a season like March Madness.  In fact if you think about it, maybe that's part of the reason why Idol alums have been so much more successful than its newer shinier competitor.

[Jextella]

Hmmm. Rather blasé show tonight, right?!?!

 

• Sonika demonstrated that while she has a lovely voice, she isn't a bookend to Kelly C.
• Gianna also showed a serious lack of vocal chops relative to previous performances
• Olivia sang a craptastic song that completely failed to engage. 
• Avalon seems like she doesn't want to be their and pretty much gave a "F-you" to the song dude....and maybe the entire process. 
• Lee Jean's and Mackenzie's lack of range really showed their performance limitations
• Dalton is Tean Beat material

 

The one who shined the brightest tonight was Tristan.  Oddly enough.  The song was perfect for her at the time she needed it.  Trent and La Porsha are 2&3. 

• Trent gave us something new ... glad his facial moves were addressed; it helped ... a little
• La Porsha was the same - always a good singer but not quite a performer yet

Edited March 4, 2016 by Jextella

[viajero]

Coming after what we saw on The Voice this week, this was a real letdown.  It only served to show the weaknesses in all the contestants.

 

My mood wasn’t helped by the ridiculousness of Avalon and Olivia getting voted into the bottom 3.  At least I do think the judges made the right choice between the two. Tristan did do a lot better tonight, but Lee didn’t do enough to make me think he shouldn’t have been the one going home instead of Olivia

 

Of the rest, La’Porsha and Trent were fairly good, without reaching the heights of previous performances. In contrast, Dalton was the biggest disappointment.  Horrible song choice for him. 

 

I also completely agree with Harry that Mackenzie didn’t go far enough in making “I Want to Dance with Somebody” his own. Instead, his arrangement only served to highlight his lack of range. It wasn’t bad, but for the second week in a row he wasn’t up to the standard he set earlier in the season.  He seems to be on a downward trajectory.

 

If I had to rate the performances, it would be as follows:

 

Good:  La'Porsha, Trent and Avalon

 

Above Average: Tristan and Sonika Vaid

 

Barely Acceptable: MacKenzie, Olivia and Lee

 

Poor: Dalton

 

Awful: Gianna

 

I would send Lee and Tristan home next week, but I fear for Avalon.

[waving feather]

Holy smokes, I'm sort of in love with Trent's performance. I mean I've liked him for a while now but he really gave his heart and soul in that one. I did notice he was a bit self conscious about his facial expressions during the performance but I rather take ugly faces with good vocals and connection than otherwise. So keep doing you, Trenton!

[OakGoblinFly]

Has Demi Lovato always been that bad?  I thought the only girl who sounded decent next to her was Sonika, having the most radio friendly pop voice of the group.

 

Bandzilla strikes again and makes it nearly impossible to hear Lee or Mackenzie.

 

Jennifer looked stunning; that dress was so flattering and I liked the make-up and hair.  Too bad she spoiled her look with some of her over-the-top stupid comments.  Thank you so much for crowning LaPorsha the winner; nice to know there's no need for me to vote.  <rolls eyes>.

 

I didn't enjoy many of the performances tonight - I liked Trent and I liked Avalon (that was a perfect song for her) and I like Sonika (even if she was a bit to peppy on that song).

 

Dalton disappointed and Lee and Mackenzie were predicable. 

 

Also predicable, LaPorsha - I don't get why the judges, powers-that-be, and the audience were losing their collective poop over that performance; I thought it was (once again) highly indulgent and froth with clichéd runs.  Not. A. Fan.

 

Tristan sounded screechy when she sang the Lovato song but was better on her solo song (even though I thought it was a highly manipulative choice).  I can’t quite put my finger on what it is, however there is something about her that reads as extremely artificial – and not artificial in the highly calculated Olivia vain (who only seems calculated in performance, otherwise she seems very genuine). 

Ginna really couldn’t hang vocally – though I do wonder what she’ll sound like with a few years maturity and training – however she seems like a very sweet, dorky girl – I like that about her.

I did not like Harry’s song.

[Shades of Red]

Dalton wakes up with his eye makeup already on?

Damn, Demi's screeching was enough to make the dogs in the neighborhood howl.

 

What the f*** is La'Porsha wearing!!!!!?????  They talked about her hair, but did they dye it?  That angel stuff behind her was ridiculous, too.  But she was good.

Yes, Dalton wakes up with him guy liner on.  He talked about this last week with Ryan and made me laugh when he did.  What does he do when he's not on the show that his schedule is so regimented?  He sounds as if his days are very scheduled and he doesn't deviate from them no matter what.

 

Couldn't agree more about Demi!  Wow, that was horrible!!

 

I think they're starting slow with La'Porsha's hair.  It does look like it's been dyed.  Looking at the wings behind her made me think of Lucifer and took me out of the performance a bit.

 

I've only watched the first half of the show so far, but have to say if the second half is as boring as the first half then everyone picked shitty songs and didn't perform very well.  I dislike the song that Dalton sang so much that I switch the radio station anytime it comes on and ff'd through any performance that has appeared on my tv.  He needs to go back to classics that are unexpected instead of trying more current and overused stuff.  He should check out Jacob's performances on Canadian Idol and take some cues from that.  

 

If people are going to sing iconic songs with memorable parts in them, then they need to step up and make their version as memorable or better if they are going to change things up.  In the first half of the show, none of the contestants had "a moment" with their iconic songs.  I kept waiting for something/anything to say "wow, that's awesome" but was disappointed time and again.

[Primetimer]

Demi Lovato brings out the best in the Top Ten, but only eight are left standing by the end of the night.

Read the story

[Duke Silver]

Sad to say since this is the final season, but I've stopped watching.  The performances are just way too poor/mehhh to keep me engaged.  I really enjoy reading everyone's thoughts, however.  Goodbye show...I honestly won't miss you.

[proserpina65]

I'd have substituted Olivia for Tristan, but otherwise I can't really complain about the Top 8 when Avalon stayed and Gianna mercifully went home.  Avalon's performance last night exemplified for me what Kelly said about taking songs she didn't like and making them good, because I hate that song but her performance of it was terrific.  She definitely deserved the last spot over Olivia, who I like but did not give her best performance, and Gianna, who has the technical ability but can't emote to save her life.

 

The other performances were all pretty good, even Tristan's.  In fact, that was the first performance of hers that I've actually liked.  I was afraid for a moment that La'Porsha was going to get carried away with runs, but then she reined it in at the end for a very soft note which, imo, redeemed any excess there was earlier in the song.

 

And (and I am loathe to say this) Scott Borchetta actually gave the contestants good advice.  He was right about Tristan needing to change songs and he was spot on about Gianna's inability to make an emotional connection.  Now I need to go take a shower after complimenting SB.

 

 

[goodbyeglittergirl]

I was shocked Olivia was sent packing - not because she was great, but just because I thought the show was in love with her. However, now we're stuck with Tristan for another week. She seems like a nice girl but I just hate the way she sings and I don't think she's cut out for this.

 

I thought Harry sounded awful tonight. I did not like his song and in the beginning especially it sounded like it was coming off of the rails. 

[proserpina65]

I hate that they're already predicting top two. Do they always do that? Before last season I hadn't watched in forever.

 

I do too, but JLo's probably wrong anyway.  No way that either Dalton or MacKenzie isn't in the top two.

[damnman]

I can't with McKenzie and the way he gapes his mouth open after the last line or before he starts the next one.

 

LaPorsha I can't figure out whether she's genuine or a hell on wheels diva, my money's on the diva.

 

I can't stand Trent, I don't know if its his looks or what but as soon as he comes on I ff - I don't have a clue if he's any good I've never heard him.

 

Poor pretty boy Dalton, that was horrible...

 

I think the right 2 went home, Avalon, I can't figure out what it is with her but I really like it.

 

Tristian is really very cute and very pretty, that is all...

 

Lee Jean is really very cute, that is all...

 

Sonika - girl can sing but wow is she b-o-r-i-ng.

[PamelaMaeSnap]

Bottom 3 was probably based on the fact that Avalon continues to be completely forgettable and Olivia and Gianna, despite the power-pimping, are simply unlikeable. 

 

The judges may have thought everyone would love their pink-haired princess as much as they did but the voting must have been so overwhelmingly against Roxamillion that they realized to protest would be pointless and just cut her as the dead weight she is before they lose some of their other TCOs (especially since Tristan had a good night). 

 

But Roxamillion's parents can buy her a new movie to make it up to her.

 

Seriously, this is the first time that the two I desperately wanted off of my screen were both eliminated. 

 

Team La'Porsha. And I'd like to see Lee hang around a while longer simply because while he's a few years shy of being ready to be an American Idol, he's pretty delightful.

[Jillybean]

Am I the only one who can't stand Avalon?  I was really really hoping she was going home.   It actually shocked me that she was saved.   But then again these are the same judges who liked Jeneve.

 

Nope, Mr. Jillybean and I can't stand her, either. However, we knew she would be saved because she is a judges' favorite for some reason we don't understand.

 

I suspect Avalon had the lowest # of votes, so the judges choosing from the bottom three was their way of keeping her in the competition.  It's too bad the show not manipulates the results in this way, rather than the contestant with the lowest # of votes being sent home as was done for most seasons. Idol is such a farce anymore.

Edited March 4, 2016 by Jillybean

[proserpina65]

Why doesn't Jennifer just pick the winner and screw the voting. Jennifer hates cute blonde girls who have way more talent than she does. It use to be Randy who had the same comments every year and that has now been taken over by Jennifer. Keith and Harry aren't far behind. This is the final and worst season of them all.

Although overall I sort of agree with you, last night Jennifer's comments about some of the performances were on the nail.  Which is a rare enough occurance to be worthy of noting it.

[proserpina65]

Also, I thought it was weird she said her Grandpa "found out he broke his back". It sounds like a pregnancy announcement, as I'd imagine breaking your back would be rather obvious in the moment.

 

Not necessarily, it depends on the type of break and the reason for it.  It's possible to have small fractures in the spine and not know it right away, especially if you have osteoporosis.  Not saying her grandfather has it, but a great-aunt of mine did and had nearly a dozen fractures before an x-ray caught them; she was in some pain, but not as much as you'd expect.

[Tosia]

Thanks all for confirming why I fast forwarded through most of the show last night. Boring. I thought it was just me getting sick of these performers way too soon. No one who is really compelling to watch. ...or maybe it's the AI manipulation of these youngsters. Although I like Trent and Avalon, maybe because they don't seem to be pimped so much.

Olivia is such a phony chipmunk. Why was she smiling while talking about her severe flu symptoms? Must be the most interesting thing to happen to her in 15 years. Makes me wonder if Trent really was contagious. Glad she is gone.

Gianna's mom is not doing her any favors pushing her into performing too soon. Let her get through her teens at least. Jeez.

[inandout]

Scott Borchetta pimping his favorite Tristan, while throwing La'Porsha under the bus.  He did the same thing to Clark last year.  That's how we ended up with Nick Who?  IMO, the worse mistake Idol ever made was bringing this guy on as a mentor.  Jimmy Iovine was a lot more effective.

 

In his Taste of Country chat, three paragraphs are devoted to how great Tristan’s performance will be and how he spent time helping her prepare for this week. Specifically, the piece mentioned preparing Tristan to face off against “front runner” LaPorsha Renae, who Scott warns may face trouble if she doesn’t improve week after week.
While Clarkson told the audience and millions of viewers at home that the Mississippi native Renae had just won the competition, Borchetta didn’t see it the same way. Yes, her version of Rihanna‘s “Diamonds” was wonderful, but unless she continues to improve, fans will forget. Entitlement is the fastest route to elimination.
“We have to make sure we’re helping her [Renae] find songs that continue to show growth with her,” he insists. In addition, they need to work on some technical aspects of her rehearsal and performance. Renae doesn’t warm up, and that’s going to be an issue if she’s not careful.
“This week was the first week that her voice cracked. Myself and her vocal coach were going ‘Look, if you think you’re singing a lot now, wait until you get a record deal.’”
“On the other hand, she’s extraordinarily talented. She’s got an amazing voice. She’s got a great story and she’s definitely a frontrunner.”
http://www.mjsbigblog.com/american-idol-judges-will-save-a-singer-from-the-bottom-3.htm

 

[Sparkling Beth]

If we could put Trent's voice in Dalton's body, we'd have an unstoppable contestant.  I like Dalton's look and personality, but he didn't do himself any favors last night, especially with that song choice.  I had my two brothers and my brother's ex-wife over for dinner and Idol-watching last night, and before the show started, we began naming songs that should be permanently banned from the show for having been done too often or just being bad songs.  (My choice was "Don't Want to Miss a Thing" which I despise with the intensity of a supernova.)  No one mentioned "Radioactive" but as soon as it was clear that Dalton was singing it, we all shouted, "That one!"

[waving feather]

Scott Borchetta better not throw Trent and La'Porsha under the bus to get his Tristan into the finale. Sweet kid, with a great voice but she doesn't know who she is yet and can't perform.

 

This is the first time I found Dalton bad. I've always low-key enjoyed him but this Radioactive performance was all kinds of embarrassing. Not only did the arrangement suck but also the staging with the cheesy background and fog. Whose brilliant idea was that?

 

Avalon's voice is only nice in small doses but I get annoyed when I have to listen to her in a full song. I'm not sure what it is. She definitely can sing though.

 

I guess the right two went home? Gianna was never going to click and Olivia is not ready. Olivia is talented, but she needs to be comfortable in her own skin to do well as a performer. She's often tentative and awkward. Same with Tristan. I mean come on, it's a sign that the 15/16-year-olds are the first to go home and the two oldest contestants (Trent and La'Porsha) are doing well on the show.

Edited March 4, 2016 by waving feather

[Ketzel]

"the Top Six will sing the AMERICAN IDOL Songbook, featuring the most-performed songs from past seasons of AMERICAN IDOL"

Seriously, and IFY another double elimination next week.. Obviously.

There is something seriously wrong with these producers. A whole show of "songs the audience hoped and prayed would never be performed again by immature amateurs on a competitive singing show"?

[TheGreenKnight]

This is the first time I found Dalton bad. I've always low-key enjoyed him but this Radioactive performance was all kinds of embarrassing. Not only did the arrangement suck but also the staging with the cheesy background and fog. Whose brilliant idea was that?

I have a feeling Dalton is going the way of Sam Woolf right now. The show/judges want him, but he never delivers what they saw in the early rounds and flames out early.

[ari333]

Bottom 3 was probably based on the fact that Avalon continues to be completely forgettable and Olivia and Gianna, despite the power-pimping, are simply unlikeable. 

 

The judges may have thought everyone would love their pink-haired princess as much as they did but the voting must have been so overwhelmingly against Roxamillion that they realized to protest would be pointless and just cut her as the dead weight she is before they lose some of their other TCOs (especially since Tristan had a good night). 

 

But Roxamillion's parents can buy her a new movie to make it up to her.

 

Seriously, this is the first time that the two I desperately wanted off of my screen were both eliminated. 

 

Team La'Porsha. And I'd like to see Lee hang around a while longer simply because while he's a few years shy of being ready to be an American Idol, he's pretty delightful.

 

THIS ^^^^

 

I hate runs and I really really hate too many runs.,,, La Porsha. Her dress was stunning.

 

Some of those folks sounded screechy to me. Did I mention that I also hate screechy? heh

 

Rox is unlikeable for me too. Also, it seemed like the same line over and over and she aint no Pink. And her scrunchy Taylor Swift faces that she pulls...blarg.

 

Tristan, for crying out loud, pun intended, GO AWAY.

 

Keith cant believe those three are in the bottom? Who was supposed to be there, Keith?

 

Demi was awful Yikes.

 

I usually love Harry, but that was just bad imo.

 

That song was too big for Dalton. I still like him for the obvi reasons. :-)

[Sparkling Beth]

 

Keith cant believe those three are in the bottom? Who was supposed to be there, Keith?

That's the question I always wish Ryan would ask when one of the judges says something like that. 

[ari333]

Did they not pimp out Demi's appearing on the show? Bc I didn't know til I saw her there.

 

Also, did they pull a fast one and let the judges choose the folks going home? I mean was that explained last week or what? Maybe this idea goes on the Knoll :-) bc it smells fishy.

Edited March 4, 2016 by ari333

[Qoass]

I missed the memo on that too.  It seems the producers don't trust America to vote.  Then again after last night's presidential debate, they may have a point.

 

I think next week La'Porsha should do something fast and light with a big smile on her face, her hair pulled back and a simple outfit.  Change it up and show how versatile she can be.  But please, not another Tina Turner tribute.

[mojoween]

I absolutely hated what she did at the end of "Halo" with the pause...silence...SCREEEEEEEECH. Well that's what it sounded like to me anyways. I thought it would be melodical and it just was not.