S15.E18: Top 6 Perform

[ari333]

There is a whole thread about Taylor Swift in the Music forum, if you are so interested.

Thank you. I didnt' know we had a music forum. Awesome.

[proserpina65]

IE La Porsha's clothes.  She looked good in the jeans outfit, made her look 30 pounds less then those big caftans.

 

I'm not saying she needs to wear caftans.  Well-fitted pants and tops could look great on her, but what she was wearing last night looked awful.  And it didn't help that the front of the pants were so poorly fitted that she looked like she was wearing a diaper.  La'Porsha needs tops which are cut to give her the illusion of a waist and pants which are either straight leg or boot cut; tapering does not work.

 

Oh, and just so it doesn't look like I'm picking on one person, Trent looks too polished now for my tastes.  I liked his hair better which it wasn't slicked back, and I liked the scarves and hats, although possibly not both together.

Edited March 11, 2016 by proserpina65

[Guest]

I don't watch til it's on Hulu but usually after reading these threads on Fri. I'm more excited to see the clothes than hear anything.  

[mojoween]

Dalton sang the most boy band song in boy band history last night and...wasn't so great at it. So I'm thinking a future in a boy band is probably not so much his future.

[27bored]

Dalton isn't just a weak singer, he's an unambitious singer. He's a vocal coach but he sings like he's singing for third-graders. If you want a pitch-perfect, sensitive rendition of The Rainbow Song, Dalton's your man.

[ari333]

Dalton sang the most boy band song in boy band history last night and...wasn't so great at it. So I'm thinking a future in a boy band is probably not so much his future.

 

I said that bc I think he needs 4 or 5 others singing with him. :-)

[Ohwell]

Mackenzie's voice sounds like sandpaper on a wall with just a hint of Kermit the Frog.  I just can't get into him.

 

Trent skeeves me out when he sings, so while he has a good voice, I don't like looking at him.

 

LaPorsha looked like she was seven months pregnant in that getup. 

[Archery]

I like that LaPorsha's "Come Together" was so (I hate this word but it fits) sassy.  She was having fun.  Most singers follow MJ's lead and sing it angry, because it is so staccato.  I love the unexpected high notes, and the "You want somma this, don't you" thing she had going with HCJr.  

 

Sad to see Lee go, but I think his voice is perfect for studio work.  With the rough, nervy edges smoothed out, he would make some lovely tracks.  Avalon's voice just wasn't doing it for me, and that song choice totally doomed her.  It didn't showcase her vocal ability. 

 

Someone upthread commented that it wasn't fair that HCJr kind of called out one of the duets for the arrangement of the song. But LaPorsha and Trent managed to arrange their duet for harmony that suited their voices in unexpected ways and figure out what to do with the Wiz Khalifa part (which reminded me of that lady on the Voice last season or the one before who sang Common's rap part in John Legend's "Glory").  As SB said at the beginning, it was up to them to collaborate.  

[Quickbeam]

"I'm not saying she needs to wear caftans. Well-fitted pants and tops could look great on her, but what she was wearing last night looked awful. And it didn't help that the front of the pants were so poorly fitted that she looked like she was wearing a diaper. La'Porsha needs tops which are cut to give her the illusion of a waist and pants which are either straight leg or boot cut; tapering does not work."

I agree 100%. I thought she was very ill served by that outfit.

Sorry I'm not doing great with the quote function.

Edited March 12, 2016 by Quickbeam

[clarkbar]

Also, Sir George Martin, the fifth Beatle, passed away earlier this week, so while it's probably just a coincidence that La'Porsha, Lee, and Dalton perform Beatles songs as their solos, it's also a nice, quiet tribute to a dude who literally shaped pop music%u2026or at least, it would have been, if Ryan (or anyone, really) had bothered to mention George at all.

 

Actually, Keith did give a nice shout-out to Sir George after one of the Beatles songs.

Edited March 12, 2016 by clarkbar

[wiggiebegone]

This is turning out to be the worst season ever since the glover fix..Thankfully I won't ever have to see or hear jlo ever again. I despise her fakeness.. A tasteless fraud.  The last season should have been so much better.      They dumped better talent  than these pretenders. Thought Keith and Harry  let us way down. You all disappoint me. Will never take any of you serious again. Miss Jimmy Iovine   BGM..meh...Glad my dinner had digested before the porsha halloween outfit was inflicted  on us. Low rent for sure.          

[rose711]

They made a terrible mistake with the singers they cut to keep kids who can't handle the pressure or know how to perform.

Maybe they don't care who wins and just want to bring back the past?

[Ketzel]

Watching this group is like trying to eat unripe fruit. These singers are all way too early in their developmental process to be lauded as fully-fledged stars. A few may have the potential to get there, but imo it's even too early to say which few that would be.

[BogoGog24]

I guess I'm in the minority because I didn't think any of the duets were awful. I enjoyed some more than others, of course, but overall I enjoyed them and didn’t think anyone was outright terrible.

 

Trent and La'Porsha - I thought their voices sounded really nice together, they were probably the best duet pairing. I'm rooting for Dalton to be somewhere in the finale this year but if this ends up being our final 2 I won't be mad. They're both vocally very deserving, even if I don't think either of them would probably sell records after the show. Trent maybe if he went the Sam Smith route, La'Porsha I doubt it.

 

Mackenzie and Dalton - I think they were saddled with a dumb song choice. Producers clearly wanted to bank on the fact they're the "heartthrobs" of the season and gave them a famous boyband tune. I can see how it was a little disjointed with Mac being stuck behind the mic stand while Dalton got to move around a little bit but overall I didn’t think it was that bad. I was shocked the judges panned them for this and especially was irritated by the way they criticized them for the song choice when they had nothing to do with it. And I doubt they have very much say, if any, in how the duets are arranged. Telling them they should have said no is just stupid. How do they know they didn’t try? The producers control everything about these duets, from the pairings to the songs to the arrangements. The contestants get little to no say on any of it. SHUT UP. I think they did the best they could with the cards they were dealt. I don’t think either of them would have picked this song for themselves if they had had their choice. I thought their voices blended nicely together and they harmonized well. It was cute and adorable and that’s about all you can expect from something like that. Asking them what the lyrics mean? It’s an insipid boyband song Harry. It’s not supposed to have some deep meaning. Again, SHUT. UP.

 

Sonika and Avalon - I thought their voices blended very nicely together too. Kind of a cool contrast to have the pretty Disney princess balladeer with the laid back tomboy. I didn’t care for how Avalon’s hair was styled here though.

 

Lee and Tristan - I didn’t think this was that bad. I thought their voices sounded really nice together, even if at times Tristan was overdoing it and pushing a bit too hard. I find it interesting that 2 of the pairings received very cool, very current songs (Trent and LP and Sonika and Avalon) while the other 2 received cheesy, outdated songs. Maybe a bit of bussing to take the favorites down a peg? Because viewers complain about too much pimping?

 

On to the solos…

 

La’Porsha - I really liked this. Thought she sounded great and the attitude and swag onstage was terrific. The little play with Harry was amusing. But I thought it was ridiculous how Harry questioned lyrics all night and for the first time he goes “I really understood the lyrics of that!” LOL No you didn’t Harry. No matter who sings this song lyrics like “Toe jam football he one holy roller joo joo eyeball coca cola” will never make any sense. Sometimes songs are just a bunch of random lyrics thrown together and don’t make any sense. NOT EVERYTHING HAS TO HAVE SOME DEEP MEANING SHUT UP HARRY. Anyway, I didn’t like LP’s outfit on this at all. I don’t think it looked flattering on her.

 

MacKenzie - I’m shocked people are loving this. I thought it was mega boring and if anyone has a weak voice in this competition it’s him. I kind of liked Mac before but I’m starting to grow bored of him and I think he’s a one trick pony. He’s adorable and sweet and the one style he can do, he does really well (still love that original song Roses!). But he’s just very limited and I feel like all his performances are the same and he plays things very safe. I’m not sure I even really felt much of an emotional connection to this either, it was just ok for me (ok for you for me dawg). Maybe part of it is that I’ve never been a fan of this particular song anyway.

 

Trent - I really liked this and Trent is my second favorite in the competition after Dalton. If for some reason Dalton gets booted early, Trent will be my horse in the race. I don’t miss the hats and scarves at all, always thought it looked out of place on him with the type of music he sings. I loved his cooler, slicker styling here and think he should keep it. He’s quite handsome I think and this styling really emphasizes that. I wouldn’t mind if Trent won this year. He’s vocally very deserving IMO and I think if he went the way of Sam Smith he could sell records potentially. He’s very humble and sweet too, very likable IMO. I want a Trent/Dalton finale. I’m glad Bing was wrong and Trent was not in the B3. Hope he stays until at least top 3.

 

Tristan - I did not really like this. I thought she gave the performance of the night last week but I think that was just a fluke. She keeps choosing songs that either don’t suit her voice or are too big for her voice. She did a mostly ok job but when she got to the end her voice cracked. And her voice kept going in and out, I thought it might have been an issue with the mic or the sound but I think it was her voice. I think she has a tremendous amount of potential and her voice is very mature sounding for 15, but she just needs more time IMO. I didn’t think she really connected to this like she needed to. I liked Jordin Sparks’s version way better and she was not much older than Tristan when she did that.

 

Dalton - His performance had both positives and negatives for me this week. I think it was a definite improvement from last week and he seemed much more into the song this time (because gee, he got to do a song HE wanted in the way HE wanted?). It was very entertaining and dark and theatrical of course. I loved that he went for the scream at the end and actually pulled it off (not an easy feat considering he’s still battling the flu and a sinus infection). So I give him an A for effort on that. That being said, I think the band tends to drown him out on songs like this. I do have to agree with those who say his voice is not very powerful (but in no way do I think that means he’s a bad singer).

 

His voice really shines the best on acoustic songs, he just has a light tone, but he’s a very skilled and very underrated vocalist IMO. He took voice lessons for years through School of Rock and now works there as a vocal coach. He definitely knows about technique and knows how to use the voice he has. What most people don’t realize about his voice is that it’s just very nuanced. So what if he doesn’t have a big voice like Trent or LP? That doesn’t automatically mean he can’t sing or he’s a bad singer. He plays with dynamics very well and there are times when his voice has a gentle fragility while other times a rawness and a grit comes out and he knows when to use these things at just the right moments of songs. His tone is very pleasing. He always inserts the right emotions into what he sings. He’s never gone out of key or off pitch. Even in times when he’s struggled with his voice due to illness and maybe strained for notes, he was still in tune.

 

It bothers me a lot when people say he’s a weak singer or a bad singer because I know he can sing so much better than what he’s been able to show on Idol and with his song choices. He hinted in a FB chat he’s doing something emotional next week so I hope he’s picked either a ballad or acoustic song. I know he can blow everyone away if he does.

 

With that being said, I’m not and never was a David Cook fan, but I think I have to say David did do this better. Sorry Dalton. I still love you more though lol Oh I loved Keith’s comment comparing him to a waffle iron, that was the best

 

Save me performances:

 

Avalon - This was just the wrong song for this moment in time. She did a sufficient job on it but it vocally didn’t allow her to really show much nor is it emotionally engaging at all. It’s a fluffy filler song. Fine during a concert, not for a singing competition, and definitely not for a “save me” song. Avalon has a really cool voice, nice stage presence, a cool swag about her, but I think the judges were right in cutting her after she’s landed in the bottom twice already and this song just didn’t cut it.

 

Lee - I like what Keith said about nerves and it affecting your pitch because he’s absolutely right. I know from personal experience so I felt for Lee with that and knew that was probably affecting him badly, but that also just shows his inexperience and that he isn’t ready quite yet. I do think he’s got a gorgeous tone to his voice. His problem was he was just too young, too inexperienced, too green, didn’t really know himself as an artist just yet. He’s always sounded pretty good but never emotionally connected to anything he sang. His nerves were really audible in this performance, it was very shaky and he was deservedly cut.

 

Sonika - Out of the 3 the judges made the right choice in saving Sonika IMO. Vocally she gave the best performance of the 3. But I think this lacked the emotion and passion she really needed. She is running out of time to connect with viewers. I think she’s a goner for next week. Very pretty voice, but not much else. I think Bring Me To Life was a fluke.

 

Other:

 

Nick Fradiani - I agree with others about not liking this song. It’s outright terrible and a complete mess, even more so live. It sounds nothing like him at all, way too Maroon 5/Adam Levine wannabe. Hate the falsetto and I think Nick does too. To be honest I like Nick mainly because he’s from my state so it’s cool and exciting to see someone from my area make it big like this, especially on Idol when a northerner rarely gets that far. Musically, outside of a couple songs he’s done, he’s just not my cup of tea and I think he’s too generic/bland, but he’s so darn likable and nice. So I wish him well. Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. But yeah this song is terrible and his live performance was even worse. I’m scared for whoever wins now. And they probably all are too after hearing that. Yikes.

 

WTF was JLo wearing (or not wearing, as the case may be)? I couldn’t tell if it was a negligee or a bathing suit. Terrible terrible styling. Her boobs looked like they were gonna fall out at any second and I was praying she didn’t bounce around too much during any performances or else we’d have had a Janet Jackson moment. She didn’t even look comfortable in that. Oy.

 

By the way, the way they reveal the results is not indicative of number of votes. Results are always announced in no particular order unless Ryan specifically states they aren’t (which barely ever happens I think). Dalton was not in the bottom 4. If anything, he probably received the most votes after fans got scared for him last week. They know he’s a fan favorite and they want to keep people watching, so they saved him for the end to amp up drama. No way he was towards the bottom in voting, no matter how he performed.

 

Prediction for elimination:

 

From now on it’s only going to be one contestant eliminated each week. They’ll most likely do a B2 now instead of B3. I predict the B2 will be Sonika and Tristan, with Sonika going home. One of the contestants (might have been Tristan) revealed there won’t be any more judges’ save (no word on if the Twitter save is coming back though).

 

You can bet if Tristan is in danger that they’ll decide to bring the Twitter save back lol But regardless I think maybe because Sonika is falling so hard Tristan has another week before she’s gone. Sonika is just not doing what she needs to do IMO in order to make it any farther. She is not connecting with voters and Tristan is not much farther behind, no matter how hard Scott is trying to push her.

I can live with a top 5 of Dalton, Mac, Trent, LP, and Tristan, even though vocally I’d prefer Sonika. A final 4 of Dalton, Mac, Trent, and LP would be fine for me.

 

ETA: Now that we are getting down to the wire I only threw votes to Dalton (of course) and Trent (because I'm not sure if he has a fanbase or not). Even though normally I would have also voted for Mac, LP, and Sonika, I can't risk Dalton ending up in the bottom. And I really like Trent and don't want him to leave and I'm unsure if he really has fans or not, so voted for him too. But I'm not voting for anyone else at this point.

Edited March 12, 2016 by BogoGog24

[BogoGog24]

As far as Dalton should be in a boyband, well he was at one point and he didn't really like it, so I don't think that would be a good idea for him. He's more of a frontman than a boybander IMO. He really seems to enjoy fronting bands and rock music is more his style. He doesn't like singing pop songs or doing choreographed dance moves alongside other guys lol He enjoys rocking out and bands allow him to do that. I've watched him perform as the frontman of his band Fly Away Hero and that seems to really be what works for him. If he wins unfortunately he has to sign on as a solo artist but maybe he can pull his old band back together and have them onstage with him (Nick might be doing that with Beach Avenue) or if he doesn't win, he can pull a Daughtry. 

[queenanne]

I think the extra pluses of Dalton (and Mac, if it comes down to it) are the songwriting, and I wouldn't be surprised if this is a consideration for the judges (Borchetta would be esp. interested in this) they're tossing on top of the pile in their performances.  Mac especially can write the songs which suit him and fit in with the current male musical climate.

 

That said, I'm never sure about the contestants who've had one go-round on the Voice and been dismissed.

 

As for the thinness of the field overall, to some extent this is what you can predict you'll get if you (like myself sometimes, I must admit) yearn for contestants who lack polish and previous bites at the apple.  It's like they say about screenplays and people who agree to get involved in bad movies - untried at the beginning, 99% of people look at a first script and think they've got "Citizen Kane" on their hands.  Nobody willingly signs on for "Howard the Duck".  Winnowing down amongst 1,000 (?) auditioners across the country who get judges' face time?  I doubt that's easy to do with confidence, after a certain point you must just close your eyes and wing it.

Edited March 12, 2016 by queenanne

[BogoGog24]

I think the extra pluses of Dalton (and Mac, if it comes down to it) are the songwriting, and I wouldn't be surprised if this is a consideration for the judges (Borchetta would be esp. interested in this) they're tossing on top of the pile in their performances.  Mac especially can write the songs which suit him and fit in with the current male musical climate.

 

 

Yes songwriting is a big pull in today's artists (Adele, Taylor, Ed Sheeran, Meghan Trainor). I really like Mac's "Roses" song and I think Dalton is a phenomenal songwriter, even though he hasn't had a chance to perform any originals yet. 

[BogoGog24]

Ironically I think the BSB duet worked better for Mac than it did for Dalton. Go figure.

 

I rewatched the Aerosmith duet. Ouch, someone hit a wrong note on the piano there. 

[Kromm]

Maybe double eliminations should have been the norm years ago. It sure has helped keep the season from being stagnant.

That said, I think it was a real mistake to ditch Avalon in favor of some of these boring people.  Maybe that weird shirt she was wearing weirded out the judges? I liked it better than the long unbuttoned button shirts she's had on in other shows though.

 

Speaking of icky clothes, Borchetta looked extra slimy in that dark yellow/gold jacket.

Edited March 12, 2016 by Kromm

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Avalon and PYT was karaoke material!

[Rick Kitchen]

Here's a full pic of JLo in that ... dress.

 

http://stylenews.peoplestylewatch.com/2016/03/11/jennifer-lopez-american-idol-obliques/

[BogoGog24]

It looks like a bra with an apron attached.

[rose711]

J Lo knows how to keep the spotlight on her.

[Ohwell]

Her feet look like they hurt in those shoes.

[backformore]

Here's a full pic of JLo in that ... dress.

 

http://stylenews.peoplestylewatch.com/2016/03/11/jennifer-lopez-american-idol-obliques/

That is such a strange dress.  It's styled like a little girl's summer sundress, but then "sexed up" to show more skin.    And J Lo  is going too far with the contouring makeup.  I'm so tired of Keith, Harry, and Ryan fawning all over her every single episode.

 

LaPorsha's pants she wore in the duet were pretty bad. - too tight, but with a baggy crotch, like she didn't pull them up all the way.  THen the outfit she wore next was worse.   I get it that skintight pants, tapered at the ankle. are in style.   That doesn't mean they look good on everyone.

[Neet]

Maybe double eliminations should have been the norm years ago. It sure has helped keep the season from being stagnant.

They may prevent staleness, but at the same time, it feels like Fox is trying to turn the lights off on the show ASAP. (which they are) I like the focus on a single person leaving, since there used to be a lot of tension when someone good left right before the finale. I like the drawn out seasons, as long as they're good. This one isn't, and it's been mediocre for a few years, so I guess I don't fault them for hurrying it up.

I wonder how the show would be structured if it got a reboot years down the road. I'd assume they'd go big and draw it out again, since bringing back something lame and rushed like this season would be pointless and unprofitable if nobody cared.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Never dreamed I would hear an arrangement that did the Trans-Siberian Orchestra proud!   Of course, Dalton's vocals were way too small for it.  I also thought the staging by AI was fantastic.   Uncle Nigel would have loved this.

 

Ameriker got it right, yet again.  The jidges, too!  It can't be good that I am in so much agreement thus far.  Stephany still got the shaft, though.

 

 

Why did HCJ criticize Lee and Tristan for the arrangement?  I really didn't think they had any control over that, do they?

 

 

 My impression is that the artist, cough cough, absolutely has a chance to work things out with Ricky.  Adam famously did.  To me, it's a failing of the immature singers to not understand how to best show off their unique talents.  

 

Good of AI to make sure they got all the George Martin songs in one show.  They only have to pay the string musicians one time!

 

The dress was ridiculous.  It might could be a nice cover-up for the beach.  Yet and still, JLo looked fabulous.

[queenanne]

Yes songwriting is a big pull in today's artists (Adele, Taylor, Ed Sheeran, Meghan Trainor). I really like Mac's "Roses" song and I think Dalton is a phenomenal songwriter, even though he hasn't had a chance to perform any originals yet. 

 

Do you think it's intentional wisdom?  Especially if most of his recent songs have been co-written with his latest writing band member.  AI has largely been pretty good about this as I feel it's been reported, but the conventional wisdom is that anything performed on the show, 19 Entertainment gets a financial stakeholding in its rights (as it's, I believe, standard language in the contract.  "Anything conveyed on the show is our property and we can use it how we see fit" (paraphrase)..  

 

My impression is that the artist, cough cough, absolutely has a chance to work things out with Ricky.  Adam famously did.  To me, it's a failing of the immature singers to not understand how to best show off their unique talents.  

 

That's, to me, generally assuming that the musician has enough theory.  Theoretically (ha) as a guitar and piano player, respectively, you'd like to think that Lee and Tristan have got some, but not always necessarily.

 

I thought it was a little funny when Dalton and Mackenzie were queried on their lyrics.  Dalton: (gazes expectantly) *Take it away, self-pimping singer-songwriter!*"

 

That said, I question whether or not *Harry* has ever thought about the lyrics, and whether it's safe to ask on a family show, because I've always assumed that the "it" = "sex", and that singer and the object of their affection are disagreeing over some behavior that the object of the song doesn't want to engage in.

 

... Just me?  I admit it's not a great interpretation, but the portentous "IT", doesn't make much sense otherwise.  Partly I'm being silly, but what else is modern music supposed to be about, at its core?

 

(On a more serious note, BSB's Kevin Richardson has been asked, and pointed out that writer Max Martin could barely think in English at the time, so.  "He's gotten a lot better since then!")  Martin, you may recall, also brought us the confusingly written ambiguity of "[Hit Me] Baby One More Time", which some have interpreted as a song about domestic violence.

[Kromm]

Martin, you may recall, also brought us the confusingly written ambiguity of "[Hit Me] Baby One More Time", which some have interpreted as a song about domestic violence.

That'd be doubly ironic given his sometimes creative partnership with Dr. Luke.

[Guest]

I thought Jennifer's dress was kind of cute but I think it was a terrible choice for a show filmed sitting down.  You need to stand in that thing.  I feel like her choices are just to drum up buzz, though.  As long as they're talking about her, it can be good or bad.  

 

I also think it's in her contract that she gets deference from Ryan and the judges.  And that she gets to speak over Harry at least 3 times a show.  It's funny she doesn't do it to Keith.  It's like she wants to challenge Harry for the "smart judge" role.  I think they're both dim.  Harry's lyrics lessons were mildly interesting the first 10 times he played it.  Jen's stepped it up from her initial seasons where everything was "beautiful" but I don't think I've heard anything really helpful from her in a long time.  

 

I wondered if Mackenzie's package spiel about the BSB song was supposed to be sarcastic?  He said it was the perfect song for him and Dalton (?) and something about he (Mackenzie) is clearly not boy band material ("I mean, look at me!")   I was thinking, "You do kind of look like boy band material.  You look 16, you're cute, you're unintimidating..."  

 

Didn't people used to say Kris Allen and his wife looked like fraggles?  Mackenzie's another one.  

[BogoGog24]

Do you think it's intentional wisdom? Especially if most of his recent songs have been co-written with his latest writing band member. AI has largely been pretty good about this as I feel it's been reported, but the conventional wisdom is that anything performed on the show, 19 Entertainment gets a financial stakeholding in its rights (as it's, I believe, standard language in the contract. "Anything conveyed on the show is our property and we can use it how we see fit

If you mean that he hasn't performed originals because it otherwise becomes property of the show, no, I don't think that's the reason. He just needs to find the right theme because the last few weeks haven't allowed him to do an original (Grammy songs, Idol songbook). His only chance is if they flat out do an original songs night or free choice. I do hope at some point he can do one though because I think he's a phenomenal writer and could blow everyone away.

To my knowledge his only cowrites are Superman and Hercules, the rest I think he writes himself, so I don't think there'd be any issue with having to get permission or whatever from the other writer. And the cowriter is his friend Will who's been there to support Dalton every round so far and I'm sure would give his blessing for Dalton to perform one of their songs if that was a problem.

I thought Jennifer's dress was kind of cute but I think it was a terrible choice for a show filmed sitting down. You need to stand in that thing. I feel like her choices are just to drum up buzz, though. As long as they're talking about her, it can be good or bad.

I also think it's in her contract that she gets deference from Ryan and the judges. And that she gets to speak over Harry at least 3 times a show. It's funny she doesn't do it to Keith. It's like she wants to challenge Harry for the "smart judge" role. I think they're both dim. Harry's lyrics lessons were mildly interesting the first 10 times he played it. Jen's stepped it up from her initial seasons where everything was "beautiful" but I don't think I've heard anything really helpful from her in a long time.

I wondered if Mackenzie's package spiel about the BSB song was supposed to be sarcastic? He said it was the perfect song for him and Dalton (?) and something about he (Mackenzie) is clearly not boy band material ("I mean, look at me!") I was thinking, "You do kind of look like boy band material. You look 16, you're cute, you're unintimidating..."

Didn't people used to say Kris Allen and his wife looked like fraggles? Mackenzie's another one.

Nah Mac is the sensitive coffeehouse singer songwriter. Ironically Dalton was the one who used to be in a boy band, but funnily enough he didn't seem into this at all and it didn't suit him or his voice and I thought it actually suited Mac better, vocally.

[BogoGog24]

If there is a common look at all for the sensitive coffeehouse singer songwriter type I'd think it'd be more like Jason Castro or Crystal Bowersox.  I think Mac's look is trying to convey emo/alt/hipster but he's so boyish he comes off more like Harry Potter or any boy band member.  

 

Look at the guys in One Direction.  They all look just like Mac to me... same hair, same clothes styles, same slim build, same pretty face.  Not that that's a bad thing for Mac.  I just didn't get the "Look at me, I'm obviously not boy band material" comment, unless he was being sarcastic.  

 

He might have meant precisely he is too dorky and boyish looking to be in a boyband. Out of the 2 of them Dalton strikes me as more "boyband" looking (although an emo version) than Mac. Mac is kind of too dorky and hipster looking IMO to be in a boyband.

[Ohwell]

I like NIck Fradiani but I agree with others that his song wasn't too good.  However, it's still 10X better than that dreck Harry sang last week.

[Kromm]

Am I the only one not impressed by nick's debut song?

It was about as bad as I expected.

[BogoGog24]

I like NIck Fradiani but I agree with others that his song wasn't too good.  However, it's still 10X better than that dreck Harry sang last week.

I agree. That's really saying something about how terrible Harry's song was. At least Nick's had some discernible melody in the chorus?

[Rick Kitchen]

Next week is "Top 5 Perform".  So only one elimination?

[tribeca]

I hate this new format.  Watched this show since the beginning and would like to celebrate the end.  It's moving too fast.  Can't even get to know the contestants.

[BogoGog24]

Next week is "Top 5 Perform".  So only one elimination?

Yeah it's only one elimination from now on and no judges save, although it's unclear if there will still be a Twitter save.

[kili]

AI has largely been pretty good about this as I feel it's been reported, but the conventional wisdom is that anything performed on the show, 19 Entertainment gets a financial stakeholding in its rights (as it's, I believe, standard language in the contract.

No need for conventional wisdom. They have to register the contract for minors so one can find actual Idol contracts on the internet.   AI has the right to use the songs with respect to the show (so you can't suddenly tell them they can't air the program in Bulgaria or something), but the songwriter retains the underlying copyright. It also seems to say that you can't charge the show a license fee for your original song - seems like these cheapos would be encouraging them all to write songs.  But I am not a lawyer.

 

There was recently a big dust up over Adam Levine's new reality show "Songland" where the producers (including Adam Levine) would own any song submitted to the show even if it was never aired (it's a songwriting reality show). An industry lawyer (who has represented Idols) thought the contract was so egregious, he actually spoke out against it. Adam Levine and his co-producers were forced to change the rules by the bad publicity that resulted. So, all of these song writing things with respect to reality shows recently got aired.

[designing1]

I agree. That's really saying something about how terrible Harry's song was. At least Nick's had some discernible melody in the chorus?

 

I heard Harry's song when I was out shopping today. Not as awful as it was on the show, but still awful. Aside from lacking a melody or even a hook, it has approximately 50% more words than it needs. It's like the writer (did Harry write it?) was trying to be clever instead of actually, you know, good.

 

I went back and listened and Nick's largely forgettable song does have a melody in the chorus, yet the only part I actually remembered was the "sampled" "you want it, you got it" from Bust a Move. 

Edited March 14, 2016 by designing1

[rereader2]

The union/organization for songwriters, composers, and music publishers (ASCAP) is probably the strongest and best organized in the entertainment industry. (Irving Berlin was one of the founding members.) 

[Stratego]

I heard Harry's song when I was out shopping today. Not as awful as it was on the show, but still awful. Aside from lacking a melody or even a hook, it has approximately 50% more words than it needs. It's like the writer (did Harry write it?) was trying to be clever instead of actually, you know, good.

 

I went back and listened and Nick's largely forgettable song does have a melody in the chorus, yet the only part I actually remembered was the "sampled" "you want it, you got it" from Bust a Move. 

Harry was lucky he wasn't asked "what is the meaning of your song's lyrics?"

[MarkHB]

I'd like to see the contracts for the minors this year... Scotty's specified that if he made the Top 10, he would be "awarded the valuable Live Tour Agreement".

 

I can't hear that BSB song without thinking of Weird Al's version:

 

[Kromm]

I'd like to see the contracts for the minors this year... Scotty's specified that if he made the Top 10, he would be "awarded the valuable Live Tour Agreement".

Is there even a live tour at all this year?

[MarkHB]

Is there even a live tour at all this year?

 

Darn good question; I hope there is in some form.  Last year's only included the Top 5 plus others in "select cities".

[LexieLily]

Tristan, your granddad has been battling a lung disease? I thought he'd broken his back, that's what you said last week. And if you've really been singing that song since you were eleven like you claim, shouldn't you know what it is about? 

[rereader2]

I've been singing "Mairzy Dotes" since I was three, and I have no idea what it's about. ;)

Edited March 14, 2016 by rereader2

[BogoGog24]

No need for conventional wisdom. They have to register the contract for minors so one can find actual Idol contracts on the internet. AI has the right to use the songs with respect to the show (so you can't suddenly tell them they can't air the program in Bulgaria or something), but the songwriter retains the underlying copyright. It also seems to say that you can't charge the show a license fee for your original song - seems like these cheapos would be encouraging them all to write songs. But I am not a lawyer.

There was recently a big dust up over Adam Levine's new reality show "Songland" where the producers (including Adam Levine) would own any song submitted to the show even if it was never aired (it's a songwriting reality show). An industry lawyer (who has represented Idols) thought the contract was so egregious, he actually spoke out against it. Adam Levine and his co-producers were forced to change the rules by the bad publicity that resulted. So, all of these song writing things with respect to reality shows recently got aired.

Thank god because I entered this Songland thing and I got scared until I read that they've changed the rules. I seriously would have never entered it if my songs became their property even if I never got picked to be on the show. That's just stupid and ridiculous.

Tristan, your granddad has been battling a lung disease? I thought he'd broken his back, that's what you said last week. And if you've really been singing that song since you were eleven like you claim, shouldn't you know what it is about?

If she's been singing it since she was 11 that's only 4 years remember? LOL And I don't think she said she didn't know what the song was about. Harry asked her specifically about the lyrics of a verse she didn't sing and asked what she thought happened to the woman and Tristan said she thought maybe she just left but wasn't sure.

[perfectstorm]

Darn good question; I hope there is in some form.  Last year's only included the Top 5 plus others in "select cities".

Probably not.  The tour has been losing money the last few seasons.  It was always intended to promote the show, but now the show will be ending.

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

American Idol Has Its Top 6
Another double elimination sends two favorites home, while the duet performances have the judges showing some bias.