S15.E20: Top 4 Perform

[Tara Ariano]

The Top 4 finalists perform.

[Stratego]

I wonder how they will trim 5 to 4.  Start with them in chairs and one-by-one sing until only 2 remain, then march both down to Ryan for the "...dim the lights" reveal.  or, will they have all 5 on stage and have Ryan send them one-by-one to the chairs (of safety)?

[BogoGog24]

Probably announce them one by one until 2 remain. Have the last safe person sing and then probably have the eliminated contestant sing their swan song like the old format. Or they'll Jax them and just shove them off the stage unceremoniously and not let them sing one final time. I really hope they let them sing one last time though.

[Ohwell]

No matter how they do it, I think Sonika is toast.

[ari333]

TOAST

[rereader2]

TOAST

 

Yummm, buttery toast.,,

[Ohwell]

with strawberry jam on top.  Yum

[BogoGog24]

Apparently the eliminated contestant will have their iTunes song played over their goodbye package. No singing. :(

[ari333]

McPhee ...BLARG.... GACK

Does anyone else feel Borchetta's contempt for LaPorsha?

[drafan]

God, this show has lost it's magic. I remember when it was all everyone talked about, and it was so much fun. Oh well....

 

David Cook!!! My favorite winner ever. (notice I said winner) I was so excited when he won...finally one who I actually rooted for..... and back then the show was awesome. Still love him.

 

In the background of DC's song, I couldn't even remember some of those winners...actually had to think who they were.

 

LaPorsha......no, she is NOT the second coming of Tina Turner. Not even close.

 

MacK....so wimpy and boring.

 

Trent...that was pretty good. Has he gotten chubby now that the mono is over?

 

Dalton and Sonika, huh? Both so pretty.

 

ETA: OK, so it's Dalton, trying to be Adam Lambert but without the voice. Oh, that was awful.

 

((Small voice)) I actually kinda like looking at Kat McPhee. She's like a singing Kate Middleton. LOL

 

Dalton's second song ::::: SO desperate it's embarrassing.

 

Oh dear god, make this show end.

Edited March 25, 2016 by drafan

[27bored]

Kat McPhee was overrated on her season. And I thought Somewhere Over the Rainbow from her was bewp. I remember saying on TWoP that she looked like somebody pushed her down when she sang it. Singing sprawled out on the floor in pants is no.

[suebee12]

I am sorry but if I have to hear "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" on Idol, I think I will puke! Second season, it was so overdone by KLo! I actually thought it was the only song that she knew and them McFee happened. Same thing, if she didn't have a specific theme, it seemed that SOTR came out. Can't she find another song? Please!

[LexieLily]

Is Sia never showing her face and the stupid wig and camera shooting her from the back an actual thing?

[Ohwell]

McPhee ...BLARG.... GACK

Does anyone else feel Borchetta's contempt for LaPorsha?

Borchetta is so greasy and sleazy, I wouldn't mind if LaPorsha won just to irritate him, even though I don't care about her.   

 

Actually, I don't care about any of them and I think they're all bad in some way.  What a sucky way to end a show that I used to love.  

Edited March 25, 2016 by Ohwell

[TheGreenKnight]

What in the world was Dalton’s first performance? That was the most awkward thing I’ve seen on this show in quite a while (well, not that long; Jeneve was here earlier this season). It was like he was having a mental breakdown on stage, all while emphasizing a voice he doesn’t have… Poor guy.

Trent’s “Sharp Dressed Man” was just cringeworthy. JLo and Keith giving that a standing ovation just shows how meaningless those are these days. The only performance I cared for was La’Porsha’s “Elastic Heart.”

 

I enjoyed seeing Katharine McPhee again. David Cook’s performance was boring outside the clips in the background.

Sia having her face covered by a wig was just the funniest thing. LLLLOL

[27bored]

"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is the torch song for basic bitches. Who was it that sang that shit last year? Martina Navratilova or whatever her name is? And the shit was bad back then too. And did they really have to bring out Oliver the Overbearing Portly Homosexual to gush about trying to force people to vote for her.

 

This was La'Porsha's weakest week (I missed her first performance). I liked the arrangement, but bewp. And what was she wearing? It looked like a really bougie Glad bag.

 

Sia. Oh, Sia. I know she looks like ten tons of bullshit with that long Cruella deVille-meets-Anna-Wintour wig and that giant bow on her head, but Sia seems like such a sweet, dorky fun weird lady. She seems like a morning person.  That said, I almost feel like that performance didn't happen. It almost felt like an SNL sketch.

 

MacKenzie: So when you have to sing in your big boy voice, you can't? Bewp.Trent:

 

 Trent: I like Trent and I think he's going to win, but sometimes his big ol' heart gets in the way. I mean, I can relate to that song because I'm pretty much a drunk bitch who turns up and doesn't give a fuck and has a kid but I don't know who the daddy is even though I've tested several men on Maury and ran over to the screen and pointed out the similarities between my baby and the men who I think is the father. But Trent? Every song doesn't demand extra. For a good reference, go listen to prior Idol winner Kris Allen sing "Chandelier". Stripped down, vulnerable, dark, sexy. Trent should've done it that way, not like an emotional black woman.

 

Dalton: Dalton was standing in front of Sia in pink shoes with his legs crossed. In a long grey sweater like he's trying to hide a pregnancy. And he got emotional bonding with Sia bonding over their bipolaris or whatever X-men powers they have. I'm just saying. Aaand he's crying again.

 

I think the stress of competition and being away from home and not having a regimented schedule is getting to Dalton. I feel for the guy. I like him as a person, but he should not have made it this far.

[ShutUpFlanders]

I will never understand why the producers over the last two years think that not having a consistent manner or revealing the results was a good idea. Or giving the judges 6 (?) weeks of saves. It's been ridiculous.

 

Side-note: Sia appeals to my millennial nostalgia because she reminds me of the Nanny from the Muppet Babies. Or the teachers and adults from the Peanuts. I mean, the woman's always had a killer voice, I've loved her since the "Breathe Me" and Some People Have Real Problems era. I was disappointed the contestants didn't go very deep into her songbook.

 

From Best to Worst:

Trent #1 – And that, ladies and gents, is how one has an Idol moment. He was hot as hell in the beginning, he wonderfully carried the original feel in the middle, gave it another touch of himself in the latter half as well… damn.

 

Trent #2 – He's really got a masterful sense of vocal control. Bandzilla's been coming out tonight though. Anyway, Trent's was pretty brilliant here. Wow. He could really win.

 

La'Porsha #1 – OMG BORCHETTA COWBOY IS NOT LITERAL WHEN BON JOVI SINGS IT EITHER WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU /endrant. Yeah, she flubbed a line but this was a direction I missed from her: unexpected. This brought me back to when she sang "Creep" in the auditions.

 

Dalton #2 – He's a nice guy and he emotionally connected to the tension in that quite well. He isn't ready to win or to be primetime, but he did this pretty well.

 

MacKenzie #2 – 2012 Youtube covers. There's a minor part of me that thinks he should've put the guitar away for this so he could focus on it vocally. It was okay but not great.

 

La'Porsha #2 – Were those flubbed lyrics? The Sia theme was pretty much never going to benefit her unless she really changed up an arrangement. I thought it was her most disconnected performance to date and could send her out.

 

MacKenzie #1 – I hate to be a J. Lo here but… I thought this version removed all the tension and the manic nature of the song that makes me like the song. And I could barely hear him. I didn't get it. However, I'm sure he dominating the votes though and is a shoe-in for the finale.

 

Dalton #1 – Beach Boys!: The Musical. I thought the performance was completely weird and really didn't fit the whole "classic rock" vibe that had been going on in the first half. That was probably his biggest arrangement and performance misfire though he sang it decently.

 

I'd send Dalton home over MacKenize based on overall body of work, but I also think we've seen everything that MacKenzie's capable of. I really just want the Trent/La'Porsha F2 that we won't get.

[rustyspigot]

Sia girl. We all know what your face looks like. Let it go. You're pretty.

 

I can't get over Mackenzie's horse teeth. Have a carrot.

 

Yes, I realize these are conflicting statements.

Edited March 25, 2016 by rustyspigot

[bluwater]

I was seriously moved by Dalton's Sia performance. CONNECTION...that's how you do it. I loved seeing the look on his face when Sia said she was bi-polar too. That probably helped him even more, in his performance.

 

Trent was fantastic with Chandelier. Sharp-Dressed Man was good too...enjoyed seeing him have fun.

[TiredMe]

I reaally want a Trent LaPorsha final two. Won't happen since the tweener vote will take over and vote for OMG Dalton! And OMG MacKensie!!! Barf this is why this show needed to end.

I was so rooting for a girl to win at the beginning but I dig Trent so much dammit. Sigh...

[Archery]

I do not like that Sonika didn't get to sing at all. Cut her after the first round. Let her sing it as an exit like they used to.  But not to be able to do either song she spent all week rehearsing? That's some BS right there.  

[Maya]

Dalton seems like an emotional mess. I'm worried about him if he loses. Or wins.

[stcroix]

Sia seemed nice.  That's all I got.  Except this is the worst AI in history, especially for the final show.  Instead of fireworks and pizazz, it's a slowly leaking old balloon....  

[MarkHB]

Is Sia never showing her face and the stupid wig and camera shooting her from the back an actual thing?

 

Yes.  I think she started it when Chandelier came out, as there are plenty of videos of her from before that with her face showing.  Her face also appears as a picture on the wall of the Chandelier video.

 

I do not like that Sonika didn't get to sing at all. Cut her after the first round. Let her sing it as an exit like they used to.  But not to be able to do either song she spent all week rehearsing? That's some BS right there.  

 

!MrsHB and I hate that, too.  It was particularly egregious at the final singing performance last year when Jax practically got run out on a rail.

[Stratego]

Trent received TWO tongue baths!

 Finally La'Porsha wasn't predicted to be the next diva (she won't be!).

 MacKenzie was terrible and Dalton was exposed to be as phony as Jax.  

The tire tracks on MacKenzie are as prominent as if he was made of fresh snow--he will be eliminated next week for sure!

[waving feather]

Eh, I don't see it as Mackenzie getting bus-ed as much as he finally got the critiques he deserved. He was terrible on I Want You To Want Me. And I've seen mediocre singers singing that well.

Edited March 25, 2016 by waving feather

[Rick Kitchen]

Ugh, Sia?  I detest her stupid "Don't look at me" shit.

 

Loved La'Porsha's "Dead or Alive". Liked her hair, too.

 

Ugh, movie tie-ins.  :(

 

Not feeling MacKenzie's first song.

 

Uncle Nigel is producing the finale?  Uck.

 

Nice, and smooth, Trent.

 

Not the best, Dalton.

 

McPhee?  Uck.

 

So many lights

 

McKenzie was off key in his Sia song. Not good at all.

 

This could have been a 90 minute show without all of the fluff.

 

Sia was a bad influence on Trent.  He mumbled just as well as she does. But he nailed it, though I'm not a big fan of falsetto.

 

Dalton was really good in the second song.

 

MacKenzie has to be gone next week, right?

[ramble]

Sia & her Cousin Itt style makes me want to punch random people. Ugh. Speaking of style who decided to put La'Porsha in a trash bag onesie? Go grab a stranger off the street & they could probably put together something better than the person that "styled" that. As for the actual singing? I got nothing. Bored & apathetic. That's me & apparently the contestants too.

[GreyBunny]

Sia is cute and dorky but her hiding her face is so pretentious and immature.  Please be an adult and show your face like every other grown up.

David Cook is my favorite Idol ever.

 

Kat McPhee.  Barf.  Never wanted to see her smug, nasty face again.

[MsTree]

NONE of the final 4 can hold a candle to Kelly Clarkson.

[Neet]

Round 1:
La'Porsha - "Wanted Dead Or Alive" was a lame choice for her, IMO. I don't know how long the list of available songs was, but picking the absolute most familiar songs seems to greatly increase the karaoke feel of it.

Mackenzie - He really sucks at arranging songs. Same operation as Dalton; slow it down to accompany his lackluster voice. I want to like him, as he's had some good performances before, but the range isn't there.

Trent - Not bad, and the dancing was amusing. He has a better handle on most songs than the other contestants. It feels like "Sharp Dressed Man" has turned into a goofy commercial jingle of a song, but Trent's version was decent.

Oh, wow...Dalton got picked over Sonika?!?! Pure shock and awe there. Not.

Dalton - Better song choice, as he probably couldn't have made "Seven Nation Army" sound anything like Jack White can. Unlike his other performances, he was already looking down at the floor when singing, so his depressing finish this time was hanging his head even lower in defeat like a kid who got denied ice cream. Just one time where he doesn't look wounded after performing would be great. Him walking around the judges' table made him look like a homeless guy busking to people who couldn't care less.

David Cook - Not much to write home about, everything about him was quite bland. I'm surprised there's a crowd of people who would make an effort to see him in concert. The montage of winners on the screen behind him was distracting. Idol sure loves jerking themselves off on how big they used to be. I thought this season was going to be a celebration, not desperately trying to keep old memories alive, or, even worse, trying to pass off 5/10 moments as 10/10 landmark events, though I will concede that many posters from MJ's view Adam's audition as a 2nd moon landing. I don't really know what I was expecting with the term "celebration", but this is disappointing.

Katharine McPhee - Just like Adam last week, I don't understand why her singing SOTR is lauded as some special moment. It's all a matter of opinion anyway, but I think a list of those genuinely special performances where people go "damn!" could fit on a Post-It note. About that guy brought out to see her at the end, I wonder if he's gay. Hmmm....

Is there anyone actually surprised Jennifer forgot Steven Van Zandt's name? Maybe a few more people involved with the show can finally stop participating in this inside joke that she knows anything about music. I doubt it was a momentary lapse in memory, considering how long she's proven herself to be an airhead.

Round 2:

La'Porsha - I don't know if it's harder to remember because she went first or because it wasn't a great performance. "Elastic Heart" didn't seem like the best fit for her voice.

Mackenzie - Harry was right about making the whole performance rely on the high note, as that was all I was paying attention to. I don't even think he fully hit the note, it sounded sloppy to me. Mackenzie's style is so limited, I can't believe the judges try to tell him he's making strides at this point. He always sounds on the verge of a cold and would be an appropriate choice for teens who get yelled at to turn the stereo down, since his max volume is so low. If they don't plan on splitting the teen girl vote, I doubt he's making it to the finale.

Trent - Performance of the night. He should have got a standing ovation from at least one judge, considering La'Porsha practically got knighted a few weeks ago. When talking to Ryan afterwards, Trent sounded like he was rambling to finish the conversation before crying. I could barely understand what he was trying to say.

Dalton - I'm convinced the producers are now full steam ahead on pimping Dalton for the victory by making sure he gets his ass kissed no matter how good he performs. I made sure to watch this one a second time to confirm my opinion, and this was nothing special at all. Great thing Sia talking to him about being bipolar made the video package, as it probably aided his tearless sobbing after the song in making him someone to pity. "Wow, he's sure brave to even get himself through a song without having a meltdown. It takes strength to show us his flaws, and seeing that cute face with a frown more than makes up for vocal ability" is the feeling I'm getting from this, it comes off as so manufactured. So-called perfect Dalton is imperfect, how inspiring. Let's vote. The lyrics about not caring if he sings off key are truer than likely intended, too. J Lo's speech at the end about bravery was an exaggeration, people (AKA mostly teen girls) care about Dalton because he's attractive, that's it. If that wasn't true, Lazaro would have won his season. I think Mackenzie is better looking than Dalton (he has a much more model-esque facial structure), and he almost DIED, and yet I never get the feeling that he's being milked for sympathy or cute-votes anywhere near as much. They're on roughly the same plane of talent, so I don't get why Mack gets told he sucks fairly often, and Dalton is nearly immune from harsh criticism while also frequently getting "narrowly saved" from elimination as some kind of surprise.

Sia - She did a great job performing, and her role as a mentor was good, though the "DUDE WEIRD LMAO" personality is off-putting. Same with Lady Gaga, the bold eccentricity is fake.

Either Mackenzie goes next week, or La'Porsha goes as a shock.

Edited March 25, 2016 by Neet

[Lonesome Rhodes]

No kidding no joke...If it came out that this whole Sia was a total put-on, like the giant-est F U to the biz that AI could do, I'd believe it!  I had never heard of her.  The whole hiding under the banged wig deal?  I will say it is entirely appropriate that I end my soup-to-nuts watching of this series in such ignorance.   Just wow.

 

Sorry, La'Porsha...when I hear the first strains of Dead or Alive, I think of crabs.

 

While I joined the others in here with a visceral shudder when I realized McPhee was on that stage, I have to say that the gushing gay guy was a stroke of genius.  How?  Did you hear one cursed word as to where she is in her career?  What she is working on?  Anything???  I didn't.  She couldn't get any promotion whatsoever in.  ANNNND...she had to pretend to be ever so nice and "touched" by that dude's fandom.  Beautiful.  Uncle Nigel, you will always be the master. 

 

Speaking of...did we know he was producing the Finale?  Great call, if true.

 

Finally, I've never seen a Top 4 separate into a Final Two so obviously.  La'Porsha and Trent are manifestly the best talent remaining.  Now, that isn't saying a whole lot, but they do deserve that much.

[queenanne]

Is there anyone actually surprised Jennifer forgot Steven Van Zandt's name? Maybe a few more people involved with the show can finally stop participating in this inside joke that she knows anything about music. I doubt it was a momentary lapse in memory, considering how long she's proven herself to be an airhead.

 

I thought that was very odd, considering that I feel people spend a lot of time, comparatively, in entertainment journalism doing some babbling about multitalented people who have succeeded in both fields!  You would think she would have purposefully remembered those in the grouping of actor-musicians.

 

Aside:  I've lost all respect for Sia now.  At least Gaga commits and goes all-in, without sitting there bibble-babbling about how she's working a schticky gimmick. If you're going to do something that stupid, do it and pretend you're not doing anything different from anyone else, and shut up. Saying "I know this is fake" doesn't make anyone want to do anything more than say "Well, why don't you stop doing it?"

Edited March 25, 2016 by queenanne

[Neet]

No kidding no joke...If it came out that this whole Sia was a total put-on, like the giant-est F U to the biz that AI could do, I'd believe it!  I had never heard of her.  The whole hiding under the banged wig deal?  I will say it is entirely appropriate that I end my soup-to-nuts watching of this series in such ignorance.   Just wow.

 

While I joined the others in here with a visceral shudder when I realized McPhee was on that stage, I have to say that the gushing gay guy was a stroke of genius.  How?  Did you hear one cursed word as to where she is in her career?  What she is working on?  Anything???  I didn't.  She couldn't get any promotion whatsoever in.  ANNNND...she had to pretend to be ever so nice and "touched" by that dude's fandom.  Beautiful.  Uncle Nigel, you will always be the master. 

No hostility, just asking innocently - you're not in the pop music demo, are you? Sia's pretty damn popular, but I get why you don't know who she is. Her gimmick is that she has a lot of hit songs, but she never appears in music videos or performs live. Many of her big songs are from being the featured vocalist alongside a famous producer (like David Guetta), so her voice is everywhere, but she'll never be as big of a brand as other pop stars because she doesn't show her face. I thought she did it because of stage fright, but it's verged on pretentious for a while.

I saw McPhee's season as it aired, but wasn't old enough to post in forums. I always see tremendous hate for her, what's the deal? Funny stuff about getting to dodge the question as to what she's doing. Seems like she's had a few failed endeavors in TV but still gets coverage in gossip headlines occasionally, for whatever reason. Her side hug to that fan could'n't have been any quicker, it was rather obvious she was talking down to him.

 

I thought that was very odd, considering that I feel people spend a lot of time, comparatively, in entertainment journalism doing some babbling about multitalented people who have succeeded in both fields!  You would think she would have purposefully remembered those in the grouping of actor-musicians.

 

Aside:  I've lost all respect for Sia now.  At least Gaga commits and goes all-in, without sitting there bibble-babbling about how she's working a schticky gimmick. If you're going to do something that stupid, do it and pretend you're not doing anything different from anyone else, and shut up. Saying "I know this is fake" doesn't make anyone want to do anything more than say "Well, why don't you stop doing it?"

My real opinion is that Jennifer doesn't have much knowledge about music in general, since it's not like just being in the industry makes someone know what they're talking about. Her whole genre is dance pop filled with sexy dancing, an area where technical music knowledge or inspiration from anybody near Springsteen is irrelevant. I'll sarcastically add that she blanked out about his name because it had been an entire 60 seconds without anybody falling over themselves to praise her for something. Speaking of, Ryan and Harry are fucking obsessed with peacocking for her attention, and tonight was no exception. I get why she's criticized for having a huge ego - people like those two enable and fuel it constantly.

Did Sia mention working a gimmick on Idol tonight, or was that in an interview? While Gaga plays the part better, she's also emphasized how much of an act it is by doing dumb stuff like showing up to an award show while being carried in a giant egg. There's no way on Earth someone could think she's that much of a try-hard in real life.

[queenanne]

Did Sia mention working a gimmick on Idol tonight, or was that in an interview? While Gaga plays the part better, she's also emphasized how much of an act it is by doing dumb stuff like showing up to an award show while being carried in a giant egg. There's no way on Earth someone could think she's that much of a try-hard in real life.

 

I take your point about Gaga; in fact that's what struck me as disingenuous about Sia tonight, comparatively.  Deleted it from the DVR already but yes, she specifically said language tonight saying that not showing her face is a gimmick, and other similar terms.

 

ETA because I like precision, so I fetched the recording back for a transcript:

 

Sia on Sia on tonight’s episode:  “I spent 20 years of my career as an indie singer songwriter, and didn’t want to do the regular grind I had been doing.  I was like “How can I make music without having to give away so much of myself?  I just want to have a normal life (points at wig covering eyes), totally normal, right?  (cackles). Well, this whole getup is the most useful gimmick I could have ever explored, writing is much closer to my heart.”

 

I don’t know any way to take that other than “I wasn’t making enough money as an artist (for twenty years, making eye contact with people) except now that I am, I want to make the money without anyone ever looking at me” which, sorry, I don’t think that’s the way it works.  The looking at you, is kind of the tradeoff for the millions. 

 

Nobody is stopping her quitting and concentrating solely on writing and selling the output to others, in all the happy obscurity she allegedly craves, except this desire for obscurity seems oddly at variance when mixed with a longing to show up places dressed as a giant Teletubby.

Edited March 25, 2016 by queenanne

[Lonesome Rhodes]

 

 

No hostility, just asking innocently - you're not in the pop music demo, are you?

I saw McPhee's season as it aired, but wasn't old enough to post in forums. I always see tremendous hate for her, what's the deal?

No hostility taken!  I happily referred to this in my post.  The show is not designed for me.  But, truly, this Sia character was a new level of silly I had not encountered.  I usually at least hear of pop culture folks.  No worries!

 

I can speak for me as to McPhee.  When she was a contestant, I posted positively about her.  She seemed to be a sad and struggling young lady who ws just trying to make it like anyone else.  I believe she was actually Kelly Pickler's roommate for a time during that season. 

 

It turned out she was from an area (Sherman Oaks) which was within 5 miles of where I lived.  Then, as I learned how she was not a particularly nice person in high school, and then that she was engaged and then married to the music producer twice her age, I saw her as a particularly vain and fame-driven person.   She certainly has a degree of talent.  But, and again this is just me, the degree of her shallowness is the issue.  YMMV.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I do not like that Sonika didn't get to sing at all. Cut her after the first round. Let her sing it as an exit like they used to.  But not to be able to do either song she spent all week rehearsing? That's some BS right there.  

 

I would have loved to hear it.  Sonika's song was "Loved me Back to Life" (I heard it played quietly over her goodbye).  I love that song!  If you have not heard the real song yet take a listen.  It's sung by Celine Dion, written by Sia.

 

I thought Sia was an amazing coach.  She made Mackenzie sound okay on Titanium when he was so horrible doing Cheap Trick.  She made Dalton sound okay, but I thought his tears were so forced.

 

La'Porsha really blew me away with Elastic Heart, a song I already love, so I have to admit that the guys singing after her were pretty good; I was impressed.

 

Her gimmick is that she has a lot of hit songs, but she never appears in music videos or performs live.

 

Sia performs live constantly.  Talk shows, music award shows, etc.  I've seen her on Ellen, The Tonight Show, and Saturday Night Live.

 

It's impossible for me to understand people's anger towards Sia for not wanting to show her face.  You'll notice nobody has that same anger towards Daft Punk or Slipknot.

Edited March 25, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[calipiano81]

I saw McPhee's season as it aired, but wasn't old enough to post in forums. I always see tremendous hate for her, what's the deal? Funny stuff about getting to dodge the question as to what she's doing. Seems like she's had a few failed endeavors in TV but still gets coverage in gossip headlines occasionally, for whatever reason. Her side hug to that fan could'n't have been any quicker, it was rather obvious she was talking down to him.

I don't get the hate for Kat McPhee either. I think she's gorgeous and has a strong, beautiful voice. I also don't see the need to dodge the question about what she's doing...right now she's a member of the cast of the CBS show Scorpion, which is quite good IMO and has been pretty successful in the TV ratings.

[Neet]

I would have loved to hear it.  Sonika's song was "Loved me Back to Life" (I heard it played quietly over her goodbye).  I love that song!  If you have not heard the real song yet take a listen.  It's sung by Celine Dion, written by Sia.

 

I thought Sia was an amazing coach.  She made Mackenzie sound okay on Titanium when he was so horrible doing Cheap Trick.  She made Dalton sound okay, but I thought his tears were so forced.

 

La'Porsha really blew me away with Elastic Heart, a song I already love, so I have to admit that the guys singing after her were pretty good; I was impressed.

 

 

Sia performs live constantly.  Talk shows, music award shows, etc.  I've seen her on Ellen, The Tonight Show, and Saturday Night Live.

 

It's impossible for me to understand people's anger towards Sia for not wanting to show her face.  You'll notice nobody has that same anger towards Daft Punk or Slipknot.

My mistake, I meant in a touring sense. (concerts) I assume people don't share the same anger to Daft Punk and Slipknot because they're both in genres that fit the costumes. That plus they're actually wearing costumes that enhance their gimmicks. Daft Punk look a lot more techno because of their costume, and Slipknot looks more hardcore wearing animal masks. Pop music is too light-hearted to avoid being called pretentious for doing the same things.

Compare the other groups to Sia, who doesn't fully dress up and instead only hides her face out of what seems to be fear. Numerous camera shots that have to be done to cater to not exposing her face make this a lot different from the other bands who wear masks/helmets. If she wore something that actually hid her entire head, I doubt people would care as much.

[Ms Blue Jay]

It does hide her entire head.  She only has her mouth exposed so she can sing.  I see what you mean about the camera shots.  That only happened on Idol because of the intimate discussion format.  When she performs live on all of those other shots, I don't think they do any fancy camerawork.

 

I know that she's obviously picked a 'look' that pisses people off, but I do think there is an element of her being a woman that makes her receive wrath that Daft Punk, Slipknot, etc. never will.  People act like they deserve to see her face.  Why?  Who cares.

 

Her music is not light-hearted to me at all, rather I feel like it is very emotional music.

Edited March 25, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[Sarah D. Bunting]

 

I also don't see the need to dodge the question about what she's doing...right now she's a member of the cast of the CBS show Scorpion, which is quite good IMO and has been pretty successful in the TV ratings.

On CBS, is the issue, I would think.

[Neet]

I know that she's obviously picked a 'look' that pisses people off, but I do think there is an element of her being a woman that makes her receive wrath that Daft Punk, Slipknot, etc. never will.  People act like they deserve to see her face.  Why?  Who cares.

 

Her music is not light-hearted to me at all, rather I feel like it is very emotional music.

I find it's usually women complaining about other women getting sexist comments...from WOMEN. Not that relevant to your post, but I think that's interesting.

I don't see much of any hate towards Sia for not showing her face, and I didn't care until they had so many angles of her talking to the contestants with a wig in her face instead of just obscuring her face by keeping the camera in one position, behind her and facing who she's speaking with. For her actual performance, I saw no issue.

IMO, if people are so uppity about Sia not showing her face because her music is so personal. So many people listen to it and relate with her, and they want to assign a face to the lyrics. I don't see anything wrong with that. Slipknot is deeper than most would think, though I doubt many Sia fans listen to them. "Metal band yelling with masks on" probably repels a lot of them from looking further. Daft Punk is pretty thin club music. deadmau5 is another guy in that scene who performs with a mask. He's shown his face before and it's unmemorable, I don't think fans of that music really care. Sia's music has more substance, so I get why her fans want to get a closer look.

Ultimately, "who cares", indeed. I never gave it much thought until a few hours ago.

[IrishImport]

OMG! Just catching up with the DVR. Trent always kind of bugged me from early on but I just finished my 180 fast! Sharp Dressed Man was HOT !!!! Loved everything about it! A star in the making for sure. Yes, now I agree he was wasted on the farm. Loved the back up singer intro, even Bandzilla got into it, loved the hair, the suit, his swampy groove, that was indeed hot. Finally a Moment! For the dying embers of American Idol. I feel better now.

And I loved the way Trent said "men-tour"..,!

[Ms Blue Jay]

I find it's usually women complaining about other women getting sexist comments...from WOMEN. Not that relevant to your post, but I think that's interesting.

 

Yes, women can be sexist.  Is that what you're saying?  I don't disagree.

 

Your post just makes me more pro-Sia doing this .  It makes people question what pop music really should be about.  Should it REALLY be about a singer's face?  Are a singer's face REALLY that important to pop music?  Why are other genres allowed to have singers who hide their face without debate, but not female pop?  I think Daft Punk has put out a lot of pop-ish sounding music.  That song with Pharrell "Get Lucky"?  How pop was that?  It was probably the biggest pop hit of that summer.  

[Neet]

Yes, women can be sexist.  Is that what you're saying?  I don't disagree.

 

Your post just makes me more pro-Sia doing this .  It makes people question what pop music really should be about.  Should it REALLY be about a singer's face?  Are a singer's face REALLY that important to pop music?  Why are other genres allowed to have singers who hide their face without debate, but not female pop?  I think Daft Punk has put out a lot of pop-ish sounding music.  That song with Pharrell "Get Lucky"?  How pop was that?  It was probably the biggest pop hit of that summer.  

I'm saying women complain about sexism towards women in the sense of men doing things to them, when plenty of it is from women themselves. Back to the real discussion, though:

I think you're misunderstanding me, or my explanation isn't clear. I'm saying Sia is in the pop genre, she's done a ton of chart topping songs. On the other hand, her music is considered sentimental to a lot of people. Just because it's popular, does not mean it's always devoid of substance. Then again, pop music is much more of a brand than any genre. Faceless Britney Spears, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, etc.. would not be as popular because pop music is a total package deal. I am saying pop music is about the singer's face, at least in part. Most pop stars are attractive, as their looks help sell the music that tends to be about an elite lifestyle normal people don't live. 40 year old Steve from the accounting department telling people to "turn up" isn't going to chart. The more meaningful songs that still get popular don't always feature attractive people, but in any case, you want to see what they look like.

Daft Punk has recently had hit songs on the pop charts, yes, but "Get Lucky" is a song about hooking up. I don't think many people identify as strongly with that song compared to Sia's music, so there's less of an emotional impact that warrants a desire to get 'closer' to the artist. I'm not saying there's absolutely no interest in knowing what they look like, but their songs having less resonance with people limits the connection with the actual artist, instead of only liking their music.

The lead singer of Slipknot shows his face in public all the time, apparently. I asked my brother, since he's a fan. Again, that makes the argument that Slipknot and Daft Punk are well established as stage gimmicks and the guys simply dress up for their brand. Sia's gimmick is less defined than theirs, perhaps leaving people wondering "why is that woman hiding her face?" because that's almost all you notice about her when she's performing. Sia is "faceless woman" and Daft Punk are "robots", if that makes sense.

Also, Sia has claimed to have stage fright in the past and has Grave's disease. More reasons for people to want to see what she looks like.

My post is all over the place, but one more thing is that Sia makes a big deal out of being obscured when performing. There's a dance crew around her (and in music videos) or some kind of stage work that keeps her out of sight. Meanwhile, Daft Punk and Slipknot put their gear on and are doing the same things on stage as a normal band would.

Thinking about this brings me back to one of the main things I've brought up every week on this forum. If faces are so irrelevant to pop music....why the hell is Dalton still here?! A lot of any criticism he gets online still includes "I love his eyes, but...." or "not that good, but he's beautiful." One of Jennifer's reviews of him started off with "sexy!!!" Punk rock Heejun would bring out the tumbleweed, that's a fact.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I'm saying women complain about sexism towards women in the sense of men doing things to them, when plenty of it is from women themselves. 

 

No, I never mentioned men doing anything in my post.

 

I think it's good that Sia is making people question these assumptions about pop music, i.e. that you need a beautiful face to sell it.  She is having no problem selling her music.  Looks are not IRRELEVANT to pop music, i.e. if you look "good" then you can sell music even when you're not a great singer, i.e. Britney Spears.  One could say that Sia is showing the reverse, that if you hide your face and sing WELL then you can also sell.

 

Are you assuming Heejun is not an attractive man, or even worse, declaring it as fact?  I'm very attracted to Heejun.  He's Korean, not ugly.

Edited March 25, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[Qoass]

Well, that was quite the performance from Dalton.  May not be able to sing so now he's trying to act.

 

Wait a second, you don't really believe he was emotionally overcome, do you?  Seriously??

[Primetimer]

America's Dalton thirst is a pitchy mess of embarrassment.

Read the story

[Duke Silver]

I don't even watch this shit-fest show anymore, but I still get secondhand embarrassment for the contestants just reading these threads.  I thought this final group was mediocre at best when the top 10 was announced (I stopped watching shortly thereafter, because I kinda like watching/hearing good singing performances on a singing show).  It appears I might have been overly hopeful.  What an awful end to a once proud show.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Well, that was quite the performance from Dalton.  May not be able to sing so now he's trying to act.

 

Wait a second, you don't really believe he was emotionally overcome, do you?  Seriously??

I didn't see any tears, his eyes were not even glassy holding them back and not one slid down his cheek nor would he ruin that eye makeup by wiping them away!