S16.E10: Top 24 Celebrity Duets

[MarkHB]

Quote

As the pool has been narrowed to the top 24 contestants, 12 of the top 24 finalists perform duets with celebrity partners at Academy LA in Hollywood during this week in the competition, as the search for America’s next superstar continues on its new home on America’s network.

Performing during this episode are contestants and celebrities:
• Brandon Diaz with celebrity duet partner Luis Fonsi
• Cade Foehner with celebrity duet partner Bishop Briggs
• Catie Turner with celebrity duet partner Andy Grammer
• Dennis Lorenzo with celebrity duet partner Allen Stone
• Dominique with celebrity duet partner Aloe Blacc
• Gabby Barrett with celebrity duet partner Sugarland
• Jonny Brenns with celebrity duet partner Andy Grammer
• Kay Kay with celebrity duet partner Pat Monahan
• Layla Spring with celebrity duet partner Sugarland
• Michael J. Woodard with celebrity duet partner Pat Monahan
• Michelle Sussett with celebrity duet partner Luis Fonsi
• Trevor McBane with celebrity duet partner Bishop Briggs

[dizzyd]

Luke looked so bored today or acted like he didn't give a fuck, his critiques were so half assed. Wonder if something happened behind the scenes that's made him check out. 

Having been spoiled on the top 14, I know this cut over these 2 weeks is not going to be popular. I was hoping watching the performances would enlighten me on the validity of the judges selection, but it didn't. Should have been a live voting round. I like the new format of this round though.

Michael owned his duet. His exuberance just makes me smile. Love him. Hope the industry doesn't kill that genuine innocence he exudes. Go Michael! 

Gabby impressed me too, even though I didn't care for her in earlier rounds, she brought it today.

[SnarkAttack]

Catie, really?  Michelle, really?

Gabby was great, so was Dennis.  

All the celebrity singers were gracious.

Jonny needs to up his clothes game, stat.

'I Can't Make You Love Me'  is one of my absolute favorite songs, so sad.

Why are they all over doing it with the 'thank you very much' .  Sounds like The Voice.  Ugh.

[gardendiva]

Well, all I can say is thank God “Vote for the Worst” isn’t still a thing.

[Blissfool]

25 minutes ago, dizzyd said:

Luke looked so bored today or acted like he didn't give a fuck, his critiques were so half assed. Wonder if something happened behind the scenes that's made him check out. 

I actually think he's been like this all along. He's awkward with his words as if he doesn't know what the heck to say except, "You're killing it." I'm not a country music fan, but I've seen him perform on award shows and I thought he had a much more exuberant personality, must be his stage persona.

[ECM1231]

Very disappointed. I would have switched Michael who has a good voice but it is too high pitched for my taste, with Dominique.

Michelle over Layla? Ugh! I do not even like country music but she was good.

Quirky Catie? Eh. I am still on the fence about her.

Jonny? Is he really what they consider a heartthrob? Oy

I am sorry Brandon and Dominique were passed over. Layla at 16 years still  has time and I guess they felt one contestant from the country genre was enough?

I do not see the greatness that they all seem to see in Cade, but whatever. I like rock well enough but r&b is my preference and then pop, I guess.

 

ETA: Dennis Lorenzo's duet with Allen Stone blew my mind! Chills! Best performance of the night, imo.

 

And totally o/t but if Elliott Yamin had put out an album with songs like "Unaware" he would have blown up by now. My favorite AI contestant ever. Should have won season 5 over Taylor Hicks, but no, I'm not bitter.  

Edited April 10, 2018 by ECM1231

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Well, I'm floored in a good way that Dennis's ill-fated choice to sing Rude didn't kill his chances. That duet with Allen Stone was just about sublime.

Well, I'm also floored that Layla was not in the Top 7....to me she is the quintessential AI style small town contestant. Whereas I feel like Gaby will leave a lot of people cold with her personality (I don't see her getting much past 9th or 8th), I think Layla was someone a lot of America would've got behind and voted for.

I put Michelle in my Top 7, totally understand why that's unpopular opinion. However my rationale is that she can do sort of the dance/latin/pop "I'm Coming Out" style music that pretty much no else in the Top 24 can do. So what does the show do? Give her two ballads (why couldn't she sing Despacito?!) that shows her vocal weaknesses. Smart play, AI. She's not long for the Top 14.

Total worst case scenario for me. Catie (who I refuse to watch), Michael (I'm just on the fence with him), and Jonny all make Top 7 in this group. Yech.

I'm not sure correcting the Celebrity half of the duet (although Bishop Briggs is definitely a nascent celebrity. One who looks like a cross between Bjork and Abby Sciuto from NCIS) is the way to avoid the charges of confidence spilling over into the cocky/arrogant territory for Cade. The guitar playing allows him to ground everyone of his performances in a way that they other contestants just can't match.

**Pours one out for Kay Kay and Trevor. If I could've traded Kay Kay for Catie and Trevor for Jonny (along with Layla for Gaby)....that would've been my total home run Top 7...

Edited April 10, 2018 by PhD-Purgatory15

[me5671]

Wow... I hope the second group is better than this group, because I am underwhelmed with the contestants so far.  I am really surprised by some of the judge's choices in who to put through.  

[MarkHB]

58 minutes ago, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

although Bishop Bridges is definitely a nascent celebrity. One who looks like a cross between Bjork and Abby Sciuto from NCIS

Thanks for repeating her name, as I've never heard of her and was going to go with Bailey Quarters until someone corrected me.

Layla knew she was toast when they picked Gabby; I was predicting they would only take one of those two, I'm just surprised at who they went with.

[Blissfool]

I guess I'm in the minority in that I celebrated the fact that Kayla didn't make it through. I actually really disliked her. She sang fine, but she had her cuteness set to maximum. It was so extra that I think it's fake. I could not stand it or her!  I'm so glad she was eliminated and I don't have to hear her tell the judges, "THAAANK YOUUU" ever again.  My eyes practically rolled out if my head.

[thesupremediva1]

That's it. I'm off the happy train. Get some judges with ears, please!

Michelle? Johnny? Katie? All three were awful, both nights. They sent people with tons of talent home to keep underwhelming personalities. Not cool.

Cade, save this season, please. 

Next week looks even tougher. Not a fan of the divisions in voting groups. Let them all sing at this point and then let America vote. The choices tonight were downright insane.

Edited April 10, 2018 by thesupremediva1

[SnarkyTart]

An enjoyable show overall, unlike last night, which was mostly cringe-worthy for me.  All the duet pairings were good, the celebrity singers generous, with one exception that I didn't mind at all and will come back to. 

My favorite of the night was Dennis Lorenzo and Allen Stone.  Dennis hasn't grabbed my attention previously, but he held me transfixed tonight.  He and Allen sounded so good together; both of their vocals were transcendent and when they blended together it was magical.  Bishop Briggs blew Trevor McBane off the stage with that performance of her song, "River".  But I didn't mind, because she was so awesome!  Aloe Blacc's voice is so smooth, and so easy to listen to, loved hearing him on "Wake Me Up", though Dominique was just a'ight for me.  Lastly, the celebrity singer who did the most to elevate their contestant/partner...the award goes to Luis Fonsi.  For me, the song "I Can't Make You Love Me" has been overused on talent shows, plus I don't particularly like Michelle Sussett.  Somehow Luis's coaching and interactions with Michelle made the song fresh for me, and made me enjoy Michelle's part in it.   

I wasn't sad about any of the eliminations, though there are at least a few I would have kept rather than Jonny Brenns or Catie Turner.  I don't get either of them.  At all.  If I had to pick their replacements from tonight's contestants, it would probably be Dominique and Trevor, or even Brandon, though none of them were particularly good.

[Halting Hex]

2 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

Layla at 16 years still  has time

Not on this show, she doesn't.  As the rules were (and I think still are) once you make Top 24, you can't come back.  Obviously there might be other avenues for her, but the only Idol in the Spring family will be little Dyxie, it appears.

2 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

Quirky Catie? Eh. I am still on the fence about her.

I'm not.  I'm over and done.  And the fake "suspense", where she was the last one made safe?  Puh-lease.  If I were Layla (or Dominique, or Trevor) I would have been pissed, knowing that I was getting cut and still having to stand there while they "revealed" that Catie Go-Go-Boots, Production's Pet, was (shocker!) safe.  They should have done what they did for Cade, given Catie the "obviously we're keeping you" pass, and moved on to the actual dramatic decisions.  Bleh.

1 hour ago, MarkHB said:

Bishop Bridges is definitely a nascent celebrity

Given that she hasn't even released her debut album yet, well, yeah.  And it's "Bishop Briggs", not Bridges, because that's her hometown, Bishopbriggs, in Scotland.

Why is she using her town's name as a stage name, you ask?  Well, she can't use her own, because apparently her real name is…Sarah McLaughlan. And we've already got one of those.  (Same problem Michael Keaton had; he was born "Michael Douglas" and had to find a new name.)

25 minutes ago, thesupremediva1 said:

Let them all sing at this point and then let America vote.

I liked the way they did it in a few seasons, when they went to live shows at Top 24 and cut two guys and two girls each week for the first three weeks, before going to regular one-by-one eliminations at Top 12.  Gave the longshots a chance to build a fanbase without these last, massive culls.  Oh, well.

[Kenz]

I loved Dominque and Aloe Blacc together. I would have chosen Dominque over Jonny, but I guess they needed Jonny's (teen idol?) type for diversity. I knew they would choose Catie because of all the time they have invested in her. Her schtick is getting very old, and I cringe when I watch her. I felt badly for little Layla because the camera kept on her disappointed face so much when they were announcing the final seven. She's just a kid, and you could tell that she was broken hearted. She's got talent and spunk though, so she will no doubt be ok.

I enjoyed all of the duets, to my surprise. There were a lot of really great singers, both amateur and professional, and they blended well with each partner.

[LennieBriscoe]

Peeps! Do you not see the "Ugly Duckling to Swan" trajectory planned (by both her and TPTB) for Quirky Catie?!

Tonight gave us "Step One: Loosen the Hair."

Top 10 will have "Step Two: Ditch the Specs."

Top 5: "Dress to Impress."

Top 3: The piece de resistance---"Enhance Facial Features, Notably Eyes."

Steps to be moved up depending on the voting.

Along the way,  Catie will have dropped 10 pounds. 

Katy Perry might beseech Catie to "never change," but the Quirky Ginger's transformation to the Sultry Redhead has already begun!

Edited April 10, 2018 by LennieBriscoe
The judge is "Katy."

[Caseysgirl]

Last night was my first night watching this new iteration of "American Idol" and I was underwhelmed.  I miss the honest critiques of Simon Cowell ( and even Randy & Paula, though they were a little softer).  I didn't stay around after the performances, so I don't know if there were any critiques later in the show but all I heard was effusive praise for each and every performance. Really, not that I want to see the dreams of young people dashed to the ground, but if they are ever going to learn anything, giving every one nothing but kudos will not help. Plus it's boring TV.

Edited April 10, 2018 by Caseysgirl
Spelling

[Mu Shu]

6 hours ago, LennieBriscoe said:

Peeps! Do you not see the "Ugly Duckling to Swan" trajectory planned (by both her and TPTB) for Quirky Catie?!

Tonight gave us "Step One: Loosen the Hair."

Top 10 will have "Step Two: Ditch the Specs."

Top 5: "Dress to Impress."

Top 3: The piece de resistance---"Enhance Facial Features, Notably Eyes."

Steps to be moved up depending on the voting.

Along the way,  Catie will have dropped 10 pounds. 

Katy Perry might beseech Catie to "never change," but the Quirky Ginger's transformation to the Sultry Redhead has already begun!

Yeah.  I don’t think she needs it, but the ball is in play.  Overly white haired Maddie desperately needs a better color.  I hope she gets a makeover.

I don’t know who that sugarbaby lady is and generally dislike pop country, but Maddie was pretty great.  

And omg Katy Perry!  A guy who has a Cuban father speaks Spanish!  What?!

who is dressing Katy?  Maude and Blanche Dubois?  She looks like she’s dressed to go out and toss several 7 and 7s and play the slots at the golden nugget.

[Jillybean]

Well, pretty much everything I came here to say has already been said, but I'll add my 2 cents anyway.

The "judges" are not actually judging. I have heard very little constructive or helpful feedback. They are doing the contestants a disservice by not critiquing their vocals. Really, the "judges" are little more than set decoration. Katy and Luke sound stupid every time they open their mouths. 

"I Can't Make You Love Me" is one of my all-time favorite songs, and Michelle's rendition was utterly disconnected and without emotion. The ending made me cringe. She did not deserve to be put through. 

Catie - what is there to say that hasn't already been said? She is obviously a producer pick, but why? She gives our FF button a workout.

Dennis and Gabby were the standouts. Dominique absolutely deserved a spot in the top 14 and was robbed.

I personally find Train to be an absolutely terrible band, so we FF through most of the Pat M duets.

[WhineandCheez]

Quote

 

Gabby impressed me too, even though I didn't care for her in earlier rounds, she brought it today.

ETA: Dennis Lorenzo's duet with Allen Stone blew my mind! Chills! Best performance of the night, imo.

 

I was happy that their performance in the duets actually affected whether they were picked (except for Johnny Brenns--cute but meh).  Proof is the JLo girl and the Dennis who sang the duet with Allen Stone--which was goosebumpey--i don't think Dennis was in the cut before he sang that.  Also proof is that KayKay was sunk by having to sing with an old dude from Erie.  Also sunk was Brandon Diaz, who they OF COURSE assumed could sing/speak Spanish.  And he gets up there and can't do either very well.  Poor guy--hey Ai, lots of people have Spanish surnames and don't speak or sing Spanish!!

 

Quote

Katy Perry might beseech Catie to "never change," but the Quirky Ginger's transformation to the Sultry Redhead has already begun!

I totally disagree.  They are going to let her pick every sloppy, gaping outfit, they are going to let her (not) comb her own hair, they glasses will stay.  They are going to let her fling herself around the stage drunkenly.  I think for the sake of showing how fresh and diverse she is.

Poor little Layla Spring's face. But she was totally taken over by Jennifer, and Gabby totally was not.

[Wings]

18 minutes ago, Mu Shu said:

 

who is dressing Katy?  Maude and Blanche Dubois?  She looks like she’s dressed to go out and toss several 7 and 7s and play the slots at the golden nugget.

Hilarious! 

[LennieBriscoe]

Re: Catie---We shall see,  WhineAndCheez; we shall see.

Apparently,  Mu Shu, Katy has always depended on the kindness of strangers!

[Ms Blue Jay]

9 hours ago, me5671 said:

Wow... I hope the second group is better than this group, because I am underwhelmed with the contestants so far.  I am really surprised by some of the judge's choices in who to put through.  

Thanks everyone for clarifying this.  The American audience did not vote at all this week - it was all judges?  Thanks guys, I was not sure about this but it makes sense since I saw no call numbers!   LOL!

I'm a Katy Perry fan but I thought there'd be more comments on the outfit tonight.  She looked like she was in a straitjacket.  I think pop stars should dress totally crazy because that's part of the job description and I'm fine with it, but I found it interesting and funny anyway.

9 hours ago, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

I'm not sure correcting the Celebrity half of the duet (although Bishop Briggs is definitely a nascent celebrity. One who looks like a cross between Bjork and Abby Sciuto from NCIS)

 

For me Bishop Briggs is a more mainstream (easier to sell) FKA Twigs.  Getting a song on Fifty Shades Freed is pretty good in my opinion, as the trilogy has made more than a billion so I'd be happy with that accomplishment.

Edited April 10, 2018 by Ms Blue Jay

[Ms Blue Jay]

1 hour ago, Caseysgirl said:

Last night was my first night watching this new iteration of "American Idol" and I was underwhelmed.  I miss the honest critiques of Simon Cowell ( and even Randy & Paula, though they were a little softer).  

I'm a huge Simon Cowell fan.  There will never be that magic of Simon on the early seasons of AI again.  I've made my peace with it.  This is a new incarnation and it's obviously totally different.  But I totally get being nostalgic over Simon.  I'll continue to watch the older seasons to remember.  (Randy and Paula though.... LOL!  Must disagree.)

[tobeannounced]

I was really disappointed in the critique, or lack thereof, last night. It's just becoming a judge tongue bath like The Voice, which I can't stand and always fast-forward through. Cade is in desperate need  of constructive criticism, IMHO. He is one note and verging on becoming boring and predictable. He has one speed. I thought his duet partner totally outdid him. 

I was happy to see Layla go. I thought she had improved, but her cutesy, aw shucks shtick was getting on my last nerve, just as much as Catie's quirky shtick. I would not have missed her either. And for the most part, I won't miss any of the others they sent home.

[gardendiva]

12 minutes ago, tobeannounced said:

I was happy to see Layla go. I thought she had improved, but her cutesy, aw shucks shtick was getting on my last nerve, just as much as Catie's quirky shtick. I would not have missed her either. And for the most part, I won't miss any of the others they sent home.

I agree. Layla was out of her element and outgunned by the firepower that the others brought. She would be fine singing the national anthem at a local farm league baseball game, or performing at the county fair. But Gabby swept the floor with her, if we are comparing both performances. The moment in Gabby’s song where the duet broke into harmony and then changed register was spectacular and really showed off her chops. The judges saw it too. Layla’s giggling and twangy singing could not compete with that.

Edited April 10, 2018 by gardendiva
Changed word for clarity

[txbowler837]

This show doesn't put the Top 14 "best" singers in the live shows.  The show wants viewers of all music types and races.

No country singers, not as many country fans watch.

No singers of different races, less people of those races watch.

Some of the biggest demographics for this show are young teen girls and college kids.  They skew the makeup of the Top 14 to appeal to this group too.

Katie is not the best singer, we all know that.  But she brings a demographic of people who watch just to see how far her quirkiness will go.  They watch to see her lose.

I think they are limiting the country singers because the last few years, the country voting contingent has been strong on this show and The Voice.  So one girl and one boy.  Everyone can guess who the male will be next week.

I am confident that Ada Vox will make the top 14 out of his group next week.  Curious to see if America will support him when the live shows start.

 

I'm routing for Cade.  He looks like a young Glenn Frey to me.  But then again, I love rock music.  So a little bias on my part.

Edited April 10, 2018 by txbowler837
changed a word

[proserpina65]

I had no idea who Bishop Briggs and Allen Stone were before the show, and I still don't.

I closed my eyes so as not to have to watch Catie, and dozed off.  Didn't even hear her.

As a result I missed Cade's rehearsal footage (damn you, Catie!) but did wake up in time to see him perform.  It was Cade, so I enjoyed it, but I would've enjoyed it more if they hadn't rendered one of my favorite INXS songs almost unrecognizable.

I thought Layla did quite well with Sugarland, and I enjoy her energy and personality.

That wasn't the best song for Dominique, but he handled it well.  I really like his stage presence.

I keep wanting to like Brandon's performances more than I actually do, and this was no different.  The Spanish wasn't so much the problem as the inability to sing it in key; same with the English.

Poor Kay Kay got stuck with a song that was completely wrong for her, but she did a pretty good job with it.  Her chemistry with Pat Monahan was quite nice, and her voice was great.  She just needed a better song on which to use it.

I missed Trevor completely.

Michelle is not better a singer in a duet than she is on her own.  She shouldn't even be in this far.

Jonny has a little more stage presence this time, and his vocals were fine but nothing special.

Dennis sounded good, but again, this was nothing special.

Like his solo performance, I don't quite know what to make of Michael's duet.  It was interesting, at least.  His vocals were good for the most part, too.

I was in the kitchen doing the dishes while Gabby was on, and I don't really think I missed much.  It sounded okay, but she doesn't particularly impress me.

The judges' picks to advance didn't surprise me, although some did disappoint me.  I'd have substituted Layla for Gabby, Kay Kay for the inexplicable inclusion of Michelle, Dominique for Jonny, and possibly Brandon for Catie, because even though I like her voice and think she has talent as a songwriter, I simply cannot watch her at all.

[AnnieHeights]

1 hour ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I'm a Katy Perry fan but I thought there'd be more comments on the outfit tonight.  She looked like she was in a straitjacket.  I think pop stars should dress totally crazy because that's part of the job description and I'm fine with it, but I found it interesting and funny anyway.

I thought Katy looked weirdly like she was on stilts. Did not like the outfit.

 

11 hours ago, dizzyd said:

Luke looked so bored today or acted like he didn't give a fuck, his critiques were so half assed. Wonder if something happened behind the scenes

I agree.....he didn't seem into it last night and barely gave any critiques.

 

I am not thrilled with the choices they made.....I'm sorry but Domonique was so much better than Michelle and Jonny. Speaking of Michelle, Luis seemed really into her.  Layla has not matured enough to hide her disappointed face.  I do not like Gabby's personality at all.  Catie - Please America, boot her quickly.  I still cannot help feeling bad for the ones who do not make it through.  Lionel Richie saying 'Sick' is a no for me.  Cade is my favorite but they do not need to blow his head up anymore.....and I do not disagree with the posters who think he will not be the most marketable.  Michael J is adorable, I love that kid.  Dennis was so good last night and Allen Stone looked like a proud papa.  I would have preferred Kay Kay over Gabby.  I would have put Trevor through over Jonny (and stop trying to make him a teen idol).  I did think Brandon did a good job last night singing in Spanish.  The celebrities were all very kind.  I watched Andy Grammar on DWTS and he just seems like such a sweet guy.                  

[proserpina65]

3 hours ago, Caseysgirl said:

 I miss the honest critiques of Simon Cowell ( and even Randy & Paula, though they were a little softer).

I never thought Simon's critiques were all that honest, but at least they were critiques.  This panel couldn't even manage to point out Michelle and Brandon being off-key.  Makes me miss the days of "it was pitchy, dawg, for you, for me".

[twilightzone]

2 hours ago, Jillybean said:

The "judges" are not actually judging. I have heard very little constructive or helpful feedback. They are doing the contestants a disservice by not critiquing their vocals. Really, the "judges" are little more than set decoration. Katy and Luke sound stupid every time they open their mouths. 

Just as ineffective is Bobby Bones in the "mentoring role". 

Katy Perry is paid $25M so she can cougar on the male contestants.

[Mu Shu]

2 hours ago, LennieBriscoe said:

Re: Catie---We shall see,  WhineAndCheez; we shall see.

Apparently,  Mu Shu, Katy has always depended on the kindness of strangers!

Oh crap.  I meant Blanche Deveraux.

i must be old or disconnected or both.  I don’t know who the hell sugarbaby lady or any of the male stars are.  But it was nice to see Abby from NCIS ditched the bangs and is in a band with an Amish farmer .

i hate Cade.  I hate that he has that hair.  Not fair. 

Come one Kentucky girl.  Don’t feed them the corn pone.  I’m glad she’s gone.  Her thank you s and mugging were working my nerves. 

Edited April 10, 2018 by Mu Shu

[WhineandCheez]

Quote

 Makes me miss the days of "it was pitchy, dawg, for you, for me".

(wipes away sentimental tear) My favorite was always Simon saying, "It's like some ghastly cruise ship show," or "It's like some ghastly dinner theater show." And remember The Seal (for old TVwoP fogies still on here)

[thesupremediva1]

53 minutes ago, WhineandCheez said:

(wipes away sentimental tear) My favorite was always Simon saying, "It's like some ghastly cruise ship show," or "It's like some ghastly dinner theater show." And remember The Seal (for old TVwoP fogies still on here)

You're not the only one. Seriously, some of the folks let through last night were more than seal-worthy. Michelle would have gotten the "Vegas" comment, Johnny Brenns would have gotten "bad imitation of a pop star," and Katie would get "ghastly dinner theater." Most of the rest could make a decent living on a cruise ship, so I'm sort of loath to make that comparison (no shame in making a living, even if it's on the high seas).

[Jillybean]

1 hour ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

I don't know all of these celebs but I love Pat Monahan of Train.  Incidentally, Train is a rock band, one of those things some people here seem to think died off in the 80s.  

 

I consider Train pop. The kind of bland, lite pop you might hear on an elevator or at the dentist's office.

[DazzlerDon]

I don't understand why they all love Michelle so much!! Her voice is not great at all, not even good. All the gushing over her, I can't, for the life of me, understand! Michael is okay but not good enough, Jonny is okay but has no stage presence. Ugh, I guess I will only be relieved when America votes Michelle off. Those judges are not being realistic, gushing over everyone, no realistic worldly criticism at all. They are a waste. People want to hear the necessary critiques, as Simon and even Randy did. This group of judges are a waste. Lionel is really nice but come on!!

[Real4real]

11 hours ago, LennieBriscoe said:

Peeps! Do you not see the "Ugly Duckling to Swan" trajectory planned (by both her and TPTB) for Quirky Catie?!

Tonight gave us "Step One: Loosen the Hair."

Top 10 will have "Step Two: Ditch the Specs."

Top 5: "Dress to Impress."

Top 3: The piece de resistance---"Enhance Facial Features, Notably Eyes."

Steps to be moved up depending on the voting.

Along the way,  Catie will have dropped 10 pounds. 

Katy Perry might beseech Catie to "never change," but the Quirky Ginger's transformation to the Sultry Redhead has already begun!

This!  As the show has progressed, I am becoming more and more convinced that "off-stage" Catie is an act that she is playing and the end game is the "miraculous" transformation she will make.  She won't even need to lose 10 pounds--she just needs to wear clothes that fit her!  Seriously, her clothes look like she picked them out of the dumpster behind Goodwill.  So bad.

[WhineandCheez]

Quote

This!  As the show has progressed, I am becoming more and more convinced that "off-stage" Catie is an act that she is playing and the end game is the "miraculous" transformation she will make.  She won't even need to lose 10 pounds--she just needs to wear clothes that fit her!  Seriously, her clothes look like she picked them out of the dumpster behind Goodwill.  So bad.

Someone in an earlier thread said her daughter/son goes to school with Catie and she is like this.  She is well liked apparnetly.  I wouldn't like someone hurtling their body at me all the time, IMHO (unless it's Cade haha)

[sempervivum]

s

Quote

some of the biggest demographics for this show are young teen girls and college kids.  They skew the makeup of the Top 14 to appeal to this group too.

Unless something has changed in the last few years, isn't the singing shows' (all of them) demographic pretty old? Wasn't that the reason for the string of mature-skewing WGWG's, and the dearth of pop-type contestants of either sex going far in previous seasons? I'm recalling LOTS of discussion about this back in TwoP days.

I expect the actual judge critiquing will begin with the top 14 show, when the show will try to get the audience to vote for the 'right' contestants. That's when Katy et al will finally start pointing out the flaws.

Catie strikes me the same way Lauren Alaina did in her season: truly talented, but with a contrived/phony personality problem (although that seems to have worked out for LA). 

[Blissfool]

8 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

Poor Kay Kay got stuck with a song that was completely wrong for her, but she did a pretty good job with it.  Her chemistry with Pat Monahan was quite nice, and her voice was great.  She just needed a better song on which to use it.

 

I wonder why she was the only one that was shown in stage rehearsal? Were they trying to show she was a diva? Pat looked a little annoyed in the background when she was complaining to a stagehand.

 

5 hours ago, DazzlerDon said:

Jonny is okay but has no stage presence.

Just you wait for those ballet lessons to take effect.

Just. You. Wait.

[Annber03]

9 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

I had no idea who Bishop Briggs and Allen Stone were before the show, and I still don't.

I closed my eyes so as not to have to watch Catie, and dozed off.  Didn't even hear her.

As a result I missed Cade's rehearsal footage (damn you, Catie!) but did wake up in time to see him perform.  It was Cade, so I enjoyed it, but I would've enjoyed it more if they hadn't rendered one of my favorite INXS songs almost unrecognizable.

I thought Layla did quite well with Sugarland, and I enjoy her energy and personality.

That wasn't the best song for Dominique, but he handled it well.  I really like his stage presence.

I keep wanting to like Brandon's performances more than I actually do, and this was no different.  The Spanish wasn't so much the problem as the inability to sing it in key; same with the English.

Poor Kay Kay got stuck with a song that was completely wrong for her, but she did a pretty good job with it.  Her chemistry with Pat Monahan was quite nice, and her voice was great.  She just needed a better song on which to use it.

I missed Trevor completely.

Michelle is not better a singer in a duet than she is on her own.  She shouldn't even be in this far.

Jonny has a little more stage presence this time, and his vocals were fine but nothing special.

Dennis sounded good, but again, this was nothing special.

Like his solo performance, I don't quite know what to make of Michael's duet.  It was interesting, at least.  His vocals were good for the most part, too.

I was in the kitchen doing the dishes while Gabby was on, and I don't really think I missed much.  It sounded okay, but she doesn't particularly impress me.

The judges' picks to advance didn't surprise me, although some did disappoint me.  I'd have substituted Layla for Gabby, Kay Kay for the inexplicable inclusion of Michelle, Dominique for Jonny, and possibly Brandon for Catie, because even though I like her voice and think she has talent as a songwriter, I simply cannot watch her at all.

Pretty much generally sums up my thoughts overall here. 

I also fully agree with the comments about wanting more proper criticism. There were times when they'd show the judges during the performances, and the looks on their faces seemed to indicate there were some critical thoughts running through their heads. But then when it came time to say something...nothing. It doesn't have to be Simon Cowell-level critique, no, but there should be something. Many of the contestants could've used it last night, and if they're going to get into this business, they need to get some experience dealing with that side of things. 'Cause people outside of this show will only get harsher on them down the line. 

[MarkHB]

1 hour ago, Blissfool said:

I wonder why she was the only one that was shown in stage rehearsal? Were they trying to show she was a diva?

I think it was because in the original session with Pat she was like, "Yeah, we got this!" and when they got to the dress rehearsal she was a train wreck.  Maybe they were trying to help explain to the audience her impending cut.

 

1 hour ago, Annber03 said:

I had no idea who Bishop Briggs and Allen Stone were before the show, and I still don't.

I knew Allen Stone only because he was the main act some time ago when we went to see his opener, Haley Reinhart.  Haley was super nice, btw.

I had always had the impression that the run of WGWGs was driven by tween girls voting for who they considered cute boys.  I recall one story in Season 9 where some young ladies were quoted as voting for Lee DeWyze over Casey James because the former was a "cute boy" while Casey was a "man".  But as my brother is fond of saying, the plural of "anecdote" is not "data."

[Diana Berry]

16 hours ago, Mu Shu said:

 

who is dressing Katy?  Maude and Blanche Dubois?  She looks like she’s dressed to go out and toss several 7 and 7s and play the slots at the golden nugget.

Thanks for the laugh.  Can we add Cruella DeVille?

[Diana Berry]

5 hours ago, Blissfool said:

 

 

11 hours ago, DazzlerDon said:

Jonny is okay but has no stage presence. 

Jonny is from my hometown so he's been doing the live local news shows after the episodes air.  He may not be the most talented but very impressed with his polite, humble manner with the hosts.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Am I the only one who had a terrible feeling in my ear every time somebody said the name "Kay Kay"  (or is it K.K.?)  I always think of the KKK.  My first thing would be to advise her Change. Your. Name.  It bothered me so much.

[Blissfool]

2 hours ago, MarkHB said:

I think it was because in the original session with Pat she was like, "Yeah, we got this!" and when they got to the dress rehearsal she was a train wreck.  Maybe they were trying to help explain to the audience her impending 

 

Pun intended?

 

1 hour ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Am I the only one who had a terrible feeling in my ear every time somebody said the name "Kay Kay"  (or is it K.K.?)  I always think of the KKK.  My first thing would be to advise her Change. Your. Name.  It bothered me so much.

Well, now I'm embarrassed to admit that I thought it was a cute stage name. I actually wondered if her name is Katie too. My mind never went to KKK. 

[MarkHB]

1 hour ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Am I the only one who had a terrible feeling in my ear every time somebody said the name "Kay Kay" 

My cousin's daughter is nicknamed K.K. (her initials), so it made me think of her.

[marykat71702]

I'm watching on Hulu, so I paused the show before the eliminations to get my thoughts down before I knew the results. I also have not looked at any other comments for tonight yet.

Catie-I think this is the first performance of hers that I have enjoyed.

Cade-His mentor didn't seem like much of a mentor. I thought he did a great job. Who is Bishop Briggs, anyways?

Layla-Decent job, but I wasn't blown away.

Dominique-I love this song. He did it justice, but I wish I connected with him more.

Brandon-I've never understood the hype about Despacito. Still don't. Meh. But, even so, I like him and hope he stays.

Kay Kay-That rehearsal was a train wreck. Did they show that to sandbag her? I thought the actual performance was pretty good.

Trevor-What was that?! Not impressed, but at least we finally saw some emotion from him.

Michelle-I'm just not feeling her. I hope she goes tonight. When Katy said "no matter what", I had a feeling she was toast.

Jonny-Can also go tonight. As an aside, I absolutely adore Andy Grammer.

Dennis-I was not sure about this duet when it started, but ended up enjoying it.

Michael-As others before have said, I also have wondered if he is on the Autism Spectrum. I think he has an amazing voice, and I hope he goes far. He has an infectious energy.

Gabby-I don't care for her voice, and she seemed tense and uncomfortable during that song.

My five to leave tonight are Catie, Trevor, Michelle, Jonny, and Gabby.

Now, I'm going to watch the rest of the show and probably be disappointed...

[marykat71702]

Ugh. Very disappointed by the choices!

When they let Michelle go through, I was afraid that Brandon was gone. Did you see his reaction after they announced her safe?

Gabby-What the hell?! I guess I'm either just not seeing what the judges are seeing, or maybe i'm not the right demographic. Once she was in, Layla was gone.

Jonny-Holy crap, I might be out of it if this is what they are looking for. Disappointed with the choices so far.

Yay, Michael!

OMG, are you kidding me?! I guess they needed to keep the quirky girl around for some reason. <eyeroll>

[marykat71702]

17 hours ago, Mu Shu said:

 Overly white haired Maddie

 

17 hours ago, Mu Shu said:

but Maddie was pretty great.

Umm. that was Gabby. Maddie wasn't on this week.

17 hours ago, Jillybean said:

The "judges" are not actually judging. I have heard very little constructive or helpful feedback. They are doing the contestants a disservice by not critiquing their vocals.

This! So much this!

[silverspoons]

The judges seem too nice? they really had noting bad to say. Johnny got the least positive review IMO and I was surprised when they put him through. 

How many pairs of plastic boots does Catie have? So far we have seen 6 different colors of the same boots?

I'm torn about the choices. I think some of them were wrong but I understand wanting a diverse group for the final 12. As someone who has gone to the Idol tour, the best years had diverse group. My favorite year was season 7. I was not a fan of Chickze or Kristy Lee or Syesha but having , such a great mix, of rock, country, belters, dancers, it was a great show and it was the year I bought 6 different albums.