S16.E12: Top 24 Celebrity Duets (2)

[MarkHB]

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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.

Performing during this episode are contestants and celebrities:
• Ada Vox with celebrity duet partner Lea Michele
• Alyssa Raghu with celebrity duet partner Banners
• Amelia Hammer Harris with celebrity duet partner Bebe Rexha
• Caleb Lee Hutchinson with celebrity duet partner Bebe Rexha
• Effie Passero with celebrity duet partner Cam
• Garrett Jacobs with celebrity duet partner Colbie Caillat
• Jurnee with celebrity duet partner Lea Michele
• Maddie Poppe with celebrity duet partner Colbie Caillat
• Mara Justine with celebrity duet partner Rachel Platten
• Marcio Donaldson with celebrity duet partner Allen Stone
• Ron Bultongez with celebrity duet partner Banners
• Shannon O’Hara with celebrity duet partner Cam

[dizzyd]

Interesting that both Bebe and Colbie tried out for AI. I think Rachel was the best mentor tonight, she really let Mara shine. 

Having been spoiled and thrown my tantrum a few weeks ago, I have no comments on the results, so I'll leave that to you guys. I'm ready to go live next week. Let's go Maddie!

[LennieBriscoe]

Feh. A couple greats passed over for a couple mediocres.

And the former were Effie and Alyssa.

Edited April 17, 2018 by LennieBriscoe

[Annber03]

Okay, I am not happy that Alyssa, Effie, and Shannon aren't going through :(. That's such a shame. That said, however, everybody was super good tonight overall, so I do feel for the judges some with their tough choices they had to make. Congrats to the ones who did make it through, though!

Loved all the mentors tonight. Cam seems like a real sweetie (and that "Burning House" song sounded super pretty, so I may have to add the original version to my playlist at some point). As does Rachel Platten. I liked seeing them all watching the judges' feedback and cheering their duet partners.

And yay for hearing "Yellow". I love that song.

[me5671]

If you swap Garrett for Effie, this is the seven I would have put through this week.  Garrett really didn't deserve to make it through, though.  His voice just isn't strong enough.

[ECM1231]

8 minutes ago, me5671 said:

If you swap Garrett for Effie, this is the seven I would have put through this week.  Garrett really didn't deserve to make it through, though.  His voice just isn't strong enough.

I agree. They do need their "heartthrob" type, though. Garrett needs to get with the program and not bring on his gf. I could get on board with Effie; thought she did great tonight but Luke pissed me off last night saying she sang Ann Wilson better than Ann Wilson.  

Figured it was a toss up between Mara and Shannon. Wish both could have made it through.

[DietCokeJunkie]

Quote

If you swap Garrett for Effie, this is the seven I would have put through this week.  Garrett really didn't deserve to make it through, though.  His voice just isn't strong enough.

Agree 100% about Garrett.  I could barely hear him singing during his duet.  There were other stronger singers who should have gone through ahead of him.  At least they are eliminating 4 next week.  I know I shouldn't get my hopes up, but maybe it will actually be the weakest singers who get booted. 

[Mu Shu]

44 minutes ago, LennieBriscoe said:

Feh. A couple greats passed over for a couple mediocres.

And the former were Effie and Alyssa.

Grr.  Ada Vox and the ghastly cruise ship scream performance over Effie?  And the look Ragu threw AV when she was doing that victory dance thing.  

 I don’t know who any of these mentors are, except Debbie Wasserman Schultz.  Who knew she was a singer?

Poor Ron, that was awful.  All this non criticism and blowing smoke up everyone’s as is getting old.  Kid never should made it this far.

katie Perry is do embarrassing to watch.  Now she’s wearing Liberace’s curtains.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

She was probably not getting Mara's spot even with a great duet performance, but man did the show just house Alyssa's chances pairing her up with that terrible Banners guy.

She had zero chance to make that work in a palatable way. Zero.

So my snap Top 14 thoughts:

Maddie: Likable, pretty much my vibe in music

Jonny: Completely out of his depth, only there as eye candy

Garrett: See Jonny

Ada: Too much

Catie: See Ada times 100

Jurnee: Vocally, a favorite

Michael: ????

Gaby: Adept country vocal mimic. Cold personality

Mara: Feels like she parachuted in from another decade

Cade: Rock. Star.

Caleb: His visible potential seems to outweigh his actual performances lately

Dennis: I'm on team Dennis, not team Marcio

Marcio: See Dennis

Michelle: There's a version of her as a Latin Dance Pop artist that could be really entertaining...

Edited April 17, 2018 by PhD-Purgatory15

[kib]

Nice to see Allen Stone getting more national attention.  I've followed him for a number of years and he's highly underrated.  Seems like he clicked with the Idol kid well. Nice performance.

[GSDMom]

I am so upset that Effie, of all people did not get through! They let a couple of others through that were good singers but no stars, she is a star! IS there a wild card bring back on this season? They are insane for letting her go! Damn!!!!

[cinsbythesea]

They kept Catie in and let Effie go.  Wow.  And they kept Jonny in?  WHY???

[thesupremediva1]

How could any of those so-called judges advance Garrett and lose Effie? Was one subpar singing hottie last week not enough? We had to waste two spots? I have no words.

Edited April 17, 2018 by thesupremediva1

[suebee12]

3 hours ago, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

Jonny: Completely out of his depth, only there as eye candy

And in my eye, he is not even eye candy! He usually looks like an unmade bed and he cannot sing!

And everyone seems to be for Effie but my problem with her is I cannot stand tattoos...at least not big ones that cover lots of skin....she actually is someone that Simon's quote to Clay covers..." I like you with my eyes covered".

[Ladyrain]

3 hours ago, suebee12 said:

And in my eye, he is not even eye candy! He usually looks like an unmade bed and he cannot sing!

And everyone seems to be for Effie but my problem with her is I cannot stand tattoos...at least not big ones that cover lots of skin....she actually is someone that Simon's quote to Clay covers..." I like you with my eyes covered".

True.  -  I've followed Idol from the beginning this year, but Mr. Rain sat down to watch for the first time Monday night.  When Effie came on he said, "I hate all those tattoos".    I also agree with you about Jonny; he must be there for the 'tweens to vote fore.  Catie is still here for the crazy factor, even though it drives me nuts.   -   All in all, I think they have a more talented group than I can recall the show having in its last few seasons, or at least the majority of them don't make my ears bleed.  It's just gonna break my heart a little bit if yet another cute-ish guy wins over a more talented girl. 

[Suzysite]

4 hours ago, suebee12 said:

" I like you with my eyes covered".

That pretty much sums up how I watch Adam in his hideous makeup and dresses.   Not that the screechy Defying Gravity did my ears any favors, either.

[SnarkAttack]

I love Effie and was hoping she'd cover up a bit on stage because of the tattoos.  I get that she is who she is, but if you want to win, you have to play the game at least a bit.  Mara toning it down helped her.

[LennieBriscoe]

It's true that sometimes the Original Trio of Judges erred in their Top 24 decisions, but they at least had some idea, especially Simon, of the promotion and sales side of the business when they eliminated a contestant. With a few of this season's I wondered if Katy was just jealous.

Sleeve tattoos can be covered. Effie's voice cannot be denied, and her exclusion cannot be justified. She was simply a victim of ASSumed potential.

When Ada is finally voted off---and "she" will be---Adam will be told how much he forwarded the cause of "acceptance." That and a dollar will....

Meanwhile, one-octave Teen Beat subjects Jonny and Cade will roll merrily along. I don't know from Garrett; must have dozed off the times he sang.

Not sure if "mimic" wasn't what was sought for the duets. There were more than a few moments these two weeks when I wondered at why one duet singer had a professional contract while the partner was still trying. That thought followed the one that was, "This person's famous?! Never heard of her (or him)!"

Edited April 17, 2018 by LennieBriscoe

[WhineandCheez]

Quote

If you swap Garrett for Effie, this is the seven I would have put through this week.  Garrett really didn't deserve to make it through, though.  His voice just isn't strong enough.

This was a travesty.  But this is not American Greatest Singer.  The girls are totally wiping the floor with the guys this year, they needed SOME more males.  

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Ada Vox and the ghastly cruise ship scream performance over Effie?  

So far, Ada has been singing The Great American Drag Songbook. Not too much subtlety, I'm looking forward to see if she can move past the high drama.

 

Quote

Nice to see Allen Stone getting more national attention.  I've followed him for a number of years and he's highly underrated

I'm gonna buy one of his cds.  I hate to admit that AI can influence my buying, but in 2002 I bought a new Ford Focus because they always advertised/did fake commercials on AI, so I guess a cd pales in comparison...

[Guest]

I didn’t think Effie was that good.   Heart is a band you just don’t cover in these things, in my opinion, because you will not compare well and this old audience knows those notes.  Carrie might be the one exception.  Plus her styling is extreme for this audience.   I think the Mohawk was probably tougher on voters than the tats.   The allusion to fighting with her mom was kind of awkward, too.  

[proserpina65]

I'd never heard of Banners before last night (and still know little about him really), but I pegged the Scouser accent right away.  I liked the song and he seems personable enough, can he be a contestant?

Edited to note that I'd never heard of Cam before either, but I liked her as well, so two new people to check out.

Edited April 17, 2018 by proserpina65

[proserpina65]

Well, I don't totally agree with the picks, I'd replace Ada with Effie, Mara with Shannon, and maybe Garrett with Ron, but honestly as long as Jurnee, Maddie and Caleb made it, I'm okay.

The duets were better than last weeks.  Other than Ada's with Lea Michele (because I hated the song), they were all pretty enjoyable.  A few of the contestants got overwhelmed by their partners, notably Ron and Alyssa, but most of them held their own, and a few (Jurnee and Marcio) even stood out.  Heck, I even thought Mara sounded great in her duet with Rachel Platten, who was absolutely correct about paring down the performance; didn't make me like Mara but I did enjoy the performance.

[Mu Shu]

1 hour ago, LennieBriscoe said:

It's true that sometimes the Original Trio of Judges erred in their Top 24 decisions, but they at least had some idea, especially Simon, of the promotion and sales side of the business when they eliminated a contestant. With a few of this season's I wondered if Katy was just jealous.

Sleeve tattoos can be covered. Effie's voice cannot be denied, and her exclusion cannot be justified. She was simply a victim of ASSumed potential.

When Ada is finally voted off---and "she" will be---Adam will be told how much he forwarded the cause of "acceptance." That and a dollar will....

Meanwhile, one-octave Teen Beat subjects Jonny and Cade will roll merrily along. I don't know from Garrett; must have dozed off the times he sang.

Not sure if "mimic" wasn't what was sought for the duets. There were more than a few moments these two weeks when I wondered at why one duet singer had a professional contract while the partner was still trying. That thought followed the one that was, "This person's famous?! Never heard of her (or him)!"

I’ll tell you what will happen.  When Adam, and let’s be real, he said he is Adam, isn’t advanced there will be an uproar about homophobia, transphobia, etc. whoever wins will be lambasted for being “vanilla”.

He tried several times and couldn’t make it, so he devised this character, and now no one can say anything about it.  About how awful the makeup is.  The clothing.  The lack of any charisma.   He can sing?  So?  I remember a couple of people named Latoya London and Tamyra Gray, beautiful, camera ready girls who could belt.  They didn’t make it.  He’s no better than them. 

Simon would have shut this foolishness down.  These fools are just enabling him and telling him how special he is because THEY don’t want to be branded the intolerant ones.  They’re foisting the dirty work on to their audience.  

It sucks for the voters, and it sucks for Adam. It sucks for Effie who was left behind so this fuckery could continue.

Adam, if you want to be a queen take some criticism.  Your fucking Kotex is showing.  Your makeup is hideous, and if you’re going to insist on form fitting clothes, learn about real girdles.  You have too much junk for shapewear.  Start getting a brutal reality check from queens. 

But I don’t think he’s a queen.  This is a wedge to get onto the show, and it worked.

[Tosia]

31 minutes ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

I didn’t think Effie was that good.   Heart is a band you just don’t cover in these things, in my opinion, because you will not compare well and this old audience knows those notes.  Carrie might be the one exception.  Plus her styling is extreme for this audience.   I think the Mohawk was probably tougher on voters than the tats.   The allusion to fighting with her mom was kind of awkward, too.  

I agree, Winston9-DT3. 

Effie's style  seems like kd lang (whom I adore),  but older, tougher, and not so audience friendly, although I like the vintage dresses. However, the slick Mohawk, and extreme lack of makeup does nothing for her.  I would have liked to see her change both--- moderately--- just for variety.   

The tats I can live with and I figure AI producers were trying to appeal to that niche of folks. 

The mom thing was an attempt at sympathy, buttttttt don't bring it up and then say you wont talk about it.  That's annoying.  Give one small specific incident and move on. I don't care about any of these contestants' back stories, especially bleached out Carrie wannabe.  My heartstrings are steel.  Just sing.

I love Dreamboat Annie and Magic Man, but  the never the yelling of Ann Wilson on Barracuda. 

Edited April 17, 2018 by Tosia

[Babalooie]

Once again, Idol was much better than The Voice last night. 

After watching again this morning, I'm starting to think that Marcio is The Chosen One.  I had thought it was Michael, who I am partial to because he was weird enough to sing a song from "Cabaret", but I noticed something subtle when Marcio's name was called as a finalist that I didn't notice with the others, but may have happened.  When Katy called his name, the band softly played "What's Going On" in the background.  I'm also suspicious of all that crying.  He was certainly upbeat and happy singing with Allen Stone.  Nothing against him, because he's good.  I'm just calling out producer-created drama antics.

[proserpina65]

11 hours ago, Mu Shu said:

katie Perry is do embarrassing to watch.  Now she’s wearing Liberace’s curtains.

It's all about her rather than the contestants.  I felt so sorry for them, waiting to get honest feedback (which was never happening anyway) and having to wait through her ridiculous performances.  But lol for Liberace's curtains!

11 hours ago, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

She was probably not getting Mara's spot even with a great duet performance, but man did the show just house Alyssa's chances pairing her up with that terrible Banners guy.

She had zero chance to make that work in a palatable way. Zero.

So my snap Top 14 thoughts:

Maddie: Likable, pretty much my vibe in music

Jonny: Completely out of his depth, only there as eye candy

Garrett: See Jonny

Ada: Too much

Catie: See Ada times 100

Jurnee: Vocally, a favorite

Michael: ????

Gaby: Adept country vocal mimic. Cold personality

Mara: Feels like she parachuted in from another decade

Cade: Rock. Star.

Caleb: His visible potential seems to outweigh his actual performances lately

Dennis: I'm on team Dennis, not team Marcio

Marcio: See Dennis

Michelle: There's a version of her as a Latin Dance Pop artist that could be really entertaining...

I liked Banners, but that duet worked for him, not for Alyssa.  He was the wrong kind of voice and that was the wrong song for her.  It did her no favors at all.

I think Caleb's performances have been quite good, but yeah, his potential is better.

Otherwise, I agree with your assessment.

[proserpina65]

3 hours ago, Suzysite said:

That pretty much sums up how I watch Adam in his hideous makeup and dresses.   Not that the screechy Defying Gravity did my ears any favors, either.

There's drag queen done right, and then there's Ada.  Good voice, but the propensity for screechy ballads does not endear at all.  Her best performance was Creep.  If she does something like that again, I might not mind her inclusion in the top 14, but otherwise, Effie should've had that spot.

Edited April 17, 2018 by proserpina65
Changed Adam to Ada since that is how she's presenting herself on the show. Plus, too much confusion with Adam Lambert's name.

[twilightzone]

3 minutes ago, Babalooie said:

Once again, Idol was much better than The Voice last night. 

After watching again this morning, I'm starting to think that Marcio is The Chosen One.  I had thought it was Michael, who I am partial to because he was weird enough to sing a song from "Cabaret", but I noticed something subtle when Marcio's name was called as a finalist that I didn't notice with the others, but may have happened.  When Katy called his name, the band softly played "What's Going On" in the background.  I'm also suspicious of all that crying.  He was certainly upbeat and happy singing with Allen Stone.  Nothing against him, because he's good.  I'm just calling out producer-created drama antics.

Marcio would be very difficult to market after the show.  The type of music he does isn't current and his age will work against him.  So it would not make any sense he would be The Chosen One.

[WhineandCheez]

Quote

After watching again this morning, I'm starting to think that Marcio is The Chosen One. 

While watching last night my intuition "pinged" that Jurnee is going to win.

[HelenCrump]

Tosia, Effie also reminded me of kd lang.  I liked her voice and would have put her through, but I also understand why she didn't go further.  She did not do herself any favors with the extreme styling -- sleeves and a less edgy hairstyle would have helped, IMHO.

Amelia was one of my favorites from the auditions.   Although I didn't like her solo performance this week, I'm sorry she didn't make top 14.

That said, I think this is a strong top 14 and I look forward to seeing the show on Sunday.   So far my favorites are Cade and Maddie.   (This could, of course, change!)

Edited April 17, 2018 by HelenCrump

[Ladyrain]

1 hour ago, proserpina65 said:

It's all about her rather than the contestants.  I felt so sorry for them, waiting to get honest feedback (which was never happening anyway) and having to wait through her ridiculous performances.  But lol for Liberace's curtains!

12 hours ago, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

Yup.  And to think that I used to bitch about J-Lo making it all about her.  God, if I'd only known what was coming down the pike.  I now yearn for those good old days.  At least with Jennifer, she always looked gorgeous (well, mostly always); I looked forward to her ever-evolving hairstyles and her make-up palettes and her interesting, mostly attractive clothing choices.  With KP it's just the bleached almost-buzz-cut, charred black eyes, Halloween costume outfits.

Luke, while extremely easy on the eyes, can't seem to string enough words together to make a coherent sentence.  It's uncomfortable to listen to him speak, trying to make a point in the most circuitous routes that make no sense when he finally stops talking.  Lionel is this year's version of Paula, trying to be nice to everyone and making no useful critiques.    ----    I am so disappointed in this judging panel.  I hope TPTB rethink this group if the show comes back next year.

Edited April 17, 2018 by Ladyrain

[AnnieHeights]

I hated Effie didn't go through......her tats didn't bother me (there are true tattoo people - like her- and posers who do it because they think they look cool), I do think she could have benefitted from better make-up and totally agree she resembled KD Lange.  She definitely should have gone through over Garrett.  He is cute but isn't the best singer and needs to control his eyebrows a little better - it is distracting.

Caleb is talented and seems like a good kid.

Jurnee really might be the chosen one, she is marketable.

Maddie is my favorite girl.....love her style.

Ada/Adam....oh he needs a seasoned drag queen to help him.  His foundation is much too dark and he needs proper undergarments if he is going to continue as Ada.   

Marcio.......he is fine, he needs to tone down the crying but I get it.   

Again, the celebrities seemed caring about who they were partnered with.  Given all the rumors about Lea Michele being a diva, I did notice both of her Idols went through and she lead each song....hmmm....... ;)    

[Ladyrain]

2 minutes ago, AnnieHeights said:

Garrett.  He is cute but isn't the best singer and needs to control his eyebrows a little better - it is distracting.

OMG, you're right.  There was just something distracting about his face but I couldn't put my finger on it.......because he's just so darn cute.  But, yeah, it's those brows.  I don't think he can fix that little issue; too ingrained by now. 

[Suzysite]

Adam's shtick is really starting to bug me.  He has said himself this is not how he actually lives his life.  It's basically a costume.  A foot in the door that no one dare criticize.   Well, buddy I'm criticizing.  This is not the venue for performance art.   Man up and sing as you.  Stop hiding behind ghastly makeup and grandma's wardrobe.   Fingers crossed that 'Merica doesn't vote for this to continue.

[sempervivum]

12 hours ago, Mu Shu said:

I don’t know who any of these mentors are, except Debbie Wasserman Schultz.  Who knew she was a singer?

LOL. Cam is way better looking than DWS, though.

I'm agreeing with so many comments here, I can't quote them all. However, I have a sinking feeling we'll get to a top 5 that will consist of Jonny, Garrett, Caleb, Cade and a girl, probably Jurnee, but more likely (shudder) Mara. Or Catie, ugh. Hope I'm wrong.

BTW, rumor has it that Top 10 will be Disney songs and Top 7 will be Prince songs!

1 hour ago, Mu Shu said:

I’ll tell you what will happen.  When Adam, and let’s be real, he said he is Adam, isn’t advanced there will be an uproar about homophobia, transphobia, etc. whoever wins will be lambasted for being “vanilla”.

Well, I doubt that there will be much attention when this happens (and I agree it will, pretty soon) as there hasn't been any great media attention paid to Ada yet. It's not like AI hasn't had gay contestants before, and I don't think Adam is trans (obviously). 

[llewis823]

2 hours ago, Tosia said:

I don't care about any of these contestants' back stories, especially bleached out Carrie wannabe.  My heartstrings are steel.  Just sing.

Word!

[PamelaMaeSnap]

Following a few of the contestants on Twitter and I gotta say Marcio won me over BIGTIME when he posted that his favorite musical is "Ragtime" and his favorite song from it is "Make Them Hear You" and how much he wanted to perform it on the show if he had the chance. 

As a longtime musical theatre geek, that is my absolutely favorite musical and my favorite song from a musical ... I can't necessarily see a situation where he'd get the chance, especially since it's not really a well-known song AT ALL ... but if he does it I will vote my ass off for the entire time allotted. While I was crying. 

I'm still bitter that Dominique Posey didn't make it through. LOVE his voice. 

Of the girls, my favorite is definitely Maddie because she reminds me so much of my daughter in her old-time singer-songwriter-guitarist-quirky-song-choice days (in fact, DD interrupted her set list of originals to do an acoustic version of "Rainbow Connection" at a WeHo club gig she had as a birthday present to me!)

[ichbin]

Wish Katy Perry would tone it down.  Don't get me wrong, I still prefer her to Lopez, but the need to draw attention is toooooo much.  

Agree with a lot of criticism regarding Adam/Ada (bad make-up, sloppy drag, tendency to screech it up), but those things can be polished and the talent is there. 

I also agree that Effie's appearance could have played a part in her dismissal, but then again Amelia had the looks and the pipes and still was eliminated for some unfathomable reason. I think those two were more deserving than some others who got through.  

Please let there now be an end to the personal sob stories for the rest of the season.  Queen for a Day ended decades ago.  Let this just be a talent contest.  

[tobeannounced]

I didn't think Effie was great singing Heart, and the only time I thought she sounded good in her duet was when they were singing together. Maybe there's some backup singing in her future.

Ragu or whatever has something there, but it needs to cook a bit longer. Same with Shannon, so I was okay with them not going through. Amanda was one of those that's good but I'm not really interested in seeing more.

Still being surprised by Mara, and I loved Rachel Platt so much. What a kind soul.

[Blissfool]

8 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

Heck, I even thought Mara sounded great in her duet with Rachel Platten, who was absolutely correct about paring down the performance; didn't make me like Mara but I did enjoy the performance.

That performance made me like Mara AND Rachel Platten, both of whom I disliked before. Rachel was such a good mentor and really helped showcase Mara's voice  and vulnerability.

 

7 hours ago, Babalooie said:

Once again, Idol was much better than The Voice last night. 

After watching again this morning, I'm starting to think that Marcio is The Chosen One.  I had thought it was Michael, who I am partial to because he was weird enough to sing a song from "Cabaret", but I noticed something subtle when Marcio's name was called as a finalist that I didn't notice with the others, but may have happened.  When Katy called his name, the band softly played "What's Going On" in the background.  I'm also suspicious of all that crying.  He was certainly upbeat and happy singing with Allen Stone.  Nothing against him, because he's good.  I'm just calling out producer-created drama antics.

I also noticed "What's Going On" in the background and thought to myself, "what the heck IS going on? This isn't fair!"

 

6 hours ago, Ladyrain said:

Luke, while extremely easy on the eyes, can't seem to string enough words together to make a coherent sentence.  It's uncomfortable to listen to him speak, trying to make a point in the most circuitous routes that make no sense when he finally stops talking.  

Luke is so awkward. He never knows what to say and never knows if he should stand or sit or hide behind a chair. He relies on Katy or Lionel body language and imitates whatever they do although he's not feeling it.

I like Katy and I DO think that she has given some good advice. She told Mara to lay off the "icing," sometime less is more. She told Johnny to take dance lessons to better his stage presence. And I've noticed other advice she's given, I just can't think of it at the time.

[kib]

8 hours ago, WhineandCheez said:

I'm gonna buy one of his cds.  I hate to admit that AI can influence my buying, but in 2002 I bought a new Ford Focus because they always advertised/did fake commercials on AI, so I guess a cd pales in comparison...

If I were to recommend a particular Allen Stone CD, I'd go with his 2011 (with a national reissue in 2012) self titled "Allen Stone".  He had an excellent backup band and producer on that album.  A great introduction of what he can do. Enjoy!

[Diana Berry]

9 hours ago, sempervivum said:

 

I'm agreeing with so many comments here, I can't quote them all. However, I have a sinking feeling we'll get to a top 5 that will consist of Jonny, Garrett, Caleb, Cade and a girl, probably Jurnee, but more likely (shudder) Mara. Or Catie, ugh. Hope I'm wrong.

 

I think you are so right on with this one (unfortunately).I totally am substituting Jurnee with Catie.  Maybe the guy caring for sister's baby will squeeze in there, too.

[Ladyrain]

6 hours ago, sempervivum said:

I have a sinking feeling we'll get to a top 5 that will consist of Jonny, Garrett, Caleb, Cade and a girl, probably Jurnee, but more likely (shudder) Mara. Or Catie, ugh. Hope I'm wrong.

 

Sinking feeling is right.  If that's our top 5 then it means I will have wasted ?how many weeks? of my life watching this show, only for it to end like this.

[dizzyd]

So is Adam/Ada the reason there are 8 guys and 6 girls in the finals, as in he performs as a female and they were going for an equal number of each male and female performers? I thought there were more girls who deserved to go through than guys. I also didn't like the way the 24 were divided considering they had 2 separate eliminations over the past 2 weeks. The 2nd group were better overall than the 1st and if they were going to divide them randomly, they should have only had one elimination after all 24 performed. 

[Diana Berry]

4 hours ago, Ladyrain said:

Sinking feeling is right.  If that's our top 5 then it means I will have wasted ?how many weeks? of my life watching this show, only for it to end like this.

You got it.  Jonny and his hair swoop, Garrett and his eyebrows, Cade and his ringlets, Mara and her hair whip,  quirky Catie, and cute little baby showing up for every show.  Can't wait.   While my  favorites , Maddie, Dennis Lorenzo, and Jurnee gets left in the wings.

On a side note,  I really liked the DJ that  interviewed the contestants the last few shows.  He didn't annoy me at all.  Maybe he can come back as a judge next season.

[LennieBriscoe]

Winston 9--DT3, re: Effie's effect on the audience and voters: There is no way to determine that, as voting hasn't begun.

[marykat71702]

Again, I am pausing the show so I can put my thoughts down before I know the results.

Caleb-He has an instantly recognizable voice. I really like him, and I hope he makes it through.

Ada-Great vocals, but I'm just not in her corner yet.

Maddie-Nice job, but I'm not sure she's ready for the next phase yet after tonight.

Ron-Bleh. He can go. I didn't think too much of his duet partner, either.

Amelia-Another one with great vocals,but again, I'm just not feeling a connection with her.

Shannon-I don't really care for the song, but she did a good job with it.

Alyssa-Her voice is amazing, especially for her age, but I don't think this song did her any favors.

I have never heard of Banners, but I really don't think I've been missing much.

Marcio-Dang, tough break to have to deal with that situation at the last minute, but he dealt with it and had a great performance. I hope he makes it through.

Jurnee-Wow, just wow.

Garrett-Not the right song for him. That duet didn't work for me. He can go, too.

Mara-That was a very emotional performance. I enjoyed it.

Effie-Well, that explains the country thing. Holy crap, that was incredible!

It makes me wonder, though, what would they do if the duet partner fell ill the night of/right before the performance?

I have a definite 6 that I would like to see go through-Caleb, Alyssa, Mario, Jurnee, Mara, and Effie, although after last week I'm prepared to be disappointed.

[marykat71702]

Why Garrett? I would have much rather seen Effie or Alyssa go through. Heck, even Shannon or Amelia would have been a better choice.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, LennieBriscoe said:

Winston 9--DT3, re: Effie's effect on the audience and voters: There is no way to determine that, as voting hasn't begun.

True, but I think the show puts through who they think viewers will like.  If it were me I would’ve cut Effie.  She just wasn’t great this week.  

[Bad Example]

21 hours ago, Mu Shu said:

I’ll tell you what will happen.  When Adam, and let’s be real, he said he is Adam, isn’t advanced there will be an uproar about homophobia, transphobia, etc. whoever wins will be lambasted for being “vanilla”.

He tried several times and couldn’t make it, so he devised this character, and now no one can say anything about it.  About how awful the makeup is.  The clothing.  The lack of any charisma.   He can sing?  So?  I remember a couple of people named Latoya London and Tamyra Gray, beautiful, camera ready girls who could belt.  They didn’t make it.  He’s no better than them. 

Simon would have shut this foolishness down.  These fools are just enabling him and telling him how special he is because THEY don’t want to be branded the intolerant ones.  They’re foisting the dirty work on to their audience.  

It sucks for the voters, and it sucks for Adam. It sucks for Effie who was left behind so this fuckery could continue.

But I don’t think he’s a queen.  This is a wedge to get onto the show, and it worked.

THIS THIS THIS.  He chose a schtick that people are afraid to criticize. 

Yes, he can sing, but he doesn't blow me away.  He's not a super-talent.  Singing with Lea Michelle only emphasized that he's not a star, and that became even more obvious when Jurnee matched LM note for note.
 

They did a terrible job splitting up the groups- I'm sure the top 14 was pre-selected and the groups split up accordingly... but I really do hope they were kicking themselves when the second group was so much stronger than the first.

It's just hard to remember so much of this is about marketing.  I think Alyssa sparkles a lot more than Michelle with a similar look and age, but Michelle's got the Spanish-speaking demographic they probably want to tap.  

I wish Effie had been stronger this week, because I really do love her voice.  I do find her large tattoos off-putting, but I wouldn't not vote for her because of them.  (I only get super-judgey about stupidly-shaped facial hair on guys.)  But again... their performances probably didn't matter.   

Garrett isn't strong and such a waste of a spot.  And to be shallow-- I don't think it's his eyebrows that bug, I find something weird about the way his teeth are set in his jaw.