S17.E08 : Top 20 Solos (2019.04.01)

[MarkHB]

Quote

The top 20 finalists perform in front of a live audience.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Bumbly singing Vision of Love, the most difficult song that Mariah Carey has ever sung - why?  What a mess and a bad, weird choice!

M......?  (the first singer) her outfit was so overly tight and unflattering.  They need to give her a makeover.  It was hard to look at.

Alejandro is great every time, even better than before.

Some great song choices tonight - How Deep is Your Love, Jolene (okay I love the song, I don't like a kid singing it, obviously), Lovefool.  

I love "Hello" by Adele but I was in the shower when Demetrius sung it and I'm not sure I liked what I heard.

Can someone explain how this works now?  Who picks the Top 14?  Is the viewing public involved?  

Edited April 2, 2019 by Ms Blue Jay

[Porkchop]

Evelyn seems to take the pause that would come at the end of a phrase, and move it to after the first word of the next phrase. Very curious. 

[Annber03]

17 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Bumbly singing Vision of Love, the most difficult song that Mariah Carey has ever sung - why?  What a mess and a bad, weird choice!

Yeah, I can totally see where Mariah would be an influence of hers, but I feel singing Mariah or Whitney or something of that level is something you gotta work your way up to. Her nerves definitely showed a bit as well (not that I blame her, mind, 'cause hell, I'd be nervous, too!). I do think she has a good voice, though, so hopefully she can find a song that might suit her a little better next time around. She looked gorgeous in that purple dress, too. 

Quote

Jolene (okay I love the song, I don't like a kid singing it, obviously), Lovefool.  

Yeah, vocally, Riley sounded fine on "Jolene", but I feel Lionel's advice about telling a story with your singing could've applied just as well to her. Her constant smiling throughout the song made it feel a bit pageant-ry, and didn't fit with the attitude of the lyrics. That's the sort of song where you really gotta get into the story. 

I felt the same way about Raquel singing "Lovefool" to some degree, but that said, I really liked what they did with the music in that version-that style of music definitely fits her. I appreciate that a lot of these singers already seem to have a general idea of which genre fits them best. Not only will it make it easier to know how to market whomever wins, but it'll also make it more interesting when they have to something out of their wheelhouse. 

Laine, Jeremiah, and Laci were probably the strongest performers for me tonight. I really liked Laci's take on "I Want You to Want Me"-gave the lyrics a whole new meaning in that context. And like their performances or not, I do respect Uche and Dimitrius being willing to take such chances with the stuff they're doing. They seem the sort that'll keep us on our toes throughout the season as to what they might do next, and I think that's a good thing in a lot of ways. 

I do feel this is a pretty strong group in general, and I'm looking forward to seeing what these people do next. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

23 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

Yeah, vocally, Riley sounded fine on "Jolene", but I feel Lionel's advice about telling a story with your singing could've applied just as well to her. Her constant smiling throughout the song made it feel a bit pageant-ry, and didn't fit with the attitude of the lyrics. That's the sort of song where you really gotta get into the story. 

I have to admit I am not familiar with "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" but I also thought it was odd that that young boy was singing "You abandoned me" over and over again with a smile on his face.  (Do I have the title of the song correct?)

I liked Raquel's rendition of Lovefool also.  But her attitude is very enjoyable in general.  She makes it look very easy in my opinion.  I just thought it was such a smart song choice. She looks younger than the song is, but not in a weird way this time.

40 minutes ago, Porkchop said:

Evelyn seems to take the pause that would come at the end of a phrase, and move it to after the first word of the next phrase. Very curious. 

I'm at a loss when it comes to Evelyn and Wade.  My family likes them, which shocks me.  My mother also really likes Uche, which I find hilarious.  At least I get Uche.

[HappyDancex2]

49 minutes ago, Porkchop said:

Evelyn seems to take the pause that would come at the end of a phrase, and move it to after the first word of the next phrase. Very curious. 

You spelled annoying wrong.

[HappyDancex2]

Finally got to see Uche tonight.   He's got a lot of energy.  I look forward to seeing more choices but he's a tad bit much for me just based on that one song.  

The Jolene girl - if they didn't want to critique a 16 year old singing it with more grit, why did they advance her????   She has no grit to give....she's 16.

Didn't like Wade or Alejandro "as much" tonight.   Very talented singers but I can't wait to see how they do on theme nights.   They still do theme nights right?

They need to retire Mariah Carey songs.   Yeesh that was bad.

[ECM1231]

Recorded the show and watching the judges give Alejandro's performance a tongue bath. Just don't get the appeal. Very good guitarist but his singing? Eh

[Sounder]

While the audition round bored me with all the sobbing and crying...... and no funny auditions to laugh about....it nearly drove me away.....its become way better and i'm watching idol again......great talent.....who to choose?   I believe Katy stated how she's glad she doesn't have to decide.....so I'm not sure who does.

[stcroix]

Just listening to Alejandro reminded me of Sade.  I used to like to put her music on to chill to. 

My husband thinks Lane has the contest sewn up but he bores me--I feel like someone's groomed him to win if that makes sense.  I can't feel his true self or what he'd really like to sing-- it's like he's a parody of an entertainer.  I fully expect him to end with ''Thank you, thank you very much" and a little Elvis sneer-smile. 

My husband can't stand Uche and I find him so entertaining!  It's like when he comes out of the shoot you don't know what you're going to get but it's going to keep your attention.  The boy with the tattoos is the same way-- loved his creepy operatic beginning to his song and am blown away by that voice.

[leocadia]

I really wish we had a return to an actual constructively critical judging panel.  The hyperbole and falling out of their (okay, that's mostly just Katy) seats for practically every performance is ridiculous.  It's like "The Emperor's New Clothes"...keep telling us how awesome everyone is despite the fact that we just heard the mediocre performance. It seems like they get excited whenever someone doesn't suck, lol.   It's a singing contest so, yeah, the contestants can sing.  What's going to happen when there is a performance that actually merits shock and awe??

Also, I can't take contestants named "Ragu" and "Bumbly" seriously.

[Ladyrain]

Speaking of whom - it annoyed me no end when Ragu (Alyssa?) said to Ryan that she knows she's a pop star.  No honey,  you ain't no kind of star as of yet.   She most likely meant that she knows what genre she fits; that she's a pop 'singer', but unfortunately that's not what she said.    And I've liked her since the first time she was on Idol; I couldn't believe that she didn't get further then.  I like her voice, and she's developed some state presence.   But calling herself a 'star' did annoy me.  YMMV.

[ECM1231]

20 minutes ago, leocadia said:

Also, I can't take contestants named "Ragu" and "Bumbly" seriously.

I haven't watched from the beginning of the season so idk what Bumbly's deal is but Alyssa can't help that her last name is Raghu.

[cinsbythesea]

I actually miss Simon and his brutal honesty.  Harsh but he knew real talent.  I don't want to single out singers i doubt he would have allowed in (okay...one...whose name starts with B) but really???   I feel they soft pedal the criticism now

[leocadia]

16 minutes ago, ECM1231 said:

I haven't watched from the beginning of the season so idk what Bumbly's deal is but Alyssa can't help that her last name is Raghu.

That is true, but she is capable of going by "Alyssa" instead of "Raghu".  I don't remember her audition, so I don't know if that is her choice or the judges', but it doesn't help her case with me.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I don't think the judges (well Katy) are doing her any favour by constantly pushing the Raghu or the sauce names.  

It's not weird to miss Simon.  He's the reason many of us liked Idol in the first place.

Okay watching Demetrius now.  I'm enjoying it.  "Creepy operatic entrance" LOL it's like he was doing a Bohemian Rhapsody video.

Edited April 2, 2019 by Ms Blue Jay

[WhineandCheez]

Quote

My husband thinks Lane has the contest sewn up but he bores me--I feel like someone's groomed him to win if that makes sense.  I can't feel his true self or what he'd really like to sing-- it's like he's a parody of an entertainer.  

Yess!  You nailed what I was thinking.  It's like he spent the last year doing market research panels on what will win AI.  No one else wears suits--check.  Come on to the girls--check...

LOVE Uche.  He's so tall and handsome too.  My daughter is getting married in 7 weeks.  Can you imagine hiring a wedding singer and getting him--haha!

[Babalooie]

10 hours ago, stcroix said:

My husband thinks Lane has the contest sewn up but he bores me--I feel like someone's groomed him to win if that makes sense.

My thoughts exactly.

Regarding Alejandro, he reminds me of the child savant guitar player in the movie August Rush.

How Deep is Your Love was lovely.

Here's a good recap:   https://tvline.com/2019/04/01/american-idol-recap-season-17-top-20-solo-performances-best-worst/

Edited April 2, 2019 by Babalooie
added content

[Sounder]

I wasn't jumping up and down over Walker Burroughs "How deep is your Love". I guess there's just a certain way I expect it to be sung.    He didn't hit the key big notes.  I don't see how these judges were so blown away.

[marketdoctor]

For years, I've asked for a show that was little or no backstory, and mostly singing, comments if necessary, commercials to keep the lights on, and more singing.

Last night, AI delivered.  Thank you!

The judges were actually harder on Alyssa than I would have been. Other than that, I kind of miss Harry Conick, Jr., who liked a lot of things, but if he saw a way to be better, he'd explain that too.

Still, this is one of my favorite episodes in a long time.

Apparently, next Sunday and Monday are the celebrity duets--I'm not sure if we vote at that point, or if it's the judges, or it goes to a Celebrity Deathmatch tournament, or what.  Maybe they're keeping the options open.

[AnnieHeights]

Here are my thoughts:  

Madison........Unflattering outfit, as we say in the south, she looked like a busted can of biscuits......she just needs to wear clothes that fit, not try to squeeze into clothing 3 sizes too small.  Beautiful girl, just needs help in the styling department.  She has a great voice but I could not even tell you what she sang last night.   I have not connected with her.

Shawn - Good kid, does nothing for me vocally.     

Laine - Good looking guy, sings well, I feel the same as everyone else, a bit too confident at this stage of the game which is a turn off.  Plus I totally didn't buy his 'I am here for emotional support for my friend....what? you want me to audition again? well, I guess....' act at his 'audition'.  

Uche:  He is beautiful and fun to watch....I do not think he will win but I hope he stays around because he is quite entertaining.

Eddie Island was wonderful!!  I am glad he has toned down the schtick.........I loved him last night.

Evelyn.....I didn't watch her season of 90 Day Fiance so I have no prior knowledge of her but I am on the fence .....loved her song choice though.

Alyssa..... checks all the boxes but I do not connect with her either.

Ryan......I either missed his performance or just do not remember.

Raquel........I enjoyed her last night.  

Logan.......Eh, vocally they are all good but Logan didn't blow me away.  I worry about this being too much for him this early in his recovery.

Dimitrius.......I have a soft spot for him.....I admired his guts last night but didn't love the performance.  I would like to see what he can do as time goes on though. 

Riley.......she is seriously pretty but at only 16 she is not emotionally equipped to sing Jolene the way it should be.  

Walker......He is one of my favorites, talented, humble, awesome voice.  I hope American keeps him around.  Plus I love the Bee Gee's!

Bumbly........I like her but don't LOVE her.......Please retire all Mariah and Whitney songs please.

Ashley.......I was surprised the judges kept her but last nights performance made me realize why they did......she was fantastic! 

Alejandro.....Another one of my favorites, I got emotional watching him trying to accept praise.....he came across as aloof early on but now I think he is just awkward which makes me love him that much more.  He can play the heck out of the guitar and l love his voice. 

Kate....another one I didn't think too much about that but now I love! 

Jeremiah........Add to my favorites.........loved his song choice, his piano playing, his sweet face! 

Laci Kaye......my favorite female!  Loved her song choice and her voice.....I have enjoyed every one of her performances.

Wade......I am kind of surprised the folks who do not like his voice.........he is another one that I love.  He seems a bit broken and I adore him.  Sounds like the lead singer of Stained.              

If I had to cut 6 performers, it would be Shawn, Alyssa, Ryan, Logan, Madison and Riley or Evelyn. 

[SnarkAttack]

I don't get the Raquel love.  Calm down girl.

[paul4295]

Laine was really good last night, and that's a problem for Logan (who I barely remembered). Laine can do everything Logan does, but better.

I've really liked Ashley from the beginning, but I was even more impressed with her last night.  I don't know that song, but she sounded great on the basic melody, and the high notes and runs she threw in (which I assume John Mayer did not do) were also really nice, and not too over the top for me.

I did not like Demetrius's take on "Hello" (that was over the top for me), and I also thought Ryan tried to do too much with "You Say," but it was still kind of OK.

I've also liked Walker since the beginning, but I thought "How Deep Was Your Love" was not a good song choice.  It's a nice song, but kind of boring without the harmony, and I though he changed the melody too much.  I hope he chooses better songs going forward, and plays the piano some more.

I really like Alejandro's guitar playing, but still think he's an average singer.  I'd be interested in hearing more of his original music.

Oh, I also thought Bumbly's take on Vision of Love was pretty good.  I was scared for her when they said she was singing that song, and she was obviously not Mariah-level good, but I didn't think she embarrassed herself.

Edited April 2, 2019 by paul4295

[proserpina65]

Okay, first I have to say I was pleased that none of the performances were bad.  Some were clearly better than others, but they were all at least okay.

Second, the judges need to actually judge.  Katy does offer some useful comments, still while making everything about her, and Lionel, while too nice in general, also manages to offer some criticism.  Luke, on the other hand, just emphasizes what a good judge Keith Urban was.  He's easy on the eyes, but still not as much as Keith was.

Now, on to specifics, in order of performance:

Madison - She was good, but not as good as her last performance, although she chose a good song for her voice.  Someone needs to teach her how to dress for her body type, though; those skinny jeans/pants/leggings were very unflattering.

Shawn - He sang well, but his voice was too high and insubstantial for my tastes (just a personal preference).

Laine - loved the song choice, loved the arrangement, loved his voice; he reminded me a little of a young Elvis.

Uche - There were moments when I really liked his voice and moments where I thought it was affectation, vocally it was kind of all over the place, but he sure knows how to put on a show; he is not going to be boring to watch.

Eddie - Okay, if I closed my eyes, this mostly sounded pretty good, and Top 20 worthy, although some of the vibrato started getting into goat territory; he's still visually too jokey, though.

Evelyn - I get that she's an acquired taste, and partly does sound like she's putting on a fake voice, but I really liked this performance; I thought she was one of the best of the night.

Alyssa - Sunday I was thinking she'd definitely earned her Top 20 spot, but last night, not so much; maybe it was the song choice, but she needed a lot more vocal energy, and was easily overwhelmed by the band - which was what I thought about her last year.

Ryan - He's another one who struggled a bit with being heard over the band.  His power notes were good, but he needs more subtlety and shading to his performance.

Raquel - Her performance seemed very affected to me, and her enunciation issues bugged.  She's cannon fodder, imo.  I did love her jumpsuit, though.

Logan - Like Shawn, his voice is a little too high and thin for my tastes.  His performance was fine, but nothing special.  It seemed sleepy throughout, not just at the beginning.

Dimitrius - The opening to the song was weird, and his performance too overwrought for my tastes.  It all seemed rather put on.

Riley - Vocally she was good, and I like the old school country sound of her voice, but there was no emotional connection.  Jolene is not a song to be sung by teenagers.

Walker - I was disappointed by this performance.  It was the wrong song choice, and his voice sounded thinner in spots than it had previously.  I noticed some off notes, as well.  It was okay, but not up to his standard.

Bumbly - Trying a Mariah Carey song is always a risk.  Trying Vision of Love is almost always a serious mistake.  It was absolutely the wrong song for her voice, and this came the closest to being a bad performance.  There was too much ornamentation and not enough singing for me to actually judge it as a vocal performance.

Ashley - Okay, this performance convinced me that she belonged in the Top 20.  It was much better for her voice than Sunday's song choice, and it really showed off the richness of her tone.

Alejandro - So remember how I said Logan's performance was sleepy?  This was soporific, imo.  I'm not big on the whispery vocals to begin with, and this was even more whispery than his previous performances.  It was okay, but that's all.  I don't get the judges' rapturous praise.  I am still impressed with his guitar work, though.

Kate - I like her voice, but her enunciation is problematic, and this was not a good song choice.  Another good, but nothing special performance, and I'd hoped for better from her.

Jeremiah - For me, this was the best performance of the night.  His voice is probably higher than I prefer, but there's such substance and such a richness to his tone, that it doesn't bother me like it does with other singers.  And he emotionally connects to his song choices better than most of the other contestants.  He's my pick for Top 3 at this point.

Lacey - She's more authentic sounding than Riley, and there's a subtlety to her voice as well.  And her song choice turned out to be really good - I was surprised by the arrangement, but I loved it.

Wade - I wasn't sold on him before, but last night's performance was great.  I loved the smoky, too many cigarettes/too much whiskey quality of his voice, although I wonder if that's going to hurt his vocal chords in the long run.  And the song choice was terrific.  So much so that I now need to buy the song on iTunes.

So overall a good night with some sparks of greatness.  I do think the talent pool is bigger this year.

[sempervivum]

13 hours ago, Porkchop said:

Evelyn seems to take the pause that would come at the end of a phrase, and move it to after the first word of the next phrase. Very curious. 

It's the singing equivalent of the spoken 'Shatner Pause'-https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Shatner Pause

I liked Wade and Uche's performances, who I previously despised. 

I was giving Lace high marks for her Cookification of 'Want You to Want Me', but I see somebody named Morgan Frazier did essentially the same thing 4 years ago on The Voice.  I do think Laci's voice is better, though.

Good show, one of the best pre-top 10 lineups in some time.

[WhineandCheez]

Cookification

HEE

[mamadrama]

Riley is pretty and has a pleasing voice, but her song sounded like karaoke Dolly Parton. I love Dolly, but if you're going to take on one of her songs, you need to find some way to make it sound like you're not just parroting the original. I kept thinking of Mindy Smith's version of "Jolene" and how good THAT arrangement is. Mindy's showed a kind of Appalachian gothic take on the song; prancing around the stage with a wide smile and bouncy voice does little to connect with the subject matter of the lyrics. Part of it is age, but Tanya Tucker was singing cheating songs at 14 and it was totally believable. 

I enjoy watching Uche. 

I love Laine's voice and he's a pretty boy. Like others, though, I feel like he's taken some kind of AI guru course and now he's putting everything into practice. 

Laci is my favorite at the moment. Her voice is beautiful and I've loved all her song choices. When the episodes go off, I normally forget everything I just heard. I've never bought an album from an American Idol participant, though I've downloaded some singles here and there. I would actually buy something of Laci's.

Raquel, Kate, Bumbly, Madison, Ryan...they're all perfectly adequate singers and I've even enjoyed some of their performances, but I forget about ever one of them by the next morning. 

[generate789]

Katy Perry's baked ziti necklace wsa very disconcerting. 

[Babalooie]

I forgot to mention that I'm glad to see Colin Kaepernick on bass again this season.

[twilightzone]

Unfortunately, this episode hit an all time low with ratings in the show's history.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/911-beats-american-idol-tv-ratings-monday-april-1-2019-1198722

[Annber03]

4 hours ago, mamadrama said:

I kept thinking of Mindy Smith's version of "Jolene" and how good THAT arrangement is. Mindy's showed a kind of Appalachian gothic take on the song;

Okay, I'm gonna need to hunt that one down this evening. That sounds great. 

Quote

Part of it is age, but Tanya Tucker was singing cheating songs at 14 and it was totally believable. 

Yeah, I think teenagers can easily relate to the issue of cheating, so it shouldn't be too hard to connect to those lyrics. 

[SnarkAttack]

2 hours ago, Babalooie said:

I forgot to mention that I'm glad to see Colin Kaepernick on bass again this season.

Who was it that called him 'sex on a stick' last season?!  Lol.

[gingerella]

While I prefer this incarnation of no numbs in the auditions, and limited back stories, I really miss the OG recipe judges. Wonky Paula trying to give constructive feedback, Simon giving no BS and no sugar coating, and   moer than anything I miss Randy’s face after a bad performance...that sort of laugh, shake of the head and then, “Uhhhh Dawggg, look man, not my fave of the night...” 

Also, that Uch dude, I don’t get all the hype, I think he’s awful.

[marykat71702]

Ok, so here are my thoughts on tonight's show...

Madison-Should be top 10 easily, she has a great voice and personality.

Shawn-I'm on the fence about him.

Laine-He's come a long way from last season. His confidence has definitely improved, and his voice isn't bad, either. He should make it through next week.

Uche-Is definitely an entertainer, but I'm concerned that too much of him is just schtick.

Eddie-Just ugh. I don't know how he made it this far.  He seemed to have some trouble with breath control on this one. Hopefully he doesn't make it through.

Evelyn-Interesting that they didn't show the judges at all during her performance. Her voice is very breathy and...affected. She just annoys me for some reason. What, exactly, are the judges seeing/hearing that I'm not seeing/hearing?

Alyssa-She's another one who's come a long way from last season.  I can see her being in the top 10 as well.

Ryan-I understand why he chose this song, but I'm not sure it was the right choice for this moment. He might be in trouble.

Raquel-Is it just me, or have we not really seen much of her before tonight? That doesn't bode well. Not impressed with her performance to boot.

Logan-I'm glad he got clean, and I can see a lot of girls voting for him, but I'm not sure he's got what it takes to make it.

Dimitrius-What the hell was with that opera warm-up?  Adele was NOT a good choice. Once again, they didn't show the judges during the performance. Should that be telling us something? OTH, after hearing the comments, maybe not.

 Riley-Not bad, not great. She might make it on the country scene in a few years, but she's not there yet.

Walker-Not the right song for him, IMO. He is talented, though, so I hope he makes it through.

Bumbly-Another one we haven't seen much of before now.  I'm not sure why, because her vocals were ok, but I didn't really connect with her.

Ashley-Damn, She's good.

Alejandro-Not seeing the appeal, but he'll probably make top 10.

Kate-Meh. Not impressed.

Jeremiah-He's got a great voice, no doubt, but is he "American Idol" material? I'm not sure I see him going mainstream, but I can see him finding a niche.

Laci-Sorry, but I did not like her rendition of this song. Also, on the superficial side, her eyelashes really bother me.

Wade-How did he get the pimp spot?  The show is really trying to push him for reasons I can't fathom.  I don't get it.

The six I would hope/want to see leave next week are Wade, Evelyn, Kate, Laci, Eddie, and any one of Bumbly, Riley, or Raquel.

[stcroix]

12 hours ago, marykat71702 said:

Laci-Sorry, but I did not like her rendition of this song. Also, on the superficial side, her eyelashes really bother me.

The thing about Laci that I have a hard time with is her mouth.  I noticed they are now filming her with the mic covering it more and she smiles less … 'hugely'.  I feel so mean for even saying this but I can't get past it!  Superficial-- table for two!

[mamadrama]

I forget that Bumbly and Raquel are even in the lineup because I swear I'd never heard either one of them until this episode. I'd seen them in the group, but I have no recollection of hearing them sing. I guess they didn't have big enough sob stories. 

I continue to question what the judges see in Evelyn. Her rendition of "Leaving on a Jet Plane" sounded, as Luke said a few nights ago, very "coffeeshop" to me. She had a fairly significant fan base before the show started, however, so even if she gets kicked off next week she'll still be able to use this experience to her advantage. On the 'other" show, she refused to move away from her small,New Hampshire town because she didn't want to leave the family band. At some point, if she wants to have a bigger career, she'll need to. None of this concerns me, though, as I don't care for her voice. 

I FF through Eddie's part when this aired because I didn't care to see it. When I read that he sang "Hey Ho", though, I went back and watched it last night. I enjoyed it, but probably because I like the song a lot, not because Eddie was singing it. I don't "get" him. 

I can see where Laci's mouth would bother people, but my mouth looks exactly the same way. Not much I can do about having big teeth and huge, exposed gums. I've been bullied about it my whole life and it's one of the reasons I gave up singing. If she ever finds a fix for it, I hope she shares it. 

[Babalooie]

1 hour ago, mamadrama said:

I went back and watched it last night. I enjoyed it, but probably because I like the song a lot, not because Eddie was singing it. I don't "get" him. 

He sounds pretty good if you don't look.

[generate789]

Evelyn sounds like someone doing a bad impression of a female singer doing a bad impression of a male singer. 

[pezgirl7]

Jeremiah had my favorite performance of the night, but I would like to hear him sing something more contemporary and upbeat. Also, I don't know who helped him with his wardrobe, but a wool blazer over a white turtleneck isn't a good look on anyone.

I also like Wade. He sounded a bit like the lead singer of Mumford and Sons.

[stcroix]

7 hours ago, mamadrama said:

I can see where Laci's mouth would bother people, but my mouth looks exactly the same way. Not much I can do about having big teeth and huge, exposed gums. I've been bullied about it my whole life and it's one of the reasons I gave up singing. If she ever finds a fix for it, I hope she shares it. 

Awww Mamadrama!!!  I am SO SORRY I made that mean comment!  I threw that 'witty' paragraph out there fully knowing how catty it sounded :(  My husband thinks she's beautiful and said he never noticed her mouth.  She's his favorite--so you sing, girl!!  P. S.-I was 5'9"by 9th grade and looked like a bean pole--you wouldn't believe how many kids would come up to me and loudly announce'' WOW …. you're TALL!" and not in a complimentary way.  Boys seemed to take it personally. 

I hate a keyboard bully and am sorry I was one on here! 

[Ilovepie]

I liked Walker, Wade, Ashley, Laci and weirdly, Eddie the best. Laine was good too. I like Alejandro but every song he sings is starting to sound the same. Jeremiah is good but I also find him boring and his style reads outdated to me, right down to his white turtleneck (what the hell?) and sport coat.

I think the teenage girls showed why they aren’t too successful in the long run - Alyssa, Madison and Riley all picked songs that didn’t suit them, or were too old for them. Was I the only one who thought Domino was inappropriate for a 17 year old?!? And Riley smiling through Jolene - where was HCJ to ask “what does that song mean? Do you understand what you are singing?!?”

I swear until they put them in the top 20 I never saw Kate or Raquel.

Ryan shot himself in the foot with that song choice. Bummer.

[AnnieHeights]

8 hours ago, Ilovepie said:

where was HCJ to ask “what does that song mean? Do you understand what you are singing?!?”

I totally agree with this!!!

[vast wasteland]

13 hours ago, stcroix said:

Awww Mamadrama!!!  I am SO SORRY I made that mean comment!  I threw that 'witty' paragraph out there fully knowing how catty it sounded :(  My husband thinks she's beautiful and said he never noticed her mouth.  She's his favorite--so you sing, girl!!  P. S.-I was 5'9"by 9th grade and looked like a bean pole--you wouldn't believe how many kids would come up to me and loudly announce'' WOW …. you're TALL!" and not in a complimentary way.  Boys seemed to take it personally. 

I hate a keyboard bully and am sorry I was one on here! 

stcroix, if everyone could use this as an example of how to make a gracious and sincere apology, this would be a finer world.  We have all spoken before we thought, or tried to be humorous and failed.  No shame in that, we are all human.  But to empathetically realize the impact of our actions, and to make an apology like this is lovely.

[Tatortot]

Evelyn is forgettable, she just stands there and sings!!   Not sure what the judges see in her at all.   

[mamadrama]

15 hours ago, stcroix said:

Awww Mamadrama!!!  I am SO SORRY I made that mean comment!  I threw that 'witty' paragraph out there fully knowing how catty it sounded 😞 My husband thinks she's beautiful and said he never noticed her mouth.  She's his favorite--so you sing, girl!!  P. S.-I was 5'9"by 9th grade and looked like a bean pole--you wouldn't believe how many kids would come up to me and loudly announce'' WOW …. you're TALL!" and not in a complimentary way.  Boys seemed to take it personally. 

I hate a keyboard bully and am sorry I was one on here! 

Ha ha, don't worry about it! I get it. Sometimes it's a little much for ME to look at it, too. 😉

[pezgirl7]

12 hours ago, Ilovepie said:

I think the teenage girls showed why they aren’t too successful in the long run - Alyssa, Madison and Riley all picked songs that didn’t suit them, or were too old for them. Was I the only one who thought Domino was inappropriate for a 17 year old?!? And Riley smiling through Jolene - where was HCJ to ask “what does that song mean? Do you understand what you are singing?!?”

I thought Riley sounded really good, but the constant smiling during the song really threw me. And I think I remember one unfortunate cut after she sang "He talks about you in his sleep" and then the camera cut to her family in the crowd. Awkward... lol

[librarianbeck]

I loved "To Make You Feel My Love" - best of the night for me. Worst of the night? That white turtleneck Jeremiah wore while singing it. I thought Ryan did a beautiful job, too, and I love watching Uché perform. 

I think Laci is pretty, but something about her face bugs me, too. I think it's the overdone lashes. She is very talented, but not my thing, really. 

[theschnauzers]

Regarding Jeremiah’s turtleneck, I think it had to do with the venue, the song and even the set design that was used. He does own at least one suit, he posted on social media concerning his sister’s wedding today, and he was in a snazzy suit and tie. 

[Koalagirl]

On 4/2/2019 at 11:46 AM, proserpina65 said:

Eddie - Okay, if I closed my eyes, this mostly sounded pretty good, and Top 20 worthy, although some of the vibrato started getting into goat territory; he's still visually too jokey, though.

I thought the same thing. His vibrato reminded me of season 2 Carmen Rasmusen, the original goat girl.