S17.E11: All-Star Duets (2) (2019.04.09)

[Blissfool]

38 minutes ago, jackjill89 said:

Evelyn ruined "Wicked Game." I felt embarrassed for Issaks to be singing with her... but then he said he liked it? She warbles. It's horrid. 

I think she's so horrible that I am truly amazed that some people like it. Maybe its something like that blue dress/gold dress phenomenon. (I remember there's was an auditory one, too.)

In her audition I actually thought she was a joke audition. I don't know her from 90 Day Fiance so I thought she was so pretty and looked forward to her singing. When I heard her I thought, "aww, she's a joke." Joke was on me.

[theschnauzers]

5 hours ago, LilaFowler said:

I don't think contestants should be allowed to repeat songs, even from the audition process.

I’m not sure who you were referring to, but if it was Laine, there was an extenuating circumstance where he was put on the spot to sing something (wasn’t even 30 seconds) even though he was there to play guitar for his best friend’s sister who was auditioning after she had finished and had been sent through to Hollywood week. He hadn’t planned to audition. Lionel, Katy and Luke had other ideas and commented on how he had done everything they had suggested last season when he was cut at Final Judgment and they really wanted him to return this season. Getting to perform a far more complete version of “The Weight” as his duet was fair, since this time he had a chance to prepare. 

If you find his audition from last season online (I did) and compare, the all around improvement is obvious.

[marykat71702]

All right, here we go...

Alyssa-Well, that was a boring way to start the show. I do tend to forget that she's only 16, because she does have a really good voice and maturity about her when she sings.

Eddie-I really like this song.  Eddie, not so much. Did he just jump on Lukas' line, or did Lukas come in too early?  Oof, that was rough.

Wade-While this was probably my favorite performance of his, I just don't connect with him.

Ryan-Man, he's got a great voice, but I don't think this song did him any favors.

Evelyn-I almost skipped this one because I didn't even like how she sang it at her audition, but I like Chris Isaak, so...should have skipped it anyways.  I need to go listen to the real version now to get this out of my head.  I hope she gets cut tonight, but the judges seem to like her so that probably won't happen.

Logan-He and Julia sounded good together, but he's just kind of forgettable to me.

Raquel-She reminds me of someone, but I can't think of who. And who has never heard of Tiny Dancer?  I know, I know, I'm showing my age.  Vocal runs can be a good thing, but not when they're over-used like they were here.

Alejandro-He has a very soulful voice. While this was also a slow song, it didn't bore me like Alyssa's did.  It made me want to grab a lighter and wave my arms in the air.

Dimitrius-Ok, that was an emotional package. I've kind of been indifferent to him up til now, but man, this was good.  I have to agree with the judges that this was the best duet of the night.

Jeremiah-Oy, not the right song for his voice, and Cynthia singing with him made it even more obvious. I can see him making it on Broadway, but I don't think that AI is the right place for him.

If I had to pick the three to cut, it would be Wade, Evelyn, and Eddie, but that's probably not what's going to happen. Going to find out now.

[marykat71702]

Yeah, I knew I was going to be way off on who was going to be cut. I can't believe Ryan didn't make it-I think the song choice may have done him in 😞

[marykat71702]

7 hours ago, mamadrama said:

Ever since someone said that Evelyn sounds like Dory trying to speak "whale" I haven't been able to unhear it.

OMG, yes! I hadn't heard this before, but it's hilariously true! LOL

[marykat71702]

18 hours ago, SnarkAttack said:

I don't get the big deal about Laine.

I think it'll be Laci, Jeremiah and Alejandro at the end. 

I don't get the big deal about Laci. And why is nobody mentioning Madison as a potential top 3? I would take her over Laci any day.

[ForReal]

On 4/9/2019 at 7:39 AM, twilightzone said:

Idol really is no longer in the position of attracting the big name stars.   When you have to Google to find out their names, probably not a good sign that viewers knew who the majority of these people were.

Since it seems like every guest star is about to start a tour or release an album, I figure they are there for their own promotion rather than for the "prestige" of appearing on AI. Whether or not the performer fits the AI image, it's still a great way for the performer to reach a lot of people. Now I know that Pat Benatar is about to start a tour; probably that news wouldn't have reached me otherwise.

[proserpina65]

Okay, I'm late to the party (couldn't post yesterday) but here are my thoughts based on my notes:

The three contestants cut on Sunday's show got a raw deal, because they were better than at least half of those who made it to the Top 14 from Monday.

I've only heard of Chris Isaak and Ben Harper, and would've liked to have seen/heard more of them.  I have heard a couple of the other stars' songs, but didn't know who they were.

Alyssa & Julia Michaels (who?) - The vocals were good, but she still lacked an emotional connection with the song.

Eddie & Lukas Graham (who?) - This seemed a bit disorganized, but Eddie's vocals were better than the alleged star, and there was some vulnerability to this performance.

Wade & Lovely the Band (who?) - This song did not suit Wade's voice at all, and I would've preferred something bluesier for him.

Ryan & Cynthia Erivo (who?) - Ryan's vocals were fine, but nothing special.

Evelyn & Chris Isaak - I could see where some have said that Evelyn puts on her vocal style; it was definitely more apparent to me in this performance.  But I still like her voice and want to hear more from her.  She and Chris Isaak sounded really good together.

Logan & Julia Michaels - This was pleasant, but insubstantial.  Nothing special here.

Raquel & Lovely the Band - Raquel's vocals were passable at best, and there were notes which were downright flat.  She was trying to hard in this performance, and it was definitely the worst of both nights.

Alejandro & Ben Harper - It was Alejandro, it was vocally fine, but nothing particularly special or interesting to me.  I still don't get the judges' enthusiasm for his voice, but he certainly deserved to go through.

Dimitrius & Lukas Graham - Well, I'm gonna have to eat my previous words about Dimitrius because this was really good.  Like, second best of the night good.  Their voices meshed like they'd sung together a thousand times, and Dimitrius had a great connection to the emotion of the song.  Wow.

Jeremiah & Cynthia Erivo - This was the best performance of the night.  The song suited Jeremiah's voice perfectly, and there was such nuance in it.  Loved it.

My picks for the night were Jeremiah, Dimitrius, Evelyn and Alyssa.  Then I guess I'd put Alejandro, Eddie and maybe Wade in the Top 14, but I wish I could've put at least Kate and Bumbly instead.

Edited April 10, 2019 by proserpina65
Because they were aiming for the Top 14, not Top 10

[Badger]

16 hours ago, SnarkAttack said:

No clue!

I think it was Ryan Seacrest's absence from the show.

[librarianbeck]

I finally watched this. Some scattered thoughts: I don't make it a practice to comment on people's bodies, but to me, Evelyn is alarmingly thin. Chris Isaak has an incredible voice. Evelyn, not so much.

The singer from lovelytheband reminded me of Johnny Galecki. I like the song "Broken" but not Wade. He's whatever. 

Lukas Graham seemed very kind and has a lovely speaking voice (he's Danish, I learned!) The harmonies between him and Dimitrius were so beautiful. I think their voices were best matched. 

Ben Harper and Alejandro seemed like they'd been playing together forever. I've said it before, but Alejandro seems like the sweetest man. That smile kills me. He really seems genuinely surprised when the judges like his performances. 

Cynthia Erivo is so beautiful and also seems like a lovely person. She and Jeremiah worked so well together. He's my favorite. That was really, really good. My dream top three is Jeremiah, Alejandro, and Madison, though I didn't love her duet. Pat Benetar looks and sounds great. (I know that was the previous show, sorry!)

Raquel looked so silly the way she was shaking her head and moving during her song. I will not miss her. 

I like Ryan Seacrest. He is definitely better in the post-performance interview than Bobby was. 

Edited April 10, 2019 by librarianbeck

[HaaCHOO]

6 minutes ago, librarianbeck said:

I like Ryan Seacrest. He is definitely better in the post-performance interview than Bobby was. 

I've never been a Seacrest fan, but I agree.

[librarianbeck]

I should clarify - i like Seacrest in his role on this show.

[leocadia]

The producer shenanigans are out of control this year.  It's almost like they sat down and said "How can we get our picks through while still making it look like a performance-based decision?"  We get Evelyn and Laine singing the same songs from their auditions (one with the original artist) while Ryan and Shawn both got songs they  didn't know/weren't comfortable with and not even originally performed by their mentors.  Going back to night one, it seems like Kate would have fared better if she had been given the softer "We Belong" instead of "Heartbreaker". 

If I didn't really enjoy some of the contestants, I would be out.  

[proserpina65]

2 hours ago, librarianbeck said:

Cynthia Erivo is so beautiful and also seems like a lovely person.

I thought so too, but I have to confess: every time I saw her nails, I was itching to bring out the industrial strength nail clipper.

38 minutes ago, leocadia said:

The producer shenanigans are out of control this year.  It's almost like they sat down and said "How can we get our picks through while still making it look like a performance-based decision?"  We get Evelyn and Laine singing the same songs from their auditions (one with the original artist) while Ryan and Shawn both got songs they  didn't know/weren't comfortable with and not even originally performed by their mentors.  Going back to night one, it seems like Kate would have fared better if she had been given the softer "We Belong" instead of "Heartbreaker". 

If I didn't really enjoy some of the contestants, I would be out.  

I don't think it's any worse than previous years.

[librarianbeck]

33 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

I thought so too, but I have to confess: every time I saw her nails, I was itching to bring out the industrial strength nail clipper.

I'm not a fan of long nails, either, but I guess they're trendy. 

[mamadrama]

18 hours ago, marykat71702 said:

I don't get the big deal about Laci. And why is nobody mentioning Madison as a potential top 3? I would take her over Laci any day.

To me, Madison is vocally strong, but her voice doesn't stand out to me in any way. She hits the notes, can sing the song, and she has good pitch but I've heard dozens of other girls just like her. I doubt I'll remember her when the season is over. There's no standout backstory for her and there are at least 2 of her every season. I like her, but I forget about her the moment the episode ends. While Laci may not have the range that Madison does, as soon as she starts singing I know who she is.She also has, what traditional country music lovers used to call, a "tear" in her voice. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I love it. So many country women scream their songs these days; I'm glad to just sit back and listen to someone sing. 

We don't have to agree on everyone, though. Some people really like Evelyn and I still feel like I'm standing in the parade watching the naked emperor walk by every time she gets up and sings, ha ha. 

[peachmangosteen]

12 hours ago, mamadrama said:

I doubt I'll remember [Madison] when the season is over.

To be fair, is anyone really gonna remember any of them once the season is over?

I like Madison a lot, but I agree with you. She's generic. And I think that's why she's not likely to last very long.

[kili]

Quote

Alyssa & Julia Michaels (who?)

Eddie & Lukas Graham (who?)

Wade & Lovely the Band (who?)

Those are fairly successful recent acts. Granted, they are Popish acts with hits in the last couple of years and Chris Isaak and Ben Harper are more AAA who have been around for years (Wicked Games was released in 1989 so it is a 30 year old song).

Julia Michael's best known song is probably "Issues" which peaked at 11 on the Hot 100. She's also co-wrote a lot of hits like "Sorry" for Justin Beiber (went to number 1), That song she sang with Logan is climbing the Pop charts.

Lukas Graham is more of a European star, but "7 Years" was hit even in the US (the song he sang with Eddie). It spent four weeks at number 2 on the Hot 100 in 2016 (it was the seventh highest selling song in the world in 2016). "Love Someone" (Dimitrius duet) is 8th on the AC airplay chart this week.

lovelytheband is an indie pop band that has topped some of the airplay charts (alt/rock).

Idol actually had a nice mix of artists this week - some younger up-and-comers, some older artists, some country, some rock, some pop, some alt and some Broadway. I think they had most of their demographics represented by one or two artists.

[proserpina65]

23 minutes ago, kili said:

Those are fairly successful recent acts. Granted, they are Popish acts with hits in the last couple of years and Chris Isaak and Ben Harper are more AAA who have been around for years (Wicked Games was released in 1989 so it is a 30 year old song).

Julia Michael's best known song is probably "Issues" which peaked at 11 on the Hot 100. She's also co-wrote a lot of hits like "Sorry" for Justin Beiber (went to number 1), That song she sang with Logan is climbing the Pop charts.

Lukas Graham is more of a European star, but "7 Years" was hit even in the US (the song he sang with Eddie). It spent four weeks at number 2 on the Hot 100 in 2016 (it was the seventh highest selling song in the world in 2016). "Love Someone" (Dimitrius duet) is 8th on the AC airplay chart this week.

lovelytheband is an indie pop band that has topped some of the airplay charts (alt/rock).

Idol actually had a nice mix of artists this week - some younger up-and-comers, some older artists, some country, some rock, some pop, some alt and some Broadway. I think they had most of their demographics represented by one or two artists.

I've actually heard both the Graham song and the lovelytheband song, but had never heard who did them.  Never heard Issues at all.

[mamadrama]

13 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

To be fair, is anyone really gonna remember any of them once the season is over?

I like Madison a lot, but I agree with you. She's generic. And I think that's why she's not likely to last very long.

To be honest, there are SO many televised talent shows (The Voice, America's Got Talent, American Idol, the X Factor, etc.) that I usually only remember the people who REALLY stand out. I average about 1 person per 4 seasons. 

[mamadrama]

So I went back and re-watched the episode again. Eddie Island bouncing onto the stage like a kangaroo on a Thrive patch actually pissed me off a little bit. IMO it wasn't so much that Lukas was telling him to be "serious" as it was a nice attempt at encouraging him to be professional. He and his voice are growing on me and I don't dislike him, but at times I think he verges on disrespectful.

Now, with that said...if he was on the show to just kind of troll the whole thing, I could *almost* get behind that and even respect him for it. As is, though, I think he honestly just thinks he's being "quirky."

[NeedTVRehab]

Can Lukas Graham be the mentor this season?  He was wonderful with his mentees and seems so mature.  

Is Bobby Bones Ryan’s alter ego with glasses a la Clark Kent?  

I think Ryan should have made it over Evelyn or Eddie.  Evelyn and Eddie have good voices but only if I don’t look at them singing.  Evelyn’s look and mannerisms and singing is so affected it just annoys me.  Ditto with Eddie but he just seems to think he’s such a special snowflake but he’s just a grown man carrying around a stuffed animal.  

I love Demetrius and Laci and sadly, Ryan.   

[theschnauzers]

If you’re curious about what Cyndi Lauper thought of the Jeremiah/Cynthia Erivo duet, she shared the American Idol video via her YT channel with the comment “Great Performance.” (She is familiar with Idol, having performed a duet of Time After Time on the Season 8 finale with Allison a decade ago.)

Edited April 14, 2019 by theschnauzers
Clarify

[peachmangosteen]

Once the Top 10 starts, will the show still have 2, 2 hour eps a week or will the Monday show go down to 1 hour?

[sempervivum]

3 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

Once the Top 10 starts, will the show still have 2, 2 hour eps a week or will the Monday show go down to 1 hour?

All upcoming shows are 2 hours, and after April 22nd, will all be on Sunday only (no more separate 'results' nights, same as last year).

Schedule via MJs Big Blog

[peachmangosteen]

5 hours ago, sempervivum said:

All upcoming shows are 2 hours, and after April 22nd, will all be on Sunday only (no more separate 'results' nights, same as last year).

Schedule via MJs Big Blog

Thanks for the info. I wasn't watching last season so I wasn't sure of the schedule. It being on Sundays only works out perfectly for me as it won't conflict with The Voice.

Man, I forgot about MJs Big Blog. Memories!

[theschnauzers]

I will be ever grateful for the Directv Now recording feature starting this week. I will have a direct triple viewing conflict including Game of Thrones and Idol! Insane!

[HaaCHOO]

16 hours ago, Concrtslt said:

 Evelyn’s look and mannerisms and singing is so affected it just annoys me.

She created some videos for a few years.  That's how the man (from Spain) she married first saw her.  Since she's semi-successful, I doubt if she'll change anything.  She can't last long.  So many "fans" of 90-Day Fiance dislike her, they'll probably vote for anyone else.

[HappyDancex2]

I have a weird theory.  Evelyn feels like an Idol plant to me.  They let her through to see if there was any crossover effect or any buzz could be generated about her and the show.  Any publicity is good publicity.

I was embarrassed to watch her breathiness that sounds fake and almost gaggy....Chris isaak had to be horrified.  They couldn’t have had more distance between them and less chemistry on stage.  Ruined song.  Al cannot convince me she is a good singer just because she’s on this show....she’s a preplanned Sanjaya.

Note: sheesh Chris isaak sounded amazing.  He can still hit all the notes.  I was impressed.

[marionette]

I watched 90 Day Fiance and I would guess that the only reason Evelyn was on there was to promote her music.  Strangely, I can only recall them showing her singing once and it was awful.  The producers must have felt that to show her "talent" would ruin that portion of her story, so here she is again pimping her singing.  It is still awful.  If anyone has heard throat singing, that is what it sounds like to me.  It is not a natural sound but she has listened to Katy who first told her that song choice would be key.  She has managed to find a couple of songs that she can chortle along with but I believe there can't be that many more choices out there for her.  Just because your voice sounds different doesn't mean anyone is going to want to listen to it.  It is a travesty that so many talented people went home already and here she is moaning and wailing for us.