S17.E14: Disney Night - 2019.04.21

[MarkHB]

Quote

The Top 10 contestants head to Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, to prepare for Disney Night. The finalists are joined by celebrity mentor Rebel Wilson. The 3 judges perform a timeless Disney song in Fantasyland. The Top 10 then return to the iconic Idol stage to perform fan-favorite Disney songs in the hope of winning America’s vote for a spot in the Top 8. Lea Michele performs the song “Under the Sea.” Also, Maddie Poppe and Caleb Lee Hutchinson return to the stage to sing a Disney classic duet.

[SnarkAttack]

Walker and Wade should have gone home instead.

Katy put no effort into her 'critiques' at all.  She should be embarrassed.

Alejandro is just adorable!

[DietCokeJunkie]

Hmm. I was bored during Laci’s and Alyssa’s performances. I am never bored during Uche’s. Oh well. 

And why would the judges criticize Uche for an obscure song choice but no one else? Who ever heard that song from Lane before? 

[Koalagirl]

Demetrius gave the performance of his life and should not have been eliminated.  The judges are definitely keeping their save for their precious Lane.  

[incandescent]

Glad Alyssa made it through on the vote. Dimitrius was better than at least half the contestants tonight and deserved a spot over the likes of Wade, but... Idol.

Edited April 22, 2019 by incandescent
elaborated

[Sounder]

Laine isn't going to need the judges save...... Mark the date March 12..... audition episode 3......I predicted way back then Laine is going to win.    I think so.... The judges think so..... Do you think so?    Well whatever you think.... Laine has got "it".    Here's something else I think.....if Walker could beat box..... I'd swear it was Blake Lewis.... compare their faces.... they're like twins.    Demitrious gave the performance of the night I thought...... the wrong two are gone.    Thought Laci and Walker would go.

[thesupremediva1]

I have to wonder what people are hearing that they want to keep the likes of Laci and Walker over Dimitrius. He outsang half the field tonight by a country mile - only Madison and Jeremiah were close.  I am salty but I can't blame the judges for not wanting to save the same person twice.

Wade and Alejandro, both of whom I love, had off nights.

Disney was a snooze fest - this crop picked some truly maudlin dirges tonight. Pick up the energy guys - it's Easter Sunday! Lent is over! I could have used more oomph from most of them.

They need to stop putting Alyssa (and tonight Madison) in those God-awful gowns that look straight out of the local mall. They didn't look anything like Disney princesses so that's no excuse, and Alyssa wore something similar last week. These are gorgeous, vibrant young women and they're being dressed like mothers of the bride. It's aging both of them and distracting from the performances.

It is perfectly possible to find gowns for performances that are age-appropriate and fit the song. It's starting to annoy me because Laci is always dressed well. Newsflash, wardrobe: you don't have to be a size zero to look fabulous in a short dress or a stylish, sexy gown.

I don't know if it was a mic issue or an artistic choice, but I could not hear one word Laci was warbling and I caught half of Alejandro's lyrics. I know they both have more power than that and they need to use it. If I can't hear you, I can't vote for you.

Edited April 22, 2019 by thesupremediva1

[Ms Blue Jay]

Did anyone find it weird when Wade sang a bit of his song to Rebel and used a completely different (normal, unaffected) voice??????

[Ladyrain]

4 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Did anyone find it weird when Wade sang a bit of his song to Rebel and used a completely different (normal, unaffected) voice??????

Yes.  Yes, I did.   I hate his gravelly voice, and now that I know it's an affect, I hate it a hundred times more.

[jackjill89]

DImitrius should have stayed. I think Madison is very overrated. What a snoozefest. I missed Uche and honestly, now that he and Dimitrius are gone, I have no reason to watch. I don't care who wins. They are all so boring. It's all a bunch of cookie cutter singers. No one has the "it" factor. We won't hear from any one of these people once they leave the show, winner or not. At least Uche kept my attention. He was a little different. 

I was hate watching to see Evelyn get the boot, but tuned in tonight anyway. I really don't think I'll tune in anymore.

[Annber03]

11 minutes ago, thesupremediva1 said:

I don't know if it was a mic issue or an artistic choice, but I could not hear one word Laci was warbling and I caught half of Alejandro's lyrics. I know they both have more power than that and they need to use it. If I can't hear you, I can't vote for you.

Yeah, the sound felt a bit off at times throughout to me, too. Same thing with Uche-the music seemed to overpower his vocals a lot of the time.

Figured they wouldn't use their judges' save on the first night, so that wasn't surprising. I agree that I might've traded out a couple of those who did go through. 

Also, it's seriously been fourteen years since Carrie Underwood was on here? Dang. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

15 minutes ago, Ladyrain said:

Yes.  Yes, I did.   I hate his gravelly voice, and now that I know it's an affect, I hate it a hundred times more.

Thank you Ladyrain!  

[incandescent]

24 minutes ago, Ladyrain said:

Yes.  Yes, I did.   I hate his gravelly voice, and now that I know it's an affect, I hate it a hundred times more.

YES! It was one thing when I thought his voice was just totally shot, but he actively chooses to sound like that?

[HappyDancex2]

I haven't even finished watching it yet on DVR but this is flat out weird.   I have no clue what Uche sang but it's the first time he looked like a wedding singer to me.   He's very entertaining but that was pretty pitchy.   I don't think he should have been eliminated.   I saw the last 30 seconds...so they are eliminating 2 people now?

The edit on Alejandro was also puzzling.   He got the whole "he's unprepared" thing with Rebel which implied he's coasting or doesn't care.   Then the breathy song he sang had about 5 lines to remember...not exactly a lyrical stretch lol.   I thought he was slacking on learning Bohemian Rhapsody or something .   And then Katy basically gave him the "no matter what happens I'll remember you" goodbye speech....it's like they want the viewing audience to get the fears.   Hmmmmmmmmmmmm

[HappyDancex2]

I didn't realize Ragu was only 17 years old.  She looks old.  I loved her dress!   That's the first song that I actually recognized and she didn't do it justice.....she didn't make it soar.   She sang it basically at all one emotion until the very end.  Meh.

Someone else could have killed that song.   That was downright karaoke borrrrrring.

What I noticed about Wade was Dole Whip.   And he plays the game well in song selection for his ludens voice.

[ECM1231]

             


I am glad they held off on a save.  Interesting that the last 3 remaining were last week's saves. Maybe they should rethink the idea of saves. Obviously America likes who they like.

Glad Luke mentioned how difficult it was playing the piano and singing so well. Walker did a great job. Rebel suggested Lacy belt it out but it did not seem she took the advice. Her voice is unique but not sure there is much power behind it.

Jeremiah disappointed this week. Who was Katy kidding about him hitting that high note at the end? I noticed he quickly pulled the mike away. Oldest trick in the book.

Laine was fine. Never heard that song. Alyssa did a good job too. Glad she made it through. Wade was fine but I think after a while I will tire of his gravelly voice.

And now I am gonna duck from the thrown tomatoes. Still have no idea what the judges and audience are hearing when Alejandro performs. Horrible performance, imho. His voice is very high- pitched and unpleasant to my ears. His singing seemed even worse this week.

My girl Madison killed it.

[HappyDancex2]

Yeah I didn't think Alejandro sounded great but I don't like John Mayer either LOL

Unpopular opinion - I didn't think Dimitrious gave that great of a performance....others were worse but that wasn't awesome.   And Luke was wrong...I heard Meh notes.   Considering he dropped to the ground I think it was more of his personal story than what he gave that I didn't actually feel unfortunately.  

That being said, of this group I'd rather watch him sing next week.  He has had a few moments that I really enjoy so I like his potential.....whereas I feel like I've seen all that Ragu can give...maybe because of her age.....and the blonde girl with the gums who just doesn't keep my interest for as much as they overpraise her.

Maybe I don't like Disney songs??   Harry Potter at the piano was boring as well.   Thank goodness I'm watching this on DVR.....which bodes well of AI and ABC since I obviously can't vote HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.  Format Fail

[pezgirl7]

1 hour ago, DietCokeJunkie said:

And why would the judges criticize Uche for an obscure song choice but no one else? Who ever heard that song from Lane before? 

Me! It's the best song from Robin Hood, which was my favorite classic Disney movie as a kid. I was guessing beforehand that he would sing Bare Necessities, so it was a nice surprise for me.

Edited April 22, 2019 by pezgirl7

[TeeMo]

1 hour ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Did anyone find it weird when Wade sang a bit of his song to Rebel and used a completely different (normal, unaffected) voice??????

Oh, I noticed and I yelled at the TV “I knew that gravelly voice was a fake!” I actually liked those few notes we heard him sing to Rebel in his actual voice so much more than the voice he puts on.

[HappyDancex2]

Madison's sister looked younger than her.  Eek.  

Who did that Whole New World duet?  I missed the into and didn't bother to go backwards lol.  They sounded terrible.  I swear I'm in a good mood!  I swear!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK something nice....I liked Rebel Wilson with all the contestants.  And Madison's background with the water washing up on her and behind her?   That was cool....they do this really well on DWTS too.  I'm always amazed what they can do nowadays.

Allright Madison's song wasn't that bad....her voice was well matched today to her choice.  I didn't like her black gown with that song though....she could have done something more contemporary.   I didn't hate this.....she's kind of growing on me as of tonight.  So there.  LOL

[Annber03]

8 minutes ago, pezgirl7 said:

Me! It's the best song from Robin Hood, which was my favorite classic Disney movie as a kid.

I was telling my mom tonight that I need to go back and watch some of those older Disney films from the '70s and beforehand again, 'cause it's been ages since I've seen some of them. 

(Also, I was realizing tonight that the '90s Disney films are all nearing 30 years old and between that and the mention of it being fourteen years since Carrie Underwood was on here, suffice to say I feel old :p.)

4 minutes ago, HappyDancex2 said:

Who did that Whole New World duet?  I missed the into and didn't bother to go backwards lol.  They sounded terrible. 

Maddie and Caleb, last year's winner and runner-up. 

I agree it wasn't a very strong performance from them. 

[TeeMo]

I forgot how much I hate the format when they move to one night with live votes throughout the show because it always seems so unfair to the people who go last. It feels like less of an issue when there are more contestants like there are now but it still annoys me. I knew that Madison, Laine and Jeremiah must be raking in the votes for the show to put them at the end. I also guessed that Uche was likely in big trouble when they put him first thus giving people the most time to vote for him after his performance. I was once again annoyed with Katy for most of the night but never more than when she seemed to have no idea how the save was going to work or how many shows they have left. 

[HappyDancex2]

LOVED that Rebel pointed out that Laine doesn't move his mouth much....I thought I was the only one wondering what was going on with his toothyness.   That was hilarious.  I thought he did a much better job of singing his song.   I can see the appeal.  I hope that's really who he is instead of going along with the AI machine because that was hokey AF.

I really like Jeremiah and his sister's hair color.  So vibrant and unique.

I still don't get the appeal of him....he's got an interesting voice but I'm not drawn in by him yet.  Maybe he's more Broadway where he needs the material to carry him thru instead of being a solo star who can be someone that one would pay money to see in concert if that makes sense.

[mamadrama]

16 minutes ago, pezgirl7 said:

Me! It's the best song from Robin Hood, which was my favorite classic Disney movie as a kid. I was guessing beforehand that he would sing Bare Necessities, so it was a nice surprise for me.

Me too, though I was hoping that someone would sing "Not in Nottingham" because I think that's one of the saddest scenes from any Disney movie. 

"Candle on the Water" is my favorite Disney song, just as the original Pete's Dragon is my favorite movie. My high school boyfriend disappeared and for 5 years we didn't know what had happened to him. I kind of lived in limbo and that song was my lifeline. After my son passed away, it started reminding me of him. So I have emotional ties to it. 

Personally, I love it when they sing those more obscure songs. There are some wonderful Disney tunes, but it feels like they always stick with the same 10. I really want to hear someone do "Feed the Birds" from MaryPoppins. 

Edited April 22, 2019 by mamadrama

[ChristmasJones]

This show messes with my head. I am no musical expert. I listen to the songs and then I listen to the judges and I have no way to know why they make the comments they make.  At least with someone like Simon, I felt like I was learning a bit about music. He would make specific comments about tone, pitch, etc.   I also think the mixing for TV is screwed up. There are always singers who I can barely hear over the music. 

[silverspoons]

They should just have the one judges save if that.  Those 3 saves last week were the lows  again this week, that means America does not wan them for some reason. I think the judges(or producers) got to pick the the top 14, then America should do the picking after that. I wonder who was # 8-10 via America's vote last week? maybe some like Riley or Ashley would have had more success.

It shows even the judges do not know how the show works when Katy wanted to know how many weeks left. It was much better when it was top ten and one gone each week, then 14 to 10 to 8 to ? to final 3?

I don't like these live show votes , seems like people will just vote for their favorites before they even sing. Then the last few people get very little time for people to vote after their performances. That makes me think Laine and Jeremiah have a solid vote, to be put near  the end with so many people left. 

I agree this is Laine's show to lose. I still think it will be Laine, Madison and Alejandro final 3.

Why didn't these people all pick popular Disney songs. If you want to win, forget your favorite song. Pick songs people know!

Edited April 22, 2019 by silverspoons

[HappyDancex2]

I agree the live voting format is strange but it's kind of a compressed voting of what probably is going to occur.  I would have voted for Uche, Wade, Dimitri and Madison.   Uche because I find him interesting, Wade for being smart, I liked Dimitri's story tonight and wanted to see him one more week and then Madison "earned" my vote this week.  

Pretty sure if everyone thinks Laine has it locked up then you can't outvote that block.   He was good tonight for him but I would not have been compelled to vote for him yet.

I think Laci and Walker were the weakest tonight.  I think the judges are saving their save for Alejandro.   Alejandro needs to be careful of his song choices...he's sleepy.

[ECM1231]

Happydancex2, can you explain why you think Wade was smart? Did you mean b/c of song choice?

[HappyDancex2]

Just now, ECM1231 said:

Happydancex2, can you explain why you think Wade was smart? Did you mean b/c of song choice?

Yes.  That song choice for Disney week was great for his voice.  I think part of AI is picking the right songs that not only showcase your vocal range but connect to the audience in some way.  The other part is the intangible of likeability.....people will Bobby Bones a vote for their favorite regardless of how they song ANY song LOL.  

[ECM1231]

2 minutes ago, HappyDancex2 said:

Yes.  That song choice for Disney week was great for his voice.  I think part of AI is picking the right songs that not only showcase your vocal range but connect to the audience in some way.  The other part is the intangible of likeability.....people will Bobby Bones a vote for their favorite regardless of how they song ANY song LOL.  

Hmm, interesting. I do agree that Wade's song was a great fit for his voice, however, I am not so sure about the likeability factor. There is something about him that is so off- putting to me but I can't quite put my finger on it to articulate.

1 more thing I just remembered is cringing when Demetrius addressed Lionel as Luke after Lionel's critique. Yikes!

[HappyDancex2]

16 minutes ago, ECM1231 said:

Hmm, interesting. I do agree that Wade's song was a great fit for his voice, however, I am not so sure about the likeability factor. There is something about him that is so off- putting to me but I can't quite put my finger on it to articulate.

1 more thing I just remembered is cringing when Demetrius addressed Lionel as Luke after Lionel's critique. Yikes!

Oh I didn’t mean he was likeable....I just meant that was the other component that most people base their votes on that the contestant has no control over.  Thus the Bobby bones comment lol.  They have control over their song choice.  Madison must have made a good song choice tonight because I actually noticed her!

[incandescent]

25 minutes ago, mamadrama said:

Personally, I love it when they sing those more obscure songs. There are some wonderful Disney tunes, but it feels like they always stick with the same 10. I really want to hear someone do "Feed the Birds" from MaryPoppins. 

Because they do! 4/10 songs tonight were also performed for last season's Disney week. It's ridiculous. Obscure would be great, but they've barely even scratched the surface of the Disney Renaissance.

[Ilovepie]

I thought this show was dreadful, and I am a Disney fanatic. I think the only ones I liked were Uche and Laine.

I really hated what Laci did with I See The Light. It might be my favorite Disney song of all time, it’s sweet and emotional, but she turned it into a boring funeral dirge. I also hated what Alejandro did to that Coco song. I didn’t even recognize it. I am over his mumbling falsetto. I just don’t get it. Oh, and Walker - just awful. That song is so sad, and it’s heart wrenching when Sarah Maclachlan sings it. It was so boring and sanitary the way he sang it - just no emotional depth. 

The “judges” offer no discernible judging whatsoever. Everyone is great. I am now fast forwarding through their comments because it’s the same “great job!” for everybody. They are all as bad as Ellen was. Even Mariah Carey was better.

 I can’t believe this season is over in three weeks. They just announced top 10 last week! I freaking hate this format. There should be like 7-8 more weeks. They’re dumping them so quickly I won’t remember or care about any of them two weeks after the show ends. They should have started the season in January like they used to and eliminated one per week after top 10. ABC was so quick to resurrect this show so soon after it ended, and I don’t know why. The one thing it had over the Voice was that it helped many contestants find some measure of success after being on the show. There is no way, with this current format, for that to happen. I am really disappointed with this reboot. I spent many seasons hate watching this show towards the end of the Fox run, and I am pretty much back to that now.

[leocadia]

3 hours ago, DietCokeJunkie said:

Who ever heard that song from Lane before? 

Not that I thought he did a great job with it (it's really kind of a simple song and not suited for competition) but Laine's song was one of the few I did actually recognize.  Probably showing my age here, but I loved Disney's Robin Hood and played the album over and over when I was a wee child.  😉 

I get your point though.  The only other songs I really knew were Wade's song from Toy Story and Candle on the Water from Pete's Dragon. They really seemed to be staying away from the highly recognizable Disney songs.  

***Posted before reading everything...glad to see there are other Robin Hood fans out there!

Edited April 22, 2019 by leocadia

[mamadrama]

28 minutes ago, incandescent said:

Because they do! 4/10 songs tonight were also performed for last season's Disney week. It's ridiculous. Obscure would be great, but they've barely even scratched the surface of the Disney Renaissance.

I made a list of my dream Disney repertoire with these contestants. This was my list of ideas-some of my favorites, along with a few overly-done songs that I knew would be in there anyway...

Alejandro: Not in Nottingham (Robin Hood) or Remember Me (Coco)
Jeremiah: I'm Still Here (Treasure Planet) 
Evelyn: Sally's Song (Nightmare Before Christmas) 
Laci: Feed the Birds (Mary Poppins) 
Eddie:Why Should I Worry (Oliver & Co)
Uche: The Gospel Truth (Hercules)
Dimitrius: The Circle of Life (The Lion King)
Riley: A Dream is a Wish (Cinderella) 
Wade: You've Got a Friend in Me (Toy Story) or The Bare Necessities (The Jungle Book) 
Laine: Kiss the Girl (Little Mermaid)
Walker: Candle on the Water (Pete's Dragon)
Madison: Colors of the Wind (Pocahontas) 
Alyssa: Something that I Want (Tangled)
Ashley: Will the Sun Ever Shine Again (Home on the Range)

[HappyDancex2]

Yikes you guys are Disney aficionados!  I think I’ve only seen Toy Story 1.

[theschnauzers]

I think we actually got the top 10 in America’s vote for the top 10. I wasn’t surprised the last three, who were the judges pick last week, were the bottom 3.

I’m not sure why, but Alejandro vocals have not seemed as solid these last two week. Maybe it’s the limits of the song choices available, but he does seem off a tad.

And Jeremiah’s dad did post on the Idol You Tube channel with the clip of his performance that apparently Jeremiah has been sick the last couple of days and had been on bed rest. Was his performance negatively affected in som way? Couldn’t say, but he did what I expected with covering that song. And I agree with Lionel.

[viajero]

I thought this was the most boring show of the season so far, characterized by a lot of uninspiring rather dull performances.  Of course it doesn't help that I don't tend to like Disney songs.

The only two contestants who stood out to me among this snoozefest were Alejandro and Madison.  I also kind of got a kick out of Wade because he just went with the silliness of the whole thing.

At the other end of spectrum were Walker and Laci, who were about as dull as you can possibly get.  I had actually liked some of Laci's previous performances, but the song choice did her no favors.

Jeremiah at least showed off his range, but without seeming to connect to the song the way he normally does.  Meanwhile, Laine continues to show off his utter lack of range. 

None of the rest stood out one way or the other.

[JMarie99]

I love Disney movie songs, and never liked the Toy Story movies. To each his own.  I was looking forward to Disney week, but there were only a few songs I liked. To be honest, I never realized the Toy Story movies were Disney!

But as for the contestants, most of my favorites are gone. I really thought the judges would save either Uche or Dimitrius. Dimitrius’ voice is amazing. It’s obvious that it is a trained voice - but America would rather hear Wade rasp and growl through songs in his obviously fake voice. And the judges apparently agreed. 

I’m glad Alyssa made it through. She’s the only girl I like.

When I think about how happy I was when Idol came back, it makes me sad. Last season was pretty good, but this season has been a huge disappointment for me. 

[TheGreenKnight]

I wish we hadn't got predictable song choices like "Colors of the Wind," "How Far I'll Go," and "You've Got a Friend of Me." I'm surprised someone didn't sing "Reflection" again, jeez. 

[Jillybean]

7 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Did anyone find it weird when Wade sang a bit of his song to Rebel and used a completely different (normal, unaffected) voice??????

Not at all weird, since it's been obvious all along that his singing voice on the show is completely affected and phony. I was just surprised he let it slip. That one line was the only decent thing he's sung.

Edited April 22, 2019 by Jillybean

[mamadrama]

6 hours ago, theschnauzers said:

I think we actually got the top 10 in America’s vote for the top 10. I wasn’t surprised the last three, who were the judges pick last week, were the bottom 3.

I’m not sure why, but Alejandro vocals have not seemed as solid these last two week. Maybe it’s the limits of the song choices available, but he does seem off a tad.

And Jeremiah’s dad did post on the Idol You Tube channel with the clip of his performance that apparently Jeremiah has been sick the last couple of days and had been on bed rest. Was his performance negatively affected in som way? Couldn’t say, but he did what I expected with covering that song. And I agree with Lionel.

There are some people who can sing any song you throw at them, but they lack passion and substance. I'd put someone like Riley in this category. There are others who don't have a ton of range, and may not be vocally exceptional, but you feel every word they sing. I think Alejandro is one of those singers who does really well with the songs he *feels* but he has trouble forcing it. That's probably why he does so well with the ones he's written. 

[mamadrama]

4 hours ago, TheGreenKnight said:

I wish we hadn't got predictable song choices like "Colors of the Wind," "How Far I'll Go," and "You've Got a Friend of Me." I'm surprised someone didn't sing "Reflection" again, jeez. 

I was shocked as hell not to hear "Let if Go."

[cinsays]

I just don't get the Laine love.  Is it his cuteness? I think his singing is boring and I like country music.  It does seem like he is being pushed as the winner.  Young guy with guitar syndrome. Not in the top for me.

I also thought Laci's performance was boring.  She just has no emotion at all. Pretty girl but I would not want to listen to an album she put out.  

Same with Walker, nothing at all special in his voice. 

Dimitrius was robbed - he hits the notes, puts a lot of emotion into his songs.  Hope Lionel works with him after the show. I think he could do well with somebody encouraging and backing his career. 

That duet from the past season's winner and runner-up was really awful.  Talk about no emotion.  Glad I sat that season out.  This season's contestants all were more appealing than those 2.

[peachmangosteen]

9 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

And now I am gonna duck from the thrown tomatoes. Still have no idea what the judges and audience are hearing when Alejandro performs. Horrible performance, imho. His voice is very high- pitched and unpleasant to my ears. His singing seemed even worse this week.

This. He seems like a nice person, but his voice physically hurts my ears lol.

I like Wade's fake voice, but he made a huge mistake straight-up proving it was fake by singing regularly for a second. His regular voice actually sounded really nice. I'd like to hear him sing a full song that way.

I like Laci's voice a lot, but it's way too soft for a show like this. 

Laine's voice is completely generic, but he has something resembling the X Factor that really none of the others do so yea, he'll probably win.

[TeeMo]

That Maddie and Caleb duet was unfortunate and I really like them both. I think that their voices just don’t work well together which makes both of them seem off when they sing together. I thought the same thing during their Somewhere Over the Rainbow duet in last year’s finale. 

Also I am not sure we really needed 30 seconds of Lea Michele singing Part of Your World and we definitely didn’t need to drag all 10 contestants out to sing two lines of backup for her. 

If the show is going to let the judges continue to just clap and not offer any advice or criticism they should at least choose mentors who can offer some actual help to a singer. Rebel Wilson throwing cotton candy at Alyssa and getting in the tub with Madison was amusing (I guess) but not particularly helpful. 

[twilightzone]

I can imagine the Idol Cougars after Laine Hardy.  But I don't see his appeal.   He just seems too manufactured.  And he has this thing where his mouth doesn't move when he speaks, so you can't understand what the heck he is saying.

[thesupremediva1]

9 hours ago, Ilovepie said:

I can’t believe this season is over in three weeks. They just announced top 10 last week! I freaking hate this format. There should be like 7-8 more weeks. They’re dumping them so quickly I won’t remember or care about any of them two weeks after the show ends. They should have started the season in January like they used to and eliminated one per week after top 10. ABC was so quick to resurrect this show so soon after it ended, and I don’t know why. The one thing it had over the Voice was that it helped many contestants find some measure of success after being on the show. There is no way, with this current format, for that to happen.

Thank you! I've been a broken record about this - Idol lost what made it special and successful. The once-a-year, 5-month-run format gave us time to know and appreciate the contestants. One bad week wasn't a death knell.

And do NOT get me started on the voting in these crucial top 12 weeks on the big stage. Voting opens before a single person has sung and closes about 5 minutes following the final singer. So... even the show is ok with knowing voting isn't based on actual performance?! It's a popularity contest and people are going to just lock in votes for their favorites no matter how they sing. 

Because we are getting little time with contestants at live shows, we aren't as invested. Losing them in bunches does not help either. The biggest problem is that we haven't had a real "moment" in this new iteration. The closest thing we've seen was Cade's "No Good" last year, but that was a song clip from an earlier round. Kelly's Natural Woman, Clay's Bridge Over Troubled Water (I just watched it for the billionth time yesterday), Carrie's Alone - these are the moments upon which the show became a juggernaut and a legend. They all happened on the big stage. I have not seen anything of that caliber happen within the top 10 realm in the last two years. Without those moments, this show is The Voice, and I'm not interested in that. 

[Jillybean]

11 minutes ago, thesupremediva1 said:

Thank you! I've been a broken record about this - Idol lost what made it special and successful. The once-a-year, 5-month-run format gave us time to know and appreciate the contestants. One bad week wasn't a death knell.

And do NOT get me started on the voting in these crucial top 12 weeks on the big stage. Voting opens before a single person has sung and closes about 5 minutes following the final singer. So... even the show is ok with knowing voting isn't based on actual performance?! It's a popularity contest and people are going to just lock in votes for their favorites no matter how they sing. 

Because we are getting little time with contestants at live shows, we aren't as invested. Losing them in bunches does not help either. The biggest problem is that we haven't had a real "moment" in this new iteration. The closest thing we've seen was Cade's "No Good" last year, but that was a song clip from an earlier round. Kelly's Natural Woman, Clay's Bridge Over Troubled Water (I just watched it for the billionth time yesterday), Carrie's Alone - these are the moments upon which the show became a juggernaut and a legend. They all happened on the big stage. I have not seen anything of that caliber happen within the top 10 realm in the last two years. Without those moments, this show is The Voice, and I'm not interested in that. 

I would put Fantasia's "Summertime" in that category. 

Idol just straight-up sucks now and I'm watching for the snark at this point. Speaking of which, Katy looked absurd and I have no idea who/what she was supposed to be. Disney stuff is mostly lost on me. And it was no surprise that the "judges" had to ask how many episodes are left.

[mamadrama]

18 minutes ago, thesupremediva1 said:

Thank you! I've been a broken record about this - Idol lost what made it special and successful. The once-a-year, 5-month-run format gave us time to know and appreciate the contestants. One bad week wasn't a death knell.

And do NOT get me started on the voting in these crucial top 12 weeks on the big stage. Voting opens before a single person has sung and closes about 5 minutes following the final singer. So... even the show is ok with knowing voting isn't based on actual performance?! It's a popularity contest and people are going to just lock in votes for their favorites no matter how they sing. 

Because we are getting little time with contestants at live shows, we aren't as invested. Losing them in bunches does not help either. The biggest problem is that we haven't had a real "moment" in this new iteration. The closest thing we've seen was Cade's "No Good" last year, but that was a song clip from an earlier round. Kelly's Natural Woman, Clay's Bridge Over Troubled Water (I just watched it for the billionth time yesterday), Carrie's Alone - these are the moments upon which the show became a juggernaut and a legend. They all happened on the big stage. I have not seen anything of that caliber happen within the top 10 realm in the last two years. Without those moments, this show is The Voice, and I'm not interested in that. 

Yes!

And I'm no great Carrie Underwood fan but "Alone" remains one of my favorite Idol moments.

This kind of formatting does not encourage people to vote based on talent-they're voting for favorites. It was like that in other seasons, too, but at least there was also time in which we got to know the talent.