S17.E18: Top 5 (2019.05.12)

[MarkHB]

Quote

Each contestant performs 3 songs, including a pick from mentor Bobby Bones, a song dedicated to their heroes in honor of Mother’s Day, and a selection from Elton John’s catalog.

That's 15 performances, they'll have to be fast!

[incandescent]

Me waiting for Alejandro's album to drop: 

[Koalagirl]

Well, if I couldn’t have Jeremiah then I’m happy with this final 3. 

[Annber03]

2 minutes ago, Koalagirl said:

Well, if I couldn’t have Jeremiah then I’m happy with this final 3. 

Same. Alejandro had a really good night tonight, and I kinda liked that original song of his. 

Also, that guitar of Laine's that everyone was talking about indeed looked really cool. 

[TheGreenKnight]

Alejandro sounded great on “Sorry Seems to be The Hardest Word” to begin with, but it never built to anything. It just kind of flatlined. I’m shocked he actually made it into the finale, even though I like him. He and Jeremiah were my favorites at the start; then his live performances kind of sucked and then Jeremiah became my #1 (and Madison #2). I never thought either Jeremiah or Alejandro would make it to the finale or win though regardless of their talent, so kudos to Alejandro actually making it to the end.

Madison was the best tonight. “Your Song” was perfect. It was the only good Elton John performance of the 5, imo, which is a real shame because I love EJ. I know Jeremiah would’ve done better than the others considering he got a shoutout early in the season from Elton himself.

I liked seeing Laine with his hair down and normal again in the package videos. He looked so much better then, before they started slicking his hair back every week. I know this is cruel, but I couldn’t help thinking he reminded me of Joffrey from Game of Thrones a little bit tonight…

Thank God Wade is gone. I’m sad about Laci, but I’m sure even she knew she would probably go after nearly going last week. I like all of the top 3. Now with Wade gone, I can be less on edge since I’ll like whoever wins. Madison is still my preference right now.

[HelenCrump]

12 minutes ago, Koalagirl said:

Well, if I couldn’t have Jeremiah then I’m happy with this final 3. 

I agree too.  I wanted a Jeremiah, Alejandro, Laine top 3, but from the contestants tonight, I think this was a good choice.

I loved Alejandro's original song.  I'm curious about his backstory -- no family mentioned?

[SnarkAttack]

I wonder so much about Alejandro's family.  Bad blood?  Is he ashamed of them?  Is he shielding them?  I was so curious who he'd appear with.  Anyone know?

[SnarkAttack]

2 minutes ago, TheGreenKnight said:

Alejandro sounded great on “Sorry Seems to be The Hardest Word” to begin with, but it never built to anything. It just kind of flatlined. I’m shocked he actually made it into the finale, even though I like him. He and Jeremiah were my favorites at the start; then his live performances kind of sucked and then Jeremiah became my #1 (and Madison #2). I never thought either Jeremiah or Alejandro would make it to the finale or win though regardless of their talent, so kudos to Alejandro actually making it to the end.

Madison was the best tonight. “Your Song” was perfect. It was the only good Elton John performance of the 5, imo, which is a real shame because I love EJ. I know Jeremiah would’ve done better than the others considering he got a shoutout early in the season from Elton himself.

I liked seeing Laine with his hair down and normal again in the package videos. He looked so much better then, before they started slicking his hair back every week. I know this is cruel, but I couldn’t help thinking he reminded me of Joffrey from Game of Thrones a little bit tonight…

Thank God Wade is gone. I’m sad about Laci, but I’m sure even she knew she would probably go after nearly going last week. I like all of the top 3. Now with Wade gone, I can be less on edge since I’ll like whoever wins. Madison is still my preference right now.

I didn't think Madison did well at all.  She seemed ahead of the music.  Still can't connect to the songs.

Couldn't understand Laci.

Wade is so awkward on stage.

[incandescent]

Every single song Madison sang tonight has already been performed this season, and performed better. But still, she's the only conventional big-voiced belter left, so it was a no-brainer she'd make it.

[suebee12]

16 minutes ago, SnarkAttack said:

Couldn't understand Laci.

Me either! When she did the first song(which I did not know...not a country fan) I listened to the words because of what the judges said before the song...the part about the dog buried under the tree...and I could not understand one single word. The band was so loud and she sang so softly the lyrics were indecipherable(did I actually spell this correctly?) Then she screamed the Elton John song....badly! I gave up by the third song......

I record this and come in half way through so I can ff through everything but the actual singing...don't have to hear the judges because they say the same thing week after week(and I am really tired of hearing about Lionel's closet being robbed!) I keep thinking I am suffering through this instead of enjoying DWTS...so tonight I watched some of James and Sharna's dances to make me remember my favorite season!!!

I did watch the hero part just to learn about Alejandro's background and what did we learn...Nada, nothing, zip. Wonder why?

[HappyDancex2]

I'm glad they put Laci and Wade out of their our misery.

I was about to throw some rocks at Alejandro's first song because it sounded like every other song he's ever sung.  He redeemed himself later for the context of the show.  I find him too sleepy but to each his own.

Please don't let Bobby Bones pick any more songs.   Those were 4 bad performances.   

[HappyDancex2]

And Wade dropped a big steaming pile of awkward on stage.  I don't have a problem of him saying he didn't like Bobby's song choice but it just hung there like a big fart.   Insert your own joke here.

[twilightzone]

I think Alejandro will win.  He's peaking at the right time.  I can see Laine being the victim of the early front runner stumbles.  It's happened too often.

I like Laci, but she had no chance, after being Saved.  They should have never used it.

I'm not surprised at Madison making the Top 3.  She has people.

[stcroix]

The quality of the talent hasn't been up to par this season and I don't understand why. Out of all the people trying out this 5 is the best they could come up with? In my opinion, none of them even closely compare to the final 5 from any previous season.  And the judges!  Nothing but tongue baths from them and over acting.  I've watched every single season of AI but if next year looks to be going along the same lines as this season then sadly I won't be tuning in. 

ABC can ruin any reality show with ear blasting music, hysterically loud screaming and mostly fake enthusiasm. When a host like Tom Bergeron or Ryan Seacrest has to scream to be heard over the audience until the actual performers begin then I'm out.

PS-- This isn't an idle threat.  DWTS was my favorite reality show and I stopped watching it for these reasons 2 seasons ago and haven't missed it.  I don't want to lose American Idol,too! 

[silverspoons]

Tonight was easy to predict. I also think no way Laine loses. If you look at social media posts, views, likes he is so far ahead. I would prefer a Madison win but it is not going to happen.

I admit I was distracted because of Mother's day and the time the show airs at. Were they suppose to dedicate songs to moms? I missed Wade's intro but saw his mom watching him, Laci was with grandma, Madison said to her mom she did not see her much growing up? Did she live with her dad, sounded like it? Then it was Laine and his brother when it looked like his mom was there? and then Alejandro and friend? 

I just wish the judges would say something other then you are going to be a star and how great these people are. I would be pissed if I were on the show and did not get any constructive criticism or tips. How many non-winners are top stars? especially in the last 4 seasons? Plus Katy needs to stop saying how lucky they are that they talked Laine into coming back to the show. Was he really going to say no? He is 18 and trying to make it as a singer, and shows up in rural Idaho with a friend that is auditioning? Was he going to say no, I will go back to Louisiana and keep trying to make it on my own? 

[Koalagirl]

8 hours ago, HelenCrump said:

I agree too.  I wanted a Jeremiah, Alejandro, Laine top 3, but from the contestants tonight, I think this was a good choice.

I loved Alejandro's original song.  I'm curious about his backstory -- no family mentioned?

Alejandro’s backstory is truly a mystery.  Maybe we’ll find out more during his hometown visit.  It really does seem like he never expected to get that far in the competition. 

[incandescent]

4 hours ago, silverspoons said:

I admit I was distracted because of Mother's day and the time the show airs at. Were they suppose to dedicate songs to moms? I missed Wade's intro but saw his mom watching him, Laci was with grandma, Madison said to her mom she did not see her much growing up? Did she live with her dad, sounded like it? Then it was Laine and his brother when it looked like his mom was there? and then Alejandro and friend? 

It was tributes to personal heroes.

[TeeMo]

I wish this show would stay away from Elton John theme nights. One of my least favorite episodes ever in the history of Idol was the season where Hailey Reinhart had that great performance of Benny and the Jets on Elton John night while every one else’s performance was terrible. I always feel like Elton John songs only seem great when performed BY Elton John and 99.9% of the time they seem like drunken karaoke when performed by anyone else.

I am trying to remember if I have ever cared less about an Idol outcome as I do this season. Any of the final three could win and it would be fine. Just fine. Not exciting, not disappointing, just fine.

This show has really lost a lot of its heart. I thought last season was pretty bad but it was far better than this season has been. I think the way it is formatted now gives the audience no real time to get to know the contestants or see them interact with each other at all. Ryan has 35 jobs at once so it is clear he just shows up two hours before showtime and they hand him a mic - he seems totally disconnected from the whole process. Bobby Bones continues to be a useless non-factor and I repeatedly wonder why he is even there. 

Despite all their over the top fawning, the judges also don’t seem to actually be invested in any of the contestants in any real way. Remember when the judges would ask the contestants questions after their performance to try to get to the heart of why it might have been good or bad? “Were you comfortable with this song choice?” “Were you not feeling well this week?” “Did you change the key from rehearsal?” “Is this one of your favorite songs?” Whatever. You get the idea. Now we get Lionel’s repeated jokes about Laine in his closet and Katy throwing herself on the ground to make sure we all remember who the real star is. I appreciate that even when she seemed like she was trying to comment on Madison’s performance she still managed to make it all about her . “All I kept thinking about was what I would be like singing that song to my mother! Waaah!” We know, Katy. No need to say it out loud, we all know the only thing you are capable of thinking about is you. 

Anyway, I will be on vacation next week and will miss the finale and I can’t even bring myself to care. What a shame. 

[kelslamu]

I never believe Laine when he sings.  Tonight, however, his last two songs were a bit better.  Alejandro bores me.  I liked Madison a lot, but she's slipping in my opinion a bit.  She does sing ahead of the music as someone above said.  Too fast and too smiley.  I don't think these three are the best representation of great singing, but what do I know?

[JennMatMusic33]

Not surprised with Laci and Wade going home. I am still astounded they had gotten this far. 

I am pulling for an Alejandro win but I don't think that's going to happen. He is clearly very talented and I appreciate his unique sound, but he is not as marketable to the American Idol audience as Laine or Madison. 

However Laine bores the heck out of me. A couple of weeks ago I enjoyed a few of his performances, but now I'm like thank you, next. I know the judges have talked about Madison emotionally connecting to the song she is singing, but to me Laine shows no connection.  It's like he knows he is a teen heartthrob and thinks his looks will carry him to a win. Unfortunately if the vote is up to America's teen girls, he will. 

Madison obviously has the strongest voice of the three left, and she has beautiful control. However, I find that a bit boring. When you listen to her sing, you know at some point in the song she will belt out a couple of big notes - we know it's going to happen and everyone in the AI audience will go nuts and scream their adoration. It's what you come to expect from her and she has not "pushed" herself to go beyond that or explore her voice in other ways. 

So Laine will win...

Interesting tidbit -  I actually heard Twin Shadow open for Florence and the Machine several years ago, and wasn't all that impressed. Funny to see him pop up in this episode. 

Edited May 13, 2019 by JennMatMusic33

[observer]

Although she could not help from making it All About Katy in the beginning of her comments on Madison singing To Make You Feel My Love, Katy's ending comments

Quote

elegant and timeless and classic and beautiful

were, in my mind, spot on.  Especially elegant, timeless and classic, in terms of her voice.  I will be watching for Madison singing songs long after American Idol is over.  She is amazing, imo.

[sempervivum]

Will be interesting to see the 'hometown welcome' parts of the finale show. Both Madison and Laine seem fairly social and of course are just out of high school, so they can hold their events at the football field and expect a decent crowd. But what about Alejandro? Apparently he was home schooled, and he seems super reclusive. 

[TheGreenKnight]

5 hours ago, TeeMo said:

I wish this show would stay away from Elton John theme nights. One of my least favorite episodes ever in the history of Idol was the season where Hailey Reinhart had that great performance of Benny and the Jets on Elton John night while every one else’s performance was terrible. I always feel like Elton John songs only seem great when performed BY Elton John and 99.9% of the time they seem like drunken karaoke when performed by anyone else.

It's funny, I thought that was one of the best nights they'd had. I thought even the people I didn't care for did great that week (Lauren's "Candle in the Wind" and Stefano's "Tiny Dancer" was the only performances I liked by them, f.e.), except for awful Scotty who picked "Country Comforts" apparently because it had country in the title and no other reason.

Anyway, I'd say this season along with 12 (Candice/Kree/Angie), and 2 (Ruben/Clay/Kimberly) are the only seasons where I've liked everyone in the top 3. I'm surprised because for most of the second half of this series, I've liked at best only one contestant in the top 3 (Maddie, La'Porsha, Jena, Haley Reinhart, Casey James) and sometimes not even that. Rayvon and Quentin were the only conestants I liked in 14 and both were out before top 3; I wasn't really excited about anyone in season 11 even though Jessica and Joshua were talented.

I definitely wouldn't mind an Alejandro win. Still, I'm hesitant to believe anyone will beat Laine at all, but Madison seems to have the better chance at it than Alejandro. I noticed the show switched the performance order last night to benefit Alejandro. They made sure he was the last to sing before the voting ended when that was supposed to be Madison's spot. If they felt they had to do that to help him make it to the finale, I wonder if he'd be able get enough votes to win.

[Jillybean]

1 hour ago, sempervivum said:

Will be interesting to see the 'hometown welcome' parts of the finale show. Both Madison and Laine seem fairly social and of course are just out of high school, so they can hold their events at the football field and expect a decent crowd. But what about Alejandro? Apparently he was home schooled, and he seems super reclusive. 

I read that he's been a fixture on the SoCal music scene for years, so probably they'll take that angle with his visit...venues he's performed in and some of his music buddies. 

I'm not interested in Alejandro or his music -- though his first performance last night was his best of the season IMO -- but the judges have been relentlessly pimping him since his audition and I'm pretty sure that's why he's gotten this far. I've read that various contestants were recruited by AI this season, and I wouldn't be surprised if he was one of them. The AI machine clearly wants him to win.

Edited May 13, 2019 by Jillybean

[WhineandCheez]

Quote

Alejandro sounded great on “Sorry Seems to be The Hardest Word” to begin with, but it never built to anything. It just kind of flatlined. I’m shocked he actually made it into the finale, even though I like him

Get used to it because he's winning.  Not that I think he should, but he IS winning.

[incandescent]

17 minutes ago, TheGreenKnight said:

I definitely wouldn't mind an Alejandro win. Still, I'm hesitant to believe anyone will beat Laine at all, but Madison seems to have the better chance at it than Alejandro. I noticed the show switched the performance order last night to benefit Alejandro. They made sure he was the last to sing before the voting ended when that was supposed to be Madison's spot. If they felt they had to do that to help him make it to the finale, I wonder if he'd be able get enough votes to win.

Is closing the show still an advantage with this instant voting? In the days of overnight voting, being the last performer meant you'd stick in people's minds for the hours they had to vote. With this new system, if you blow people away as the closer, they only have the space of a commercial break to send those ten votes in. It doesn't really make a difference for an episode like this one with 2-3 songs apiece, but I do wonder how Dimitrius would have fared if he'd sung earlier on Disney Night. 

[ChristmasJones]

I honestly do not understand how Alejandro got onto this show, let alone the finals. I am not being sarcastic. Can someone who knows more about music explain what makes him good?  When I hear him sing, I hear a very average singer who doesn't have much vocal range at all, and also has a soft, almost weak voice. To me, his songs all sound the same. 

[rr2911]

So, the final three were picked last night and I was thrilled that Jimmy Durante....er...I mean Wade Cota was finally eliminated! Yay! But I was disappointed that Laci also was sent home. It was a night that saw a top contestant take the safe route and my favorites have a rough night. Well, here we go:

Wade - The Jimmy Durante wannabe just butchered every song he touched Sunday night. There really not much I can add other than the judges never should have put him past the auditions. He just wasn't good enough.

Alejandro - He did better than last week, but not much. I did like his original song if it was sung by someone with a better voice. He's a very talented guitar and piano player and I give him props for that. I think he should've gone home.

Laci - I liked Laci and I was pulling for her but I have to be honest. She didn't have a strong night at all. The Miranda Lambert song was good but I thought she would do better. The Elton John song wasn't good and she looked uncomfortable on stage. She had only one move and that was putting her hand on her hip and shaking it. Her last song was weak.

Madison - This was a tough night for her I thought. She sounded a bit pitchy (remember that word?) and shouty on one song but sounded good in the others. I still think she is the front runner.

Laine - I think he decided to take things easy since I'm sure he knows he is one of the favorites to win it all. I thought he sang safe songs. Songs that he knew could sing without trouble.

Some tidbits:

The judges have to do a better job when choosing which contestants make it through the top 20. A lot of good singers were eliminated in favor of weak singers ala Wade and Alejandro. They should have a criteria, a check list if you will on what to look for in order to advance. Among them should be forgetting the lyrics. Once it's done, bye, bye!

I wish American Idol could go back to a stripped down performance for the top 20. In other words, have the contestants concentrate on the singing part like in the old days. When you get closer to the finals, then maybe you can interact with the audience. I think the hand grabbing sometimes distracts the contestants. I remember one contestant grabbed hands from the audience during Simon's time one the show and Simon told him he's not a star so why do it. I agree.

Good news! It looks like ABC is looking to reduce the judges salaries. Katy Perry will make 25 million just to act silly and not judge. they are negotiating with all the judges. So there is hope all the judges will be replaced.

[SnarkAttack]

There was no magic this season, other than my personal favorite, Alejandro.  When he sang during auditions, I was mesmerized.  Luke was pulled in too.  Singing with just his guitar is what he does best; a loud band is his worst enemy.   

[Eolivet]

I did notice that Madison received a lot of song choice help -- from the Adele version of "To Make You Feel My Love" (also memorably performed by Lea Michele during the Finn death episode of "Glee") to "Your Song," which Ewan McGregor turned into a pleading, powerful love ballad in "Moulin Rouge." Naturally emotional songs will make you sound more emotional while singing them. But put it this way -- she didn't get "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting."

I thought Laine did well with "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" -- it forced him out of that country box, which a Simon Cowell-led Idol would've (hopefully) made him do long ago. But I nearly fell over when the judges were like "did you work with a vocal coach this week? oh good for you!" Isn't ... that the show's job? Why do the contestants have to do that themselves?!

After watching this, I put on Maddie's performance of "God Only Knows" from a year ago -- to be reminded that real, emotional, heartfelt singing existed on Idol once upon a time, even if it doesn't feel that way now.

[Annber03]

1 hour ago, rr2911 said:

I wish American Idol could go back to a stripped down performance for the top 20. In other words, have the contestants concentrate on the singing part like in the old days. 

I keep thinking about that when I see them up there with the instruments, too, or when they got to go to Hawaii, or things of that sort. I imagine contestants from the earlier seasons are probably watching this and going, "Must be nice...". They didn't have any of that stuff when the show started all those years ago, they just had to get up there and sing, with no elaborate stage setups or instruments at their disposal. I do think it'd be interesting to see what would happen if we went back to the setup of those early years.

5 minutes ago, Eolivet said:

I thought Laine did well with "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" -- it forced him out of that country box, which a Simon Cowell-led Idol would've (hopefully) made him do long ago. 

I liked him doing that song simply because it's not one of Elton's songs that seems to get a lot of airplay nowadays, so it was nice to hear it again. 

[ruffy666]

2 hours ago, ChristmasJones said:

I honestly do not understand how Alejandro got onto this show, let alone the finals. I am not being sarcastic. Can someone who knows more about music explain what makes him good?  When I hear him sing, I hear a very average singer who doesn't have much vocal range at all, and also has a soft, almost weak voice. To me, his songs all sound the same. 

The judges' comments have been generally worthless this year, but Lionel is totally on the money when he says Alejandro is an artist.  I think Madison has an amazing voice, but she's almost like a robot:  there is nothing in her body language, nothing in her facial contortions, NOTHING that shows she has any connection to the words or the music at all.  I think some of that will come with age and experience, but right now it is like the uncanny valley of singers.  I (personally) don't think Laine has a good voice or a good personality so beyond being a cute white guy, I don't get his popularity at all.  
Alejandro is technically good but the "special sauce" is that he FEELS the music, there's a connection that is just nonexistent in most of the other contestants.  The flipside is you can also very obviously tell when he's been given a song that isn't in his wheelhouse.  This is the difference between someone who is singing because they want to become a famous singer and someone who is a musician because that's the best (possibly only) way they know how to connect to the world.  It all sounds kind of goofy now that I've written it out.  :)

[MarylandGirl]

I agree that Alejandro is an artist--his piano on that last song was just amazing! That being said, I think he'd do better not winning and getting signed on his own, so he could write his own songs. I've only been watching for a couple weeks, but Laine kinda bores me. Madison has a great voice--I think she'd do well with an AI contract.

[sempervivum]

4 hours ago, TheGreenKnight said:

noticed the show switched the performance order last night to benefit Alejandro. They made sure he was the last to sing before the voting ended when that was supposed to be Madison's spot. If they felt they had to do that to help him make it to the finale, I wonder if he'd be able get enough votes to win.

With the new same night voting, the last performer actually has the worst spot, because it gives the audience almost no time to vote. If anything, they were trying to make sure Madison got in, to prevent an all-boy final show. If I were a conspiracy theorist, this might even make it seem likely that Alejandro has been consistently getting the most votes, so they didn't think he needed a favorable placement.

1 hour ago, ruffy666 said:

It all sounds kind of goofy now that I've written it out. 

No it doesn't- I agree 100% with you, and I think you expressed it very eloquently.

Edited May 13, 2019 by sempervivum

[ChristmasJones]

Thanks for that @ruffy666 - I do see that Alejandro is a musician an opposed to just a singer. 

OK. I just tried something.

I went to Youtube to listen to a couple of the songs from last night.  

I wonder if they alter the production for those videos because I can hear the singing so much clearer than I can when I watch the live shows on my tv.  My tv is a good quality (Panasonic) but it has the speakers on the lower back of the screen and it is sometimes hard to hear the dialogue on certain shows.  

When I heard Laci sing Dreams on the live show, I could barely hear her over one of the guitars. I thought it was utterly horrid.  Just now I listened to the same performance on YT and I could actually hear her voice throughout the entire song and I could understand why people would like her. 

I might try watching this show on YT next time.

I still am not a fan of anyone though. Normally there are a few during the initial try outs that really wow me but that didn't happen this season.   

Edited May 13, 2019 by ChristmasJones

[Babalooie]

19 hours ago, suebee12 said:

I did watch the hero part just to learn about Alejandro's background and what did we learn...Nada, nothing, zip. Wonder why?

Theories:  First, I'm very much NONpolitical, but maybe they are undocumented???

Second:  He could be estranged from them.

Third:  Perhaps they just don't want to be on camera.  Look how shy he seems to be.

All that being said, as a music teacher, I feel that he is an extremely gifted savant, but not necessarily Idol material.

16 hours ago, stcroix said:

Out of all the people trying out this 5 is the best they could come up with? In my opinion, none of them even closely compare to the final 5 from any previous season

I think that Laine has been the chosen one from the beginning when he was "just there to support a friend" and was "talked into" auditioning again.  True, he's not the best singer, but he has the Teenybopper Idol look.

[ichbin]

6 hours ago, ChristmasJones said:

I honestly do not understand how Alejandro got onto this show, let alone the finals. I am not being sarcastic. Can someone who knows more about music explain what makes him good?  When I hear him sing, I hear a very average singer who doesn't have much vocal range at all, and also has a soft, almost weak voice. To me, his songs all sound the same. 

Make room because I am right there beside you on this.  The best way I can describe his voice during most of his performances is that it is murky.  His talents seem best suited for live performances in very small venues. Nothing wrong with that and there is a place for it, but I can't see him selling lots of recordings or filling all the seats in a concert hall.

Out of the final three, I think Madison has the best voice, it's just too bad that she has trouble delivering anything without a big cheery smile.  I find it distracting. Kaci is young too but she has more skill at presenting a song with a more suitable emotion.  

[TheGreenKnight]

5 hours ago, sempervivum said:

With the new same night voting, the last performer actually has the worst spot, because it gives the audience almost no time to vote. If anything, they were trying to make sure Madison got in, to prevent an all-boy final show. If I were a conspiracy theorist, this might even make it seem likely that Alejandro has been consistently getting the most votes, so they didn't think he needed a favorable placement.

I don't really believe that, tbh. To me, the last slot is the face the public sees as Ryan reminds everyone it's their last chance to vote and they benefit from that extra push. Maddie was given the last spot 2-3 times near the end of last season, which inclines me to believe she was TCO that year.

7 hours ago, ruffy666 said:

The judges' comments have been generally worthless this year, but Lionel is totally on the money when he says Alejandro is an artist. 

I agree, the judges' comments are less pointed this year than they were last seaon when they would regularly give extra (deserved) praise to Maddie and remind the audience of how much greater her singing talent was than the rest. I see the judges as representing what the people running the show want, and they must not have a clear favorite this year. The extra attention put onto Alejandro's audition means he could have been their choice early on, but then they've made over Laine the whole time, too, including emphasizing how much teen girls find him soooo attractive as if they were trying to talk it into being (they did that with Scotty McCreery, too). Then there's Madison who Katy has made a comment about winning to once or twice, although she wasn't the only one. Who knows how it'll play out next week.

[marykat71702]

Out of the top 5, those were the three I saw staying.

I don't usually care for Alejandro, but I actually enjoyed his first two songs tonight. As far as his third song goes, his piano playing was impressive.

I've finally figured out what bothers me about Laine, besides the fact that he doesn't open his mouth when he talks. When he sings, his eyes look vacant and he almost seems to be bored while he's performing. 

I was happy to finally see Madison show some emotion/connection with her last song.

I'm not going to comment on Wade and Laci's performances as it is now irrelevant.

[observer]

So if I heard right, Madison's mom and dad divorced when she was very young and she went with her dad?  It sounds like she didn't see her mom a lot.

[String Theory]

15 hours ago, TeeMo said:

Despite all their over the top fawning, the judges also don’t seem to actually be invested in any of the contestants in any real way. Remember when the judges would ask the contestants questions after their performance to try to get to the heart of why it might have been good or bad? “Were you comfortable with this song choice?” “Were you not feeling well this week?” “Did you change the key from rehearsal?” “Is this one of your favorite songs?” Whatever. You get the idea. Now we get Lionel’s repeated jokes about Laine in his closet and Katy throwing herself on the ground to make sure we all remember who the real star is.

This^^^^ this and more this.  

When American Idol started I'd go to my mom's house; we'd watch Idol together, talk about who we liked/didn't and we'd text vote (texting using my flip phone - yes these were the "early" days🙂!)  My mom passed away 15 years ago; I often wonder what she'd think of Idol today.  I agree this year was marginally better that last, but the same canned responses from the judges (I use the term loosely) are predictable; I miss Simon, know some didn't care for him but at least he gave constructive critique to the contestants.

Of the three remaining I'd like to see either Alejandro or Madison win.  Alejandro (who I'd not been impressed with until last night) seems to have come out of his shell and showed how diverse his talents are. He's not always consistent with his voice, but I like that he's taking the risk and performed his own songs.   I've always like Madison, but at times she appears a bit stiff (but then I remember she's in high school - she has plenty of time to develop).   She reminds me a bit of Kelly Clarkson.  I'm sure she'll continue to be successful even if she doesn't win.   As others mentioned, Laine is a meh for me.  He definitely has been "created" by Idol - his performances come across as plastic but he's obviously appreciated by the teen demographic.  

[observer]

I would love to see Laine do something with more energy, but still, imo, in his wheelhouse like:

[Ilovepie]

Wow, this show is just.......not good. I can barely keep my attention on it. I just don’t care. I can’t believe these are the best choices - talk about mediocre! One of them doesn’t even consider himself a “singer”, one is handsome and decent but completely vacant, and the other is too young to emotionally connect with what she is singing. 

While I find Alejandro the most musically interesting, I think he is a terrible singer. And I might be the only person who doesn’t care for Madison’s vocals - when she isn’t belting, I think her vibrato is unpleasantly slow and frequently veering out of tune. Laine always sounds pretty good vocally to me, but his song choices are so boring and predictable, and he seems so stiff it’s really boring to watch him. I could not care less about his wardrobe. Speaking of wardrobe, I thought that sequined jumpsuit Madison was wearing was unfortunate. Very unflattering. 

The only thing that will shock me is if anyone not named Laine wins this thing. Zzzzzzzz........

The judges are beyond useless. I really wish they would replace them next year with someone who could say something (anything!) beyond how awesome everyone is. Because it’s just not true. At all. And they can take Bobby Bones with them. What a bunch of suck!!!

Whew! I feel better now that I’ve vented!

[InternetToughGuy]

This episode was pretty bad in the sense that I didn't really think of any jokes while watching it, which is my main compulsion to write these reviews, rather than think my opinion is worth anything - I'm sure even me not attempting a joke would be funnier than anything Katy has done, which is a pity award I am willing to accept if need be.

Wade Cota – You Are The Best Thing: Other than a couple of notes that hinted that there may be a real human inside him, his musical cigarette addict schtick remained unaltered from weeks prior. In response to what the judges said, I don't see how this song was much of a challenge for him - he did sound a tad more emotional, I suppose.

Laci Kaye Booth – The House that Built Me: I liked this performance, though I have a hard time telling if she is using maximum emotional/volume capacity. Alejandro's performances have fine tuned my ears for extremely minute audio, but I can't tell if she can do better.

Alejandro Aranda – No Woman No Cry: The song title is the exact opposite of my reaction to Laci being eliminated (even my baby brother rolled his eyes). Anyways, I find reggae to be one of the most annoying genres, so for once I welcome any alterations Alejandro does. Performance was OK.

Laine Hardy – Can’t You See: Nice of Laine to shout out Shayy who got eliminated by the Top 20 (no disrespect - love you, girl). It seems Laine's vocals have changed just a little bit to lose some of the hickish twang, for lack of a better term, which is an improvement, since it makes his performances sound different, contrary to what sounds like him doing the same song every time.

Madison VanDenburg – What About Us: This was my least favorite performance of this first round, since the song is on the radio somewhat frequently, so I am more aware of this being an inferior cover. I know covers rarely match up or are better than the original version, but the song is much more dependent on emotional delivery rather than just matching notes, which is something Madison has flubbed on many times.

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Wade Cota – Rocket Man: In honor of Wade's disastrous cover, the song should've been renamed The Challenger. When I heard the lyrics "I miss the Earth so much, I miss my wife" I thought that meant it wasn't an Elton song (I actually thought that). Him wearing the glasses was tried to be passed off as funny by Katy, which it was not. If his dedication to prop comedy is to be mentioned, his commitment to wearing the fat suit even off camera is quite commendable (he actually looked like he lost some weight since last week, so good for him if it's true).

Laci Kaye Booth – Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting: She could've had the itinerary for her flight home playing on the screen behind her and nobody would've reacted in shock - not for tonight's performances, but because she needed to be saved last week, it was pretty much guaranteed. I thought this performance was a notch above decent (it's hard to rate the show when it's rarely great), since she brought more energy and chose a song that wasn't "sit on stool and stare out the proverbial window, thinking of what was or what could've been".

Alejandro Aranda – Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word: Between him doing this song and Justin Bieber's "Sorry" in Hollywood, he's almost as apologetic for being there as Wade. It seems his voice isn't so high pitched and inaudible, so that's a plus. Overall it was a decent performance. I think the judges' talk of "your artistry" was overplayed, since it's a cover, so you can really only play it as it already is and with the voice you naturally have, so I wouldn't call that him being a sculptor.

Madison VanDenburg – Your Song: Odd how Elton was that transparent with his plagiarism, but he has the money to get away with it. This performance was OK - Madison has been one of the contestants I don't really feel anything about, so I can't really kiss her feet or make stupid jabs at any of her flaws (thanks to Wade for making these reviews fun). Katy mentioned ketchup and mustard, which tied in with her melons exciting my kielbasa - she looks so much better with long hair it ain't even funny (which she definitely is not funny).

Laine Hardy – Something About the Way You Look Tonight: He didn't bring out the guitar for whatever reason - I don't even know why any of them bring it out if they only play 2 chords for 10 seconds and then turn it around to ignore for the rest of the song. Maybe he's saving the guitar for next week to smash when he doesn't win. Song was alright. I'm reading MJ's Big Blog just to paste the song titles and listen to a few seconds of audio to remember how it went. She said he sounds like a Vegas lounge act, which I can definitely imagine him playing in casinos (a gig I'm sure Lionel would be very envious of). Speaking of Lionel, he did the "were you in my closet?" joke a good 5 times - I wouldn't be surprised if some of his critiques are pre-recorded to save ABC some money.

If they were going to show that Elton John movie in any capacity, why would they show 5 seconds (in which nothing happens, no less)? Such a promotion is like "hey, it exists" but draws no additional eyeballs.

////

Wade Cota – Hard Luck Woman: I don't see how this song is a fitting tribute to his Mother, since from what I remember, their life situation seemed to be created by her (I'm being serious). This song was possibly the most human he's sounded so far, which is a shame, since he probably would've fared better had he not chosen to sound like the Marlboro spokesperson. On a sidenote, it seems like KISS was popular like 40 years ago and they have ridden off the coattails of that fame ever since - if anyone here was around for that time period, maybe you could confirm/deny that for me.

Laci Kaye Booth – Dreams: I thought she sounded like Stevie Nicks all night, so it was cool that she did a Fleetwood Mac song. I initially thought this was Gold Dust Woman, which would've been a much worse choice, so thank God. I don't know how to phrase it without sounding like a weird sexual literature author, but when she does a good performance, Laci has a very enchanting vibe - it's like her attractiveness mixes with her voice or something to that effect. Probably her best performance.

Madison VanDenburg – Make You Feel Me Love: In the age of #MeToo, I'm surprised such forceful displays of affection are acceptable. It was a decent performance, although not very true to the original, since Bob Dylan's voice is unpleasant to say the least. I thought Madison's Mom was her Grandma because she looked really old, even in old photos. With that as a warning sign, I don't expect my fandom of Madison to last past 2025.

Laine Hardy – Hey Jude: I would rather listen to Wade do a full set than hear Beatles anything, so I didn't like this performance. Even judging it solely on Laine's performance, it wasn't very good. There was no doubt he was going through, though.

Alejandro Aranda – Blesser: This was performance of the night by a mile (and in LA traffic, that is quite a measurement). Other people were suggesting he might not have been trying very hard the past few weeks to intentionally not win - I don't know how true that would be, but I wish he didn't wane for weeks, since a performance like this makes him the obvious favorite. I don't recall any of the other finalists doing an original, with the exception of Jeremiah, which is really quite pathetic - I can get the risk of doing an original, especially if it's someone with a lack of charisma and is strumming the same 3 chords everyone uses, but if you don't show off any originals, the public has no reason to anticipate what you'll release after the show. For example, I can just imagine Madison uploading covers on Instagram with diminishing returns.

Wade and Laci left, which is really no surprise, so nothing much to say about that. Since Laci is hyper delicious, I was hoping Wade's size would qualify him as 2 contestants and Laci would get put through again, but that was not to be. Laine seems to be the obvious favorite to win, so I don't have much hype for the finale. I am a bit sad there will be no more reviews to make for this show, but America's Got Talent starts soon, which is a fun show to complain about.

[Neet]

Like an old Chinese proverb, if there aren't expectations, can one be disappointed? Really not a good semifinal.

Bobby Bones picks:

Wade - You Are The Best Thing - I don't get how Wade was exactly stepping out of his comfort zone with this song, since it sounds like pretty much anything else he'd sing. His initial pessimism about the song choice (saying he already did a Ray Lamontagne song) may be giving the sleepy viewing audience a little too much credit, as I forget pretty much everything week to week due to so few performances standing out. It was alright, I guess, but any song Wade picks is rather formulaic, so that's more of a description than a critique. On a side note, it's interesting how Ryan, Bobby Bones, or the judges ask "why not Wade?" and the crowd makes too much noise for anyone to interject with the numerous logical reasons why not.

Laci - The House That Built Me - "Downtrodden 23 year old widow" seems to be her wheelhouse and it has a certain appeal, although I admit that her appearance makes up a slice of my fandom. Though I don't really care about it, it looked like she plumped her upper lip up a ton to try and hide her exposed gums, which kind of worked if that's what she was going for. If voters found her to be getting 'long in the tooth' (ha), Lionel telling her to keep being herself sounds like less than suitable advice, although ruining her own vocal cords for the next song to try and steal Wade's audience probably wouldn't have been a wise move, either. Bobby told her to learn the song on guitar, and then she never played during the performance. Maybe it would've been pointed out by the judges, had this season's panel not become reduced to lame jokes and three word "you will win" soundbites.

Alejandro - No Woman, No Cry - No crying or other emotions were present in his rendition, it was lame. I think Bob Marley is overrated as hell and a lot of his fanbase is comprised of teenagers looking to deify smoking weed. Alejandro keeps choosing songs that show his overall lack of range and emotion, and it's a bit tiresome to have it framed as "intimacy", like an artistic choice, when the rest of his personality comes off as similarly avoidant. I hate how he talks like "bro" / "chill" / "dude", etc.. while simultaneously being shy as hell, it really seems like a false dichotomy since that lingo seems like the domain of outgoing people. Despite conveying that like I'm a cliquey high-schooler, hopefully someone else knows what I'm trying to say.

Laine - If he were 20 years deep into his career, calling it effortless would sound like a compliment, but he really doesn't put much into a lot of his performances. There's no strain when singing - although his style is supposed to be easy-going, it just looks like rehearsal for the real show. If all of his songs are going to sound like this, he may end up coming off as passionless.

Madison - What About Us - She has quite the problem with not connecting until the end of the song, which is a good thing for those who think the show's too long and tune out until the last 20 seconds of her songs. She's the best singer of the five and yet the most boring, even compared to Wade, whose mass may be conflated with stage presence, but she's so forgettable. Her smiling all the time makes her look really weak, too. Especially when doing such powerful songs.

Elton John songs:

Wade - Rocket Man - Apparently, him wearing those bedazzled glasses equated to him "finally bringing out his personality", according to Katy. At least it was the only time he's ever been a spectacle to watch. Wade's menthol voice was in full effect, I don't know if it's possible to say that he ruined what was already an affected voice, but it was terrible.

Laci - Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting - This was a pleasant change of genre/style for her, I would've thought she had seasonal affective disorder until tonight, had they not already been in Los Angeles for the past few months. I think the original song is rather hokey, and her version was superior. However, I've never wanted to court Elton John, despite his massive wealth and notoriety, so there's that. I wish she would've showed off more of this energetic side before getting eliminated, though it's not like I could say doing so would've made her last longer.

Alejandro - Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word - Well, he pronounced "sorry" quite effortlessly, so I assume that was the main part he was working on during rehearsal last week. This was a step up from his first performance, albeit just as whispered as most of his others. That's the point of the song, so I'm not as annoyed as usual.

Madison - Your Song - I think it was a little unfair for Elton to write Madison an original song to perform tonight, but generous. (stupid joke) Listening for a second time, this was a pretty pleasant rendition except for her screeching towards the end.

Laine - Something About The Way You Look Tonight - This was much better than his first song, although part of that is just due to preferring this song more. I hate how he performed this one like a mayor giving a speech to the press rather than an entertainer, there was zero feeling in this despite the decent vocals.

Hero tributes:

I would've thought someone would do the obvious choice of Enrique Iglesias' "Hero", although Wade telling his stepdad he'd "kiss away the pain" would probably dissuade voters.

Wade - Hard Luck Woman - His best performance of the three, and a relevant song choice to who he's singing to. (well, his Mom anyway) There must be an abundance of lozenges in that claw machine backstage, as his voice was cleaned up in comparison to the last song. I doubt he won many new fans over with this, but I liked the performance.

Laci - Dreams - Really great performance, IMO. She's more comfortable behind a guitar, evidently, and it was good to see her come back to this type of song (although they're hit or miss with her). Unfortunately, this felt like it was only about 40 seconds long. I'll probably replay this enough times to pretend like she just released a full length EP - which would be nice if she could do so for real while still fresh in viewers' minds as opposed to the usual "remember me?" routine from the past several winners. I wondered why the studio's janitor got a full credit and photo on the album cover before remembering that Nick Fradiani had won the show. On a side note, to the surprise of few, this song as well as many others on these talent shows comes from Fleetwood Mac's Rumours album. It's kind of eyerolling to keep pretending that Stevie Nicks' career has spanned several decades when much of it is endlessly retreading this album inter-spliced with several subsequent duds.

Madison - Make You Feel My Love - Her belting notes are pretty irritating to me, even though this song was rather devoid of them except possibly one. Regardless, I tried to give it another chance and was just bored as the first time.

Laine - Hey Jude - His brother's name is Bubba, did he forget that? Fame has already gotten to his head. Anyway, probably the best song of the three he did, but a lot of the magic gets lost when the performances are so short. I know it's a lyric of the song, but him going "nuh nuh, na-na-na, nuh" while walking around the stage sans-guitar playing made it look like he forgot how to do anything. At least his casual performing style looked natural during this song.

Alejandro - Blesser - Probably the best of the night, which may sound like more of a booby prize considering this year's top five, but it was quite good. I guess it shouldn't have been that surprising that Alejandro's guitar skills were easily transferable to the piano as well, but he's so talented at playing instruments that his singing seems like a total afterthought. All the way to this round of the competition and I don't think he's shown another side of himself while singing other than being in a trial group for new antidepressants. He's more diverse than Laine and Wade, although he is just as firmly rooted in his one sound as they are, if that makes sense. Why can't he do something different, just once? I liked the performance quite a bit, but what he does really comes off like something that gets undue acclaim while on the show and then the audience for it "surprisingly" tapers off when the season is over.

The top three was easy to predict, although I would've swapped Madison out for Laci in a country heartbeat. (AKA a regular heartbeat) Laine seems like he's getting prepped for the most undeserving win in the history of the show next week.

+ Katy almost pulled back on the lame comedy routine this week, but she had to do that fake shouting a few times, that was painful.

- Hopefully Bobby Bones wasn't shocked that he'd actually have to do something to earn his wage this week.

- I forget which song it was, and I'm pretty sure it was said towards Alejandro. Did one of the judges congratulate him for starting to give a shit at this point of the competition? They said something like that, as if it was amazing he decided to put forth some effort. The bar has never been this low. (not talking about Laine's future venues, unless Caleb is taking them all)

- Lionel is really overdoing that line about contestants being in his closet. Especially with the sequin jackets, even though those are more associated with Elton John's closet. If that's Lionel's extremely veiled way of coming out, we won't judge. ❤️ Neither does he, apparently, as none of the judges say anything helpful....EVER.

 

Edited May 14, 2019 by Neet

[Justaguess]

8 hours ago, marykat71702 said:

I've finally figured out what bothers me about Laine, besides the fact that he doesn't open his mouth when he talks. When he sings, his eyes look vacant and he almost seems to be bored while he's performing. 

YES YES YES!!!!!!!  He is void of any passion and SO boring to watch.

[Koalagirl]

10 hours ago, marykat71702 said:

Out of the top 5, those were the three I saw staying.

I don't usually care for Alejandro, but I actually enjoyed his first two songs tonight. As far as his third song goes, his piano playing was impressive.

I've finally figured out what bothers me about Laine, besides the fact that he doesn't open his mouth when he talks. When he sings, his eyes look vacant and he almost seems to be bored while he's performing. 

I was happy to finally see Madison show some emotion/connection with her last song.

I'm not going to comment on Wade and Laci's performances as it is now irrelevant.

I think the problem with Laine is that his new teeth are too big for his mouth which is why he doesn't open his mouth when he sings. 

[Jennabelle88]

I've not enjoyed this season at all. The main two I was pulling for (Uche and Demetrius) have been voted off, and the only good ones left they keep sending home in favor of people that hold no real special talent. I was completely shocked when they saved Laci over Jeremiah, but okay. I am elated that Wade is now off my TV, but I wish Laci would've went through over Alejandro. I just really don't like him. Of the final 3, I'm pulling for Madison. Girl's got pipes. I hope next season comes with better judges or better judging. I get so tired of Lionel only knowing two lines ("Vote, vote, vote!" and "Have you been in my closet?") and Katy fawning over the male competition and making everything about her. I'm not sure of Luke's role on this show. No one has contributed the least little bit. There's been no constructive criticism. It's always praise with them, and everyone's gonna win. Come on, yall. There can only be one!

[ForReal]

Thanks to whomever suggested listening on Youtube -- I could hear the words much better there than while watching the show, where everyone seemed drowned out by the music.

I agree with so much of what's been said already. I don't actively dislike anyone who's been on the show, although I think Wade should not have made it this far. I think the others are...good...but they are no better than they were at auditions. There has not been a lot of growth or honing of talent, in my opinion. No "moments." We knew Alejandro was unique from the get-go, that Madison had a strong voice and could belt out tunes, and that Laine has the whole package. I want more by this point, so a winner can rise above the others. I don't like any one of them more than I did originally, and that's a problem.

I find the lack of connection with the songs REALLY off-putting. When Wade was singing "Rocketman," I kept telling my daughter, "That's a really sad song, and you wouldn't know it listening to this." Same with Laci and "Dreams;" she did a fine job of making it her own, but I didn't get the feels like I get when I hear the original.

With Madison and Laine, I never get any feels. I don't blame them, they are young, and they are being praised/pushed along so they don't see the need/have the opportunity to dig deeper. And they certainly don't get the critiques they need to improve. I don't blame Laine for looking bored. All there is to do is look for new ways to say thank you and look grateful while the judges say the same things over and over. I don't listen to a word of their comments because what's the point.

I find myself hoping Alejandro wins by not winning, so he doesn't get sucked into the machine but gets a career boost from the publicity. I am fine with either Madison or Laine winning because I don't think it's going to make much of a difference in the long run.

I feel so meh about this show. That's not how it's supposed to be.

[JMarie99]

I really wish they would have had the contestants sing two songs each instead of three. They shortened the songs too much. It especially annoyed me that after Laci said she identified with “The House That Built Me” because of the line about her favorite dog being buried under a tree, they cut that line from the song. I listened twice to be sure. They could have cut one of the choruses or something. It was such a sweet sentiment and I can’t believe they left that line out. This is first week I’ve actually liked Laci but I’m not surprised she’s gone. I thought her voice sounded really pretty on “Dreams.”

Wade seemed to look shocked the last couple of weeks that he went through, and then this week when he was voted off he looked pretty pissed. Laci smiled graciously at the audience, while Wade just seemed to stare straight ahead as he trudged off the stage. 

I thought Alejandro’s original song was absolutely beautiful. I guess that’s where his “artistry” comes in. He’s a much better songwriter (and musician) than he is a singer. 

Madison and Layne are good singers but they are boring to me. Yes, Madison can belt the big notes, but we’ve heard it all before. She’s nothing special to me. And Lance is adorable but his singing is just average in my opinion.