S17.E19: Season Finale (2019.05.19)

[MarkHB]

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The Final 3 perform live from coast to coast and the winner is announced at the end of the show. Also, special performances from music legends and other surprises.

[incandescent]

Congratulations, Laine Hardy! Not that this was even a little surprising, since he was The Chosen One this season.

[Lyinfait]

Such a long unnecessary undertaking. This is why I stopped watching so many seasons ago. 

[Koalagirl]

Well, they got the winner they wanted all along.  I have never seen a runner up before as happy as Alejandro. I don’t think he ever wanted to win. He was so animated and happy while Laine was singing his debut song - it was a side we never saw through the competition.

[Vermicious Knid]

The only one in this group I would pay to see is Uche. And they really screwed him over tonight. Everyone else got featured with other artists, Uche got a few lines in a medley that all the others also participated in, for the second and in some cases the third song of the evening.

Is Alejandro's family illegal? Because that would explain why only his niece and nephew appear on camera and he wasn't shown at his parents' home.

[HelenCrump]

9 minutes ago, Koalagirl said:

 I have never seen a runner up before as happy as Alejandro. I don’t think he ever wanted to win. He was so animated and happy while Laine was singing his debut song - it was a side we never saw through the competition.

I agree ... he looked positively joyful.  I was not a fan of the coronation song;  Alejandro may be better off not winning.

I was not a big Demitrius fan, but loved his duet with Adam Lambert.  And I thought that Jeremiah elevated Katy.

Maddie's appearance was odd -- still strange they didn't ask her to sing.

[TheGreenKnight]

As I guessed, nobody was going to beat Laine. Still, I thought Madison would make top 2. At least Laine's better than Wade. That's all I can say for this season.

Jeremiah was the only redeeming thing about the finale. He was the winner that should've been.

[Annber03]

30 minutes ago, incandescent said:

Congratulations, Laine Hardy! Not that this was even a little surprising, since he was The Chosen One this season.

I honestly wasn't sure which one might win between him and Alejandro. They both had pretty big fanbases. But I'm not surprised Laine won, no. Congrats to him, and congrats to Alejandro and Madison for making it as far as they did. 

30 minutes ago, Lyinfait said:

Such a long unnecessary undertaking. This is why I stopped watching so many seasons ago. 

Seriously, they could've cut out, like, half of these performances tonight. Just have the previous contestants do some songs, let the final three have their performances, and go from there. 

[ChristmasJones]

There were parts of this finale that warmed my cold, jaded heart. 

I liked seeing Adam Lambert and I forget the AI contestant's name who sang with him.  I had watched the documentary a few weeks back about the process of Adam joining Queen and it gave me a new appreciation for him.  He had said in that show that working with Queen taught him a lot and I could see that in his performance tonight. The AI contestant was actually really good too. I remember thinking he should have stayed in the competition longer... wish I could remember his name.

I also enjoyed some of the other acts... the two guys who sang with Madison... again I can't recall the name of their band but I really liked the first song they sang before she came out. I had never heard them or heard of them before so that was a surprise for me.  

I liked the Kool and the Gang mainly for the actual band members..it was fun to see them rocking out up there and having such  a good time. Uche looked like he was in his element. I think Uche could benefit from some dancing classes to help him channel his energy a bit. He has so much energy, I always felt that he was a bit frenetic though. He seems like he should be able to have some sort of entertainment career.

Not a Katy fan in any way shape or form but I did enjoy watching her sing with Jeremiah. 

[Eolivet]

I was actually sort of shocked Laine won. They pimped Alejandro hard, and they shrank Laine's teeny-tiny country rock box into a teenier, tinier "southern country rock" box. Simon would've called every last song he sang tonight "indulgent." Elton John seemed like the most he had to stretch, and that wasn't that far. Way to stay in your ... lane, dawg.

But Alejandro wasn't much better. Every song he sang sounded the same to me. And what the heck was "Millennial Love?" I couldn't find anything about it that was millennial -- except the side hustles he kept mentioning at the beginning, all the different jobs he clearly had to do for ... love. Or to make ends meet -- one or the other.

Madison was in over her head. I feel like Madison's lack of emotional connection became a running joke that even the judges acknowledged.

Bobby Bones: Hey, America! Watch Madison pull emotion out of the song.

America: But that trick never works!

Bobby Bones: This time for sure!

Madison: ::sings song without emotion::

At last America moved onto something we'd really like. Or at least that we'd connect to a little more.

Can't Maddie Poppe just have a two-year reign? She can come back next year and sing all the songs she was denied this year as the rightful winner, and I can put shock collars on all the judges to deliver a bolt of electricity whenever they mention "Caleb." Repeat after me, judges: He. Didn't. Win.

Honestly, I'm just excited to see which judge(s) get cut in the offseason. I hope they show us live, complete with gushing praise beforehand. Then Seacrest dims the lights and eliminates one of them onstage. Now that would get ratings.

Congrats, Laine. I hope you have better luck than Maddie getting a featured solo on the show you won.

[Annber03]

2 minutes ago, Eolivet said:

I was actually sort of shocked Laine won. They pimped Alejandro hard, and they shrank Laine's teeny-tiny country rock box into a teenier, tinier "southern country rock" box.

I am honestly curious as to how Laine will be marketed going forward. Will they lean more into the country side that he started off with, or will they have him be more of a rocker? 

Seeing the fan reaction to both Laine and Alejandro had me wondering what would happen if the show ever had a tie. 

[incandescent]

48 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

I am honestly curious as to how Laine will be marketed going forward. Will they lean more into the country side that he started off with, or will they have him be more of a rocker? 

That's a question Laine himself was asking on twitter a few days ago.

[MarkHB]

1 hour ago, Annber03 said:

I am honestly curious as to how Laine will be marketed going forward. Will they lean more into the country side that he started off with, or will they have him be more of a rocker? 

He spent so much time on the show doing rockabilly... but there have only been two big rockabilly acts in my life, they were both in the 80's and one of them had Robert Plant.

[Badger]

The people I know who have been following him and his music since last season say his genre is something called "swamp rock."  I checked it out on Wikipedia since I wasn't familiar with that term, and they give Creedence Clearwater Revival as an example.

[HappyDancex2]

I threw all my votes at Demitrius.  They don’t even do that part of Bohemian Rhapsody live in concert so it was great to hear it.

[HappyDancex2]

I didn’t realize that Luke had such a nice voice.  His duet with what’s her name was awkward....no connection.  And she looks like she has no neck drowning in all that hair...she is oddly unmarketable.

Weezer was all kinds of terrible.  Wade butchered his part of the harmony of Africa.  I cringed.  But then Harry Potter came on and didn’t sing all of his lines of Take on Me.  At least he looked like he was having fun.

[HappyDancex2]

Uché got screwed but his energy needs channeled so he knows how to build a song.  That being said it’s hard to build a song in 20 seconds where 10 seconds is him walking to the stage.   He should try out for Broadway...those shows are brutal and need people with boundless energy.

madison made me realize what a great singer Lady Gaga is.  I didn’t mind the belty version of Shallow but her tone got a little shrill for me and that song is just too well known as guttural melodic.  

All I can say about Lionel’s performance was that I liked his jacket and did he raid my closet?

I’m not a fan of Katy but her performance was great.

Underwhelmed by Underwood.  Strong stage presence though.

Huge Adam Lambert fan but didn’t love the new song.  Maybe it will grow on me but I will buy his album regardless.  Because of him I discovered Queen.

[KHenry14]

Many thoughts on the finale...

Laine is an underwhelming winner. Frankly he sounds like a guy playing on a Disney Cruise going nowhere fast. Alejandro is completely unique. His voice is thin, but he can really play his instruments...which isn't a huge Idol thing, as this is more a singing contest. Madison has a terrific voice, but the things people have been criticized her for are IMO mostly because she's young and inexperienced. She'll grow and be a better performer in short time

With that said, it was a terrific final 10. The depth of quality performers was impressive. And I have to say, the stage for them was outstanding. The lasers around Jerimiah and Katy were just awesome. 

My main criticism is the judges. They are just too nice to the performers. While I don't think they need to go all Simon Cowell on them...a little honestly makes the show a bit more real. 

To be honest, I haven't watched Idol in many years. But I was pleased by this season and I'll be watching next season. 

[HappyDancex2]

Not sure why people think Laine is an undeserving winner because he is cute and marketable and not the best singer.   Does it matter if it’s Britney Spears who is a blonde female and not the best singer?

I didn’t even understand any lyrics to Alejandro’s first song Millenial Love....except the words Milennial love.  I thought the second one...was it called Tonight?  Was better...had more of a hook.  But his songs are lyrically pretty repetitive....not that it’s bad as certainly the Beatles made a career from 10 line songs.  I guess I just got tired of his mumble vibe.  

[Neet]

Finales of these talent shows are usually the absolute low point of entertainment. Especially now, it's like they're stingy with not doing results shows and cutting down the number of contestants as fast as possible, only to painfully drag it out at the last moment.

Lionel - Dancing On The Ceiling - All the choreography taking place on the floor made it evident that he's too old to defy gravity like back in the day, but it was a decent opening number and he has enough energy/charisma when performing to not make it sound like a pathetic throwback like other acts who mumble like they have dementia. It looked like a bunch of the top 10 singing along weren't singing in sync with Lionel at all.

Laine - Take Me Home - Was this supposed to be begging the audience to not vote for him so he'd come in third place? What a humble young man. Katy told him he'll be one of the biggest stars in the world, which is so far from reality. I think his (un-danced on) ceiling is being just another country singer, which isn't the worst that could happen, given how inclusive that genre is.

Madison - Shallow *edited, misspelled the title - I forgot the performance as soon as it was over, and possibly halfway through. Does 90 seconds count as a power nap?

Alejandro - Millennial Love - The only lyrics I could make out were words that sounded applicable to any generation, and then the chorus repeated 50 times. Funny how he said the song was about the youth being too attached to their phones right before Ryan reminded everyone to keep voting for him via the app.

Laine's homecoming - When he was with the governor, it looked like the camera was zoomed in to conceal the small crowd there to see him. Of course, the parade is where everyone was going to be anyway, and the turnout was pretty good. You have to wonder where all of these people's support disappears to when the credits roll, since the parade confetti was probably made up of shredded liner notes from Trent Harmon's album.

Laine - Jambalaya and the Bayou - I thought it was a great song for his voice, and if the viewers didn't already have a favorite contestant locked down, singing a song with so many hick-ish words could alienate non-fans of his.

Maddie Poppe - This "singer-songwriter" didn't perform tonight and openly said she barely wrote any of her new single, so maybe she needs to come up with a new genre/description for herself. Caleb was mentioned but not shown on camera, perhaps because of intoxication from all of the bars he's stuck touring. I actually like him and his music, it's just funny to pick at these "stars" for not living up to the unfair expectations the judges set for them.

Madison's homecoming - Any time a teen is in the finale and they return to their high school, I always wonder if the 100% support shown on camera and cobbled together in editing is really how the other students feel about them, since high schoolers love to hate people for no reason. Then again, a lot of viewers seem to feel pride over contestants living in the same massively populated state as themselves, so it's possible.

Madison - Breakaway - The first half of the performance felt like a cool-down performance during a concert where the singer catches their breath and high fives the audience, and then it segued into the usual belting. I turn my back to most of her performances enough to forget that this isn't The Voice.

Alejandro's homecoming - Ben Harper gifted him a guitar that he played earlier in the night and never touched again, even though his last song used a guitar. Another takeaway was that Alejandro's nephew has every annoying visual trait of that "I'm an artist" stereotype with the huge hat on a cloudy day, distressed pants and the thickest Sharpie glasses.

Alejandro - Tonight - Pretty good. I've come around to liking him again in the past week or two after several weeks of hatred, which makes me think I'll be buy-polar in terms of supporting his future career, hyuk. Katy said that Idol is no longer regarded as a karaoke show, but a platform for original music. Well, that holds true for just him, and it seems like there have been several talent shows about only original music and they all flopped.

Carrie Underwood - Southbound - This is an apt title for what will probably be the lowest rated Idol finale ever, but anyway, she really blew the other contestants away and showed them how it's done. Obviously, she's had over a decade of additional performing under her belt, so it's not a fair comparison, but she and Adam really make everyone else look like schmucks.

Madison eliminated - Too easy to predict this happening. Alejandro looked rather morose that he was getting closer to being stuck with the limiting American Idol winner's contract. I wonder if him coming in third place would have boosted his popularity any more, if his fans called BS and supported him even harder for it.

Montell Jordan - This Is How We Do It - Way better than anticipated, since a lot of these meme-tier songs have rather poor vocals, but this was pretty slick. That group of dancers dressed like Katy was embarrassing and Margie Mays' one line was delivered kind of harshly.

Katy Perry, Daddy Yankee - Con Calma - Katy wearing that 20 pound wig really made it clear how much she regrets cutting her hair short. It was a pretty good performance (albeit, taped); I tend to forget that she can sing due to how annoying she is outside of that.

Alejandro - 10 Years - Apparently, the orchestra behind him was his duet partner. That's pretty lame, I didn't even hear anyone clarify it, but attention does tend to wander when sitting through this show too long. Pretty nice sounding song with the orchestra backing him, though. There was an end shot of Luke with his arm around Lionel, probably enjoying some bonding time without Katy around to scream and ruin the mood.

Adam Lambert - New Eyes - Good song, nice to hear his vocals dialed back a bit for once and not quite as theatrical.

Adam Lambert & Dimitrius - Bohemian Rhapsody - Dimitrius held his own, IMO.

Dan + Shay - All To Myself - It's a bit confusing how they're singing about a straight, monogamous relationship with a woman when they're both singing to her and their group name is stylized like a gay wedding registry. Also, didn't they sing this on Idol like 3 weeks ago? Madison came on to sing a few pity notes, it seemed like a consolation prize for getting eliminated.

Luke Bryan - Knockin' Boots - Get ready to check off your list on your scavenger hunt of country stereotypes, but not too many because he's got a whole album to fill with them all. I liked the song, but it's funny how much the same topics are recycled.

Luke, Laci - Every Breath You Take - Weird duet choice, but it was decent enough. I haven't read any other posts yet, but any time this song is covered on a talent show, some people clutch their pearls about it because of the lyrical content. Almost none of the contestants have connected to the words of any song this season, so they should be excused.

Jon Pardi, Laine - Dirt On My Boots, Night Shift - More lyrics about small towns, trucks, cowboy boots, etc.. but it was a good pairing and rather entertaining.

Katy, Jeremiah - Unconditionally - Quite good, nothing else to say.

Weezer + top...10? - Ryan announces that they just released their Black album before saying they're going to perform songs from the previous album of theirs, which was a cover album that was received poorly, so what was the point of that. A slew of 30 second crappy performances.

Kane Brown - Good As You, then w/ Alyssa Raghu - Middle Of Nowhere - I don't get this guy's appeal, it sounds about the same as other country acts in terms of skill or the songs being catchy. I also hate his face, which is a pointless addition to this critique. Alyssa's voice overpowered his and was better to listen to.

edit - Shayyy and Andra Day - Rise Up - I forgot about this performance, and still forget it now that I remembered to bring it up. I only recall Andra hardly sounding any better than Shayy, giving new meaning to "blind leading the blind".

Alejandro & Laine get to take a guest on a Disney cruise, despite them each having two guests with them when being told about it. I guess the additional money went to Katy Perry's salary for her unwanted improv hour.

Kool and The Gang - You can probably count the number of current KATG listeners in the building on one hand, but it was pretty good. Uche was in his element when the contestants were brought in to sing. It sure was great he got eliminated in favor of keeping Walker Burroughs, right?

Laine - Bring It On Home - Yeah, bring it on home, indeed. This show felt like it was 10 hours long. Good performance muddled by him speeding it up toward the end, but it seems like he's shed the corniness factor that plagued him for most of the season.

Alejandro - Out Loud - A lot of his original songs sound similar enough to make me think that he's rotated through the same 3 songs all season, but this was great. I don't know why my compliments sound so passive aggressive. Also funny how this is called "Out Loud" and he retained the same 5 decibel volume. Perhaps this is a long-term strategy he adopted after listening to Wade's chimney tone.

Laine wins, and hopefully nobody was surprised at such an obvious victory. Alejandro is probably quite happy to not be tied down with ABC. Laine's song "Flame" sounded unremarkable and doesn't bode well for him receiving the Phillip Phillips treatment of the song catching on as a theme for any big event. I expect Ca-Pub Lee Hutchinson levels of fame for Laine, which mostly boils down to wondering a year from now "what the heck is he doing these days?" as his album is ever-delayed into the future. It will be interesting to see if Alejandro indeed turns out to be a star or the usual over-promise, under-deliver, but he at least has a shot.

Thankfully, America's Got Talent is coming up soon, and that show is a lot more fun to complain about on here since so much of it is detestable. Watching TV shows for the sake of enjoyment and not to be infuriated at them sounds like a foreign concept.

 

Edited May 20, 2019 by Neet

[InternetToughGuy]

I had written out some jokes and commentary while watching, but as the show went on, my interest level overall plummeted. I feel this way about every finale of every American Idol season and America's Got Talent (the unofficial second singing show) - why feel invested in something that will cease to be when the credits roll? Anyways, I feel quite sorrowful about this being the last show to see the Top 10, since even if I put my nightcap on for every show, I feel like everyone there was memorable (not a synonym for "good" necessarily, but at least they made an impression). I wonder if next season will fare any better with a recognizable Top 10 - I bet Caleb Lee Hutchinson will audition again in the hopes (*ahem: likelihood) that everyone has forgotten all about him and won't say anything.

The show opens with Lionel Richie singing with a voice much better than anything I expected. Using the Alejandro metric in mind, the Top 10 joined him to sing at 5db or so - I don't know why the show would waste all that money flying them out for that.

Laine - Home: I was hoping the song title was his prophetic vision for the results, but that was not to be. He's very kind to the old women with dementia to have repeated what appears to be the exact same song every performance since the beginning of the season. Yawn.

I can't tell what's more sad - that Katy's jokes tonight were the worst they've ever been or that tonight is the youngest she will ever look again. Laine looks so annoyed whenever she makes those quips to him; I wouldn't be surprised if he bitches about her here under a screen name.

Madison - Shallow: I thought she connected to the song a lot more than before, but it seems too late for that - her being in third place was obvious.

Bobby Bones going on a comedy tour - I know American Idol is an avenue for sob stories first and music second, but I would've thought someone who apparently is into comedy would have shown more of that for the short amount of time he was on camera - after all, it's not like he actually did any mentoring. Ryan barely gets more screen time than him and he's had quite a few funny jokes this season.

Alejandro - Millennial Love: It was good how the guitar didn't overshadow the singing for once, but this was probably his most boring song. Some of the lyrics seemed to extend beyond the bar, which made it sound awkward and the chorus was very repetitive. Also, I have a hard time feeling anything about the song when it's so hard to picture him living what the song is about.

Laine - Jambalaya: Paying homage to Louisiana, I wish I could say "Bye, you", since I am sick of hearing the same damn 2/10 performance 3 times a night, but I guess teenage girls are capable of interpreting Laine's looks audibly, so it doesn't matter. His "easy going" vibe when performing comes across way more as him not caring very much.

Maddie Poppe is such a punkin pie, my knees are knobby just typing this 😅 On a more testosterone filled note, she was awkward, but I don't know who wouldn't be knowing that 25% of the viewership the show used to have was watching. I figured Maddie would kindly plug Caleb's cafe tour, but since she didn't, I'm guessing it was cancelled.

Madison - Breakaway: I felt bad for everyone who showed up in her hometown, since it was obvious she was going home again (this time to stay). I find Kelly Clarkson boring to listen to outside of a few of her earlier songs - I would much rather listen to her than watch her nowadays, though, if you catch my drift. I thought this performance was boring and can't really comprehend this song being difficult to sing, since I would need years of vocal training to even sound like Lou Reed.

How generous of Lipton to pay for Alejandro's family to take the 40 minute drive (if taken at 2am; if not then it's probably 6 hours).

Alejandro - Tonight: It's a shame that Alejandro is sounding good on the night of Lame's coronation. I find it pretty annoying that Alejandro plays so many originals and Laine hasn't done a single one, though I'm sure if he were to do one, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference. I have a feeling that in a year or two Laine will be performing at the Starbucks that Caleb will have had to start working at.

Carrie Underwood - Southbound: I just typed out a near Katy level joke about this song and had the self awareness to delete it. Anyways, I like her Some Hearts album, but find everything that comes after it to have the same toe tapping vibe that is complete uninteresting. She still has enough of her looks for me to keep my eyes open, at least.

Madison gets eliminated, which was obvious, so I have no real sentiment about it.

Montell Jordan - This Is How We Do It: The backup dancers dressed like Katy was so damn embarrassing. The cowboy from many rounds ago was on stage, but didn't sing, so what was the point? Margie Mays sang a sentence or two, which was almost equally pointless, but she's such a doll, it doesn't matter.

Katy Perry and Daddy Yankee - Con Calma: I wouldn't even be confident in saying this was Spanish, since I was paying so little attention. Katy is a better singer than I remember, but I don't want to hear any of it outside of a strictly pop context.

Alejandro - Ten Years: I assumed his endurance was other worldly to sing for that long, but he was only allowed to sing one minute out of the whole thing. I think it was this song that Ryan said afterwards "I'd play that on Kiss FM" - which is something he could do to help, but just like with all this empty praise, such help won't happen, so why even say it.

Adam Lambert - New Eyes: I figured he would announce he'd found a donor for Shayy, but he chose to make it all about him. Anyways, I thought the song was pretty good.

Adam/Dimitrius - Bohemian Rhapsody: Dimitrius sounded great; he probably would've gone a lot further if he didn't turn into a stone statue the second his performances were over.

Dan + Shay - All To Myself/Speechless: I don't know how many million love songs can be written without the subject growing extremely tiring, but I just hate these guys a lot. I view them as an embodiment of a testosterone deficiency, which I'm sure is imagery most people reading this won't really be able to conjure up, so it's probably meaningless.

Luke Bryan - Knockin' Boots: Country songs seem to have the limited pool of possible topics and cliches to choose from and it's just a matter of which order to place them in. My truck, my jeans, my gurl, fishing, my boots, my chicken dinner with a baked potato, etc. Song was somewhat catchy, but the genre as a whole is pretty bland to me.

Laci/Luke - Every Breath You Take: I wouldn't imagine Luke's voice with this song would sound good and I was right. Same goes with Laci, but she's a total BABE, no pig, so she always gets some leniency.

Jon Pardi/Laine - Dirt On My Boots/Night Shift: According to modern research, several short catnaps are good for your mental clarity and overall health. Thanks, Laine.

Katy Perry/Jeremiah - Unconditionally: I hate when pop artists do these slow as molasses songs, since I find most of them to be total shit. I always skipped this song when I played the Prism album (I eventually stomped on the CD like an ape)

Weezer - Africa/Everybody Wants To Rule The World/Take Me On: No, Weezer is not a nickname for Wade going up a set of stairs. Speaking of him, he was barely audible in this performance. The second Walker took the stage, my eyes closed in fatigue - I hate the complete dork/pansy vibe he brings to the stage with every performance.

Kane Brown - Good As You: I thought this song was alright, but I don't think I can look for it on my own, since I am pretty sure all the flavor would be sucked out of it by the second listen. Alyssa sounded a lot better than before on this song - she was also a total fox.

Shayy/Andra Day - Rise Up: I thought the performance was boring. Shayy unironically looked 40 years old to me, which if that has anything to do with stress, I wouldn't blame her, but I don't think anyone would believe she had just finished high school.

Kool And The Gang - It sounds just like what anyone's Grandma would put on the record player, which is decent. Uche was pretty good, which makes it depressing that he'll be getting paid in lattes at his cafe gigs. All my cafe based remarks are basically just hyperbolic phrasings of the fact that most Idol contestants never become anything big, regardless if they were in the Top 40 or finished in second or third.

Laine - Bring It On Home To Me: Another instance of him playing inaudible guitar for ten seconds before he decides it's completely unnecessary. It seems the majority of contestants who bring out the guitar have one month's worth of practice in their skillset, which makes it totally pointless to bring out since it adds nothing.

Alejandro - Out Loud: The title is rather oxymoronic, since he usually performs this song at 10 decibels, but it's still good nonetheless. I knew Laine was minutes away from being crowned, so it was harder to enjoy this performance knowing it was all for nothing.

After Laine received his undeserved win, he performed an original, which nobody had even hinted at its existence - why would the 2 finalists not debut their debut singles on the last performance night? The season's formatting is so stupid. Laine's song sounded like everything else he has done - I have no dang idea who his fanbase is going to consist of, because even if he has the support of teenage girls now, they're a pretty fickle demographic and since Idol winners usually take 9+ months to release an album, it seems pretty likely he will be largely forgotten. To comfort Alejandro, winning American Idol doesn't really mean a lot, since I am guessing Nick Fradiani scrubs toilets for a living now.

To anyone who wants to continue complaining about something, you should watch America's Got Talent, which premieres in about 2 weeks.

Edited May 20, 2019 by InternetToughGuy
Typo

[HappyDancex2]

Kane Brown!  Forgot about this one.  Thought she should have sidled up to him for duet chemistry instead of singing 10 feet away from him.  I don’t know who Kane is but I found his song, face (lol Neet) and overall vibe quite compelling.  So he’s supposed to be a country artist????  I’m going to iTunes him and see what he’s got.  

I also thought Montell still sounded quite good!  I’m going to assume that Maggie girl is a pitchy previous contestant?  You had one job and one line.  Yikes.

I thought pulling out Kool and the Gang was an odd choice but that’s probably all Lionel could scrounge up in his Rolodex LOL.  Kidding Lionel!  love the jacket!

[JMarie99]

3 hours ago, ChristmasJones said:

I liked seeing Adam Lambert and I forget the AI contestant's name who sang with him. 

That was Demetrius, and if this contest were to be based strictly on vocal ability, he would have won hands down. He was my favorite. 

Laine is going nowhere. My God, even he can’t figure out what genre he is! One minute he’s an Elvis wannabe, now he’s country. Mediocre interchangeable voice and persona. Good luck marketing this guy. 

Madison was never Kelly 2.0. She’s Kelly Lite. “Breakaway” proved that. Her lower notes are not good, and when she works herself up to belt out the high notes, they are no comparison to Kelly’s. 

I did not care for Alejandro’s “Millennial Love” at all, but I really liked his other originals including the one he did last week. I agree that he’s lucky he came in second. He needs to do his own thing, and I believe he could have a decent career as a singer-songwriter. 

This show needs a complete overhaul. I wish they could get rid of all three judges. Katy is incredibly annoying and Luke and Lionel are just plain boring. Forget about trying to copy The Voice and get some judges who actually offer critiques. Go back to eliminating only one contestant per week. Get rid of Bobby Bones.  And as much as I like Ryan, if the only night he can do is Sunday, maybe it’s time to replace him too. 

[Annber03]

42 minutes ago, Neet said:

You have to wonder where all of these people's support disappears to when the credits roll.

When talking to my mom during that section, I joked, "So what happens if somebody in these contestants' hometowns are thinking, '...but what if I like the other contestant better?'" :p.

Quote

Madison's homecoming - Any time a teen is in the finale and they return to their high school, I always wonder if the 100% support shown on camera and cobbled together in editing is really how the other students feel about them, since high schoolers love to hate people for no reason.

*Nods* I thought the exact same thing. 

Quote

Luke, Laci - Every Breath You Take - Weird duet choice, but it was decent enough. I haven't read any other posts, but any time this song is covered on a talent show, some people clutch their pearls about it because of the lyrical content. 

I thought the performance got better as it went on, but yeah, when it first started off with Luke and Laci singing in an almost romantic, lovey-dovey style, I was like, "...uhhhhh...". 

[Tosia]

6 hours ago, Badger said:

The people I know who have been following him and his music since last season say his genre is something called "swamp rock."  I checked it out on Wikipedia since I wasn't familiar with that term, and they give Creedence Clearwater Revival as an example.

Not sure where Laine is going with "swamp rock", but i can see him being an authentic good ol' boy loving being in nature.

 Yes, CCR, definitely swamp rock,  with a social commentary edge:   Born on the Bayou and Who will stop the rain?   Don't think Laine is that deep. 

Poke Salad Annie? Blanking on who sang it. More rural rock. 

Mac Davis? Lubbock in my rear view mirror.  That curly hair was so tousable. 😉

Guitars, cadillacs, and hillbilly music?  Dwight Yokum. Not a big crossover from country though.  Those tight,  tight jeans were a sight to behold though.  Sigh. 

Hubbie and family are from Lake Charles, LA. I'm not recalling much swamp rock from 40 years of frequent stays there.  Just country and pop. IMHO, they don't go deep there either.  New Orleans jazz is in its own genre. 

However, my Methodist minister  niece from there  just married her girlfriend, so they've evolved. 🙂

i like Laine's music...good ol' songs. I would put his music on to sing along with in the car.  

i love Alejandro's musicianship , although they really need to up his mike, and work with him to change up his songs, cuz they do sound the same,  but man, what raw talent!   I would buy his music to zone out to--in a good way.  

Edited May 20, 2019 by Tosia

[Ladyrain]

I'm older than dirt, but I thought Adam looked smokin' hot.  (Yeah, I know).   He's a handsome man anyway, but the longer, wavier hair melted my cold black heart.   I always liked him and voted like mad for him back in his season and am thrilled that he's been so successful.  ---    Every time I see him perform I think, "I wonder what rinky dink bar Kris Allen is playing in tonight?"   

Laine's coronation was a foregone conclusion.   I hope he's able to forge a career going forward, but - for how many years now? - Idol is nowhere near the king/queen maker it used to be.   If they hadn't dragged Maddie onstage, I wouldn't have been able to name last year's winner for love or money.

[twilightzone]

What a boring choice.  We've seen the same type of winner over and over again.  He will be forgotten once a new flavor of the month comes along.  Once again, the deep South wins.

[Koalagirl]

I fell asleep during a couple of parts of the show - when did Maddie Poppe make an appearance so I can FF through the parts I did see.  Thanks.

[Jillybean]

I actually thought Alejandro was the "designated" winner -- not Laine -- and I was mildly surprised that he did not win. Alejandro is clearly talented but I did not care for his music as it was all sleepy and same-sounding. 

I saw the first few minutes of Kelly and Ryan today, and Ryan said he was chatting with Laine and Alejandro during the final commercial break. Apparently they both were slated to fly to NYC right after the show on a private chartered jet, with Laine set to appear on the show (as well as GMA) today and Alejandro tomorrow. Alejandro told Ryan he was afraid of flying. Ryan showed a photo of the two of them boarding their private charter. He later found out that after the doors were closed, Alejandro said he couldn't do it, and was let off the plane. He said as far as he knows, Alejandro is still in LA and he has no idea whether he is going to appear on the show tomorrow or not.

I don't understand why Maddie wasn't invited to perform (I mean, I loved Montell Jordan's performance but he has no relevance here). I heard her new single "Made You Miss" a few days ago, and it sounded like generic pop. I could still hear a hint of her unique tone, but I was overall disappointed with the song considering what a unique talent she is. I didn't care for her styling on the finale, either. Just seems like they are trying to mold her into another bland pop princess.

Edited May 20, 2019 by Jillybean

[kelslamu]

Needed more Uche.  I can't believe I'm saying this, but Adam Lambert was the best of the night.  I thought Demitrius did a good job as well.   I never  cared for Adam Lambert really until I watched Queen special recently.  

Edited May 20, 2019 by kelslamu

[thesupremediva1]

Demetrius won the night. Best vocal performance and best duet. He validated my season-long bitching about how he wasn't appreciated enough.

Jeremiah made me remember Katy Perry could be an amazing singer when she wants to be. Unconditionally was beautiful but they shouldn't have skipped the bridge. I still think Jeremiah was my overall winner. Best overall singer they had this season and possibly ever, next time Kelly, Clay, and Adam. 

Oh, Madison. Shallow is a duet. Even Gaga had to sing it like a coked-up lunatic at the Grammys to try to make it work as a solo. It loses its punch and meaning with one voice. It's not a glory-noting showboat song, it's a story and an exchange. The Kelly song did her in. She was slightly off key in parts and out of sync with the band. First time this season that's happened - unfortunate timing. I expected her to be the runner-up.

Laine was always winning. He's got this Elvis thing about him that will give him a decent career. He needed the win, out of these three. Madison will mature into a great performer in a few years, and Alejandro is going to follow in Ben Harper's footsteps. He is better off not winning. 

Alejandro was really venerated tonight by everyone. I love him and I think he can release an album tomorrow. It's just not American Idol style. I think he was thrilled to sing his songs for America without the responsibility of being on the Disney Channel.

Til 2020, Seacrest. I'll never quit you. Please bring back a longer season with one elimination per week.

Edited May 20, 2019 by thesupremediva1

[snarkylady]

8 hours ago, InternetToughGuy said:

Adam Lambert - New Eyes: I figured he would announce he'd found a donor for Shayy, but he chose to make it all about him.

Best comment of the season. 

[sempervivum]

So, yay! Alexandro doesn't have to sing the national anthem at baseball games, and doesn't have to record their dumb 'winner's single'.

1 hour ago, Jillybean said:

Alejandro told Ryan he was afraid of flying. Ryan showed a photo of the two of them boarding their private charter. He later found out that after the doors were closed, Alejandro said he couldn't do it, and was let off the plane.

Well, that miiiight limit his career choices going forward. Strange dude, but I'm glad the show let him do what he did. Seriously, letting the orchestra be his 'duet partner' was great.

3 hours is way too long, even if they had really exciting guest performers, which they didn't. Although the Queen song with Adam and Dimitrius was good. I see Lambert still sticks his tongue out and waggles it during moments of drama, ick. Also, he kind of looked like the Beast (of Beauty and-) with that crusty mop of hair; all he needed was a cravat.

[pezgirl7]

Well, I might be the only one, but I'm happy that Laine won! And I am neither a teenager nor a senior citizen. 🙂 The whole genre thing is funny, but I don't really understand why he needs to be put into a box. There are so many different "country" genres, and they can bleed into rock. Almost every song he has sang this season is one that I liked and knew. The only ones I didn't like were the ones he sang in the finale with that country singer.

Overall, I found the finale pretty boring and underwhelming. I think part of it was the small venue and the lack of big stars. I miss the old days when they would perform at the Nokia theater and have well known singers perform. Also, most of the singers didn't really seem like they were enjoying themselves. Except Walker. lol

[incandescent]

1 hour ago, sempervivum said:

3 hours ago, Jillybean said:

Alejandro told Ryan he was afraid of flying. Ryan showed a photo of the two of them boarding their private charter. He later found out that after the doors were closed, Alejandro said he couldn't do it, and was let off the plane.

Well, that miiiight limit his career choices going forward. Strange dude, but I'm glad the show let him do what he did. Seriously, letting the orchestra be his 'duet partner' was great.

He was able to handle the flight to Hawaii and back, so I imagine he'll be flying commercial (and possibly sedated) going forward in his career.

[InternetToughGuy]

7 hours ago, Ladyrain said:

Every time I see him perform I think, "I wonder what rinky dink bar Kris Allen is playing in tonight?" 

As much as Idol contestants playing in a bar or a Starbucks is joked about, I would be quite surprised if even half of a bar's worth of people would turn up to see Kris Allen - seriously, who out there dedicates even a few brain cells to remembering who he is, much less actively seek out his music?

[InternetToughGuy]

4 hours ago, snarkylady said:

Best comment of the season. 

I'm happy to know I am appreciated 🙌

[InternetToughGuy]

3 hours ago, sempervivum said:

Well, that miiiight limit his career choices going forward.

Most Idol alumni never perform outside of a 10 mile radius of their hometown, so this is par for the course

[ruffy666]

The AI finale is always a good reason to get down on your knees and thank the lord for DVR.  Holy cow at the amount of padding and commercials!  Fast forward through Lionel Richie saying "You're on your way" every 45 seconds.  Fast forward through Katy Perry making a face.  Fast forward through Luke giggling at EVERY COMMENT the other judges make (wtf??)

I am generally regarded as an emotional robot but I very much enjoyed seeing Alejandro's hometown visit.  Those kids were super cute and he seemed genuinely touched by the support.

Overall I am disappointed with the winner but it is probably the best outcome for all concerned parties.  I wish all the luck in the world to everyone in the Top 10 (and will promptly forget most of them exist.)

[Neet]

5 minutes ago, ruffy666 said:

Fast forward through Luke giggling at EVERY COMMENT the other judges make (wtf??)

I wonder this all the time, he has the same laugh pattern (like four or five "ha"s) in the same volume, no matter what is being said around him. Maybe the chuckles count as part of his required word quota as a judge, since he doesn't offer anything else. If he's laughing at a live feed of Lee Dewyze's career trajectory, that would make more sense.

Edited May 20, 2019 by Neet

[Annber03]

10 minutes ago, ruffy666 said:

I am generally regarded as an emotional robot but I very much enjoyed seeing Alejandro's hometown visit.  Those kids were super cute and he seemed genuinely touched by the support.

Yeah, that was a really nice, sweet moment :). 

[Badger]

Tony Joe White sang "Poke Salad Annie."  I believe he wrote it too.   I think Elvis covered it.

[sempervivum]

12 minutes ago, Badger said:

Tony Joe White sang "Poke Salad Annie."  I believe he wrote it too.   I think Elvis covered it.

Yep. I allow this weed ('poke', actually phytollaca americana)to grow in my garden (it gets to be tree size and is really quite lovely), and I always reference the song when visiting gardeners ask 'what is THAT?'. Of course only the older ones get it!

Edited May 20, 2019 by sempervivum
clarity

[SnarkAttack]

8 hours ago, thesupremediva1 said:

Demetrius won the night. Best vocal performance and best duet. He validated my season-long bitching about how he wasn't appreciated enough.

Jeremiah made me remember Katy Perry could be an amazing singer when she wants to be. Unconditionally was beautiful but they shouldn't have skipped the bridge. I still think Jeremiah was my overall winner. Best overall singer they had this season and possibly ever, next time Kelly, Clay, and Adam. 

Oh, Madison. Shallow is a duet. Even Gaga had to sing it like a coked-up lunatic at the Grammys to try to make it work as a solo. It loses its punch and meaning with one voice. It's not a glory-noting showboat song, it's a story and an exchange. The Kelly song did her in. She was slightly off key in parts and out of sync with the band. First time this season that's happened - unfortunate timing. I expected her to be the runner-up.

Laine was always winning. He's got this Elvis thing about him that will give him a decent career. He needed the win, out of these three. Madison will mature into a great performer in a few years, and Alejandro is going to follow in Ben Harper's footsteps. He is better off not winning. 

Alejandro was really venerated tonight by everyone. I love him and I think he can release an album tomorrow. It's just not American Idol style. I think he was thrilled to sing his songs for America without the responsibility of being on the Disney Channel.

Til 2020, Seacrest. I'll never quit you. Please bring back a longer season with one elimination per week.

Totally agree.  Alejandro wanted to play his music to a national audience, that was his goal.  They always discourage original songs, but he was going to do it regardless.  It worked for him.  I love that he did it his way, I love his humbleness.  What a sweet smile!

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

Quote

Is Alejandro's family illegal? Because that would explain why only his niece and nephew appear on camera and he wasn't shown at his parents' home.

Now that the competition is over, I can wonder aloud - I did some googling and didn't find a thing about Alejandro's family. I was thinking perhaps he had a parent in jail and didn't want that all over the place. And all season, I wondered whether Alejandro had a mild case of autism. I have a niece with Asperger's and she has a lot of the same mannerisms as he does. I do know he was homeschooled (which doesn't have a thing to do with his talent, but was just interesting). 

Luke has that killer smile so he looks like he's laughing all the time. Perhaps he is. 

All in all, I'm pretty happy with Laine winning. It will be better for Alejandro to NOT be the Idol (cos we all know it's not all about the talent, but a popularity contest). Did anybody else think Katy calling him "Homie" was annoying and inappropriate? Gaaah, she comes across as that kooky old unmarried aunt that thinks she's cool but still gets up and dances inappropriately after a few shots at the family parties. .. 

[Ladyrain]

2 hours ago, ItsHelloPattiagain said:

Gaaah, she comes across as that kooky old unmarried aunt that thinks she's cool but still gets up and dances inappropriately after a few shots at the family parties. .. 

OMG, you've summed Katy Perry in a single sentence.   Thank you!  

She's such an embarrassingly annoying twit that I cringe for her.   She has to be under the influence of something to carry on like she does.   I never in a million billion years thought I'd ever yearn for the days of Paula or JLo, but I do.   At least they had the good sense to stay seated behind the desk and not behave like a drunken old aunt (thank you for that!) at a wedding.   And the worst part is that she  thinks she's so cool and relevant and witty.   Like this century's Lucille Ball or something.   😖

Edited May 21, 2019 by Ladyrain

[Ladyrain]

7 hours ago, InternetToughGuy said:

As much as Idol contestants playing in a bar or a Starbucks is joked about, I would be quite surprised if even half of a bar's worth of people would turn up to see Kris Allen - seriously, who out there dedicates even a few brain cells to remembering who he is, much less actively seek out his music?

Gotta admit, when I saw your name and that you had quoted me, I was a bit trepidatious.   What if this all went wrong???   But you agreed with me!   Whew. 😊

There's a club 20 miles away where some talent shows up periodically (I've seen Roseanne Cash and Priscilla Presley there) but most of the acts I've never heard of.   It's just the kind of venue that Kris Allen would get booked at, and you're right - I wouldn't waste my time or money.  

[marykat71702]

I don't think I've ever been so happy to be able to FF...

IMO, Laine is more marketable to AI, so once Madison got knocked out I figured he would be the winner.

I do have to say that I'm surprised Madison was third, I honestly thought she might win.

Am I the only one that isn't really impressed with Alejandro's lyrics? To me, Millennial Love was millennial crap, but maybe I'm just showing my age <shrug>.

[InternetToughGuy]

3 hours ago, ItsHelloPattiagain said:

Did anybody else think Katy calling him "Homie" was annoying and inappropriate? Gaaah, she comes across as that kooky old unmarried aunt that thinks she's cool but still gets up and dances inappropriately after a few shots at the family parties. .. 

It would be far easier to go through the whole season and pick out the very few instances Katy wasn't annoying. For her ""jokes"" yesterday, even the pity laughter was barely audible.

[InternetToughGuy]

1 hour ago, Ladyrain said:

Gotta admit, when I saw your name and that you had quoted me, I was a bit trepidatious.   What if this all went wrong???   But you agreed with me!   Whew. 😊

There's a club 20 miles away where some talent shows up periodically (I've seen Roseanne Cash and Priscilla Presley there) but most of the acts I've never heard of.   It's just the kind of venue that Kris Allen would get booked at, and you're right - I wouldn't waste my time or money.  

I get a similar adrenaline rush when I see anyone has quoted me, since my username suggests that I am looking for an argument, which isn't the case - though all my jokes regarding weight and aging certainly may get someone going 🤐

I just checked his site and Kris has one gig planned so far for this year, where he's an opening act for a rock band I'd never heard of at a 700 capacity venue. Tickets are $15, which is funny, because earlier this year I attempted to resell tickets to events, which involved dozens of hours of looking at hundreds of events and this is the cheapest event I've ever come across. I'm sure Kris is confident enough in his lack of box office appeal, that he can leave his microphone and any amplifying equipment at home, since there will only be 5 people and the bartender there.