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American Idol X|V |OT| Please Be Excited

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L

Leona Lewis

Banned
Kelly. That was just all over the damn place. She very noticeably struggled to reach certain notes (going from full voice to falsetto), as if she didn't know she couldn't reach them. What did she do in rehearsal? Did she get too ambitious? Either way, that was pretty bad. 5.2
 
M

MIMIC

Banned
Leona Lewis said:
Kelly. That was just all over the damn place. She very noticeably struggled to reach certain notes (going from full voice to falsetto), as if she didn't know she couldn't reach them. What did she do in rehearsal? Did she get too ambitious? Either way, that was pretty bad. 5.2
Click to expand...

#blasphemy
 
M

MIMIC

Banned
Clark. Good for the most part, but got incredibly messy and disjointed near the end. Remember, Clark...it's OK to get into the song, but you can't forget how to sing. That last note was sharp and not in-key. Sooooo..... 6.9

Also, Rayvon and Daniel are going to sing for some Twitter vote? Meh, just send them both home. Rayvon is relentlessly hopeless (horrible song choice after horrible song choice) and Daniel is just to inconsistent (ranging from God-awful to barely tolerable).
 
L

Leona Lewis

Banned
#idolfansave

#byerayvon

Clark has a lot of potential, but he's so hopelessly tone-deaf about his upper register.

tumblr_md9vtn0H821qcemc1o1_500.gif


EDIT: I HAVE LARYNGITIS, NOOO SOMEONE HELP THE POOR BOY HELP HIM PLEASE, NO HE DID NOT JUST DO THAT
 
M

MIMIC

Banned
Daniel. Not good. Very little recognizable singing talent. Sounded like he was talking his way through the entire song. Missed a bunch of notes and lacked the sort of whimsical, carefree feeling that goes along with this song. 5.9
 
M

MIMIC

Banned
Rayvon. WTF. Questionable song choice, but extremely intelligent arrangement. Suited his style and voice LIKE A GLOVE. Very passionate, competent performance. That was probably the first performance of his that I actually thoroughly enjoyed. 7.8

#SAVERAYVON =p
 
V

vatstep

This poster pulses with an appeal so broad the typical restraints of our societies fall by the wayside.
I'm (pleasantly) surprised. Are Daniel's fans too young to know how to use hashtags or something?
 
L

Leona Lewis

Banned
Seriously, all Rayvon needs to do to stop getting the same critique about his stage presence is take. off. that. hat.

I'm being serious here. Because that damn thing makes him appear so precious and Amish and twee that it's really distracting.

5797705493_95373d64b7.jpg


I mean, his hairline isn't THAT bad, right?

umm.gif
 
J

JinjoUnchained

Member
Best episode of the season so far. "Kelly Clarkson Night" sounds bad on paper, but the contestants for the most part interpreted the material in fresh and interesting ways. Let's get to it:

Catch My Breath - Nick Fradiani:
Nick's vocal limitations are starting to show now that the field is getting narrowed. The vocal was clean and professional, but doesn't hold up against great artist-singers like Jax, Joey, and Clark. His song choice and stage presence have improved though, so it came off as one modest step forward when he needed more than that to keep up. We'll see if he survives the vote.
B

Beautiful Disaster - JAX:
Visually, artistically, and vocally stunning. The piano/strings arrangement was beautiful as was JAX's harmonization with the arrangement. There was one glorious vocal run where it almost sound like her voice stepped down and skipped up? Whatever it was, wow! Also, Harry is great, but GTFO with the misogynistic Captain Nitpick routine. I know that the judges in season's past had a bad habit of fawning over every slightly average performance, but there is an appropriate time to fawn and this was it.
A

Mr. Know It All - Tyanna Jones:
Isn't it funny how they judge Daniel on a curve because he's only 15, but Tyanna is only 16 and gets judged along with the others? To me, Tyanna's age is really starting to show in a bad way. For one, this is not a good song anyway, but Tyanna did not communicate the material in a believable way. Secondly, her pitch was off again in the first verse, she got drowned out by the background singers in the chorus, but then had some good moments before the end. Makes me wonder if the background singers are specifically instructed to drown out the contestant if they are struggling with pitch on the first verse. Same thing happened with Qaasim and Daniel later.
C+

Miss Independent - Joey Cook:
Joey once again wins the artistic interpretation award. There were some good new versions of Kelly Clarkson songs tonight, but this was something special. Turn Miss Independent into a zydeco New Orleans stomp? Yes please! So it was a brilliant artistic move, visually arresting, and good but not great vocally. Don't get me wrong, her pitch and tone were great, but it seems like some of her vocal dynamics were not quite right in a few parts. But still, this was awesome!
A-

Dark Side - Quentin Alexander:
I've never been too impressed with Quentin's voice. He's got enough range to hit the chorus, but not much beyond that. Plus his vocal tone is pretty nondescript compared to some of the other singers. He gets by with solid vocals plus strong rearrangements and visual spectacle. This time, though, I thought the arrangement/spectacle were as good as always, but the vocal actually matched it. He showed some heretofore unseen power this time. Good job Q!
B+

Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) - Qaasim Middleton:
I liked this a lot better than the judges. Qaasim is vocally immature and made some mistakes, but I felt he put it together and finished really strongly. The problem was Qaasim's weak ass falsetto. Don't try it if you can't do it. Plus Harry's right about the pentatonic scale: if you can't riff with the safest notes possible, then sing the melody straight because missing the run exposes you. That being said, I loved the call-and-response part with the background singers and the delivery was better after the botched first chorus.
B

The Trouble With Love Is - Clark Beckham:
Clark gets some automatic points for choosing the theme song of Love Actually. Like usual, Clark showed great vocal control and power throughout. His staging is getting really annoying though, that whole "my voice is so powerful that it's literally blowing me back from the mike stand" thing is both conceited and an insecure crutch. Cut that shit out Clark! It was nice when he cut loose at the end and showed some grit in his upper register. His highest register doesn't have as much vocal control, but it works.
A-

Breakaway - Daniel Seavey:
Well now we know what would have happened if Eben Franckewitz or Janay Castine had made the finals. Little kids who are afraid to be on stage should not be on American Idol, period. It's not fair to them either, as Daniel seemed like a really good kid with musical talent that simply could not deliver on the stage. Anyway, Daniel's last performance was technically on pitch, so that's good. Not everyone tonight was on pitch. But man, this kid is clearly afraid to be up there and his delivery is so weak. Good job letting him go back home, Twitter voters. FWIW, Daniel's response to Ryan before the vote was really sweet and fun; clearly a good kid.
C

Since You Been Gone - Rayvon Owen:
Not far behind Joey for the best rearrangement of the night. But Ravyon's song choices and rearrangements have always been good. The problem was his delivery and likability. I don't know if he checked off the likability box this time, but his vocal delivery was superb. At some point, though, Rayvon is going to have to find a way to make us relate to him on stage.
A-
 
J

JCX

Member
Incomplete Top 8 Spoilers - Billboard #1s

Hey Ya by Outkast
Poker Face by Lady Gaga – Jax
Set Fire to the Rain by Adele
Make it Rain by Ed Sheeran
Stay by Rihanna
Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus – Joey Cook
Teenage Dream by Katy Perry
Latch by Disclosure ft Sam Smith
 
J

JCX

Member
Dead Prince said:
i can see it. he's all into those slow type of songs.

also
Quentin is so doing Teenage Dream
Click to expand...

Yep, he said he's doing something upbeat this week, so for a second I thought
Hey Ya, but that has Qassim written all over it.
 
M

MIMIC

Banned
Dead Prince said:
TWIST: youre really slezak.
Click to expand...

I must be. Because during Joey's performance, I was a little ticked off by Harry's comments, and made a note of it:

MIMIC said:
And Harry, fuck off.
Click to expand...

And Slezak was in complete agreement (Week 6 Reality Check)

"Harry Connick, Jr. What the HELL was he talking about?" Also, he had Joey 1st like I did. And he placed Quentin 2nd, while I had him as a close 3rd...but I didn't give him the equivalent of a damn "A-" though, lol. Maybe if I were grading on a curve.

EDIT: And since I'm already here:

1. Joey. Another Joey special. She went back to what made her stand-out. She hit all her notes, and put a very unique twist on a Kelly classic. Great intentions and great execution. She really commits to song reinterpretations. 8.1

2. Tyanna. That was great! Her notes always come out so pointed sharp (the good kind of sharp). She definitely grabs your attention when she sings well. I was especially impressed by how she opened, since the song itself hits the ground running from the very start. She didn't seem fazed by that obstacle at all. 8.0

(tie) 3. Rayvon. WTF. Questionable song choice, but extremely intelligent arrangement. Suited his style and voice LIKE A GLOVE. Very passionate, competent performance. That was probably the first performance of his that I actually thoroughly enjoyed. 7.8

(tie) 3. Quentin. WELP. That actually....was pretty decent. Up until the last note, he actually managed to exercise great vocal control. It was actually a very great song choice, too. And not only did he sing it well, but he also performed it well. Really managed to capture the essence and beauty of the lyrics with his gestures deep stares. OK, let me stop. 7.8

5. Clark. Good for the most part, but got incredibly messy and disjointed near the end. Remember, Clark...it's OK to get into the song, but you can't forget how to sing. That last note was sharp and not in-key. Sooooo..... 6.9

(tie) 6. Nick. Not exactly an awe-inspiring performance. I absolutely LOVE this song, so I couldn't help but go into comparison-mode. For me, his voice is just a bit too heavy for a song like this (so I completely disagree with Keith). Kelly GLIDES through this song, and Nick, for the most part, was stomping through it. It was in-key (for the most part), but extremely mediocre, nonetheless. 6.7

(tie) 6. Jax. The setting was gorgeous. But the performance was a little disappointing; it didn't sound like a "Jax" version. She just sang it straight....and straight Jax is very mediocre. Like Nick, it was mostly in-tune, but very average-sounding. What usually separates Jax from the crowd -- like the accent she uses that gives her her unique timbre -- was MIA. 6.7

8. Daniel. Not good. Very little recognizable singing talent. Sounded like he was talking his way through the entire song. Missed a bunch of notes and lacked the sort of whimsical, carefree feeling that goes along with this song. 5.9

9. Qaasim. That was just all over the damn place. He very noticeably struggled to reach certain notes (going from full voice to falsetto), as if he didn't know he couldn't reach them. What did he do in rehearsal? Did he get too ambitious? Either way, that was pretty bad. 5.2
 
M

MIMIC

Banned
Gt338ke.gif


Look at what Idol's been reduced to:

Only Top 5 to Tour This Summer
The American Idol season 14 tour has been halved.

Billboard has confirmed that the 2015 edition of the summer trek will only feature the top 5 finalists, as opposed to the 10 who have hit the road over the last 13 years. Tickets go on sale April 17.

[...]

The Idol tour has been suffering from sluggish ticket sales in recent years and has seen its routing downgraded from arenas to smaller venues like theaters. The summer 2014 trek was also the first to hit the road without a live band. Instead, the season 13 cast sang to backing tracks.
Click to expand...
Billboard

(edit: I may not watch tonight; I was up early this morning and I think it might have finally caught up to me. So tired....)
 
L

Leona Lewis

Banned
What the fuck is this fuckery?

All the Billboard hits in the universe, and you choose a hoe-down arrangement of Lady Gaga's worst single?
 
L

Leona Lewis

Banned
Quentin's vocals are fairly offensive, but he's so adorable and (as Keith pointed out) medicated out of his goddamn mind that I can't help but root for the boy.
 
E

Epcott

Member
What was the song the black contestant with the hat performed (where he hit the high pitches and they liked)? I like the song, just don't know the name or artist.
 
L

Leona Lewis

Banned
TheAbsolution said:
Clark just killed it.
Click to expand...
Not quite yet, but yes, he is indeed killing his vocal cords with that strained belting and amateur breath control.

I really feel bad for J Lo. The one season where we have a bunch of potentially fantastic singers (who all also happen to have some degree of image issues), where her advice would actually be very helpful...not a single one of these kids is actually listening.

Nick, Jax, Clark, Rayvon, Tyanna...they all continue to lag behind frightened kindergarteners in the stage presence department.

Is it that hard to put on an outfit you didn't get from your grandmother? Or play an instrument and still maintain some level of engagement with the audience?

Or remember that you're on television?
 
M

MIMIC

Banned
*watching now*

-so is this fan save permanent now? I'd say that it's one of their better gimmicks.
-Interesting mentors. The Florida Georgia Line dudes seem really cool.
-LMAO @ Nick being pissed that people keep telling him that he looks uncomfortable on stage. He had a nice attitude about it, though.
-This trying to get Harry to sing is so fucking awkward. I am cringing my balls off right now >_<
-Tyanna looks like she's about to throw up (waiting for the vote outcomes)
-Watching Quentin miss notes in the mentoring session was so cringe-worthy. I'm not his biggest fan, but that was a very cruel edit
-JHud is so fine. That haircut. Cot damn. Ms. Igloo is hot, too. :)
-Tyanna looked so fucking relieved to be called, lol
-Ryan: "I've made a living off of being boring." lol
-Qaasim is singing WHAT? This will either be mediocre or spectacularly awful.
-God dammit, I can't believe I'm saying it, but based on tonight alone, I would save Qaasim >_<
-Meh, I'm not mad. Either one is deserving in their on way. But damn, Rayvon. How much is left of that borrowed time, bro?

1. Clark. Outstanding. An absolute killer vocal, with a haunting, punctuated command of the lyrics. That combo made for a stellar delivery. Awesome, awesome job. 9.0

2. Nick. Very nice job. Great arrangement and a very solid performance. The very definition of "rocking out to Katy Perry". I just hate how one-note-sounding it was (but it's Katy Perry, so what are you gonna do?) 7.7

3. Qaasim. Boy, was I wrong. I was actually SINGING ALONG WITH HIM, clapping, snapping my fingers.....in other words, I was entertained! Like Keith said, that was a packaged performance. The vocals weren't half bad, either. Solid. 7.5

4. Tyanna. Solid performance. Given how emotional it was for her, I was expecting more ad-libbing, instead of singing it note-for-note (because technically, it was essentially flawless). I did love how she kept her cool even while getting caught up in her dedication. But despite all that personal emotion, ironically, her delivery was kind of flat. 7.1

(tie) 5. Joey. The verses were beautiful. Once the chorus came in....it just felt so out of place. To borrow from the song, "It came in like a wrecking ball." It completely undid and smashed the great set up. She DEFINITELY should have rearranged the chorus; neither her vocal or her presence "met" the forcefulness of what the chorus called for. But yeah, the verses were good, so...... 7.0

(tie) 5. Rayvon. Meh. Technically good, but his voice just never matches the intensity that the song asks from him. Like Tyanna....it just "felt" flat. 7.0

7. Jax. Awful arrangement. Felt like a drunk reggae, jazz combo or something. I hate to agree with Jennifer, but it was almost bizarre. And I hate to agree with Harry, too...but she didn't commit to the rearrangement (like how Joey did with "Fancy"). The vocal was decent, but again....the rearrangement was so strange and awkward that it's all I could think about. 6.5.

8. Quentin. What did I give this fool last week? A 7.8? Damn. Even though this was the PERFECT song for him, this was very subpar. It's CRAZY how poor his vocal control is. Whenever he hits one note, the next note is almost always going to be off-key. And you really can't focus on anything else when you're so distracted by his singing. 6.3
 
L

Leona Lewis

Banned
Your presence was MISSED

I've found that after docking three points from each of your scores this season, I tend to be in complete agreement with them.
 
S

SteveMeister

Hang out with Steve.
My wife & I both thought Jax seemed like she was trying to copy Joey's arrangement & style from last week. Her quirkiness seemed like an affectation, and the whole thing felt uncomfortable.

Oh and I *loathe* the song "Latch". I change the radio station when it comes on. Ugh.
 
V

Vlad

Member
So, just popping my head in here to ask if there's a general approach to how the Idol powers-that-be do the whole "releasing songs to itunes" thing. Is it after the season airs, is it only for the top X performers, or is it for the standout songs throughout the season.

Basically, I'm wondering what the chances are of eventually getting my hands on a good studio version of Joey singing Mad World, and I've got no idea what the precedent they've set through past seasons is.
 
J

JCX

Member
Vlad said:
So, just popping my head in here to ask if there's a general approach to how the Idol powers-that-be do the whole "releasing songs to itunes" thing. Is it after the season airs, is it only for the top X performers, or is it for the standout songs throughout the season.

Basically, I'm wondering what the chances are of eventually getting my hands on a good studio version of Joey singing Mad World, and I've got no idea what the precedent they've set through past seasons is.
Click to expand...

They used to do an itunes best of compilation, but only for songs that had already been recorded. Best chance is to hope Joey makes top 3 and sings it again.

Spoilers for this week. As an Idol first, the top 7 will sing 2 songs each:

Quentin Alexander – Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way” and Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence”

Clark Beckham – “Moon River” (from Breakfast at Tiffany’s) and Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition”

Joey Cook – Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody to Love” and “My Funny Valentine” (from Babes in Arms)

Nick Fradiani – Billy Joel’s “Only the Good Die Young” and Tom Petty’s “American Girl”

Jax – Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” and Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart”

Tyanna Jones – Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary” and Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers’ “Why Do Fools Fall In Love”

Rayvon Owen – Willie Nelson’s “Always on My Mind” and The Doobie Brothers’ “Long Train Runnin'”

Very tired all around.

Also new Reality Check Melinda breaks down why I am not a big fan of Clark.
 
J

JCX

Member
Top 6 Theme is Arena Anthems, so I'm worried for Joey/Quentin if they both make it through this week.
 
V

vatstep

This poster pulses with an appeal so broad the typical restraints of our societies fall by the wayside.
Confrontation!

Can Rayvon really get saved three weeks in a row?
 
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