American Idol - Season 10

[NDN]

Over the years we have had some good discussions about American Idol amongst the members here who watch the show. So, this shall be the place for AI followers to share their thoughts as the season progresses.

This week was the semifinal rounds with the guys singing yesterday, the girls singing today, and the voting results coming tomorrow.

Before we cover the performances, we should note that this season we saw two judges leave and Jennifer Lopez & Steven Tyler take their places. When the new judges were first announced, I was pretty skeptical. Although, when the audition rounds aired, I was actually pleasantly surprised with both judges. However, during the live shows yesterday and today, I've lost a little hope for all three judges. Jennifer Lopez loves everyone and has a hard time criticizing a bad performance. Steven Tyler is a little more critical, but still a little too gentle with his remarks. Randy has taken more of a "Simon" approach, but it bugs me that when he makes a valid point and the other two disagree with him he backs off and gives in to the newcomers.

Guys Night
Anyhow, as for the guy's performances, I thought it was absolutely the worst show I have seen to date. I honestly couldn't believe some of the great things the judges had to say about some of the worst performances ever. That's not to say there weren't some good performances, but overall, it was just awful. Twelve people sang and five are voted in (along with three extra picks from the judges). My top five (in no particular order) are; Casey, Jacob, Paul, Stefano, Brett.

Girls Night
The girls gave the show some redemption and there were actually some quality performances (thank god)! There were certainly some horrid singers, but overall, they did a far better job than the guys. My top five (once again in no particular order) are; Haley, Karen, Kendra, Thia, Lauren.

I think the judges get to pick three wild cards who don't get voted in, so I would like to see; Pia, Robbie, Rachel.

All my selections are based on my opinion of their vocal talent thus far (which we have limited material to go off of).

The results of the voting are largely influenced by a younger voting crowd (mainly female) so the results are never a good indication of who has the most talent.

I think James will be a lock based on voting, but he's just another Adam Lambert (only not nearly as good as Adam was) so I could do without him this season. Scotty is getting some buzz, but I just don't see how he can progress in the show without sounding the same each and every week.

Feel free to share your thoughts as the season progresses!

[NDN]

Julie was great in everything she did up until her final performance. I especially like her piano duet the previous week. She really shot herself in the foot with her last performance though, it was extremely uncomfortable to watch!

I was hoping her looks would get her on stage one more time or at least garner one last shot via the judges picks. I thought she had some potential and was hoping to hear her a few more times in the competition.

Definitely too early to pick a favorite, but hoping tomorrow night is a good one and helps us narrow it down!

[NDN]

The top 13 performed tonight and it turned out to be an up and down kind of night. There some really high highs and some really low lows.

Here is my breakdown by singer:

Ashton - A very mediocre performance and it cemented my belief that Kendra was certainly more deserving of a spot in the top 13 than Ashton. My biggest dislike is her complete lack of range. It all sounds monotone and she simply has no reach! Oddly, the judges generally liked this performance (wtf?).

Casey - Another solid performance. I'd say he took a few steps forward but also a few steps back in some areas. It will be hard to dislike any of his performances down the road. Judges loved him as always.

Haley - While not a fan of the song "Blue" at all, I actually liked the performance. I was hoping for a little more of the "growl" that she has, but I got enough of that to keep me wanting more in future weeks. I agreed with J-Lo when she said she does some things with her voice that are truly unique.

Jacob - What in the hell happened here? Starting the week at the top of the pack, I was utterly disappointed and confused with this performance. I think it was far too over the top and was basically just screaming nonsense. However, he must sound amazing live because the judges once again loved it.

James - Although I have never doubted his talent, I didn't think this season could handle another Adam Lambert. While I still think he can't compare to Adam, his performance tonight was one of the best (and probably the best) and I was quite pleased to see that he listened to the "powers" and did not scream the entire song.

Karen - A weak performance from a strong contestant. A bad follow-up to last week and I think it hurts her even more since she tried to play on the Selena/J-Lo thing and then came up short with the vocals.

Lauren - A setback from last week for sure, but she'll go far in this contest regardless (and rightful so).

Naima - What in the? I didn't get it. I wanted to see Kendra in the top 13 over Naima/Ashton and this performance just proves that the judges made a mistake. I'm all for the uniqueness that she has, but the talent just isn't there. I did appreciate the shave though.

Paul - I think he'll last a little while, but I did not care for the performance. It was a repeat of last week, but not as good. He needs to change things up. I think he has some potential, but for whatever reason hasn't found a way to "open up" just yet.

Pia - Solid. Probably second best on the night after James. I like her composure more than anything and the way she handles herself. Not to mention the killer vocals.

Scotty - I was hoping to hear something that would get me in his corner at least a little bit, but once again I was left wondering what the hell he is doing in the competition. His vocals were trash, but I also find it uncomfortable to watch him move on the stage.

Stefano - A weak performance. He's been on the lower end of the hopefuls and rightfully so after tonight's performance.

Thia - I still love the voice, but wished she wouldn't have switched to the faster temp (especially since she kept the same slow pace of the song throughout the performance). I would have loved her sitting in a chair singing this like she did at the beginning. She's definitely worth staying in the competition, but hopefully she kind find some ways to try new things without backfiring like tonight.

That's all I have for you!

Please chime in if you watched the show!

[klinkman]

The top 13 performed tonight and it turned out to be an up and down kind of night. There some really high highs and some really low lows.

Please chime in if you watched the show!

Ashton - I agree that her performance was mediocre. But given some of the awful performances I've seen, mediocre should be good enough for her to make it through this week. She'll have to find vocal range quickly if she wants to be competitive in the future though

Casey - I liked this performance, it was odd..a cover of a cover can do that. But I think he really rocked it.

Haley - Haley did do some truly unique things with her voice. But there is a reason why no one does them-they sound awful! I was reaching for something to poke out my ear drums with 30 seconds into the performance. It was THAT bad.

Jacob - I agree I have no idea where this performance came from. You know what I found uncomfortable to watch? Jacob looking like he was trying to take a dump on stage. The vocals were far over the top and pained. Still not the worst but a far cry from one of the top last week.

James - One of the top performances of the night, James proved that he truly has range and control over his voice. I didn't care for how they ended the song (those two lines don't go together) but that's a sacrifice that had to be made to make it 1:40

Karen - I actually disagree with most people's assessment of her performance. I thought it was decent, but the ending fell flat-literally (If she was trying to go up a third she was under it by almost a half step). I did think the rest of the performance was pretty good (though not great).

Lauren - This performance was OK at best. Utterly forgettable. But compared to some of the performances she'll have no trouble sticking around.

Naima - I really was not impressed by the dancing. And I really didn't get the choice of vocals either. This was not a good performance, though I don't think it was the worst either.

Paul - I completely agree with the assessment that it was "a repeat of last week, but not as good". And the statement that he needs to find a way to "open up" is spot on.

Pia - Solid indeed. I feel like she trails the two top guys, but is the best of the girls. I do think that it was solid, but not amazing. She'll get plenty of chances to try and top the boys, and I have no doubt she's capable

Scotty - I'm going to continue to disagree with you NDN, and just say "Haters gonna hate". This was the best performance of the evening, his voice is deep, rich and professional, and his stage presence is solid, but typical for a country singer.

Stefano - I actually think this performance was an improvement. Of course, prison gruel is an improvement over horse****, but I'd rather not eat either.

Thia - Nothing's coming to mind when I think of her performance. Therefore, I'm going to write it off as "forgettable" and be done with it.

Winner: Scotty
Bottom 3: Haley, Stefano, Naima

Voted Off: Haley

[NDN]

Haley - Haley did do some truly unique things with her voice. But there is a reason why no one does them-they sound awful! I was reaching for something to poke out my ear drums with 30 seconds into the performance. It was THAT bad.

Talk about "Haters gonna hate!"

Scotty - I'm going to continue to disagree with you NDN, and just say "Haters gonna hate". This was the best performance of the evening, his voice is deep, rich and professional, and his stage presence is solid, but typical for a country singer.

I'm convinced that on some deep level there is some sort of passion or wanting that is clouding your judgment when it comes to Scotty. I'm not sure what it is, but there is definitely something there. While certainly not the worst of the night, he was a far cry from the best of the night! One thing that bothered me was when the backup singers came in, Scotty took that as a cue to sing quieter, put the microphone down by his waist, and basically give up on the song.

Winner: Scotty
Bottom 3: Haley, Stefano, Naima

Voted Off: Haley

Bottom 3: Naima, Ashton, Scotty.
You can switch those three for Paul, Jacob, and Stefano and that works for me too (based strictly on last night).

On a side not, anyone else think it's strange that Klinkman and I are enjoying debating American Idol?

[taylovesthebeatles]

I would get involved in this discussion as well, but I know you'd just be convinced we were colluding, and not actually just sharing a brain and agreeing on the merits of musical talent. One thing that should make you feel better though, is that I like Paul far more than he does.

[NDN]

I would get involved in this discussion as well, but I know you'd just be convinced we were colluding, and not actually just sharing a brain and agreeing on the merits of musical talent. One thing that should make you feel better though, is that I like Paul far more than he does.

Glad to hear you know your place!

Just kidding of course! Jump on in! I can handle the two of yas!

We need a female opinion or two (although I think we may be getting that from klinkwoman... I mean klinkman).

[PANAMHIEST]

ok im gonna give out my early vote of the winner now. I think it is gonna be jacob. I dont have a expert opinion, i just feel the music when he is on stage. It seems real and it hits you even if it isnt the best vocals. If not him, then james for the same reasons.

[NDN]

What did you feel when he sang "I Believe I Can Fly" the other night?

[PANAMHIEST]

What did you feel when he sang "I Believe I Can Fly" the other night?

like he could of done alot better, and i think he will going forward

[NDN]

like he could of done alot better, and i think he will going forward

I'm sure he will too. Although, one more night like Tuesday and he'll be gone with only himself to blame.

[Ringo]

I like the Pied Piper Paul. He could get the whole country dancing.

Shame Ashton left last night, she had alot of talent, but she has alot of growing up to do.
Thia will not make it very far either, too young.

[NDN]

I feel the complete opposite. I was happy to see Ashton go; she was certainly deserving of it.

It's interesting to see the polar opposite opinions some of us have with regards to some of the contestants.

[NDN]

If the voters get it right, we should see Naima and Stefano leave next and then we'll be in for an exciting top 10!

Of the remaining contestants, these are who I believe would be worthy of the "judges save" should they find themselves at the bottom in the near future:

Thia
Pia
Casey
Haley
James
Jacob
Lauren

[Ringo]

46,000 polled Who was the best of Top 13
Ashthon Jones

1%

Casey Abrams

12%

Haley Reinhart

2%

Jacob Lusk

5%

James Durbin

17%

Karen Rodriguez

1%

Lauren Alaina

3%

Naima Adedapo

3%

Paul McDonald

3%

Pia Toscano

19%

Scotty McCreery

18%

Stefano Langone

3%

Thia Megia

7%
We should have a contest that starts in 2 weeks who can name the final 2 and winner

[klinkman]

You should work on your line breaks there hermes. For a minute I thought that 18% of the American public thought that Stefano had talent!

[Ringo]

You should work on your line breaks there hermes. For a minute I thought that 18% of the American public thought that Stefano had talent!

You have no idea what I had to go through
I had 14000 bits of code that I had to get rid of 1st

Stefano who?
LOL

Pia is fan favorite so far

[Ringo]

After this weeks performances, I wouldn't crown anyone a front runner.
Not one performance stood out enough for me to want to watch one again.
All it will take is one great performance to take the lead.
Girls were boring> sad to say
The guys were much stronger this week

A hard luck story, a litlle entertainment (however Lee won last year and I don't think he ever tappped his foot) and the right song can win AI 10.

P.S. Jacob is way better than Lee was and sings very similar styles

[Ringo]

I am picking my winner NOW.

JAMES DURBIN WILL WIN

I am wagering $5 a week on him to win it all.

5-1 odds right now.

He is Adam Lambert without the black fingernails, who should have won 2 years ago. James has the best hard luck story too! He has a 1 1/2 year old son and he has terrettes and ausbergers. The hit TV show PARENTHOOD deals with ausbergers and is in most Americans hearts right now.
Love for James will grow and grow once everyone gets to know him and his story.
I it SOOO inspiring.

Not one other contestant can even come close to his story.

Go back and listen to how articulate and concise he is too.

EASY WINNER

[Ringo]

American Idol Betting odds and Trends


16/03 22:00 GMT -7





Lauren Alaina+400 2.0%
Scotty McCreery+350 3.0%
Casey Abrams+450 19.0%
Thia Megia+1200 1.0%
Pia Toscano+450 5.0%
Jacob Lusk+1000 7.0%
James Durbin+400 61.0%
Stefano Langone+3000 1.0%
Naima Adedap+6600 1.0%
Haley Reinhart+5000 1.0%

Look at all that money going on James and not the front runner Scotty

[NDN]

Here goes my weekly breakdown of the performances night on American Idol.

Casey: I'll admit that you have to be a Nirvana fan to appreciate his performance tonight, and luckily I am a fan of Nirvana, so I enjoyed this number. Perhaps not his best overall performance, but he's certainly not going anywhere anytime soon in the competition.

Haley: I'm still a Haley fan (perhaps one of just a few) and there were parts of her performance that I liked tonight, but I'll agree with the masses and say she was lacking quite a bit. However, you have to appreciate that she is "raw" and has no performing experience (unlike many contestants over the years) and that's clearly evident by the amount of makeup left on her face after she was done singing (rubbed off from the microphone). I feel like she is afraid to take the next step, but if she does, she's going to pick up fans quickly.

Jacob: I really enjoyed this performance. I thought that after he butchered last week's performance he'd switch back to a slow ballad, but I am glad he still showed some courage and did this song. I have a hunch that you have to be a Heart fan to have liked his performance tonight, which of course I am so I liked this one a lot.

James: This was the biggest disappointment of the night for me. When he said he was singing Bon Jovi he got my hopes way too high and he fell short in his performance. This was mediocre at best.

Karen: Much improved from last week, and basically a solid performance, but it was forgettable. If she survives another week she is in need of a "moment" as the judges call it.

Lauren: A great performance from a likable contestant. Nuff said.

Naima: No surprise here, the worst of the night again for me. She continues to show week after week that she just doesn't compare to the rest of the group.

Paul: As feared, he did another repeat performance. I'll give him small props because I like the original song, but he's not doing himself any favors with the same old thing each week. He has enough fans to get by, but he needs the "moment" that I mentioned earlier.

Pia: Without a doubt one of the top three voices of the final 12. She could use a "change it up" attitude, but based on her voice alone she should get far this year.

Scotty: This was my favorite performance of his. I'm still not a Scotty fan don't get me wrong, but based on this performance he deserves to be here still.

Stefano: A little sleepy, but a good quality effort with some decent results. Certainly not one of the worst this week.

Thia: Love her voice and the innocence that she brings to the show. Would like to see her do a little something different, but certainly deserving of a few more weeks minimum.

My Personal Bottom Three: Naima - Paul - Haley
Likely Bottom Three Based On Voting: Karen - Haley - Naima

Going home: Naima (Please no judges save!)

[PANAMHIEST]

i was very happy to see my personal favorite bounce back tonight. Jacob should stick to what he does best every week and just get it done. He has luther vandross qualities with a marvin ***e like personality, plus he is still young. I would love to still see what he can do 5 years down the road. A huge fan of nirvana myself, i loved casey's performance, and its shows how well rounded he can be. Great job casey! The myth of scotty was finally solved for me, he is a elvis impersonator! I see the light now, and can enjoy his style better knowing he does have a great elvis like tone, but he is a country singer. I think what we really need is a new blues singer, and if casey, jacob or pia cant do that, then i dont know who could.

[klinkman]

Here goes my weekly breakdown of the performances night on American Idol.

I too shall give a weekly breakdown.

Casey: I always thought that the mass appeal of grunge was that it's best singers could bring a snarl and growl to a song while actually holding a tune. Casey didn't, and I really didn't enjoy this performance.

Haley: Again I feel like Haley was the worst of the week. She seemed off key the entire time, and her voice is just grating. Put it this way-I honestly don't think that she would have made it through auditions singing like that, she must have fallen greatly from then.

Jacob: I'm not really a Heart fan, but I did enjoy this song. Since Jacob is so technically perfect, it's nice to see him bring it to something other than the slow ballads he's done.

James: I was quite impressed by James once again. In addition to singing the song quite well, his stage presence was remarkable. I don't think he's a worse Adam Lambert. No, he's an IMPROVED Adam Lambert.

Karen: I don't think she was that much better than what she was last week, but I also didn't think she was that bad last week. She still really had an average and unremarkable performance.

Lauren: I felt like she really undersung the beginning of the song. Once she got to the chorus she was able to sing it out. I still don't think this performance surpassed decent for me, but decent is good enough for now.

Naima: I turned it on late and missed Naima. From what I heard on the recap, that might have been a good thing. The producers gave her the kiss of death (opening spot) so obviously they don't have much confidence in her either.

Paul: Instead of finding a song where he can really open up and bring his best performance, he keeps incrementally improving the same performance. Incremental improvements will only get you so far, at some point Paul will need to bring it or bust.

Pia: Pia brings another strong performance. She'll go far as she's clearly the best female. I still don't think she's as good as the top guys this year, but she'll be solidly in for the near future.

Scotty: I actually thought this was the worst performance of his. It was still respectable, but it felt like he was off in spots, which is unlike Scotty.

Stefano: Stefano improved again this week. He's actually good enough to be out of my bottom 3 I think. He's got a long ways to go before he catches up to the leaders though

Thia: She really needs to find songs that fit her range better, as her low notes were just off. The rest of the performance was mediocre, but that seemed like a theme for the day really.

My Personal Bottom Three: Naima - Casey - Haley


Likely Bottom Three Based On Voting: Karen - Haley - Naima I think I agree

Going home: Naima (Please no judges save!), Though I wouldn't be upset if Haley leaves as well. If Casey gets voted of I would use the save on him, but no one else mentioned in either of our bottom 3s.

[NDN]

We're almost on the same page this week. Crazy!

[taylovesthebeatles]

Since you asked, NDN, here's my two cents:

Casey: I'm a big fan of Casey generally. That said, I'm also not a huge Nirvana fan. I agree that this was a weak performance for Casey, but honestly his version of the song didn't sound toooo far from the original in my mind, and it's not one of my favorite songs to begin with. So I thought he did okay with it. Definitely not the worst of the night.

Haley: Hands down, the worst of the night. Her voice was all over the place, and I'm honestly confused how she made it past the audition rounds with that kind of performance.

Jacob: I don't remember much about this performance right now, I think I thought it was fine. I think he's probably better suited as a Sam Cooke type singer, though.

James: I love James; I can see the comparisons to Adam Lambert, but I honestly think he's just better than Adam. I hope he can win, and he has a very compelling story for me personally, so I like that.

Karen: Karen was okay, I'm not sure how I feel about her doing a Spanish flair on every song, though. If she's honestly doing it because it's a part of her that she wants to express, more power to her and it certainly makes her a unique, talented contestant. If she's using it more to garner votes or judges favor, however, she should stop.

Lauren: I remember hearing a lot about her talent during the audition rounds, which I honestly didn't watch. Whatever people saw in her then certainly doesn't seem to be there now. Her song was better than last week in my opinion but pretty undersung. Not the worst, though.

Naima: I, too, missed Naima, but from what I heard at the end of the show, it wasn't that good. I don't think she's the worst yet, but I remember picking her out as one of only two or three girls that I even thought were really talented, and I don't know where that went, but it's gone now.

Paul: I still see something cool in him, I don't know what it is. This week though, he fell behind. He needs to step it up next week, for sure.

Pia: Pia was really one of the only other girls I originally liked, and she brought another solid performance. I'm a fan, though she's not my favorite.

Scotty: I don't like country music much, but I love Scotty. He's amazingly talented, and in my opinion, needs to have a record contract and be on the radio/in the country circut sooner rather than later. If he wins this competition, I'm not sure if he can have the same success Carrie found, but maybe.

Stefano: I still don't like him, but he improved this week enough to stay out of my bottom 3.

Thia: Thia was really good, but I wish she had picked a more mature song and not a Disney song that seems more "age appropriate" for her.

My Personal Bottom Three: Haley-Lauren-Naima


Likely Bottom Three Based On Voting: Naima-Haley- Karen as well

Going home: Haley I hope.

[NDN]

This performance is what got me interested in Haley. She has a "vulnerable" tone to her voice and if should would just pick some better songs I think she could be amazing.