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~AI SEASON 4 COMMENTARY~
friday, june 3, 2005
Yes I know... I am way behind in
doing this commentary as IDOL was over last week, but I guess I needed sometime
to think things over, plus, I was out of town anyway, LOL.
What to say about Tuesday's final
show? It was great. I was a bit surprised that they had Carrie and Bo sing the
same song though (the one about Heaven...) as it seemed not to be the ideal song
for Carrie nor Bo to sing (producers? Hello? Carrie=Country, Bo=Rock! Have you
been paying attention?) but I will say that Carrie's version left me blah while
I really loved, loved Bo's rendition of it. As per the other songs sang by the
two, I really and honestly felt that Bo did an overall better, more consistent
job, while I really only liked the last song that Carrie sang...  the
one about the angels? I just cannot remember the names of these songs, sorry!!
Anyway, the angel song was phenomenal in my view, BRAVA!! I know I know... she
does sing that Independence Day song by Martina McBride well, but I am such a
HUGE Martina McBride fan that nobody, not even Carrie, can hold a candle to the
original. Sorry!
When I saw that the 'result' show
was going to be 2 hours I couldn't believe it. Mainly because I knew that they
were only going to announce the winner in the last 3 seconds of the show, so...
I thought I would be bored, but. Not so. I was thrilled to see all the other
contestants, well, the top 12, up on the stage and performing, and I
particularly liked the top 12 singing with their idols! Constantine was
outstanding!!! I was talking to my husband during the show and I told him that
even if Carrie won, Bo would outsell her, basically pulling a 'Clay'. Bo has
such a huge fan base, but I knew that Carrie had never been in the bottom 2 or
3, so the chances of her winning were pretty high.
Amazingly enough, I was correct.
Carrie did win, and now that both of their singles are on pre-sale status at
Amazon.com and other online retailers, Bo is indeed outselling Carrie. I think
once Carrie releases a COUNTRY album or at least an album with songs that are
mostly country (I am thinking something similar to Shania Twain, who can cross
over to pop from country and viceversa), there is no way she can outsell Bo.
I really wish I could go to the
IDOL tour this summer. With Nicky at home all summer from school and Connor
still a handful at 1.5 years old, I don't think I am going anywhere.. not even
the movies, anytime soon! LOL. I suppose I will be the first one in line at
Target or Wal-Mart to purchase Bo, Anthony and Constantine's album's for sure
though, as per Carrie... I will want to hear the songs before I buy!! But.. I
most likely will in the end. I am such an AI sucker, lol, I even love Justin
Guarini's album!!
'Til next year...
sly @ 11:17 AM
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friday, may
20,
2005
 This
week's show was absolutely AWESOME. It really goes without saying that the best
3 of the bunch are left, although I still miss Constantine! Sigh.
Clive Davis, a special treat if you ask me, was sitting with the judges this
week, being the only host judge for this season aside the auditions.
The final three contestants had to
sing 3 songs this time, first one is a personal choice, then a judges’
choice, and finally a Clive Davis choice.
The only one of the three that did
absolutely amazing in my view was Bo. He was unbelievable. The first song he
sang, Don't let the sun go down on me, is one of my absolute favorite songs, and
he made me love that song all over again. What can I say about that A Cappella
tune? Unreal. Wow. Clive Davis even commented how he's looking forward in doing
a record with him. Sounds to me like he's proclaimed him a winner already, and
whose to blame him?
Carrie did good also, although I
do think he butchered one of my favorite Air Supply songs. It was not her best.
Vonzell on the other hand did really great on all three songs, but something
told me that it would be her turn to go home. For weeks now I've been thinking
how Vonzell is so good, but something is amiss, and then when Simon was a guest
on some talk show he defined what's wrong with Vonzell and I think he hit the
mark 100%. Her voice, albeit great, is not 'recognizable'. If we were to hear
her on the radio, would we instantly recognize her? I don't think so. However,
Bo and Carrie are instantly recognizable, especially Bo!! There is something to
be said about that, and probably why Fantasia won last year over the immensely
talented LaToya and Jennifer Hudson (what happened to them anyway? Hmmm).
The result show was very
interesting, I really loved seeing clips of the contestants on their trip home.
You could tell Bo was really surprised to see his Idols, and Carrie was so
emotional to be back home!! I really loved this inside look at their lives. It
wasn't until the last 2 minutes (literally) of the show that the results were
announced finally... yes, it's Baby V going home. I feel sad for her, but at the
same time, I do believe that she has a career ahead as long as she keeps singing
songs like Whitney Houston and (the old) Mariah Carey. As Justin Guarini, Ruben
and Fantasia proved, not many R&B albums get sold from the idols, while look
at the POP success of Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken and the big success of
Country Crooner Josh Gracin!!! This alone tells me that both Bo and Carrie will
go on to make very successful albums.
In closing my 2c worth for the
week, who's going to WIN IDOL??? BO gets my vote hands down. GO BO!!!!
sly @ 9:05 AM
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friday, may 13, 2005
Ah... with Scott gone (sorry Scott
fans!) I can finally truly 100% enjoy the show! And... what a show!! We are told
that the two themes for this week are going to be 'country' (wow... they really
do cater to Carrie, aren't they? LOL) and the 'Philadelphia Sound'.
Carrie starts things off with her country
song and truly... she not only can sing country, she can move when she sings
country. This is totally her genre hands down. Her rendition of the Philadelphia
song though... I was with the judges, there was something wrong with it, could
not really put my finger on it... too slow, too something o whatever. It was
still good, but something was amiss.
 Bo shined, truly shined
as usual. I did love his first song and he totally took me by surprise with the
second one!! WOW! Not only he dressed the part, he ROCKED it! I am lovin' Bo.
Two great performances, what else could a gal want?
Vonzell did a very weird first
performance, she was then crying and later we find out it was because her pet
died, and I truly don't care for the sympathy vote bit. She then had a totally
different and energetic second performance, in which she showed, I guess, that
she can pick herself up, dust herself off and get on with the show.
Anthony had 2 amazing
performances, I really love this guy, but I knew he would most likely be voted
off this week because, simply stated, he's not COOL ENOUGH. Yes, ladies and
gents, you heard it right, he's not cool enough. My husband called him the
'dweeb' (dweeb? I gave him a hard time for that) but surely others feel the same
way. If Clay, yes, another self-proclaimed dweeb with great pipes, who sings the
same genre of songs as Anthony (or... close enough) cannot win Idol, like I
stated in one of my previous commentaries, there is no way Anthony ever
could.
So... come Wednesday's result
show, I was not surprised it was indeed Anthony that got the proverbial boot. Am
I upset? Of course. But at this stage of the competition, the remaining 4 are so
great, and it's sad to see any of them go. I don't think I have to worry about
Anthony though... I am certain that he WILL get a record contract and will be successful.
He just has to. The top 4 of AI2 all got record contracts (Ruben, Clay, Kimberly
& Josh) and they've all done very well for themselves. I don't see how these
last 4 cannot do the same regardless of who wins the Idol Crown.
My guess for the top 2? I think it
SHOULD be Carrie and Bo, and it will most likely be a CLOSE vote. I would love
for BO to win, as a white boy is yet to win IDOL, but I would be equally happy
if Carrie took home the crown. Either way we will have a different kind of IDOL
this season! YEY!
sly @ 9:51 AM
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thursday, may
5,
2005
 To say I was 'weary' of
the show coming into this week it's an understatement. I was so upset over the
loss of Constantine last week I felt I lost all faith on the fairness of the
show. In my mind, Constantine was the front runner, hands down. So... now what?
I really feel that the producers and the judges want Carrie to win, and that is
almost a sure bet at this point, and anyone can go home regardless of
performance. I truly feel that if the producers know what's good for the show,
if they want to keep their fans and credibility, Scott would be going home this
week, because if anyone else left... even Anthony... something would be smelling
seriously rotten. But... I am getting ahead of myself...
This week the remaining five
contestants had to sing not one, but two songs. The first song was a song by
legendary song-writing duo Lieber and Stoller and the second song had to be from
today's top 40 Billboard chart.
I really liked hearing all these fabulous old songs, "Stand by Me" is
a favorite of mine and Bo did a superb job with it. Vonzell's tribute to Elvis
was awesome. What can I say? I liked this girl from day 1. Carrie also went for
Mr. Presley's repertoire and she did really awesome as well. SHE MOVED! LOL.
Both girls left in this contest are just superb. I wouldn't be surprised if both
don't come out with smoking albums, Carrie a Country one while Vonzell I see
coming out with an album that resembles more the sound of the old Whitney
Houston. I would love that... but, I digress. Those were the only 3 performances
that impressed me from the first 'batch.
The second batch was much better
in my view. Admittedly, I think I recognized maybe one song? I don't really
listen to the radio, sorry! So... when Randy stated that the Backstreet Boys'
rendition of Anthony's song was not up to par I was like... what? Randy is
actually comparing the VOCALS of the Backstreet Boys to Anthony? Anthony has a
GREAT voice and can sing, I can't imagine how this could be true. When Simon
stated that he liked it I was like... YEY! It's not just me that thought it was
good! Then again folks, I am a sucker for this type of music... ya know, the
ballads and such. I will buy Anthony's record in a New York minute, he's just my
style. But is he good enough to win? Probably not. I mean.. if Clay Aiken can't
win IDOL with the same type of music and his incredible pipes, we know poor
Anthony does not stand a chance. Pity. Surely he'll be gone next week. The rest
of the performances were good, Bo did fantastic and Vonzell brought it home.
Scott... well, as I stated before, he may be a good singer, but he's way out of
his league, and... I don't particularly care for his attitude either to be quite
honest.
Wednesday's elimination show was a
tease. I tuned in thinking... there goes ____ (fill in the blank) instead of
Scott. Scott has escaped elimination after elimination for months now, just
look, he will be our next American Idol, God Help us!! Ryan had all 5
contestants on the floor and let Anthony and Scott get up on the couch. Anthony
mumbled something about 'you never know what's going to happen' or something of
sort, while Scott, thinking he was safe (did Ryan say he was safe? I don't think
so!) showed his arrogance by smirking and making funky gestures and faces of
"nah-nah-nah-nah-nah' at the camera. Whatever. When Ryan then stated that
the two people on the couch were the bottom 2, I thought... JUSTICE! Yet, like I
said before, Anthony deserves to stay another week rather than Scott. I would
much rather see the top 4 being Carrie, Bo, Vonzell and Anthony than any of that
combination with Scott in it. Sorry Scott fans, that's just how I feel. When
Ryan stated that 'sorry I have bad news' to Anthony I was like... it just
figures, DAMN IT!! But then he stated something about forgetting a birthday card
but that he had a gift and that he was safe I was literally YELLING at the TV...
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My son from the other room was worried... is
anything wrong Mom? Oh no, honey, everything is RIGHT!!! LOL.
In closing my 2c worth for the
week, my guess is that Anthony will be going home next week. Bo and Carrie are
just too strong, but Vonzell is really awesome as well, so, I guess we'll see.
Nothing can be predicted!!
sly @ 7:05 AM
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thursday, april 28, 2005
I am still in disbelief as I write
this. It cannot be true. How is it that someone that was never in the bottom 3,
someone that has a fan base only rivaled by Clay Aiken, someone so loved, get
the least amount of votes? Less votes than the likes of Scott Savol, who is
clearly out of his league? I must admit the upcoming expose' about AI was
something I heard of in disgust, and now, I can't wait to see it. One can't help
but wonder if this was the way the producers choose to deal with his band getting a recording contract.
If so, I hope  everyone
will go buy his album right now!! Here's the link!!
Okay, Okay... I am getting ahead
of myself. I truly enjoyed Tuesday's show. While it wasn't Constantine's best
performance, it was still immensely enjoyable as usual, and way better than
Scott without question. Two performances that really and truly stood out were
the one of Anthony Federov and Vonzell Solomon, who sadly, ended up in the
bottom 3 with Constantine. That blows out of the water the notion that it was a
'bad' song choice, as per Anthony and Vonzell, who absolutely shined, ended up
in the bottom three regardless. One can't help but wonder? No question Bo was
excellent this week, he's really a gem, and while I enjoyed Carrie going back to
doing country, since she seemed to be way more comfortable in that genre, I also
thought it was off-pitch a lot, which is surprising for Carrie. Scott in the top 3? I don't get it. Not only
he's painful to look at, his voice is nothing to write home about. And... I have
nothing against overweight people, as I loved Ruben (although Clay is my man)
but Ruben had the pipes and the personality that Scott simply does not have.
My pick to be in the bottom 3,
unsurprisingly, were Scott for sure... as per the other 2, I had no idea. I love
them all (except for Scott) so much, it's painful to see any of them go at this
point.
I think it was indicative of the
outrage to hear the roar of the crowd in the audience the moment Constantine was
announced as being the one to go home. Everyone looked stunned. Carrie, looking
on, had a big surprised look on his face. Anthony, who was next to Constantine,
looked also quite stunned, surely he thought he was going home. Scott laughed.
How nice. Paula's tears also spoke volumes, and while I agree that this sort of
thing has happened in the past with the elimination of Tamyra Gray in season 1
and LaToya London in season 3, at the same time, neither of these hugely
talented ladies had the following that Constantine has. This is why this is so
unbelievable and why so many don't buy it. Many fans reported a problem with the
phone lines as well, and a fan has started a petition, to sign it GO
HERE! This petition had almost 15,000 signatures within 12 hours of
being started.
sly @ 9:24 AM
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thursday, april
21,
2005
 This week's theme was
'70s dance music... can we say DISCO please??? LOL. I Love, Love, Love Disco, so
this was a treat for me.
I did like most of the performances, Bo stood out for its vibrancy and style,
while Constantine shined with those slight highlights in his hair (gone by the
result show) and a good dose of mascara. I liked Carrie and she did pull off the
song, but as usual she looks almost out of her element, a bit stiff during her
performance. Carrie truly needs a bit of that Vonzell's energy on stage and then
she would be perfect, or maybe she just needs to sing country, I don't know.
She's a beautiful girl for sure.
The performer that left me cold as usual this week was Scott. I hear what he has
to sing, and while most of the time it sounds okay (nothing spectacular to say
the least) it's though almost painful to watch. I just don't 'feel' it, I don't
see it. Where is the charisma? Anthony on the other hand did great! While I
don't think Anthony has a chance in hell to win, that takes nothing away from
his charisma and talent, and I will be the first in line to buy his albums
regardless of what happens in the competition. My guess for the bottom 3? Scott,
Anwar and Anthony, with Scott prime to be going home. While Anwar's performance
was nothing spectacular, what I like about him is his style, his voice is so
incredibly unique as well, there is nothing like it out there.
On Wednesday's elimination show it
was no surprise to see my pick for the bottom 3 in the bottom 3, but we didn't
get to see who got the least amount of votes next to Anwar. Scott and Anthony
were told to step forward and that they were safe, and just like that Anwar got
the news that he was toast. It's beyond me that there are people out there that
like Scott more than Anwar, more than Nadia, more than Nikko or Jessica. Who are
these people?
Since if things go the same way as
usual, Scott will be safe once again next week and Anthony will be sent home
before him, will you join me in throwing a few votes Anthony's way next week on
top of who you're already going to vote for, just to make sure he has MORE than
Scott so that Scott will be going home next week? He's WAY overdue. He should
not even have been in the top 12 as far as I am concerned. Ugh.
So... in closing, I know this show
cannot be predicted, but I still like to believe that Bo, Constantine and Carrie
(Constantine is my favorite to win at the moment) will be the final 3.
Anything can happen though, last year nobody predicted that Diana would make it
to the finale, but she did. So many, including myself, though that Latoya would
win, yet she was gone too soon, and Jennifer Hudson, also a favorite, was gone
even sooner. Let's just hope that next week Scott is gone and then I can believe
once again that the show is not rigged, LOL.
sly @ 9:52 AM
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thursday, april 14,
2005
This week's show was so much
exciting than last week's show it's not even funny! LOL. The contestants this
week had to pick a song from the year they were born and this way they could
sing a hit that best fit their vocals and genres, which is always a good thing.
Who can forget poor country crooner Josh Gracin from season 2 trying to sing
songs that just didn't fit him? I've also noticed that this season there haven't
really been any 'celebrity' guest judges except for the auditions. I wonder if
that's because for the most part the guest try to be as nice as possible and the
producers want someone more... hmmm... truthful?
At any rate, we heard songs from
1975 until mid-eighties, as the youngest contestant at this point is Anthony,
born in 1985, and the oldest are Bo and Constantine, both born in 1975.
Boy do I feel old, even though, truthfully, I am only about 11 years older than
the oldest contestant.
The evening starts with an absolutely stunning Nadia, but the song that she
sang, unknown by many, and singing first (a sure axe waiting to fall) I
immediately thought that there was no way she could stay out of the bottom 3.
Constantine really amazed me, at this point I have to agree with Paula... he's
the one to beat!! As per the other contestants, Anthony really gave me chills
this week.. finally! For one, I absolutely adore the song he sang, and he did a
great job with it too. Anwar Anwar... the thing about Anwar is that he has such
a unique voice. While I agree that his voice is not as strong as some of the
other contestants, he seems so nice and 'pure' one just wants to vote for him.
Bo and Vonzell were just okay to me, nothing really special that blew me away,
while Scott... UGH. He was pitchy all over the place, and then that attitude,
"I am the rocker of the show", supplied with pictures of him as a kid
playing with pots and pans
 as guitars... I hate to
brake it to you Scott, but just because you played with your mom's cookware (and
who didn't anyway?) does not make you a 'Rock' star. Singing in tune does, my
friend. Sure, it took guts to sing one of Hall & Oates hits in front of
them, but rubbing it in, like he's some sort of hero for doing it, does not buy
any sympathy for votes, and neither did the comment that there are millions of
people that can't or won't put themselves in that position. Like it matters that
others are not up on the stage, what matters is that HE is up there and how he
performs. His comment really made no sense. Lastly Carrie rocked this week,
vocally she did fantastic, but I think she needs to learn a few moves... or is
it just me?
My pick to be in the bottom 3,
unsurprisingly, were Nadia and Scott for sure... as per #3, I had no idea.
To see Bo in the bottom 3 was very
surprising, and even though the judges stated that both Ruben and Fantasia did
share the same fate at some point in the competition in other seasons, at the
same time the most successful IDOLS (Clay and Kelly) never did. I wouldn't be
surprised if Bo's fans come out of the woods and burn up the phone lines for him
next week, however, I need to revise my prediction of the top 2. At this point I
think it's going to be Carrie and Constantine, but I might chance my mind, so
don't quote me on that!! LOL.
The saddest part of the
elimination show to me is seeing Scott, once again, not offer a hug or a
handshake or even a look to the other eliminated or soon to be eliminated
contestants. He just looks at the 'sky' and thanks the 'Lord' and walks away. He
doesn't even look at Ryan for crying out loud. How about thanking the Lord AFTER
you offer some concern for the fellow human beings? If Scott's not gone next
week I will be seriously upset. He should have gone before Nadia, before Nikko
and before Jessica. It's his turn next week for sure.
sly @ 1:51 PM
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thursday, april 7,
2005
 This week's theme was
'Broadway' and the choice of songs were really bizarre if you ask me. I know
there isn't a huge selection to choose from or anything, but the only person
that did a good job selecting a song and delivering it if you ask me, was
Constantine. Wow! BRAVO! I was clapping in my living room!! As per the other
contestants... Bo's choice was just OK to me, Vonzell showed guts once again by
singing a song from a powerhouse voice (Barbra Streisand) but I do believe that
we had in the back of our mind the superb version of Barbra, so that was
detrimental. As per Carrie... wow... I was impressed by her performance, I
really thought I was hearing a song from the 50s/60s. She did a good job, but
not sure if it was really a right choice of song. As per the others... YAWN. It
was a fairly boring show and I agreed with Randy and Simon the most. I expect
better from Anthony and Anwar did show improvement over the previous weeks, but
it's Scott's time to go. My guess for the bottom 3? Scott, Nikko and Nadia.
Scott was out of tune when singing his song and I am still unsure what his style
is all about... I am picking Nikko simply because he was eliminated before and
while I think he's good, others have more charisma and a bigger following for
sure. There is no way he was going to last much longer. I only picked Nadia
because she seems to be the weakest girl at this point. Vonzell and Carrie are
surely much better and better deserving to stay on the show longer.
On Wednesday's elimination show it
was no surprise to me to see Scott and Nikko in the bottom 3. I was actually
happy to see Scott in the bottom at all. Vonzell though was a surprise. While if
it had been up to me Scott would have been eliminated instead of Nikko, I can
see why he was the first eliminated male contestant, since he was eliminated
before.
So... in closing, who will
be the one contestant who will get the lowest votes and be voted off next week?
This is getting harder to predict week by week. The people that I know are SAFE
for now are for sure Carrie, Bo and Constantine. These three have yet to be in
the bottom 3 and will most likely, in my view, end up being the last 3 standing.
They all have a HUGE fan base who is committed at voting for them. The other two
contestants who I know have several weeks left are Anthony and Anwar, both of
them have tremendous appeal and that 'likability' factor we hear so much from
Simon, so my pick to be in the bottom 3 next week will most likely be Nadia,
Vonzell and Scott, with hopefully Scott going, going gone... While I think both
Nadia and Vonzell are very talented and will most likely not have trouble
getting a record deal, I think the other contestants are more charismatic.
sly @ 11:14 AM
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friday, april 1,
2005
The premature departure of one of
my favorites, Jessica Sierra, sadly reminded me that anything can happen on this
show. But... more on that later...
Tuesday's show was really
surprising to me in many ways. For one, my favorite performers, Bo, Jessica,
Anwar & Anthony had 'OK' performances at best. Not bad but not "I am
blown away" either. Then we have what I consider 'bottom feeders' Scott
& Vonzell really stepping up their game and dishing out superb performances,
so I was at a loss on who to vote for. Thinking back I probably should have
voted for
 Constantine
and Carrie, since they seem to be the most consistent, but at the time I was
baffled. I was particularly impressed with Vonzell, who I always liked but never
thought could win, because it takes some major guts to take on the power house
voice of Whitney Houston. Vonzell really can make an impression with her style
and beautiful face, but this week her voice came out on top, and she sure made
an impression on me. You go girl!! I also liked Constantine, but the guy really
has me thinking about many aspects of the show. Surely Constantine does not have
'great' pipes to speak of (compared to Clay anyway... but is it fair to compare
anyone's pipes to Clay's superb pipes? LOL) but what he does have is charisma
out to wazoo.
I usually can make at least some
sort of guess at the bottom 3, but this week... I just couldn't. I had no clue.
Because of this I was eagerly awaiting the result show to see how America voted.
Was I surprised to see Jassica and
Anwar in the bottom 3? You bet. Not so much Nadia though. While Nadia does have
talent, I honestly do not see her winning this competition. I feel the same way
about Nikko and Scott and I am stunned that these two guys have never been in
the bottom 3? Considering that Nikko 'had' been eliminated previously, you would
think he would at least be a bottom feeder of some sort, but no such thing has
happened. My prediction that it was going to be girl after girl being eliminated
first is proving to be true, but Jessica going before Scott, before Nikko,
before Nadia? What happened? Was what Simon said true, that she did not have
that 'likability' factor? Well, I certainly do like her, as many certainly do,
but I do agree that Constantine and Bo seem to have more charisma per se.
Hmmm... Maybe it does come down to song choice after all. Jessica should have
gone for a song that showcased her pipes more, but of course, hindsight is
20/20.
I am still holding on to the prediction that it will be Carrie and Bo in
the finale, but for the top 6 that it's complete guesswork for me. I would
definetely want Constantine, Anthony and Anwar there, but there are Scott fans
out there that are keeping him in the show, so he may very well outlast them
all.
Here are the remaining 9 contestants!
sly @ 9:40 AM
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friday, march 25,
2005
 This week's
show was probably one of the best ever. Of course it was jinxed by the phone
numbers being displayed wrong, making the producers having to basically re-do
the show the next day, but I think the results are what matters, and the weakest
contestant did get the proverbial boot. But... I am getting ahead of
myself...
The stand-out performances for the
week were those of Carrie and Jessica without a doubt. I love the songs they
sang and they sang them well. The other girls ranged from good (Vonzell really
has some pipes!) to downright out of tune (Mikalah was on her last leg in my
view). Nadia's rendition of Time after Time truly did not do the song justice.
Nadia has a good voice, but in this song she did not show it, and made this
classic by Cindy Lauper come off as a totally different song that it was
intended to be. Very poor in my view. Nadia is a good singer, but this was a
poor song choice and a poor rendition of this song.
For the guys, as expected, Bo
impressed me. I also really enjoyed the rendition of "I think I love
you" by Constantine!! The guy truly has some charisma and showmanship. Who
impressed me this week is Scott Savol. If you've been reading my commentary you
will know that I am not a fan of his at all, but this week... he gave me chills.
I could feel he loved the song, I love the song myself, and he sang it with
conviction and passion. WOW! I was impressed!! If Scott keeps singing this way
he will not be on the chopping block anytime soon and might very well survive
some of the other more 'favorite' contestants. As per the other guys, Anwar put
some spunk in his moves but it wasn't until close to the end of the song that I
felt it, it was boring beforehand. I also did enjoy Anthony! I wish people would
stop comparing him to Clay Aiken to be honest. All I keep hearing is how
everyone thinks he's not as good as Clay or this or that. NEWSFLASH folks!!
Anthony is no Clay. I love Clay and nobody in the music business can come close
in having Clay's pipes, but that does not mean that Anthony is any less of a performer
or has a bad voice. He's different from Clay in many ways. I like the guy, and
truth be told, I will most likely buy his records before I buy anyone else in
the show right now except for maybe Carrie's and Jessica's.
On Thursday's elimination show it
was no surprise to me to see Nadia and Mikalah on the bottom 2, and in some
sense, it was not a surprise to see Anthony there either. While by and large it
was clearly Mikalah's turn to go, both Nadia and Anthony have performed far
better in previous shows and I do hope they do not become bottom feeders. I
thought it was interesting that both the first performers of the shows... last
week it was Jessica and this week Anthony, ended up being in the bottom 3. I
wonder if it's because people don't remember them as much since they sang first
or did they genuinely performed at less than par? Hmmm...
So... in closing, who will
be the one contestant who will get the lowest votes and be voted off next week?
It's getting harder and harder to predict. Somehow I do not think that Scott can
sing as well as he did this week, so my guess is that he will be on the bottom 3
next week, along with perhaps Nikko and... hmmm? I have no idea. My pick to be
in the finale at the moment? Bo and Carrie!!
sly @ 10:15 AM
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friday, march 18,
2005
It's the final 12 ladies and
gents!! The show is, in many ways, starting now, although we're in the third
month of it!! A few days before Tuesday's show we get wind that Mario Vasquez,
who was a favorite to perhaps even win the competition drops out, citing
personal reasons, personal reasons he does not want to be made public. That does
sound kind of strange, doesn't it? Let's hope that the 'personal reasons' are...
"mom is sick" and not "I am wanted in 3 states"!!
 So.... because of
Mario's exit, Nikko gets back into the competition. Knowing that the guys are
really strong this season, right away I imagined that this may very well be a
stroke of incredible luck for Nikko, who, while most likely will not win and
probably won't make it to the top 6, is sure to last several of the girls.
I really enjoyed many of the
performances of Tuesday's show, even those the judges thought were really bad,
like the one of Anthony and Jessica. I did agree that a couple of the
contestants were a bit boring this week, such as Anwar & Carrie, and that
Nadia really shined. Who really impressed me once again was Bo!!! I've never
really been a "rocker's" girl, although I do LOVE Bon Jovi, but Bo...
I really love. He is so good, and Simon is correct in his assessment that he
looks like he's been doing this for 20 years! He's a pro!!
But... who performed less than par this week? Who was in danger of getting the
boot? I had 4 contestants in mind for the bottom 3:
The first was Lindsey Cardinale...
she made the HUGE mistake of singing the song of a super DIVA (Donna Summer)
which, much like Mariah and Celine, has a superlative voice, and unless one has
not only the pipes to tackle such song, but the talent to make it their own,
these songs should not be touched, not even with a looooong stick. Lindsey's
voice was just not appropriate to sing this song, she should have sang something
more sultry and soft, something that her voice could handle. She just came off
as a really bad imitation of Donna Summer, and that was just doom.
The second one in danger of the boot in my view was Scott Savol. I know he has a
lot of fans out there, and for the life of me... I don't know why. His voice is
'okay' at best, nothing too fantastic, I don't see a personality at all, and
where is the charisma? Maybe is just me but I just don't get it. I seriously
doubt he can make it into the top 6, and I would be extremely surprised if he
did.
The third contestant in danger of the boot in my view is Mikalah Gordon. While I
agree she has talent, her over confidence is really a turn off, not to mention
her nasal 'Nanny' voice. AACK! It is true she is only 16?
Fourth contestant in my view in danger is Nikko. While I don't think he's really
bad or anything, he already got the boot once, and he did not shine tonight at
all.
Soooo... what a surprise, on
Wednesday's result show to see Jessica on the bottom 3!! WTF? Then again,
Kimberley Locke was in the bottom 3 the first week of the final 12 on Season 2
as well, and she ended up third, so there is hope she can stick around for a
while. I do think she's talented and charismatic enough to make it at least on
to the top 6. The final elimination of Lindsey was no surprise at all. She
reminded me a lot of Julia DeMato, talented but bad song choices.
Who will be gone next week? I am
once again betting on Scott, Mikalah or Nikko to leave the show. Since Mario
left I now need to revise who I think will make the top 6, so here's my
predictions...
Anthony Federov, Anwar Robinson, Bo
Bice,
Carrie Underwood, Jessica Sierra & hmmm... it's a tie between Constantine
& Nadia!!
Here are the remaining 11
contestants!
sly @ 10:14 AM
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friday, march 11,
2005
 This week's
show was very interesting. I am now 100% convinced that the guys will most
likely RULE the show and the girls will be eliminated one by one first. I could
be wrong, but it sure seems that way this season.
On Monday's show the guys were fantastic. I am really enjoying them and have a
hard time picking a favorite per se at this point. The two that I thought
performed more poorly than the others were Travis & Scott. I still think
Anthony and Anwar will go far and I am lovin' Bo Bice!!
Tuesday's show by comparison was a
bit boring. I still enjoyed Jessica Sierra, which I heard didn't make the final
32 last season? WHHHAAT?? And no matter what the judges said, I thought Amanda
really belted things out, loved her voice and the power behind that voice. I
know there are many that like Mikalah, but her 'nasal' voice and performances
leave me 'blah'. It's like watching "The Nanny" sing. If I had to pick
there and then who I wanted to be eliminated it would have had to be Mikalah and
Janay, as I think Janay should have been eliminated long ago anyway.
So... it was not surprising to me
that Janay finally got the boot, but when Ryan announced that Amanda was leaving
too I was surprised, much surprised. I was stunned that Nikko was eliminated as
well.. one can't help but wonder why people didn't vote for him? Then again,
while I remember him being good, I can't seem to remember what he sang, so maybe
that's it, good but forgettable? I know Simon speaks of that often enough. That
also makes me wonder how Scott was able to make the top 12. Sure, he's good, but
he does not have the pipes that some of the other guys have, so it will be
interesting to see what happens next week.
Speaking of next week... who will
be the one contestant who will get the lowest votes and be voted off? If I were
to venture a guess, the bottom 3 in my humble opinion will most likely be Scott,
Mikalah and Lindsey. However, it's hard to say without hearing them sing first.
My pick for the top 6 at the moment? Anthony Federov, Anwar Robinson, Bo Bice,
Carrie Underwood, Jessica Sierra & Mario Vasquez. But do not hold me to
these predictions! I might change my mind next week!!
sly @ 10:42 AM
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thursday, march 3,
2005
The show is getting really intense
in my view. All of these contestants are so good I really have to listen closely
to hear who is really the 'best' of the bunch because I couldn't really pick out
the 'worse' ones... there aren't any! Yes, I am really THIS impressed by this  bunch!
Monday's show was outstanding.
Mario started a great show and Anwar followed... both are just fantastic. If
these two don't make the final 6 guys I would be surprised. Who also impressed
me this week are Anthony and Bo. I wasn't as impressed with Constantine simply
because it seems to me that he was 'yelling' a lot, and while I enjoyed his
performance, I enjoyed Bo's a lot more. Nikko also wasn't bad, so I figured it
was one of the remaining guys that didn't impress me as much that would be voted
off, my guess was Scott simply because he's just 'okay' in my view. I was right
and I was wrong! Scott stayed, but Joseph Medina, who had a great performance
but seemed to much like a lounge singer to me, and David, whose performance was
so so, ended up being voted off.
On Tuesday's show who impressed me
were Amanda, Jessica (my favorite girl by far this year) and also Vonzell.
Carrie was okay this week, I wasn't totally impressed, which is sad because I
really, really like her, and I am still on the fence with Mikalah. Part of me
likes her, part of me is just... so what? The other girls did good but...
nothing that really left a 'wow' memory'. My guess on who was going to go this
week was Janay. Janay, however, is staying another week. On the result show I
was blown away that Celena got the least votes, since I thought she was pretty
good and while I didn't think she would end up winning, I did think she had a
chance to be on the final 6. I guess I was wrong! I was not surprised with
Aloha's elimination though, my husband told me she was going to be voted out
this week too.
Who will be gone next week? I am
once again betting on Janay but also Scott now to leave the show. They are both
good but not to par with the others, and I will be sad to see any of the other
contestants go!
sly @ 3:52 PM
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thursday, february 24,
2005
 I
really enjoyed this week's shows and the judges are right... the talent is
really great this season!! Having said that, I did think that some contestants
were better than others, more charismatic than others, and overall more talented
than others.
On Monday's show I really enjoyed both rocker's performances (Bo &
Constantine) and that version of Moon River that Anwar belted out... all I can
say is WOW!! I was a little disappointed with Anthony Federov's performance,
only because I just know he's capable of so much more! Several other contestants
also impressed me but not enough for me to vote for them. These 4 I mentioned
got a few votes each from me.
Tuesday's show was interesting
because there were also so many styles portrayed. I really enjoyed the
performance of Carrie Underwood simply because the show never had a great
'Country' performer and she is really quite good. Jessica Sierra also impressed
me, while I was disappointed at the annoying attitude of Mikalah Gordon... Simon
was right, I am one of those people that found her annoying. I also liked the
performance of Vonzell Solomon and so I voted for Carrie, Jessica and Vonzell.
While I thought more girls than just three were great, if I vote for everyone...
well, what's the point? I gotta pick who I think did better than the others
overall.
So... it was not suprising to me
that Judd, Sarah, Jared and Melinda were sent home on Wednesday's show. While
Judd succeeded in making my 17 month old and my 8 year old dance (quite a feat
if you ask me), the song he chose did not accurately portray his vocals. Sarah
and Melinda were blah to me, Sarah sang in monotone and Melinda was out of tune
a lot. Jared... I cannot remember, I guess he was that forgettable!!
Who will be gone next week? I am
betting on Janay to leave the show, but I am on the fence for the others, I
really need to hear them sing again!!
sly @ 11:06 AM
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friday, february 18,
2005
 I know I know... I didn't
update last week. My husband and I, along with our 17 month old took a
Valentine's day weekend cruise to Mexico!! It was great.
What to say about the past two
week's shows? I loved them. I really think this season is off to some fantastic
talent. I don't know if after 4 seasons now I am learning what it means to be a
good singer or what, 'cause just by hearing some people sing I knew not only
what the judges were going to say, but what SIMON was going to say. Bizarre or
what? I don't know... you be the judge!!
My only gripe is that somehow we
got to see way more 'auditioners' sing that the contestant sing. I am not sure
why the producers do that. Don't they think that the American public wants to
hear GOOD singers sing? I am not sure. We did not get to hear quite a few
contestants even sing a note before we were told that they were 'out'. Wow...
they were that bad, huh?
As usual I really enjoyed the
pressure of wondering what 'room' was going to be eliminated and which one was
going to go forward, but even my husband could tell, after hearing the
contestants sing, which room the judges were going to say no to. Kinda weird? I
am not sure! This past Wednesday's show was particularly nerve wreking, seeing
these poor kids wait HOURS upon HOURS just to hear if they were going to go home
or go in front of America to sing.
I tell you what was most
frustrating though... hearing the 'rejects' (and some of these rejects were
extremely talented singers without a doubt) yelling and cussing, and basically
saying 'what is wrong with me'... boo hoo. Here's the answer folks. Nothing is
particularly wrong with them. The judges are looking for talent, yes, but they
are also looking for uniqueness. If you have two singers which are both equally
talented, but one has a great personality that shows through the music (such as
Fantasia can do immensely well) the judges... and America, will pick the latter.
This does not mean that the first singer is LESS talented or that they can't
make it into the business, it just means that there was someone else that was a
little better than them in some way, however small.
Who am I rooting for so far? Hard
to say. I do like Anthony
Fedorov (the blonde guy that is pictured below whose Drs said he was
never going to be able to talk) and I do like Mikalah Gordon, the spunky 17 year old with pipes and
great personality. Aside those two, the other contestants that stand out in my
view is rocker Constantine
Maroulis and teacher Anwar
Robinson both of which wouldn't have made IDOL the past 3 seasons because
they were too old.
sly @ 11:38 AM
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wednesday, february 2nd,
2005
 I know what you're thinking... AI4 is now in it's 3rd week and I am
just NOW starting my commentary?
Truth be told, I am not a HUGE fan of the auditions shows. Yes, I still watch
them, yes, they are somewhat entertaining, but I could really go without. If the
show just started with all the 'good' people that made it to Hollywood, and show
MORE on how they make it down to the top 32, I wouldn't mind it at all! I really
dislike the fact that some contestants are ridiculed for their weight (and this
after America crowed Ruben Studdard! GMAB!) and others that are otherwise good
singers are told that 'they are not right' for this competition... what the heck
does that mean? If memory serves, Simon himself stated that he would have never
given Clay Aiken a record contract and admitted he would have been wrong, so you
would think they would give some slacks to the geeks with good voices they find
on the road but.. no such luck...
I also find it sad that after an hour show of watching bad, albeit funny
auditions, we are told 'and 30+ others made it to Hollywood from ___ city'. I
WANT TO SEE THOSE 30 PEOPLE SING!!! What the heck?? Which brings me to my next
question... why don't they show them? Are they editing out the people that did
not make it into the top 32 already? Is that why they are not shown? One can
only wonder...
I do think having guest judges for the auditions was a good move on the
producers' part. So far I have really enjoyed Mark McGrath, Kenny Loggins and LL
Cool J. I found it particularly moving when LL went over to hug the girl with a
great voice but did not 'look' like an American Idol, just because he loved the
comment about not needing to look like a Barbie to be an Idol. I fear that Simon
may be right though, in a certain sense. Many celebrities got where they are on
looks alone (read: Britney Spears) while others got there for their sheer talent
alone (read: Barbra Straisand). I know this is a TV show and looks are
important, but why not prove people wrong? After all, when it's all said and
done, when you listen to a CD, there better be talent behind all the hype.
But... that's just my 2c worth!!
The one guy I am watching at this point is this guy on the right. What a voice!!
For the life of me I can't remember his name, but I will remember his face!
From now on I will write a little commentary each week, however, I probably
won't get 'really into it' until the auditions shows are over with!!
sly @ 10:02 AM
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