[Dean's World] Dean: Idol Notes

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Posted by Dean:
Idol Notes
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1176285167.shtml


   Here are my notes on last night's AI, more or less as I wrote them
   while watching:

   Hmm. Jennifer Lopez this week? I guess it's all going to be latin
   music. Well that should be fun.

   ([1]show)

   Melinda: She sings Sway. I really can't think of anything to say about
   this. No, she doesn't look like a pop diva. But she's stunning. She's
   not only note-perfect as usual, but she also believes and sells every
   word she sings, as usual. I can't imagine what I'd criticize. Maybe
   she could have sexed it up a little since it's a sexy song.

   Judges: Randy and Paula agree with me. Simon didn't like it, basically
   because he didn't like the song choice. He might have a point. Melinda
   has a nice retort though, saying Simon finally got a chance to say
   something negative.

   Lakisha: Conga? That's a strange choice for her. It doesn't seem like
   this matches her personality. As usual it's hard to critique her
   singing because she's so very good. I didn't feel like she "sold" that
   song though.

   Judges: Randy thought it was hot and liked it more than Melinda. Paula
   says she looks lovely but she didn't like it, thought it was kind of
   "safe." When Paula is critical you know you're in trouble. Simon
   agrees with Paula.

   Chris: Smooth. Good song, but I don't know if he can manage it. My,
   that's a pretty rough opening. He sounds nervous. Uhm, this sucks.
   Very bland, and the singing was warbly (in a bad way) and out of
   breath.

   Judges: Randy says he did a good job, thought it was "very cool."
   Paula says it was a hot performance and he was sexy. Simon liked it
   because it was more contemporary than Lakisha and Melinda. They're
   nuts, that sucked.

   Haley: The Beat. Well those shorts won't hurt her in the voting. This
   is an awfully white-sounding version of a hot latin song. As usual I
   find her bland but competent and a pretty face.

   Judges: Randy says it was karaoke, could have been in any bar
   anywhere. Paula says it's "not a singer song" but she had fun up
   there. Simon says her tactic of wearing revealing clothes, and there
   are better singers.

   Phil: Maria Maria. This seems to be one of his best performances to
   date. He's never been one of my favorites but he's got a great tone
   and he seems to believe what he's singing. Even when his voice breaks,
   it breaks perfectly, and that's hard to do. Very nice.

   Judges: Randy says it wsan't his favorite, he didn't like it. He's
   crazy. Paula says it was really good. Simon says he saw no originality
   and it was lifeless. They're harping on that crack in his voice at the
   end but I thought it was a good emotional crack. Ah well.

   Jordin: The Rhythm Is Gonna Get You. I've always liked this girl,
   she's sweet. Well her tone and delivery are solid. On the other hand,
   I don't feel like the rhythm is getting me--i.e. she's not selling the
   song. She's singing it almost like a torch song. She almost sounds
   tired. The big note at the end can't save a boring performance.

   Judges: Randy says it was absolutely wonderful. Paula says nothing
   worth hearing. Simon says it was an okay performance and he's
   disappointed.

   Blake: I Need To Know. Blake is obviously the best male vocalist in
   the competition, and the best musician. I predict him for the top 3 at
   least. He sings well, and he believes what he's singing. Very nice.

   Judges: Says it was a hot song choice and hot performance. Paula says
   it was an excellent choice and captured who he is. Simon says best
   song of the night, best performance so far. I might agree.

   Sanjaya: Besame Mucho. Oh my god. This kid just made every one of his
   critics blanch. Including me. He both looks the part and sounds it for
   this song. Genuinely brilliant song choice. He even looks like a hot
   Latin singer. Perfect vamping for the camera too. Damn.

   Judges: Says he's one of the smartest contestants ever. Paula says it
   was smooth and very very nice. Simon says he couldn't understand a
   word, he sang like a 14 year old, and it wasn't horrible.

   Good lord. Sanjaya wins again. God hates America.

   ([2]hide)

   Predictions: I'm bad at predicting this year but I have a notion that
   usually by this point everyone's established a certain fan base and
   the strength of that fan base will get them through. So it wouldn't
   surprise me if we get a surprise with who's going home tonight, like a
   Lakisha or a Jordin or Chris. Why? Haley's got the "we like hot
   chicks" crowd, Blake's got the male vocalist title wrapped up already,
   Melinda is clearly the best of the black girls, and Sanjaya is...
   [shudder] just not going home.

   Under that theory, the [3]Dial Idol predictions don't look strange to
   me.

References

   1. file://localhost/var/www/powerblogs/deanesmay/posts/1176285167.html
   2. file://localhost/var/www/powerblogs/deanesmay/posts/1176285167.html
   3. http://dialidol.com/asp/predictions/Predictions.asp