American Idol - Top 10 Girls Perform

So, the top 10 girls for American Idol performed tonight and here are my notes. Can I just say that I love Randy's laugh -- it's such a great laugh!

Gina Glocksen -- the judges said it sounded great -- so maybe my TV doesn't let me hear what they hear -- but I thought it was very pitchy. It was a good song choice for her, but it didn't match what she was wearing -- I agree with Simon on that.

Now, Ryan's comment to Gina's boyfriend at home about "it's time for the ring" -- funny but awkward -- I mean, how can you respond to that if you're the boyfriend? No pressure dude!

Alaina Alexander -- I think if this were just a performance and not the American Idol competition, I would have liked it better. But she is in over her head for this year's contestants. But she's a cute girl and but not close to winning. I think she'll go home soon.

What do you think about when the judges say "the singing was terrible -- but you look amazing." -- I guess I do the same thing -- trying to find something positive to say. But do you think that gives the wrong message -- that looks are really important? It seems like there can be guys who don't look good but they can get pretty far in Hollywood, but it's rare to find any women in Hollywood who aren't the world's view of gorgeous. It's the same with this competition. Hmm. Anyway, just a random thought while watching the show.

LaKisha Jones -- I love Gladys Knight and LaKisha did this song justice! Man that girl can sing!!!! She really has the best voice of all of the contestants. (Well, both her and Melinda). She's in a different league! (And wasn't her grandma so cute?)

Melinda Doolittle -- she is so cute! She is going to be a star -- whether she wins this competition or not. She is extremely talented and very likeable! Amazing voice and very nice tone to listen to -- with great range. Both Melinda and LaKisha are for sure in the finals. Her song tonight was like listening to a beautiful professional star -- not an American Idol competition. Great performance!

Antonella Barber -- I'm not sure if all of the controversy about her (x-rated photos) will be a negative or if people would vote for her because of it. It's certainly a negative for me. Not just that they were released (not by her) but the fact that she would pose for them in the first place. That is NOT the kind of example I would want for my nieces -- and I do want someone like that to represent an American Idol. But with her performance tonight -- not being good -- I'm hoping she'll go home tomorrow.

What I really don't like is when the contestants get cocky and give attitude against the what the judges are saying. It just comes across poorly for the contestant -- rather than trying to learn from what Randy, Paula, and Simon are saying. I know it's hard to take criticism -- but it's a competition and the judges are just telling it like they see it.

Jordin Sparks -- I loved her dress -- good choice for her. And I really liked the song but it was a little bit too low in places. I thought she did a good job and she's so cute. From what Randy said -- I think she'll have a recording contract when this is all done. I think she'll for sure be in the top 5 or 6.

Stephanie Edwards -- Okay, it's too bad when the contestants wear immodest outfits -- I'm sure it's hard for Ryan to know where to look when he's interviewing them. Plus, I like the sweet modest image that I would be happy if my nieces or nephews bought their CDs -- the family friendly image. I didn't really like the song she chose. She can sing but I don't connect with her for some reason. She just doesn't stand out for me. She does remind me a little bit of Fantasia the way she moves on stage.

Leslie Hunt -- She actually did much better this week than last week. I liked it (except the scatting attempt). But I did think it was funny when Simon slammed Paula. I do agree with Simon that some of the other girls are outshining her.

Haley Scarnato -- Cute girl. Did not like the song -- did not fit her personality or attitude. I think only Whitney could pull it off. I think she'll go home tomorrow.

Sabrina Sloan -- She can certainly sing. I liked it -- but I think the problem is that when they announced her, I couldn't remember anything about her from previous weeks. She just doesn't stand out for me.

My predictions about who will go home: Haley, Antonella, or Alaina.

Favorites: For sure LaKisha and Melinda -- top quality performances! (and Jordin)

American Idol - Top 10 Guys Perform

The top 10 guys performed tonight and here are my notes.

Phil Stacey -- I like him personally but I didn't like his song choice but I thought he did a good job.

Jared Cotter -- he's such a cute guy and very likeable. He has a beautiful voice but it wasn't my favorite performance for him. I absolutely loved his comeback to Simon saying it was like the Love Boat -- showed his personality a bit.

AJ Tabaldo -- I thought he sang really well tonight.

Sanjaya Malakar -- I liked the hat and I really think he's a cute guy who can sing -- but I don't think he is star material yet. The song was not my favorite. It was like he was a little timid when he was on stage.

Chris Sligh -- "Curly Chris" -- Surprise -- Chris is married. Very cool. I liked that he dedicated the song to his wife "I've been saved by a woman." Very sweet. I didn't love the song itself but thought he did a good job and I really like him.

Nick Pedro -- I'm not sure what happened but it was not good for me. I thought he forgot some words or something, but the judges didn't seem to notice or care. Hmm.

Blake Lewis -- I really like his voice and his style. He can perform really well and seems comfortable on stage. I didn't like the song choice very much. But he has star style and I like him!

Brandon Rogers -- He's really likeable but I didn't like the song choice at all. Maybe it's because I don't really like the original either. Or maybe because I didn't feel like it showed his personality or showcased his voice.

Chris Richardson -- He's another of my favorites. Not my favorite song style. But I can see him going far. He's got such a cute smile and he's a great performer. I think the single guys (those without girlfriends) with get more votes, simply because of the single girl votes. :-)

Sundance Head -- I think it is so sweet to see a man talk about his son. I'm glad to see Sundance come back to a comfortable style for him. He seemed more in his element. It brought back why I liked him so much at the audition. His song put a smile on my face. I loved it. He's so likeable!

So, after the show tonight, I predict Sanjaya and Nick will be going home. Or possibly Brandon because of the bad song choice.

American Idol - Loses 4 - Down to 20

Well, I have to say I wasn't completely surprised about who left tonight on American Idol. Although I did think Rudy would have made it another week, and Nicole was better singer than a couple of the other girls. But I'm okay with those who left this week and can't wait until next week's performances. Good luck to all.

American Idol - Top 12 Girls Perform

Top 24 Girls – American Idol

Stephanie Edwards -- She has an amazing voice and seems much older than 19 years old. She’s classy and very talented.

Amy Krebs -- I don’t really like the timbre of her voice, and I thought she was a bit pitchy. It was a bit boring for me and I really didn’t like the ending – kind of strange. I do have to agree with Simon that she’s a bit forgettable and doesn’t really shine. She’s a pretty girl and can sing but does not seem to have that “it” factor.

Leslie Hunt -- Another pretty girl, but not really standing out. The song seemed kind of flat – and average. Doesn’t seem to have the star quality that should be in the finals.

Sabrina Sloan -- Great song choice for her, really showcased her voice. I hope her personality will shine through so people will vote for her. She’s certainly got talent. Very nicely done.

Antonella Barba -- It’s too bad she followed Sabrina because the contrast was pretty stark. It was pitchy and she lacked confidence. She’s a really pretty girl and I think she’ll stay another week because she’s likeable. But it wasn’t great for me.

Jordin Sparks -- She’s adorable. I didn’t love the song choice for her. It was a little bit boring. I’d like to see something more spunky and playful to match her personality. I really like the quality of her voice and I still predict she’ll be in the top 10.

Nicole Tranquillo -- I didn’t not like the song choice at all, it made her voice seem kind of nasal and the crinkling of her nose through most of the song was distracting. It was not good for me. (I agree with Randy and Simon on this one.) Plus, her personality doesn’t stand out as much as some of the others.

Haley Scarnato -- She’s a cute girl. Her outfit didn’t really work for me though. I didn’t really like the song choice – not good. It was pitchy and didn’t connect with the audience.

Melinda Doolittle -- She is darling. I think America is going to get behind her and cheer for her to overcome her fears and get the confidence she deserves. Huge voice and such a cute smile. She is an amazing singer. Absolutely top 10 and I think she’s going to win the title! She blows away the competition. She is a joy to watch and listen to. Even if she doesn’t win – she’s certainly going to get a recording contract.

Alaina Alexander -- Her song tonight was not great. But anyone following the greatness of Melinda is going to be compared harshly. Not very good for me.

The comment from Simon about Ryan trying to date Alaina was interesting. They actually looked cute together. Hmmm. That could begin some fun speculations.

Gina Glocksen -- She has a nice voice. I’m not sure why I don’t connect with her all that much, nothing I can put my finger on. But she did a good job.

LaKisha Jones -- She’s so cute and has an incredible voice. I want her to break out of her shell a little bit and show her personality off stage like she performs. Loved the performance. She for sure going to be in the top 10 and probably top 5. That girl can sing! She always seems a little bit sad when she’s not singing – I hope that’s goes away and she starts feeling the joy even when she's not singing.

My favorites from tonight -- absolutely Melinda, Jordin, and LaKisha.

Predictions of who will go home -- Leslie, Antonella, Haley, or Alaina

American Idol - J-Lo to Perform

Access Hollywood has announced that J-Lo will be performing on American Idol on April 11th. And Fantasia will be on the show tomorrow night. I love to see who performs through the season and guest judges.

American Idol - Top 12 Men Perform

Top 12 Men – American Idol

Rudy Cardenas -- He seems comfortable enough on stage and I thought the song was fun. But for some reason he’s not my favorite. Perhaps it feels like he’s putting on a show rather than really connecting with the audience. And I’m not sure I love the timbre of his voice. I do like the fact that Randy is being a bit more open and I generally agree with Simon.

Brandon Rogers – I like his personality a lot. He’s well spoken and I love the richness of his voice. He seems genuine. The playing up to the camera did remind me a bit of Justin from season 1 though – I mean, a little bit of camera gazing is okay, but singing only to the camera rather than to the live audience, not my favorite thing. Okay, so I do love his voice, but I didn’t really like the song. About half way through I was ready to fast-forward. But he did take the criticism fairly well.

Sundance Head – I really like how genuine he seems – the fact that he would talk about how truly nervous he got during Hollywood week and how he just knew he was going to go home – I think people will really respond to him. Ohh, bad song. You could tell he was really nervous. I think he was trying so hard. Kind of painful to listen to. Ohh, I wanted him to do well so much. That’s got to be tough! I hope he stays at least another week. I think he will because he’s well-liked.

Paul Kim -- There wasn’t anything I liked about his performance. Maybe he just hit me the wrong way initially, but I predict he won’t stay very long. If I weren’t blogging and analyzing performances, I would have fast-forwarded. I completely agreed with Simon on his assessment. (And about the shoes thing too!) I mean, put on your shoes and be normal.

Chris Richardson -- For some reason, watching his interview puts a smile on my face. The head shaking was distracting and the popping up and down I didn’t love. I was a bit disappointed tonight with his performance – I still like him but I think I was expecting more from him. Again, agree with Simon.

Nick Pedro -- Salesman, hmm… maybe that’s why he doesn’t seem as genuine as some of the others. (No, offense to sales people everywhere.) I think he picked the wrong song. Not a great performance. I think he’ll go home this week (disagree with Simon on this one.) The vote for Pedro thing was pretty good though, so maybe he’ll make it another week.

Blake Lewis -- The outfit was a little bit too “boy next door” for what I was expecting. But I really liked the vocals. I think he’s going to do very well in this competition.

Sanjaya Malakar -- What a cutie! What’s up with the song choices tonight? He can sing, but I did NOT like the song choice. It’s too old fashioned and slow for someone 17 years old. I think he’ll be back next week, but hope he picks something better to sing. I do feel bad for him with the criticism from the judges, that’s hard for anyone to take but he handled it well.

Chris Sligh -- I’ve nicknamed him “Curly Chris”. He just cracks me up. LOL! I’m sure his showmanship will get better. I really like his voice, but didn’t love the song. I hope he stays around for a long time because he adds a lot of flair.

OHHH Simon was mad – and very rude with the Teletubbies comment! If he would have said that to a girl – the fallout would have been huge. I think Chris took it well. Ryan and Simon – what is up with that? They’re like little kids – let’s just play nice boys.

Jared Cotter -- Smooth. He has a nice voice and is really a cute guy. I thought the song was a little pitchy in places, and I’m just not loving the slow song choices tonight. I’m not sure his personality has been shown enough to get him a big enough fan base to keep him. I did agree with Simon on this one too.

AJ Tabaldo -- Wow – he has tenacity to keep trying for 5 seasons. He has a nice voice and is a cute guy. I just don’t think he stands out enough.

Phil Stacey -- Darling little girl and I liked him on his interview. But I did not like the song, it was very bad in the beginning but he hit some great notes at the end. I’m not sure what to take from him, is he a rocker, a sweet dad, or a ballad singer? I like him, but I’m not sure he’ll stay around very long.

My predictions about who will go home: Paul, Nick, or AJ

My favorites from tonight: Blake, and Curly Chris

American Idol - Top 24

American Idol – 40 down to 24 – Season 6

So it’s down to the final 24. I love getting the contestants down to a more manageable number – it’s easier to pick favorites that way.

Here are the 24 finalists:

Sanjaya Malakar – He’s cute and sweet and girls will like his hair and personality. He can sing well, but needs to work on his stage presence. I hope his confidence will build as time goes on, but he’s different and more memorable than some other contestants. I don’t think he’ll make top 10 – he’s just a little too “soft” right now.

Melinda Doolittle – (background singer). Great voice. Needs more confidence but I think that will come as she performs. I think she’ll make the top 10 – people will respond to her.

Brandon Rogers – Very cute. I like his voice, but I want him to stand out a little bit more. He has a great personality and I think will go pretty far.

Gina Glocksen – She’s not my favorite but has a nice voice. Not memorable at all.

Haley Scarnato – I don’t really like her voice, but she’s cute (read marketable). When they did the recap of the top 12 girls – I have to admit I didn’t remember her – so she hasn’t stood out yet.

Philip Stacy – I really like his voice, he does need to work on his look a little bit but I think he’ll do well. His smile is contagious. He reminds me of the class clown – I think he’ll make the top 10 at least.

Chris Sligh – He is one of my favorites. Very funny, great dry sense of humor. I think people will really respond to him – but not just for his personality – but he has a really great voice as well. I predict he will be in the top 10. Okay, he cracks me up – when they were doing the recap and his dancing – totally LOL! Top 10 for sure.

Blake Lewis – He’s a great at beatboxing – and I think that may add a bit of variety to songs he’ll perform on the show. He’s cute and I think the girls will respond to him. He also has his own style. I hope he’ll go far.

Rudy Cardenas -- For some reason his voice reminds me of Clay Aiken – and something he does with his mouth when he talks and sings also seems like Clay. He can sing but I’m not sure he’ll make the top 10, some of the other guys just stand out more.

Paul Kim – Okay, dude, where did the barefoot thing come from – and why are you talking about your underwear? He is a bit affected in his singing. I don’t think he’ll make it very far – he doesn’t seem as “real” as some of the others. I’ll be happy to have him go away next time.

Jordin Sparks – She’s a very cute girl and has a nice voice. Seems sweet and I think people will really respond to her enthusiasm. I think she’ll go far. I predict she will be in the top 10.

AJ Tabaldo – Cute, nice voice, but not extremely memorable. Has a nice smile and if he can connect with the audience, he’ll do better. I think he’ll get cut next time – just not unique enough.

Stephanie Edwards – Powerful voice. Unique style. I think she’ll do really well – especially if she’ll stay real.

Leslie Hunt – She can sing. Needs to stand out a bit more. Okay, the recap dancing was bizarre – very strange. I’ll remember the weirdness but I don’t remember her singing.

Nick Pedro – He’s not my favorite. Seems like he’s trying a bit too hard but it’s more affected than real when he is singing. I think he’ll get cut early on. However, he is cute, so if he can get a good fan base of young girls, he might stay longer. (If he makes it to the final 10 which I don’t think he will.)

Alaina Alexander -- Looks a little bit like Mariah Carey. Very cute girl, I’m not loving the tone of her voice, it’s a bit sharp for my tastes, and I wish she would dress a bit more modestly – but I think she’ll do okay – she’s seems sincere but a bit over dramatic.

Chris Richardson – Amazing! I really love his voice. He’s going to be in the top 10 for sure, and I’ll be very surprised if he doesn’t get to the top 2 or 3 – unless he does something terrible, or gets cocky. He is a top contender! Reminds me a tiny bit of Justin Timberlake for some reason.

Sabrina Sloan -- Confident, great singer. She should make the top 10. Not extremely memorable though – she’ll need to do more to make a place for herself. She may come across as a bit cocky, but we’ll see.

Lakisha Jones – Amazing voice, great performer, a little reserved off stage. I think people will respond to her as a single mother. She should make the top 10 on talent alone – I hope her personality will come out more off stage so audiences will connect with her.

Nicole Tranquillo – She has a nice voice, but doesn’t really stand out as unique. Another one I didn’t really remember during the recap.

Jared Cotter – Cute guy, nice voice – I’m not sure if he’ll go very far simply for the fact that he doesn’t really stand out yet. But that’s just the editing of the show, so we’ll have to wait and see. He seems a little overconfident and that may come across as being cocky later on.

Amy Krebs – She can sing. Again, another one who doesn’t really stand out, but she has beautiful white teeth. ☺ Another one I didn’t remember when they did the recap.

Antonella Barba – Pretty girl. Sings okay. I’m not sure if she’ll make it very far unless she connects with people more.

Sundance Head – I am very happy that Sundance got through – although quite shocked. I thought for sure Tommy would have made it – but I like Sundance’s personality better and hope he can calm down a bit and get his great tone back from his first audition. I think people will like him and he should go far if he doesn’t sing like he did during Hollywood week.

SHOCK: Tommy Daniels being cut. I have to admit it – I thought he would get through and Sundance would go home. – He admits to being cocky – It’s not an attractive feature. He’s got a beautiful voice – very sexy tone. I loved his first audition and his hair when it was natural – but the way he reacted after he was cut was not classy at all. And I’m really glad Sundance made it through.

So -- those are my opinions as of now. Of course, they may change -- but it will be fun to see how accurately we can call it just from a seeing few seconds of each contestant. I've been pretty good every other year to predict, but once in a while I was surprised -- especially in the first two seasons. I couldn't believe some of the people who got through and couldn't stay in tune. That goes to show you that personality and connection can make a huge difference.

My personal favorites: (and I predict they will be in the top 10, except maybe Sundance)

Chris Richardson (top contender)
Melinda Doolittle
Jordin Sparks
Lakisha Jones
Philip Stacy
Chris Sligh
Blake Lewis
Sundance Head

American Idol - Contestants Cut in Half

Okay -- so I know the American Idol contestants weren't really cut in half, but it's a good title don't you think?

I just watched the American Idol from Tuesday, Feb 13th -- here are my thoughts:

American Idol Blog 2/13/07

I’m sure it was kind of a shock for the contestants when the whole first group of girls was eliminated from American Idol.

Oh my heck – dressing like Paula – Jory Steinberg – her voice was okay, but please, please, please people – quit being so cheesy and trying to depend on something besides your voice talent.

I agree with the judges about the first 6 girls to get sent home -- although Jeromishia could have stayed. But the others didn’t seem to stand out. I’m sure it was a huge wake up call for the other contestants – you have 30- seconds to make an impact – that’s got to be a huge stress.

Another thing – quit acting like you’re a star when you’re not – it’s just TOO much. Be real people! (Perla Meneses – not a bad voice, but over the top on pretending everyone already loves you. You have to earn that.) I have to agree with Simon about Perla and hope she’ll take his advice to heart.

Hello Baylie Brown – reminds me a little too much of Kellie Pickler, and Carrie Underwood. Cute and good voice, but hope she has time to show more of her own personality. Her group round didn’t go well, she forgot her words completely – not a good showing. And her interview after she got sent home, showed she is pretty immature still – maybe she’ll come back in a few years and do better.

I do wish that when people are told they are going home – that they would leave with honor and dignity. Quit trying to talk the judges into changing their minds – they aren’t going to do it, and it just makes you look pathetic.

I feel bad for all those who feel like their dreams have been dashed – they were so excited just days before and it all ends quickly. But it seems to me that they can all sing to some degree simply because they made it to Hollywood – the music business is hard and very few make it – but if you love to sing – keep singing.

Brian Miller – cute and has a nice voice. I’m not sure I love the tone of his voice but I think he’ll do pretty well because the girls will like him.

Matt Sato – sweet kid, a little too young and emotional for the show I think – so I don’t think he’ll go very far in the competition. But I hope he’ll take the experiences and get some confidence. Matt – quit trying to earn love – just be yourself and do what you love to do!

Chris – big curly hair – I loved his audition and I’m glad he made it through to the next round but I would have liked to see him sing tonight.

Sundance Head – I liked his initial audition – incredible voice, I was really impressed the first time. I’m glad to see he’s going on to the group round.

Sean Michelle (not sure how to spell his name) – long hair hippy guy. I’m really glad he made it through. It would be fun to see him made-over though.

Group Round: It’s really sad when those who can’t harmonize try to sing in groups. That is a lot of pressure for the others in the group. Can’t wait to see the outcomes.

Forgetting words? I have to admit – I wouldn’t do well here either. But the judges are pretty strict. I guess Matt is going home – I didn’t think he’d get too far, but thought he’d at least get through this round.

I don’t know why it bothers me so much when contestants say “I’m the next American Idol” – pretty cocky in my opinion. Instead they should say: “I want to be the next American Idol.”

Okay – so Perle is going home too – kind of a relief.

Rudy Cardenas - great voice. Thomas Lowe – cute, not my favorite of the group. Blake Lewis – fun and talented. Tom – Chris Sligh – very fun, likeable, good voice and personality. I hope he goes far. They had a really good group. Could actually become a boy band! (big grin)

I can’t stand it when you can’t tell what someone is singing – when they are done and you have absolutely no idea what they were singing. Diction please!

So, I take back what I thought about Sundance – his group audition was not great. I loved his first audition – but this was not his best day. I still like him and hope he gets it together and performs better next time.

Most of the girls are good singers, but they all start sounding the same.

So onto the next round!

American Idol Blog - The Auditions

Well, It seems that we're through the mean part of American Idol. I feel so bad for some of those who try out -- but oh my heck -- can someone in their family PLEASE tell them they can't sing? I think it's mean to encourage or support someone to go on national TV -- knowing they are going to humiliate themselves.

Then, the ones who REALLY can't sing get so defensive.

In past years, I've felt terrible for them -- but this season I can't help but laugh right alongside of Randy, Paula, and Simon. Give me a break -- really when you're trying out for American Idol -- you have to know that there's a chance you'll end up on TV -- and there's a chance you're not going to represent yourself well.

I usually avoid watching the auditions, because it's painful to hear. But I did catch a few of them and there were a few contestants I'm really anxious to see develop. I don't know their names yet, but in past seasons of American Idol, I've been pretty good at predicting who will go on and who will go home -- it's not all about talent, but also about how they connect with the audience.

I remember when Jennifer Hudson was on -- she has an amazing voice -- but I predicted (much to the dismay of my sister-in-law) that she would go home. It wasn't because she wasn't good, or that she deserved to go home. It was that the other contestants seemed to connect to the audience and have stronger personalities. She seemed too reserved to have the popular vote.

Anyway, I hope you'll give your feedback too. Let me know what you think as the season goes on.