AI 10 3-9-11 The Top 13

The official countdown to the finale begins tonight. This is AMERICAN IDOL!

The contestants begin working with Jimmy Iovine and his team of hotshot producers including Don Was, Rodney Jerkins, Jim Jonsin, Rock Mafia, Ron Fair, and Tricky Stewart among others. Jimmy indicates he will be “keeping an eye on the contestants.”

Tonight’s theme requires the contestants to sing a song by their own personal idol. This means their favorite artist of all time.

I will leave my ranting and raving until the end. We need to get right to the heart of why we are here. We are here to dish the dirt, excuse me; we are here to provide meaningful feedback to our top 13. Let the fun begin!

Lauren Alaina – “Any Man of Mine”

I like Lauren and I realize she is only 16 but what was up with that outfit; it was not flattering at all. Lauren can sing but I was not impressed as much as I have been from her other performances. I will give the girl kudos because she can command the stage and works it like a seasoned pro. The girl seriously had some kick ass energy but it was as if she was an opening act but not a headliner. Tonight’s vocal performance was not that hot. I did not think she sounded very good and she lacked breath control through most of the number. The back-up singers were louder than Lauren was and drowned her out. I also have to say it is creepy for a 16 year old to be singing about how her man needs to show her a teasing, squeezing, and pleasing kind of time.

Steven – “I love your voice, I love that song but I wish it’d been just a little bit more kick ass.”
Jennifer – “You always sound good and you do not have to try but you need to kick it into high gear – like really really go there.”
Randy – “You sang it well but we’re looking for that girl we first saw – something that lets you shine beyond belief.”

Casey Abrams – “With a Little Help from My Friends”

Ronald is seriously impressed. Casey cleans up well and he was looking incredibly sharp. This kid can sing and he proved it tonight. I enjoyed his interpretation of the song. I thought some of his movements were kooky but he had the audience eating out of his hands. Casey is simply having fun while being on stage and that type of attitude is infectious. Casey receives the first standing ovation so far this evening. As I said last week, we can skip to the finale and watch Casey shine!

Jennifer – There was a point when I grabbed Randy and said, “What am I watching right now?” I am watching someone important. You blew me away!
Randy – “I am always excited to see what you can do, so unbelievable, so exciting! I loved it.”
Steven – “You are a rainbow of talent and a plethora of passion.”

Ashton Jones – “When You Tell Me that you Love Me”

I was very disappointed with Ashton’s performance. I am not sure this was the best song choice for her. The song seemed too big for her. I thought the vocals were low-keyed and she did not sound good. Her voice sounded flat. I do not think she had very good control of the tone or pitch. Singing loud and waving your arms is not going to distract the listener from hearing the shrillness in your voice. The back-up singers were also over powering her. I was not feeling the love last night.

Randy – “I saw you grow as a singer. I think you did yourself some good with that.”
Steven – “I think there is a lot more in there then you are showing us. I have confidence in you.”
Jennifer – “You were elegant and professional. The song started getting away from you but you got it back. I want to hear songs that are more well-known.”

Paul McDonald – “Come Pick Me Up”

I am not sure what I really think about Paul. I love anyone who “dares to be different” but I hate his crazy jackets but at least he can pull them off. I find his strange two-step shuffle laughable but at least Paul was on the stage having fun which carries over to the audience. Paul definitely has stage presence. I think it is Paul’s voice, which bothers me. There is no depth to it. For what his voice is, I think he did well. There were a few sharp notes but overall he was on target. Maybe he will grow on me.

Steven – “I like you but watch that you do not get pitchy.”
Jennifer – “You are unique.” I have to rant here and there will be more on this subject later but how could J Lo have no idea who Ryan Adams is. Really? I was just shaking my head in disbelief.
Randy – “I love who you are. I love that you love Whiskeytown and Wilco. You are different and I love you for the show.”

Pia Toscano – “All by Myself”

Pia is another contender for the Idol crown. This girl can sing and with such ease. I think she nailed each note. Pia has excellent control of her voice as well. This was just a stunning vocal performance. I did not love the outfit. I think she stole James Durbin’s tail from last week.

Jennifer – “A lot of people were thinking what are you going to do to top last week? Well here it is. It was beautiful.”
Randy - “This is Season 10, Mariah, Whitney, Celine are the big three, and we always tell the singers not to tackle their songs unless they can really do them. You slayed the song, hitting the notes dead-on without even thinking about it. You have a natural gift. That was a hot, dope, cool performance.”
Steven – “That was the sum total of everything you’ve been working towards till now. You just polished that apple. You just slammed it.”

James Durbin – “Maybe I’m Amazed”

Here is another person who cleans up well. I love the new haircut and that he was clean-shaven. James proved he is no one trick pony. I liked how James picked a different type of song, which shows the audience he can do different things. I loved how he slowed it down. I also thought he has learned some restraint in using his falsetto. I thought James showed some great vocal control tonight. I really enjoyed the performance.

Randy – “James Durbin is dangerous America. This boy can sing!”
Steven – “You have taken everything you ever felt and taken it into the middle of next week.”
Jennifer – Encourages the audience to keep applauding shouting, “James needs to get used to it.” The truth is you have what the greatest rock singers have – a melodic voice.

Haley Reinhart – “Blue”

I enjoyed the actual vocal performance. Haley has a very pure voice. I thought the yodeling was a bit over the top and I am not sure she pulled it off. This was just middle of the road for me. I was not wowed but on the other hand, I did not run screaming from the room. I liked her dress but what was up with that hairdo.

Steven – “If you listen real close you can hear the country-western part of America roaring.”
Jennifer – “I think America is getting to know you now. You do a lot of diverse things with your voice.”
Randy – “I was bored, it was a little sleepy. You are young, you have all this energy, and you have got to hit me with that wow thing.”

Jacob Lusk – “I Believe I Can Fly”

I am sorry I have to rant again. I cannot believe anyone would pick R. Kelly as his or her idol. Give me a freaking break!

Jacob is another contestant who has some raw talent but I am not sure I really like him. I will give kudos because he knows how to put on a show but it can go way over the top. I thought the gospel choir was a bit much and they certainly did not help him. I just did not like this vocal performance. I thought the song choice was wrong because it does not fit his voice. The botched key change grated on my nerves. I thought there were too many vocal gymnastics that did not work for me. Jacob also had horrible enunciation. The ending when he hit the high note was good but overall I found the vocal performance to be a total train wreck.

Steven – “I cannot judge the performance because you are so good. You can fly and soar beyond your wildest dreams.”
Jennifer – “You make me feel so much when you sing. It is anybody’s game but you are at the top of the list.”
Randy – “To me, that is what singing is about.”

Thia Megia – “Smile’

For one so young, Thia has amazing control but this was just a boring performance. The vocals were okay and I enjoyed the beginning of the song when it was just her voice but that ridiculous jazzy breakdown was stupid and ruined the entire song. In addition Thia cannot move. She is a singer who sings. I was laughing when she tried to move. I give her points for being pitch perfect though.

Randy – “I liked the beginning. I heard a little Adele in your voice. (Randy is losing it big time) I wish you had done the whole song the Chaplin way.”
Steven – “I agree. You were a little pitchy in the middle but you have a great future in front of you.”
Jennifer – “You sing like an angel.”

Stefano Langone – “Lately”

I like Stefano but I did not enjoy this performance. I thought he started off key and did not get much better. The arrangement was horrible with all that weird techno beat. Stefano was not having an emotional connection to the song and therefore was unable to sell it. I found the entire performance distracting. Stefano had breath control problems and his movements were way to frantic.

Steven – “You pulled it off. You soared like a volcano.” I do not believe volcano’s soar and I am not sure what the judges are hearing tonight.
Jennifer – “You had me dancing.”
Randy – “It is so hard to sing Stevie. He would be proud because you slayed it. Wow wow wow!” What is in those Coke cups and can I drink from the fountain as well so I do not care that the singer was not as good as the judges heard. I could use a little escape from reality.

Karen Rodriquez – “I Could Fall in Love”

Karen what has happened? This has to be the worst performance of the night so far and that is saying a lot. The song started rough and I think the key was wrong for her as well. I think her voice is weak here. The entire vocal fell apart and do not get me started on how she strained to reach those high notes but cracked.

Jennifer – “You sounded uncomfortable with some of the notes and this is surprising as you are one of the strongest. I hope you are still around next week.”
Randy – “It felt like you were fighting the song. You tried to bring something new to the song but it was sleepy.”
Steven – “It lacked a little bit. I know you can sing better than this.”

Scotty McCreery – “The River”

I like country music and Scotty can sing but I think he does not have a wide vocal range. I like the deep rich voice and technically, he sang the song well. Scotty is just boring to watch. Each performance is exactly the same in the way he does that half-leaning posturing and all the squinting is just annoying. If can just listen then I am fine but watching him perform is torture.

Randy – “If it ain’t broke then don’t even think about fixing it. This is where you belong. You could put that song out as a record right now.”
Steven – “You did Garth justice.”
Jennifer – “You opened up as a performer tonight. You embraced the audience. You are taking us all on a ride with you.”

Naima Adedapo – “Umbrella”

Now this is what you call a show stopping performance. I have ranted and raved about the stupid graphics used by the producers and directors but tonight every cylinder was firing on point. I loved the performance. The vocals on the other hand were not as spectacular as last week but since Naima was having fun and the audience was on the ride with her she covered it well. It was clearly hard for her to do all that dancing and keep control of her breath but she never let it stop her and she was performing like a star on that stage.

Steven – “You are crazy good. You were pitchy but you brought flavor and did something no one else has done. I adore you.”
Jennifer – “I do not care you were pitchy. You got it girl. It is hard out there moving and singing, you will need to work on the control but you brought reggae, rap and you are doing it like the stars do it, like a real artist.”
Randy – “I do care about pitch. I did love the whole reggae thing. You need to work out your breathing when dancing.”


Before I start the ranting, I want to say what I like about the new format. It is Jimmy Iovone and his team of producers. The videos of the contestants working with the producers were excellent. I like seeing the rehearsal process, what advice the contestants are given, and then seeing if they listen and what ultimately works or does not work. I must give serious kudos to the producers for this major change.

My first major rant is the fact there are so many of the contestants who do not have a clue who some of these great artists are. What is up with the education in this country? It just so sad and then we had Jennifer being part of the group and Ryan Adams is a current artist. Good grief!

I hate the backstage video interviews, which are distracting, and Ryan’s attempts to engage the contestants usually fall flat. It also annoys me in how they pick who gets that type of spot light and who does not.

I was disappointed about the show because so many of the contestants who show such promise fell flat during their performance. I realize this is the first big episode but I was expecting more.

I was out last night so had to watch a recording when I got home. I voted for Casey, Pia, and Naima only.

My predictions for the bottom three are Ashthon, Haley, and Stefano. Karen may sneak in as well.

The real question is will they eliminate two contestants tonight or just one. If we are going for two then there will be a bottom four.

If only one contestant is leaving tonight, I believe it will be Ashton. If two are eliminated then it will be Ashthon and Karen.

Until tomorrow…