American Idol, Season 5 **Official Discussion Thread** Part 2

[MeanLaureen]

Unfortunately, I suspect once they have to pay for his performances it won't be any different than it has been in the past for Taylor -- he'll get a lot of enthusiasm but not much in terms of devoted fans willing to pay for his albums and concerts.

I disagree. I know that in my circle of acquaintances, with people ages from their 20's to their 70's, everyone loves Taylor and have said more than once they will buy a CD of his and will go to any concerts of his that come to our area. Plus if you look at eBay right now, the Cd's that Taylor did put out prior to going on American Idol are going for astronomical prices - certain copies making over $200 each! Our of all of the remaining idols, Taylor has the most sales action on eBay. I think his fan base is one of the most devoted out there for any year of American Idol, only maybe paling in comparison to Clay Aiken.

 

[marymrg]

I think most of the idols did a good to great job last night. To be honest, when I knew they were doing "The Songbook" selections, I wasn't too sure.

Chris - really good. It was nice to hear him this week. I remembered why I like him so much.

Paris - she is an old soul for sure. I wonder if that would translate into a lot of album sales though? I agree with Simon. There's such a disconnect between her Minnie Mouse voice and her singing voice. Nice job though.

Taylor - started out a little slow but man that ending! Great song choice!

Ace - boy, you clean up nice! I thought it was a good performance for him. It was a little off in the middle but he did well on the ending. Will it be good enough for one more week?

Elliott - the most remarkable thing about him is how different he looks from the beginning. As demonstrated last week with the home videos, he is sensitive but does it always shine through when he sings? He is in jeopardy again this week but only because of the sheer numbers that are left. I thought he did an ok/good performance.

Kellie - Kellie - Kellie - the weakest of the night. I thought she looked so vulnerable in the beginning of the song but she couldn't keep it going. If it was the other way around, slow start and awesome finish, we might have seen Paris in the bottom 3.

Maybe the song was just a liitle too big for her. She may be bottom three, but I don't think she'll be leaving. Even Rod Stewart gave her the "eye" when she said "that's a weight off of my chest".

Katharine - I would've liked to see her do her other song choice. (the one where everyone was having fun when she was singing with Rod and co.) But, she nailed the one she did choose.


Bottom three: Kellie, Ace and Elliott

Who should be going home based on last night only? Kellie

Who should have a slight edge because of performance? Ace

Who will be going home because voting is more cumulative? Ace or Elliott - I can't decide which one. OK- I'll go out on a limb..........Elliott. (which probably means it will be Ace!)


It's just so hard for all of the contestants at this stage of the game. I am glad to see that they all stepped up to the plate last night.

 

[damo]

Ugg..now that you say they he DID look like him! Well another reason not to like him LOL....

I just saw John Travolta. Doesn't matter though, it is Ace's time to go home. He is the weakest link right now.

It's funny how some people say how everyone they know loves Taylor. I don't know one person who wants Taylor to win. I think Chris or Kat would be more marketable.

 

[Jeafl]

What a night, what a night!! Never in the two years I’ve been watching Idol has a group scored as highly as the one did last night. While some thought the night would be boring and some thought they just wouldn’t get it, almost to a performer, they made me wanting more. My take on the best night of American Idol so far.

Chris: OMG, he can smile. OMG, he can sing without screaming. OMG, he can REALLY sing!! All bets are off with Chris. Beautiful. Soulful. A wonderful rendition of a Wonderful World.
Chris gets a 10.

Paris: Sliding seamlessly into a vampy look, Paris delivered and delivered big time. Singing These Foolish Things, which was written in 1935, she made me want to go out and buy a copy of that TODAY!
A helium speaking voice followed by a husky, well controlled singing voice just blows my mind every time I hear her. Absolutely the best performance of the night and maybe this season, Paris was the BOMB!! She gets a 10++

Taylor: Taylor gave us You Send Me which was just a bit too laid back in the beginning, actually about ½ way through the song. But then he morphed into the Taylor bug and added his soul to it. Bluesy finale with a great ending saved him from a 5 or 6. Taylor gets an 8.

Elliott: Singing It Had To Be You which is one of my favorite songs ever, Elliott ALMOST got it right. The only problem I had with his version was finding it a bit too slow. On the up side, his performance was as smooth as glass and quite sexy. It could have been his moment but he just missed the brass ring. Elliott gets a 9

Kellie: As Simon said, she could have left out the Bewitched and Bothered parts because all she appeared to be was Bewildered. I got the feeling she really didn’t understand the lyrics to this. A great start that rapidly disintegrated into a game of Where’s my Rhythm? To her credit, she did admit she butchered it in the post performance interview.
Sorry Kellie, but on a night of greatness, you only get a 6

Ace: I kept humming Minnie the Moocher from the Blues Brothers when I saw Ace. That was quite an, umm, interesting look for him. Singing That’s All (not sure that was the title) I loved his performance. His delivery was on the mark and the stage presence was sexy and enchanting. One of his best nights so far, Ace gets a 9.

Katharine: Doing Someone to Watch Over Me, I spent most of her performance waiting for her hyper glossed lips to slide right off her face. Making goo goo eyes at the camera didn’t make me lose my hearing and miss those dropped held notes that this song had plenty of. I found her performance just a bit over the top. A great song that I enjoyed a lot more if I didn’t watch the antics on my TV.
Katharine gets an 8.

I agree with you on every person. I also agree with whoever said that they needed to back the camera up from Katharine's face. It was uncomfortable to watch.

 

[emmabelle]

Bottom three: Ace, Elliot, Paris

Going home: Elliot

Would love it to be Kellie though

 

[damo]

For those who still are not sure about the site, here is the link to projected results based on busy signals http://www.dialidol.com/asp/predictions/Predictions.asp

 

[vettechick99]

Sorry I don't have time to search - if Estelle has a review, please post it or IM to me! Thanks!!!!

 

[tarmand]

Estelle's review:

http://groups.msn.com/EstellesAmericanIdolJoint/americanidol.msnw?action=get_message&mview=0&ID_Message=12721&LastModified=4675569049198137998

 

[sweet angel]

I disagree. I know that in my circle of acquaintances, with people ages from their 20's to their 70's, everyone loves Taylor and have said more than once they will buy a CD of his and will go to any concerts of his that come to our area. Plus if you look at eBay right now, the Cd's that Taylor did put out prior to going on American Idol are going for astronomical prices - certain copies making over $200 each! Our of all of the remaining idols, Taylor has the most sales action on eBay. I think his fan base is one of the most devoted out there for any year of American Idol, only maybe paling in comparison to Clay Aiken.

I'm 40 and I would NOT, NO WAY, NO HOW buy a CD by Taylor. Now Chris on the other hand.....

 

[tarmand]

Okay, here's my review of last night. Although I think vocally, this show was the best, it was still a bit boring. Too many slow songs for me, I guess.

Chris - I thought it was great. The outfit was horrible. The short sleeved shirt and the chain have got to go. His voice sounded awesome, but I figure he will be in the bottom 3 since he went first and although he sounded great, most of the others sounded way better.

Paris - Sounded wonderful. Still annoys me to no end but it was her best performance. She looked like a 40-year old administrative assistant.

Taylor - Extremely boring at first. I was so glad he Taylored it up at the end. He is still my favorite of the remaining contestants and I don't think he is going anywhere. Oh and although I probably won't buy his cd (don't have a cd player), I would surely go to see him in person if he played in a small venue - I don't like large noisy concerts. My dad, who only watches AI to see Taylor is already waiting for his cd.

Elliott - While I thought this was his best performance, he won't last much longer since he probably doesn't have the fan base to pull him through.

Ace - Not bad. I enjoyed his performance but not his pony tail. He needs to cut that nasty mess on his head. He will probably go tonight since people have lost interest in him.

Kellie - Pitchy and pouty. She's not going anywhere since she put on the "poor me" routine at the end. She should be going home after that performance.

Katharine - Quite good, but I would have preferred something more up tempo. I also agree that the camera needed to back off a bit. I do like her though.

My top three performances last night:

Katharine
Paris - Did I just type that?
Elliott

Worst performances last night:

Kellie
Chris
Taylor - Did I just type that too?

Go home and read a dictionary:

Kellie

 

[emmabelle]

Bottom three: Ace, Elliot, Paris

Going home: Elliot

Would love it to be Kellie though

I may have to alter my prediction after looking at Dialidol, I forgot to take into account that Bucky's fans could shift to Elliot's camp. I haven't looked at Dialidol before, according to the results, wouldn't the bottom three be Chris, Ace and Paris? Of course there is a margin of error, I'd be surprised to see Chris in the bottom three.

 

[wvrevy]

My totally opinionated and totally correct opinions on last night ( ):

Chris - AKA Vestman - Wow! Where the heck did THAT performance come from?!? One of my all-time favorite songs, and Chris definitely did it justice! Most impressed I've been with him in weeks.

Paris - AKA The New Lady Day (and if you don't know who "Lady Day" was, you really need to broaden your musical horizons) - Ok, I think I need to take a drug test, 'cause I'm pretty sure I actually agreed with Paula on this one. If she put out an album of that type of music, I don't know if it would sell millions of copies...but I know I would certainly buy it!

Taylor - AKA Spaz (Lite) - Was getting concerned about halfway through the song, as it was kinda boring. But then the Taylor I love to watch and listen to came back to life, and he finished really strong. I think some of you need to get out more if you don't know anyone that likes Taylor. I know quite a few people that want him to win (including yours truly...and yes, I would buy any CD he put out in a heartbeat).

Elliot - AKA The Warbler - For the first time, I actually somewhat enjoyed an Elliot performance. Probably the best I've ever heard him sound. Consequently, I hope the little troll lookin' dude sticks around another week, just based on that alone.

Kellie - AKA Future Star of "Dumberer and Dumbest...Girls Gone Dim" - You know, it's funny...at the beginning of the song and in the "clip" with Rod Stewart, she sounded as good - or even *gasp* better - than just about anyone else. But then about midway through, it all just fell apart on her. She was absolutely right that she butchered the song, from that point forward. Still...there just seems like there is this gorgeous voice in there, if she could just get out of her own way and let it come through.

Ace - AKA Young. Ace Young - I'll be completely honest and say that I barely remember his performance last night. But, as his was the only one I really couldn't remember, I'll assume it was as bad as everyone seems to be saying it was

Katherine - AKA Hottie McHotness - Ok, I really liked her performance last night, and we all know that I'm a big fan of hers. However...I didn't think it was quite as great as Simon made it out to be (nor do I believe he will continue to think so after seeing it played back). Still, she has an amazing voice, if she'd just stop trying to show it off by doing stupid little "runs" when they're not needed.

Tops of the night: (1) Chris (2) Paris (3) Katherine
Worst of the night: (7) Kellie (6) Ace (5) Elliott

Should go home: Kellie (based solely on last night's performance)
Will go home: Ace

 

[Planogirl]

I think that American Idol may have started out with the intention of crowning a pop idol each year. However, the show has clearly evolved to include other forms of music and hasn't crowned an actual pop performer since Kelly Clarkson IMO. There are luckily no such restrictions on the competitors and I believe that the producers realized early on that showcasing pop music would likely be dull and less appealing to the public.

 

[ckay87]

My totally opinionated and totally correct opinions on last night ( ):

Chris - AKA Vestman - Wow! Where the heck did THAT performance come from?!? One of my all-time favorite songs, and Chris definitely did it justice! Most impressed I've been with him in weeks.

Paris - AKA The New Lady Day (and if you don't know who "Lady Day" was, you really need to broaden your musical horizons) - Ok, I think I need to take a drug test, 'cause I'm pretty sure I actually agreed with Paula on this one. If she put out an album of that type of music, I don't know if it would sell millions of copies...but I know I would certainly buy it!

Taylor - AKA Spaz (Lite) - Was getting concerned about halfway through the song, as it was kinda boring. But then the Taylor I love to watch and listen to came back to life, and he finished really strong. I think some of you need to get out more if you don't know anyone that likes Taylor. I know quite a few people that want him to win (including yours truly...and yes, I would buy any CD he put out in a heartbeat).

Elliot - AKA The Warbler - For the first time, I actually somewhat enjoyed an Elliot performance. Probably the best I've ever heard him sound. Consequently, I hope the little troll lookin' dude sticks around another week, just based on that alone.

Kellie - AKA Future Star of "Dumberer and Dumbest...Girls Gone Dim" - You know, it's funny...at the beginning of the song and in the "clip" with Rod Stewart, she sounded as good - or even *gasp* better - than just about anyone else. But then about midway through, it all just fell apart on her. She was absolutely right that she butchered the song, from that point forward. Still...there just seems like there is this gorgeous voice in there, if she could just get out of her own way and let it come through.

Ace - AKA Young. Ace Young - I'll be completely honest and say that I barely remember his performance last night. But, as his was the only one I really couldn't remember, I'll assume it was as bad as everyone seems to be saying it was

Katherine - AKA Hottie McHotness - Ok, I really liked her performance last night, and we all know that I'm a big fan of hers. However...I didn't think it was quite as great as Simon made it out to be (nor do I believe he will continue to think so after seeing it played back). Still, she has an amazing voice, if she'd just stop trying to show it off by doing stupid little "runs" when they're not needed.

Tops of the night: (1) Chris (2) Paris (3) Katherine
Worst of the night: (7) Kellie (6) Ace (5) Elliott

Should go home: Kellie (based solely on last night's performance)
Will go home: Ace

I always love reading your reviews because I always agree with you 100%. I just wanted to mention that Taylor does, in fact, have a CD out. I downloaded some free MP3s (from http://wbhm.org/Tapestry/bands/TaylorHicks.html) and he is amazing. Kind of like smooth soul with a dash of spaz.

 

[tarmand]

I think that American Idol may have started out with the intention of crowning a pop idol each year. However, the show has clearly evolved to include other forms of music and hasn't crowned an actual pop performer since Kelly Clarkson IMO. There are luckily no such restrictions on the competitors and I believe that the producers realized early on that showcasing pop music would likely be dull and less appealing to the public.

Exactly. If they were only looking for the next Pop stars, then the executive producers wouldn't let anyone like Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler, Taylor Hicks, Josh Gracin, Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken, etc. onto the show.

 

[wdwgirl03]

yall are silly....Taylor is the bomb

No he isn't.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

Okay...haven't read through all the recent threads but just wanted to ask if anyone else was as surprised as I was at what a great guy Rod Stewart turned out to be? He was so friendly with all the contestants and seemed to have such a great sense of humor. Also very down to earth. At first I questioned why in the world AI would have him be the featured artist, but now I'm glad they did as I think it was one of the best shows so far this season.

Based purely on performance:
My favs: Katharine and Paris
Middle of the road: Chris, Taylor, Elliot
Hardest on the ears: Kellie, Ace

The reason I didn't list Chris as a fav this week is because I don't think anyone can truly pull off "What A Wonderful World" better than Louis Armstrong. His version was just okay for me.

Paris moved up a notch or two with me because I thought she did a fantastic job (especially after her last few performances)...but like others, I just don't know if that genre is popular enough to make her a winner overall.

As for tonight, I usually just take a sneak peek on this thread to find out the results as I have grown to like all the performers so much that I hate to see the way AI jerks them around during the elimination show...plus it's so sad when someone has to go home.

 

[Jennasis]

I SO wish I could've had the strength to post alst night after watching, but I was so wiped out from having been BLOWN AWAY by the performers that I just didn't have an ounce of strength left!

WOW...WOW...

Ok, this should've been a boring and almost horrific night (I was petrified for Chris...it would seem unnecessarily). But those dang Idols came through in a huge way. Many stepping out of their respective molds and bringing something completely new to the party. It was so fascinating!

Chris: Like I said, I was worried for him all week. As the show started I was actually praying that he didn't try to ROCK to a classic...and praying that if he chose to really sing a classic, that he wouldn't butcher it. Well, behold the power of PRAYER! Chris, you just won the competition (for me anyway). What a SINGING voice. His wife is the luckiest woman alive if she gets serenaded by that voice each night. I was melting, and almost moved to tears (of joy). PERFECTLY executed and agreat song choice. One missed note in the very beginning. I don't give scores, but I voted for him multiple times.

Paris: I STILL don't like her at all. She did a great job though, singing the ONLY type of music she can handle (IMO). If it ain't Ella Fitzgerald or Billy Holiday, Paris sounds awkward. She did a solid with this song though and will (should) be safe this week.

Taylor: It was the two faces of Taylor tonight, and the one the world will remember is the second half of the performance. Taylor was solid melodically in the beginning but I was so concerned that he was going to keep it boring. Then dude spazzed into "TAYLOR", and really brought this one home. A terrific show of his duality. A most enjoyable performance...BTW I was hi-freaking-sterical watching SNL on Saturday night. The spoof of Taylor was so spot on I thought I would bust a gut.

Elliot: Melodically it was great, but the look and attitude were way off. A tux top with jeans? Not a good look for anyone. I commented to DH that Elliot looked like a Dad/brother singing to their daughter/sister at a wedding. Entertaining but a little "slick" (not in a good way).

Kellie: There are no words to express how bad this song was. This was so incoherent and unintelligible. She was bewildered without a doubt. If she doesn't go home, I'll eat my hat. (I don't have a hat).

Ace: Not a great look for him, but it was interesting. The song was actually enjoyable. Randy was right...the falsetto is Ace's MONEY. He should sing in the false as much as possible. I think he'd do great singing a Prince song.

Katherine: She exhibits the flat out BEST voice control out of the group. I didn't like her outfit. I thought she should have been wearing a sexy night gown type outift and lying on the piano. The song SMOKED! She will be fine this week.

My picks for the top 3:
Chris
Taylor
Katherine

The bottom 3:
Kellie
Elliot
Ace

Going home:

Kellie....or the hat gets it!

 

[Robinrs]

Anyone else think that Ace looked like Kevin Federline tonight?

eeYIKES!!!! It was the first thing that came to my mind and I dismissed it because it CREEPED ME OUT...

 

[phisigprincess]

I thought Rod Stewart's baby was adorable first of all! I was totally blown away by last night - except for Kellie. She was the only one who really had a bad performance. Everyone else was right on the money! I think it will be a hard choice for bottom 3 this week!