[Alan Gordon]

Discuss...


~Alan

 

[Alan Gordon]

Georgia froze over.... I thought Colton won the night!

Elise coming in a close second, and Jessica following fairly close behind.

Erika was also excellent tonight, and though it wasn't on her usual level of excellence, I thought Hollie did well. I wasn't as happy with Phillip as last week, but I thought he did pretty good.

I'll post more detailed thoughts tomorrow.

~Alan

 

[Drew2k]

Erika totally scored with the makeover - the new look is excellent. She sang well too.

I had never heard the song Elise sung, but I liked it. I think she needs to listen to the mentors and start picking better known songs.

To me Colton was the best of the night.

I think it's a tossup of Heejun or Deandre going home this week, but I suspect it will be Heejun.

 

[Alan Gordon]

Erika totally scored with the makeover - the new look is excellent. She sang well too.

My Mom didn't care for the new hair color, but I thought the whole makeover was a success. I made the prediction that she'd commit to Tommy's advice more than any other contestant, and no surprise, I was right.

Skyler should have listed to him...

I had never heard the song Elise sung, but I liked it. I think she needs to listen to the mentors and start picking better known songs.

I knew it, my Mom knew it, but my Uncle did not. Granted, it wasn't one of the songs I know the best from Billy, but still...

I'm of two minds about the familiar song route. On one hand, it seems that to appeal to America, it's probably best to stay familiar... and sometimes, a unfamiliar song can be boring. On the other hand, if you pick a too familiar song, you're being compared to the original... are you as good/better/worse, or did you change it up too much, not change it up enough, etc...

Elise was one of my favorites two weeks in a row. I got a busy signal voting for her... that obviously doesn't mean anything, but I hope she doesn't go home tomorrow... I'm really enjoying her, and I didn't really expect that.

To me Colton was the best of the night.

As much as I LOVED Elise's performance, I'm going to have to give it to Colton as well. That was an AMAZING performance.

I'm just afraid he's going to go back to disappointing me again next week.

I think it's a tossup of Heejun or Deandre going home this week, but I suspect it will be Heejun.

That would be the logical thinking... but this is American Idol, so you need to throw logic out the window and let a bus hit it.

~Alan

 

[Doug Brott]

Alan .. Need I say more? ..

Colton wins the night hands down .. Phillip was a cool second, though.

 

[Doug Brott]

Oh, I forgot .. Seems incredibly obvious to me that Deandre is going home this week ..

 

[Alan Gordon]

Alan .. Need I say more? ..

Time will tell... but I'm still not convinced he's a winner.

Top 13 Week went to Jessica, Top 11 Week went to Joshua, and Top 10 Week went to Colton. One fantastic performance does not equal a winner.

Granted, he did have the girls screaming tonight, but I'm still not convinced.

On a personal level, as much as I loved tonight's performance, I'm skeptical that he'll impress me as much next week. I'd love to be wrong, because as I stated previously, I think he has potential...

Colton wins the night hands down .. Phillip was a cool second, though.

Well... we half agree anyway...

As much as I like Phillip and want him to continue on, he wasn't even in my TOP 4 tonight...

Colton, Elise, Jessica and Hollie (in that order) beat him tonight, IMHO.

Oh, I forgot .. Seems incredibly obvious to me that Deandre is going home this week ..

Last week, DeAndre and Heejun had a disastrous week, and neither one were in the bottom three. Three GIRLS were in the bottom three, including one who gave one of the best performances that week.

~Alan

 

[dmspen]

Heejun's antics are becoming tiresome. Like Tyler said, At somepoint you have to get serious.

One of these weeks he'll get tossed for too much funny business.

I though either Colton or Jessica took the night followed by Phillip and Elise. If Phillip doesn't stop the "I'm just a regular guy" kind of stuff he's going out despite his talent. The purpose of American Idol is to make a STAR, not be a regular person who gets a recording contract. Unfortunately, it's failed miserable most of the years!

In the last 10 years, which WINNERs have become household names?

 

[Doug Brott]

Last week, DeAndre and Heejun had a disastrous week, and neither one were in the bottom three. Three GIRLS were in the bottom three, including one who gave one of the best performances that week.

meh .. Other than "the one" who I don't think comes off well on stage, those girls should have been there last week before DeAndre (and I really don't like him, BTW). Heejun definitely should have been there last week but he's apparently worked himself into a nice voting block ....

I liked Heejun this week, but yeah, his singing isn't going to cut it with the others. He'll have his ouster week, but he's more on par with Sanjaya from years back than probably anyone else - I do think Heejun sings better than Sanjaya, but the followers are probably similar in numbers.

Still, I will be surprised if DeAndre isn't the one to go. Erika did herself a favor by changing things up drastically (and singing well). Very doubtful she'll be in the bottom 3. Elise? Could be. She's not different enough. Skylar is likely to be the last person in the final 3. I still think that it will be DeAndre that goes home - or, maybe this is the week that "skip" and don't send off anyone (due to Jermaine). :shrug:

I guess Jessica is back, but for some reason her performance bored the crap out of me. If I weren't bored, I would have had her in my top 4 of the night. And Yes, I though Phillip did an excellent job of making the song a Phillip version of the song while still having a Billy Joel Groove to it. To me it was masterful.

Colton on the uptick ... Yeah, he has more growth to go yet he's already had a great night. I think we'll see even better next time.

 

[Doug Brott]

In the last 10 years, which WINNERs have become household names?

Carrie Underwood and (while outside your time limit) Kelly Clarkson.

 

[Drew2k]

In the studio when Jimmy Iovine and Diddy were mentoring Colton, I swear I saw what looked like matching piercing holes above Colton's lips, as if he had removed jewelry. Anyone else see that?

 

[Alan Gordon]

In order of appearances:

DEANDRE: A performance that was FAR superior to his performance than last week, but one not ultimately successful. Here's my problem... I like DeAndre, but I don't think he has enough experience... and I think that comes out when he sings.

ERIKA: I thoroughly enjoyed it! Not much else to say other than I commend her for taking the chance with the makeover... kudos!

JOSHUA: Oh Joshua... You're one of my favorites, but that was just WAY too overdone for me. I didn't connect with it...

SKYLAR: Ehh... Skylar almost always starts off bad and then gets better, but this time she wasn't very good the whole way through. When Garth Brooks sings this song, you believe him. I just didn't believe her. Oh yeah, I hated the outfit...
NOTE: Seriously Randy.... Brad Paisley? I have every BP album (sans Christmas one that I'll get eventually), his "Sharp Dressed Man" single, and even a recording of his duet with Chely Wright that was never released as a single... please tell me, when did he do a recording of "Shameless?"

ELISE: YAY!! She was in my top three favorite performances last week, and last night, she managed to make my top two performances. Once again, Elise continues climbing up the list of my favorites.

PHILLIP: Sigh... as much I want to love it, I thought it was kind of weird. There were parts I thought were great, other parts I thought were weird, and other parts I thought were incredibly boring. I think he did his thing, but I was disappointed...

HOLLIE: She did great, but I didn't really connect to it, so it was kind of boring to me in a way. Not much else to say... oh yeah, I hated the outfit.

HEEJUN: There were moments I enjoyed it, other moments it was terrible... such is the case with most Heejun performances.

JESSICA: YAY!! She couldn't beat Elise last night, but a fantastic performance nonetheless. Glad to have her back!

COLTON: Awesomesauce! I knew he had it in him, and I was very glad to see him show it last night. I still feel that he's not going to be able to keep up that level of performance, but at least for one night, he managed to "win" the night in my eyes.

MY FAVORITES OF THE NIGHT: Colton (1), Elise (2), Jessica (3), Erika (4), Hollie (5), Phillip (6), Joshua (7)
WHO I VOTED FOR: Elise, Jessica, Hollie, Joshua, Phillip, Erika, Colton

~Alan

 

[Alan Gordon]

Heejun's antics are becoming tiresome. Like Tyler said, At somepoint you have to get serious.

One of these weeks he'll get tossed for too much funny business.

I still enjoy them, though I think he may have taken it a bit too far last night... though I enjoyed the fake out and the fact that he had fun, it wasn't very good.

Personally, I think Steven took offense at the lyrics of the song. It was pretty obvious there were three people Heejun was talking to with it.

If Phillip doesn't stop the "I'm just a regular guy" kind of stuff he's going out despite his talent. The purpose of American Idol is to make a STAR, not be a regular person who gets a recording contract.

I live almost just down the road from where Phillip lives... and I REALLY live just down the road from where Phillip spent part of his time growing up, and I can tell you that he will actually GAIN fans for his attitude out here...

While I think a little flair wouldn't hurt him, I don't think that's what he's about. Some people use fashion as a way to hide their lack of talent, others use it simply to promote themselves by getting people talking about them, but the fact remains, if you have talent, it's not needed... and in the case of Phillip, his lack of "flair" actually speaks to his fan base, IMHO! :grin:

~Alan

 

[Alan Gordon]

meh .. Other than "the one" who I don't think comes off well on stage, those girls should have been there last week before DeAndre (and I really don't like him, BTW). Heejun definitely should have been there last week but he's apparently worked himself into a nice voting block ....

"the one"???

I strongly disagree...

Going by performances last week, the bottom three SHOULD (IMHO) have been Heejun, DeAndre, and... well, I think Shannon should have been there, though not the one to go home.

I liked Heejun this week, but yeah, his singing isn't going to cut it with the others. He'll have his ouster week, but he's more on par with Sanjaya from years back than probably anyone else - I do think Heejun sings better than Sanjaya, but the followers are probably similar in numbers.

When he kept his breath, and managed to keep his accent under control, I liked it too, but it was problematic.

Still, I will be surprised if DeAndre isn't the one to go. Erika did herself a favor by changing things up drastically (and singing well). Very doubtful she'll be in the bottom 3. Elise? Could be. She's not different enough. Skylar is likely to be the last person in the final 3. I still think that it will be DeAndre that goes home - or, maybe this is the week that "skip" and don't send off anyone (due to Jermaine). :shrug:

I don't think they are going to skip... rumors have it they might simply do a single elimination the week after the save.

DeAndre and Erika are the only two Wild Cards left. Last year, Ashton went home the first week, Naima made it to what would have been the TOP 10 (had they not saved Casey making it the Top 11 again), and Stefano made it to the TOP 7. I think Erika saved herself this week, but DeAndre's a cute guy, and we know how AI's voters feel about them...

As for Elise, I actually agreed with you a couple of weeks ago. She reminded me of Haley Reinhart from last year who I was not a big fan of, and I really wasn't particularly crazy about her, but the last two weeks, she has managed to really impress me... and not just me, but a couple of family members who didn't really care for her previously as well. I'm listening to "Let's Stay Together" and "Vienna" right now, and it's just awesome to my ears. She has really surprised me, but with this much time in the bottom three, and the fact that she's female, I sadly wouldn't be surprised to see it be her either...

Though I'm not a fan (vocally), I agree with you on Skyler.

I guess Jessica is back, but for some reason her performance bored the crap out of me. If I weren't bored, I would have had her in my top 4 of the night. And Yes, I though Phillip did an excellent job of making the song a Phillip version of the song while still having a Billy Joel Groove to it. To me it was masterful.

WOW!! I was kind of bored with Phillip's... I can't say the same about Jessica's performance... :eek2:

Colton on the uptick ... Yeah, he has more growth to go yet he's already had a great night. I think we'll see even better next time.

I'm not sure... I think he's going to fall back to his usual level in my eyes...

He's not one of my favorites, I personally think there are more talented contestants (heck, I and others I know think his sister was superior to him), but (as much as it pains me to say this) I think your prediction may be right.

I suspect the record label is hoping not since Contemporary Christian music isn't exactly burning up the charts... but he probably wouldn't do much worse than some other winners...

Either way, as I stated before, I'm not angry like I was last year when you made your Scotty debacle prediction.

~Alan

 

[Alan Gordon]

Interesting little tidbit...

Heejun's song is MUCH better on iTunes...

I also think Phillip's song impressed me more than his stage performance.

~Alan

 

[Henry]

Interesting little tidbit...

Heejun's song is MUCH better on iTunes...

I also think Phillip's song impressed me more than his stage performance.

~Alan

If you say so. :sure:

 

[Alan Gordon]

If you say so. :sure:

Have you actually listened to it, or just taking my word for it?!

If you're just taking my word for it, it's not too hard to believe. His breathing control is better on the recording (not surprising given that he's not all over the stage), and his pronunciations of the words is far superior over what they were on AI.

On Phillip's recording, he shows more restraint and control of his "growl" on the song.

On an Idol related topic, I saw my Cousin and her two sons yesterday. I texted her later that night about something, and she mentioned that her oldest son (my little buddy Henry) mentioned that I looked like Phillip Phillips, Jr.

~Alan

 

[Henry]

Have you actually listened to it, or just taking my word for it?!

I'm taking your word for it. If he sounds that good, then I suppose you will entertain buying his recordings. That's entirely up to you. As for me, an English language song, sung by an Asian will produce predictable accented results. So I don't think he'll win, and I don't think I'll be buying his work.

p.s. My best to your little buddy.

 

[Alan Gordon]

I'm taking your word for it. If he sounds that good, then I suppose you will entertain buying his recordings. That's entirely up to you. As for me, an English language song, sung by an Asian will produce predictable accented results. So I don't think he'll win, and I don't think I'll be buying his work.

I'm not recommending someone buy his song... though if one wanted multiple IDOL recordings from last week, the album with all of them would be a no-brainer. I'm simply stating that his studio recording was superior to what we heard on FOX at home.

I don't think predictable is the right word. Many artists lose their accent when they sing... or at least have it toned down. Hollie Cavanagh loses most of her accent (Australian or British accent... whatever it is.... EDIT: British... she was born in Liverpool). My problem with Heejun's accent is not really the accent, but a by-product of it... namely the difficulty with pronunciation, a problem that arose during 50% of his live performance this past week... and I'm pleased to say that the studio recording eliminated most of that.

No, I don't think he will win... nor should he. I like Heejun, and I liked around 50% of his performance this past Wednesday, but while he has a decent voice, he is undoubtedly the weakest contestant left... heck... he's been that way for a while.

~Alan

 

[Alan Gordon]

For those not aware:

Spoiler

Stevie Nicks

will be the guest mentor this week.

The theme will be

Spoiler

Idol's Idols,

and it looks like the song choices may come from (among others):

Spoiler

1. Beyonce Knowles
2. Mariah Carey
3. Miranda Lambert
4. Lifehouse
5. Daughtry
6. Led Zeppelin

Looks like they're all enjoying the mansion as well:

SOURCE

~Alan