1 MORE WEEK TO GO!!!
You're getting both posts together again this time. I watched both episodes back to back this week...via the magic of DVR (which is really the only way to watch this show ever). When you watch it live, you can't get away from the nonsense. With DVR, you can just skip right over it. It's amazing...and necessary.
This week on Idol, it's all about 3's. The same as it always is at this point in the competition. There are 2 contestants...they will sing 3 songs...and they will get 3 call-in numbers for votes. They get 1 song from the judges...1 from the producers...and they get to pick 1 all by themselves. So let it begin.
David Archuleta is told by the Mayor of his town that Paula Abdul has selected And So It Goes by Billy Joel. I'm not sure Paula could have picked a more boring song for him to sing. It was so un-engaging that I just didn't care. It had nothing special to it. It was just David up there singing. Now, he did sing it well...but that's not unusual for him. It just wasn't special...or fun.
RANDY - "you can sing anything" Yes we know...you say that every week to him.
PAULA - "pure and stunning" Just like her gin martini.
SIMON - "No surprises" That's for sure.
Randy Jackson got to pick Syesha Mercado's first song (via a text message). And he chose If I Ain't Got You by Alicia Keyes. Very typical selection...way to think outside of the box. I have to start by saying that she is stunning. She truly looked amazing. And the song was done quite nicely. It suited her voice very well. She kept it very true to the song...and they probably won't like that...and will just say that it didn't compare to the original. But she is a great singer.
RANDY - "that's why you're standing at #3" Did I miss the results already?
PAULA - "you look absolutely stunning" That's never a good sign.
SIMON - "you sang that really well" She sure did.
David Cook got his song picked by Simon (via text messaging as well)...and it's The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face by Roberta Flack. David truly has a great voice. He can sing just about anything (UGH...that sounded like Randy Jackson). But the song progressed wonderfully. It sounded fantastic...and the control that he showed on it was amazing. I have to admit that I almost started to cry during the song...it was just that good. And I'm a sucker for any piece of music that can make my cold heart melt. By the way, the real reason Simon picked this song is because it's on the Leona Lewis album and he needs to sell them.
RANDY - "I want you to rock" SHUT UP YOU TARD!!!
PAULA - "that's one of my favorite songs" And?
SIMON - "round 1 goes to Cook and Cowell" It sure does.
David Archuleta chose a hip song for himself with Chris Brown's With You. I must admit that I don't know any Chris Brown songs, except for his duet with Jordin Sparks. But any song that has David Archuleta saying "my boo" in it is a complete mistake. It was pretty laughable. And then he messed up the words...AGAIN. But no one ever mentions that because they can't point out the flaws of the next winner. The whole thing was very awkward...especially his dancing efforts. They even put some swirling radioactivity lights on the stage. It just made it even more bizarre. Apparently he can't sing current music...or anything that requires a little soul.
RANDY - "I didn't believe it" Me either.
PAULA - "you did a great job" Now give Paula her drink back.
SIMON - "like a chihuahua trying to be a tiger" I don't get that, but I probably agree with it.
Syesha Mercado picked Fever by Peggy Lee for herself. Not the wisest choice, because the judges don't like old music. She's using a chair as a prop too and that could be her downfall. The judges will call it "Broadway" or "old-fashioned." But we already know that they suck. The techies forget to put a light on her face...she was in the dark for the first verse of the song. I guess someone told them that they had to help get rid of her this week. But she was very sexy. I wasn't thrilled with her vocals, but I think that had more to do with the arrangement of the song. Because she was in tune through the entire song. And at least she enjoyed herself.
RANDY - "sang it amazingly well" YES!
PAULA - "I'm surprised you chose that song" What was she going to sing Straight Up?
SIMON - "you will probably regret that choice tomorrow" Then don't let them pick their own songs.
David Cook picked a song that I don't know from a band that I don't know. It's called Dare You to Move by Switchfoot. He started off really off pitch...and didn't get much better throughout the song. But he finished strong. He brought the guitar back for this one, to prove that he is a true rocker. The choice was pretty predictable, but it is what he does best. Although I thought the first song was much better...stylistically and vocally.
RANDY - "wasn't your best" I concur.
PAULA - "I wanted more" More of her pills maybe.
SIMON - "it was an OK middle round" Eh...I wasn't thrilled.
The producer's picked Longer by Dan Fogelberg for David Archuleta. Yeah...that's current. It was the typical, slow ballad that he succeeds at. But it was a giant snooze-fest. It was very sugary sweet...and turned into complete schmaltz. I did not enjoy it. Again, he sang it very well. But it's a pretty simple song to sing. It was just way too boring to enjoy.
RANDY - "another hot one for me" There was nothing "hot" about that.
PAULA - "lovely" Thank God, her pills are kicking in.
SIMON - "so gooey" You said it.
The producers are really trying to get rid of Syesha Mercado this week. They picked a song called Hit Me Up for her. It could be sung by Beyonce or Rihanna...because it just has that sound to it. If you're not familiar with the song, don't feel stupid. It's from the movie Happy Feet. WHAT? It was completely the wrong song to sing. But they just wanted her to fail. It sounded fine because she's a good singer. It just didn't work because of what the song was. But once again, she looked like she had fun singing it. She's just very happy to be there...and it shows.
RANDY - "just OK for me" For me too.
PAULA - "I don't know if it's going to be good enough to get you into the finals" But that's OK because Randy already told us that you are #3
SIMON - "a little bit forgettable" It was a song from a movie about dancing penguins...maybe you would remember it if she came out dressed like a penguin
And finally, the producers chose I Don't Want To Miss a Thing by Aerosmith for David Cook. I do love a string section in a song...and I love that this one is sitting on the stage with him. But the song was really boring at the beginning. Then he started to rock out...and it got a little better. He had some really bad notes throughout the song. And I just didn't really feel that he loved this song. But he's not the one who picked it.
RANDY - "OK for me" As always.
PAULA - "see you in the finals" Because Syesha's still #3
SIMON - "David Cook wins the night" Because he will make the most money for me.
It's clear that they want Syesha gone...so she will be gone. But I think everyone out there had already predicted that it will be a show-down between the 2 Davids. So that's why it most likely be.
ELIMINATION DAY!!!
The show started off with it's usual group number. They are singing Ain't No Stopping Us Now. This is probably the best dancing the group has ever done this season...although there isn't much to it. And surprisingly David Cook is the best dancer in the group. The boys each got big solo parts...entire verses. Poor Syesha was stuck just singing a couple lines of the chorus. They really hate her on this show. But they actually sounded good as a group this week. But a lot of that was the back-up singers...they sang the most.
The commercial was to the song Heaven. Not the Brian Adams song. I didn't know this Heaven song. But they are visiting a fortune teller and get a glimpse into their future. It all turned out to be an episode of Cribs for each of them. We get to see the big mansion that Syesha lives in...complete with a portrait of herself and lots of gold and platinum records on the wall. David Archuleta has a white grand piano out by this enormous fountain...and his face painted on the bottom of the pool. David Cook was stuck outside with every Ford vehicle every made in the driveway. Then the fortune teller spits out 3 keys for them...and there some Fords waiting for them outside. The commercial was amusing...the song was stupid.
Fantasia has come back home to perform for us all. She's singing Bore Me, which will be on her upcoming album whenever she finishes it. I don't get the outfit. It was a singlet made of black velour...with some rhinestone accents. She's really playing up the ghetto in ghetto-fabulous. And she's been eating a bit so it seems...that's my nice way of saying that she's gotten fatter. And she picked up some hookers off the street and gave them a job as her back-up singers/dancers. The song is complete mess. She was dancing like a maniac...and screeching like a fool. But she is not out to impress anyone. She knows that she's a star already and it don't make no difference what she does. I didn't understand a word she said/screamed throughout the entire song...but I loved every moment of it. It was one of the best things Idol has ever had on it. PURE INSANITY!!! Simon didn't know what to think and was pretty much dumb-founded by the whole thing. Please watch it for yourself!!!
I skipped over all the trips home because I just didn't care.
David Archuleta and David Cook made it to the finals...an that means that Syesha Mercado is heading home. We watched a little montage of her while she sang that Alicia Keyes songs again. And they let her sing the whole 2 minutes of the song that she sang the night before without cutting her off. Poor Ruben Studdard. They didn't play his crappy good-bye song this week.
Next week...THE BATTLE OF THE DAVIDS!!!
And the crowning on the next American Idol.
