The Top Three on American Idol had their race to the finale tonight - and oh boy was it a race. If you thought audition nights were hard to keep up with, try keeping up with this one! Kudos to Paula though for managing to keep all of her thoughts straight for the night even at such a frantic pace.
Naturally this week is the standard three songs each. Ryan Seacrest announces that once again one song is picked by the judges, one by the producers and the final song by the Idols themselves.
First up was David Archuleta who was given "And So It Goes" by Paula Abdul. Paula thought it would showcase his amazing vocals and have a difficult melody. Archie thought that it was a pretty song. He sings acapella at first, then is joined by the string section. It was indeed a very pretty song sung very pretty by a pretty boring boy. Randy Jackson felt that Paula picked a good song and said that Archie was in the zone. Paula said he is a storyteller and it was a beautiful performance. Simon thought it was good but not outstanding and a bit predictable.
Syesha Mercado was up next with Randy picking "If I Ain't Got You" by Alicia Keys. Randy said that she is young, hot, talented and in charge and felt that she loved Alicia as much as he does. It was okay, but not great. She's doesn't have the emotional capability that Alicia has. Randy said she did an amazing job and is happy she is peaking at the right time. Paula is proud that she is the last lady standing. She thinks it's difficult to do a song so identifiable with an artist. Simon wished Randy had picked something where she wouldn't just sound like the original. Randy points out that she changed some notes. Simon says it wasn't enough.
That means that Simon Cowell picked David Cook's song. He picked "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by Roberta Flack. Simon said it is one of the greatest songs of all time. Unlike Randy, he wanted to pick something different and have Cookie show some originality. It was a great performance, with just a note or two off. He was singing rather high though, so I can forgive him. Randy loved the high note at the end, but wished Simon wouldn't have been so predictable. Randy likes the rocking Cookie. Paula said it is one of her favorite songs and Cookie is her 2nd favorite singer of that song. Simon might be biased, but thought it was one of his best to date. He thinks this is why Cookie is brilliant because he takes risks. He gives round one to Cowell and Cook.
Archie picked Chris Brown's "With You" for his choice. He wanted to try something he hadn't done before. He flubs the lyrics just a smidge, but he was moving and had his eyes open. Honestly I thought he was great, and you know how I feel about Archie. Daddy Archuleta did not pick this song for him. Randy applauded that he did something new but wasn't sure that was the right song. Paula thought he should be singing songs like this. Simon liked that he didn't do a ballad, but thought it was a bit like a chihuahua trying to be a tiger.
Syesha picked Peggy Lee's "Fever" for herself. She liked the vibe of the song and wanted to work the chair a little. The whole performance looks like she copied it from someone, but I can't pinpoint who. Overall it was rather good though. Randy thought it was an interesting song choice and she sang it well. Paula was surprised she picked this song because it doesn't show who she is as an artist. Simon was more blunt saying she would regret the decision. He said she had a chance to prove she was contemporary with her own choice but did a lame cabaret performance instead.
For his own pick, Cookie chose "Dare You To Move" by Switchfoot. He said that lyrically it wraps up the whole experience. He felt it was the appropriate song for the appropriate moment. He plays guitar during the song. It was a nice performance but not my favorite from Cookie. Randy thought it was a great song choice, but performance wise it wasn't his best. He thought it was a bit pitchy. Paula felt that he just got going when it ended, because it's hard to work a 3 ½ minute song into 90 seconds. Simon couldn't add much just that it's not a melodic song and all three had an okay middle round.
The producers picked "Longer" by Dan Fogelberg for Archie's final song. It was a typical Archie performance, boring and perfect. Randy thought it was an interesting song choice but said that Archie can sing the phone book. Paula called it lovely. Simon said he sang it well but the song and lyrics were horrible. He thought it was so gooey, and something you pick for a 90 year old but not a 17 year old. He does think that Archie did enough to get into the finals (or maybe the judges pimped him hard enough to get him there who knows).
For Syesha, the choice was "Hit Me Up." It was a pretty good performance from her again, but nothing WOW. Randy thought it was just okay. Paula said it was from the Happy Feet Soundtrack, and doesn't think it's the song that defines her as an artist. She doesn't know if it's good enough to get her to the finals. Simon thought it was better than the second song, but her best moment was last week.
The pick for Cookie was Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss A Thing." It was a great performance, I loved the orchestra building into the more rock ending. Randy thought it was predictable and just okay. Paula welcomed him to the finals. Simon called it one of the greatest songs of all time and told him he wins the night.
Before we get to my rankings, I'd like to comment on the picks by the judges and the producers. It seems obvious that they want an all guy finale. They set Syesha up for failure with two contemporary songs that were recent hits, then complain that none of it defines her as an artist. I'm not a Syesha fan by any means, but to set her up for failure like that was just unfair and VERY obvious.
My Rankings by performance:
Cookie's "I Don't Want To Miss a Thing" earns him 10 points.
Archie's second, "With You" also earns him 10 points for trying something different and finally having ENERGY!
Cookie's first, "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" gets him 9 points.
Archie again ties Cookie, with his last performance, "Longer" earning 9 points.
Syesha also ties with 9 points for her second, "Fever" which showed some personality again.
All of the remaining performances tie for last with 8 points each.
Overall Rankings:
Cookie and Archie tie for first with an average of 9.
Syesha comes in close behind with an 8.33.
The finals will be as the judges wants, the David's. They slammed Syesha again even Paula. They don't want her in the finals. She was better than boring little David. So, now they will get their wish. But, Syesha will have a better career than both Davids.
David Cook had the only OMG moment of the night with his third song. He was excellent on the first, and very good on the second.
Archuleta was bland. The second song was particularly atrocious because it just wasn't believable. He doesn't get points for trying in my book. The first and third were pretty cookie cutter "yay I can hit all the notes and still feel nothing" performance. Lately, it seems like Randy's been paid off by Archuleta Sr.
Sayesha almost deserves the second spot because she's at least become mildly interesting in the last few weeks, but she did nothing to help her case with her last two performances.
what is there to say really? the only thing i looked forward to after the first round of songs was curlio's take on the night - the grrl never disappoints.
simon got it mostly right. gotta luv him for that.
i am loathed to say this but i think that archie should actually get the boot and leave it to the questionable actress and the only guy worth listening to this evening. and, even then i still need to see cookie break the f out!
plz music gods do not make this a wake me when its over ai final.
If the final is Archuleta and Sayesha, I'm done with AI for this year. Cookie is the only one worth watching at this point -- can I bonafide rocker (with skills beyond rock) win AI?
"So It Goes" should be sung with a piano, not an orchastra. If you are doing Billy Joel, do it right. And David didn't.
Was it me or did Cookie sound hoarse tonight? He was good, but something was off. Could he have been trying to throw the game so he doesn't win? Hmmmmmmmmmm...
I can't wait for So You Think You Can Dance.....
If you can't be a good example, then be a horrible warning!
Helloooooo everyone. Sure most of u wont remember me. Back from college, what a year its been.
Finally i hav time to comment on this sort of stuff.... oh the power!!!!
So AI's oh so coveted crown is still up for grabs. Yup, most definetly ......
K ive been a fan of Syesha so i'll start wid the glamour girl, followed by dorky duke "Archie" and then "U'r talking to me" Cookoo.
I actually liked her song "fever". For once an AI finalist made it sexy and oh SEXY !!! Last year some guy sang it, dont care to remember his name, and it was sh1t! Thought she didnt need the chair though, the dress dressed the mood all too well:).
Her 1st song was nice, and her 3rd was SABOTAGED. I mean come on! The producers are supposed to choose a song that showcase their strong vocals and their personality. So they give dorky his dream ballad song, they give cookoo "u'r talking to me?" a rock-balladish song that has this lovely grand finale build, and then they give Syesha a trip to the antarctic!!!!! I dont think penguins can vote!!!!
I mean what the heaven was that? I think it was distasteful that the producers would give HER a song so "ick". Just because she's black does not mean she's Miss hip-hop queen or something or Bryana( did i spell that correct?). Not that i hate Briyana( k im really confused about the spelling, when they sed listen to umbrella, i was seeing her and not the name of the song on mtv)
Nyways, enough about her, now there's dorky dork-face "Archuleta" whose never-ending high notes are enough to drive about anyone to shove a banana peel up his mouth. DOn't get me wrong, i USED to like him, but he is gettin to be really really ... limited ... with the songs he can sing .... And always his eyes are closed and his mouth is open .... wish it were the other way sometimes ..... Well anyways he's apparently the "rage", so he unfortunately might be in .... WAH!!!!
And now atlast we come to Captain Cook in all his brooding self, looking as usual calm, composed and snobby. HELLO!! Can u atleast try and show a little emotion. I mean last year Jordin "Sparky Sparkles" Spark blew the sparks out of everyone with her "VOte for me" cheery chirpiness ( yuck). And thank GAWD he doesn't follow the dark path to to the light happy side, but he always looks like he is in some professional environment. "Cookie", ur in AI, a freakin reality show, when the audience can act all cuckoo u can atleast act a bit more ............. exhilerated when the judges and the crowd likes u. HOnestly, Meryl Streep showd more emotion in The Devil wears Prada. And that's saying something.
However, on his musical performance, he did well enough to be in the finals. Thank GAWD he didnt sing Baba O'Riley, i mean that song WAS horribly done..... and nothing any of say will change my mind on that.
So overall, i felt the most "deserving" person to be in the finale is Cookster, followed by Syesha, if anything, based on sexiness and the song choices.
However, who will probably be in, baased on the wondrous voting ability of the public, it'll be the David twins, Sappy and Snippy.
Wow that was long. God i missed writing on this site. Peace and zayra rocks.
Listening to a recap David Archuleta's three songs, he sounds the same on all three. The night definitely belongs to David Cook, with Syesha and Archuleta tied for second, so you know who will be the final two: The two Davids
I have heard much better versions of "Fever" in previous years.
Forget Archuleta...his second song reminded me of a dancing monkey on the hood of a car in Mexico...his songs were awful with the exception that they classicly frame how one-dimensional his style really is. Go home now and take your father with you.
Syesha accomplished exactly what she wanted: BROADWAY CABARET! I know Simon hates both of those but she has earned a spot on the Great White Way. Way to go, Girl!
David Cook should win the IDOL CROWN, but Randy and the teeny-boppers have such stiff ones for Archuletta he'll probably win in the end. Too bad for Cookie, he deserves the win.
Ah, the Top Three, usually the night where memorable performances occur!
Emphasis on "usually".
From Fantasia jivin' performance to Bo's acapella performance to Kat Pee's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"...
Didn't happen this year. The best of the night by a mile was D. Cook's last song, but his performance didn't even break his own personal top five for the season!
I don't even care about the Finale. Syesha will get her spot on Broadway, David Cook will put out an album that I might buy if 19M leaves him alone like they did Daughtry (versus meddling in everything like they did to Bo), and David Archuleta may start his tour of Amusement Park amphitheaters.
Whoever this guest is, 3000 times eh? I salute u. No im in shock? 3 freakin 1000!!!!! And i thought i was bad. Did i say i salute u:)!!!!!
Dude/Dudette, we cud start a whole new definition on the meaning of sheer joblessness/Im a huge Syesha fan/Get lost Dorky Doop Ommpy Loompy David Achooleta.
There was no memorable performance last night. Nothing like Clay's Bridge Over Troubled Water, or Katherine's Over the Rainbow. No show stopper.
How sad. I'm torn, because I do want David Cook to win, but, if it's true that he will be under the producers' thumbs for a while, then I'd prefer he was free to make his own music.
Nope, I don't like rock, but I like Cook.. especially his slow, non-rock songs.
The Top Three on American Idol had their race to the finale tonight - and oh boy was it a race. If you thought audition nights were hard to keep up with, try keeping up with this one! Kudos to Paula though for managing to keep all of her thoughts straight for the night even at such a frantic pace.
First up was David Archuleta who was given "And So It Goes" by Paula Abdul. Paula thought it would showcase his amazing vocals and have a difficult melody. Archie thought that it was a pretty song. He sings acapella at first, then is joined by the string section. It was indeed a very pretty song sung very pretty by a pretty boring boy. Randy Jackson felt that Paula picked a good song and said that Archie was in the zone. Paula said he is a storyteller and it was a beautiful performance. Simon thought it was good but not outstanding and a bit predictable.
Syesha Mercado was up next with Randy picking "If I Ain't Got You" by Alicia Keys. Randy said that she is young, hot, talented and in charge and felt that she loved Alicia as much as he does. It was okay, but not great. She's doesn't have the emotional capability that Alicia has. Randy said she did an amazing job and is happy she is peaking at the right time. Paula is proud that she is the last lady standing. She thinks it's difficult to do a song so identifiable with an artist. Simon wished Randy had picked something where she wouldn't just sound like the original. Randy points out that she changed some notes. Simon says it wasn't enough.
That means that Simon Cowell picked David Cook's song. He picked "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by Roberta Flack. Simon said it is one of the greatest songs of all time. Unlike Randy, he wanted to pick something different and have Cookie show some originality. It was a great performance, with just a note or two off. He was singing rather high though, so I can forgive him. Randy loved the high note at the end, but wished Simon wouldn't have been so predictable. Randy likes the rocking Cookie. Paula said it is one of her favorite songs and Cookie is her 2nd favorite singer of that song. Simon might be biased, but thought it was one of his best to date. He thinks this is why Cookie is brilliant because he takes risks. He gives round one to Cowell and Cook.
Archie picked Chris Brown's "With You" for his choice. He wanted to try something he hadn't done before. He flubs the lyrics just a smidge, but he was moving and had his eyes open. Honestly I thought he was great, and you know how I feel about Archie. Daddy Archuleta did not pick this song for him. Randy applauded that he did something new but wasn't sure that was the right song. Paula thought he should be singing songs like this. Simon liked that he didn't do a ballad, but thought it was a bit like a chihuahua trying to be a tiger.
Syesha picked Peggy Lee's "Fever" for herself. She liked the vibe of the song and wanted to work the chair a little. The whole performance looks like she copied it from someone, but I can't pinpoint who. Overall it was rather good though. Randy thought it was an interesting song choice and she sang it well. Paula was surprised she picked this song because it doesn't show who she is as an artist. Simon was more blunt saying she would regret the decision. He said she had a chance to prove she was contemporary with her own choice but did a lame cabaret performance instead.
For his own pick, Cookie chose "Dare You To Move" by Switchfoot. He said that lyrically it wraps up the whole experience. He felt it was the appropriate song for the appropriate moment. He plays guitar during the song. It was a nice performance but not my favorite from Cookie. Randy thought it was a great song choice, but performance wise it wasn't his best. He thought it was a bit pitchy. Paula felt that he just got going when it ended, because it's hard to work a 3 ½ minute song into 90 seconds. Simon couldn't add much just that it's not a melodic song and all three had an okay middle round.
The producers picked "Longer" by Dan Fogelberg for Archie's final song. It was a typical Archie performance, boring and perfect. Randy thought it was an interesting song choice but said that Archie can sing the phone book. Paula called it lovely. Simon said he sang it well but the song and lyrics were horrible. He thought it was so gooey, and something you pick for a 90 year old but not a 17 year old. He does think that Archie did enough to get into the finals (or maybe the judges pimped him hard enough to get him there who knows).
For Syesha, the choice was "Hit Me Up." It was a pretty good performance from her again, but nothing WOW. Randy thought it was just okay. Paula said it was from the Happy Feet Soundtrack, and doesn't think it's the song that defines her as an artist. She doesn't know if it's good enough to get her to the finals. Simon thought it was better than the second song, but her best moment was last week.
The pick for Cookie was Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss A Thing." It was a great performance, I loved the orchestra building into the more rock ending. Randy thought it was predictable and just okay. Paula welcomed him to the finals. Simon called it one of the greatest songs of all time and told him he wins the night.
My Rankings by performance:
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