American Idol brought back the classic songs of America this week, as Tony Bennett arrived to mentor the Top 9. Overall, it wasn't the best week we've seen from the finalists, but I'm certain we'll see worse performances all around. There were tears, boos, and naturally the great antipation to see what Sanjaya would do with his hair this week!
Naturally, as this was Tony Bennett week, we had the standard "How Awesome Tony Is" clip. In this case, Tony deserves it. No matter how much I dislike that entire genre, there's no denying that Tony is truly an awesome singer and performer, worthy of the "awesome clip." Not many artists can claim that whole "charted in every decade since the 50s" plug that he can. Tony said in his clip that the idols are all very competent, but this week they will be singing some of the best songs written in America.
First up was Blake Lewis singing a song I hate, "Mack the Knife." Tony hoped that Blake would slow the tempo down a bit to give it more impact. Blake sang wonderfully, but I hate the song, so that sort of kills any part of me liking the performance. Randy Jackson said it was a good way to start off the night. There were a few pitch problems, but this is Blake's "vibe." Paula Abdul thought it was fun and Blake is just cool. Simon liked the song choice, giving Blake a 7 out of 10 and the band an 8 out of 10. I too give the band props, as they sounded awesome all night long.
Next up was Phil Stacey, who looked forward to this week more than any other as Tony is his hero. He decided to perform "Night and Day." Tony wanted him to put a little beat behind the song. He also thought that Phil was one of the better singers he's heard, not just today but in a long time. Personally I thought the performance was pitchy and boring. It had a nice end to it (but then again aren't all ends nice?). Randy didn't feel the connection or passion, which left the audience booing. Randy fired back that he knows how they feel, he was listening too. Paula said Phil reminds her of a young Frank Sinatra. That comment led Simon Cowell to wonder "which Frank" Paula was referring to. He thought it had all the joy of someone singing at a funeral parlor.
Melinda Doolittle was the best singer Tony heard all day. Melinda said it means a lot when someone of that caliber believes in you. Tony said if she can just keep believing in herself, she has a lot of potential. Tonight Melinda's performance of "I've Got Rhythm" was completely flawless. I thought it was her best performance ever, full of feeling and perfect tempo. Randy loves that she gives everyone a lesson each week in singing. Paula said she is a master, and every performance has a begininng, middle, and end. Simon broke Paula's bubble telling her that every song has a beginning, middle and end. He thought it showed great personality, but that they would never be able to criticize her, which is a problem. Ryan Seacrest wondered why it was a problem. Simon told Ryan that they like being mean to people occasionally. Ryan tried to tell Simon that he can't be mean just for the sake of being mean. Naturally Simon said that he could (and probably has).
Chris Richardson chose "Don't Get Around Much Anymore." As he had never heard the song before, he had to keep looking at the words. Tony warned him to get it memorized. I hated it, completely and totally hated it. He was mumbly and hard to understand, with terrible pitch. Plus he did the whiteboybandrapperbouncydance thing again. Naturally, as we all hate Chris, the judges loved it. Randy called it one of his best in the season and that Chris knows how to interject his own style. Paula said he has true artistic integrity, as he kept himself in the song. Simon thought it was good and believable. He agree with Randy and Paula that it was very hip. Personally, I want the drugs that make them this delusional. I want to understand the "Chris love" too! I feel like I've been left out of the cool club at school, because I just don't understand it.
Jordin Sparks is rare because she sings in tune, according to Tony. He also liked the way she improvised, which wasn't outlandish. I thought her performance of "On a Clear Day" was pitchy and just not great. Once again, it doesn't help that I don't like the song to begin with. Randy said she is controlled, like a pro and she's only 17. Paula just sort of mumbled something about joy magnets, leading Simon to look away with a smirk on his face as Paula mumbled on and on. Simon said she sang it well, but didn't make it hip like Chris did (which I'm glad for because then I might have really hated the song quite frankly).
Gina Glocksen chose "Smile" to perform. Tony got a little choked up when he talked about the song. He said that it's a song that gives you hope in your darkest moment. When he sings it, he thinks of 9/11 and our soldiers in Iraq - praying they come home (ditto from me TB!). Her performance was just - WOW. She had the perfect emotion to it, the perfect tone, everything to compliment the song. This is one of the few songs of that genre I actually like too I might add (hey, you want an unbiased recap, you shouldn't be here!). Randy kind of liked it. Paula said it was flawless, beautiful and sentimental. Simon didn't really like it as two girls came on before Gina and outsang her. I disagree with that comment, as the song doesn't need the kind of BELTING that Jordin and Melinda did, but a more sentimental and understated approach.
Sanjaya Malakar and Tony talked about how they are such huge fans of each other. Tony likes that he comes up with something new every week. Sanjaya's goal this week was to make America realize he really can sing (sorry Sanjaya, America is a nation of idiots who set their minds in stone upon one bad vocal). His performance of "Cheek to Cheek" was probably an 8 out of 10 for me. It was rather good as Sanjaya is just so vanilla he's just a vanilla bean at this point and the whole genre is as vanilla as vanilla gets. It makes for a nice combination. He went out and danced with Paula, too. Randy told him he's a great entertainer. Paula understands why people like him, he has a charming way about him. Simon decided to try something different this week, telling Sanjaya it was "incredible."
Haley Scarnato answered the question of which is more nervous, the singing or waiting for the judge's comments. She said that while she gets nervous from the crowd, waiting to hear what Simon will say is insane (Simon looked rather pissed off at this point in the show by the way, don't think he really appreciated her comments). She picked "Ain't Misbehavin'" because she thought it was fun. Tony warned her to sing it to one person, not to everyone. It was a perfect, fun and flirty performance for her. I thought she was rather good. The judges were brief and weird I thought (they were running short on time). Randy thought this might be a good week for her. Paula told her she looks good in green. Simon told her she has nice legs. He thought it was a bit "pagenty" though.
Closing out the show was Lakisha Jones with "Stormy Weather." Tony told her she's good, but she needs to just hit the big note at the end and be done. Once again I hate the song, so it was hard to judge. She did a wonderful job of showing more personality. Randy told her it was perfect for her, but she was pitchy in the beginning. Paula told her she hadn't looked more gorgeous, and she sounded great too. Simon told her that was a sassy, great performance.
My Top in Order:
Melinda / Gina
Sanjaya / Haley (no that's not a typo, I'm embracing Vanilla and Minx)
Didn't like the original so didn't like the performance:
LaKisha
Blake
Jordin
Bottom
Chris / Phil
I think Phil will not avoid going home this week. As for who else joins him in the bottom three, I'm not sure. If I have to make a guess, I'll go with Jordin and Chris joining him.
Oh, and on a totally unrelated to AI topic (but still very important to bring to everyone's attention):
A group of internet service providers has gotten the bright idea to start charging websites to make their site load faster for the clients of that ISP. Naturally this has made people unhappy, but for some reason it made musicians really unhappy. They started a movement against it. You can read more about this in our article found here.
1. Melinda - No contestant will top that performance this season. Sad.
2. Lakisha - She still should have listened to Tony though.
3. Gina - Impressive.
4. Phil - That felt like I was watching a David Lynch film. And I liked it.
5. Sanjaya - Typical Sanjaya: 1. An enduring feeling something is about to go very wrong. 2. surprising moments of good singing. 3. Strange moments where the volume of his vocal completely drops. 4. Your favorite moment when he nails the last climatic phrase of the song. What will AI do without him?
6. Jordin - The performance didn't quite match the vocal.
7. Blake - That looked like a rehersal.
8. Haley - The chest pump at the end helped...but still.
9. Chris - The second half was mediocre (typical Chris babble), the first half was bad, really bad.
So I was bang on with Blake and Phil’s song choices! I haven’t heard anyone yet, so can’t comment on the performances, but was spooked that Phil sang ‘Night And Day’ – the first choice I made for him and Blake sang ‘Mack The Knife’ – second choice I made for him!
Many of my choices made it on the show
I chose ‘I Got Rhythm’ for Haley, but Melinda sang it instead
I chose ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’’ for Jordin, but Haley sang it (note I said she should try something fun – hence ‘I Got Rhythm’).
And I chose ‘Smile’ (ok, so that was sarcastic at the time) for Sanjaya, but Gina sang it.
So that’s like five out of nine – not bad at all!
The Core Of Man's Spirit Comes From New Experiences!
I really don't like the genre. "Vanilla" is the correct assessment. Even the mediocre voices ~should~ have sounded good, and, for the most part, they did.
I agree with Curlio, I loved Gina's performance. Then again, I like this song. I felt that she performed the emotional tone perfectly.
Both Melinda and Lakisha should have been able to easily score "home runs" with this genre, and they did. Was either song surprising? Nope.
This wasn't Jordin's best performance. I agree with the guest who said her vocals didn't match her performance. It felt like she oversold the song.
I didn't cringe at Chris's performance as badly as I have some in the past. I still don't like him, but I thought that he picked a no-range song that he could sing with his no-range voice. No wonder this genre was popular with boy bands.
Phil aspires to be a vanilla singer, so his crappy performance was particularly noticeable.
Bottom three - Chris, Phil, Haley
Going Home - Phil
*Blake gets no rating because I started watching the show late.
Go, Chris...Away.
I agree. I just don't get it. Every week, I think Chris Richardson is the worst, then the judges start drooling over him.
His voice is so annoying and whiny.
Just don't get it.
Tony Bennett seemed ticked that Chris hadn't memorized the words before singing for him.
Should be.
Also thought Haley was average. And she and Lakisha both ignored Tony's advice.
With Haley, he told her that the song's "you, you, you" is not telling multiple guys that she loves them, but is emphatic for one.
So, in her performance, she sings you, then passes by Simon and does the multiple you again.
Lakisha was told not to add the "Ain't No Sunshine When He's Gone," line at the end and just stick with the big note.
She did it anyway.
And the first 30 seconds of the song had to have had at least a half dozen flat notes.
Yet, they called it "great."
Melinda again changed her style and gave a great performance.
I thought Blake was ok, nothing special. Should have done better. Needed more oomph like Bobby Darin gave it.
I thought Phil was good. Didn't get the criticism, either. Yes, its a positive love song, and he didn't smile a lot. But, every note was perfect and he was genuine in getting into the style of the genre. Better than anyone else in doing that.
I've changed my mind on Sanjaya since the Kinks song. Like Tony said, he dares to be different.
Not great, but I believe he'll make it to the Top 5 ahead of Phil, Gina and Haley, and, hopefully, Chris.
Top 3...Melinda, Phil and Gina.
Bottom 3, Chris, Haley and Lakisha.
Reality Check. Bottom 3 will probably be Haley to go with Phil and Chris (if there is justice) with her in the bottom group.
Although not one of my favorite genres, I thought the show was pretty good. Of course I was cleaning the kitchen, looking for a borrowed video tape, and stuffing easter eggs. (Oh yes a multi tasker am I )
From Best to worst:
Melinda- She is just in a class by herself
Blake- I thought he sounded really good. It seem to be
the first night I really heard him sing.
Jordin- She just has an amazing voice
Hailey- Okay I like an underdog. And she does have a
nice voice.
Gina- I didn't get to hear all of her performance, but I
thought she sang what I heard very well.
Lakeisha- She was good, but she has lost her pizaaz or
something.
Sanjaya- He really doesn't have a bad voice, it just isn't
as strong as the other contestants.
Phil- He wasn't bad, but he wasn't good.
Chris- I didn't watch him, I just listened to him. just do
not like the tone of his voice. And evidently I
missed the boy band bob (gosh darn)
I would like for Chris to go home. But I have a feeling it will either be Phil, Hailey or Gina. (I don't know why, but I don't think the judges like Gina like they did)
If you can't be a good example, then be a horrible warning!
Shenova said: I really don't like the genre. "Vanilla" is the correct assessment.
To dislike a genre is fine, but I have to disagree that it is all very vanilla, because it is not really the case. Problem with seemingly simple song is the fact simplicity sometimes is the hardest thing to achieve. The beauty of this genre lies in the lyrics, enunciation is a must and that case, singing in tune clearly might seem easy, but it’s really not!
I don’t think Phil will leave, because Phil has a strong fan base as many consider him as the best vocalist amongst the boys! My money is on Haley!
The Core Of Man's Spirit Comes From New Experiences!
i like chris and i know a bunch of my friends didnt like him but after tonight they saw what everyone loves. They thought he had a great voice. i think though when you just dont like the person your never going to like wht they sing even if it was the best of the night
1. Melinda .....awesome performance
2. Jordin....pure ,,beautiful delivery on her song
3. Gina....she was different but effective
4. Lakisha...getting too diva-like...and didn't listen to LuLu and didn't listen to Tony Benett! Crazy!
5. Chris....he styled this standard and sold it.
6. Blake...dropped a bit without his usual flair
7. Haley...too cute..too sexy poo.. forgettable
8 Phil..get some hair and he would stay..not bad.!
9. Sanjaya...is growing on me...better this week.
To dislike a genre is fine, but I have to disagree that it is all very vanilla, because it is not really the case. Problem with seemingly simple song is the fact simplicity sometimes is the hardest thing to achieve. The beauty of this genre lies in the lyrics, enunciation is a must and that case, singing in tune clearly might seem easy, but it’s really not!
I think "vanilla" is the perfect analogy! REALLY GOOD vanilla bean ice cream (like Blue Bell) doesn't need any toppings or embellishments and stands on its own against any fancy flavors. The problem is that REALLY GOOD is really rare, both in this genre and in vanilla-flavored desserts!
"A group of internet service providers has gotten the bright idea to start charging websites to make their site load faster for the clients of that ISP. Naturally this has made people unhappy, but for some reason it made musicians really unhappy."
Shenova said: [..]
Has Curlio.com gotten hit with this?
Not as far as we know, but it's a future plan that some ISP groups want to implement. We support the cause of the movement against it, and some extra attention to that cause is always handy.
Shenova said: "A group of internet service providers has gotten the bright idea to start charging websites to make their site load faster for the clients of that ISP. Naturally this has made people unhappy, but for some reason it made musicians really unhappy."
Has Curlio.com gotten hit with this?
Nope, it's just something that disturbs me - not just because I own a website. I don't like the idea that someone will decide what website should load faster just because the owner paid the isp for it. If anything the site should load faster because they hired a better web developer. Look at our site - we try to keep it relatively fast loading because we are on dialup ourselves. We designed it this way when we had high speed, because we knew not everyone had high speed. Those moments when it takes longer to load is simply because too many people come here after AI
"Now you know why lions eat their young" Capt. Phil Harris
Usually, I agree with the advice the star gives the contestants, but I didn't with Tony Bennett tonight. I thought Lakisha had a good idea ending with the title of another song, and Haley was sexy as heck when she said "you and you and you and you!" But he told her to not be a loose woman and to save her love for only one man.
Party pooper! So Lakisha didn't listen to him and Haley did, and she could've been sexier if she didn't.
Weird how Randy and Paula had nothing to say about Haley's performance.
Also weird that the judges all liked Chris cos his voice just isn't going to get any better. It's annoying- whiny, unstable, constantly wavering.
Phil sang well, but I agree he didn't connect with the audience.
Blake's voice is too high pitched and thin- kinda like Sting's.
The only person I marked as better than average tonight was Jordin, and I'm not even a fan of her's.
Based on my own ratings and what the judges said, my guess for the bottom two would be Phil and Haley with Phil going home.
1) Melinda - perfect, notice how she even sings the low notes well?
2) Jordin - You got my girl wrong Curlio, I've never heard a pitchy note from her yet. She'll finish this thing second to Melinda, keeps getting better.
3) Blake - I miss the little beat box addition, hope he'll indulge me next week.
4) Gina - Great voice control, you nailed it, look great.
5) Haley - If you sang as good as you looked, you'd win. And I would have enjoyed the performance even if I wasn't looking.
Bottom three:
LaKisha, Phil, Chris. Pack your bags Phil.
I'm reminded of last season when I wanted to Pick Pickler the first week... that wore off pretty quickly when she spoke. I was so glad when she was finally gone. I'll be even happier when Sanjaya finally gets the boot. He knows he can't sing and admitted it tonight. The judges seem resigned to the fact that Sanjaya is here to stay for awhile because the vote for the worst thing has finally taken roots thanks to Howard Stern. Could you imagine if the top two was Melinda and Sanjaya? And Sanjaya wins? Would that be the end of Idol?
Luv said: And Sanjaya wins? Would that be the end of Idol?
I'm guessing that Simon would do what he did in England - switch over to an "X-Factor" format where the judges/mentors have more influence over who leaves.
This week most definetely had some surprises and wierd moments. Quite extraordinary ...............
SO this was " VANILLA " week ...... not a bad title ! Kudos Shenova ! I like it. I thought the week was much better over last week , and some of the contestants are really improving .......
So now the ode " par excellance " ( yay ),
This week were the Classics,
classics of all time !
Performed by none other,
than our very own top 9 !
There were moments of pure joy,
while others were just sad ,
but Sanjaya and Gina doing really great ,
seriously made me glad !!
The first was Blake, doing "Mack the knife".
He scored one with the judges praise !
All was good , and the band just great.
Boy! He left me in a daze....
Next up was Phil, with the song " Night and day".
the epitome of romance .
Alas , with no praise and no words of delight ,
this was probably his last Chance !
Melinda, Melinda, oh sweet Melinda;
she was born to be a star !
Melinda,Melinda, oh divine Melinda
just look where you now are!
( please note the 'are' is a gud thing in this stanza)
Chris Richardson most definetly gave it his all,
for that I give him props.
Unfortunately, with THAT nasal tone to his voice,
that song , alas , just flops !!!!!
Who got the Jordin baby blues
" On a clear summer day " ?
That was pretty darn good Miss. J,
Got one word for you. HOORAY !!!!
Gina , the rock chick of American Idol,
sang her song with no "smile"!
But that dosen't matter ; not even a bit,
'cause that was her best performance by a mile!
And now little-widdle sweet Sanajaya,
this was your week friend !
You've been on the recievng end of insults and boos.
So this, a compliment and best wishes , I send .
Haley is Gorgeous, beautiful, divine .
Have you seen her legs? GAWD are they fine!
With regards to her singing however,
I most truly and sincerely try not to whine.
Saving for the last was Lakisha,
with a song to rock your home !!
With " Stormy weather " she wowed me most definetly,
I mean GAWD again! What a beautiful vice and tone !!!
Well that about sums it up.
TOP 4
Melinda
Lakisha
Gina
Sanjaya ( yeah. I like him )
BOTTOM 3-
( from best to worst )
Haley
Chris
Phil
Now lets see who goes out today !!!! Can't wait. I hope that Sanjaya survives this week. I'd like to see how he does Mrs. Lopez !!
tc
GREAT RESPONSES FROM EVERYONE !!!!
( awaiting responses from u guys ..... u know with the critique on the sing along poem and all )
And it's good to see that people are starting to appreciate Sanjaya. But what i don't get is in the " Who sang the worst " question , why is Sanjaya right on top? It dosen't make sense , since most people found him quite good, and have not put him in their bottom 3!!!!!!
Guest said: But what i don't get is in the " Who sang the worst " question , why is Sanjaya right on top?
Curlio answered this magnificently and I quote her, “Sorry Sanjaya, America is a nation of idiots who set their minds in stone upon one bad vocal.” Unquote!
I will add to that – It is easier to hate someone you love than it is to love someone you hate!
It is already decided that Sanjaya cannot sing, so no matter how Sanjaya performs or who says what about his performance, it will stay in mass psyche that Sanjaya cannot sing – whether it is true or false!
The Core Of Man's Spirit Comes From New Experiences!
Shenova said: The problem is that REALLY GOOD is really rare, both in this genre and in vanilla-flavored desserts!
I agree with you on all counts, but as I understood, you deemed the entire genre as ‘Vanilla’ (maybe I got that wrong) and I did not agree with that! Because most Big Band Covers were first tackled by Jazz Greats and they too can be slotted in Big Band genre! And frankly, I would die before I even think of them as Vanilla!
However, I agree with you wholeheartedly that today there are very few good singers in this genre! Diana Krall, Norah Jones and hesitatingly Michael Bublé!
The Core Of Man's Spirit Comes From New Experiences!
mad, Mad, MAD props for my boy Sanji!!! He really brought it!!! For all you yokels who keep disparaging him, sucks to you!! He was better than Phil, Gina, Chris, and certainly better then Hailey! I want apologies from all of the regulars here.
American Idol brought back the classic songs of America this week, as Tony Bennett arrived to mentor the Top 9. Overall, it wasn't the best week we've seen from the finalists, but I'm certain we'll see worse performances all around. There were tears, boos, and naturally the great antipation to see what Sanjaya would do with his hair this week!
Naturally, as this was Tony Bennett week, we had the standard "How Awesome Tony Is" clip. In this case, Tony deserves it. No matter how much I dislike that entire genre, there's no denying that Tony is truly an awesome singer and performer, worthy of the "awesome clip." Not many artists can claim that whole "charted in every decade since the 50s" plug that he can. Tony said in his clip that the idols are all very competent, but this week they will be singing some of the best songs written in America.
First up was Blake Lewis singing a song I hate, "Mack the Knife." Tony hoped that Blake would slow the tempo down a bit to give it more impact. Blake sang wonderfully, but I hate the song, so that sort of kills any part of me liking the performance. Randy Jackson said it was a good way to start off the night. There were a few pitch problems, but this is Blake's "vibe." Paula Abdul thought it was fun and Blake is just cool. Simon liked the song choice, giving Blake a 7 out of 10 and the band an 8 out of 10. I too give the band props, as they sounded awesome all night long.
Next up was Phil Stacey, who looked forward to this week more than any other as Tony is his hero. He decided to perform "Night and Day." Tony wanted him to put a little beat behind the song. He also thought that Phil was one of the better singers he's heard, not just today but in a long time. Personally I thought the performance was pitchy and boring. It had a nice end to it (but then again aren't all ends nice?). Randy didn't feel the connection or passion, which left the audience booing. Randy fired back that he knows how they feel, he was listening too. Paula said Phil reminds her of a young Frank Sinatra. That comment led Simon Cowell to wonder "which Frank" Paula was referring to. He thought it had all the joy of someone singing at a funeral parlor.
Melinda Doolittle was the best singer Tony heard all day. Melinda said it means a lot when someone of that caliber believes in you. Tony said if she can just keep believing in herself, she has a lot of potential. Tonight Melinda's performance of "I've Got Rhythm" was completely flawless. I thought it was her best performance ever, full of feeling and perfect tempo. Randy loves that she gives everyone a lesson each week in singing. Paula said she is a master, and every performance has a begininng, middle, and end. Simon broke Paula's bubble telling her that every song has a beginning, middle and end. He thought it showed great personality, but that they would never be able to criticize her, which is a problem. Ryan Seacrest wondered why it was a problem. Simon told Ryan that they like being mean to people occasionally. Ryan tried to tell Simon that he can't be mean just for the sake of being mean. Naturally Simon said that he could (and probably has).
Chris Richardson chose "Don't Get Around Much Anymore." As he had never heard the song before, he had to keep looking at the words. Tony warned him to get it memorized. I hated it, completely and totally hated it. He was mumbly and hard to understand, with terrible pitch. Plus he did the whiteboybandrapperbouncydance thing again. Naturally, as we all hate Chris, the judges loved it. Randy called it one of his best in the season and that Chris knows how to interject his own style. Paula said he has true artistic integrity, as he kept himself in the song. Simon thought it was good and believable. He agree with Randy and Paula that it was very hip. Personally, I want the drugs that make them this delusional. I want to understand the "Chris love" too! I feel like I've been left out of the cool club at school, because I just don't understand it.
Jordin Sparks is rare because she sings in tune, according to Tony. He also liked the way she improvised, which wasn't outlandish. I thought her performance of "On a Clear Day" was pitchy and just not great. Once again, it doesn't help that I don't like the song to begin with. Randy said she is controlled, like a pro and she's only 17. Paula just sort of mumbled something about joy magnets, leading Simon to look away with a smirk on his face as Paula mumbled on and on. Simon said she sang it well, but didn't make it hip like Chris did (which I'm glad for because then I might have really hated the song quite frankly).
Gina Glocksen chose "Smile" to perform. Tony got a little choked up when he talked about the song. He said that it's a song that gives you hope in your darkest moment. When he sings it, he thinks of 9/11 and our soldiers in Iraq - praying they come home (ditto from me TB!). Her performance was just - WOW. She had the perfect emotion to it, the perfect tone, everything to compliment the song. This is one of the few songs of that genre I actually like too I might add (hey, you want an unbiased recap, you shouldn't be here!). Randy kind of liked it. Paula said it was flawless, beautiful and sentimental. Simon didn't really like it as two girls came on before Gina and outsang her. I disagree with that comment, as the song doesn't need the kind of BELTING that Jordin and Melinda did, but a more sentimental and understated approach.
Sanjaya Malakar and Tony talked about how they are such huge fans of each other. Tony likes that he comes up with something new every week. Sanjaya's goal this week was to make America realize he really can sing (sorry Sanjaya, America is a nation of idiots who set their minds in stone upon one bad vocal). His performance of "Cheek to Cheek" was probably an 8 out of 10 for me. It was rather good as Sanjaya is just so vanilla he's just a vanilla bean at this point and the whole genre is as vanilla as vanilla gets. It makes for a nice combination. He went out and danced with Paula, too. Randy told him he's a great entertainer. Paula understands why people like him, he has a charming way about him. Simon decided to try something different this week, telling Sanjaya it was "incredible."
Haley Scarnato answered the question of which is more nervous, the singing or waiting for the judge's comments. She said that while she gets nervous from the crowd, waiting to hear what Simon will say is insane (Simon looked rather pissed off at this point in the show by the way, don't think he really appreciated her comments). She picked "Ain't Misbehavin'" because she thought it was fun. Tony warned her to sing it to one person, not to everyone. It was a perfect, fun and flirty performance for her. I thought she was rather good. The judges were brief and weird I thought (they were running short on time). Randy thought this might be a good week for her. Paula told her she looks good in green. Simon told her she has nice legs. He thought it was a bit "pagenty" though.
Closing out the show was Lakisha Jones with "Stormy Weather." Tony told her she's good, but she needs to just hit the big note at the end and be done. Once again I hate the song, so it was hard to judge. She did a wonderful job of showing more personality. Randy told her it was perfect for her, but she was pitchy in the beginning. Paula told her she hadn't looked more gorgeous, and she sounded great too. Simon told her that was a sassy, great performance.
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